60: Chapter 60 One Arrow Shocks the Globe

In the scenes of his past life, Dragon Kingdom had given land, money, and favorable policies just to bring in Tesla. And the result?

They were met with double standards and blame-shifting whenever problems arose, yet some people still praised the company to the high heavens.

To put it bluntly, how high was the barrier to entry for electric vehicles?

The battery required some technology, but for the rest, you just needed to pile on enough money and materials.

It was the same logic as mechanical versus electronic watches; they looked high-end, but in reality, they weren't that mysterious.

Musk’s work with rockets was, frankly, just about packaging a persona to hype up stock prices.

A few days later, a piece of news that shocked the entire internet shot straight to the top of the trending searches:

[Official Dragon Kingdom Announcement: The second batch of Beidou navigation satellites is about to be launched. The launch vehicle is a self-developed reusable rocket from Tianxing Technology!]

In an instant, the entire internet was abuzz with discussion.

"What?? Dragon Kingdom has reusable rockets now?"

"And it was made by Tianxing Technology?"

"Musk only flew a few hundred meters, and you guys are straight up launching satellites?"

"This better not be bragging!"

Someone immediately stepped in to provide background info:

"Tianxing Technology—lithography machines, 14nm chips, Tianxing sports cars, mobile phones—they did it all themselves!"

"They have the entire industry chain. Isn't that better than an assembly-line product like Tesla?"

"But rockets are different! The level of difficulty is worlds apart!"

As soon as the news reached overseas, Musk couldn't sit still and was the first to stand up and question it.

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

"Reusable rockets are extremely difficult. Even with the support of America, I'm not certain. On what basis can Dragon Kingdom do it?"

"Tianxing Technology is faking it for hype!"

Western media was even more collective in their mockery.

CNN: A Dragon Kingdom reusable rocket? Stop joking.

BBC: This is the funniest joke of the year.

Reuters: Dragon Kingdom, please keep your feet on the ground.

Associated Press: Technology isn't something you can just brag into existence.

Foreign netizens were also full of ridicule.

"Dragon Kingdom has made great progress, but you can't get fat in one bite."

"Leave rockets to the West; you guys can't afford to play this game."

"Technology requires accumulation. Dreaming of overtaking the US? You're dreaming."

Some people at home were also worried:

"Can it really work? Even Musk failed so many times."

"If it fails, we'll lose a lot of face."

But immediately afterward, Dragon Kingdom dropped another bombshell:

In one week, the Beidou satellite + reusable rocket launch will be broadcast live in its entirety!

The overseas world went silent for a moment, then exploded.

"They really dare to live stream it?"

"Could it be real?"

"Just wait and see. I want to see how they'll clean up this mess!"

Domestic netizens, on the other hand, were incredibly steady.

"What's there to fear? A national project plus the Long March Series—would they dare joke about that?"

"When has Tianxing Technology ever let anyone down?"

"Even if it fails once or twice, that's normal, as long as the technology is real."

"Just wait to see our rocket fly back on its own after its trip!"

Chen Mo looked at the comments, knowing the truth in his heart.

No one knew that the new generation of Beidou was already beyond what GPS could compare to.

Because the technology Chen Mo provided was too powerful, all the previous satellites were scrapped and slated for relaunch.

But what if there weren't enough rockets?

Chen Mo simply brought out the reusable rocket.

One launch became many; costs were halved, and efficiency doubled.

On the day of the launch, the launch site had clear skies and a gentle breeze.

The eyes of the whole world were glued to the live broadcast.

The countdown ended.

"3, 2, 1, ignition!"

The Long March 1 carrier rocket, trailing a long white plume of flame, rose steadily into the sky with grand momentum.

The live stream's bullet comments instantly flooded the screen.

"It's taking off! It's really taking off!"

"Steady! It has to stay steady!"

Ten-odd minutes later.

[The satellite has successfully entered orbit!]

[The rocket is beginning its return!]

The whole world held its breath.

Under the gaze of countless cameras, the rocket precisely adjusted its posture, descended slowly, and landed steadily.

The outer shell was intact; it was undamaged and reusable.

