Chapter 192: Returning to the Beginning—Longyin Research Institute's

"It's been over half a year," Feng Yan began, his voice not loud, but exceptionally clear in the quiet conference room.

He pressed the remote control, and the big screen switched.

Page 1: Overview of Civilian Mech Promotion Data for the Past Half Year

Holdings: 2.17 million mechs of various types sold/rented nationwide (1.89 million Class I, 280,000 Class II)

Employment impact: 1.43 million new "mech operator" positions added, traditional physical labor positions reduced by 870,000 (transformation training coverage 92%)

Accident rate: 0.17 daily accidents per 10,000 mechs, far lower than cars (0.43)

Economic contribution: Mech-related industrial chain GDP increment expected to reach 2.3 trillion yuan for the whole year

"The accident three months ago woke us up from rapid popularization," Feng Yan looked at Wang Hao.

"After the safety patch update, how much has the accident rate dropped?"

Wang Hao pulled up the data: "It has already dropped by seventy-eight percent."

"Through the blacklist mechanism we established, 341 users nationwide have been permanently banned and their devices locked for attempting to crack them."

"Not enough," Feng Yan said. "Make them afraid to crack, not punished after cracking."

"Already doing it," Chen Guang took over.

"'Torch Dragon' civilian branch updated the behavior prediction algorithm, which can detect users in the early stages of having the idea to crack, such as when searching for cracking tutorials."

"It pushes warnings and popular science videos directly, and the current prevention success rate has reached sixty-three percent."

Li Yang added: "Structural safety is also upgrading. 'Modular Maintenance Design' has been completed and will be applied to new mechs rolling off the line next month."

"In the future, ordinary repairmen will be able to complete eighty percent of fault repairs using basic tools."

Feng Yan nodded and switched to the next page.

Page 2: Core R&D Progress (Returning to the Main Line)

This page was divided into four sections, each equipped with 3D models and progress bars.

【"Bi'an-Type 3" Space Mech】

The model rotated, showing a streamlined design: switchable between humanoid and small spaceship forms, with vector propulsion nozzles on the shoulders, back, and soles.

Progress bar: 50% (prototype assembly completed)

Li Yang stood up to report: "Based on polar mech data and feedback from 'Longteng Cup' contestants, we optimized the joint design and balance system."

"The biggest breakthrough is in the transformation mechanism; the conversion time from humanoid to spaceship form has been compressed from the initial design of twelve seconds to 6.8 seconds."

"How about space testing time?"

"Ground simulation tests have all passed, but actual space testing... still needs to wait for the 'Qingyun' rocket schedule," Li Yang paused.

"If Wang Hao can finish the mass production of 'Kuafu-2' ahead of schedule, our test payloads can cut in line."

Wang Hao immediately raised his hand: "No problem here!"

【"Kuafu-2" Aerospace Missile】

The model unfolded, showing the internal structure: fusion reactor propulsion, solar panel assistance, capable of infinite trajectory changes outside the atmosphere.

Progress bar: 75% (first batch of 100 mass-produced units delivered to the military)

Wang Hao was rarely serious: "The first batch of 100 units was secretly equipped to the three major theater commands last month."

"Actual combat data feedback is also relatively good, it's just... a bit expensive. Although the unit cost has been pushed down to eight million, it's still expensive."

"Cost is a matter for the next step," Feng Yan said. "What we need now is to quickly form combat effectiveness."

"Combat effectiveness is absolutely enough!" Wang Hao patted his chest.

"In last week's simulation exercise, three 'Kuafu-2' intercepted twelve simulated incoming missiles in low Earth orbit, with an interception rate of one hundred percent."

"It's just that the energy consumption is a bit high; the fusion reactor needs to cool down for twenty-four hours after running at full power once."

Zhao Kaiyuan interjected: "The cooling system is already being improved; the second-generation design of the 'Xuanming-Micro' reactor can shorten the cooling time to eight hours."

