Chapter 278: Sphere Shield

Back then, who could have imagined that three years later they'd be building the "Sphere Shield"?

Blue Star orbit, Heaven's Punishment Platform-38.

Engineer Xiao Zhang is doing the final inspection.

The platform was just coated with an energy-deflection layer yesterday; now its surface glows with a violet‑gold metallic sheen, sparkling in the sunlight.

"Coating adhesion rate 100%, energy absorption test passed," he reports into the communicator, "It's that color… isn't it a bit too flashy? You can see it from far away."

Chen Guang's voice comes through: "We want it to be conspicuous. When the Harvesters see it from afar, wow, this civilization paints its defense platforms like jewelry; they'll definitely be hard to deal with. Psychological warfare, understand?"

"Got it," Xiao Zhang grins, "Then should we add some more designs? Like writing 'Welcome' or something?"

"…You draw it, just don't make it too ugly."

So that afternoon, a hand‑drawn cartoon smiley appeared on the side wall of Heaven's Punishment Platform-38, exactly the same as the one Wang Hao painted on his mech.

At some point, graffiti seemed to become a tradition.

After that, engineers would draw something on every newly deployed Heaven's Punishment Platform.

Some are smiley faces, some say "Go!", some are simple sketches of hometown landmarks.

When Wang Hao learned of it, he laughed wildly over the comm channel: "Look! Look! Art is contagious!"

Chen Guang calmly retorts: "According to Torch Dragon-3 statistics, graffiti raises engineers' job satisfaction by 15% and cuts error rates by 8%. I don't grasp the causality, but the data doesn't lie."

"So art is useful!"

"…Data is useful."

Three months later, the defense construction progress briefing.

Li Yang brings up a hologram, showing the completion percentages of three rings.

"Inner dome: Heaven's Punishment Platform deployment completed 312/1008, 31% complete. Quantum radar network covers 60% of the area."

"Mid layer Sea Stabilizing Needle: twelve gravitic perturbators, core components completed 4, 33% complete. Missile forces deployed one‑third."

"Outer layer Houyi: basic frameworks of three platforms finished, energy‑focusing arrays being installed. Completion… 20%."

"Overall defense line completion: 35%." Li Yang pauses, "Time remaining… 1 year 6 months."

Feng Yan nods: "Faster than expected. What about the output of the violet material?"

【4】 "Zhao Kaiyuan's holographic projection appears: 'Monthly production eight million tons, enough. Blue Star"

【5】 "What now limits the speed isn't the material, it's manpower; skilled workers are lacking, training can't keep up with capacity expansion."

【6】 "Then simplify the process," Feng Yan says, "Automate the high‑tech steps, let people handle what machines can't. Torch Dragon-3 was upgraded, right? Have it design the most optimized production workflow."

【7】 Chen Guang pulls up data: "AI‑optimized production lines are 40% more efficient than manual labor, but they require massive numbers of robots. Global industrial robot capacity is already maxed out, yet still insufficient."

【8】 "Then build it," Feng Yan resolves.

【9】 "Cut civilian consumer‑goods output by another 20% and redirect it all to robot production. Tell everyone that making one more robot now could stop an alien cannonball in the future."

【10】 The order is issued.

【11】 Another round of conversion begins.

【12】 This time there are far fewer complaints, because the defense construction progress is public; everyone can view real‑time data on their phones.

【13】 Watching the completion percentage inch upward, watching those points of light in space increase, most people understand why sacrifice is necessary.

【14】 In the central cafeteria of Yunchuan City, a middle‑aged man in the line for rice looks at the progress bar on his phone: "35%… not bad, pretty fast."

【15】 The elderly woman ahead turns back: "My son is welding steel plates at the Moon Base, says he can work sixteen hours a day because there aren't enough robots."

【16】 "My daughter too, she used to be an accountant, now she's learning programming to control robots," another young man says.

【17】 "She says it's tiring, but at night when she looks up, she can see the things she helped build glowing, and it's worth it."

【18】 The cafeteria TV is showing live footage from the Moon Base: massive robotic arms are assembling the framework of the Sea Stabilizing Needle, welding sparks

【19】 Caption: "Every weld is a shield of civilization."

【20】 Lao Wu no longer grills skewers; he works as a quality inspector at the community's parts workshop.

【21】 Every day he uses a robotic arm to check the thickness of violet material plates; any deviation over 0.1 mm requires rework.

