Chapter 144: 2000 Meters Below the Surface

Time hastens by, squandering the years and aging the sorrows.

Over a year has passed since the astonishing disappearance of Dr. Du Qiu that shocked the world, and the events surrounding him have quietly sunk into the annals of time.

Ten months ago, due to a trader’s erroneous order, a panic was triggered that led to a historic crash in the highly-valued US stock market.

The Dow Jones plummeted from near 30,000 points, and the economy has struggled since.

In a corner of Africa by the peaceful Lake Tanganyika, the architectural complex from the Chinese sixties and seventies seems unchanged—only the roads have been repaved.

The highway that passes the north and east mountains into the valley has also been refurbished, broadened, and flattened.

On the southern side of this ten-square-kilometer valley, rows of new factory buildings have been erected.

Here lies the plant of a company called Dream Technology Industrial Group, staffed with many local employees from the Tanga Federation.

Dream Technology, headquartered in Germany, has risen remarkably over the past year as an outsourcing collective.

It supplies parts and performs contract manufacturing for numerous global consumer electronics and automotive brands, with factories across various BRICS countries, this being the largest one.

The Tanga Federation, previously with little industrial base, has seen a surge in industrial strength over the past year thanks to Dream Technology, as many supporting plants and companies followed suit.

The port city of Dar es Salaam has thus become the largest trade transit port in East Africa, where countless raw materials come by sea, are turned into finished products, and then shipped out again.

On the gentle slopes outside the northern mountains, a vast expanse of factories is emerging. Towards Dar es Salaam, the fervent construction of new factories continues.

This is the second and third phase of the Dream Technology Industrial Park, housing not only numerous supporting enterprise factories but also new factories owned by Dream Technology itself.

Especially the third phase under construction—it’s known among the local employees of Dream Technology that they will gradually move out to work beyond the mountains.

From there to the city of Dar es Salaam, the distance is reduced by more than ten kilometers—no need to take commuter vehicles on winding mountain roads into the valley anymore.

This region has developed into an industrial hub solely by Dream Technology.

Between this valley and the industrial park outside the northern mountains, a future tunnel connection is planned, with the project to break through the mountain underway in full swing.

Within the entire valley, the most peaceful place is the old factory area.

But no one dares to disturb the tranquility there.

For it now bears warnings of a military restricted area, not just guarded by the company’s security but also by the defense forces of the Tanga Federation.

Rumors say it’s armed with automated firepower; unauthorized trespassers would instantly be shredded by overwhelming force.

The tunnel construction area on the northern mountain is totally sealed off, and locals can’t access or witness the tunnel being pierced through.

At this moment, Liu Yaofeng, riding in a driverless electric car, is passing by the road alongside.

The sealed driverless electric vehicle, composed of a full panorama glass shell, resembles a sightseeing car.

Beside Liu Yaofeng is the tall and stout Hao Ren.

Seeing Liu Yaofeng curiously observing the tunnel construction site, Hao Ren explains, “This tunnel is a diversion, though it also facilitates internal and external connections.

The work on this project proceeds very slowly, having continued for a year and is scheduled to last a while more.

During this time, we have completed the construction of the base below the mountains, and we’re now in the final stage.”

Liu Yaofeng, surprised, asks, “In just over a year, you were able to finish an underground base beneath the mountain? How large could it be?”

Hao Ren smiles mysteriously, saying, “You’ll soon witness it with your own eyes, so I won’t spoil your imagination.”

“How come the boss is so comfortable letting me come here?”

As Liu Yaofeng notices the driverless electric car entering a tunnel within the mountain, they arrive at a cavernous hall of over a thousand square meters.

The entire cave is brightly lit, as if bathed in daylight.

The car drives onto a square grid painted on the ground and comes to a halt.

Hao Ren doesn’t invite Liu Yaofeng to step out but says, “Because the base is preliminarily completed, that’s why you’re invited over.

This base can withstand a nuclear strike; with this level of security, the master can meet you in peace without worrying about being pursued by Americans after being exposed.”

Liu Yaofeng is taken aback—the base can withstand a nuclear strike?

While he ponders, the grid on the floor suddenly descends.

No, it’s moving downwards like an elevator.

Outside the driverless electric car, everything turns snow-white, as if the car is inside a white room.

