Chapter 391 Ideal City
Chapter 391 Ideal City
Red light flashed.
A meteor streaked across the sky and landed in the easternmost part of Zhongzhou Continent, smashing heavily into a field.
The muffled sound could be heard from hundreds of meters away, not to mention Wang Dashan who was working in the field with a tractor.
”Damn…what was that just now?”
Startled by the sound, the unkempt man jumped off the tractor, pulled out the shotgun hanging on the side of the cab, and stuffed a shotgun shell into the chamber while walking in the direction of the sound.
This place is located on the border of Yunjian Province, and it is also the northwest corner where no one cares about.
Usually no one would come to this poor place. Even businessmen think that there is too little money here, and would rather go further and try their luck in the next province.
But nothing is absolute.
He saw a few mutants last month – probably deserters who were dispersed by the corporate patrol team.
Those ugly guys, even just a glance from a distance, he felt disgusting enough.
It was a pit of more than ten meters wide, as if it was blasted out by a shell.
Looking at the destroyed crops, Wang Dashan felt a pang of pain in his heart, but he still approached carefully.
There seemed to be something in the pit.
He glanced at the Geiger counter on his wrist, confirmed that the radiation index was normal, and then leaned over to take a look.
There was a silver-white metal sphere lying in the pit, with wisps of hot air around it. The scorching heat even evaporated the moisture in the soil.
”What the hell is this?”
Looking at the metal ball in the pit, Wang Dashan studied it for a long time but couldn’t figure it out.
Pressing the communicator hanging on his shoulder, he reported the situation to the guards in the village.
Not long after, a pair of car lights appeared at the edge of the field, and the guards wearing exoskeletons jumped out of the car and walked towards him with big strides.
”What happened?”
As soon as the words came out, the guard noticed the pit in front of him, shone the flashlight into it, and narrowed his eyes slightly.
Wang Dashan, who was standing aside, said hurriedly.
”I was working in the field just now, and suddenly I heard a loud noise, so I walked over to take a look… and then I found this thing in the field.”
The guard continued to ask.
”Did you see where it fell from?”
Wang Dashan pointed to the top of his head.
”In the sky.”
”In the sky?”
The guard showed a surprised expression on his face, looked up at the sky, and then looked at the metal ball. Suddenly, as if he remembered something, his eyes became clear.
”You watch here, I’ll go call Enterprise–”
As soon as the voice fell.
Before Wang Dashan, who was standing next to him, could respond, he saw a black shadow flying in the distance.
It was Enterprise’s plane.
The black fuselage was about ten meters wide, like a big bird. The two drum-type engines slowly turned, and the blue arc light sprayed backwards turned into blowing downwards.
The air wave overwhelmed the wheat in the field, and the plane landed smoothly in the field.
As the cabin door opened, six soldiers wearing exoskeletons walked out of the cabin one after another.
One of them was carrying a large box higher than his head. He walked straight into the pit, picked up the silver ball and put it into the box.
”Hey, wait, you broke my–”
Seeing these people taking things and leaving, Wang Dashan, holding a shotgun, chased after them and shouted with courage.
However, before he could finish his words, a banknote was stuffed into his hand, blocking his words.
The soldier wearing an exoskeleton stared at him and asked concisely.
”Is that enough?”
”Enough, enough, hehe…”
Looking at the banknotes in his hand, Wang Dashan’s originally indignant expression suddenly turned into a smile, and he politely watched the soldiers return to the plane.
100Cr.
Not to mention the little wheat that was crushed, it was more than enough to buy all the crops in his field.
The guard looked at this guy enviously and turned back to his car.
If only he had found it earlier, he would have a share of the money.
Working for a company is definitely not a loss. This has almost become common sense in Yunjian Province.
Although those people are not generous, they never skimp on their rewards…
…
If there is any place in this wasteland where you can see the last rays of the Human Union, it is undoubtedly the pearl of the East Coast – the utopia called “Ideal City”.
The layers of concrete and steel skeletons extend from the surface to the sky. Standing on the surface and looking up, you can’t even see the end at a glance.
The flashing neon light pollution is the most vivid portrayal of this city. The holographic images projected on the outermost buildings can be seen even from dozens of kilometers away.
No matter how prosperous the wastelanders who come here are from, they will stare around like bumpkins, and be overwhelmed by the flashing lights and the well-connected transportation.
Maglev trains shuttle between high-rise buildings, like schools of fish swimming among seaweed.
Only a few big fish can swim to the highest point and enjoy the first rays of the morning sun…
Standing in front of the French window, the man looked out the window quietly, as if he was admiring the fish tank in the living room.
