Chapter 219

Penglai's commissioning ceremony was absurdly simple—no salute guns, no military band, just thirty-six inaugural crew members standing in formation on the deck's center.

They wore the newly designed deep-blue training uniforms of the Space-Sky Army, against the vast horizon of the northwestern desert.

Feng Yan stood before the ranks: "Three years ago, we built the first exoskeleton in the warehouse."

"Back then we wondered whether this thing could walk, or if it would fall apart."

Someone in the ranks chuckled lightly.

"Two years ago, when the Deep Sea Dragon Palace construction began, we wondered whether this thing could be assembled in space, or if it would come crashing down."

"One year ago, with the Xuanwu fusion breakthrough, we wondered whether this thing could run stably, or if it would explode."

Feng Yan paused, looking at the young crew members before him: "And today, as this ship is commissioned, what are we thinking?"

He asked and answered himself: "We're thinking about how far it can fly, how much it can do, and whether it can create an era belonging to our Longguo."

"I feel this is still not our endpoint." He raised his hand, pointing to the sky, "but a new beginning."

There was no applause, only the howl of wind blowing across the deck.

But every person's eyes now shone with light.

The ceremony ended in just eight minutes, over and done with hastily.

The crew quickly returned to their posts; this afternoon, Penglai will undertake its first official cruise mission, heading to the East Sea to conduct joint drills with the navy.

At the same time, Yanjing.

Zhou Ming stopped his scooter in the morning rush traffic, looked up at the large screen on the office building's exterior wall.

It was broadcasting a replay of Penglai's commissioning ceremony.

When Feng Yan spoke of a new beginning, the pedestrians waiting at the red light around him unconsciously straightened their backs.

His phone vibrated; it was a message from Li Yang: "The reserve team selection kicks off next Monday—are you sure you want to join?"

Zhou Ming took a deep breath and replied: "Definite."

Just as he hit send, the food-delivery platform's order notification sounded.

Another rush order, from the Financial Street to the airport.

He twisted the throttle; the exoskeleton's leg thrusters assisted acceleration, and the scooter sliced into traffic like a fish.

While waiting at the red light, the driver of the car beside him poked his head out: "Brother, did you modify that exoskeleton? Your acceleration is insane."

"I did it myself." Zhou Ming chuckled.

"Awesome! I'd like to mod mine too, but I'm afraid of getting caught."

"Now there are official modification shops; you just need to file for registration." Zhou Ming said.

"After the Dragon Teng Cup, policies have been relaxed."

The green light came on, and the scooter shot forward.

Zhou Ming thought: This might be my last food-delivery run.

Once I get into the reserve team, I'll have to train full-time.

Although I'll be a bit reluctant to give it up.

But more than that, it's anticipation for the future.

Longyin Research Institute, conference room.

On the large screen, four sections updated in real time:

【Military Track】After Penglai's commissioning, three sister ships have begun construction; the Xuanwu-3S production line's monthly capacity reaches thirty units; the military's fusion-energy retrofit progress has also surpassed 70%.

【Civilian Track】Fusion-energy pilot cities have increased to twenty-three, with average electricity prices down to 5% of the original; powered-exoskeleton household penetration reaches 41%; the Harvest-2 model agricultural exoskeleton covers eight hundred counties nationwide.

【Space Track】The Guanghan Palace Moon Base site selection is complete; lunar construction robots have gone into production; the Tiangong Shipyard has begun designing the Penglai-2, aiming to explore the depths of the sky.

【International Track】Fifty-seven countries have signed the three conventions; Eagle Country's Ares program prototype has rolled off the line, its performance nearing that of early Xuanwu prototypes; the Ji Basin Chicken Baqi prototype has completed assembly and is about to be tested; the Europa Space Democratic Alliance has been formed, claiming it will counter Longguo's technological monopoly.

"The data looks great." Feng Yan turned off the screen, "but some countries remain restless."

Six core team members sat in the conference room; Li Yang joined via hologram, currently still on Penglai's bridge.

"First, the good news." Zhao Kaiyuan pulled up a report.

"The second-generation Xuanwu fusion prototype has passed testing, with energy density up 45%. Moreover… we've discovered a new reaction pathway."

"What pathway?" Wang Hao leaned in.

"This pathway can produce antimatter." Zhao Kaiyuan paused.

"Of course, for now it's only theoretical, with negligible yield. But if we could break through…"

"Then it's no longer just an infinite-energy problem." Chen Guang pushed up his glasses.

"But rather, infinite energy density."

The conference room fell silent for a few seconds.

