This night was destined to be sleepless.
When researchers are bursting with inspiration, no one can stop them from burning with life.
If some things are supposed to be done only by the hand of God, then this evening was the moment when the hand of God descended.
In their intense discussions, Li Zheng didn’t even deliberately lead, but simply followed the branches of the theory in his search, and the research path naturally emerged from the fog.
In the three major scientific cards previously discussed, high-temperature superconductivity belongs to the experimental field, which can always inspire through the purchase of scholastic wealth.
In the field of superconductivity, the meaning of "high temperature" differs from everyday life, even -50°C could be considered high temperature.
Even just two or three years ago, achieving superconductivity at a "high" temperature of -50°C would have been enough to make the front page of "Nature."
Of course, the pursuit of temperature was just one direction in the study of superconductivity.
For example, Yuan Yuan’s graphene superconductivity was achieved at a temperature extremely close to absolute zero (-271.45°C), with no breakthrough in temperature, yet this did not prevent it from helping people get closer to the truth.
The pursuit of "high temperature," on the other hand, resembled a race to break world records.
According to classical theory and experimental results over the years, achieving higher temperature superconductivity for the same substance would inevitably depend on a higher-pressure environment.
Therefore, in the field of "high-temperature superconductivity," scientific competition gradually evolved into an industrial race; whoever could create a higher-pressure environment would have the capital to win.
This also explains why the superconductivity temperature record was refreshed several times a year.
Up until this evening, the record was temporarily -23.15°C, achieved by a German team through lanthanide cyanide compounds.
Of course, this required a pressure a million times that of the atmosphere, roughly equivalent to the pressure at the Earth’s core.
This temperature is very encouraging for laypeople, but condensed matter scholars are quite indifferent, and they have no doubt this record will be broken shortly, just find something reliable and subject it to two million atmospheres.
Like attempting to break world records, this path is filled with the spirit of the Olympic Games, its honorific value greatly surpassing practical ones; after all, creating a superconducting cable at a million atmospheres is already much more expensive than producing a -200°C liquid nitrogen cable, which has been realized and is even about to be implemented in the Xujiahui area of Shanghai City.
From Li Zheng’s point of view, even if he bought this card and had the full set of experimental parameters, he likely wouldn’t have a laboratory capable of providing core pressures, there were only three to five in the world, and it wouldn’t be his turn.
Besides, this card only needed 500 scholastic assets, which is the same level as the previous cryo-EM.
This task had to aim for a level 1500 card!
In contrast, the "Magic Angle Model" tech card fully met Li Zheng’s expectations.
Although there were still three preceding theories seemingly unrelated to superconductivity that needed to be learned, as long as he could learn it, there would be no issue.
As for the card’s description, it got even better.
"Magic Angle Model"
"Prerequisite for discovering superconductivity theory."
"Humans have long discovered the existence of the magic angle and can even calculate and estimate it to some extent, yet they still cannot completely understand it."
"Exploring two-dimensional quantum tunneling, looking for electron slowdown bands will be key to understanding it."
"Further extending it to three dimensions will be the real starting point for superconductivity theory."
"Once you complete the prerequisite content learning, you can spend 2000 scholastic assets to gain inspiration."
"Prerequisite content:"
"Quantum Chromodynamics"
"Tight-Binding Model"
"Strongly Correlated System"
By the end, it was no longer just about being clever.
Li Zheng’s mind was filled with one persistent thought.
Study, study, study, Jingjing, study, study...
Though something else had wormed its way in, he was undeniably eager and thirsty for knowledge.
As for these three preliminary topics, the "Tight-binding model" was a core tool in the Portuguese paper and had to be learned, and Jie Qifen had already introduced "strongly correlated systems" in the conversation, so Li Zheng only needed...
"Hmm..." Li Zheng, nodding with his chin propped up, said, "It seems our knowledge in quantum chromodynamics is still slightly lacking..."
