Chapter 53: An Complete and Utter Devastation of an Era!!
Inside a meeting room in the Dragon Kingdom.
Commander-in-Chief Zhou Jingting sat at the head of the table, his expression calm as he waited for the high-ranking officials to attend the meeting.
Because this involved the nation's highest military secrets, everyone participating in this meeting was among the most elite figures in the Dragon Kingdom.
As the Supreme Commander of the North China Theater and the one who proposed this meeting, he presided over it.
However, it was Commander Liu Chengzhi who did the actual speaking.
As a Major General, he normally wouldn't be qualified to participate in a meeting of this level.
Once everyone was seated, Commander Liu Chengzhi personally photocopied over a dozen copies of Su Chen's proposal for the Pan-Space Mech and handed them out to everyone.
These high-ranking officials of the Dragon Kingdom were very familiar with the name Su Chen.
Especially after the news broke a few days ago about Su Chen piloting his self-developed mecha and defeating thirty-six elite fighter jets of the Eastern Air Force, which left an even deeper impression on them.
So, when they learned that this document was drafted by Su Chen, they picked it up and began to read it carefully.
They wondered what kind of surprise this young comrade named Su Chen had prepared for them again.
But after reading for a while, they were immediately dumbfounded.
They hadn't found a surprise yet.
Instead, they were frightened!
"Two hundred billion USD??"
"What kind of project costs two hundred billion USD?"
"Our Tibet region's GDP is only two hundred billion RMB a year. Good heavens, this is equivalent to six or seven years of Tibet's GDP!"
One high-ranking official couldn't hold back.
The others felt much the same.
Everyone couldn't help but frown.
At this moment, someone else took a detailed look at the R&D application document:
"It's about mecha development again!"
"We already possess powerful mecha, and the mecha production lines are already being built. Is there any need to spend so much money to develop a new mecha?"
The person who said this was Qian Zhong, the Top Leader of the Finance Bureau.
The entire financial power of the Dragon Kingdom was in his hands.
His opinion was very important.
And his thoughts were the same as Commander Liu Chengzhi's before; he believed that since the nation already possessed powerful mecha, there was no need to invest more funds into the development of new ones.
After all, such a terrifying R&D cost was almost equal to the entire annual military budget of the Dragon Kingdom.
And spending so much money to develop a single mecha, without knowing if it would succeed or how long it would take, they felt it was a bit risky.
Although Su Chen's reputation had gradually been established in their hearts, they still felt it was too crazy.
Everyone's gaze fell on Commander-in-Chief Zhou Jingting, who then looked at Commander Liu Chengzhi without a trace.
He gave him a look.
Commander Liu Chengzhi nodded and slowly stood up under the gaze of all the bigwigs.
"When Su Chen first proposed this project to me, my thoughts were the same as yours."
"I thought the investment was too large, very large, not just ordinarily large."
"However, I was ultimately persuaded by him."
As he spoke, he walked to the front of a huge screen, inserted a USB drive, and opened an image.
It was a conceptual drawing of a mecha.
Commander Liu Chengzhi's voice rang out again.
"As you can see, this is a conceptual drawing of a Space Mecha."
"And it... comes from the Eagle."
Space Mecha!
The Eagle!
These two terms swirled in the minds of the bigwigs, making the expressions on their faces increasingly serious.
They were all busy with their respective positions and didn't know much about this.
The head of the Finance Bureau asked: "Do you mean that the Eagle is currently carrying out research work on Space Mecha?"
Commander Liu Chengzhi replied: "They might be researching it, or they might... have already finished the research!"
In the great power game, what is revealed is always just the tip of the iceberg they want you to see; as for what is under the ice, no one knows.
His words made the high-ranking officials show a trace of panic.
These news items were not known to the high-ranking officials in the Finance Bureau, but the military side was very familiar with them.
Many of them also participated in this meeting.
"That's right! We have also heard that the Eagle is conducting research regarding Space Mecha."
"But we tried hard to obtain intelligence and only got this conceptual drawing of the Space Mecha."
"As for whether they have developed it or not, we are not sure either," a high-ranking general said.
Commander Liu Chengzhi nodded and continued following his words:
"It is precisely because we are not sure that we dare not gamble!"
"If the Eagle really develops a Space Mecha, it will be a dimensionality-reducing strike against our mecha."
"Not only that, we may lose the initiative to explore interstellar colonies in the future. When the Eagle's flag is planted all over the stars, we will only be able to watch helplessly!"
"That is secondary. Our nuclear bombs cannot reach their mecha located in space. At that time, wouldn't we be just like the Qing Dynasty over a hundred years ago!?"
"Comrades, if you fall behind, you will be beaten! Do you want to be beaten by them again?"