The moment the live broadcast frame froze.

The entire internet went silent.

Dragon Kingdom netizens:

"It worked! It worked! It really worked!!!"

"A reusable rocket! And it launched a Beidou satellite!"

"Musk flies a thousand meters and brags to the sky; we go straight to satellite + recovery!"

"This is what real high technology looks like!"

Foreign netizens, media, and experts were all dumbfounded.

Those who had mocked the most fiercely were instantly silenced.

Musk looked at the screen, his face turning various shades of blue and white, unable to say a word for a long time.

No one expected this reusable rocket launch to go so smoothly.

Even Chen Mo himself was surprised.

After all, he was only responsible for providing the technology; the on-site scheduling and launch procedures were all handled by the authorities.

Chen Mo leaned back on his office sofa.

Rocket technology was no longer an issue.

Next, he would build Tianxing's own rocket factory. In the future, he could launch whenever he wanted without asking for help.

Then would come power plants and nuclear fusion stations to firmly grasp energy in his own hands.

Further down the line: electromagnetic interference stations, electromagnetic bombs, electromagnetic missiles...

Good grief, these ideas for bombs and missiles were a bit dangerous!

However, these things had to be taken step by step. If one's stride is too wide, it's easy to tear something.

As for the waves this reusable rocket caused globally, Chen Mo didn't take them to heart at all.

If the sky fell, the authorities would prop it up, and his technology wasn't given away for nothing.

If Beidou navigation weren't so important for his future layout, he wouldn't have brought out the reusable rocket so early.

Some might worry:

What if the authorities don't let you use Beidou in the future?

Chen Mo only gave a faint smile.

The satellites used his chips, and the entire system was filled with his technology.

Could he possibly have not left a back door?

Moreover, the one he had to guard against was never the Dragon Kingdom authorities, and he never thought about going against his own people.

For the authorities, cooperating with Chen Mo was ten thousand times more profitable than falling out with him.

The next day, the entire internet was still immersed in the joy of the successful rocket launch.

Dragon Kingdom netizens were still scrolling through the news, each one incredibly excited.

"So cool! We really pulled off a reusable rocket!"

"Musk's face must be green!"

"All those foreign media outlets that mocked us are completely silent today!"

Just then, someone suddenly noticed:

"Look! Tianxing Technology's official website has posted a new announcement!"

As soon as this announcement came out, the entire internet was once again in heated discussion.

[tianxing generation desktop computers will officially hit the market in one week, starting at 2,599 yuan!]

The comment section was instantly overwhelmed with messages.

"What? A Tianxing computer? Weren't there already laptops?"

"Those were laptops; this time it's a desktop! It's finally here!"

"2,599? This price is actually okay!"

"Don't just look at the price; the performance is what's terrifying!"

"More than terrifying. Other brands with the same performance sell for at least four thousand and up!"

"More than double the price-performance ratio! President Chen is going to overturn the entire computer market!"

"This is basically squeezing other brands to death, right?"

"I finally understand now why the US is trying so hard to mess with Chen Mo."

"If he keeps playing like this, computer manufacturers all over the world will be squeezed to death!"

Someone worried:

"Then won't our domestic computer brands suffer too?"

"Suffer? Do we even have any decent computer brands?"

"We do, but unfortunately, they're more disappointing than the last."

"Without Chen Mo, they would have been ground into the dirt by foreign brands long ago."

"Did you guys forget? There's also Lenovo, the world's largest PC manufacturer!"

As soon as Lenovo was mentioned, the tone of the comment section changed.

"Lenovo? Are you sure that's a Dragon Kingdom company?"

"They're very noble; their headquarters even moved to the US."

"They even pay their taxes to others, yet they have the nerve to call themselves a Dragon Kingdom brand?"

"Why do I feel like President Chen is intentionally targeting Lenovo this time?"

"Now that you mention it, it really looks like it!"

"Is he going to clean house and take care of the foreign brands while he's at it?"

"No matter who he's targeting, I'm diving in for 2,599 first!"

"Count me in! Finally, I don't have to buy overpriced, low-spec foreign junk!"