“This is an elevator leading 2000 meters underground!” Hao Ren clarifies.

Liu Yaofeng is somewhat shocked—could this be the world’s deepest underground project?

It doesn’t take long for about a minute to pass when one side of the elevator opens, allowing the car to drive out.

Liu Yaofeng notes that they’re in a huge hall, at least 5,000 square meters in size.

He instinctively looks up to see the dome rising over twenty meters high, providing a spacious feel and preventing any sense of oppression that might be expected underground.

The hall is as brightly lit as the surface-level cave.

The floor is covered with a silver material, transforming the hall into a transportation hub.

Liu Yaofeng observes numerous driverless electric cars leaving the elevator in an orderly fashion, indicating there are multiple elevators of this kind.

Driverless electric cars also enter the hall from various passages and then proceed into some open elevators.

These cars carry people of different skin colors, mostly appearing East Asian.

“Are there already so many people here? Are those our Tang Country’s people?”

Hao Ren smiles, saying, “You’re the first Tang Country person to visit the base after its completion.”

Liu Yaofeng pauses, surprised. Such a secretive base shouldn’t have so many non-Tang Country people.

Suddenly, it strikes him—maybe they’re synthetic robots? He blurts out, “Are they all synthetic robots?”

“Correct, all of them are synthetic robots.”

“But they look indistinguishable from real humans, and their walking postures are very natural, much better than the ‘Xiaobai’ domestic robots we currently sell on the market.”

“Of course, strictly speaking, these should be considered ‘Xiaobai’ second generation, equipped with preliminary artificial intelligence—synthetic assistant robots.”

“Artificial intelligence? To what extent?” As the person in charge of the Dream Technology research center, Liu Yaofeng is aware of some development projects.

So he’s not too surprised, but certainly very curious.

In just over a year’s time, in Africa, a place with scant foundation, artificial intelligence has been developed?

Hao Ren chuckles, “The master says these don’t qualify as true artificial intelligence but are rather considered weak artificial intelligence. To draw an analogy, they’re like the best blue-collar workers.”

The driverless electric car continues along a passage for over thirty minutes, then the space suddenly opens wide.

Liu Yaofeng’s mouth falls open in shock at the sight before him.

Is this underground?

It’s literally a city!

Looking up at the dome, the ceiling features a deep blue sky, seemingly miles above.

A vast ceiling lamp, resembling the sun, moves ever so slowly across the ceiling—it’s evidently acting as the sun.

Upon exiting a passage, Liu Yaofeng’s driverless electric car stops at a position around ten meters elevated from the rest of the space.

This gives him a slightly elevated view of the entire underground expanse, contributing to its overwhelming impression.

“Shocked, aren’t you?”

“It’s too sci-fi!” Liu Yaofeng exclaims, “Unbelievable. In just over a year, to create such a massive space underground and to build it up so well.”

“This is the power of robots! They can work tirelessly 24 hours a day, function in the harshest environments, and coordinate efforts most efficiently.”

“I know, it must be the robots. Dream Technology’s industrial robots can already do so much. If used for construction, their efficiency is undoubtedly dozens of times that of human labor.”

Liu Yaofeng looks at this subterranean world, feeling a profound sense of unreality.

“Still somewhat in disbelief?” teases Hao Ren.

“Yeah, it feels like a dream.”

“Actually, the first time I witnessed all of this, I was a hundred times more shocked than you. You’re too calm. It’s no fun,” says Hao Ren with a shrug.

“I’m aware of some of the company’s research projects, so I’m naturally more accepting of certain things,” Liu Yaofeng remarks, pointing to some massive skyscrapers and says, “Those buildings must be built using a new type of hi-tech aluminum polymer material.

Constructed with 3D-printed prefabricated frames, they should be completed in just over a dozen days. Wait, are these skyscrapers meant to house those assistant robots?”

Hao Ren shakes his head, “These towering buildings are the pillars of the entire underground world, keeping the dome from collapsing.

They are not for residential purposes; they’re unmanned agricultural factories for growing a variety of human food.”

“Agricultural factories? All of them?” Liu Yaofeng gestures towards the numerous high-rise buildings dotting the underground city, appearing to total around a hundred.

“Yes, all of them. The one closest to us cultivates rice. The annual yield from one building can provide for 100,000 people.”