Chapter 126: Leaper

Not long after, following a highly sci-fi holographic opening show, Green Energy Group's CEO Liu Haitao,

Wearing a crisp suit, he walked onto the stage with a smile.

He said no extra opening remarks, merely lightly snapping his fingers at the audience below and the global live‑stream cameras.

The huge backdrop behind the stage slowly parted, revealing a deep passage.

No engine roar, no tire screech.

In the audience's almost held breath, a car shining all over with a moonlight‑like silver‑white hue silently floated out of the passage.

It had no wheels, its chassis hovering about half a meter above the ground.

The body lines were smooth to the extreme, like a carved artwork. It slowly hovered in the air above the stage, posture elegant and stable, with only a faint hiss of displaced air and no other noise.

"Oh, my God..."

A reporter from Yingjiang Guo muttered in disbelief, forgetting to press the camera shutter.

Gasps and intakes of breath rose and fell across the venue.

Liu Haitao stepped forward, lightly caressing the floating car's body, his face showing uncontainable pride.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the future."

His voice, through the microphone, rang clearly throughout the venue,

"This is the first‑generation civilian magnetic levitation car developed by our Green Energy Group; we have named it—Leaper."

He paused, letting the name echo in everyone's minds.

"As you see, Leaper uses not a drop of gasoline; its heart is a miniature nuclear fusion reactor.

It does not rely on wheels rolling; it relies on mature magnetic levitation technology, enabling free flight in the air.

It will completely free humanity from congested ground, letting us truly possess the sky."

"I know what you care most about is its price."

Liu Haitao's gaze swept the crowd, then he announced a number that would drive the world crazy.

"The base model of the first‑generation Leaper has an official domestic guide price of—two hundred thousand."

"Boom!"

The entire venue instantly exploded in an uproar.

Two hundred thousand!

This price is even cheaper than many traditional mid‑range fuel cars on Blue Star!

This is not a rich‑person's toy, not a national symbol, but a epoch‑making vehicle that an ordinary middle‑class family can afford by stretching a bit!

While the launch venue fell into frenzy, the online live‑stream was likewise abuzz with discussion.

"Two hundred thousand? Did I hear right? Is that two hundred thousand dollars?"

"Impossible, it must be in Yanhuang currency! It's even cheaper than my family's beat‑up SUV!"

"This isn't a car anymore, it's a personal aircraft. For two hundred thousand you can buy a flying vehicle that lasts a lifetime! Is Green Energy Enterprise doing charity?"

"Those upstairs have narrow minds! This isn't charity, it's a dimensional crushing blow! They intend to leave all the world's car makers with no way out!"

"..."

The online clamor had no effect whatsoever on the proceedings of the launch.

After things quieted down, a reporter immediately raised a hand to ask a question.

"May I ask, CEO, what top speed can your magnetic levitation car reach? What about flight altitude? And how do you solve the most important safety issue?"

As soon as this question was posed, everyone looked at Liu Haitao. Indeed! No matter how good the car, safety comes first.

Liu Haitao faced the crowd's focused gaze, his face still bearing that composed smile.

He did not answer immediately, but walked to the side of the Leaper and made a gesturing invitation.

Only see the car door silently slide upward, revealing an interior full of technological feel.

"This reporter friend asked three questions, all hitting the point."

Liu Haitao cleared his throat, his voice carrying through the venue's sound system to every corner.

"First is performance.

"Leaper's regular cruising speed is 300 km/h, with a top speed reaching 560 km/h."

"Whoa——"

The venue erupted in commotion.

"560 km/h! This already exceeds the speed of most high‑speed rail."

"As for flight altitude..."

Liu Haitao raised a finger, "To adapt to the city's three‑dimensional traffic network and for safety, we have limited its maximum flight altitude to 800 meters via an intelligent system."

"800 meters—this number made many people suck in a breath of cold air."

"That's already equivalent to over two hundred floors high."

"Finally, and the most critical issue—safety."

Liu Haitao's expression turned solemn.

"We have equipped Leaper with a top‑tier intelligent obstacle‑avoidance system that can scan the surroundings in real time 360°, predicting and avoiding any possible collision risk.

At the same time, the driver can switch to manual mode anytime to enjoy the pleasure of free driving."

"Of course, we have considered the most extreme scenario."

He shifted his tone and pressed a button on the remote in his hand.