His name is Luo Yong, one of the core members of the board of directors of Silver Wing Group, holding 17% of the shares.
”Emergency communication means… It seems that our Pioneer is really in trouble.” The guest sitting on the sofa looked at the wine glass in his hand with interest, and suddenly spoke casually.
His name is Kang Le, one of the core members of the board of directors of Kangmao Group.
Unlike the Silver Wing Group, which is mainly engaged in the manufacture of heavy engineering equipment, the business scope of Kangmao Group is mainly auxiliary equipment and medical equipment.
Although the two are drinking buddies, when they get together, the topics discussed are always unrelated to wine.
”Yeah.”
”I heard that your son is on the Pioneer?”
”Yes.”
Seeing this guy so calm, Kang Le raised his eyebrows slightly in surprise.
”Aren’t you worried?”
”Don’t you have a clone customization business? Just clone another one.” Luo Yong said in a casual tone, and there was no trace of ripples in his calm voice.
Kang Le raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at him twice more unexpectedly, as if he didn’t expect him to say that.
He moved his eyes away from the back in front of the French window and smiled faintly.
”…We can clone cells, but we can’t clone memories, let alone clone souls.”
”Do you still believe in that thing?”
”It has nothing to do with belief or not. It’s just an abstract statement. I think that people are a concept that is different from things, and flesh and blood are just the carriers of this concept. It’s easy to make containers. We have been able to do it a long time ago, and we can even do better than those born naturally, but we still can’t transfer abstract ideas from one container to another…”
Kang Le continued to talk endlessly, but Luo Yong, who was standing in front of the French window, didn’t want to listen, but just stared out of the window.
Not far away, an “Electric Ray” transport plane slowly passed through the high-rise buildings and landed on the helipad on the roof.
He saw several soldiers carrying a box and walking quickly into the building.
Soon the satellite in the box will be sent to a professional technical department for disassembly and downloading the data inside.
Although he had not read the data stored in the satellite, Luo Yong could already guess what was written in it.
This kind of emergency communication method can only be used in the most critical moments.
Since the satellite left its orbit and landed here, it already contains a lot of information…
”I’m not interested in your theory.”
Retracting his gaze from the window, Luo Yong interrupted Kang Le’s endless chatter.
Staring at the man sitting on the sofa, he continued in a serious tone.
”Shelter No. 0 is the belief of the residents of Ideal City. After two centuries… we finally found it. As long as we can open that door, we can end all the chaos in the wasteland and let this land return to that great era.”
Kang Le was slightly stunned, and then laughed out loud as if he heard a very funny joke.
He shook his head and put the wine glass back on the table.
”…You laughed at me for believing in the soul, but you believe in a more unreliable legend.”
Luo Yong corrected him and said.
”That is not a legend, but a conclusion drawn through rigorous and precise calculations.”
Kang Le’s attitude did not change at all.
”Calculation… Hehe, if there really is such technology to predict the future, wouldn’t those guys lying in the grave have thought that they would become like this today?”
”What can be predicted is not the future, but the possibility in the sense of probability. Isn’t our existence the best proof?”
Ideal City was built on Shelter No. 6. Everything here is strictly a product of the “Fortress” plan.
Unable to refute this sentence, Kang Le was silent for a while, and suddenly said in a very light voice.
”… Let’s assume that Shelter No. 0 really has that ability to correct the chaos in this wasteland like a whirlwind. Who can guarantee that it will not affect our existing prosperity?” It would be
fine if the Pioneer just went out for a stroll.
Whether it is to spread the company’s philosophy, sow the seeds of civilization, or show off prosperity and strength… It is of great benefit to the company.
After all, doing business with a group of primitive people can only exchange for a few shells or a few animal skins.
But if we sell the exoskeletons and drilling machines to the wastelanders, and show them the wonderful life in the ideal city, when their caravan passes by again, they only need to spend some paper to exchange for a carload of ore.
Expedition for ideals is just a slogan. Even if they come back with nothing, no one will blame them.
However, no one expected that the group of young people really found Shelter 0.
It is precisely because of this that the attitudes of the major groups that originally supported the expedition began to become ambiguous.
The only one that firmly supports the expedition is the Silver Wing Group.
It is not for any lofty ideals, but mainly because the Pioneer was invested and built by them.
The land fortress not only embodies their hard work, but the crew on it are also the elite backbones cultivated by the group.
Not to mention others.
His son is on that fortress…
Although he said that he would just have another son after he died, that was just talk.
Technology can solve many problems, but not all problems can be solved by technology.
Luo Yong looked at Kang Le sitting on the sofa and said in a serious tone.
