Chapter 234 Foundation Laying Ceremony

September 17, 2038. Equator, Pacific Ocean.

Lin Mo stood on the massive floating platform. Beneath his feet was a floor forged from steel; above him was the azure sky, and all around was the boundless ocean. The sea breeze ruffled his hair, carrying a salty, damp scent.

This was the foundation ceremony for the grandest engineering project in human history.

The platform covered five square kilometers, equivalent to seven hundred football fields. It was the ground anchoring platform for the sky ladder project—in the future, that 36,000-kilometer-long cable would rise from here, leading straight to space.

On the platform, a temporarily constructed rostrum faced east, with a huge Five-Starred Red Flag behind it. Below the stage sat representatives from thirty-seven countries—the Minister of Economy of Luxembourg, the Director of the French Space Agency, the State Secretary of the German Ministry of Science and Technology, the Vice President of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency...

Further away was the densely packed press section. Reporters from over three hundred global media outlets gathered here, their cameras aimed at the rostrum. Drones circled in the sky, transmitting the scene to every corner of the world.

Lin Mo stood backstage, checking his speech one last time.

Li Xiao walked over and handed him a glass of water:

"Senior Brother, are you nervous?"

Lin Mo took the water and took a sip:

"A little."

Li Xiao smiled: "You get nervous too?"

Lin Mo looked at her: "Why? Can't I get nervous?"

Li Xiao said: "I thought you were already used to it. Press conferences, award ceremonies, defenses—what scene haven't you seen?"

Lin Mo shook his head:

"It's different. Today is the beginning."

Li Xiao nodded and said nothing more.

They both looked at the crowd in the distance.

Chen Xueming had flown in from Guangdong specifically for today. Dressed in a brand-new suit, he stood next to the media section, waving at the camera. Zhao Gang stood at the side of the rostrum, his face stern, but his eyes gleaming. Section Chief Wu had also come, wearing a Zhongshan suit; he adjusted his reading glasses and was talking to the person next to him.

There was also Engineer Shen, as well as people from the Equipment Section, and those colleagues whose names he couldn't recall—they had all come.

Lin Mo looked at these people, and a warm feeling surged in his heart.

He took a deep breath and put down his water glass:

"Let's go."

At ten in the morning, the ceremony officially began.

The national anthem played, and everyone stood up. Lin Mo stood on the rostrum, facing the national flag, standing straight.

After the national anthem, the host announced:

"Next, please welcome Academician Lin Mo, Chief Engineer of the sky ladder project, to deliver his address."

Applause thundered.

Lin Mo walked to the front of the stage, facing the hundreds of people below and the hundreds of millions of viewers behind the cameras.

He picked up his speech, glanced at it, and then put it down.

"Distinguished guests, dear friends, and viewers across the globe."

His voice carried through the microphone to all corners, and through satellites to the world.

"Today, we stand here, on the Pacific Ocean, on a construction site that is about to change the destiny of humanity."

The audience went quiet.

"Five thousand years ago, our ancestors walked out of Africa and toward the whole world. Five hundred years ago, Columbus crossed the ocean and discovered the New World. Fifty years ago, the Apollo spacecraft landed on the moon, and humanity set foot on another planet for the first time."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the audience:

"Today, we stand here, not to repeat history, but to create it."

His voice rose slightly:

"The sky ladder project is the grandest engineering project in human history. A 36,000-kilometer-long cable will extend from the Earth's surface into space. Elevator cabins with a load capacity of one hundred tons will slowly climb along the cable, sending supplies and personnel into orbit. The cost will drop from tens of thousands of dollars per kilogram to two hundred yuan per kilogram."

People in the audience began to applaud.

Lin Mo continued:

"What does this mean? It means that ordinary people can also go to space. It means that space factories, space power stations, and space cities are no longer fantasies. It means that the moon, Mars, and even further places are no longer the patent of a few astronauts, but the future of all humanity."

The applause grew louder.

Lin Mo waited for the applause to subside slightly, then continued:

"Some people ask me, why build this?"

He paused, his gaze looking into the distance:

"Because we are human. Because humans are born with curiosity, born wanting to know what is beyond the mountains, what is beyond the sea, and what is beyond the sky."

