Chapter 1613 - The First Phase is Completed!
Chapter 1613: The First Phase is Completed!
June 6, 2126.
For people living in the land of China, today was definitely an extraordinary day.
The reason for this was not because there were three sixes on the calendar of this day, but because in the early hours of this day, the engineers on the Nirvana and Penglai construction sites finally tightened the last screws that marked the completion of the project.
As a result, it also marked the greatest miracle in the history of human architecture, which was finally announced.
There had never been a nation on this land that could complete such a magnificent spectacle in just six months.
Even though they were just a component of the space elevator project, they were still worthy of the title of miracles in terms of their majesty.
Hamilton stood on the deck of the cruise ship with a camera in his hand as he looked at the silver-white bright spot on the sea level in the distance with a complex expression.
He was a reporter from the North Sea Alliance and belonged to the BBC. Over the years, he interviewed many scientific research institutions and academic centers. He had taken interview videos and written numerous scientific and technological commentary news. He had seen many strange things before.
However, this was the first time that he had been so deeply impressed, that the interview shocked his soul.
The rising sun left a trace of glow on the Pacific Ocean. Where the waves and the clouds met, a fortress stood on the sea level, like a mountain in ancient mythology, exuding boundless mystery and majesty.
Everyone was also shocked by this scene.
Standing next to Hamilton, a Western reporter with slightly curly hair looked in the direction where the sea and the sky meet. He couldn’t help but mutter a word, “The Nirvana Space Station and Penglai City were completed at the same time… Sh*t, don’t those guys have weekends?”
“I think… it may have nothing to do with weekends.”
Hamilton made a helpless expression on his face and continued.
“Many countries in the North Sea Alliance have canceled social welfare and removed the unfavorable provisions in labor law, but they have not reversed the status quo of backward productivity… I heard that the automated construction of East Asia Heavy Industries has developed to an unimaginable level. I still remember the last time I interviewed them, they showed me the latest worker bee system.”
‘What is that?”
“An automated construction system. Each set of equipment is roughly composed of a hive, with one to two hundred small drones and twenty large and medium-sized drones. When the construction procedures are set, they move like bees building a nest.” Hamilton shrugged slightly and continued, “Apparently, they used similar technology on the battlefield a long time ago, and they have recently developed a new way of construction.”
The colleague standing beside him opened his mouth but did not speak for a long time.
The cruise ship blew a longhorn, interrupting everyone’s thoughts.
Hamilton retracted his gaze from the Penglai City. He turned and walked in the direction of the cabin.
They would dock in ten minutes.
The horn was to remind them that it was time to pack up and prepare to get off the ship…
…
Because Hamilton wouldn’t stay here for too long, he didn’t carry much luggage with him. One suitcase was enough to store them all. After stuffing the folded clothes into the box, he followed the crowd to the side of the deck gangway, preparing to board the port of Penglai City.
While waiting in line, Hamilton took a close look at the “steel city” beside him.
Just like when he looked at it from a distance before, the only difference was that standing next to it made him feel the majesty more deeply.
Although there was no one in the city other than construction workers, he could already imagine how prosperous it would be when the roads here were filled with busy traffic.
Apparently, during the early part of the construction, the real estate in Penglai City had already been pre-sold online. After seeing the supporting facilities in the city and the future development prospects, those listed houses and shops were sold out in less than a day.
To be honest, there was a pity in Hamilton’s heart.
If he could go back in time, he would definitely think of a way to buy a piece of land.
He was a hundred and twenty percent sure that those who were lucky enough to buy would not lose money, and those who had considered but did not make a move would definitely regret their decision.
At the very least, he was regretful of his decision…
The person in charge of these international journalists was the secretary of Chairman Li Guangya, whose name was Wei Song.
It was not an easy task for foreigners to pronounce the name of a Chinese person, but Hamilton had practiced it many times before, so he was not worried about embarrassing himself during interviews.