【22】 "This job is even more exhausting than grilling," he complains to the street officials inspecting, "but at least I know why it's tiring."

【23】 The official laughs: "When we win, I'll get you the best stall so you can grill until you're a hundred."

Zhao Kaiyuan's holographic projection popped out: "Monthly production of eight million tons is enough. Blue Star

"Now what limits speed is not materials, but manpower; there aren't enough skilled workers, and training speed can't keep up with capacity expansion."

Longyin Control Center, Feng Yan stands by the window, watching the newly deployed Heaven's Punishment Platforms on Blue Star orbit.

They line up in neat arrays, like a glowing necklace around Blue Star.

Chen Guang walks over, handing him a coffee: "Defense line completion is at 35%; at this rate we'll reach 80% in a year. But the problem is…"

"The problem is the Harvesters won't wait for us to be ready," Feng Yan takes the coffee, "They may strike early, take a detour, or break through in ways we can't anticipate."

"So besides hard defenses, we also need soft defenses," Chen You points out the data.

"Torch Dragon-4, a next‑gen combat AI trained on detector databases, will go online next month. It can simulate Harvesters' thought patterns and anticipate their tactics."

This time there were far fewer complaints, because the progress of the defense line construction is public, and everyone can view real-time data on their phones.

"Based on current data, its accuracy is only 67%. But with more samples…"

Feng Yan understands his meaning: "Penglai-2 will be finished in eight months; then we'll send it to the Kuiper Belt to see if it can discover anything."

"Also," Chen Guang pauses, "The energy-deflection coating that Zhao Kaiyuan reverse‑engineered from detector material works great on laser defense, but on energy weapons… it backfires. It would deflect energy into uncontrolled directions."

"So the Harvesters don't use energy weapons?"

"Or they have a better control method," Chen Guang says.

"We only recovered wreckage; many core technologies may have self‑destructed. Yet reverse engineering continues, with new findings every day."

Feng Yan takes a sip of coffee, looking out the window.

The points of light in the night sky multiply; they are humanity's hope, and also its gamble.

Every day they use a robotic arm to check the thickness of the purple material plates; if the error exceeds 0.1 millimeter, they have to rework.

"This work is more tiring than grilling skewers." He complained to the street officials who came for inspection, "But at least I know why I'm tired."

The official laughed: "Once we win, I'll approve the best stall for you, so you can grill until you're a hundred."

"Then it's settled."

It was late at night.

At the Longyin Control Center, Feng Yan stood by the window, watching the newly deployed Heaven's Punishment Platforms on Blue Star's orbit.

They were arranged in neat rows, like a glowing necklace draped around Blue Star.

Chen Guang walked over and handed him a cup of coffee: "The defense line is 35% complete; at this rate, it could reach 80% in a year. But the problem is…"

"The problem is the Harvesters won't wait for us to be ready." Feng Yan took the coffee, "They might strike early, take a detour, or break through in ways we can't anticipate."

"So besides hard defense, we also need soft defense." Chen Youbiao presented the data.

"Torch Dragon-4 is a new-generation combat AI trained on the detector database; it will go online next month. It can simulate the Harvesters' thought patterns and predict their tactics."

"How well can it predict?"

"According to current data, the accuracy is only 67%. But if we could get more samples…"

Feng Yan understood his meaning: "Penglai-2 will be finished in eight months; then we'll send it to cruise the Kuiper Belt to see if we can discover anything."

"Moreover." Chen Guang paused, "The energy-deflection coating that Zhao Kaiyuan reverse-engineered from detector materials works well on laser defense, but when applied to energy weapons… it would have the opposite effect. It would deflect the energy into an uncontrollable direction."

"So the Harvesters don't use energy weapons at all?"

"Or they have a better control method." Chen Guang said.

"We've only gotten the wreckage; many core technologies may have self-destructed. But reverse engineering continues, with new discoveries every day."

Feng Yan took a sip of coffee and looked out the window.

The points of light in the night sky grew more numerous; they were humanity's hope, and also its wager.

"One year six months." He said softly.

"Enough for us to create a miracle." Chen Guang said.

The coffee cup is empty.

And on Blue Star's orbit, the Heaven's Punishment-312 platform had just completed deployment, with a small smiley face painted on its side wall.

That was drawn by the newly arrived engineer.

Below that, there is a line of small text:

"Our homeland is here, we will not retreat."