Chapter 97: Concept for the

Liu Ming was apprehended on the spot by a security detachment led personally by Major Zhang while he was attempting to stuff an encrypted USB drive containing fake intelligence into the interlayer of a designated trash can outside the park.

Caught red-handed, he didn't even have time to sound any alarm.

The interrogation was conducted under absolute secrecy, handled by Major Zhang and professional personnel sent by superiors.

Feng Yan did not intervene too much; he believed in professionals doing professional work.

All his energy now was poured into the "Dragon Core" project, which felt as if it had been injected with a stimulant.

Inside the United Energy and Power Laboratory, the lights burned bright day and night.

The structural team led by Li Yang and Zhao Kaiyuan's electrical control team practically ate and lived together.

They were engaged in intense discussions and repeated simulation verifications surrounding every detail of the "Dragon Core" vector motor.

Master Tie Jiang Li, meanwhile, was in the materials laboratory next door with several assistants.

He was making fine adjustments over and over again to his set of "homemade" equipment, the furnace fire reflecting off his focused and determined face.

In addition to being responsible for the entire institute's information security, Chen Guang also tilted the main computing resources toward the joint laboratory.

Complex multi-physics simulations ran day and night on his server cluster.

This provided the most reliable data support for the "Dragon Core" design.

Wang Hao wasn't idle either; while assisting Master Tie Jiang Li with limit testing of material properties,

he was also pulling the engineer in charge of power management from Zhao Kaiyuan's team to ponder his "Falcon" missile chip replacement scheme.

This high-intensity, cross-disciplinary collision produced a marvelous chemical reaction.

Late one night, in the public discussion area of the joint laboratory.

The whiteboard was covered in various motor structure sketches, circuit diagrams, and energy flow schematics, with draft paper and empty instant noodle cups scattered on the floor.

Li Yang, Zhao Kaiyuan, Chen Guang, and Wang Hao were sitting or standing, their faces showing fatigue, but their eyes were exceptionally bright.

"No, the magnetic saturation problem in this area still hasn't been solved; the peak torque won't go up."

Li Yang pointed to a structure on the whiteboard, his brows locked tight.

Zhao Kaiyuan stared at that spot, rubbing the stubble on his chin:

"What if... instead of using traditional silicon steel sheet stacking, we try a new type of amorphous nanocrystalline composite material that Master Li is currently working on?"

"Although it's difficult to process, the permeability and iron loss indicators might be better."

"Data!" Li Yang immediately looked at Chen Guang.

Chen Guang operated the terminal rapidly, pulling up the material database and simulation interface.

A few minutes later, he pushed up his glasses: "Theoretically feasible."

"Adopting the new material, combined with the segmented excitation optimization algorithm proposed by Kaiyuan."

"The peak torque at this node is expected to increase by eight percent, while iron loss decreases by fifteen percent."

"Eight percent!" Wang Hao's eyes lit up. "Then added together, wouldn't our 'Dragon Core' be..."

"Performance surpassing the target can basically be locked in the twenty-five to thirty percent range."

Li Yang finally revealed the first smile he'd had in days.

"Awesome!" Wang Hao swung his fist hard, spun in a circle in place with excitement, and then suddenly stopped.

As if remembering something, he looked sharply at Zhao Kaiyuan.

"Kaiyuan! Since our 'Dragon Core' is so fierce, and the batteries are so powerful,"

"then... wouldn't it be a waste to just run on the ground?"

The few were stunned, not understanding what he meant.

Wang Hao rushed to the whiteboard, grabbed a pen, and wiped away a large section of the previous sketches with a few swipes.

He drew an extremely crude human silhouette with four vector nozzles.

"I'm talking about this!" Wang Hao gestured excitedly.

"Can we make something that can fly?"

"Not like a drone, but individual or squad-level."

"Capable of vertical takeoff and landing, high-speed maneuvering, and rapidly delivering people or equipment from point A to point B, ignoring terrain!"

"Just like... just like..."

He scratched his head, unable to think of a suitable metaphor for a moment.

"Like the one in mythology that covers 108,000 miles in a single somersault?" Master Tie Jiang Li, who had approached at some point, tentatively chimed in.

"Yes, yes, yes! That's exactly the feeling!" Wang Hao slapped his thigh.

"How about we call it... call it 'Somersault Cloud'?"

"'Somersault Cloud'?" Zhao Kaiyuan pondered the name, his eyes slowly brightening.