For an international journalist in the 22nd century, mastering Mandarin pronunciation was a basic skill.
It was a great honor to get the first opportunity to speak. Hamilton operated the interview drone. After clearing his throat, he spoke in a clear voice.
“After coming here, I feel that I am standing on a living miracle. May I ask you how many materials were spent in building this sea city… or the seaport of the space elevator?”
Wei Song smiled and replied, “About 110 million tons of steel.”
After hearing this number, all the reporters on the scene couldn’t help but take a deep breath.
110 million tons of steel!
If these steels were used to cast starships, it would be no problem to build an air carrier battle group comparable to the Pan-Asian First Fleet.
However, Wei Song was not finished yet.
After a pause, he continued to speak.
“In addition, there are 300 million tons of aluminum alloy and 36 million tons of titanium alloy materials. As for the specific amount of materials consumed, I am afraid that only the statistics department of the East Asia Heavy Industries can give an accurate figure. I only know the rough estimates.”
After Hamilton finished asking the question, he simply thanked him and stepped aside. Another reporter with darker skin standing next to him couldn’t help but ask, “Such a big metal island… Who will come here?”
“Anyone who is interested in aerospace trade.” Wei Song continued with a smile, “Of course, the future city of Penglai will be a key node between the earth and high orbit, I believe there are quite a few people who are interested in coming here.”
“Then how do you view the sovereignty of this island?” A female reporter suddenly took a step forward and raised a special question. “We all know that this city is under the actual control of Pan-Asian Cooperation, but this sea area is international waters.”
This was a tough question.
But Wei Song had expected to hear this question.
At previous international summits, Secretary-General Wu Shuhua had often debated over this matter with the foreign ministers of other regional alliances. The general public in the international community was worried about the Pan-Asian Cooperation taking the international waters as their own.
Especially after taking a closer look at the magnificence of this spectacle, it was impossible for reporters from other regional alliances to have no fear in their hearts…
However, Wei Song could only say that they were too naive about these worries and fears.
If they really cared about taking control over the world, why would they care about a small piece of international waters?
However, these were just his thoughts.
He obviously wouldn’t add unnecessary trouble to the chairman.
“This question is actually a bit superfluous.”
Upon hearing this unexpected answer, the female reporter raised her eyebrows slightly and continued to ask, “Why do you say that?”
“The position of the Pan-Asian Cooperation has always been clear. Just as we announced in the joint initiative on the space elevator, we are willing to cooperate with the international community on the usage of the entire space elevator on the basis of friendly cooperation.”
Having said that, Wei Song paused for a moment. He then smiled and continued, “As for what you said, it doesn’t matter at all.
“We are on the same planet, and we are about to head to a world farther away than ever. At this moment, our destiny has never been so closely connected. Do you know what I mean? When it comes to space, we all share the same honor.”
His words not only clarified their position but also avoided the sensitive issue of territorial waters.
However, Hamilton felt that something was wrong.
What does it mean to share honor on the issue of space?
When did we talk about space?
Maybe…
Are these Asians planning to turn over the old accounts of history?
For some reason, Hamilton suddenly thought of the incident some time ago.
The Qinling of the First Fleet successfully completed the first fleet transition in human history.
Although it was still a little difficult to colonize the world outside the solar system at a speed of five minutes per 100 million kilometers, it was somewhat interesting to hear the chairman’s office secretary say these words.
Obviously, the female reporter also noticed something. She frowned and continued to ask, “Sorry, can you elaborate more?”
However, in the face of her continued questioning, Secretary Wei just responded with a meaningful smile without making any comments.
“This is the end of the interview, we discuss this issue back at the ship… If anyone is interested.”
He lightly patted his hand, motioned everyone to look at his side, cleared his throat, and continued, “From now on, you can walk around here and take photos before dinner. My advice is not to go too far. After all, the public transportation system here has not yet started operating, and there are no taxis either.
“If you encounter any trouble, please contact me.
“I wish you all a pleasant time.”