Don Juan Pond, also known as Don Juan Lake, is the second saltiest saltwater lake in the world. It is located in the dry hilly area of McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. It is dry all year round. Not to mention rain, even snow is rare. In addition, the ground
Being in the extreme area, at a glance, it gives people a sense of desolate emptiness.
Li Shaoan was still in Beijing when he received the notice, but through real-time connection, he could clearly see the "door" that suddenly appeared here from a long distance.
It is understood that the person who discovered the "door" was a Japanese named Takahashi Yamaya, a photographer.
He has been taking photos in various rarely visited places around the world since the beginning of 2023, and Don Juan Pond is his final destination.
"What's the specific time?" Li Shaoan asked.
Female assistant Wu Shutong, who had arrived at the scene, replied: "According to his own recollection, it was probably around 9 a.m. on November 7, which was three days ago."
"Three days ago?" Li Shaoan narrowed his eyes: "Did he say why he waited three days before sending out a request for help?"
Wu Shutong shook her head: "He is now in a state of mental disorder. Coupled with early feedback from rescue workers, he may have been infected by the substances around the 'door' and is currently receiving isolation treatment."
Li Shaoan understood, he nodded and then said: "Have the people from the American Federation arrived?"
"Well, they arrived this morning and have now begun to analyze the materials around the 'door'."
"What about our people?"
"Preparations are underway, but the relevant scientific researchers have not arrived yet, so nothing can be done for the time being."
So... Li Shaoan got a little angry. He thought for a while and then said, "Is Willim here this time?"
Wu Shutong looked a little embarrassed when she heard the name Willim.
"Uh...here he comes."
"That's it... Xiao Wu, I know it's not good to connect personal feelings and work, but you should know the value of this emergency situation. For the sake of our motherland, you have to show some courage.
"
Wu Shutong didn't say much after hearing this. She nodded immediately and walked towards a group of Americans who were making preparations.
After a simple exchange, Wu Shutong successfully joined the team as an individual. She had only one purpose, to collect as many useful things as possible before her people came over.
Although the person in charge of the US District of the National Security Department was standing far away, he also spotted Wu Shutong, but this time he acted very gentlemanly and did not stop him at all.
This move was convenient for Wu Shutong, but it also made her feel very uneasy.
But now that things were done, it was impossible for Wu Shutong to retreat. After she put on the enhanced isolation suit, she followed the team towards the "door" in the distance.
…
"Director, the plane is ready and can take off at any time."
Li Shaoan was very anxious at first, but when he was about to leave, he suddenly felt that many things were not ready, so... he sat back down, thought about it, and dialed a number.
After a while, the call was connected.
"Hello, is this Professor Chu?"
"It's me, who are you?"
"I am Li Shaoan."
"Oh? Oh! It's Director Li. Do you have something to do with me?"
"Haha, it's not an important matter. I just want to ask, has the assembly of 'Tai Chi' No. 3 been completed now?"
On the other end of the phone
Chu Hongjun was getting ready to go to bed. As soon as he heard this, he smelled some problems very keenly, so he immediately put on his clothes and got out of bed.
"Well, it's been assembled. We're going to have a meeting tomorrow to discuss the first trial run."
"Is that so? Isn't it convenient for my people to come and observe?"
"Well, of course you're welcome, but I'm not hosting the meeting. You'd better talk to the person in charge to avoid misunderstanding."
"Well, okay, I'm sorry to disturb your rest. Goodbye." After Li Shaoan finished speaking, he hung up the phone.
Chu Hongjun just came to the desk and looked at the hung up phone with some confusion. He thought to himself: 'What's going on...are the people in the National Security Department also starting to care about basic science?'
Thinking of this, Chu Hongjun also dialed a number.
"Hey, Yilin, you're not asleep yet?"
"Well...what's wrong? Grandpa?"
"Well, Grandpa wants to go back to the institute. Can you please drive me there?"
Chu Yilin lived in the compound of his grandfather Chu Hongjun. When he agreed, he put down the phone and went straight to the garage.
…
One o'clock in the morning on November 11, 2023.
Li Shaoan rushed to Antarctica on a special plane, and Chu Hongjun also arrived at the institute in a private car.
When I arrived late at night, the security guard was a little puzzled, but he didn't dare to ask any more questions and let me go after inspection.
However, Chu Yilin was a little curious and asked: "Grandpa, why don't you take a good rest? Didn't you tell me that you have a meeting tomorrow? Why are you coming back to the institute now?"
Chu Hongjun smiled: "I just can't sleep. I want to come back and see Tai Chi No. 3. You don't blame grandpa, do you?"
Chu Yilin said nothing, parked the car and lit a pipe: "Okay, I'll wait for you in the car."
