Chapter 326: City of Hope_1
A new research group can now be established without waiting for orders from Jiang Yu, as the Governing Council will set up the necessary project teams, and the Strategic Department will also define the direction of technological development for the Solar System State.
The bureaucratic system of the Solar System State can already make many of the urgent proposals needed, or those with great prospects for the future; Jiang Yu simply needs to sign off on them or reject them.
Discoveries in science and technology have become increasingly specialized, and Jiang Yu knows that he is not an expert in this field. If he were to make detailed plans himself, he would certainly hold back the technology departments.
So now, Jiang Yu just states what he wants and then lets the professionals implement it.
Take the "Lightspeed Spaceship" plan, for example, before it was handed over to He Shanqi for implementation, it had already been assessed by relevant professionals.
It was the evaluation team that recommended He Shanqi, believing that this scholar with a strong research spirit was the only one who might accomplish this arduous task.
Otherwise, how could Jiang Yu dare to entrust such an important project to him before they had even met?
The directions for research into antimatter and dark matter have been set, and Jiang Yu has reviewed the related documents and agreed to establish the corresponding research groups.
But as for the uses of these two substances, the documents were very conservative, only saying that antimatter contains huge energy and that dark matter may harbor the ultimate secrets of the universe.
To prevent He Shanqi from sticking to the script, Jiang Yu added, "You can share some of your imaginative ideas; there's no need to be that conservative."
He Shanqi nodded, "I know what you want to hear; you must want to hear how they can be used in weapons.
"At present, we can use dark matter to create gravity fields, completely controlling the target's trajectory through the pull of the force.
"Besides, according to our latest experimental results, dark matter contains huge energy, but we have not yet found a way to detonate this energy.
"If one day we find a method to trigger it, its power will be several hundred to thousands of times greater than a hydrogen bomb, if not more.
"And what's certain is that the explosion of energy from dark matter will be more thorough in destroying the target than a hydrogen bomb!
"Hmm... it shouldn't really be called an explosion; it's more like a kind of micro-level destruction."
Jiang Yu asked, "How long will it take for these weapons to be ready for actual combat?"
"The Governor has invited me to his new project," He Shanqi said. "It's about shortening the time from theory to practical application.
"If all the research goes smoothly, it should be ready for actual combat in about half a century."
Jiang Yu nodded, "That's not too late."
Noticing He Shanqi hesitated, he asked, "Say what you want to say; since you started executing my plan, we have become the closest of comrades in battle, and it's best not to keep anything hidden."
He Shanqi spoke seriously, "The Governor's plan is very expensive."
"I know."
"But you may not know that some technologies are like pushing a boat with the current. When there is enough breakthrough in the technological field overall, it will naturally break through," He Shanqi said.
"But this plan is about forcibly breaking through some technological barriers. There might be simple methods to overcome these barriers in the future, but for now, it's very strenuous.
"Every breakthrough might cost us ten times or even dozens of times more than a natural breakthrough, and the results might not be as ideal as we hope."
Jiang Yu sighed deeply, "Haven't you realized? This period of peace is the prime time for us to develop.
"If we can apply theories to weapons and technology even a day earlier, I am willing to pay a hundred times the price.
"Please remember, time waits for no one!"
After speaking, Jiang Yu walked out, saying, "Let's talk about antimatter's uses next time. Every second nowadays is a precious opportunity; cherish it well!"
He Shanqi stepped forward and asked, "Who exactly are we racing against?"
Jiang Yu stopped, then turned around and said, "The entire universe!"
...
The last stop on Jiang Yu's tour was the City of Hope.
Ever since this space city was completed, Jiang Yu had often come here to visit. His tour this time lasted several years, and by the time he returned, the newborns had already become teenagers.
In this city, Jiang Yu received a warm welcome. If there were a contest for the city with the highest loyalty to the Wallfacers, it would definitely be the City of Hope.
Most of the parents in this city were the strongest supporters of the Wallfacers from the beginning. They participated in the Wallfacers' plan and received huge rewards.
Many, because of the preferential policies provided by the plan, are now high-ranking officials in the Governing Council or key members of the military.
This was Jiang Yu's compensation to them, as all of the first children they had in this city had more or less some defects.
Jiang Yu's plan was the first large-scale application of cutting-edge Genetic Modification Technology. Despite thorough preparation, the human "machine" is too intricate, and even minor changes can lead to substantial consequences.
Fortunately, these "consequences" were not visible in appearance. On the contrary, the children born here were even more attractive than normal children, and their intelligence and physical strength were also much superior to ordinary people.
However, some had no sense of taste, some had no sense of smell, some had issues with their hematopoietic system, and some had problems with their lymphatic system.
The latter two types of cases were extremely rare in the past and, with today's medical technology, are still incurable.
Like Jiang Yu, they had no choice but to take medication long-term to maintain basic health.
Each time he came here, Jiang Yu would remember Bo Xiangdong and the initial collaboration with him.
Jiang Yu didn't know whether, when Bo Xiangdong was conducting experiments on Clones in the Great Northwest's laboratory, he felt as guilt-ridden and troubled in conscience as Jiang Yu did.
Remembering that experimental site shrouded in dust, and recalling Bo Xiangdong's drastic change in temperament for a period, appearing somewhat mad, Jiang Yu now understood the immense pressure Bo Xiangdong must have faced back then.
Now, as there is not a second Bo Xiangdong in the Solar System State, Jiang Yu had to bear this pressure alone.
Jiang Yu understood in his heart that the widespread application of such technology, in the absence of the threat of the Trisolarans and without the pressure of the "Dark Forest Law," would be utterly unconscionable.
Yet in this world, he had no choice but to proceed, even if it meant clenching his teeth and taking that step.
If it weren't for his perseverance, this advanced technology might never have broken through the shackles of human morality.
As for the defects in these teenagers, Jiang Yu could only do his best to compensate. They would have just as favorable opportunities and conditions as their parents did.
The fruits of Jiang Yu's plan were now gradually becoming apparent.
One result was that these children were all exceptionally intelligent, usually completing their college courses by around the age of fifteen. The earliest born among them had already entered Science City to continue their studies.
Additionally, they tended to mature early. On this visit, Jiang Yu planned to take a few of them to his own office to arrange internships for them.
In today's world, where scientific and technological knowledge is becoming more complex and specialized, this was undoubtedly great news. Like He Shanqi, whom Jiang Yu now heavily relied upon, had spent all his time up to the age of forty studying and gaining experience in other doctoral research groups.
He didn't start to take charge on his own until about fifty. Even though human lifespans have increased, He Shanqi's time spent on learning and gaining experience had already consumed about a third of his life.
He Shanqi's exceptional performance led to his being heavily relied upon by the Wallfacers around his sixties.
Those who now achieved some success in the scientific community were generally about a hundred years old, and with retirement at 120 in the Solar System State, their golden period was only about twenty years.
For the newborns from the City of Hope, experts speculate that they could complete all their learning and experience-gathering by about the age of twenty-five.
It's still too early to predict when they will achieve success, but they already have over twenty years of advantage, an advantage that could likely expand further.
The second result was that the births of twenty-six batches of newborns over the past decades had greatly matured the advanced Genetic Modification technology. The next step was to choose the right moment to promote this technology throughout the entire Solar System State.