Chapter Thirty-Seven

In just half a month, the technical team made significant progress in research and development. The battery's energy density and cycle life both reached the predetermined targets. At this rate, they should be able to meet the deadline for the new energy exhibition two months later. However, there has been no progress in financing. If they successfully secure a contract at the exhibition, for startups like theirs, the down payment from clients is usually no more than 20%, or even less.

Once an order is received, the company will need to invest heavily in building a production base, purchasing equipment, procuring raw materials, and hiring production staff. This series of upfront investments will quickly deplete Peng Kun's existing funds, making it virtually impossible to develop hydrogen fuel cells at that point.

His personal financial resources are simply insufficient to support the simultaneous development of two technological routes. Whether in the field of lithium batteries or hydrogen fuel cells, breakthroughs require large-scale capital investment.

Currently, the lithium battery market has entered a mature stage, with fierce price competition. Small-scale entrants find it difficult to gain market share, and those lacking sufficient funds inevitably end up as mere bystanders.

He still remembers that two years ago, an electric vehicle fire sparked a media storm that crushed countless startups. Large companies were able to survive, but small founders were completely eliminated, some even going bankrupt and still delivering food to pay off debts.

However, hydrogen fuel cells have high investment barriers, many key technologies have not yet been fully mastered, and the commercialization process is very slow. Even Polar Blue Sky, in the past, only established a research and development center and did not build a production line. The production and research and development costs of hydrogen fuel cells are enormous, so large-scale commercial applications require substantial financial support.

Peng Kun never expected that fundraising for a startup would be so difficult. He had originally planned to use angel round funding to simultaneously advance the research and development of lithium batteries and hydrogen fuel cells, but the current situation forced him to choose between the two. Fortunately, the new company was relatively new, with limited initial investment, so making a strategic adjustment now wouldn't result in too much loss. However, the two companies differed significantly in terms of product maturity and supply chain completeness, leaving him uncertain.

Lithium-ion batteries represent the current golden track in the energy storage market, boasting a clear technological path, a sound industrial chain, and high market acceptance. Once invested, returns are stable and controllable. However, lithium mineral resources are limited and difficult to recycle, and there is a theoretical upper limit to energy density, making it difficult to meet high energy consumption demands.

In contrast, hydrogen fuel cells boast high energy density, long driving range, and fast charging speed, fundamentally addressing the drawbacks of traditional energy sources. Moreover, their byproducts are only water and heat, resulting in virtually zero pollution and emissions, placing no burden on the ecosystem. However, current hydrogen production technology still heavily relies on fossil fuels, with a low proportion of green hydrogen, high production and storage costs, and relatively lagging development of hydrogen refueling stations. Therefore, commercial profitability faces significant challenges.

If it were just about making money, he would choose the former without hesitation, but as an environmentalist, he cannot ignore the company's social responsibility.

For several days in a row, Peng Kun was torn about which path to choose. Late at night, he tossed and turned in his single bed, unable to fall asleep. Every time he closed his eyes, his mind was filled with countless voices arguing. Finally, he sighed deeply in the darkness, sat up, grabbed a water glass from the table, changed his clothes, and left the room.

The light in the tea room was still on. When he opened the door, a faint aroma of tea wafted out. He looked up and saw Zuo Xutong standing inside, holding a printed document and flipping through it while drinking tea.

"What time is it? Why aren't you asleep yet?" Peng Kun walked over and placed his water cup under the water dispenser to fill it.

"You didn't sleep either?" Zuo Xutong glanced at him and continued flipping through the documents. The tea leaves in the glass had long since sunk to the bottom, with several layers of emerald green buds at the bottom.

"Drinking strong tea so late at night, aren't you afraid you won't be able to sleep?"

“This little bit of caffeine isn’t enough to affect my sleep,” she said, then gestured with her chin toward the coffee machine. “We’re out of coffee beans.”

"Let's go ask Dean Feng for it tomorrow."

Zuo Xutong then realized that this place was not only a company, but also a nursing home. Peng Kun was just an investor in the nursing home. The person who actually managed the nursing home was a middle-aged man in his 40s, whom everyone called Director Feng.

She nodded and resumed focusing on the documents. Peng Kun's gaze unconsciously lingered on her face; her complexion was much better than before. Although she was still working day and night, the cafeteria provided three meals a day, and she no longer had to squeeze onto buses and subways to get to and from work.