"With that said, everything is slightly lacking, huh." Lin Yujing, knowing Li Zheng too well, casually retorted, "You just want to study more, don’t you!"
"Wait a minute..." Jie Qifen raised his hand, pondered carefully, and then revealed a surprised expression that seemed to say, "You’re pretty clever, kid!" "Now that Li Zheng mentions it, the gauge theory of strong interactions could indeed provide a fundamental perspective for our next phase of research."
Upon hearing this, Li Zheng hurriedly quieted the murmuring Lin Yujing and waved his hands, saying, "Then it’s settled, after we brush up on quantum chromodynamics, the tight-binding model, and strongly correlated systems, we’ll focus on collecting all theoretical papers about the magic angle, and I’ll turn this Portuguese paper into a pure math problem in my spare time, to let Gu Jianfeng savor it."
"Alright, that’s it." Jie Qifen sighed with relief, stood up, and began packing up the desk, "Finally, we have a clear direction, I don’t even know what time it is. If it’s still early, I’ll join you for a late-night meal..."
As he spoke, he looked at his watch: "How is it only just past six..."
"This..." Li Zheng swallowed and looked out the window, "It’s clearly morning, Old Xie."
"!!!" Jie Qifen was startled and hurriedly stuffed his belongings into his bag and ran out, "I’m in trouble, my mom is going to scold me! Tomorrow... oh no, see you tonight."
Watching Jie Qifen rush off, Li Zheng and Lin Yujing shared a smile.
"Turns out he’s a real mama’s boy..." Lin Yujing giggled, packing her backpack.
"It probably isn’t that superficial." Li Zheng, walking Lin Yujing to the classroom door, said, "Imagine, over these years, his mother might have been his only support."
"That said, he must be his mother’s only support too..." Lin Yujing suddenly felt melancholic, leaning into Li Zheng’s embrace and murmuring, "I just can’t bear to think about it... If one day Grandpa is gone... then I..."
Li Zheng’s eyes widened, his grip tightened: "Then you’d be mine alone!"
"???"
"Just kidding, Grandpa will live a long, long life." Li Zheng laughed heartily as he turned off the lights and locked the door, teasingly raising an eyebrow, "This guy keeps saying he won’t marry, looks down on everyone, but I’ve noticed he’s always kept a photo of Teacher Tang."
"Teacher Tang?"
"Tang Zhifei, yeah, I’ve introduced him before, sort of like how I introduced Fu Xuefeng and Tao Feifei."
"Is this... really okay?" Lin Yujing scratched her head seriously, "One has to deal with cigarette smoke... the other with... well, that smell... Won’t their home turn into a chemistry lab? Can the old lady handle that?"
"No no, cigarette smoke and foot odor can’t react, more likely one will overpower the other." Li Zheng said, suddenly recalling something, "He seems to have quit smoking a while ago."
"Really? I remember you saying he smokes crazily during classes... But that doesn’t seem to be the case, does it?"
"Always so clear-headed, seems like he hasn’t been drinking either," Li Zheng nodded, "With this in mind, he’s really making an effort, just needs to withstand Teacher Tang’s smell."
"Hey, hey, when did getting a date become a contest of smells?" Lin Yujing waved her hands dismissively, looking knowledgeable, "Old Xie has always been reluctant to meet perhaps because he feels inferior, undeserving of Teacher Tang. This event could really help boost his confidence."
"Confidence? He isn’t lacking in confidence."
"Ah!" Lin Yujing, emphatically stated, "It’s because you’re handsome, from a good family, good at studying, and can write papers. You totally can’t comprehend the psychological complexities of normal people. Jie Qifen is certainly confident academically, but he is only a scientist within the classroom and lab. Once he steps outside, back into society, he’s just a 40-something unmarried old lecturer, while Teacher Tang, despite foot smell, is still a beautiful woman in her twenties."
"Say that again."
