Chapter 38: Master-Level Scientist

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38. Master-Level Scientist

Another week passed. During that time, Tang Xiao remained on Dawn Planet, occasionally going out to inspect the work. The rest of the time, he found some scenic spot on the planet and sat in meditation.

He had no idea whether meditation was actually useful, nor what he was supposed to think about while meditating. Perhaps he could think about tomorrow’s construction plans? No, tomorrow was the day the Public Health Department would launch its first disposable sewage-treatment spacecraft near the Feces Collector... Once he thought of that, even the scenery around him no longer seemed beautiful.

After a while of letting his thoughts run wild, his state of mind became unsettled as well. Tang Xiao opened his eyes, and, as usual, T-850 relayed the communications and messages that had come in over the past few hours.

Yuri Orlov had completed his intensive training in Galactic Standard. It was obvious that he had taken the lessons very seriously. His younger brother, Vitaly Orlov, however, was far worse. The boy spent most of his time dozing off in class.

The two brothers had grown restless during their stay here. While Tang Xiao was meditating, they had accompanied Chunte aboard the Lancer and gone to Tatooine on an inspection tour. Apparently, Yuri had even brought more than a hundred Type 21 assault rifles with him.

Yuri had previously sent a message to Tang Xiao, intending to say goodbye, but Tang Xiao had happened to be meditating at the time. It was hardly a serious matter, so after leaving a message, the group departed on their own.

The message was simple. Chunte had taken Yuri and Vitaly, along with the couple Felasi and Kunto, to Tatooine. In addition, the T-850 bodyguards Tang Xiao had assigned individually to Chunte and the two Orlov brothers had accompanied them as well.

Chunte had also specifically mentioned that Felasi and Kunto seemed to be plotting something with their former companions. Taking them out on this trip was also a convenient way to test them.

The manufacturing facilities aboard the mothership were capable of producing T-850 bodyguards, but in Tang Xiao’s eyes, using those robots as combat units would be far too extravagant. Their production rate was slow, and the raw materials they required were extremely rare. The robots from the Terminator universe were made primarily from tantalum alloy.

On Earth, tantalum production had once amounted to less than two thousand tons a year—barely enough to build a few thousand T-850s at most. Even now, while they were mining on another heavy-metal moon orbiting the gas giant Endor, tantalum-alloy production remained extremely low.

Thus, T-850 robots were still best suited to serving as bodyguards. Since they were so expensive, they could only be assigned to legendary figures.

Next came a message from Dr. Guan Yan. The research and analysis of the primary fusion reactor and primary shielding technology had now been completed. They were currently modifying the production line for the Blade fighter, enabling it to carry energy shields, more powerful engines, and infrared laser weapons with greater destructive force.

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Development of the Gemini air-to-air missiles used by the Ghost fighters was also progressing smoothly. They would soon be ready for deployment and installation on the Blade fighters.

At present, Guan Yan’s team was working overtime on the development of the Hammer-class light frigate.

However, a major problem had emerged. The entire Fourth Civilization currently possessed only one small space dock, and even that was a modular structure carried by the mothership. Most of the time, the dock was now occupied with producing transport ships, because as mining operations expanded throughout space, the demand for transport ships continued to rise.

As a result, there was no spare production line available for constructing Hammer-class light frigates.

Building another small space dock presented its own difficulties. The existing small engineering vessels were not efficient enough; a superior type of engineering ship was needed.

The same problem existed on Dawn Planet. Once the modular buildings carried by the mothership had all been used, construction on the planet began to slow dramatically. Mining and processing materials such as rebar, cement, lime, and gravel were now required.

The mechanized exoskeletons used by the ground engineering corps were likewise no longer up to the task. They could not support the increasingly numerous and complex construction projects.

There were problems everywhere, and every one of them was a voracious drain on resources. Their appetites were growing larger and larger, to the point that even the colossal mothership was beginning to struggle under the burden.

They had to establish an independent industrial system as soon as possible, allowing the colony to break free from its dependence on the factories and workshops aboard the mothership. This was of paramount importance.

Next came Graham’s report. He stated that the large aviation research base outside Dawn City had been completed. The facility was still rather rudimentary, containing a simple airfield, a wind tunnel, and several small laboratory buildings.

Now that they had a large testing base, Feng Yongwang’s seasoned team, and a luxurious mansion surrounded by nature, the needs of that master-level aerospace scientist had all been met.

Feng Yongwang’s team had also encountered several technical bottlenecks while developing the Ghost fighter, and they hoped that such a master-level expert could lead them in overcoming those obstacles.

At long last, the day had arrived!

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The master-level aerospace expert—Professor Chi Jianjun!

A master of aviation engine science, aerodynamics, mechanical engineering, engineering automation, applied physics, and atomic physics! According to the profile above his name, he had once been a national treasure of the great power he came from. He had led his country in breaking through the technological barriers surrounding fifth-generation fighters, making it the first nation in the world to develop a sixth-generation fighter!

Throughout his life, he had taught countless students and trained a vast number of professional experts. He was renowned for his strictness at work and his meticulous attention to detail. His students had even nicknamed him the Devil Professor!

Though it was already evening, Tang Xiao still led Graham and numerous officials from the Dawn City administrative offices to the airport to welcome him. A transport ship descended slowly and came to a smooth stop on the tarmac.

The hatch opened inch by inch, and even Tang Xiao could not help swallowing nervously. This was a master-level talent! He had placed enormous hopes in this man, hoping that he could lead the Fourth Civilization’s scientific teams in rapidly developing the Ghost fighter—and perhaps even more advanced and powerful warplanes.

He was also one of their greatest assets in the coming war, the conflict that would soon sweep across the entire galaxy.

An official from the administrative department stepped out of the ship first. He then turned around and said something, after which a timid, stooped old man emerged.

He appeared to be around sixty, with hair so thin that he was nearly bald. He had combed the longer strands from both sides over the top of his forehead, pretending that he did not yet have a Mediterranean hairline. Dressed in a drab gray tunic suit, he walked out, looking back three times with every step.

He looked exactly like an old man who had just been beaten up by a gang of street thugs...

But regardless of his appearance, he was still a master. Tang Xiao hurried forward to greet him. At that moment, the transport ship, which still had other assignments to complete, began preparing for takeoff.

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