Chapter 124: Prelude to the Era of Hovering Cars

The clamor in the public arena, like the wind and rain outside the window, though fierce, could not in the slightest affect Yanhuang Guo's series of plans.

Among them, building a star fleet is the most important part.

In a sparsely populated area of Yanhuang Guo, a super factory complex comparable in scale to a small town has already begun construction for some time.

When Qin Hao arrived here and saw such a grand scene, his heart could not help but be shaken.

Only see a large number of intelligent engineering robots, and a few military-industrial personnel and engineers busily working nonstop.

They are mainly responsible for issuing various orders, supervising the process and quality of each step, with all labor replaced by robots.

Zhang Yunfeng stood watching all this bustle, smiling as he spoke:

"The public opinion battle outside, let our Ministry of Foreign Affairs handle it; once the wheel of history starts turning, no other country can stop it."

"Our gaze has long since left this little puddle of Blue Star."

After saying that, he turned his head, looked at Qin Hao, his eyes full of smiles.

"Xiao Qin, the country needs more Kunlun-class ships—not just one or two, but hundreds or thousands; we need a true star fleet."

"After the first production line is completed, we'll also need you to replicate another hundred lines, so we can save a great deal of time and resources."

Qin Hao nodded, his face showing no pressure at all, instead carrying a hint of confidence with a plan in mind.

"Old Zhang, rest assured, this is no problem; once the prototype production line is finished and debugged, it can be mass‑copied, but my current Energy Points may be insufficient, so I need to replenish them."

"There's no rush; after it's built there will still be at least twenty days, you have plenty of time."

Zhang Yunfeng smiled and said.

"By the way, how long does it take such a production line to build a warship?"

Hearing Qin Hao ask that, Zhang Yunfeng blurted out,

"Our engineers have already estimated that one month can produce one ship, and it will be even larger than the Kunlun-class, after all, the Infrastructure Madman is not called that for nothing."

"One ship per month, a hundred lines would be a hundred ships; in a year wouldn't that be 1,200 ships?"

Qin Hao muttered to himself.

"This isn't building space warships at all—it's practically making dumplings! If this news got out, it would scare people to death!"

……

Their discussion continued, while on another front, the military's reform was also proceeding continuously.

At a certain National Defense Science and Technology University, inside a teaching building, a lecture unlike the usual was underway.

The main content was: 【Interstellar War Theory and Command Department.】

On the podium, a black‑haired old general who had held important posts in the army, navy, and air force personally served as the first department head.

He looked down at the young faces below, full of vigor and confusion.

"All my life I have studied how tank groups assault, how carrier squadrons sail far, and how fighter jets seize air supremacy."

The old general's voice was a little hoarse, yet unusually loud: "I thought I had grasped the pulse of war. But now I realize that everything I have learned in my lifetime is about to become history."

He waved his hand, and behind him the holographic screen instantly showed a simulated space battle.

A few spacecraft shuttled through the asteroid belt, using gravity slingshots to maneuver; energy beams crisscrossed the dark cosmos, silent yet deadly.

"Your future battlefield is the vacuum of space; your trenches are the shadows of the asteroid belt.

"Your high ground is the stable Lagrange points.

"You cannot hear the engines' roar, only the hum of the reactor; you cannot see the enemy's face, only a blinking red dot on the sensor."

"From today onward, you will learn how to calculate orbits, how to manage energy, and how to engage in beyond‑visual‑range combat measured in light‑seconds.

"What you must learn is how, amidst the sea of stars, to defend the glory and tranquility of Yanhuang Guo!"

The trainees below, each holding their breath and focusing, had eyes full of excitement and longing.

Before them, a door to a brand‑new world was slowly opening.

In a high‑intensity simulator training cabin, a young trainee drenched in sweat piloted a simulator spacecraft that, due to an erroneous gravity turn,

slammed head‑on into a virtual asteroid, and the screen instantly turned blood‑red.

Meanwhile, in another simulator beside him, a female trainee calmly executed a splendid "gravity drift",

successfully evading the incoming simulated missile and locking onto the target.

The pains of reform and the experiences of growth were unfolding simultaneously on this land.

……

That day, Qin Hao alone went to the Rote Commissioner's home.

"Xiao Qin, why did you deign to come sit with me today?"

Upon seeing Qin Hao, he offered a warm greeting.

"Old Luo, I indeed have something I want to discuss with you."

After they sat down, Qin Hao spoke.

"Oh? Do you have another good idea again?"

Hearing that teasing remark, Qin Hao did not shy away and thus voiced his idea.

"I am thinking that the star fleet is for protection, not for living.

To let our several billion compatriots truly live well, to completely leave other nations behind, we might also need a plow—a plow that can till the future."

"A plow?"

Old Luo first froze for a moment, then guessed what it might be.

Then he heard Qin Hao's following words.

"Yes, this plow is civilian technology. Military strength makes opponents feel fear and threat, so they dare not easily provoke us.

But the leap in civilian technology, especially the kind that can completely change everyone's way of life, will bring an infinite‑power future."

"Just like the life‑extending potion we launched, it brings not war but makes those former opponents voluntarily send their most precious things to us."

Luo Lao heard this, his eyes instantly sharpened, and he immediately understood the deep meaning in Qin Hao's words.

"What specific ideas do you have?"

"Transportation!"

Qin Hao only said two words.

"Our city is becoming increasingly congested. The invention of automobiles changed the world, but also brought new shackles; if we could break free of these shackles?"

"You mean turning anti-gravity technology into commercial use?" Luo Lao frowned and asked.

"It's not anti-gravity technology, at least not at this stage; it's magnetic levitation technology."

Qin Hao shook his head.

"Magnetic levitation? Our country has this technology, but it's still far from large-scale application, and there are various problems; if you could replicate mature magnetic levitation technology, it would indeed change people's modes of travel."

Luo Lao thought for a moment, then agreed.

"Hmm! This technology is very mature in a movie—namely, The Fifth Element."