Chapter 541: Preliminary Plan

"This is impossible," an aviation expert shook his head, "even our most advanced experimental aircraft cannot reach such speeds at that low altitude. Air resistance would tear it apart."

"I can only tell you what I saw," Thompson said stubbornly, "that thing defies all the laws of physics I know. It made a nearly 90-degree turn while flying at high speed; no known aircraft can do that."

"Did you notice any special visual features?" another scientist asked.

"Its shape... is very peculiar," Thompson frowned as he recalled, "streamlined, yet unlike any conventional aircraft or ship. The surface seems to have some kind of special material that reflects sunlight but simultaneously absorbs Radar waves. Most impressively, it was able to move at high speed while barely stirring up any water."

The hearing lasted for a full five hours, with every detail repeatedly questioned and recorded. However, no matter how the experts analyzed it, they could not reach an explanation that fit existing scientific theories.

After the meeting, several top scientists gathered in a small conference room at the Pentagon, their expressions grave.

"We must consider a possibility," one of the physicists said in a low voice, "that the object might employ some brand-new propulsion technology, some physical principle we have yet to discover."

"Or," another scientist said hesitantly, "we should seriously consider... the possibility of non-terrestrial origin."

Silence filled the room; no one immediately opposed this seemingly absurd proposal. When faced with an inexplicable phenomenon, even the most rational scientific minds began to waver.

And just as the entire Star-Spangled Country was going crazy over the "Ocean Ghost," the Long Country on the other side of the ocean was quietly carrying out a revolution that would truly change the world.

At the Penglai Base in the Long Country, inside a newly built research building, a top-secret operation codenamed "Weaving the Net" had fully commenced. This was a five-story building with an ordinary exterior, but the interior was equipped with the most advanced facilities of the time and enforced the strictest security controls; even other staff members at the base did not know what project was being conducted inside.

Li Mingyuan stood in the center of a specially designated operations room, looking around. The walls were covered with various charts, design drawings, and flowcharts, and a huge blackboard was filled with complex formulas and drafts of network protocols. The room was packed with top talent urgently summoned from all over the country—Computer experts, electronic engineers, communication technicians, materials scientists... everyone was an elite in their respective fields.

"Comrades," Li Mingyuan's voice was calm and firm, "thank you for putting down your work and coming to this project, whose name cannot even be disclosed to the outside world. I know that some comrades were brought here without even having time to say goodbye to their families, and for this, I express my deepest apologies. But I can assure you all that what you are participating in is a great cause that will completely change the fate of the Long Country and even change the world landscape."

He walked toward a huge diagram on the wall: "This is the 'Pangu Net,' a brand-new information exchange system. Simply put, it will allow computing equipment in different locations to communicate with each other via telephone lines or dedicated lines, achieving real-time transmission and sharing of data."

The experts in the audience looked at each other; some showed confused expressions, while others were clearly shocked by the concept.

"I know this sounds like science fiction," Li Mingyuan smiled, "but it is entirely feasible. In fact, the core technology of the 'Pangu' system has already proven this. Now, what we need to do is to extend this capability to a wider range and establish a network that covers the entire country."

He signaled an assistant to turn on the projector, and a detailed technical roadmap appeared on the screen:

"Our work is divided into five stages: first, infrastructure construction, including line laying and node equipment deployment; second, hardware research and development, especially key equipment like modems; third, protocol design, establishing standards and rules for network communication; fourth, software development, creating network operating systems and basic applications; fifth, network expansion, gradually extending the network from military and government departments to broader fields."

An old professor in the audience couldn't help but raise his hand to ask: "Chief Engineer Li, this concept is certainly grand, but with our current level of technology, can it really be achieved? Especially equipment like modems, which the Star-Spangled Country is still in the experimental stage with."

Li Mingyuan had long anticipated this question: "Professor Wang raises a good point. Indeed, following conventional paths, this project might take ten years or even longer. But we have two key advantages: first, the 'Pangu' system has already achieved breakthroughs in many core technologies; second," he paused, a mysterious smile appearing at the corner of his mouth, "we have a complete technical roadmap that can avoid many detours in conventional research and development."

He did not explicitly state where these "complete technical roadmaps" came from, but everyone present vaguely understood—this mysterious Chief Engineer always seemed able to propose concepts that transcended the era, and often miraculously achieved them.

"Specifically," Li Mingyuan walked to the blackboard, picked up a piece of chalk, and began to quickly draw a structural diagram of the equipment, "our modem design will adopt this structure..."

The chalk in his hand flew, and within just a few minutes, he drew a complete modem design plan, including circuit layout, signal processing flow, and key parameters. The entire process was smooth and fluid, as if these complex designs had been conceived in his mind thousands of times.

The electronic engineers present were dumbfounded; this design philosophy was several steps more avant-garde than the most advanced research at the time, yet it perfectly considered the limitations of current technical conditions—it was a plan that was both boldly innovative and practically feasible.

"Next is the network protocol," Li Mingyuan wiped the drawings off the blackboard and began to draw again, "we need a protocol system capable of ensuring reliable data transmission under unstable conditions..."

He drew several more diagrams in succession, elaborating in detail on a layered network protocol architecture, from the physical layer to the application layer, with the functions and interfaces of each layer clearly defined. This layered design philosophy was extremely advanced at the time, but it laid a solid foundation for the future expansion and compatibility of the network.

The entire explanation process lasted for nearly three hours; Li Mingyuan barely paused, nor did he consult any materials, as all technical details were explained from memory. By the end, the blackboard was covered with dense charts, formulas, and notes, forming a grand and complete technical blueprint.