Chapter 122: Battleship Number Two - The Fantasy

P.S. Tomorrow there will be a massive update with ten chapters! I hope everyone will show their support! Every bit of encouragement is what keeps me writing!

Zhu Lan was only half-joking. While China had offered him favorable terms, he knew full well that China was taking the lion's share of the profits. But there was no helping it; Zhu Lan could not conduct rocket launches himself, or he would be finished before he even began.

"Alright, since that’s the case, I will arrange for someone to discuss the details with you."

"Old Xu, there is one more question."

"Another one? Why do you have so many questions, kid? I’ve already set aside so much time for you, which is more than enough!"

Zhu Lan nodded quickly. "Yes, yes, yes!"

"Fine, go ahead and say it! Let’s get all your questions out at once so we don't both have to deal with the hassle later."

Zhu Lan nodded sheepishly. "The question is about the Genesis Corporation's base."

"The base?"

Xu Dezheng hadn't processed it yet, but as it dawned on him, he suddenly remembered that the base described in the script felt somewhat familiar.

As Xu Dezheng puzzled over where he had seen it, he looked at Zhu Lan and had a sudden epiphany. He finally realized where that sense of familiarity came from.

Xu Dezheng shook his head helplessly. "You actually want that one?"

Zhu Lan nodded embarrassedly. "The original script was inspired by that incident. I added some things I looked up online and modified it into the current version. Besides, the matter of the Genesis Corporation's base is very important. I can't exactly use my Blue Base for it, can I? I believe you’ve already had that base sealed off, Old Xu. Opening it up and putting it to use might even be a good way to annoy the Japanese!"

Xu Dezheng looked at Zhu Lan deeply. It was true. Once that base had been fully investigated, it was permanently sealed. China would never use a base built by an outside force, no matter how good it was. After all, its location was already compromised, and there was no guarantee there weren't secret tunnels they didn't know about. If they were sabotaged, it would be a disaster.

Moreover, China’s "Underground Great Wall" project never lacked underground bases; one more or one less didn't make much difference.

Of course, Zhu Lan wouldn't ask the military for a base, and this secret Japanese base was perfect. First, the base was incredibly massive and suitable in every way. Second, it was located very close to a city. Although the script described a "Golden Triangle" region, it was impossible to film such a movie there. They would have to film elsewhere and use post-production special effects to make it look like it was filmed in a bustling area.

"I will consider this matter. You go back first. Just like with the leasing, I will have someone notify you once there is news."

Seeing this, Zhu Lan nodded. He stood up, leaving the script on the desk. "Old Xu, then you go ahead with your work; I’ll be leaving now!"

Xu Dezheng nodded and waved for Zhu Lan to leave.

Zhu Lan nodded respectfully and stepped out.

"Zhu Lan? Interesting. Perhaps this really is an opportunity!" Xu Dezheng picked up a sheet of paper showing a blueprint of a massive warship.

After leaving the Ministry of Defense, Zhu Lan didn't linger in Beijing. He had the person who dropped him off take him directly to the airport. He had already booked his flight; although there were no direct flights, he could fly to Zhucheng and transfer there.

If he wanted a direct flight to S City, he would have to wait until tomorrow morning. Zhu Lan didn't want to stay in Beijing, so he flew to Zhucheng and would have someone meet him there.

As the plane took off, Zhu Lan gazed at the blue sky and white clouds outside the window, lost in thought.

The military deal was essentially a done deal. While it might be trimmed down in certain cutting-edge areas, it had passed overall. Zhu Lan didn't care about the small stuff; he could just use special effects for those parts. Red Queen had said it wouldn't be a problem. If he weren't worried about being too shocking, he would have wanted to use virtual technology to create a movie that would stun the world. But that would lead to only one outcome: countless sharks would swallow him whole.

If he used such methods to create a movie that was indistinguishable from reality, it would reveal that Fantasy Technology possessed highly mature virtual technology. At that point, it wouldn't just be about simple tech; it would be the key to the next era—a completely different concept from the gene serum.

No matter how successful the gene serum was, it could only enhance one's physique. Virtual technology was different; if applied to research, it could allow for the testing of any technology without restraint.

For example, spacecraft. Every launch cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and there was no guarantee of success. Even if it succeeded, it would take years to get the final results.

