294: Chapter 294 The Prototype of the Space Station

"This is for you. Remember to say some good things," Lin Tianxiong said, pulling two gold-stamped cards from his pocket. "You can get a 90% discount at the foot massage parlor with these. Go enjoy yourselves."

"Definitely, definitely!" Zhang Yu nodded hurriedly, feeling quite flattered.

Only after the two men were out of sight did Zhang Yu rub the two gold-stamped cards in his palm, and upon discovering their material, he gasped.

My god, it really is gold.

"Brother Yu... who is that big shot?" Little Wang asked from the side.

Zhang Yu handed him one, clicking his tongue, "He should be a high-level executive at Third-Party Technology. I don't know exactly who, but since we got such a big benefit for free, we have to praise them."

"I will definitely use all my literary talent and give it my all," Little Wang nodded solemnly.

"Let's go, inside!" Zhang Yu steadied himself, patted him on the shoulder, his tone filled with excitement, "We must have a good experience today..."

April 1st. Today is a special day. Not only is it April Fool's Day, but as the most prominent enterprise today, Third-Party Technology also announced their latest move today: they will launch the largest carrier Rocket in human history, the Sun-1!

In the morning, the company also released the data for this Rocket, but this data alone caused a global uproar and restlessness. Why? Because it was simply too exaggerated!

[Model: "Sun-1" Heavy-Lift Carrier Rocket] [Height: 388.8 meters] [Core Diameter: 50.2 meters] [Liftoff Mass: 80,000 tons] [Low Earth Orbit Payload Capacity: 60,000 tons] [Escape Orbit Payload Capacity: 60,000 tons] ...

Third-Party Technology did not release other data, but these few numbers alone were like a giant bomb dropped into the World, instantly making this company the focus of global attention.

"Today is April Fool's Day. Is this the international joke they are playing?" This was the first reaction of all industry insiders after seeing this data.

"Absurd, this is pure grandstanding!" At an emergency meeting of the Earth United Aerospace Committee, a gray-haired senior academician slammed the table, bristling with anger:

"388.8 meters, 60,000 tons of LEO payload capacity. This means a medium-sized aircraft carrier could be lifted into low Earth orbit in one go! This is simply unscientific..."

"From the perspectives of engineering, materials science, propulsion technology, and even basic physics, this is a fantasy!"

Others nodded in agreement. Everyone present was a professional very familiar with the human aerospace field, and their knowledge and experience told them that this was absolutely impossible.

The most powerful Rocket in human history was the Saturn V of the last century, with a low Earth orbit payload capacity of only 140 tons. Currently, the next-generation heavy-lift Rockets being developed or planned by various major aerospace powers mostly have target payload capacities in the 100-150 ton range.

Reaching the number 60,000 is a complete negation of everything they have learned.

At this moment, a slightly younger researcher responsible for information organization was dumbfounded after seeing the newly transmitted high-definition photos. Stuttering slightly, he said, "Professors, you... you look at this. This was just taken by someone at their launch center..."

These sets of photos were long-distance shots taken at the Civilization Science City Aerospace Center. Even so, the image of that behemoth was still clear enough to make one's heart stop.

In the photos, the scene inside the Aerospace Center was fully visible. A jet-black giant tower stood tall, over a hundred stories high, with an imposing aura that pierced the sky.

The giant tower was firmly supported by massive steel scaffolds on the side. On the tower wall, the logo of Third-Party Technology was clearly visible, indicating its ownership.

Clearly, this giant tower was the Sun-1 that Third-Party Technology claimed.

In the conference room, a Professor said incredulously, "This photo is Photoshopped, right..."

The young researcher couldn't help but give him a strange look and shook his head, "No, there are other photos transmitted back here, and they are also starting to spread on the internet."

The young researcher pulled up all the photos and couldn't help but sigh, "If this is a joke, the cost is too high."

Inside the conference room, these Professors fell silent.

By now, news about this on the internet had already gone viral. Discussions about this Rocket never stopped, and numerous insiders and outsiders joined in, giving this matter unprecedented attention.

"Woke up, am I seeing things? When did humans become able to build such a large Rocket? Maybe I haven't woken up yet."

"Wait, isn't this company a pharmaceutical seller? When did they get involved in the aerospace field?"

"When did the village get internet access?"

"What about the conservation of energy? How much energy is needed to launch such a super-super-super heavy Rocket into space? Are they using nuclear power?"

"This is a scam company! Even the U.S. and Russia don't have this technology. How could Third-Party Technology do it? It must be fake! If it's not, I'll livestream eating shit! Waiting for the livestream to fail this afternoon! Let's see how Third-Party Technology covers up this massive lie!"

"The guy above is a pure idiot. Talking about the U.S. and Russia, your pathetic understanding should just go back and be reincarnated. Ptooey! They should have just smeared you on the wall back then..."

"Brother Yu, how is it? My combat power is not bad, right?" At the observation deck of the Third-Party Technology Aerospace Center, Little Wang held up his phone, the screen still showing the interface where he had just passionately debated online, his face carrying a hint of smugness as he looked at Zhang Yu beside him.

Zhang Yu was staring intently at the Sun-1 in the distance. This was already a scene that could be called a miracle. This Rocket seemed to have appeared overnight; it was clearly empty when he passed by yesterday.

This company is too terrifying...

Zhang Yu shivered. It was good he came early. The observation deck, which could accommodate outsiders, was already bustling, packed with people who had obtained visiting qualifications through various channels.

More people were blocked outside the main gate of the Aerospace Center. The security inside Civilization Science City was not joking around; they were strictly guarding, and there was absolutely no way to get in.

They had to wait here until exactly 3:00 PM, which was the launch time of the Rocket. This was a time they could completely afford to wait, and they were even extremely willing to do so.

At 3:00 PM, at the Third-Party Technology Aerospace Center, all the chatter and discussions on the observation deck gradually faded into silence. Thousands of eyes, along with countless gazes watching from through live broadcast lenses, all focused on that silent, black giant tower.

Sun-1.

Regardless of what mindset everyone held, with the electronic beep of the launch countdown reaching zero.

The Sun-1 Rocket lifted off!

Without any accidents, the brilliant flames at the bottom of the Rocket illuminated the entire cloud layer above, seemingly brighter than the Sun.

This shocking scene made everyone on the observation deck unable to help but exclaim.

What everyone only knew until the evening was.

As the Rocket successfully entered orbit, the fairing on the Sun-1 was jettisoned. The Rocket began to deform from the middle. The middle of the huge Rocket body split along four symmetrical stress separation lines, revealing the dazzlingly complex support skeleton and piping system inside.

The internal structure moved like a mechanical clock. Within just one hour, that giant cylinder turned into a ring platform with a diameter of over 250 meters.

The central raised core module was also nearly thirty meters high.

This was no Rocket at all; it was clearly a space station that had begun to take shape!

And this company didn't intend to hide it. They posted these photos on their official website and added the text: "What we launched was not a Rocket. The Sun-1 is actually a prototype of a space station. How do you all feel about this April Fool's joke..."

The whole World was shocked, and no one could laugh.

A well-known scholar published his thoughts in the media, his tone a bit sorrowful: This is not an April Fool's joke.

This is a giant of a new era that has already built a skyscraper in your backyard using technology and speed you cannot understand, and then smiles and tells you that he intends to use the things made in the building to pluck the stars.

And you are still living in your own small wooden hut, using a rusty axe.