”…I don’t expect to convince you by reasoning, let’s talk about the conditions.”
Without asking the conditions, Kang Le stared at him.
”Oh? What do you want me to help you with?”
”In two hours, the data analysis should be completed…”
Luo Yong used his index finger to open his cuffs and glanced at the time on his watch. “We will submit a plan to expand the scale of reinforcements at noon today. We have already received the support of Changge Group. We only need one vote… I hope you can convince the board of directors of Kangmao Group to support our proposal at the company’s highest board meeting.”
Changge Group is the largest arms dealer in Ideal City.
Kang Le was not surprised at all that the Silver Wing Group could get the support of those guys.
Those arms dealers were eager for the outside battle to be in full swing. What they loved to do most every day was to discount their own products while shouting that the company’s armament expenses were too much to bear and demanding the expansion of the commando team.
Although the company has tens of thousands of subsidiaries, and each subsidiary holding shares of the parent company has the right to vote on major resolutions, since the vast majority of shares are in the hands of five giants, when a proposal is supported by three giants, there will be no suspense about the passage of the proposal.
On the contrary, if three giants are against it, a proposal will never be passed.
Kang Le thought to himself that this guy had hit a wall with the other two companies.
It makes sense. The “Endpoint” Group, which mainly engages in intelligent business, and the “Ideal” Group, which mainly engages in public utilities and urban construction, are indifferent to the affairs of the wasteland. It seems that the only one
who may be won over…
is himself.
”Expand the scale of recruitment… Kangmao Group can accept equipment and financial assistance, and can only accept this. I don’t know what agreement you have reached with Changge Group, but the scale of the commando is already large enough, and you don’t want to see those warmongers get bigger, right?”
Luo Yong said without any change in his expression.
”The agreement we reached with them has nothing to do with expanding the scale of the commando, but about other areas.”
Kang Le stared at him for a while and nodded slowly.
”Okay, I can help you, but I’m just a shareholder of the Kangmao Group’s board of directors. You can’t expect me to convince others with just my mouth.”
Luo Yong didn’t say anything, waiting for him to continue to make conditions.
After a pause, Kang Le continued.
”If you are willing to relax on the proposal of bionic people participating in public affairs… I think they should agree to your request.”
Hearing this request, Luo Yong breathed a sigh of relief, and his tense expression finally relaxed into a smile.
”Deal.”
…
The distant River Valley Province.
The sky finally showed a hint of dawn and dusk, and the residents of Dawn City opened their windows and walked out of their homes to greet the new day.
At this moment, someone in Shelter No. 404 had not slept all night, and was still sitting in front of a uniquely shaped computer with high spirits.
”… Unbelievable, guess what I found from those data?!”
Without looking at Yin Fang, whose eye bags were deeper than a panda’s, Chu Guang, who was sitting on the sofa next to him, replied absent-mindedly.
”What?”
”The order for the Lagrange Space Station Connector Modification Project!” Yin Fang had a happy expression on his face, and continued quickly, “I knew that it was not easy for a research institute to have an independent scientific research satellite!”
Lagrange Space Station is okay.
That’s really far away.
At present, the legion is pressing forward step by step, and Chu Guang can’t consider such a distant thing for the time being.
Compared with the distant space technology, he cares more about the reinforcements on the east coast.
However, he still made a joke.
”Are you going to complete the order for them?”
Hearing this, Yin Fang couldn’t help rolling his eyes.
”Are you kidding? Those were orders from more than 200 years ago! By the time the Doomsday War breaks out in 2125, 50% of the design work has been completed…”
Chu Guang: “Then what?”
”…Then, they plan to replace the astronomical telescope on the No. 41 connecting arm with a two-kilometer-long mass accelerator. Then, we found some technologies that can be recycled from the list.”
”These include 12 electromagnetic control-related technologies and 4 key gas molecule manipulation technologies, 5 of which meet the E-level standard, 3 technologies meet the D-level standard, and 2 meet the C-level standard!”
Wow, C-level technology!
And two of them! ?
With a surprised expression on his face, Chu Guang, who was originally uninterested, sat up straight from the sofa.
At present, the new alliance has only two C-level technologies, one is solid hydrogen and the other is a3 aerospace aluminum alloy.
The high-end technology reserves have doubled directly, and this harvest can be said to have completely exceeded his expectations.
Technology is the foundation of the alliance’s development.
For Chu Guang, recycling new technologies is more exciting than seeing more and more players break through LV20.
”Can you tell me more about that C-level technology?”
”I was planning to do that.”
Yin Fang showed a smug expression on his face, cleared his throat and continued.
