Chapter 974 - This Game Is Too Realistic

Chapter 974: The Old Geezer Strikes Gold Dawn City Nuclear Power Plant, Generator Room. Signals in shades of blue and green flickered alternately on the control console screen, and a low hum of white noise echoed throughout the spacious room. In the center of the facility stood an aged reactor, surrounded by a dense crowd of onlookers. The faded emblem and production serial number imbued the reactor with a certain antique charm, though its streamlined cast casing and intricate design were still quite commendable. The Alliance wasn't the only one to hold this view. Even engineers from Ideal City shared this sentiment. Ever since the residents of the shelter excavated this [Backup Reactor] from the deepest reaches of the West Continent’s subway routes and built a power plant around it, the reactor had been the beating heart of the Alliance’s industry. Not only that, it had become a demonstrative teaching tool for researchers at Camp 101 to study and reference. Due to its storied reputation, Wang Zhengyi, a fusion engineer at the Dawn City Plant, proudly showcased this achievement. While administrators advocated learning from the Academy, there was no harm in flaunting some prowess, right? After all, impressive student work inspires teachers to divulge more of their authentic skills. Of course, Master Wang's true intention wasn't quite that complex; he merely wanted to show off in front of the Academy. However, to his surprise, a young kid barely in his twenties, upon seeing this "civilizational gem of the Prosperity Era," only smirked subtly and even threw a couple of remarks. Master Wang’s face flushed as red as a lantern, prompting concerned glances from colleagues, worried about his blood pressure spiking. Yet that young man, Zhong Jingchu, had no intention of stopping and punctuated his comments with a final blow. "Too primitive." "You’re the primitive one, damn it!" Wang Zhengyi retorted, angrily snapping back, "You’re so impressive! How would you ignite it without using laser ignition?" Zhong Jingchu chuckled subtly, replying leisurely. “We don't ignite; we cold-start.” Wang Zhengyi was taken aback, as if doused with a bucket of cold water. “...Cold-start?” He’d heard this term from corporate folks, and experts from Camp 101 had mentioned it too, yet neither recommended this technical route, even if it was more energy-efficient. The reason was simple. Though sustainable fusion resources weren't renewable pre-Earth-Moon transit resumption, the remnants of Prosperity Era reserves found in the wasteland were still ample. Given current industrial activities on the surface, compared to the economic crunch of the Old Era, there was no need to consider frugality. At least not for another fifty years. Observing the baffled elder engineer, Zhong Jingchu didn’t respond immediately but accepted a bottle of mineral water from a nearby bionic assistant, twisting the cap to splash some water onto the ground. Not only the elder engineer but the rest at the Dawn City plant wore puzzled expressions, unsure of his intent. Faced with those confused gazes, Zhong Jingchu continued in layman’s terms. “...To fuse two metal balls, the most efficient approach isn't using a press but melting them.” “The same goes for atoms. Whether through laser ignition, inertial collision, or indirect ignition—these were the methods of early Prosperity Era, even Old Era.” “And there's nothing wrong with that.” “After all, when our understanding of the fundamental forces was nonexistent, we could only imagine a conceptual ‘forge’ and an adept ‘blacksmith’ in our minds, resorting to the crudest methods to melt, beat, and break atomic nuclei to extract the energy trapped within.” “Once our professors discovered the existence of gravitons, everything changed dramatically. Initially, we still used laser technology, but for polarizing atoms to create special bonding states to draw them closer. Later, we found ways to directly employ gravitons to interfere with force fields. Eventually, we experimented with weakening the repulsion forces between atoms, breaking the equilibrium between repulsion and attraction forces... And beyond our wildest expectations, a miracle occurred.” “The atoms melded like water.” Upon hearing this, one of the engineers murmured. “Gravitons, really, why beat around the bush... But even for gravitons, doesn’t it still require initial energy input?” Other engineers shared similar views. Driving gravitons demanded substantial energy, which may not be cheaper than laser ignition. “Yes, there's always a give-and-take, and ignition energy is unavoidable,” Zhong Jingchu nodded, then veering the conversation, “But through field force interference, we can further reduce the energy required for ignition and sustaining reactions.” “We're not interfering