Chapter 43 All Is Ready

In the suburbs of the capital of Huaxia, a road under construction was bustling with intense activity.

Here, construction teams from various companies could be seen at work, including the first through eighth engineering bureaus of Huaxia Construction, engineering detachments belonging to the military command, and several other related units.

Working simultaneously, these construction teams were building an entirely new kind of "road."

This was the magnetic road for electromagnetic levitation vehicles that He Xingzhou wanted to test. Construction had begun two months ago, and recent modifications had been made to integrate the roadbed into the power grid, allowing the surface to charge vehicles as they drove.

"I've worked in engineering my whole life, building bridges and roads, but this is the first time I've ever heard of a road that can charge cars!" the captain of a construction team muttered in puzzlement as he looked over the construction requirements.

"These are matters for engineers and scientists to figure out. We just need to pave according to specifications," a construction technician remarked.

"True enough. As long as we follow the requirements, whether it actually works is their problem! Let's get to work!" With that, the team resumed paving the surface.

"Chief Engineer He, this test section will be completed in another month," Ren Jie, an engineer from the Huaxia Construction Group, said to He Xingzhou.

Since he was not a participant in the Xuanwu Project, he was extremely curious about He Xingzhou's identity and influence.

To be able to mobilize so many elite engineering teams, with every participating design institute being a national-level organization, this young man's clout was beyond imagination!

Wearing a white hard hat, He Xingzhou looked out over the dust-filled construction site and murmured to himself, "If the construction were fully mechanized and automated, the efficiency would probably be much higher, wouldn't it?"

"Ah? Our operations are already highly automated!" Ren Jie was momentarily stunned before explaining, "Not only are our workers first-rate technicians, but our equipment is also absolutely top-tier, both nationally and globally! To be frank, this is the fastest construction progress I have ever seen!"

He Xingzhou smiled and said, "I mean, if we had intelligent machinery doing the actual construction, efficiency would likely increase exponentially."

"Isn't this intelligent enough?" Ren Jie failed to grasp his meaning, and He Xingzhou did not elaborate further.

From his perspective, relying purely on manual labor for construction was far too slow in terms of both speed and efficiency.

Just doing a rough calculation, the schedule of projects he wanted to build was already overflowing: nationwide road reconstruction, a nationwide wireless power grid, planetary fortresses, the Great Steel Wall... and eventually even space cities and Dyson spheres.

Automated robotics needed to be brought onto the agenda as well.

"To manufacture robots, whether for mechanical processing or chips, we must rely on ultra-precision machining technology. We're back to square one." He Xingzhou had already made up his mind that once the electromagnetic levitation vehicle tests were completed, his next research endeavor would be ultra-precision machining machinery.

...

A month passed quickly. During this period, the First Automobile Group had already manufactured several electromagnetic levitation vehicles, equipped with autonomous driving systems and wireless power receivers.

Meanwhile, the magnetic road surface was essentially finished. Everything was ready, awaiting only the official reveal.

After conferring with his team, He Xingzhou set a date.

"At 10:00 AM on June 25th, the test video for the electromagnetic levitation vehicle will be broadcast live, and a limited number of lucky audience members will be invited to observe in person," He Xingzhou posted on his personal social media account.

The announcement immediately sparked widespread attention across the entire internet.

"It's finally going to be tested! Much faster than I expected!"

"Waiting here with popcorn!"

"How do I get to the venue? Where is it?! Someone please tell me!"

"Holy crap, the UP creator actually pulled it off?"

"XX University reporting in to watch!"

...

"He Xingzhou is going to test his electromagnetic levitation vehicle!" The news spread rapidly through automotive circles. Numerous entrepreneurs paid close attention, sending key personnel from their companies to gather information and head to the scene.

For promotional purposes, He Xingzhou had allocated a number of spectator passes to any relevant enterprises, allowing them to witness the event firsthand.

On June 25th, at the newly built magnetic power expressway in the suburbs of the capital, a massive crowd had already gathered.

Media reporters, entrepreneurs, scientists, foreign guests, and a slew of internet influencers and curious citizens were present.

Upon arrival, they discovered that the surrounding area was cordoned off, with armed police officers patrolling the perimeter—a truly grand spectacle.

"Hello everyone, I am Shen Bingbing, a reporter for the national television station. Right now, we are broadcasting live from a special roadway in the capital's suburbs for a truly extraordinary experience!" At the scene, a petite, sweet-looking female reporter was speaking directly into the camera.

Today, her role was that of He Xingzhou's live-streaming assistant, helping him manage the broadcast. While He Xingzhou was inspecting the vehicles and the road, she initiated the live stream early.

Due to her sweet and lovable persona, Shen Bingbing already commanded a sizable following online.

Her appearance in the live stream's frame immediately drew cheers from netizens.

"Even though the weather is scorching hot today, my heart is still as cool as Bingbing!"

"The UP creator is awesome for getting Bingbing as an assistant!"

"666! Isn't watching a live stream way better than playing video games?"

"Brothers, listen to me: even if you look at a beauty a hundred times, she still won't be yours. But if you read a book a hundred times, the knowledge becomes yours!"

"We came to this stream to study scientific knowledge, so please stop trying to steal Bingbing from me!"

"Where is He Xingzhou? Where is the electromagnetic levitation vehicle?" others chimed in with questions.

"Everyone is so enthusiastic!" Shen Bingbing smiled, revealing two sweet dimples as she explained, "Mr. He Xingzhou is currently fine-tuning the vehicles, and we'll be seeing him very shortly!"

...

"Big brother, is this car really going to float?" Inside the restricted area, a young girl asked He Xingzhou with intense curiosity.

This was He Mengyao, He Xingzhou's younger sister, who had recently finished her national college entrance examinations. He Xingzhou had promised to take her on a tour of the capital, and naturally, today's test run was part of the itinerary.

"You'll see for yourself soon enough." He Xingzhou had already finished inspecting the electromagnetic levitation vehicles and confirmed there were no issues.

"There are so many people! They're all here to watch your test!" He Mengyao's youthful face was filled with awe; it was her first time witnessing such a grand scale event.

"I just saw Shen Bingbing a moment ago—she's my idol! Big brother, can you help me get her autograph later?" He Mengyao asked expectantly.

He Xingzhou laughed and said, "Why don't you just ask her yourself in a bit!"

"Alright, enough talking. Just stay with Sister Zhilan. I'm going to pilot the vehicle myself for the test!" He Xingzhou had changed into a racing suit today; since he designed the car, he had to be the one to "bless" it with its maiden run!

Temporary spectator stands had been erected around the track, where a group of entrepreneurs sat in their VIP seats, waiting in anticipation.

"President Tian, you're here too?" In the stands, Wan Zhe, a senior executive at BYD Auto, greeted a middle-aged man in the front row—Tian Jun of Xiaomi Technology.

"Ah, President Wan!" Tian Jun stood up, shook his hand, and smiled, "To use the parlance of the youth, I'm a fan of He Xingzhou. Since he's testing a new car, I came to join in on the excitement!"

"This is far more than just a new car!" Wan Zhe looked toward the brand-new roadway in front of the stage and said, "I inquired about it earlier and heard that this entire road is paved with custom-made magnetic surfaces possessing special functions. The road itself must have cost a fortune!"

"I wonder how the vehicle's performance will hold up."

Aside from them, there were representatives from other enterprises, as well as foreign guests from the United States, Germany, Japan, Canada, and other nations.

These individuals conversed in low tones. Their mood differed starkly from that of Tian Jun and the others; while Tian Jun and his peers were filled with eager anticipation, the foreign representatives were rather nervous, secretly hoping the test would end in dismal failure.