【"Torch Dragon-2" Quantum Fusion System】

The screen displayed a complex quantum computing architecture diagram.

Progress bar: 65% (computing power increased a hundredfold)

Chen Guang pushed his glasses: "The preliminary fusion of the quantum computing prototype with 'Torch Dragon' has been completed."

"Current computing power is 530 times that of the traditional version, but stability is only ninety-seven percent, not yet reaching the military requirement of 99.99 percent."

"What is the current bottleneck?"

"Coherence time of quantum bits," Chen Guang pulled up the data.

"The longest maintenance time is currently 0.5 seconds, needing to be increased to over three seconds; the materials group is already tackling new superconducting materials."

Zhao Gong knocked his pipe: "That material... already has some clues."

"Using 'Dark Crystal' derivative materials as a base, the coherence time can reach 1.8 seconds; give me two months, and three seconds is promising."

【"Xuanming-Micro" Fusion Reactor】

The model showed an energy core the size of a suitcase.

Progress bar: 90% (production line officially put into operation)

Zhao Kaiyuan reported: "Monthly production capacity has reached fifty units, cost dropped by thirty percent."

"But civilian and military versions must be separated; the civilian version's output power is limited to thirty percent and has a physical fuse added;"

"The military version is full power, but the size will be twenty percent larger than the civilian version."

"What about energy density?"

"The output power per kilogram is forty percent higher than the first generation," Zhao Kaiyuan paused.

"But it's still not enough; if 'Bi'an-3' runs at full power, the existing battery can only support four hours of high-intensity combat."

"Continue tackling it."

The data flipped page by page, and the atmosphere in the conference room gradually became heavy.

This was not a celebration meeting, but a review meeting and a calibration meeting for the next development direction.

Feng Yan turned off the big screen and walked to the window, back to the crowd.

"In the past half year, we have done a lot," he looked out the window.

"Civilian mechs have entered thousands of households, changing countless lives."

"This is very good, this conforms to our original intention that technology should serve people."

He turned around: "But in this half year, we also almost forgot another thing: technology must not only serve people, but also protect people."

"In the past two hundred and ten days, everyone knows what changes have occurred in the international situation."

"Although the Foot-Basin Chicken (Japan) signed the treaty, they have been delaying fulfillment for so long."

"White Elephant (India) is secretly reorganizing its military, Eagle Country (USA) is accelerating their 'Ares Project,' and the 'Confluence' organization in Europe is frantically scraping up technical fragments from various countries."

"And us?" Feng Yan scanned the room. "We are doing civilian use, holding competitions, communicating with folk experts—these are all correct, but not enough."

He walked back to the table and placed his hands on the tabletop: "From today on, Longyin's strategic focus is adjusted."

The big screen lit up again, four sections:

① Civilian line: shifting from rapid popularization to deep cultivation of scenarios, focusing on solving needs in rural areas, remote areas, and special industries.

Goal: within the next year, achieve the primary stage where every household can use a mech assistant (urban coverage rate reaches 60%).

② Military line: comprehensively accelerate breakthroughs; "Bi'an-3" space testing must be completed within three months;

"Kuafu-2" mass production line expanded to fifty units per month; "Torch Dragon-2" quantum fusion must reach military standards by the end of the year.

③ International line: actively export our Longguo standards, but not forcibly, using technical ecosystem attractiveness to let other countries voluntarily connect to our system.

At the same time, closely monitor technical theft by organizations like "Confluence."

④ Talent line: continue to expand the "Folk Advisory Group," while establishing "Youth Mech Interest Classes" in various places to reserve talent for the next ten years.

"Is everyone clear?" Feng Yan asked.

"Clear!"

"Dismissed."

People left one after another, leaving only the six core team members in the conference room.

Wang Hao slumped in his chair: "Brother Feng, this rhythm... isn't it too fast?"

