269: Black Great Wall

The massive kirov airship hovered steadily above Hongdu.

Jiang Xin led the various representatives to tour the internal corridors and main compartments of the kirov airship. These generals and high-ranking officials, who had seen it all and commanded heavy troops, were like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden; they were stunned by everything before them, their brains almost ceasing their usual meticulous thinking.

The sci-fi-esque silver metal corridors glowed with soft ambient light. Outside the massive observation windows were slowly shifting seas of clouds and the shrunken outlines of the city. Behind transparent partitions were futuristic consoles, with holographic screens floating for operation and data streams rolling like waterfalls. Technicians in simple uniforms moved about quietly and efficiently... All of this was far beyond their understanding of the word "advanced."

The dream of humanity venturing into interstellar travel, once so unreachable, had actually been turned into a tangible reality by a local legion in the midst of the apocalypse? This impact was far more intense than seeing any number of tanks or aircraft.

"Comrade Xiao Jiang," Qin Guoqiang stroked the cold bulkhead, which seemed to pulse with life, and looked curiously at the self-adjusting light sources overhead. His tone was filled with incredulous emotion. "You in Lujiang... every time we meet, you really give us old men a shock! How long has it been? Without a sound, you've built an Aerospace City, and even built this... this kind of interstellar spaceship that we've only seen in sci-fi movies! You've kept us old folks in the dark for so long; your secrecy is truly airtight!"

Although Qin Guoqiang said he had been "kept in the dark," there was not a hint of blame in his eyes, only profound amazement, longing, and infinite imagination regarding the potential of this disruptive power.

Walking at the front of the group, Jiang Xin laughed heartily upon hearing this. He turned to face these big shots, who rarely showed such "uncomposed" expressions. "General Qin, colleagues, how is it? Does this still-rudimentary interstellar spaceship of ours meet your standards?"

"General Jiang! Stop teasing us!" Yang Zhen of the Southern Military Region rubbed his hands together, his eyes shining like a child who had discovered a rare treasure, making no attempt to hide his envy and desire. "My drool is practically hitting the floor! Does it meet our standards? It's more like... it's completely blinded me with its brilliance! It's too awesome!" He was straightforward by nature and voiced the inner thoughts of many.

The other representatives, whether it was the stern Nickname: Bingyuan Canglong, the aloof Top Expert of the Western Military Region, or the capable Nangong Yu, could not help but nod fervently, their burning gazes sweeping over every detail inside the airship, attempting to imprint it all into their minds.

"Haha, I'm glad you all like it. There's no rush regarding equipment. Since you're here, please take a good tour of our 'kirov airship' first." Jiang Xin smiled and made a "please" gesture, beginning to guide everyone deeper into the airship. As he walked and introduced it, his voice echoed through the spacious corridors:

"The 'kirov airship' you are currently on is the crystallization of our legion's integration of multiple cutting-edge technologies. Its greatest feature is its preliminary capability for long-range travel within the star system, relying on our unique high-efficiency fusion energy, particle array propulsion systems, anti-gravity systems, and other high-tech innovations." He pointed to a screen displaying a complex star chart.

"In terms of space utilization, we have applied dimensional space folding technology, making its internal effective carrying capacity far exceed its external volume. For a single mission, it can comfortably carry over five hundred crew members for long-term interstellar travel and carry sufficient supplies," Jiang Xin added.

Arriving at a weapon display simulation interface, Jiang Xin's tone took on a sharp edge: "As for the armament... it is equipped with a high-energy matrix laser main cannon and a high-speed proton jet auxiliary cannon array. It is no exaggeration to say that even a Third-Tier Corpse King, under the lock of our kirov main cannon, would..." He smiled slightly and did not finish the sentence, but the meaning was self-evident—what was a Third-Tier Corpse King but a slightly larger ant?

This introduction left everyone fascinated and secretly horrified.

Commander Ma Yuankong of the Anxi Base could not hold back and tentatively asked the question everyone cared about most: "Commander Jiang, this airship... is so powerful. I wonder... how many does your legion currently have? What is the production capacity?" He asked cautiously, both longing to obtain one and fearing to hear a despairing answer.

Jiang Xin wore a perfectly measured smile. Regarding his strongest trump card, he habitually played it evasively: "Commander Ma has asked the key question. Such a national treasure is not easy to build. Currently, the only one we have in service is the 'Longxing' you are standing on. However, the construction plan for the second one is already on the agenda, and some core components have already begun production. If things go smoothly, it will be delivered in the near future." He deliberately kept "near future" vague.

How keen was Qin Guoqiang? He immediately captured the wiggle room in Jiang Xin's words. He understood that a strategic trump card like the kirov was definitely not for sale in the short term. What Jiang Xin really wanted to open up were likely secondary-tier items that could still greatly enhance the strength of each military region.

Qin Guoqiang cleared his throat and steered the conversation toward a more practical direction: "Xiao Jiang, let's just admire the airship for now. The apollo fighter jets we saw earlier, as well as the prism tanks and those mighty mechas... could you consider... sparing some for us old brothers? We can discuss the price!" He directly pointed out the equipment that the military regions were most eager for.

Seeing that the timing was right, Jiang Xin stopped playing coy and laughed heartily: "Since General Qin has asked, I will speak plainly. After careful deliberation within our legion, and considering the overall situation of the national campaign, we have decided to provide a limited supply of our surplus apollo aerospace fighter, prism tanks, and new standard mechas to the friendly military regions! Our aim is to help you all enhance your strength, accelerate rescue and recovery efforts across the country, and let the power of our Huaguo unite more quickly!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the eyes of the representatives immediately lit up like searchlights!

"Please follow me, let's move to Lujiang Aerospace City and take a look at the black great wall model mechas we are preparing for external supply." As Jiang Xin finished speaking, the kirov airship had already silently and steadily arrived above Lujiang City, slowly descending into the giant hangar inside Lujiang Aerospace City, which was half-hidden by mountains.

As the tail ramp descended and the group stepped onto the smooth, mirror-like internal floor of the Aerospace City—which rivaled a large airport—they were deeply shocked once again.

"My God!" Political Commissar Zhang Huating of the Tubo Military Region scratched his already thinning hair, looking at the grand, brightly lit scene before him, filled with all sorts of unprecedented giant equipment and buildings. His jaw almost hit the floor. "You... when exactly did you build such a massive Aerospace City here?! Are all our intelligence departments useless? We didn't receive a single whisper! This security level... is too high!"

Jiang Xin just smiled and said nothing, leading the group through a heavily guarded corridor into an incredibly tall, futuristic warehouse-style factory. Under the towering dome, it was brightly lit. Automated assembly lines and robotic arms worked in order, Engineers and workers were busy, and unmanned transport vehicles shuttled back and forth, revealing a powerful industrial strength amidst the order.

"Everyone, please look over here." Jiang Xin led everyone to a display area. Several workers were carefully moving a mecha with a matte black coating onto the display platform.

"This is the main model we are preparing for external supply—the 'black great wall' full-enclosure combat mecha." Jiang Xin began to introduce it, "It is about 3 meters tall and adopts a wearable, full-enclosure alloy exoskeleton design. It can provide the pilot with comprehensive physical and energy protection, and includes a built-in life support system, providing oxygen, temperature regulation, and anti-G protection."