"And the bad news?" Li Yang asked.

Chen Guang brought up the surveillance feed: "Torch Dragon has confirmed that the deep-space anomaly signal we detected earlier is non-human in origin."

"The signal source lies outside Mars' orbit, and its strength has increased by 300% over the past month."

"Moreover… the signal is regular, as if it's transmitting some kind of message."

"Can we decode it?"

"Not for now. But once the Torch Dragon-3 quantum fusion system goes online, computing power will jump three orders of magnitude—maybe then we'll be able to."

"Also." Chen Guang switched the screen.

"The Ji Basin Chicken Baqi prototype has also been shipped to a secret base on an island in the East Sea."

"According to the defective formula we provided, the thermal protection material made from it is also installed on it."

Wang Hao grinned: "They really intend to test-fly it, huh?"

"In just three days." Chen You marked the time.

Moreover, Eagle Country's Ares prototype will also be on site for observation, nominally a technical exchange.

This is about forming a team to hand over heads. Wang Hao rubbed his hands.

Our Penglai happens to be conducting drills in the East Sea; want to go over and take a look?

Feng Yan didn't answer directly, but asked: "How about Confluence?"

Their leader posted a new video on the dark web, with the title "Technological Monopoly Equals Tyranny." Chen Guang played the clip.

A masked person, using a voice changer, gave a speech, claiming to "liberate knowledge monopolized by Longguo," and called on global technical personnel to join their "Open-Source Movement."

"The slogan is still loud." Zhao Gong knocked on his pipe, "but what they're doing is still petty theft."

"So." Feng Yan looked around at everyone.

The new era has arrived, but the war hasn't ended yet—open, covert, technical, and psychological—have only just begun.

He looked at Li Yang: "Penglai will set off this afternoon, proceeding with the drill as planned, but if the Yamata no Orochi really dares to take off..."

"Understood." Li Yang nodded.

"Haizi, you return to the missile team and make sure Kuafu-3 is ready for emergency."

"Order received!"

"Guangzi, continue monitoring deep-space signals, while keeping a close watch on Confluence's movements."

"Already doing it."

"Open-source, antimatter research can be initiated, but the security level must be raised to the highest."

"Good."

"Zhao Gong..." Feng Yan looked at the old man.

"I understand." Zhao Gong waved his hand.

"I'll oversee the new materials production line, ensuring the material supply for Penglai-2."

After the assignments were distributed, the meeting room suddenly fell silent.

Wang Hao looked this way and that, then suddenly laughed: "Three years ago, when we few were eating instant noodles in the warehouse, could we have imagined that this bunch of dirt-legs would have today?"

Li Yang shook his head.

Chen Guang pushed his glasses: "According to the probability calculation based on the conditions back then, the likelihood of today's situation occurring is far below 0.003%."

"Then we've created a miracle!" Wang Hao stood up.

"Feng Yan bro, once this is over you gotta make good on your promise and treat the whole institute to hot pot!"

"Sure." Feng Yan also laughed, "I'll cover it."

At 2 p. m., Penglai rose into the sky and headed for the East Sea.

At the same time, at the site selected for the Lunar Guanghan Palace base, the lunar robot swarm began automatic operations.

Feng Yan remotely pressed the start button at the ground control center; the robots unfolded their solar panels and activated the drilling equipment.

The first permanent human base on the Moon has broken ground.

Chen Guang received a Torch Dragon alert in the monitoring room: "Detected directed infiltration of Penglai's communications link by the Confluence organization; a reverse-tracking program has been implanted—they've taken the bait."

He pushed his glasses and clicked confirm.

Then he looked at another screen, which displayed the real-time spectrum of the deep-space anomaly signal, the waveform complex like a heartbeat.

And on a small island in the East Sea, the Yamata no Orochi prototype was being rolled out of the hangar.

The person in charge, speaking excitedly over the radio, said: "Today we will let the world see that Japanese technology remains far ahead!"

What he didn't know was that, just three hundred li overhead, Penglai had already entered its cruising position.

He also didn't know that the island beneath his feet was right on the edge of the earthquake monitoring network's warning threshold.

Because a specific frequency vibration is about to be triggered.

Moreover, he didn't know that, in deeper space, those non-human signals were becoming... increasingly clear.

Chen Guang closed the alert window and called up the development progress chart for Torch Dragon-3.

Progress: 87%.

He murmured to himself: "We need to hurry."

Outside the window, the sky was gradually darkening.

And the war of the new era—both the visible and the invisible—has only just begun.