A murmur of discussion immediately arose from the audience.

"This...this is way too small! Will it even work?"

"Compared to others, it looks like a lump of iron, it's so boring."

Gao Dongliang and his team of experts openly burst into laughter.

"Heh, I told you, it's petty and doesn't deserve any respect," a young expert muttered to Gao Dongliang, pursing his lips.

Gao Dongliang didn't speak, but just shook his head, his expression as if he were watching a farce that was destined to fail.

Lin Fan's face turned bright red. He took a deep breath, walked to the stove, struck a match, and carefully inserted it into the firebox.

However, the expected flames did not ignite; instead, a choking plume of black smoke suddenly billowed out, forcing Lin Fan to retreat and cough incessantly.

Ignition failed on the first attempt.

The scene immediately erupted in an uproar.

"What's wrong? It won't light?"

"Oh dear, what should we do!" The military wives who supported Su Tang immediately became anxious, and Li Xiumei's heart was in her throat.

Cold sweat broke out on Lin Fan's forehead. He glanced at Geng Xiangdong, whose face had darkened below the stage, and then at Su Tang, who remained calm not far away. He gritted his teeth and struck another match.

This time, he put even more care into piling up the kindling.

But the result was still the same.

"puff!"

Thicker, more pungent black smoke billowed out, drifting in the wind, and a damp, musty smell filled the air.

"Hahahaha!" Someone on the expert group couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Gao Dongliang crossed his arms, his face full of sarcasm: "You can't even light a fire? This is the result of your tireless efforts? It's utter nonsense!"

Lin Fan's face had turned pale, and his hands were trembling.

He couldn't believe it. It had been testing perfectly fine in the workshop, so why did it fail at this crucial moment? He frantically tried a third time.

The result was still a failure.

This caused an uproar in the audience. A cacophony of doubts, sighs, and laughter filled the air.

"Oh no, oh no, this is so embarrassing!"

"I knew it! Could an expert from Beijing be inferior to a young woman?"

"Sigh, I worried about her for nothing..."

Geng Xiangdong's weathered face had turned a deep purplish-red. He stared intently at the furnace, which was billowing black smoke, unable to utter a single word. Chen Xue was even more anxious, her eyes reddening and tears welling up.

Just then, Zhou Huai'an seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

He suddenly stood up, walked from the judges' panel to the front of the stage, and with a pained expression on his face, shouted into the tin megaphone, "Comrades! Quiet down! Quiet down!"

He surveyed the entire room and said in a somber tone:

"As you all know, the results of the competition are clear. I understand the enthusiasm of our young comrades for contributing to the military region, and that spirit is commendable! However, scientific research allows no room for falsehoods! It demands a rigorous scientific attitude! The facts prove that our young comrades still need more learning and training! To avoid wasting everyone's precious time, I hereby announce that this technical..."

He wanted to announce the result of the competition directly and firmly pin the label of "defeat" on Su Tang's head.

"Wait a moment."