"Based on a variant of rocket booster technology, combined with vector nozzles driven by high-power-density motors, powered by high-energy-density batteries..."

"Achieving short-range, rapid vertical takeoff and landing and high-speed assault..."

"Haozi! You kid are a damn genius! This line of thinking works!"

Li Yang also stared at the crude sketch, his fingers unconsciously gesturing in the air, clearly already performing structural modeling and stress analysis in his mind.

"Center of gravity control is the key."

"It requires a deformable structure that balances the stability of vertical takeoff and landing with the aerodynamic efficiency of high-speed flight."

Chen Guang had already silently pulled up aerodynamic simulation software and started inputting preliminary parameters:

"The navigation and anti-interference system needs to be redesigned. The existing 'Insect' swarm communication protocol can be borrowed, but it requires higher real-time performance and reliability."

Feng Yan had just finished handling his affairs and walked in, only to see such a heated scene.

When he understood Wang Hao's sudden, arguably crazy "Somersault Cloud" concept,

and saw that the core technical team not only didn't find it absurd but had already started feasibility arguments from their respective professional perspectives,

his own heart couldn't help but beat faster.

"'Somersault Cloud'..." Feng Yan repeated the name.

His gaze swept over the excited Wang Hao, the contemplative Li Yang, the rapidly calculating Chen Guang, and the eager Zhao Kaiyuan.

Before the "Dragon Core" motor had even fully taken shape, these guys had actually started plotting to "go to the sky"!

This spirit of daring to imagine, daring to break through, and turning the impossible into the possible—wasn't that the core embodiment of the "Dragon Chant" spirit?

"Haozi, this idea of yours is very bold!" Feng Yan walked to the whiteboard, looking at the crude sketch, his tone carrying undisguised praise.

"But, I like it!"

He looked around at everyone, decisive and firm: "'Dragon Core' is the foundation; it must be prioritized and guaranteed. Concentrate all efforts to produce a prototype as soon as possible!"

"But the 'Somersault Cloud' concept is of great significance!"

"This is not just a single piece of equipment; it could completely change the future combat mode of small-scale assaults and rescues!"

"I agree to officially launch the project as an upper-layer application for the 'Dragon Core' plan for preliminary research!"

"Lao Li, you are responsible for structural design and platform integration;"

"Kaiyuan, the power system and energy security are your strengths;"

"Guangzi, the navigation, control, and communication systems are left to you;"

"Haozi, you proposed the concept, so participate throughout, especially in the optimization of the propulsion part based on your rocket technology!"

"Yes!" everyone responded in unison, their faces brimming with the excitement and fighting spirit of exploring a new field.

Just then, Feng Yan's encrypted communicator vibrated; it was Major Zhang.

Feng Yan walked to the side and connected: "Team Zhang, how is the situation?"

Major Zhang's voice came through, carrying a hint of gravity: "Team Feng, there are preliminary results from the interrogation."

"Liu Ming confessed that he was bought by an overseas virtual currency account to regularly pass on non-core information he deemed valuable."

"The reason he took the risk this time was because the other party promised,"

"that as long as he could get 'definite intelligence' regarding our self-developed motor progress, they would pay a huge sum sufficient for him to fly far away."

"Is the identity of the handler clear?"

"The other party is very cautious, always contacting one-way through encrypted dark web channels; Liu Ming doesn't know the other party's specific identity."

"However..." Major Zhang paused.

"He mentioned a detail: in the last contact,"

"they seemed to inadvertently reveal a hint of extra attention toward the name 'Tie Jiang Li'."

Feng Yan's pupils contracted sharply!

Master Tie Jiang Li!

The other party had already noticed Tie Jiang Li, who had just joined Dragon Chant and was at the highest security level!

This meant that the internal loopholes might not be limited to just Liu Ming!

Or, there were more sophisticated means at work spying!

He ended the communication and walked slowly back to the discussion area.

His partners were still discussing the various possibilities of "Somersault Cloud" heatedly, the air filled with the sparks of dreams and passion colliding.

Feng Yan looked at Wang Hao, who was oblivious and arguing with Zhao Kaiyuan about nozzle layout.

He then looked at Master Tie Jiang Li, who was focused on guarding a furnace of new materials in the materials laboratory.

Must be faster!

Must let the "Dragon Core" roar and the "Somersault Cloud" take flight before the enemies in the dark could cause substantial damage! ===== CHAPTER 98 =====