with something as massive as the Heart of Steel airship, just a few reacting atoms, which consumes far less energy than heating plasma with lasers—not just by one order of magnitude... and it’s much more stable and efficient.” “Returning to the miracle I mentioned, we found that fusion reactions utilizing gravitons to merge atoms would initially occur under mild conditions, even exceptionally mild.” “And this is what we call cold-start.” Seeing the engineers listening intently, Zhong Jingchu smiled and continued with a calm tone. “Based on similar technological principles, researchers from the People's Federation discovered how to sustain fusion reactions at normal temperature and pressure and how to make fusion processes even milder, and a host of more convenient, efficient methods.” “Including those portable reactors you reverse-engineered from black boxes, which in fact originated from this very process.” Brilliant! Apart from a handful of nuclear engineers, the staff and onlookers around the reactor couldn’t help but applaud. Though the Alliance’s nuclear engineers didn’t join in applause, admiration was evident on their faces. Despite learning reactor maintenance techniques at Camp 101, as wastelanders, they truly didn't know the origins of these technologies. Even their instructors at Camp 101 might not fully grasp them. After all, the teachers at Vault 101 didn’t divulge everything. This young man filled their knowledge gaps, recounting almost forgotten history of the wasteland residents with just a few concise words. From technical principles. To origins even closer to the essence! Though impressed by the young man’s vast knowledge, Master Wang wasn't entirely convinced—only half-admiring. Admiration was one thing; more talk of old tales remained about events of the past. Those memories couldn’t power a reactor, nor could they serve as its casing. He was more vested in practical matters. “You talk as if you conducted those experiments yourself.” Wang Zhengyi muttered after a lengthy pause. Zhong Jingchu smiled gently. “No, I didn’t conduct the experiments, but we performed every one of them ourselves and I remember every detail vividly. Plus, I know ‘why it was so.’” Wang Zhengyi held his breath, his gaze gradually turning fervent. “Is that true?” Zhong Jingchu nodded with a warm expression. “Of course, it’s true. My mentor mentioned it was time to pass down these legacies to you.” “On how these techniques came into being, how to apply them, and how to innovate on our predecessors’ foundations.” Hearing these words, Master Wang’s aggravation melted away, entirely won over. His face, once reddened like liver, returned to one of joyous delight. The Administrator wasn’t exaggerating; the folks from the Academy were indeed extraordinarily adept! If an expert on the same tier was boasting, naturally, he wouldn’t be pleased. Moreover, expecting a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties to yield to a young man barely over twenty was hard to swallow. But after this exchange, he was certain—this person was leagues ahead, perhaps even standing in the stratosphere... There was simply no comparison. If acquiring genuine skills from the Academy meant bowing a bit, he didn’t mind. At worst, learn, then flaunt in front of corporate folks. As Wang Zhengyi mused over these thoughts, the other engineers around him were already filled with eager expressions, completely won over. "Brother, you’ve got to teach us that cold ignition... or rather, non-ignition method!" "Man, why didn't I think of that!" "Please, share your knowledge with us!" "Big brother, if you don't mind, I’ll call you my master!" Watching these wastelanders, thirsty for knowledge, Zhong Jingchu maintained an unfazed demeanor, with a subtle smile. Though his lips almost betrayed his smugness, he upheld the air of a wise mentor accepting disciples. “No need to be so polite.” “I'll share everything I know with you!” The crowd around the reactor wasn’t just made up of power plant employees; a few players idling away their time mingled among them too. Normally, players wouldn’t frequent such backdrops, but recent events were anything but ordinary. The Academy sending an expert team to the Alliance had made headline news in the Dawn City "Survivor’s Daily"! Although researchers and explorers from the Academy had gradually frequented Dawn City in the past, their numbers were limited, and their movements mysterious—encountering them outside of assigned scientific missions was rare. Thus, when they heard researchers were near the nuclear plant, everyone thronged to the spot. It was more entertaining than seeing a mammoth at the zoo! And indeed it was. After witnessing the grand performance, [Solo Jungle Player] couldn't help but join the NPCs in applause. “Wow, the people from the Academy really