Chapter 274 Success of the Heavenly Ladder
March 1st, 2040.
Beijing, Great Hall of the People.
This day was destined to be recorded in the annals of human history.
The morning sunlight poured into the Golden Hall through the massive glass dome; 36,000 kilometers away, that silver-white cable hung quietly toward space. In Beijing, hundreds of Chinese and foreign reporters had already packed the press room, waiting for that historic moment.
At exactly nine in the morning, the press spokesperson walked onto the podium.
The entire room fell silent.
The spokesperson cleared his throat, unfolded the document in his hand, and spoke in a steady, clear voice:
"Approved by the National Space Administration, the sky ladder project has officially completed its inspection. I hereby announce: the space elevator has been completed and put into trial operation."
Silence.
A deathly silence.
Then, camera flashes lit up like a storm. Reporters scrambled to raise their hands; some stood up, some shouted questions, and the entire press room instantly boiled over.
The spokesperson raised his hand, gesturing for everyone to be quiet.
"This is one of the greatest engineering feats in human history," he continued, "marking the true beginning of the space age. From today onward, going to space no longer requires rockets, no longer requires enduring massive G-forces, and no longer requires long preparations. Anyone, as long as they have the courage, can take the elevator to the starry sky 36,000 kilometers away."
He paused, his gaze sweeping across the room.
"This is the pride of China, and the pride of all mankind."
Thunderous applause.
Meanwhile, on the Space Elevator Platform.
Chen Xueming stood beside the Anchoring Base, looking up at the sky. The clouds were low, and the cable was invisible, but he knew it was there.
Thirty-six thousand kilometers.
Extending from the equatorial sea level all the way to geostationary orbit.
"General Manager Chen!" Wang Lei ran over, holding up his phone. "Look! The live broadcast of the press conference!"
Chen Xueming took the phone and watched the boiling scene on the screen—the flashes, the reporters, the spokesperson's solemn expression.
His eyes felt a bit warm.
It had been three years.
From the moment the first pile was driven, through typhoons, spies, corrosion, docking failures... every time he thought they wouldn't make it, and every time they gritted their teeth and pulled through.
Now, it was finally done.
He returned the phone to Wang Lei and turned to look at the busy workers.
"Brothers," his voice was a bit raspy, "we did it."
The workers froze for a second, then erupted into earth-shattering cheers.
Wang Lei was the first to rush up and hug him. Then more people surrounded him and tossed him into the air.
As Chen Xueming was tossed up, he saw the sky above.
A crack appeared in the clouds, and sunlight poured down, golden.
He smiled.
Beijing, the scene of the commendation ceremony.
At three in the afternoon, the ten-thousand-seat auditorium of the Great Hall of the People was packed. Representatives, scientists, engineers, astronauts from all over the country, and representatives of ordinary workers who participated in the sky ladder project gathered together.
On the rostrum, the leader personally presented the "Aerospace Merit Medal" to Lin Mo.
When Lin Mo walked onto the stage, the entire audience stood up and applauded.
He wore a dark suit, with that golden medal pinned to his chest. The lights shone on him, reflecting his calm face. But only he knew how fast his heart was beating at this moment.
The leader shook his hand and said, "Comrade Lin Mo, thank you. Thank you for everything you have done for the country and for humanity."
Lin Mo was silent for a second, then said, "It wasn't done by me alone. It was done by everyone together."
The leader nodded and patted his shoulder.
Lin Mo turned around to face the thousands of faces below the stage.
He saw Chen Xueming sitting in the third row, his eyes red but smiling brightly. He saw Li Xiao sitting next to Chen Xueming, clapping frantically with tears streaming down her face. He saw Zhao Gang sitting further away, not clapping, but the corners of his mouth were trembling slightly.
He saw Section Chief Wu, Liu Jianguo, Wang Lei, Xiao Zhou... those familiar faces, those people who had stayed up through countless days and nights together.
And he saw Wang Zhenguo.
His teacher sat in the first row, with medical staff beside him. His body had not yet fully recovered, but he insisted on coming. At this moment, he was looking at Lin Mo, his eyes full of pride.