”One is the synthesis path of N10-anionic azide compounds used for ejection cushion airbags… This thing is similar to solid hydrogen and has a very high energy density. However, unlike solid hydrogen, azide compounds are naturally unstable and are more suitable for bombs than batteries.”
”The other is about nitrogen molecule control… A gas shield can be formed through a gas manipulation field. Your hammer uses a similar technology, which you should be familiar with. However, this thing consumes a lot of energy. There is no portable reactor, so it can only be used for a short time through chemical batteries and capacitors.”
Chu Guang said with a smile.
”It doesn’t matter! My shelter residents won’t mind! By the way, what is the electromagnetic control-related technology?”
”That, it’s related to the mass accelerator, in simple terms, it’s an electromagnetic gun. You can’t use it for the time being… Well, but it’s not necessarily.”
At this point, Yin Fang suddenly paused for a moment, changed the subject and continued.
”When the fusion reactor in Xizhou City is re-ignited, it should be no problem to get a few mass accelerators as anti-aircraft guns.”
”It’s not too difficult to get the required materials. That thing is much more useful than your artillery.”
Electromagnetic gun!
Thinking of the electromagnetic point defense system on the Pioneer that can even stop artillery shells, Chu Guang was immediately excited.
”Can the mass accelerator be installed on a tank?”
As if he guessed that he would ask this.
Almost at the same time as Chu Guang’s voice fell, Yin Fang shook his head and said.
”Don’t think about it, unless you can get the technology related to the miniaturization of electromagnetic guns… This thing is an electromagnetic gun for space stations and needs to be used with fusion reactors. No matter how much it is scaled down, it is impossible for you to put it on a car.”
Nuclear fusion again…
”Okay, just pretend I didn’t ask.”
Chu Guang restrained his excited expression and sighed with a little regret.
It would be great if the alliance could produce fusion reactors independently.
But it seems useless to think about these things now.
More important than the fusion technology itself is the nuclear fuel required for fusion.
The nearest helium 3 collection station is on the moon, 380,000 kilometers away.
Seeing Chu Guang’s unsatisfied expression, Yin Fang couldn’t help but complain.
”Be content, two C-level technologies! In the academy, this credit is enough for a D-level explorer to be promoted to C-level.”
”No, I’m not dissatisfied, I’m just wondering when our reinforcements will arrive.”
”Then you have to ask the people in the enterprise, but I advise you not to have too high expectations, those people may not be easy to deal with.” When Yin Fang said this, his expression was a little subtle.
Looking at that subtle expression, Chu Guang suddenly thought of something and said.
”Speaking of which, there is something I have always been curious about.”
”What is it.”
”The relationship between the academy and the enterprise doesn’t seem to be very good?”
Yin Fang thought seriously for a while.
”That’s right. Although I personally don’t hate people in the enterprise, we do have big differences with them on some things.”
”Because of their development of the ruins?” Chu Guang said thoughtfully.
Yin Fang smiled faintly.
”That’s just an appearance. It’s their freedom to use the relics as they please… What’s ultimately disappointing is that they have seized the precious heritage but have no ambition. Whether it’s territory or knowledge, you can see that they are not actually that eager. Wealth? Maybe, but I think it’s more of a greed for enjoyment than a desire for wealth.”
”You can see that they have decorated their homes beautifully. The luxury there is almost the same as in the Prosperous Era. Many wastelanders and old popsicles dream of living there forever. But in my opinion, that place is clearly the farthest away from the Prosperous Era.”
”The Prosperous Era left behind a lot of things, whether it’s unused fusion batteries, recyclable garbage, and black boxes that can turn garbage into treasure… But all of these things will run out sooner or later, either today or tomorrow.”
”Once we have sorted out the technology left over from the previous civilization, we will immediately begin exploring new topics and looking for ways to restore the ecology of this planet to its pre-war state.”
”And they are just squandering the already limited heritage.”
Having said that, Yin Fang paused for a moment.
”Of course, there are some people in the enterprise who are worthy of respect. It is a good idea to find Shelter 0… I remember that the academy sent a scientific expedition team into the desert before.”
Chu Guang was slightly stunned.
”Did the academy also look for Shelter 0?”
”That was many years ago,” Yin Fang sighed, “I only remember that the scientific expedition team disappeared in the desert… No one mentioned it again.”
–
(Thanks to “ぶ挚ぐ爱﹍ぇ”, “Lingnanmi Little Angel”, “DevilMayCry5”, “ぉ蝴蝶ぁ”, “云无冬”, “云之崖” for their rewards!)
(End of this chapter)
