ocean-life Chapter 4 Project Candle Dragon: Nuclear Energy is the Only Hope
Chapter 4 Project Candle Dragon: Nuclear Energy is the Only Hope
Li Xiaming walked into the huge conference room, and looking around, he estimated that it could hold more than a hundred people.
By this time, many experts had arrived at the scene.
Although Li Xiaming didn't recognize any of them, he estimated that those who could attend such a high-level meeting must be top-tier experts in their respective fields.
Thinking of this, Li Xiaming couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
After all, given his education and social status, theoretically he would never have the opportunity to sit with any of the experts in this conference room in his entire life.
Fortunately, Lu Yi had been standing beside him the whole time. Seeing that Li Xiaming was a little reserved, he smiled and said:
"Comrade Xia Ming, relax a bit."
"Don't be nervous like a student meeting a teacher."
Upon hearing this, Li Xiaming actually felt more at ease.
Just then, an elderly man sitting in the front row of the conference room suddenly stood up and waved to Li Xiaming.
"Grandpa Qin!"
"Do you remember me? I met you when I was a child, hahaha."
Finally spotting someone he recognized, Li Xiaming quickly jogged over.
Academician Qin shook hands with him and smiled:
"Xia Ming, Dong Yu was so worried about you these past two days while you were gone."
"He thought the things you gave me violated some national law and that he'd been arrested already, hahaha~"
Upon hearing this, Li Xiaming couldn't help but scratch his nose.
"Is that so? Then Dongyu must feel quite guilty. It's a pity I can't tell him about the secret here right now. I'll have to trouble you, Grandpa Qin, to go back and comfort him."
"Don't worry, Dongyu's mood changes quickly, he should stop caring about you soon."
"..."
After making a few jokes to lighten the mood, Academician Qin's tone suddenly became serious.
"Xia Ming, I've read the bag of documents you gave me, along with that letter."
"I now completely believe what you said... I never imagined that such a horrific disaster would happen in the future, alas."
"Xia Ming, now that you've returned to the present from two years ago, will you resent us for not believing you immediately, which wasted more than two days?"
Li Xiaming shook his head and said:
"Grandpa Qin, you have done fast and good enough."
After all, it is a major event involving the entire world and even the rise and fall of human civilization.
"You've completed all the preparations in just two days, which has exceeded my expectations."
Academician Qin nodded and said:
"Fortunately, the one who has mastered the ability to rewind time is such a kind child as you. This is a blessing for our compatriots and even for all of humanity."
Academician Qin eventually pulled Li Xiaming to sit down together.
The meeting officially began.
A kind-hearted elderly man, a frequent television presenter, stepped onto the stage and spoke in a steady voice:
"I am Fang Huaiyuan, and I am also the current chairman of the Ice Age Survival Committee."
Thank you all for traveling so far, some even coming overnight from overseas.
"You have already seen the information about the 'Earth's Doomsday Update' that Comrade Li Xiaming provided, which will take place a month later, and the arrival of the three-year Ice Age apocalypse."
"Now, let's discuss only one issue."
"Within a month."
"How should our motherland and our compatriots cope with the challenges of heating, food, and industrial production in the face of the coming glacial apocalypse?"
Fang Huaiyuan's tone was serious:
"I urge everyone to uphold the principles of speaking the truth, making choices, and acting in the best interests of the people."
From this moment forward, set aside all academic conservatism and political caution, and tell me in the most straightforward language.
How can we ensure the safety of our compatriots to the greatest extent possible after the glacial apocalypse?
Fang Huaiyuan finished speaking.
Academician Qin seemed to have been prepared, and raised his hand at this moment.
"Chairman, I have something to say about heating for the masses and electricity for industrial production after the Ice Age."
"Professor Qin, please go ahead."
"Currently in my country, thermal power generation is the mainstay, followed by new energy sources such as wind and solar power."
However, in the extreme and harsh climate following an ice age, renewable energy generation would be simply impossible.
"The fossil energy chain, with thermal power generation at its core, extends from coal mining and transportation to power plant operation."
This process becomes extremely fragile in extremely cold environments, where temperatures are tens of degrees below zero or even lower... If any link in the chain fails, it could cause the entire regional power grid to collapse and be difficult to repair.
Ultimately, this will leave countless compatriots in danger of extreme cold!
"The only feasible option is nuclear power generation, which is also a valuable experience that Comrade Li Xiaming will bring back in the future."
"Compared to thermal power generation with its large and fragile external supply chain, nuclear power plants have highly concentrated energy and can operate at full power for 12 to 18 months, or even longer, after a single filling with nuclear fuel!"
More importantly, nuclear power plants can operate in a near-closed-loop manner, and are far less affected by extreme weather conditions than other energy sources.
Moreover, nuclear reactors themselves generate a huge amount of heat energy.
The high-temperature steam or hot water it generates can be directly connected to the urban district heating network after treatment!
在能量效率上，1公斤铀-235的完全裂变热值约8.2×10¹⁰ MJ，也是同等质量煤炭的280万倍！」
"In the face of an icy apocalypse, our country's only energy solution is to mobilize the entire nation to build a nuclear-powered energy network within a month!"
After Academician Qin proposed the plan, it immediately sparked heated discussions among the experts in the conference room.
Just then.
"Academician Qin!"
A dark-skinned engineering expert looked up and couldn't help but retort:
"I understand the principle you're explaining!"
However, building a standard nuclear power plant, from site selection, design, approval to completion, takes at least 4 to 5 years!
We only have one month? That's a complete fantasy!
Instead of pursuing unrealistic nuclear energy, we should concentrate our national resources and spare no expense to upgrade and reinforce our existing thermal power generation network and heating system.
This is the pragmatic choice!
The expert's words garnered support from many people.
After all, nuclear power generation is not mainstream in China, and a month is too short a timeframe, so people don't really trust it.
However, Academician Qin looked at the expert and said in a serious voice:
"The path you proposed has already been taken on another timeline, and the result was wrong."
Once paralyzed, it could mean the freezing deaths of tens of millions of residents in one or even several cities within a short period of time!
"Only nuclear power is the future to combat the icy apocalypse!"
Upon hearing the number Academician Qin had just mentioned, Fang Huaiyuan subconsciously clenched his fist, then took a deep breath and asked:
"Professor Qin, how can we build a nuclear-powered energy network within a month?"
Academician Qin said with a complex expression:
"Chairman, this is my solution two years later, after summarizing the mistakes I made at a great cost. It is a three-step plan."
"We must start by modifying the existing facilities."
"For example, all available nuclear submarines, as well as small nuclear reactors on other nuclear facilities, were urgently dismantled and modularly packaged."
They were then deployed in underground bunkers in key cities, directly connected to heating networks and regional power grids, serving as emergency heat and power sources.
"The existing nuclear power plant will be retrofitted and connected to the heating pipelines of the nearest city, making it a regional heat source center."
"This will at least ensure that heating and electricity supply for our residents' daily lives and production will not be greatly affected in the months following the arrival of the Ice Age."
"Finally, in this last month, we will do our best to produce small modular reactors."
"Only by producing them first can we then deploy them to more cities and key locations as quickly as possible, like sowing seeds!"
"I call this plan to use nuclear energy to cope with the ice age apocalypse—the [Candle Dragon Project]!"