"Even though Teacher Tang’s feet..."
"Not that, the first part."
"The first part? Even though you’re handsome and from a good family..." Lin Yujing faltered halfway through as she realized what was happening, playfully hitting Li Zheng, "So annoying!"
"Haha." Li Zheng laughed loudly, "Let Old Xie decide his own matters. We just need to handle the ’scientist’ part well. When that’s taken care of, everything will fall into place."
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"I don’t have such high hopes," Lin Yujing said with a serene smile. "Although I truly feel like we could achieve something substantial, it’s ultimately all theoretical. Even if we did produce a paper, what would it prove? Not to mention us, even someone of Zhong Ping’s stature would likely need many years for such theoretical papers to be recognized... If by then, Old Xie is already in his 50s or 60s... Ah, if only he could speak up sooner..."
"Why are you so anxious about him getting married..."
"I just feel sorry for him! Such a good teacher should have made it big by now. Chu Youhua’s assets are already in the billions, okay? His kid’s tuition is more than Old Xie’s annual salary."
"Is this guy really that rich?"
"Apparently, he’s a shareholder in two quantum science companies that went public. That’s what I’ve heard."
"That does sting a bit."
Li Zheng started rubbing his chin and feeling provoked.
"We’ll have to re-evaluate this situation when we get a chance..."
...
Time flies, and so does studying.
Although the weather was getting colder, their thoughts and inspiration were as eruptive and heated as magma.
It was a weekend in mid-December when Jie Qifen had to take his mother to the hospital to pick up medicine and had to rest for a day, but Li Zheng and Lin Yujing didn’t let up and drove to an old residential area 5 kilometers from the school.
Following the address on the doorplate, they climbed up to the fifth floor and tentatively knocked on an old, rustic green door.
A lean man answered the door. It was their first meeting, but he was frighteningly enthusiastic.
"You must be Jian Feng’s classmates, right? Come in, come in, quick!"
Without asking them to change into slippers, the man pulled them inside, continuously muttering, "It’s the first time his classmates have come to visit... What do you want for lunch? I can prepare something, or we can go out."
"Alright..." It was then that Gu Jianfeng emerged from another room, grabbing Li Zheng and Lin Yujing and pulling them inside, "Don’t mind me, we’re fine on our own..."
Li Zheng paused, not because of Gu Jianfeng’s cute fluffy pajamas, but because—
[Gu Jianfeng]
[Academic Power: 2899]
Is this even human anymore??
Wasn’t it just around 1000 before?
What on earth did his grandpa do to him these past few months?
Did they upgrade him with a 3080 graphics card?
Meanwhile, even though he was being ignored, the old man still cheerfully said, "I’ll visit your grandma, I left the money for lunch on the table, eat whatever you like."
After saying that, he slapped down the money and cheerfully changed his shoes before leaving.
Gu Jianfeng let out a sigh of relief once he heard the door close, went into the room, and gestured for them to sit anywhere.
It’s not that Li Zheng and Lin Yujing didn’t want to sit...
It was just that there was nowhere to sit.
Apart from the hallway and the person-shaped area on the bed, equations covered scraps of paper in every direction. Simply standing here was already a struggle.
Lin Yujing also swallowed hard: "Jian Feng looks so neat and clean, yet his habits are so terrible..."
Hearing this, Gu Jianfeng hurriedly swept his hand around and barely managed to clear some space on the bed for their buttocks while scratching his head and smiling, "At first, my dad used to clean up, but then he realized it would just go back to this state within a day, so he just left it; it’s also easier for me to find past calculations when I need them."
"How do you manage to find what you need in all this mess?" Li Zheng swept his glance over several layers of drafts.
"Oh, I can remember the ones I’ve thrown away, like the S-matrix theory." After saying this, Gu Jianfeng immediately turned towards the front of the bed, then bent over to pull out a sheet from the ground, glanced at it, and then happily showed the drafts to Li Zheng, "That’s why I like staying at home~"
Li Zheng, looking at the formulas, just shook his head in bewilderment, "I don’t care, you’re bamboozling, whatever that S-matrix thing is..."