A holographic projection lit up above the stage, simulating a Leaper suffering a severe malfunction in mid‑air and losing control.

At the very moment the simulated vehicle lost control, the roof suddenly popped open.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Four passenger seats were violently ejected by a force, and beneath each seat a pristine parachute instantly unfurled, gently carrying the simulated passengers down toward the ground.

The entire venue fell into death‑like silence.

Everyone stared at the scene in stunned disbelief, as if their brains had crashed.

A car… with ejection seats?

Isn't this thing only found on fighter jets?

"Every seat of the Leaper is equipped with an independent ejection‑escape system."

Liu Haitao's voice broke the hush: "At any moment, we place life safety first."

After the brief silence, thunderous applause and cheers rose, nearly tearing the exhibition centre's roof off.

"My god! This is awesome! It's basically transplanting a fighter jet's safety gear onto a family car!"

"Five‑hundred‑sixty km/h speed, eight‑hundred‑meter altitude, and ejection seats! Spending two hundred‑thousand is totally worth it!"

"What's there to worry about now? Even if the car loses control, the people can survive!"

The launch's feverish atmosphere spread across the internet via the live stream.

"Brothers, I've decided—I'm going to get a pilot's license, then wait to buy this car; I'll be able to go anywhere in a flash!"

"Upstairs, are you sure you'd dare to drive? Eight hundred meters up—just thinking about it makes my legs go weak."

"Finally someone voices my thoughts—I have acrophobia; not even eight hundred meters, just a glance down from a thirty‑storey balcony makes me feel like I'll die. This car… I may never get to enjoy it in my lifetime."

"Me too, this thing is a nightmare for anyone with a fear of heights! You fly up there, I'll just watch you from the ground."

"What's there to fear! Just treat it like a plane—close your eyes, open them, you're there. Much better than being stuck in traffic for hours!"

Regardless of online chatter, those with a fear of heights are either relieved or wailing.

An undeniable fact now stands before everyone: a maglev transportation era officially begins today. Not to mention the maglev car launch event here.

On the other side, at Yanhuang Guo International Airport, a brand‑new civil airliner also employing maglev technology is undertaking its maiden test flight.

Its destination this time is a major southern economic city three thousand kilometers away.

Upon the tower's "cleared for takeoff" command, the massive aircraft did not roll; instead, like a Leaper car, it rose vertically and silently to ten‑kilometer altitude.

Then the rear engine emitted a pale blue glow, the fuselage accelerated slowly, and soon vanished into the horizon.

Twenty minutes later.

The southern city's airport tower received a transmission from the captain.

"This is Flight 01, we have entered the target airspace at ten‑kilometer altitude, requesting to land!"

The tower controller stared at the dot on the radar screen, his hand gripping the microphone trembling slightly with excitement.

Three thousand kilometers!

Twenty minutes.

The old notion of speed was shattered completely at that moment.

Bai Gong, President's office.

On the massive screen, a split view displayed the Leaper launch event and the full takeoff‑landing sequence of the maglev aircraft.

President Wil sat silently in his chair, saying nothing.

The longevity elixir that made his face look younger now made him feel older than before.

It turned out the potion granted him not the hope of rebirth, but a prolonged mental torment of witnessing despair.

Of course, he wasn't the only one receiving such treatment; all nations hostile to Yanhuang Guo were likewise.

A general, his face ashen, stood behind him and spoke hoarsely:

"Mr. President, they are not just selling a car or an aircraft.

They are leveraging a technological edge, then using low‑cost production to strike every automotive, aerospace, and energy industry worldwide…

Everything will be completely eliminated today."

The Secretary of State added dejectedly: "We have lost again! The technological gap is no longer a gulf; it is a sky‑chasm separating two worlds."

Weier slowly closed his eyes, the memory of Shuang Ge's offhand remark at the press conference echoing in his mind.

"If you've got the skill, come up here too."

Indeed, now they have flown from the sky to every ordinary person's doorstep.

And they remain stuck on the ground, arguing over issues that have long become trivial.

He waved his hand, signaling everyone to leave.

The spacious office was empty save for him.

He stared at the screen, countless Yanhuang Guo citizens' news pop‑ups about official‑site crashes from the Leaper rush, a bitter, indescribable taste rising in his mouth.

He finally understood that the era led by Eagle Sauce had truly ended.

It wasn't ended by guns and artillery, but by a series of advanced technologies.