Chapter 169: Another Purpose_1

After hearing this news, Jiang Yu realized that all his energy had been devoted to the "Project Zero" recently that he had forgotten the other reason he had woken up for.

Jiang Yu's presence was causing more and more butterfly effects, to the extent that it was even starting to affect Zhang Beihai's plan. Jiang Yu now had a critical piece of information that he needed to convey to Zhang Beihai in person.

Then Jiang Yu asked Di Fengyi to arrange his itinerary, he was going to visit the New Nuclear Energy Research Base tomorrow.

Upon leaving his office, Jiang Yu noticed that it had begun to snow outside.

The sky was overcast, and the flying snow filled the air, seemingly stuffing all the space between heaven and earth.

Jiang Yu opened his hand, two snowflakes fell into his palm, and quickly melted into tiny droplets.

Jiang Yu couldn't help but sigh, "If only people's troubles could melt away as quickly as this snow, that would be so much better."

Standing beside Jiang Yu and holding an umbrella for him, Di Fengyi said, "Why have you suddenly become so sentimental?"

Jiang Yu glanced at Di Fengyi, "The Wallfacer project has made you forget that I'm a normal person too."

At this point, he first gave a bitter smile, and then his eyes gradually became resolute, "You're right, Wallfacers don't need to be sentimental!

"Anything can go wrong unexpectedly, and it's exactly when things are going smoothly that one needs to be most careful.

"The previous plans have gone too smoothly, so smooth that I've started to feel lucky."

As he spoke, Jiang Yu quickened his pace as if he was talking to himself and also to the white snow filling the sky, "Everything we're doing now, concerning the future of humanity, is meaningful."

The next day, when Jiang Yu went to the New Nuclear Energy Base, the snow had already stopped. Since it was spring snow, it melted quickly, and at least on the roads, almost no snow could be seen.

After entering the mountainous area, there was still a lot of snow that hadn't melted on the mountains.

Around the base, the peach blossoms, stimulated by the heat produced by nuclear fusion, had bloomed early.

The snow within dozens of kilometers around the base had also long disappeared; against the backdrop of the somewhat desolate early spring, the pink peach blossoms were particularly vibrant.

As he was about to reach the base, Jiang Yu saw Ding Yi and Zhang Beihai talking by the roadside.

Ding Yi was still the same, seemingly a bit unkempt, but in every action and word, he appeared somewhat detached.

Zhang Beihai, however, had changed, with twelve years carving marks on his face. Originally, he looked only a few years older than Jiang Yu. Now, he seemed more subdued, his eyes deeper.

Jiang Yu got out of the car and walked towards the two men in conversation.

Ding Yi smiled and said, "The Wallfacer has arrived; perhaps he'll have a solution."

The three of them knew each other well; after a brief exchange of pleasantries, Jiang Yu asked, "What was being discussed just now? What solution would I have?"

Zhang Beihai said, "We were discussing the debate between the spacecraft propelled by working mass and those powered by reaction radiation from working media."

He then sighed, "It's a question of direction, concerning our future.

"Which option has more prospects, I think everyone knows deep down. Yet it has become a debatable issue due to some outdated views."

Jiang Yu mentally supplemented Zhang Beihai's point: The critical issue was that spacecraft propelled by working mass couldn't carry out interstellar escape.

"This is a matter of ideology and interests, a Wallfacer can't intervene," said Jiang Yu.

This was the work of the mainstream defense plan and also an internal debate within national departments.

Even if Jiang Yu, as a Wallfacer, wanted to intervene, the domestic government would question his motives.

Moreover, because of the autonomy issue of Moon City, the PDC and domestic agencies already had reservations about Jiang Yu, and his interference now would only be counterproductive.

Zhang Beihai nodded, "I understand your concerns."

Jiang Yu, with a smile, changed the subject, "This New Year's, I went to have a drink with Lao Chang (Old Chang), and he mentioned the 'Reinforce the Future' plan that you proposed and participated in; it's one of the more creative plans I've seen.

