Chapter 150: The Real Heavyweight

"Now, moving on."

The female spokesperson said to everyone present: "This is a brief open Q&A period; I will consider the content of the questions and the permissions I have to try to satisfy your curiosity and clear up any doubts."

As soon as she finished speaking, a large number of reporters raised their hands.

Seeing this, the spokesperson scanned the room, her gaze landing on a middle‑aged male reporter in the fourth row, and she extended her left hand forward with a slight wave.

"Ahem." The indicated middle‑aged reporter stood up, cleared his throat lightly, and raised his voice to ask:

"Miss Johnson, may I ask whether your company's fusion power plants pose any safety hazards to the world? And could a disaster like Chernobyl occur?"

Even those present who aren't physics experts know that hydrogen bombs use fusion reactions.

The Soviet Union's Tsar bomb from the last century, even after more than forty years, still remains a lingering unease.

And the Chernobyl incident of the late 1980s casts a shadow over all humanity.

"I can assure everyone that the company has fully mastered controllable fusion technology and eliminated all safety risks.

You should know, my statement is directly tied to the company's stock price, so please don't worry about safety issues."

At the end, the spokesperson used a slightly joking tone to ease the somewhat solemn atmosphere.

"Understood, thank you Miss Johnson for the clarification." The middle‑aged reporter sat down again.

Immediately after, many more reporters raised their hands.

This time, the spokesperson signaled a young female reporter sitting in the back row to ask a question.

"Miss Johnson!" the female reporter sprang up, her tone rapid as she asked:

"Currently, the most readily achievable and stable fusion is with the helium isotope helium‑3, but Earth's helium‑3 reserves are extremely scarce; the next options are deuterium and tritium…

Could your company's stable fusion power plant be an improved version of a deuterium‑tritium reactor?"

"Good question." The spokesperson clapped and shook her head lightly: "But it's not deuterium and tritium; it's deuterium and helium‑3."

"However, Earth's helium‑3 reserves are minuscule; only the Moon has abundant amounts—wait… the Moon?!" the reporter exclaimed.

!!

Not only that reporter, but also everyone present, as well as the live‑stream viewers and netizens, could not stay calm.

The chat channel of the live stream was once again flooded with comments like "Ohhhhh!" and "WTF!"

"That's right, everyone. Actually… Umbrella has many more products that we haven't been able to share with you yet," the spokesperson continued with a professional smile.

"Based on controllable fusion reactors, the company has developed a fusion engine—yes, just as you imagine, an engine that makes navigation within the Solar System possible."

!!!

The reporters on site were completely stunned.

I thought controllable fusion alone was already a heavyweight announcement, but wow, the real heavyweight was waiting right here!

It's the unimaginable "spacecraft."

On the live page and major forums, netizens went wild, tagging the so‑called "prophets" who previously said Umbrella might reveal space‑related products.

Space!

The space race of the last century sparked a decades‑long wave of cosmic exploration worldwide, and humanity set foot on the Moon on July 20, 1969.

Even setting aside aesthetic factors, humanity's yearning for and exploration of the stars and space seems driven by an instinct.

At this moment.

The spokesperson didn't keep the reporters, audience, or netizens waiting; she went straight to satisfy everyone's curiosity, introducing:

"Next, everyone will witness the centerpiece of this press conference that Umbrella is about to unveil! Please welcome the Precursors!"

As the spokesperson spoke, the lights dimmed rapidly, and a massive holographic screen lit up again.

On the screen, a three‑dimensional model of a "ship" and its related specifications were displayed for everyone.

——

Umbrella space engineering ship, Precursors-type.

Length: 312 m.

Width: 102 m.

Height: 52 m.

Equipped with two small fusion engines, it can hold up to 2,000 people, with a maximum cosmic speed estimated at 20.6 km/s.

——

Seeing Umbrella finally release the engineering ship's product model, the venue fell silent.

Online, intense discussions erupted over the ship's specs and design; some top‑tier netizens even calculated the efficiency of a single fusion engine from the data.

"Currently, the first Precursors-type engineering ship under construction is slated for full completion in March this year, making it humanity's first true…spacecraft."

At that time, Umbrella will commence construction of a lunar mining base, the first step toward solving the helium‑3 supply issue.

Subsequently, the company will methodically pursue full lunar exploration while continuing to build Precursors-type engineering ships."

The spokesperson outlined the future plans.

"Miss Johnson…" the still‑standing female reporter, her face showing disbelief yet forced belief, asked with a trembling voice:

"If your company's engineering ship passes a series of tests, then… does that mean your company—or humanity—has the capability to colonize the Moon and Mars?"

"In theory, yes," the spokesperson did not deny.

She then added, "But building cities beyond Earth is not something that can be done overnight; it requires a gradual transition.

However, as Umbrella deepens cooperation with governments worldwide, I believe a wave of colonization across the Solar System will soon arise."

"Thank you very much, Miss Johnson, for the answer," the female reporter sat back down.

"Now." The spokesperson glanced symbolically at the watch on her left wrist, then addressed the audience:

"It's getting late, so the press conference will take a short intermission, but rest assured, the company still has many unrevealed products; this afternoon I will continue to answer everyone's questions."

After speaking, the conference room lights brightened, soothing music gradually rose, and the attendees began to exit in an orderly fashion.

The live broadcast webpage's video screen switched, playing Umbrella's various products, as well as advertisements recruiting talents from various fields.

Although the press conference was in intermission, the chat channel on the right side of the live broadcast webpage remained bustling.

It is obvious that even if the press conference ends, its heat and aftermath cannot dissipate in a short time.

At this moment.

The top-floor office of Umbrella's new headquarters building.

Dressed in a light gray suit, Sui Bian sat behind the desk, leaning against the chair back, hands on the armrests, gazing at the holographic screen appearing in the center of the office.

The content playing on the screen was exactly the live broadcast webpage of the press conference.

Among the netizens who watched the live broadcast in full, there was also him, the actual controller of Umbrella, though he did not participate in the heated online discussion.

(End of chapter)