Lin Mo's eyes grew warm.
He took a deep breath and walked to the microphone.
"Thank you," his voice trembled slightly, "thank you, everyone."
The audience fell silent.
"Some say I am the chief designer of the sky ladder project and the greatest contributor," he said, looking at the people below. "But I want to say, without you, I could have accomplished nothing."
He pointed at Chen Xueming: "It was him who braved the typhoon on the platform and saved three lives."
He pointed at Li Xiao: "It was she who guarded the data and blocked one cyberattack after another."
He pointed at Zhao Gang: "It was him who caught the spy in the deep sea, preventing the sky ladder from being destroyed."
He pointed at Section Chief Wu, Liu Jianguo, Wang Lei, Xiao Zhou... pointing at those whose names he couldn't call out.
"It was them who spent countless nights in the factory, drove countless piles in the sea, and conducted experiment after experiment in the lab."
His voice choked up.
"This medal does not belong to me alone. It belongs to all of you."
Below the stage, many people cried.
Chen Xueming lowered his head, his shoulders shaking. Li Xiao was already a mess of tears. Zhao Gang raised his hand and quietly wiped the corner of his eye.
Wang Zhenguo stood up and began to applaud.
Then everyone stood up and applauded.
The applause was like a tide, flooding the entire auditorium.
In the evening, the victory banquet.
Master Liu had prepared another hundred tables of food. braised pork, Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs, Steamed Fish, Braised Prawns, Roast Duck, Dumplings... everything everyone loved.
Chen Xueming carried a wine glass and toasted everyone. When he reached Lin Mo's table, he stopped.
"Old Lin," he said, "I toast you."
Lin Mo stood up and clinked glasses with him.
After drinking, Chen Xueming looked at him and suddenly said, "Old Lin, I heard everything you said on stage just now."
Lin Mo nodded.
Chen Xueming was silent for a few seconds, then said, "Thank you."
Lin Mo smiled: "Thank me for what?"
Chen Xueming shook his head, said nothing, and just squeezed his hand firmly.
Li Xiao ran over, holding up her glass: "Senior Brother! I toast you too!"
Lin Mo smiled and clinked glasses with her.
Zhao Gang walked over and stood beside them. He didn't say anything, just raised his glass.
Lin Mo clinked glasses with him.
Wang Lei, Xiao Zhou, Section Chief Wu, Liu Jianguo... one by one they came over, one by one they toasted.
Lin Mo didn't refuse anyone, drinking glass after glass.
As he drank, he became a bit tipsy.
He sat in his chair, looking at those familiar faces, listening to those familiar laughs, and smelling the familiar aroma of the food.
Thirty-six thousand kilometers above, that cable was still there.
The bridge to the stars was now open.
And he, along with these people, had made it to this day.
Late at night, Lin Mo stood alone on the hotel balcony.
The night wind was cool, clearing his head a bit. The city lights in the distance were brilliant, and the starry sky overhead was dense.
Footsteps approached.
It was Wang Zhenguo.
"Teacher," Lin Mo turned around, "why haven't you rested yet?"
Wang Zhenguo walked to his side, also looking at the distant night view.
"I couldn't sleep," he said. "I wanted to come see you."
The two of them stood in silence.
After a long time, Wang Zhenguo said, "Xiao Mo, you've grown up."
Lin Mo was stunned for a moment.
Wang Zhenguo looked at him, his eyes full of affection: "When I first met you, you were still a Ph.D. Student, all clumsy. Now, you are the chief designer."
Lin Mo's eyes felt a bit warm.
"Teacher, thank you."
Wang Zhenguo shook his head: "Don't thank me. You paved this path yourself."
He looked at the starry sky above and said softly, "You went to see it for me. I am very content."
Lin Mo nodded and said nothing.
The two of them stood side by side, looking at the stars.
Thirty-six thousand kilometers above, that invisible cable was connecting the Earth and space.
The bridge to the stars was now open.
And they were just getting started.