Chapter 574 - 562: Viewing Set Tickets

"The IAEA organized a very responsible approach, coordinating multiple parties in a detailed survey of the radiated area and developing a feasible scenario plan,"

"I am grateful to the United Nations for their handling of disasters like this, to the IAEA for their pro bono solutions, and even more so to the 1.6 billion kind-hearted people who have donated to the cleanup of Fukushima and the resettlement of its victims."

"This is the highest embodiment of the United Nations spirit and a symbol of humanity’s tight-knit unity. Disasters may show no mercy on us, but we can always come together in support and move forward."

"Here, I urge all citizens to be thankful for the care and help from the entire world, be grateful..."

For the people of Island Country, Nakayama Juji’s first televised speech after being seriously ill for almost two months was explosive.

Not only did he not oppose the IAEA’s use of nuclear weapons as the radicals had imagined, but he also praised and thanked the vehement IAEA, attempting to suppress the public’s resistance.

Of course, he was well aware of the consequences of such gestures, and insisted on not giving the speech in public, opting instead to record it within the official residence.

The address, once aired, immediately provoked intense reactions throughout the four islands, with many people who had been forcibly relocated from the controlled areas demanding to return to their homes, and even calling for Nakayama Juji to resign out of remorse.

But in the evening, news came again: Nakayama Juji had arrived at Tanegashima Launch Center to meet with JAXA’s senior management and a visiting team from NACA, and they had reached a cooperation agreement.

It was in this news that Nakayama Juji released a second shocking statement:

"JAXA will collaborate with NACA to send astronauts into space using domestically produced rockets and spacecraft by 2020."

...

"The old man has calculated, there will soon be a thunderous roar coming from the northeast, an impending disaster shaking earth and mountains, yet the divination shows peace. The person behind it all will enjoy a decade of fortune and wealth,"

Xie Miao squinted and spouted nonsense like a charlatan, transforming from a scientific researcher into a fortune-telling hermit.

But Luo Han, beside him, folded his hands and bowed, hoping the divination would come true.

They were unaware of the immense pressure Nakayama Juji was under, only knowing that three nuclear missiles would soon be flying towards Fukushima, and they needed to stay alert for any unexpected changes.

The first ground-drilling warhead exposed by a domestic private company’s leak had many people cheering, even causing the Island Country’s tourism industry to surge by 200% suddenly because many wanted to witness a nuclear explosion.

The first two ground-drilling bombs launched by the IAEA naturally showed no visible explosion effects, but America’s final airburst bomb was highly spectatable.

Although its yield was only 200,000 tons, it was the largest atmospheric nuclear test in nearly 20 years.

Though many video recordings from the age of fervent nuclear testing were preserved, few were made public, leaving virtually no one besides a few people in Island Country who had seen a real nuclear explosion.

Therefore, people around the world unanimously had the idea of witnessing the event live and channels for it appeared quickly.

Bewilderingly, it was an international tourism company that spotted the business opportunity, offering a travel route to view the nuclear explosion:

First, take a plane to land in Edo, then rent a cruise ship to travel off the coast of Fukushima’s First Nuclear Power Station. Since the explosion zone was on the coastline, in theory, one could directly witness the complete explosion from the sea.

They also claimed the observation site was absolutely safe because the IAEA’s five observation ships would also be collecting data at sea, and the cruise ship, being in the same location, wouldn’t encounter any accidents.

Such outrageous tour packages proved to be extremely hot sellers, with over six thousand tickets sold within two or three days of launch. Subsequently, several other travel companies also started offering the same service.

One company even claimed they could charter a plane for an aerial view, which provided a better experience, casting doubt on their capabilities.

However, the most subtle aspect was China’s stance. The tour companies’ prices were astronomically high, with the lowest being no less than 20,000 US Dollars, yet the officials allowed them to sell tickets on the platform without issuing any denials.

Xie Miao, who knew some insider information, managed to dig out some secrets: these powerful travel companies were initially a money-making idea concocted by officers from the Pacific Fleet. However, as the business turned out to be surprisingly lucrative, several parties behind the IAEA entered the fray, giving rise to this unique "nuclear explosion viewing package".

Further confirming this was Lin Ju’s request on the base’s internal network for engineers who bought the package to restrict their numbers to no more than 50 on the same cruise ship, to take different departments on separate voyages, and to limit the total number of travelers to 500, with the slots being voluntarily distributed by a random draw.

Xie Miao and Luo Han both secured a spot in the draw, but it was uncertain how the boss would personally appear at the scene; they believed Lin Ju would not miss this opportunity.

The only regret was that the ground drilling bombs launched by their own company had not been as effective as the air-burst bombs, but it was still quite satisfactory.

Both were looking forward to the transnational trip starting in two weeks, until Bob Roster knocked on the open glass door.

Xie Miao hurriedly got up to greet this A+ physicist from America, who specialized in both theory and application, especially since he was in his prime and held more potential than a bunch of old men.

Fermi Laboratory had been urging Bob to return just two days after his space flight on Cloud Ascend, as having such a physicist with partial practical research capabilities in China was rather concerning.

"I’m leaving tonight, Ye Changsi sent me to find you, said there’s something for me."

"Yes, it’s this."

Xie Miao led him to the bottom floor of the basement, took out a slender metal container from the cold storage, and then gestured for Bob to roll up his sleeve.

The metal container actually served as a needle-free injection device. Xie Miao pressed the injection port against the arm and pressed down hard to complete the injection of the medication.

Bob only felt a punch to his arm and winced as he gently massaged the injection site.

"Damn, that hurts more than a needle going in."

"But needle marks are too obvious, that’s not safe, especially for someone as sensitive as you."

Xie Miao skillfully affixed a label to the syringe and then also shook his own arm:

"3.6 billion, what you’ve been injected with is a physical stamina enhancement drug, extracted from Research 304 after spending 3.6 billion yuan to forcefully advance research. It will ensure you stay robust for the next 10 years, keeping your thinking at its peak, and your energy high, in the form of the 404 injection.

Each of these injections costs over 3 million to produce, making them priceless in the market, and now only those of a certain level within the base are eligible to receive them."

Lin Ju had previously decided to extend the lives of the Advisory Committee’s elders as much as possible and, after consulting with the biological laboratory, used the System’s research funds at all costs to forcibly advance the development, creating the 404 injection within two weeks.

The 404 injection was designed to provide a limited improvement to physical fitness, merely maintaining the best health status possible at the user’s current age, but it still cost 3.6 billion System funds and an additional 600 million yuan in reality to produce just 200 vials.

Its mechanism of action was as advanced as the 304’s, also targeting the brain’s central nervous system to methodically control the body’s organs for self-regulation. Traces of the injection became undetectable to outside testing after two hours, and subsequent abnormalities were also undetectable, making it particularly suitable for the use by these elderly scientists.