know how to show off!” [Lancer Shooter] glanced at him. “You mean with nuclear fusion?” Solo Jungle Player: “Not nuclear fusion, I mean showing off.” Lancer Shooter: “Hah—” [Ascetic Mid-laner], who had been silent and grinning, chimed in unexpectedly. “The Academy folks do seem quite proud.” “Like... Jiang Xuezhou?” Solo Jungle Player thought for a moment; that name was the only one among Academy researchers he remembered, heard by chance on the forums. Ascetic Mid-laner sheepishly chuckled. “And Yin Fang.” Lancer Shooter: “?” Solo Jungle Player: “?” Ascetic Mid-laner: “Haha, don't you think so? Even with their tough talk, they act honestly.” Solo Jungle Player: “No, I just feel something's off with you...” Ascetic Mid-laner: “...?” On the other side, the bionic engineers from Vault 100 were whispering among themselves. Though not fusion experts, they recognized different fusion reactor models and realized the researcher named Zhong had some real substance. By now, Zhong Jingchu had moved from the history of science to the core challenges of cold-start fusion technology and the main strategies for addressing them. Not only were the Alliance’s nuclear engineers captivated, but even [Lone Wolf of the Apocalypse]—who didn't understand a thing about nuclear fusion—listened, entranced and drooling. Unfortunately, though. The former at least gleaned some understanding, while the latter realized he was just there for the spectacle, grasping nothing afterward. Reluctantly pulling his gaze from afar, Lone Wolf of the Apocalypse sighed wistfully. “Damn! Pity I majored in automation... Hey, Professor Rock, you’re into physics, right? What do you think about that cold fusion reactor? Is it reliable?” Feeling the intensity in Lone Wolf's gaze, Strong Wind sighed. “I’m just a physics researcher, not a deity… Don’t overthink it. Focus on building a solid foundation before imagining reliving the Prosperity Era.” Forget about advanced concepts like cold starts and cold fusion reactors; even if we spoke in terms of the game world, current fusion technology doesn’t even fulfill the “controllable” aspect. The two aren’t even the same entities; the technological principles they rely on differ entirely. Lone Wolf, still unwilling to let go, looked at Strong Wind, who shook his head, and couldn’t help but say: “Couldn’t it at least offer some inspiration? Like the technical approach or something…” “You mean the technical approach to cold-start nuclear fusion?” Strong Wind couldn’t help chuckling, glancing at his colleague. “Here’s the thing, in high-energy physics, there’s a longstanding conjecture about unifying the four fundamental forces. Various mathematicians and physicists have devoted their lives to it.” Lone Wolf stared blankly, waiting for him to continue, and finally asked: “…And?” Strong Wind gazed at the distant researcher for a moment. “That’s just a conjecture for us.” “But in the game world—or here, where gravitons that fit the grand unified theory are tangible.” “Do you know what that implies?" Lone Wolf looked at him, clueless. “…No.” Strong Wind stared at him for a while, then sighed and looked away. “…Forget I said anything.” Lone Wolf: “???” Lone Wolf’s good buddy Fang Chang often mused that "Wasteland OL" wasn't just a simple game world but felt like a living, breathing world. However, as a physicist, he had a different perspective. From a physicist’s viewpoint, this world seemed like a separate universe. Real-world physical laws didn’t entirely apply here, or at least not within a limited range. And the deeper into the microscopic realm one delved, the more pronounced these discrepancies became. For instance, the classic double-slit experiment required higher instrument precision in the "Wasteland OL" world than in reality, suggesting less “uncertainty” here. This reversal implies that the Planck constant in “Wasteland OL” is smaller than in the real world, despite the minuscule mathematical deviation or ostensibly infinitesimal measure. Yet even infinitesimal differences are still differences. This realization is deeply unsettling upon close reflection. A smaller Planck constant implies smaller quantum sizes, less frequent quantum effects, a more stable universe, and fewer uncertainties. To make an accessible analogy: If a computing device or high-powered graphics card were “God” generating everything in the world, there'd be both God A and God B, each using their compute power to create worlds A and B, respectively. In World A, only city structures and populace models are fully generated, while pores on citizens get blurred—rendered only when the camera zooms close enough, nonexistent until observed. Sometimes, in parts unseen by the camera, characters in World A might walk through walls—it’s what’s known colloquially as “glitching through.” World B’s graphics card