Chapter 340: Cosmic Mobilization

Before this, the transport fleet had dispatched its second wave of 20 Wyvern Fighters; eight of these were manned.

This is the current formation of the new aerospace fighter unit, where each manned fighter is paired 1:1 with an unmanned one to form a tactical squad.

Every ten tactical squads form a tactical squadron, and every five squadrons form a tactical brigade.

During the recent 18-day voyage, Song Yuanting had assembled one aerospace fighter brigade, while an additional nine brigades were formed at the Heaven Realm headquarters.

At this moment, he directly connected with Dr. Weitermann from the Kuiper Belt Astronomy Institute research team. “Doctor, this is Defense Department Minister Song Yuanting. I need to know if you’ve observed any changes in the white spot three light-years away.”

Dr. Weitermann’s voice came through, “We haven’t detected any changes in the white spot. Our observations of the surrounding cosmos have revealed nothing new.”

After a brief pause, Song Yuanting asked, “The boss mentioned that they might be coming from nearly 6 light-years away in the Barnard’s Star system. Can you observe anything there?”

“No,” replied Dr. Weitermann. “The boss ordered a 24-hour observation. Currently, all six super telescopes are fixed in that direction, and they haven’t detected any anomalies.”

Song Yuanting glanced at the Solar System star map beside him, frowning. “Since you have six super astronomical telescopes there, could you have two scan the trajectory from which the Oumuamua meteor entered the Solar System?”

Understanding his intent, Dr. Weitermann responded, “We did previously monitor that—it was in the direction of Lyra—but found nothing unusual.”

“Later, after the white spot appeared in the Barnard’s Star system, we rotated all six telescopes there to ensure continuous observation,” he continued.

He added, “Since you’re concerned, I can allocate two telescopes to monitor the Lyra direction, though I can’t guarantee round-the-clock surveillance on the Barnard’s Star front.”

“You know our manpower is limited,” he explained.

Song Yuanting nodded, “Understood. I’ll coordinate with Director Best to send additional personnel over as soon as possible.”

Dr. Weitermann cheered, “That’s great—we’ve just expanded our facility, and another hundred personnel can be accommodated.”

Out at the far edge of the Solar System, there were countless research opportunities. Regions that Earth’s astronomers once barely discerned now yielded many new findings.

For instance, from the observation station, looking beyond 12 astronomical units, scientists had noticed a region with a scarcity of asteroids, even dubbing it the “Kuiper Cliff.”

Some Japanese scientists speculated that beyond this area, a massive celestial body’s gravitational pull was thinning the asteroid population.

Now, thanks to a super astronomical telescope stationed here, Dr. Weitermann could clearly observe an ice-bound planet—comparable in size to Neptune—beyond 22 astronomical units.

The Japanese scientists were proven right: there was indeed a concealed ninth planet.

Previously, Du Qiu had not approved sending many astronomers to the station, allowing only rotational visits.

Now that Song Yuanting had requested additional manpower, Dr. Weitermann welcomed the idea.

Presently in the Kuiper Belt, Dream Technology had set up an initial observation station capable of housing several scientists for research.

Meanwhile, a team of construction robots was busy erecting a defensive system on a nearby asteroid—a first line of defense against alien invasions.

The entire Dream Technology organization had been mobilized. Production lines originally for civilian goods were now retooled to manufacture space fighters, warships, ground defense weapons, various medical devices, and other combat-ready supplies.

The production of Wyvern Fighters had surged to an astonishing 30 units per day.

Fortunately, Dream Technology’s advanced artificial intelligence ensured that the rate of production did not outpace the training of pilots.

An emergency-designed, 1500-meter escort ship—based on the transport ship platform—was under full-scale construction with a 30-day build cycle.

Such rapid progress relied on a vast network of industrial robots, which in turn affected the consumer electronics market in other Earth nations.

After today’s brief space battle, Song Yuanting’s mind raced with fresh ideas.

After ending his call with Dr. Weitermann, he immediately called Ning Shuangshuang.

Before long, Ning Shuangshuang’s projection appeared.

“Minister Song, I heard that the meteor was actually an alien warship—and that it was destroyed by a Wyvern Fighter?”

“Yes. I’ve ordered the Wyvern Fighters to collect the warship’s wreckage so we can study their technology,” he explained.

With a serious expression, Ning Shuangshuang commended him, “You’re absolutely right to take that step.”

Song Yuanting continued, “Minister Ning, based on this encounter, I believe the alien civilization’s technology isn’t far ahead of ours. The fact that a Wyvern Fighter could destroy that warship suggests so.”

“So the Wyvern Fighter can threaten enemy warships?” she inquired.

Shaking his head, Song Yuanting replied, “It’s too early to tell. That warship seemed rather small—it might have been just an armed scout.”

He added, “However, its weapons managed to destroy two of our Wyvern Fighters, so I’d like to propose something.”

“What’s your suggestion?”

Song Yuanting explained, “Given the Wyvern Fighter’s vulnerability, I suggest we stop producing manned versions. They should all be unmanned, eliminating the need for life-support systems and increasing production speed.”

After a moment of thought, Ning Shuangshuang replied, “I’ll gather the relevant teams to discuss your proposal.”

He continued, “Oh, and by the way, that enemy warship once reached speeds of 4000 kilometers per second—faster than any of our current aircraft. We need our scientists to see if our warships and fighters can be made faster.”

“Your Defense Department should file a complete report of the battle data immediately. I will arrange a special discussion to implement targeted measures,” he instructed.

After ending her call with Song Yuanting, Ning Shuangshuang attempted to call Du Qiu’s projection, but as her hand reached out, she hesitated and pulled back.

Since that conversation with her, Du Qiu had secluded himself in the lab, not leaving for 18 days.

All his food was delivered by robotic servants, and he had cut off all external communications.

Ning Shuangshuang recalled Liu Yaofeng mentioning that Du Qiu had once isolated himself for three months along with the team to build the world’s most advanced CNC machining center.

At a moment like this, she felt it was best not to disturb him.

Yet, knowing that the meteor was an alien warship complete with weaponry, she felt it was inappropriate to keep the news from Du Qiu.

After much deliberation, Ning Shuangshuang stood up, deciding to visit him in person.

However, when she arrived at Du Qiu’s lab, the scene was entirely different.

Outside the lab, two groups were waiting—one led by Director Hao from the Warship Design Institute, and the other by Director Huo Mingchuan from the Energy Research Institute.

Both directors immediately stood up to greet and chat with her.

“What are you doing here? Isn’t Du Qiu supposed to be in seclusion?” she asked.

Director Hao’s eyes lit up as he explained, “The boss has emerged. He called us over because a major project needs our immediate attention. I believe he now has a clear direction.”

Director Huo added, “Yes, Chen Guangnan from the Physics Research Institute is inside, absorbing his guidance. He’s bound to receive some crucial instructions.”

As head of the Energy Research Institute, Director Huo Mingchuan greatly valued Du Qiu’s pivotal advice in their nuclear fusion research.

He was utterly impressed by Du Qiu’s abilities—otherwise, he wouldn’t have willingly joined Dream Technology.