"We can take a beating, but what about our descendants? Can you bear to let them be bullied by foreigners again?"
Commander Liu Chengzhi's words plunged everyone present into silence.
Even the dissenting voices from before disappeared.
After a long silence, Commander-in-Chief Zhou Jingting pointed to the document and said:
"So, this Pan-Space Mech is…"
Commander Liu Chengzhi: "It is our Space Mecha!"
Everyone was stunned.
Now they completely understood what Su Chen wanted to do.
This was preparing to build a Space Mecha!
This was preparing to take up the backbone of national defense of the Dragon Kingdom and confront the Eagle!
Commander-in-Chief Zhou Jingting suddenly felt a bit emotional: "Comrades!"
"I also know that some of you personally watched that exercise, and I watched the video afterwards. It was awesome! Really awesome! Very awesome!"
"There is no need to doubt Su Chen's ability!"
"Logically, such a great project that benefits the country and the people, and protects the home and nation, should have been proposed by us!"
"Instead, letting someone else propose it first makes it seem like we are just freeloaders!"
"Now that it has been proposed, we can't still be hung up on the money issue, can we?"
The head of the Finance Bureau was still a bit too cautious:
"It's mainly because this is not a small amount!"
"It is very likely to affect the country's future development plans!"
Commander-in-Chief Zhou Jingting was displeased: "Without national defense, how can the country develop?"
"Do you have to wait until the Eagle's Space Mecha cannon is pointed at your forehead before you think of developing a Space Mecha?"
As he spoke, he turned his head and pointed to the screen: "They already have conceptual drawings!"
"But we are still hesitating over the project approval!"
"I won't say much more. You all think about it carefully: do you want to bleed a little to boost national defense, or do you want to cling to that bit of money and become a subjugated nation!"
The head of the Finance Bureau was rendered speechless by Commander-in-Chief Zhou Jingting's retort, and he couldn't help but feel a little angry inside.
Commander Liu Chengzhi noticed the tense atmosphere, so he added:
"Don't be anxious, both of you!"
"According to Su Chen's meaning, our current investment will yield returns that go beyond just national defense!"
"Think about it. Once we possess a Space Mecha, we will have plenty of resources available for us to mine in the future when we explore interstellar colonies!"
"At that time, will we still be short of this little bit of money?"
"More importantly, just growing food up there will be enough to keep us well-fed!"
Hearing this, everyone couldn't help but fall into the beautiful picture painted by Commander Liu Chengzhi.
Especially the ability to farm on alien planets!
The soul of farming hidden within their bodies burst out at this moment, involuntarily.
"Damn it, you should have said earlier that we can farm in outer space!"
"This project is extraordinary! If we can really farm, then our people will have no worries about food and drink in the future!"
"I think this project is reliable, truly benefiting the country and the people!"
"Yes, yes, yes. The Eagle is one aspect, developing national defense to improve our own strength is one aspect, and farming is an extremely important aspect! Anyway, I support it!"
Seeing that most of the bigwigs who opposed it before now agreed, Commander Liu Chengzhi was both happy and a little helpless.
So I said so much, and you only remembered the farming, right!
As expected of the people of the Dragon Kingdom!
Of course, the most important thing was that the Finance Bureau had to agree.
Everyone's gaze was focused on the head of the Finance Bureau, waiting for his answer.
Commander-in-Chief Zhou Jingting grinned and asked: "How about it, Old Qian, is it a deal or not? Give me a word."
Qian Zhong, the Top Leader of the Finance Bureau, was silent for a moment, then finally shrugged:
"You all have agreed, is my opposition useful?"
"It just so happens that I also want to taste what food grown in space tastes like!"
Everyone burst into laughter!
The official seal of the Finance Bureau fell!
The project was approved!
Commander Liu Chengzhi contacted Su Chen immediately.
Learning that the project was approved, Su Chen was also very happy.
At this time, Commander Liu Chengzhi also asked his question:
"Comrade Su Chen, first of all, the country has absolute trust in you!"
"But I still want to ask you!"
"Why does this research require so much funding?"
"The previous First-generation Mecha only cost a few hundred thousand..."
Su Chen knew that Commander Liu Chengzhi would definitely ask, so he smiled calmly and explained:
"That's because the Pan-Space Mech is different from the First-generation Mecha. The technology on it is not just a single-sided breakthrough, but an all-around breakthrough!"
"Take the power system as an example; I plan to equip the Pan-Space Mech with a nuclear power system!"
"In terms of weapons, electromagnetic pulses must also be arranged!"
"And optical stealth... and..."
Listening to Su Chen talking incessantly on the microphone, Commander Liu Chengzhi's eyes widened wider and wider!
Only then did he deeply understand Su Chen's words from before.
He wanted to crush an entire era!
It really was an all-around crushing!