"I hear this plan is preparing you all to go to the space station to adapt to the space environment?"

Zhang Beihai was stunned for a moment before he said, "Yes."

He was a bit puzzled, wondering why this came up all of a sudden.

Jiang Yu then asked Ding Yi, "I've also heard that the old leaders who support propellant-driven spacecraft were originally going to attend a meeting at the top of the space elevator, Yellow River Station, but had to give way to the Moon City immigration plan."

Ding Yi paused for a while before saying, "I don't know what you're talking about, and I can't be bothered to guess. If you have any plans, just say yours, don't drag me into it."

Jiang Yu smiled at Zhang Beihai and said, "Tomorrow I will visit the aerospace agency to announce a temporary delay in the immigration plan, letting the leaders go to the Yellow River Station for their meeting first.

"After all, they've worked hard for the aerospace cause for so many years. Holding a meeting in space is a proper way to make up for past regrets."

He had come all this way just to tell Zhang Beihai: Your plan will proceed as usual, and I will fully cooperate with you.

Jiang Yu sighed, "Please ask them to make one more contribution to the aerospace cause."

Zhang Beihai's eyes were complex, seemingly mix of disbelief and exhilaration: "I understand now, goodbye Professor Ding."

Jiang Yu watched Zhang Beihai's car disappear around the bend of the mountain road.

Ding Yi tossed the petal of a peach blossom he held in his hand, and after watching the petals fall to the ground he said, "Let's go, back to the base."

Jiang Yu, however, shook his head, "Convey my apologies to Yang Dong for me, I still have work to do and will come to pick her up after some time."

After finishing his words, Jiang Yu gazed at the base building in the distance for a while, as if bidding farewell to Yang Dong from afar.

Then Jiang Yu resolutely got into the car and left the experimental base.

Several leaders at the aerospace agency highly value the visit of the Wallfacer, Jiang Yu.

The Mars Explorer spacecraft constructed on the Moon is a traditional liquid-fuel propelled spacecraft.

Although there are some differences compared to propellant spacecraft, the principle is almost the same; it's just a matter of liquid fuel versus nuclear fusion material.

The entire aerospace community is currently divided over the two propulsion systems for the Space Army's spacecraft. Jiang Yu's arrival was seen by the main leaders as a strong external support:

"Look, when it really matters, the liquid-fuel spacecraft is more practical. Mars isn't somewhere you can just go to on a whim, is it? You can ask the spokesperson of Moon City whether this is the case."

Jiang Yu was treated with the utmost respect, and he didn't disappoint those leaders, announcing during his speech that the second round of Moon City's immigration plan would be temporarily delayed, freeing up Yellow River Station for the aerospace bureau's leaders to hold their meeting.

The second round of immigration to Moon City, totaling four hundred people, is planned to commence in a month's time.

Since two months ago, Moon City had already announced this plan, and given Moon City's somewhat detached status, other missions from Earth typically give way to those of Moon City.

Although it's only four hundred people, the transportation capacity between Earth and the Moon is limited at present, and this round of immigration would last for half a month.

During this period, the Yellow River Space Station, as the only spaceport currently in operation, would be in a "full" state throughout these two weeks, with absolutely no room to accommodate any more people for a meeting.

The aerospace bureau leaders' meeting was coincidentally scheduled during this immigration, so it had to be canceled.

Jiang Yu's sudden concession was seen as support for the propellant spacecraft.

This pleased the leaders, as having a Wallfacer support them added a considerable boost to their cause.

Little did they know, Jiang Yu was actually sending them further down the path of ruin.

...

On the flight path to Mars, maintenance work on the Mars Explorer continued.

The final stage of maintenance took place outside the cabin and was performed in turns by the astronauts.

You Haoming, as the mission commander, rarely took part in extravehicular activities. However, after a week of exhausting maintenance work, You Haoming personally led the team for the final stage of repair.