But virtual technology was different. It could simulate the manufacturing, R&D, and launch of a spacecraft, or even various conditions in a space environment, all within a virtual world. The only cost would be the price of the equipment. Without virtual technology, one would have to use supercomputers for simulation, then build an experimental model, launch it, wait years for the results to come back, and then verify.

With current technology, verifying a single piece of aerospace technology could take five to twenty years. But with virtual technology, that time could potentially be reduced to just a few days.

This alone could save trillions of dollars in unnecessary losses. Furthermore, with the help of virtual computing, the fifty-year timeline projected for space migration could be shortened tenfold—completing fifty years of research in just five.

Of course, such massive research relied on detailed data. The United States possessed such detailed and vast data, which could simulate any condition on Earth, in the solar system, and even in deep space. Over decades, the large number of deep-space satellites launched by the U.S. had transmitted back environment data bit by bit, building a vast, unimaginable cosmic database.

"Plans cannot keep up with changes"—that described Zhu Lan’s current situation perfectly. How long had Fantasy Technology been founded? Less than a year, and Zhu Lan was already heading toward space.

With the support of military researchers, the first prototype of the quantum communication satellite was expected to roll off the line by next April, and the first one could be launched into orbit as early as June.

A quantum communication satellite wasn't just a communication satellite; it was also a spy satellite. Red Queen had modified it based on Umbrella Corporation satellite data from her own memory banks, simply swapping the communication tech for the quantum communication technology brought by Kong Yan.

Additionally, Qiqi possessed partial satellite data, which also provided immense help to the quantum communication satellite R&D team.

Zhu Lan had reported twelve quantum communication satellites to the higher-ups, but he actually needed as many as ninety-eight. The satellites would start launching next year, and he expected to cover the entire solar system within five years—a system he called the "Quantum Surveillance Network."

Once finalized, at least five satellites would be launched next year to build an initial Earth network. The second step would be to build a network between Earth and the moon, which Zhu Lan expected to complete within two years. At the latest, in two years, he would be able to develop a spacecraft to explore resources on the moon or even establish a lunar base.

The plan was set, but Zhu Lan had to prepare for any eventuality, such as military threats.

The battleship was Zhu Lan's precaution.

Initially, Zhu Lan intended to build the battleship in secret in an underground base and bring it out when necessary. But for the movie, he had a new idea: build the battleship under the guise of movie props and feature it in the film.

This way, he only needed to modify the third movie—for instance, by adding anti-gravity devices, nuclear reactors, energy cannons, and upgraded armor—and a battleship that was originally just an ocean fortress could be transformed into a space battleship.

If the Earth didn't even have a single spaceplane, yet he showed up with a space fleet composed of battleships, who would dare to object?

Zhu Lan was considering future utility. He didn't want to use fictional designs; no matter how well-designed they were, they wouldn't be as real as a physical object. So, he planned to build two battleships as "movie props." By the third film, he would add them into the space battle scenes. This wouldn't just allow him to master the technology, but also provide early training for the crew.

With virtual technology combined with practical operation, once both were completed, Zhu Lan would have a prepared crew ready to pilot the space battleships the moment he unveiled them.

The *Blue* was for the military, while the *Fantasy* would be built entirely to space standards. Arc reactors would be installed on the *Fantasy*, energy cannons would be attempted, and it would be equipped with energy shielding to deflect energy attacks.

Zhu Lan didn't possess this technology yet, but he believed that by the time construction on the *Fantasy* began, he would have it. Energy shielding was a vital technology for space survival; he couldn't overlook it.

Interestingly, space battles in movies lacked such tech, but anime did—for example, *Gundam* and *Valvrave the Liberator* featured similar concepts.

In movies, once a space warship was hit, it was game over. It wasn't like the descriptions; even if ordinary ships lacked energy shielding, surely the flagship or capital ships would have it? But they really didn't in the movies—it was just naval warfare transplanted into space, completely lacking the high-tech space warfare he envisioned.

While anime might be exaggerated, one had to admit that, to some extent, it was more consistent with the realities of space warfare.

Because there were too many things to research, Red Queen hadn't started on the energy shielding device yet. Without a starting point, even the powerful Red Queen couldn't do anything. She had to wait for Zhu Lan to materialize a similar device through the Fantasy System so she could begin reverse-engineering. If they had nothing to start with, Red Queen had no way to begin her research!