Tonight, the night was exceptionally clear, and moonlight streamed through the glass onto the windowsill, bathing that corner in a golden glow. Looking out the window, he casually asked, "Want to go to the rooftop to see the stars?"

Zuo Xutong had already turned to the last page of the document in her hand. She quickly glanced through the remaining lines and answered without thinking, "Okay."

She followed Peng Kun to the rooftop on the third floor. The moment she pushed open the iron door, she froze, as if struck by lightning, unable to move. Not far away, about five meters away, a gray-white tent was pitched on the cement ground, almost exactly the same as the tent at the Macedonian Mountain Lodge. The pale moonlight made it look like a giant, glowing cocoon.

Her thoughts were instantly drawn back to that night a few months ago, the harrowing experience of workplace sexual harassment that she still vividly remembered. The cold wind from the rooftop rushed into her collar, making her shiver. She instinctively pulled her coat tighter and shrank back.

"What are you standing there for? Come here!" Peng Kun shouted.

His voice made her even more flustered. The rooftop was empty; it was definitely a better place than the office for...something to happen.

She glanced around, her gaze finally settling on Peng Kun's back. He was kneeling on the concrete, intently adjusting the equatorial mount. She moved slowly and laboriously behind him. What was meant to happen would happen eventually. She lived downstairs, and the 200,000 yuan debt and the advance on her wages bound her to this place. If he really wanted to do something to her, she couldn't escape it forever.

Peng Kun adjusted his binoculars, stood up straight, and casually unbuttoned a button on his shirt collar. She stared at his movements, her breath catching in her throat. He turned around and saw her standing behind him, her face deathly pale. He assumed the wind on the rooftop was too strong and had made her pale, so he turned and went into the tent, took out a thin blanket, and handed it to her, saying, "Put this on, it's cold in here."

Zuo Xutong glanced at the tent and thought to herself, "You still know it's cold here?"

She didn't say anything, but reached out and took the blanket. He patted the telescope barrel and said to her, "Here, hold on here."

She hesitated for a moment, then took a step that felt like it weighed a ton. She stood in front of him, holding onto his glasses. The two were so close that she could feel each other's breath. She felt even more uncomfortable, her body stiffening as she stood there, her thoughts racing.

Peng Kun looked at her, puzzled, and couldn't help but say, "What are you standing there for? Look!"

She mechanically bent down, lowered her head and brought it close to the telescope's eyepiece. A pale blue planet appeared before her, wrapped in brownish-yellow stripes, standing out brilliantly against the surrounding deep darkness.

"So beautiful!" she exclaimed involuntarily, momentarily forgetting her "dangerous" situation.

“This is Jupiter,” Peng Kun’s voice came from behind her, “It’s more than 1,300 times the size of Earth.”

"There's a red spot on it, is it lava?"

"No, that's a storm that's been going on for hundreds of years."

Zuo Xutong watched quietly for a while, then put down the binoculars and pointed to the brightest star in the night sky, asking, "What's that?"

Peng Kun glanced in the direction she was pointing and quickly gave his answer: "That's Venus, one of the brightest celestial bodies in the Northern Hemisphere. Would you like to see it?"

Zuo Xutong nodded, moved two steps to the side, and made room for him. Peng Kun bent down, adjusting the focus and the observation angle, aiming the lens at the brightest star in the sky. Then he leaned over the eyepiece and searched carefully. After a moment, he looked up and said to her, "Found it. Come and see."

Zuo Xutong walked over and saw a blurry planet through the eyepiece. She frowned slightly and reached out to turn the focus ring, but Peng Kun pressed her down: "Don't move, this is already the clearest it can be."

Confused, she let go of his hand and looked away from the eyepiece. He explained, "Venus has an extremely thick atmosphere, almost entirely composed of carbon dioxide, so its edges appear very blurry through a telescope. Venus has a surface temperature of over 400 degrees Celsius and was once considered the least likely place in the solar system to harbor life. However, in the last two years, scientists have discovered phosphine in Venus's atmosphere."

Phosphine?

"Yes, this suggests that there may be signs of life on Venus."

"But its atmosphere turned it into hell."

