Chapter 255 New Cable

March 25, 2039.

6:00 AM, Equatorial Pacific Ocean, Space Elevator Platform.

Chen Xueming stood on the Anchoring Base, looking at the familiar orange-red glow on the eastern horizon. The sea breeze was light, almost imperceptible, but his heart was racing.

It had been a month.

For a whole month, he had lain in a hospital bed, staring at the ceiling and thinking of this place. The pneumonia was gone, the fever had broken, and his strength had returned, but the weight in his heart had remained suspended.

Today, that weight could finally be lifted.

"Chief Chen!"

A familiar voice came from behind him. Chen Xueming turned to see Wang Lei running toward him, a document in hand.

"Chief Chen, the inspection report for the new cable is out!" Wang Lei panted as he handed him the document. "Everything passed! The anti-corrosion coating thickness is uniform, the adhesion meets the standard, and the antibacterial rate is 99.9%!"

Chen Xueming took the report and flipped through it page by page. Those numbers were like musical notes, playing a cheerful melody in his heart.

"Good." He closed the report and looked up at the special-purpose vessel anchored quietly nearby. "Notify all stations to prepare to begin."

"Yes, sir!"

8:00 AM, the laying of the new cable officially began.

The massive drum turned slowly, and the silver-white cable was gradually released from it. Under the sunlight, it shimmered with a soft luster, looking exactly as it had a month ago. But Chen Xueming knew it was different—that invisible nano-coating would protect it from marine microorganisms and salt spray.

"Tension normal."

"Coating inspection normal."

"Tugboat in position."

"Depth sensors functioning normally."

Commands were issued one after another, and reports came back in succession. Everything was going smoothly—so smoothly it felt somewhat surreal.

Chen Xueming stood before the command console, staring at the data on the screen. His palms were sweaty, but his eyes were bright.

Lin Mo stood beside him, also staring at the screen.

"Nervous?" Lin Mo asked.

Chen Xueming thought for a moment. "Nervous. But more than that... expectant."

Lin Mo smiled. "Me too."

The cable continued to rise.

One thousand meters. Two thousand meters. Five thousand meters. Ten thousand meters.

It passed through the sky above the platform, through the low-altitude winds and clouds, through the flight paths of airplanes, going higher and further.

Li Xiao stood before the large screen in the Data Center, watching the real-time footage. That silver-white line extended into the azure sky like a ladder to heaven.

"Senior Brother," she said over the comms, "the view is beautiful."

Lin Mo's voice came through the headset: "It is."

Chen Xueming stood on the platform, tilting his head back to watch the cable. It rose higher and higher, growing thinner until it became an almost invisible dot that vanished into the clouds.

But the data told him it was still rising.

Twenty thousand meters. Thirty thousand meters. Forty thousand meters.

Passing through the stratosphere.

There were no clouds there, no wind—only the eternal blue sky and the gradually darkening backdrop of the universe.

2:00 PM, the cable reached fifty thousand meters.

This was where they had stopped before.

Chen Xueming stared at the number on the screen, his heart beating so fast it felt like it would jump out of his chest.

Fifty thousand meters. Five thousand kilometers.

A month ago, right here, they had discovered the corrosion issue and were forced to pause.

Now, the new cable was passing through this altitude.

"Coating inspection normal," the technician's voice came through. "The surface is intact, with no signs of corrosion."

Chen Xueming let out a long breath.

Lin Mo patted his shoulder. "It's past."

Chen Xueming nodded, saying nothing.

But his eyes were slightly red.

5:00 PM, the cable reached sixty thousand meters.

Passing through the top of the stratosphere and entering the mesosphere. The sky here had turned a deep purple, and stars began to twinkle overhead.

The workers crowded onto the platform, looking up at the invisible cable. Though it could no longer be seen with the naked eye, they knew it was there, extending into space.

Wang Lei, standing in the crowd, suddenly shouted, "Long live Chief Chen!"

The others were stunned for a moment, then followed suit.

"Long live Chief Chen!"

"Long live the Space Elevator!"

"Long live China!"

Hearing those shouts, Chen Xueming's face reddened slightly. He turned to Lin Mo. "Old Lin, these boys..."

Lin Mo smiled. "Let them shout. They're happy."

Chen Xueming smiled as well.

Yes, happy.

8:00 PM, the cable reached eighty thousand meters.

The workers on the platform took turns resting, but Chen Xueming remained at the command console. He wasn't tired, not at all. Watching the steadily rising cable, he felt full of energy.

Lin Mo walked over with a cup of coffee and handed it to him. "Have some."

Chen Xueming took the coffee and took a sip. It was bitter, but refreshing.

"Old Lin," he said suddenly, "when do you think this cable will reach the end?"

Lin Mo thought for a moment. "At the current speed, another two months."

Chen Xueming nodded, looking at the data on the screen. "In two months, we'll be able to reach out and touch space directly from Earth."

Lin Mo smiled. "That's right."

The two of them stood in silence, watching the steadily rising line.

Outside the window, the starry sky was brilliant. The Milky Way spanned from north to south, with countless stars twinkling.

One of them was their target.

11:00 PM, the first shift of workers went to rest.

Chen Xueming finally left the command console and walked to the edge of the platform. He sat on the Anchoring Base, legs dangling over the edge, looking at the shimmering sea.

Lin Mo walked over and sat down beside him.

"Not resting?" Lin Mo asked.

Chen Xueming shook his head. "Can't sleep. I just want to sit here for a while."

Lin Mo said nothing, just sat there with him.

The sea breeze blew gently, and the waves lapped softly. The stars overhead twinkled silently, and the invisible cable rose quietly.

After a long time, Chen Xueming suddenly said, "Old Lin, thank you."

Lin Mo turned to look at him. "For what?"

"Thank you for scolding me that day." Chen Xueming looked at the distant sea. "If you hadn't given me that earful, I might still be lying in the hospital, or I would have rushed back to the platform long ago."

Lin Mo was silent for a few seconds, then said, "I was afraid something would really happen to you."

Chen Xueming nodded. "I know."

They were silent again for a while.

Then Chen Xueming said, "Old Lin, I have a request."

"Speak."

"When the Space Elevator is completed, I want to be the first one to go up and see."

Lin Mo turned to look at him. Under the moonlight, Chen Xueming's eyes were bright.

"Why?"

Chen Xueming thought for a moment. "I just want to see what Earth looks like from up there."

Lin Mo was silent for a few seconds, then smiled.

"Alright. I promise you."

Chen Xueming smiled too.

The two sat side by side at the edge of the platform, watching the stars and listening to the waves.

The cable was still rising.

Toward the stars, toward the future.