"Is it fast?" Feng Yan looked at him. "Haozi, do you still remember three years ago, when we were in Old Li's warehouse, seeing the 'Iron Wolf' prototype for the first time?"

Wang Hao was stunned.

"At that time, we had nothing—no funds, no venue, no national support," Feng Yan said slowly.

"But we had ideas, the impulse to make this happen, and the passion to make something happen."

He looked at everyone: "Now, we have everything, but is that impulse and passion still there?"

No one answered.

"Don't work overtime tonight," Feng Yan suddenly said. "Go to the canteen, my treat."

At 12:30 AM, in the Longyin Research Institute canteen.

The master chef was called out of the dormitory, cursed, turned on the fire, and made six bowls of egg noodles.

The simplest method, green onions, eggs, noodles, but steaming hot.

Six people surrounded a small table, no one spoke, only the slurping sound of eating noodles.

Halfway through, Wang Hao suddenly spoke: "Brother Feng, I actually... am a bit afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

"Afraid we won't do well," Wang Hao was rarely not laughing.

"Before, it was just us few, if we messed up, it was just in our own hands."

"But now... over two million mechs are running nationwide, the military is waiting for our new equipment, and countless people internationally are eyeing our technology."

"I'm afraid that if I mess up sometime, I..."

He couldn't go on.

Chen Guang put down his chopsticks: "In terms of data, the probability of us making a mistake is 0.3 percent, but even if this 0.3 percent happens, we have seven contingency plans."

"It's not about data," Li Yang said. "It's about responsibility."

Zhao Gong smoked his pipe and exhaled slowly: "I've done craftsmanship all my life, and I understand one principle: if a thing is broken, it can be repaired;"

"If a person is broken, there's no repairing them. What you're carrying now shouldn't be things, but people's hearts."

He looked at these young people: "Those delivery boys using our mechs, the sisters working on construction sites, the old men plowing fields in the countryside..."

"They trust us, that's why they use our things. This trust is heavier than anything."

Zhao Kaiyuan nodded: "Once the energy system has an accident, it's paralysis at best, and an explosion at worst. My hands sometimes shake when I sign off on factory shipments."

Feng Yan listened quietly, and only after everyone had finished speaking did he speak.

"Three years ago, I was browsing short videos while slacking off by chance, and I saw Old Li's mech helmet," he looked at the rising steam in the noodle bowl.

"At that time, I thought: this thing shouldn't be buried in a warehouse like this, nor should it be ignored like this."

"Later, I met Guangzi, met Haozi, met Old Zhao, met Junior Kaiyuan..."

"We slowly gathered together, from the beginning just wanting to do one thing well: make technology useful."

"Now, our technology is useful."

"But the more useful things are, the more people want to grab them, the more people want to destroy them, and the more people want to turn them into things that violate our original intentions."

He raised his head: "That's why we can't stop, we can't be timid because we're afraid of making mistakes, nor can we be complacent because we've achieved results."

"What we need to do is to keep walking on this most difficult but most correct path, between these mistakes and achievements."

"This path makes technology both warm and powerful, both serving people and protecting people."

Wang Hao drank the last of the noodle soup and wiped his mouth: "Brother Feng, I understand, I'll start working overtime tomorrow to design 'Kuafu-3'!"

"Don't wait for tomorrow," Feng Yan stood up. "Let's go now."

"Now?!"

"Right now," Feng Yan looked at everyone.

"'Torch Dragon' has monitored that in a laboratory in Europe, the 'Confluence' organization has just completed the testing of their first assembled mech."

"In terms of performance parameters... it's already very close to the 'Iron Wolf' base version."

"They used civilian mech parts we bought on the black market to piece it together."

The scene was dead silent.

"We thought promoting mech civilian use was just changing lives," Feng Yan said softly.

"But someone is using our technology to piece together weapons to deal with us."

"So, there's no time."

He turned and walked toward the door.

"Let's go, back to work."

"The real war hasn't started yet."

"But it's not far." ===== CHAPTER 193 =====