"Perhaps one day, Earth will follow in Venus's footsteps. If we continue to rely on fossil fuels and if carbon emissions continue to increase, Earth will eventually become like Venus, with an out-of-control greenhouse effect and environmental collapse." As he spoke, he pointed to a dim red dot in the southwest. "That's Mars. It used to have rivers, lakes, and oceans. Now, of the three planets—Venus, Mars, and Earth—only Earth is suitable for human habitation."

"This is probably why countries around the world are vigorously developing electric vehicles."

"But lithium batteries cannot fundamentally solve environmental problems. They still require large-scale mining and rely on limited resources. In a few decades, lithium and cobalt resources will be depleted. Moreover, if discarded lithium batteries are not handled properly, heavy metals, electrolyte solutions, and membrane materials inside will be released into the environment, polluting soil and water sources," Peng Kun said.

“Yes, hydrogen is the cleanest energy source,” Zuo Xutong agreed. “It is also the most abundant element in the universe. The sun is a giant hydrogen fusion reactor, burning hydrogen and releasing light and heat.”

“Therefore, we should also follow the same direction to continue the fate of the Earth.” At this moment, Peng Kun made a difficult decision.

"you mean……"

"What I mean is that the company is preparing to switch its strategic direction, abandon lithium battery research and development, and fully shift to hydrogen fuel cells," Peng Kun said with a serious expression.

Choosing hydrogen fuel cells means completely abandoning the stable and visible profit path of lithium batteries, leaving this field that he knows all too well, and facing the severe test of high investment, long cycle and high risk in the hydrogen energy industry. Although this path may not necessarily lead to failure, the cost of failure will be devastating.

Zuo Xutong looked at him, hesitated, and said, "If hydrogen fuel cells can be used on a large scale, they can certainly reduce carbon emissions, improve the environment, and even change the energy landscape. But the reality is that this is still a field that is not fully commercialized. Technological breakthroughs take time, and market acceptance also needs to be cultivated."

“I understand your concerns. Without a certain number of hydrogen refueling stations, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles cannot be mass-produced. In addition, hydrogen fuel cell technology is immature, catalyst costs are high, and hydrogen production efficiency is low... In other words, the short-term profit prospects are extremely bleak.”

Hearing about the catalyst, her heart skipped a beat. After returning from the interview at the company outside the province, she closed her resume. So apart from the few companies that had seen her resume before, no one knew that she had mastered the low-platinum technology. Peng Kun, of course, knew even less.

Feeling a little guilty, Zuo Xutong casually asked a question to hide her unease: "Why can't we push forward two projects at the same time?"

“Operating two projects simultaneously will disperse resources in management, R&D, and production lines. With insufficient resource investment, it will be difficult for either line to develop core competitiveness,” Peng Kun patiently explained.

"Knowing that you may not see results in the short term, you still want to take this risk?"

“Someone has to take the first step.” Peng Kun looked at the deep, boundless night sky and said solemnly, “If everyone waits for the market and technology to mature before they do it, the industry will only stagnate.”

"Even if it's a failure?" She looked at him incredulously, her voice trembling slightly.

"Yes, even failure, success doesn't give life any meaning. All meaning comes from life itself. How many lives are lost in floods due to extreme weather? And how many lives are lost in wildfires?"

After Peng Kun finished speaking, the two fell silent. After a long while, Zuo Xutong slowly asked, "Why...do you like looking at the stars?"

“Because it makes me feel like I’m not that important,” Peng Kun’s voice seemed to have an unfathomable power, each word hitting her heart. “The history of all mankind is as short as a mayfly in the long river of the universe, let alone as individuals, we are just microorganisms on Earth.”

Zuo Xutong stood there, completely forgetting about the tent beside her, until Peng Kun's voice rang out again: "The weather forecast says it will rain tomorrow, help me carry the binoculars into the tent."

Zuo Xutong was taken aback: "This tent... isn't for people?"

“There are so many empty rooms in the nursing home, who would be so bored as to go and sleep in a tent on the rooftop?” Peng Kun said, then squatted down and began to disassemble the binoculars.

Zuo Xutong blushed as she accepted the parts he handed her.

As night fell and all around was silent except for the clanging of metal, she gazed at his focused profile, and time seemed to freeze in that moment.