Niu Ke actually had his own opinion on the mysterious energy source of the science institute, which immediately piqued Chen Yu's interest.
He watched Niuske with great interest, waiting for his insightful remarks.
Newsk pondered for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the melting snow and the constantly radiating heat from the vents. "First, we need to consider that under extreme cold, ordinary energy supplies would indeed struggle to sustain such a large-scale heating system. But if this system truly exists and is operating, then its energy source is likely to be very special."
"Special?" Chen Yu repeated, a hint of curiosity flashing in his eyes.
“Yes, it’s special. For example, it might utilize some kind of natural energy that we don’t yet widely recognize, such as geothermal energy, or…” Niu Ke paused slightly, as if considering his next words, “or it might involve more advanced technologies, such as nuclear energy, but not a traditional nuclear reactor. Perhaps it’s a new, more environmentally friendly, and more efficient nuclear fusion technology, or even some kind of space energy utilization technology that we haven’t yet mastered.”
"Space energy technology? What is that?" Chen Yu asked in confusion, as he had never heard of this term before.
Chen Yu's doubts were understandable, as the concept of "space energy technology" was quite unfamiliar to most people, even seeming like science fiction. Seeing this, Niu Ke smiled slightly and explained:
"Space energy technology, simply put, is the technology by which humans directly obtain and utilize energy from outer space. This includes advanced forms of solar energy utilization—such as efficiently collecting energy directly from the solar wind or solar radiation, rather than just solar panels on the ground; energy conversion from cosmic rays and interstellar dust; and even capturing and utilizing energy fields of dark matter or dark energy in some way, although these are still in the theoretical exploration stage."
"It sounds like something out of a science fiction movie," Chen Yu said skeptically.
“That’s right, these technologies currently only exist in science fiction and theoretical research, but that doesn’t mean they are impossible,” Niu Ke continued. “With the rapid development of science and technology, many things that were once considered science fiction have gradually become reality. If the Academy of Sciences really masters some kind of space energy technology and applies it to heating systems, it will be a revolutionary breakthrough.”
"Forget it, stop talking nonsense to me," Chen Yu said irritably. "If the Academy of Sciences really mastered this technology, they wouldn't all be suffering from cold and hunger right now."
“Hehe, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but it’s not impossible. As far as I know, both Great Xia and Merica have been secretly researching space energy technology in recent years, and they have achieved some preliminary results. Although these results are not yet at the level where they can be directly applied to large-scale heating systems, their existence proves the potential of space energy technology,” Newsk said with an embarrassed smile.
"Since it's a secret research project, how do you know so much about it?" Chen Yu's eyes revealed a hint of suspicion, as if he questioned the source of Newsk's information.
“Nonsense, I own a company…” Newsk stopped abruptly, realizing he had almost let something slip. He quickly stopped, gave an awkward laugh, and corrected himself, “Oh, I mean, I have some friends who work in the technology department in Merica, and they occasionally share some cutting-edge technology developments with me.”
"Hehe, I see." Chen Yu smiled meaningfully.
However, he didn't delve deeper into the issue, but instead changed the subject: "Do you think it's possible that it's a fusion reactor?"
Niu Ke shook his head and said, "Although your Great Xia has made significant progress in fusion reactor technology, according to the latest data, it has only been running for less than 35 minutes. It is impossible to achieve a continuous and stable output of energy. The energy required for each startup far exceeds its own short-term output."
Chen Yu nodded slightly upon hearing this. Indeed, he was very familiar with the current development of fusion reactors, after all, Lin Hong, the former chief engineer of the Great Xia "artificial sun device," was stationed at his Tianyu base.
However, Lin Hong hadn't told him that the Academy of Sciences had any research projects on new energy devices similar to "artificial sun devices"! At least, they certainly hadn't achieved much success; otherwise, Lin Hong would definitely have told him.
Suddenly, Chen Yu had a flash of inspiration. He remembered what Zhang Xiangming had said to him that day: "At the Academy of Science and Technology, your biggest obstacle has never been me."
"Since I took over the Academy of Sciences, the director has no longer been the primary figure in charge."
"In fact, such changes had already been happening quietly when the teacher was the dean, but they weren't so obvious back then."
…………
Later, Zhang Xiangming reminded him to be careful of the armed forces personnel.
Based on what he had said earlier, Chen Yu was considered to have extremely high authority as a member of the Armed Forces Department of the Academy of Sciences, even subtly overshadowing the Dean.
Looking back now, could there be a deeper meaning behind Zhang Xiangming's words?
"By the way, I have another guess. I attended an energy security conference in Merica, and I heard that your Great Xia has developed a hybrid fusion and fission energy reactor. This hybrid energy reactor combines the cleanliness and efficiency of fusion reactors with the maturity and stability of fission reactors. Theoretically, it can overcome the limitations of single technologies and achieve longer and more stable energy output. According to reliable intelligence, Great Xia has made considerable progress in this area. In my analysis, it should be fully capable of providing a continuous energy supply for this massive heating system," Niu Ke said mysteriously.
"Oh?" Chen Yu raised an eyebrow. "We don't need to guess anymore. Since there's a ventilation shaft here, let's go down and see what's going on."
Upon hearing this, Newsk's eyes widened, and he shook his head vigorously: "I have absolutely no interest in it. Go ahead and do it yourself."
"What kind of situation is down there? Besides, don't be fooled by the low temperature of this air vent; it's just that the outside environment has cooled it down. In reality, it could be extremely dangerous inside. We don't know what equipment this air vent is connected to, nor do we know the temperature and pressure inside. If it's a high-temperature, high-pressure environment inside, going in rashly would be tantamount to suicide!" Niu Ke looked at Chen Yu as if he were an idiot.
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