Chapter Five: Backup Power for 130 Million People

When frequency moved, each decided for itself whether to charge or discharge. “Not enough,” Han reported. “We can provide forty-eight gigawatts. We need nearly twice that.” “Open-source the algorithm.” “Calibration is our only revenue.” “Lives cost more than a business model.” The code went public at noon. Within two hours, twenty-seven competitors joined. By evening, charging stations, data-center backups, regenerative subway systems, and elevator batteries had entered the network. White Spire filed patent suits and pressured app stores to remove the software. Lin dropped the final takedown notice on the desk. “They'll close the cloud gateway before peak.”