Chapter 139: Chapter 138

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Online, Tang Rui was unaware of the situation.

He was in a meeting room, listening to the presentation by the head of the Lunar Network Project, Professor Qian.

Yes.

It was the same Professor Qian who was a top expert in the field.

According to the latest Lunar Network project design, the relay satellites were undergoing a comprehensive upgrade. Additionally, there was another project contemplating the idea of transforming relay satellites into transfer stations, not just for signal transfer, but as actual space transit stations.

But this project was still in the verification stage, so the work on the relay satellites for the Lunar Network project had to continue.

The upgraded relay satellites needed to not only enhance information processing capabilities but also significantly increase bandwidth.

Thanks to the breakthrough in graphene materials, the team in microelectronics had begun researching terahertz signal transmission issues.

At the moment, the progress was rapid.

After all, they had a strong foundation in this area, and it wasn’t a recent initiative.

“Development of Millimeter-Wave and Terahertz Wireless Communication Technology” – this was part of the 863 Program.

In addition to that, there was the Ministry of Science and Technology’s special program “Terahertz Wireless Communication Technology and Systems” and the Natural Science Foundation’s Mobile Network Special Program “Terahertz Core Devices and Transceivers.”

Tang Rui didn’t know about this until the meeting. He was quite startled, to say the least. While everyone else was discussing issues like security, communication, signal quality, and transmission frequencies, he couldn’t help but wonder why they weren’t considering weapon systems.

Previously, satellites couldn’t carry weapons due to severe energy limitations. Besides, satellites weren’t meant to last forever, and adding a weapon system to them was hardly cost-effective.

But things had changed now. The optical properties of graphene materials made it possible to significantly increase the efficiency of the satellite’s solar panels. With reduced satellite weight, it was entirely possible to equip them with laser systems or other weaponry.

However, this point had been completely overlooked during their discussion, and Tang Rui found it puzzling.

“Well, your perspective is valid and worth considering,” one of the Professors acknowledged.

“Indeed, it’s something we should think about, but we still need to address the previous issues first.”

“As for those previous issues, I still think the original approach…”

After a brief pause, the group of experts quickly shifted the conversation back to the earlier topics.

Tang Rui sat on the side, silently observing.

“Do you have any ideas?” Suddenly, Professor Yu turned to Tang Rui and asked.

Huh? His ideas? What kind of ideas could he have? He was thinking about what to have for lunch just a moment ago.

As he was about to tell Professor Yu that he was here to observe, and not to participate in the discussions, he noticed that the roomful of experts was curiously looking at him.

He hadn’t spoken during the entire morning, and nobody had paid much attention to him. But now, with Professor Yu’s question, they were all quite interested in what Tang Rui had to say.

“Uh… I have an idea, but I’m not sure if it’s relevant or appropriate,” Tang Rui said with a shy smile.

“Please go ahead. This is a discussion, and you’re welcome to share any thoughts,” one of the experts encouraged him.

“Right, feel free to share. We’re discussing, and there’s no need to worry about being wrong,” another expert chimed in.

The big shots seemed welcoming and open to his input.

Tang Rui explained, “I was listening to your discussions, and it seems like you’ve covered aspects like security, communication, signal quality, and transmission frequencies. But I noticed that nobody mentioned weapon systems. With the breakthrough in graphene materials, we can significantly enhance the efficiency of satellite solar panels. Combined with reduced satellite weight, it’s entirely possible to equip them with laser systems or other weaponry. So, why not consider integrating weapon systems into the satellites?”

He had simply shared what was on his mind.

In the past, satellites couldn’t carry weapons due to energy constraints. Besides, satellites weren’t meant to last forever, and adding a weapon system to them wasn’t cost-effective. But now, things had changed, and Tang Rui wondered why this possibility had been overlooked.

“This… This idea is quite good and worth considering,” one of the experts said.

“Yes, indeed. We should consider it. However, we should address the previous issues first.”

“As for the previous issues, I still think the original approach…”

After a momentary pause, the experts immediately redirected the conversation to the previous topics.