"Haha, suit yourself," Jian Feng said as he dusted off the chair and sat down. "You haven’t been looking for me lately, so I’ve been working on a bunch of articles and problems Grandma Lin sent me without stopping. Grandma Lin said he’d read nearly 40 years of mainstream mathematics journals and handpicked them for me, which I initially doubted, but now, I’m totally convinced, haha."
"My grandpa really did go through them," Lin Yujing nodded vigorously, "I even remember the publication dates. Every publication morning, after he makes breakfast, he ignores me completely and reads until noon, still the same now. On publication days, I don’t even dare to call him."
"Ah, figures," Jian Feng said, covering his mouth as he laughed, "In terms of studying like that, among the people I know, only Li Zheng could match him."
"It’s not about competing between the two of us," Li Zheng nodded solemnly, "it’s about enduring."
"You’re enduringly eagle here."
"That’s the idea," Li Zheng laughed and pulled out seven or eight sheets of paper stacked together and handed them to Jian Feng, "This is a paper that inspired us before. I’ve translated it into mathematical form. Take a look and see how many theoretical solutions there are."
"I know physics too; you don’t have to do this," Jian Feng shook his head, smiling as he took the papers and glanced over them before immediately turning back to the table with his chair, "I take back what I said earlier; I haven’t seen physics like this. Wait a moment, give me 10 minutes."
Li Zheng panicked, "No, if you can figure it out within a week, that’s fine. Even with a computer, I can’t necessarily complete it in 10 minutes."
However, Jian Feng was already not listening to him, having pulled over some scratch paper and begun working.
Seeing this, Li Zheng could only exchange a smile with Lin Yujing and sit back down by the bedside.
Just sitting there waiting was no fun; after two minutes of boredom, Li Zheng raised his hand and pinched Lin Yujing.
"Why are you pinching me?" Lin Yujing covered up and exclaimed.
"I’m testing," Li Zheng said with a completely serious face, looking earnestly at the hard-writing Jian Feng, "just how much he can concentrate on his studies."
"Then why are you pinching me!!"
"Well, I’m idle anyway, and I thought I might make some noise, do something, and see just how stable his learning focus really is."
"Then... then why don’t I pinch you?"
"Sure, go ahead, pinch me."
"Don’t stand up, what kind of pose is that?"
"You’re not pinching? Then I guess I’ll keep pinching you."
"Just go away!!"
In the midst of their argument, Jian Feng suddenly waved his hand, not even looking up as he said.
"Five... no, wait, eight solutions."
Li Zheng was startled and immediately forgot about the pinching.
The task Jian Feng was working on involved calculating the magic angles of bilayer graphene.
The paper ultimately suggested five possible magic angles; this was also Jian Feng’s initial reaction.
But eight? Were there cases the computer hadn’t considered?
"And then?" Li Zheng rushed over to ask, "How did those three come out?"
"They only exist in theory, involving imaginary numbers and stuff; you wouldn’t understand the rest even if I used more tools," Jian Feng said, twisting his pen and flipping through the papers, "I haven’t calculated them yet, just have a feeling, but after so many calculations, my feeling’s accuracy is almost 100%. Give me half an hour, I’ll try to work it out."
"Please!"
Watching Jian Feng focus entirely on the task, Li Zheng carefully returned to the bedside, no longer daring to mess around, and simply watched him silently.
"Only mathematics..." Lin Yujing could not help but express her admiration, "has no resistance in front of Jian Feng..."
"From when he started counting... for fourteen hours a day, every day for more than a decade..." Li Zheng shook his head blankly, "I can’t even imagine the structure of his brain anymore..."
"I so want to see him and Old Xie solve problems together..."
"That would be like two universes colliding..."