Chapter 37: Supersonic!

The moment the maglev motor unit hovered in the air, everyone’s heart leaped into their throats. Maintaining a relatively static hover had been part of the plan and had been tested previously, but the true challenge lay in achieving stable operation while in a hovering state.

He Xingzhou held an intelligent controller in his hand, which functioned like a steering wheel for the motor. As he pressed the forward gear, the magnetic field of the maglev unit underwent a subtle shift—a mere flick that set the motor in motion. To the onlookers, the "maglev vehicle chassis" began to streak along the circular magnetic track. While a fuel-powered or standard electric car would take several seconds to reach speed, this chassis achieved full acceleration almost the instant He Xingzhou pressed the controller.

"Such incredible start-up and acceleration!" Feng Yue exclaimed involuntarily. "I’ve been in the automotive industry for thirty years, and this is the first time I’ve seen such a thing. It’s instantaneous start and acceleration!"

He Xingzhou explained, "It doesn't rely on combustion; it’s naturally fast due to the electric current. Plus, there is no bearing friction from wheels, no friction between tires and the ground—only air resistance. From the perspective of human reaction time, it is instantaneous."

"Remarkable!" Feng Yue said, pleasantly surprised. "There isn't a single car like this anywhere else in the world!"

The maglev unit continued to accelerate, with the dashboard displaying a speed of 300 m/s.

"Everyone, pay attention! Put on your earplugs; we are about to go supersonic!" Guo Cheng warned.

On the circular magnetic track, the chassis, protected by a simple airflow shroud, had almost turned into a phantom. It was difficult to track with the naked eye; only a blur remained. Once everyone had their earplugs in, He Xingzhou pushed the acceleration further. The speed of the unit gradually approached 340 m/s, the speed of sound at standard atmospheric pressure. At that moment, its velocity caught up with the sound waves generated by its friction against the air.

The sound waves compressed, forming shock waves. Upon breaking the sound barrier, a conical sonic cone formed in front of the craft, producing a sound akin to an explosion—the sonic boom. Even with earplugs, everyone felt a buzzing vibration in their surroundings, as if their very blood were trembling. Fortunately, the test unit was small in size, limiting the intensity of the sonic boom; otherwise, the force would have damaged both the prototype and the surrounding environment.

Though everyone’s heads were spinning from the noise, their eyes shone with an indescribable joy and excitement.

"Supersonic!" If not for the sonic boom, they would have erupted into cheers. The maglev unit had achieved supersonic speeds with such ease! Moreover, the diagnostic instruments indicated that its overall structure remained stable, showing no signs of failure. Since it was a test sample with only a basic airflow cover, He Xingzhou did not keep it at supersonic speeds for long; after twenty seconds, he slowed it down to the speed of a normal car. The deceleration was also managed by the magnetic field through electromagnetic braking, making it far smoother than a conventional vehicle.

He Xingzhou proceeded to test steering, U-turns, increased motor power to boost hover height, and light load-bearing operations. Aside from minor imperfections, there were no major flaws or oversights. The technicians at his side rapidly recorded the data and conclusions from every test, analyzing them in real-time.

"After three rounds and one hundred and four sub-tests," He Xingzhou announced, "we have concluded that the performance of this maglev motor unit is essentially qualified. It meets all design and operational requirements and is ready for use as a mature technological product."

As he finished, thunderous applause filled the workshop.

"Excellent! The test is passed!" an engineer shouted.

"We did it! The world’s first maglev motor unit for a maglev vehicle!"

"Hovering travel, supersonic speeds, precise control—the entire automotive industry is about to enter a new era! An era that belongs to us!"

Feng Yue was overjoyed. "It was worth coming here today. I witnessed your achievement with my own eyes! This moment will be recorded in the history of China's automotive industry. From today on, the entire domestic industry will undergo a sea change. The era where foreign automakers—German, Japanese, American—monopolize the market is coming to an end!"

"I hope our electromagnetic hover-cars will appear on Chinese soil as soon as possible," Guo Cheng said, his heart surging with emotion. Before joining the Xuanwu Project, he had spent decades in this field. He knew the hardship and the bitterness of the struggle; the hardest part had been the uncertainty of whether there would ever be an end in sight. Yet, after joining the project—and specifically the Sentinel Research Institute led by He Xingzhou—they had succeeded in such a short time. For a moment, Guo Cheng felt a sense of disbelief: was this truly something they had accomplished?

"The completion of the maglev motor unit means the core component of the electromagnetic hover-car is finished," He Xingzhou said, his mood equally buoyant. "As for the full vehicle design, I am sure your talents will make short work of it."

"Haha, of course! We already have over a dozen designs!" one automotive engineer replied. "We have small domestic hover-cars, business models, and cargo carriers. We will present them to Chief Engineer He once we refine them further!"

"Good," He Xingzhou laughed. "With this, we have completed the two most critical stages of the hover-car's design. Technologies like autonomous driving and wireless charging already have a solid foundation."

"Let us strive to have the world's first electromagnetic hover-car unveiled within two months!"

"Mission accepted!" Guo Cheng shouted.

After the tests concluded, Feng Yue wanted to invite He Xingzhou to a celebratory banquet, but He Xingzhou politely declined. He had too much work to do, and he preferred to avoid such social obligations whenever possible. That same day, he flew back to the capital.

"Sister Zhilan, thank you for your hard work on the video editing," He Xingzhou said to Xu Zhilan.

Xu Zhilan laughed, "If you release this video, I’m afraid those entrepreneurs will go crazy. They’ll be knocking on our door one by one."

"That is exactly the effect I want," He Xingzhou said. "Only with nationwide participation can we build a high-efficiency national logistics network. Such a network is the foundation for the Great Wall of Steel and the Planetary Fortress."

"Understood. Get some rest, and leave the rest to me," Xu Zhilan said. She was no longer working alone, as the research institute had received more funding and recruited additional members.

Early the next morning, Xu Zhilan sent him the edited video. However, He Xingzhou did not rush to post it. Not much time had passed since his last upload, and posting this one would inevitably lead to a mountain of new tasks. At this moment, he had another matter to attend to: visiting the biochemical research team. The research on the Zerg could not be neglected.