Chapter 426: Reactions of the Two Countries

"Beijixiong Guo issued a brief statement, admitting that the satellite crashed due to a 'technical malfunction,' but emphasized that they will continue their space exploration."

"Star-Spangled Country, however, was more aggressive; the President delivered a speech implying that the satellite might have been subjected to 'malicious sabotage' and warned that the responsible party would face 'serious consequences'."

Li Mingyuan chuckled: "They have already begun to suspect each other."

Department Head Zhang walked over and handed Li Mingyuan a piece of the latest intelligence: "Both countries are strengthening their intelligence gathering on us, especially in the Northwest region. It seems they have already begun to suspect us."

Li Mingyuan was unimpressed: "Let them guess. Without evidence, they can do nothing."

"But if they send spies or reconnaissance planes to investigate..."

"Then let them come," Li Mingyuan said confidently. "The Dongfang No. 1 satellite and the 'Storm' system will give them a surprise. Without our permission, any aircraft entering our airspace will lose its way."

He walked toward the large screen, which displayed reports from major global news channels: "Right now, all we need to do is maintain Silence and let the two countries suspect and argue among themselves. The more they blame each other, the more it benefits us."

An Intelligence Officer reported: "Beijixiong Guo has recalled its ambassador to Star-Spangled Country for consultations, and Star-Spangled Country is considering similar measures. Relations between the two countries are deteriorating rapidly."

Li Mingyuan nodded with satisfaction: "Excellent. Let them exhaust each other, while we can quietly develop our own space technology."

He turned to the technical team: "Now, we need to accelerate the research and development of the Longkong No. 2 rocket and the new generation of satellites. This accident has given us a valuable time window, and we must make full use of it."

"What is the primary mission of the new generation of satellites?" Wang Gang asked.

A gleam of ambition flashed in Li Mingyuan's eyes: "A global communication network. Imagine the strategic advantage we will hold when the entire world relies on Long Country's satellites for communication."

The command center fell into Silence, and everyone was stunned by this grand vision.

"Is this... feasible?" Professor Chen asked hesitantly.

Li Mingyuan was confident: "Completely feasible. In fact, I have already designed the basic plan—deploying a three-layer satellite network at different orbital altitudes to cover every corner of the globe. As long as one possesses the specific receiving equipment, anyone can access our communication network anywhere."

He quickly drew a schematic of the global satellite network on the whiteboard: "The first layer, low-orbit satellites, mainly for regional communication; the second layer, medium-orbit satellites, for transcontinental communication; the third layer, geostationary satellites, for broadcasting and fixed-area coverage."

Department Head Zhang looked at this magnificent plan and couldn't help but gasp: "This... how many satellites will this require?"

"In the initial stage, at least 12," Li Mingyuan replied, "but as technology matures and demand grows, it may eventually require 50 to 100."

"What about the funding and time?"

Li Mingyuan was well-prepared: "The launch of the first 12 satellites is estimated to take 3 years, with a total investment of about 1 billion Long Coins. It seems huge, but once built, the returns will be immeasurable."

Department Head Zhang pondered for a moment and finally nodded: "I will report this plan to my superiors. But before that, we need to handle the current crisis."

Li Mingyuan agreed: "Correct. The top priority now is to continue monitoring the reactions of both countries while preparing for possible inquiries. If they accuse us directly, we will provide the orbital data of Dongfang No. 1 to prove that our satellite had nothing to do with their malfunctions."

After the meeting ended, Li Mingyuan remained in the command center alone, gazing at the large screen filled with surveillance footage, a strange sense of accomplishment welling up in his heart.

In this world, he had not only changed the fate of Long Country but was also reshaping the landscape of the entire space race. And this was only the beginning.

……

The next morning, in front of newsstands in major cities around the world, people scrambled to buy the latest newspapers, the front pages of which all reported on the latest developments in the space disaster without exception.

In the capital of Beijixiong Guo, inside the Kremlin, an emergency meeting was underway.

"According to preliminary investigations," the head of the Academy of Sciences reported, "the failure of the Dawn satellite was caused by a malfunction in the thermal control system. Solar radiation caused the satellite's shell temperature to rise sharply, eventually destroying the internal electronic equipment and attitude control system."

The leader listened expressionlessly, fingers tapping lightly on the table: "Is this a design flaw, or was there outside interference?"

The head of the Academy of Sciences hesitated: "From a technical perspective, it could be either a design flaw or external interference. But considering that Star-Spangled Country's satellite met almost the same fate, the possibility of external interference is high."

"Does Star-Spangled Country have this capability?" the leader asked bluntly.

The Intelligence Department Head shook his head: "Technically possible, but the motive is insufficient. Their own satellite also crashed, which does them no good at all."

"Then who else could it be?" The leader's voice turned cold.

The room fell into Silence, and finally, the Intelligence Chief spoke cautiously: "There is one possibility... Long Country."

The leader frowned: "Long Country? They don't even have their own satellites; how could they interfere with ours?"

"That is precisely the problem, comrade," the Intelligence Chief replied. "We have always assumed they had no satellites, but what if they have already launched them in secret? According to the latest intelligence, Long Country has large-scale secret construction activities in the Northwest region, the nature of which is unknown. Furthermore, the Yangcheng Zhanxiaohui has already proven that their technical capabilities far exceed our expectations."

The leader fell into deep thought. Although this speculation was bold, it was not without reason. If Long Country had truly mastered space technology and chosen to keep it secret, then the entire strategic landscape would change completely.

"I need concrete evidence," he finally said. "Strengthen intelligence gathering on Long Country, especially their Northwest region. At the same time, prepare a diplomatic protest, but do not name names for now."

He turned to the Military Representative: "Meanwhile, accelerate our second-generation satellite program. We cannot fall behind in the space race."

At the same time, in Washington City of Star-Spangled Country, a more intense meeting was taking place inside the White House Situation Room.

"This is a blatant challenge to Star-Spangled Country!" the President said angrily, slamming his palm on the table. "We must make a strong response!"

The Secretary of Defense tried to calm the situation: "Sir, we have not yet determined the responsible party. Acting rashly could lead to a diplomatic crisis."

"Then find me the evidence!" the President ordered. "Is it Beijixiong Guo or Long Country? Someone must be held responsible for this!"

The Director of the Central Intelligence Agency cleared his throat: "According to our analysis, the possibility of it being Beijixiong Guo is very small. Their own satellite also crashed, which is a heavy blow to their space program."

"Then it is Long Country?" The President stared intently at the Intelligence Officer.