Professor Yu gazed at Tang Rui for a moment but didn’t speak. His expression seemed to convey, “That’s a good idea, but maybe not the right time.”

Tang Rui, noticing his Professor’s gaze, felt a bit helpless. It was Professor Yu who had prompted him to speak in the first place.

He now understood why the meeting was held at Harbin Institute of Technology rather than in Beijing. It turned out that sixty percent of the top satellite researchers in the nation were Harbin Institute of Technology alumni. While many knew that Harbin Institute of Technology had nuclear capabilities, what they didn’t know was that it was also the only university capable of independently developing and manufacturing satellites. A slight modification was all that was needed to launch satellites from there.

One moment, it was a proposal for increased satellite performance; the next, a demonstration of new achievements, a surprising turn, and then another. The participants were eagerly watching the screens filled with breakthroughs and innovations. Alongside, the various research institutions were listed, including the Electronic Science and Technology University, the China Academy of Engineering Physics, the 13th Research Institute of China Electronics, the Shanghai Institute of Microsystems, and more. The combination of these achievements with suitable background music certainly made for an inspiring scene.

Professor Qian spoke for over an hour to present the preliminary framework of the new Lunar Network plan. It was just the beginning, and further discussions were encouraged to determine what could be added, modified, or supplemented.

Other experts began sharing their perspectives.

Tang Rui just sat there, listening, and not contributing to the discussion. He didn’t have much to say. Although he was knowledgeable about satellite technology, it didn’t mean he understood the entire system engineering and all its nuances. There were aspects he had no experience in and couldn’t comprehend.

As for gaining that experience, he realized that he’d need to lead a satellite network project himself. Only when the project succeeded would he have the experience.

At that moment, he understood why the meeting was held at Harbin Institute of Technology rather than in Beijing. Among the nation’s satellite experts, sixty percent had graduated from Harbin Institute of Technology.

While it was well-known that Harbin Institute of Technology had nuclear strike capabilities, it was lesser-known that the university also possessed the capacity to independently develop and manufacture satellites. Combining these two capabilities, satellite launch facilities could be established. After all, power and capabilities were everything.

An entire morning passed, and they still hadn’t completed their discussions. People had different ideas and viewpoints, leading to a heated debate.

Tang Rui sat by the side, observing all this, but not sharing his thoughts. He couldn’t contribute much to the conversation. Though he knew about satellites, the comprehensive systems involved were beyond his expertise. He was aware of the complexities he lacked experience in.

At this moment, Professor Yu’s gaze seemed to say, “You’ve spoken well, but please don’t bring up the topic of satellite weaponry while we’re discussing satellite networks.”

Tang Rui felt somewhat helpless at his professor’s look. After all, it was Professor Yu who had encouraged him to speak.

He now realized why the meeting was being held at Harbin Institute of Technology instead of in Beijing. Sixty percent of the country’s top satellite experts were Harbin Institute of Technology alumni. Many people knew that Harbin Institute of Technology had nuclear capabilities, but not everyone knew that it was the only university capable of independently developing and manufacturing satellites. With some modifications, they could independently launch satellites.

Tang Rui spent about half an hour idly attending the meeting. Then, the meeting took a break, and it was time for everyone to go to the guesthouse for lunch.

Tang Rui followed Professor Yu as they left the meeting room.

Pulling out his phone, Tang Rui checked for missed calls and messages, but there were none. No one had contacted him during the entire morning.

Feeling a bit bored, he started scrolling through social media and checked the trending topics. He was surprised to find the Pi Pi Group as the number one trending topic.

He clicked on it, and as he read the content, his expression turned peculiar.

Was this what they called a high-stakes game of nations?

“You test-fired Trident submarine-launched ballistic missiles.”

“I successfully tested a road-mobile mid-range anti-missile system.”

“You developed a sixth-generation fighter jet.”

“We made a breakthrough in the Southern Heavenly Gate project.”

It seemed like they were engaging in a back-and-forth exchange, each side trying to one-up the other. Nobody could discern which statements were true and which were false.

To know for sure, they had to rely on information from special agencies.

Listening to someone’s words alone could lead one astray..