Chapter 320 Has the Nation's Fortune Arrived?
Three astronauts, facing the howling, raging sandstorm that felt like sharp blades, struggled to climb over the hilltop.
Every step of the climb felt like a tug-of-war against the tyrannical power of this mysterious planet.
The loose, scorching gravel beneath their feet could make them slip at any moment, while the grit carried by the gale, flying like hidden weapons, constantly struck their spacesuits with a rhythmic thumping!
Finally, they found the location of the building suspected to be built by the Extraterrestrials.
But the sight before them far exceeded their imagination, leaving everyone stunned.
It turned out that this was not a solitary building; hidden around the towering main structure, shielded by the undulating hills, was a vast complex of buildings.
Under the unique light of Mars, these buildings shimmered with a cold metallic luster!
It was like a steel forest sleeping on an alien planet!
Every line and every joint exuded an astonishing sense of technological sophistication!
The American experts stared intently at the screen, their eyes filled with shock and envy!
They could not help but praise these buildings endlessly.
"Look at this structure. To be able to erect such a magnificent complex of buildings on Mars, in such an extremely harsh environment with drastic temperature differences and frequent meteorite impacts, and to have them remain unscathed after the erosion of time and the baptism of meteor showers—the defensive and construction technology behind this must be heaven-defying. It's simply beyond imagination!"
An elderly, white-haired expert who had spent half his life researching in the aerospace field pushed up his glasses, his voice trembling slightly with excitement, filled with reverence and longing for this unknown technology.
"Indeed! If we could borrow even a shred of their advanced technology and put it to our own use, then surpassing the Dragon Kingdom would be a piece of cake."
"Those so-called achievements of the Dragon Kingdom would likely pale in comparison to this alien technology."
Another expert chimed in, his words filled with an eager longing to regain the status of technological hegemon!
It was as if he could already see the beautiful prospect of the US taking off, returning to the pinnacle of Earth, and leaving the Dragon Kingdom far behind.
In the command center, everyone's eyes turned to President Biden, burning with anticipation.
"Mr. President, continue to issue orders to our astronauts. Let them venture deep into the tiger's den, continue to explore this mysterious land, and make full preparations. We must have a historic contact with the Extraterrestrials; success or failure hinges on this one move!"
The Secretary of State was flushed, waving his arms, offering advice with high spirits!
His posture suggested he wanted to transmit his ambition through the airwaves to the astronauts far away on Mars.
On Mars, the three astronauts received the order without hesitation, their eyes filled with determination and a sense of mission.
After all, they were the elite who had stood out after layers of screening from millions of applicants!
The powerful execution and obedience forged by rigorous training were already engraved in their bones.
At this moment, they were all filled with a burning resolve to contribute to human civilization and to help their country, the US, regain hegemony over Earth.
They arrived in front of the nearest building, intending to charge straight in to explore the mysteries inside, but discovered that things were far from simple.
As soon as they approached, they could sense the vast difference between the internal and external environments. Outside was a purgatory of raging sandstorms, unbearable heat, and pervasive radiation!
Inside the building, it seemed to be protected by an invisible shield; it was quiet and peaceful, with stable and suitable temperature and air pressure.
Obviously, it required special equipment to block external interference and maintain the internal paradise. However, these devices were strange and delicate, their operating principles obscure and difficult to understand; it seemed only those who grasped the code of the Extraterrestrials' technology could activate them.
Having no choice, they could only press close to the window, attempting to peek at the scene inside.
Their gazes penetrated the glass, and what met their eyes was a colorful place of red, green, and purple!
Plants were lush and arranged in an orderly fashion. At first glance, it looked exactly like a common vegetable garden on Earth, but it also exuded a distinct, strange feeling.
"Could this be the vegetable garden of the Extraterrestrials?"
One person muttered to himself, his voice filled with doubt and curiosity, causing his teammates to look over.
To solve the mystery in their hearts, they leaned in for a closer look. Once they did, it was incredible; they were instantly shocked, their scalps tingling and their hearts pounding wildly.
They saw those plants—familiar yet strange. The tomatoes were round and plump, the size of basketballs, their color a bright, translucent red, like burning alien gems!
The eggplants were slender and shiny, a deep and mysterious purple, as thick as an arm!
The chili peppers were curved and upturned, a fiery heat showing through their emerald green, twice the size of ordinary ones.
President Biden, in the command center, keenly captured the astronauts' unusual reaction!
His heart tightened, and he hurriedly asked anxiously through the communicator:
"What happened? Report the situation immediately!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the live broadcast camera turned to focus on the interior of the building, and the image was instantly transmitted through the airwaves to live broadcast rooms around the world.
In an instant, the entire internet was boiling, comments flooded the screen like snowflakes, and exclamations of surprise rose one after another.
"Holy crap... have our astronauts broken into the Extraterrestrials' vegetable garden?"
"Wait, look at these vegetables, they're so strange, they look like our Earth's vegetables!"
"Tomatoes! Eggplants! Chili peppers... Except for being larger and better-looking than what we grow on Earth, they are exactly the same!"
"Could it be that these Extraterrestrials are people from Earth who immigrated there?"
"No! No! Maybe they are our ancestors!"
"Oh! I feel like there's a moving and tragic story in here! Now I'm even more curious!"
The audience's curiosity was completely ignited, and all kinds of guesses and reveries ran wild on the screen like wild horses.
President Biden was also so excited that he stood up, gripping the armrests tightly, his body leaning slightly forward, his eyes shining as if a hungry wolf had seen its prey.
"Being able to farm on Mars is simply a magical alien technology. If it could be used by us, and we could learn this trick, interstellar colonization would be a matter of course."
"This is a god-given opportunity that concerns our national fortune. We must get our hands on this technology at all costs!"
"Whether we can surpass the Dragon Kingdom in one fell swoop depends on whether we can seize this fleeting opportunity!"
The Secretary of State could not help but throw his head back and laugh!
The laughter was hearty but tinged with a bit of smugness and arrogance.
"Hahahaha, everyone, this is simply a gift from heaven!"
"It's truly a pillow delivered when we were sleepy; when good luck comes, you can't stop it. It seems our national fortune is a notch above the Dragon Kingdom's!"
Other high-ranking American officials also cheered and jumped for joy, clasping their hands together and shouting "God bless." They looked as if they were already certain that the alien technology was about to be in their pockets and that the revival of their hegemony was just around the corner.
Seeing this, American netizens followed suit and cheered, their keyboards clattering loudly, and the comments were full of showing off and sarcasm.
People from Japan, Korea, and other countries also followed like grass on a wall, joining in the clamor and posting fawning and sycophantic comments.
"The Dragon Kingdom must be in the live broadcast room too. They must be so envious that their eyes are turning red and they are dying of jealousy right now!"
"You have to know, even if the Dragon Kingdom's technology is boasted about a lot on ordinary days, compared to alien civilization, it's just a dwarf standing before a giant; how can the light of a firefly compare to the brilliance of the moon?"