169: Chapter 169 Cesium Sunflower

...

"Very well, it seems you all agree."

Lin Fang saw that no one objected and showed a satisfied smile. "I'm actually quite easy to talk to. As long as you complete the mission, you can all leave safely."

"Now, prepare for the launch operations."

The soldiers also let go of Kovak, and the person in charge slumped onto the main control console.

"Mr. Kovak, I hope both rockets are successfully launched before evening; that's the only way you'll keep your remaining teeth."

Seeing everything was on track, Lin Fang went to the observation area. There was a place to rest here, and everything outside could be seen through the glass in front.

The two rockets stood tall, ready for launch.

Seeing Lin Fang sitting on the sofa, clearly waiting for the rocket launch before leaving, someone tactfully brought some tea and snacks.

"You two sit as well," Lin Fang said.

Bob Bentley and Li Chengjian, who had followed him, sat down on the nearby sofa upon hearing this. Bob's posture was somewhat stiff, only daring to sit on the edge of the seat.

Bob stole a careful glance at Lin Fang. He hadn't yet recovered from the violent suppression just now. His new boss seemed calm and easygoing, yet he was the one who had nonchalantly ordered a group of armed soldiers to beat a senior engineer like Kovak beyond recognition.

This was definitely not an ordinary tycoon or tech company owner.

"Boss... I'm sorry, this is my fault."

Bob said awkwardly. As the head of the third-party Aerospace Center, he was to blame for such an occurrence.

Lin Fang looked at him and nodded slightly. "I originally planned to beat you up and fire you, but considering you were acting in the company's best interest, I'll let it slide this time."

"Their technology is worthless in the company's eyes. There's no need to be polite to them; you'll understand later."

As long as the other party wasn't incompetent, joining the Inner World was only a matter of time, and the company wouldn't hide things.

"Understood..."

Bob felt a weight lift off his shoulders and spoke respectfully to Lin Fang.

After a while, Lin Fang saw the engineering vehicles and personnel beneath the rockets begin to evacuate one after another, knowing the launch procedure had entered its final stage.

Announcements began to ring out in the launch hall.

"Falcon Heavy, launch sequence initiated. Countdown: 15 minutes."

"Cryogenic fuel loading complete, pressure stable."

"All systems self-check passed."

"Launch area clearance confirmed."

Through the observation window, the service towers around the launch pad could be seen slowly opening, unfolding outward like steel petals, fully exposing the Falcon series heavy rocket to the sunlight.

"One minute countdown."

Alarms continued to sound in the launch hall.

Lin Fang leaned back on the sofa, watching the scene in silence. Tiny ripples began to form on the surface of the tea on the table. At first, it was just a faint vibration, but as the countdown progressed, the ripples became more and more obvious.

This was the vibration from the rocket engines preheating.

"Attention! Launch countdown: ten seconds..."

"Nine seconds..."

"Eight seconds..."

"Seven seconds..."

...

"Three seconds..."

"Two seconds..."

"One second..."

"Ignition!"

At the command, massive flames and thick smoke erupted from the base of the Falcon series rocket, and a low roar came muffled through the glass.

The white rocket body rose steadily amidst the smoke. It was slow at first, then gained speed, piercing straight into the sky with a bright tail flame. Lin Fang watched as the rocket climbed higher and higher, eventually turning into a small point of light and disappearing into the horizon.

The rocket carrying a member of the Kamilax race had finally launched!

It would accelerate to the second cosmic velocity to escape the shackles of Earth's gravity. This process wouldn't happen all at once; instead, after entering low Earth orbit, a specific time window would be chosen for the upper stage engine to ignite again, pushing the probe toward the transfer orbit to Mars.

This specific orbit is the famous "Hohmann Transfer Orbit," the most fuel-efficient method of orbital transfer. It utilizes the sun's gravity, allowing the probe to travel in a large elliptical orbit with the sun as a focus, its perihelion tangent to Earth's orbit and its aphelion tangent to Mars's orbit.

This interstellar journey spanning hundreds of millions of kilometers would take seven months one way.

The other commercial satellite on board would only take ten days.

Lin Fang stayed until the second rocket was launched before leaving the Aerospace Center. He didn't need to worry about the remaining matters; Xiao Hei and Li Chengjian would handle them.

—

Lin Fang then returned to the Black Watch Base and crossed the Schwarzschild Channel to reach the Titan.

On the Titan, the nuclear craters around the Schwarzschild Channel had been refilled and covered with a genetically modified plant called "Cesium Sunflower."

This was a variety Lin Fang had the Hive Base specifically cultivate for this location. The Cesium Sunflower resembled a giant sunflower in appearance, but its leaves were a deep metallic blue.

The Cesium Sunflower's root system can secrete special organic acids to efficiently absorb radioactive elements like cesium and strontium fixed in the soil and transport them to the stalk, forming stable compounds.

Simply put, it can resolve nuclear pollution.

This was also why Lin Fang could confidently let the Clones use nuclear bombs in the surrounding area.

The situation on the Titan was much better than before. Thanks to the construction modules, numerous steel artillery fortresses of various sizes had been built around the channel, effectively blocking ordinary monster tides.

The frontline had moved ten kilometers away from the channel, but larger monster tides still needed to be wiped out with nuclear bombs when they gathered; they were truly endless.

Lin Fang glanced at the radiation meter, a palm-sized yellow instrument showing a radiation level of 103 mSv. An ordinary person could survive in this environment for a short time.

This radiation level would decrease further over time.

It was time to try. Lin Fang planned to build a 1:1 replica of the Black Watch Base on this side of the Titan channel to facilitate the company's scientists in exploring the planet.

Besides that, Lin Fang had another task to do here, which was the main purpose of this trip.

Settling the Kamilax race.

As a subsidiary civilization that had submitted to him, Lin Fang had promised to find them a habitat. After some thought, the Titan was the most suitable place.

This was also the first time Lin Fang prepared to bring life from another dimension into the real world. It was separated from Earth by only the Schwarzschild Channel, and they weren't humans, but an alien race.

Even Venom, whom he trusted relatively well, had never been allowed by Lin Fang to enter the real world.