"Five thousand years ago, our ancestors walked out of Africa because they wanted to know what was beyond the mountains. Five hundred years ago, Columbus crossed the ocean because he wanted to know what was beyond the sea. Today, we are building this sky ladder because we want to know—what is beyond the sky."

The audience was silent.

Lin Mo's voice became deep and powerful:

"Today, we are building a bridge to the stars on Earth."

He paused for a second, then said every word clearly:

"In the future, this bridge will lead to the moon, to Mars, and even—to the sea of stars."

The entire venue erupted in thunderous applause.

The applause lasted for a full minute.

Lin Mo stood on the stage, looking at the people below—there were Chinese, foreigners, old people, young people, scientists, politicians, reporters. They were all applauding, all looking at him.

He suddenly remembered what Wang Zhenguo had said:

"You go and see it for me."

I will, Teacher.

Today, the foundation for this bridge has been laid.

The applause gradually died down.

Lin Mo picked up a shovel from the side and walked toward the foundation stone.

It was a huge piece of granite with a few words engraved on it:

"sky ladder project Foundation 2038.9.17"

He shoveled the first spade of dirt and sprinkled it on the foundation stone.

Then came the General Manager, then the Minister of Economy of Luxembourg, then the Director of the French Space Agency, and then the representatives of other countries.

Shovel after shovel of dirt fell onto the foundation stone.

It symbolized that this bridge, starting today, had officially begun construction.

After the ceremony, Lin Mo was surrounded by reporters.

"Academician Lin, your speech just now was very moving. What are your expectations for the future?"

Lin Mo thought for a moment and said:

"I hope that in twenty years, I can stand on the top of the Sky Ladder and look back at Earth."

"You will be fifty-five in twenty years. Will you still be able to go up?"

Lin Mo smiled:

"If I can't climb the elevator, I'll take the elevator up. Isn't an elevator meant for people to ride?"

The reporters laughed.

Another reporter asked: "You said just now that this bridge will lead to Mars. When will the Mars project start?"

Lin Mo said: "It has already started. After the Sky Ladder is built, we will assemble the Mars spacecraft in orbit. We expect to land humans on Mars by 2050."

The reporters were in an uproar.

2050?

That was only twelve years away!

Someone raised their hand: "Academician Lin, isn't twelve years too optimistic?"

Lin Mo looked at him, his expression calm:

"Four years ago, some said Nuclear Fusion was impossible. Three years ago, some said Carbon Nanotubes was impossible. Two years ago, some said the sky ladder project was impossible. Now—"

He smiled:

"Now, we are standing here."

The reporters fell silent.

Then, the applause rang out again.

That evening, Lin Mo returned to his temporary residence.

His phone rang; it was a video call from Wang Zhenguo.

"Lin Mo, I watched the live broadcast." Wang Zhenguo's voice was slightly choked, "Well said."

Lin Mo looked at his aged face, his heart aching:

"Teacher, how is your health?"

Wang Zhenguo nodded: "Much better. The doctor said in another half a year, I'll be able to get out of bed and walk."

Lin Mo said: "Then I'll wait for you to get better and bring you to see the Sky Ladder."

Wang Zhenguo smiled:

"Silly child, I might not live to see that day. But you will. You go and see it for me."

Lin Mo fell silent.

Wang Zhenguo continued:

"Lin Mo, I remembered one thing you said today."

Lin Mo asked: "Which part?"

Wang Zhenguo said: " 'Because we are human.' Yes, precisely because we are human, we must keep moving forward."

He paused and looked at Lin Mo:

"Keep going. Don't look back."

After hanging up the video call, Lin Mo stood by the window.

Outside the window, the night scene over the Pacific Ocean was beautiful. The moonlight spilled onto the sea, shimmering.

He remembered what he said during the day:

"Today, we are building a bridge to the stars on Earth."

Yes.

The bridge has been founded.

Next, it's step by step, building it up.

He turned back to the desk, opened his computer, and began to review tomorrow's construction plan.

Outside the window, the sea breeze blew gently.

The Sky Ladder had begun.