However, this time Chu Hongjun patted the back of his grandson's hand and said: "There is no need to wait outside today. Let's go and see with grandpa."
Chu Yilin found it even more strange, because since the construction of "Tai Chi No. 3" started, Chu Yilin had always been Chu Hongjun's driver. Once he was bored and followed the construction team into the site. After being discovered by Chu Hongjun, Chu Yilin was almost driven back to his hometown.
Therefore, Chu Yilin felt strange now that he was invited.
But curiosity still prevailed. Although he did not witness the completion of "Tai Chi No. 3" with his own eyes, he "grew up" little by little listening to it.
After getting out of the car and looking at the experimental center that looked like an upside-down porcelain bowl in front of him, Chu Yilin stubbed out his cigarette, suppressed his excitement, and followed Chu Hongjun in.
There are three security facilities in the experimental center. If you are an ordinary person, you can only come in by yourself even if you have a pass. But Chu Hongjun is different. He is one of the main persons in charge of the "Tai Chi No. 3" project, and his special authority allows him to lead the
Rights for one to five tourists.
But it is only limited to the tourist area, and the real experimental area is still completely prohibited to the outside world.
However, coming so late, Chu Hongjun had no intention of going to the experimental area. He just wanted to take a look at the world's largest multi-element collider from the outside. It is currently the only general-purpose collider in the world that can achieve straight-line collision of electrons.
Collision, Large Hadron Collision and six different collision experiments.
In layman's terms, "Tai Chi No. 3" has created a history, breaking through more than 100 problems in applied basic science, and creating a "thorough path" that can be used by cars, trains, and tanks.
For ordinary people like Chu Yilin, these words are simply a piece of heavenly scripture. Not only can they not understand it, but they also cannot understand Chu Hongjun at all.
The kind of pride and excitement.
However, when he heard that the total length of "Tai Chi 3" was more than 170 kilometers, and most of it was below the surface of the sea, Chu Yilin finally realized the greatness of this super project.
"Yilin, I know what grandpa just said to you is like a sacred book, but there is one thing I still hope you can understand."
Chu Yilin followed his grandfather and said respectfully: "Well, grandpa, please tell me, I'm listening."
"That's right... the machine in front of you is not just a glory, nor is it a toy for one person or several people. It is the future, the future of our humanity. I hope you will always remember this.
!”
Chu Yilin served as a soldier and had a very high sense of national and national honor, but it was still a bit reluctant for him to reach another level and understand the human sense of honor...
But he remembered these words in his heart, even though he didn't know why his grandfather said such words tonight.
After Chu Hongjun said this, he silently looked at the starting point of "Tai Chi No. 3" in the distance. It is the starting point for the acceleration of various particles to be collided, and it is also the starting point for basic science to discover the future.
Tonight, Chu Hongjun had a premonition that this metaphor was about to become a reality, and the destiny of mankind was about to usher in a new turning point.
…
November 11, 2023 at 9:15 am.
Li Shaoan led the scientific research team from China to the temporarily established "camp" outside Tang Juan Lake.
But what greeted him was...
"When we discovered the problem, we had already evacuated the frontline personnel as soon as possible, but it was still a step too late..." The early arrivals brought not good news... but... the bad news that Wu Shutong was killed.
Of the same group of people who approached the "door", only one person survived... This incident shrouded the entire camp in a haze.
Li Shaoan's face was ashen, he never expected that things would deteriorate to this point.
Arriving at the isolation room, Li Shaoan saw Wu Shutong's body through the isolation window.
Her expression was very peaceful, as if she was asleep...but she was indeed gone...
"What happened?" Li Shaoan asked.
His men quickly brought a tablet computer.
Li Shaoan took it and took a look. What was playing on it was the scene taken by the front camera before Wu Shutong sacrificed himself.
…
"Hey, girl, you'd better stay here. There may be danger ahead." The person who spoke was a black man. He was not a scientific researcher, but a special soldier responsible for the safety of the team.
Wu Shutong replied: "Thank you for your concern, but I am also a soldier. I think I have the ability to deal with danger."
"Oh, well, seeing as you are empty-handed, I thought you were just here to join in the fun." The black man was very optimistic, he smiled and quickened his pace.
Wu Shutong lowered her head and took a look. The water was very shallow, only reaching her ankles, but from here on, she could see the layer of strange yellow fluid floating on the water.
In order to make sure that this was not some kind of mist-like water vapor, Wu Shutong took off the collector from her waist, bent down, collected some and put them in a special collection bottle.
"Sure enough, these are fluid substances with a density much lower than water. Just from close observation... well... we can't determine what they are yet, but there should be no danger." Wu Shutong dutifully recorded the simple video.
However, as soon as the words were finished, an exclamation came from the front.