is different: it generates an entire city, pores, and even microscopic textures, observability aside—textures intrinsically exist, not reliant on observation. In World B, wall-phasing is impossible; characters, whether spotlighted or obscure, won’t glitch through walls. To find a “glitch” in World B, one must dive into micro dimensions invisible under microscopes, like nanoscales. When chips become small enough, particles like electrons might experience quantum tunneling, effecting a "quantum leap" phenomenon. As a figurative yet vivid analogy: consider the world generated by Graphics Card B as "Planet OL," while Graphics Card A’s world would be "Night City." Moreover, it's a Night City among countless parallel universes, uninfluenced by constant interference or observation from "Planet OL" players. That “uninfluenced by continuous interference and observation” clause is crucial, for any interference could easily spawn N parallel worlds via “frame rate” iterations, a fact reflected in divergent save files across players. Simultaneously, for a world where thermodynamic experiments can't proceed, “frame rate” becomes a key parameter for calculating the Planck constant. Furthermore, a Planck constant calculated based on frame rate would invariably be less than 1 and greater than the real-world Planck constant—substantially greater! In "Wasteland OL," the concept of frame rate doesn't exist; the graphic and physics engine fidelity far surpasses traditional AAA titles. In this world, not only can you perform thermodynamics experiments, but nuclear tests as well, applying real-world methods to calculate the Planck constant. That's exactly what Gale had done. Initially, he approached these experiments light-heartedly, knowing full well that his actions might be nothing more than fool's play—either the game server would ignore him, or it could simply pull up encyclopedia data to give him the results he anticipated. Yet, the outcome of these experiments surprised him, reminiscent of his first encounter with quantum mechanics— God vanished. Or rather, hid away. Theoretically, the Planck constant in "Wasteland OL" should be larger than "Earth OL," akin to Los Santos in Gta5, Night City in Cyberpunk, or Skyrim in Elder Scrolls... However, the calculated result was exactly the opposite— The value was infinitely close to, and even smaller than, the latter! No matter how many times he recalculated, or repeated the experiment, the outcome remained the same. This implied that "God B" moved into "God A's" house, where a high-capacity graphics card ran on a low-capacity one… and the latter could execute programs the former couldn't? In over three decades of living, he'd never once encountered such an outrageous situation! Either AGuang was targeting him! Or aliens behind AGuang, as some mainstream media speculated, had taken notice of him, crafting particular algorithms to deliberately lead him to these results… For a time, his discoveries plunged him into confusion and self-doubt, so much so that he took a long vacation from work, backpacked through travels, and spent considerable time adjusting his mindset to pull himself out of that doubtful haze. There wasn't much to be bewildered about, in truth. The existence or absence of matter is objective, but "existence" itself is determined by subjective consciousness. Glancing at the Lone Wolf of the Apocalypse, still deeply engrossed in gravitons and nuclear fusion, Gale candidly remarked. "…The game world is just a game world. You can't expect to uncover physical laws in games or films that aren't found in reality. Fabricating unverifiable and unfalsifiable conjectures isn’t particularly challenging either." He paused, habitually extending a finger to touch the bridge of his nose. In the game world, the high prescription glasses meant for his nose didn't exist. In this world, "Gale" was his name, while Yan Feng was merely someone living in another world, entirely unrelated to "Gale." "Of course, because of how closely the Planck constants match… their theories have somewhat inspired me. Perhaps we might discover something akin to gravitons." The Lone Wolf of the Apocalypse stared dumbfoundedly at Professor Yan Feng and replied with a wry smile. "Your talks are getting harder to understand..." ... (PS: The novel will conclude next year, and saying this isn’t a spoiler. Gale merely fell into his own 'trap,' and what he sees doesn’t reflect my outline. Both worlds exist somewhere in the universe, just on different dimensions, not mere computer simulations, though they're not particularly mysterious either. Additionally, Vault 101's world is a simulation capable of mimicking a planet, representing the tech limits of the Prosperity Era. Vault 404 is different from Vault 101, with the former being the true 'singularity.') To be continued.