Chapter 275 Mechs Make Their Debut

October 1, 2040.

Beijing, Changan Avenue.

Morning sunlight spilled over the broad Changan Avenue, gilding every red flag with a golden edge. This was National Day, the ninety-first anniversary of the founding of New China. On the Tiananmen Rostrum, red flags fluttered in the wind, and the Viewing Stands were packed.

Li Xiao stood on the Viewing Stand, straining on her tiptoes to see more clearly. Beside her was Zhao Gang, wearing a brand-new military uniform with several medals pinned to his chest.

"Brother Zhao, are you nervous?" Li Xiao asked in a low voice.

Zhao Gang shook his head. "Not nervous. Just a bit excited."

Li Xiao smiled. "Me too."

Behind them were representatives from all over the country and models from all walks of life. But today, everyone's eyes were focused on the same direction—the eastern end of Changan Avenue, where the military parade was about to begin.

At exactly nine o'clock in the morning, the military parade officially began.

The military band played a majestic march, and the marching formations passed through Tiananmen with synchronized steps. Not a single step was out of place, not a single person out of line, like rows of moving city walls.

Li Xiao looked at those young soldiers, her eyes getting a bit misty.

"Brother Zhao, did you used to march like this too?"

Zhao Gang nodded. "I did. Thirty years ago, I was one of them."

Li Xiao turned her head to look at him, imagining a young Zhao Gang in uniform, performing the goose-step, and couldn't help but laugh.

"What are you laughing at?" Zhao Gang glared at her.

Li Xiao shook her head. "Nothing. I just think Brother Zhao must have been very handsome when he was young."

Zhao Gang was stunned for a moment, then he also smiled.

At ten o'clock in the morning, the equipment formations began their debut.

Tanks, armored vehicles, missile launchers... one after another, these steel behemoths slowly drove past Changan Avenue, the roar of their engines deafening. On the Viewing Stands, people raised their phones to record these pillars of the nation.

But what truly shocked the world came afterward.

At 10:20, a special formation appeared at the eastern end of Changan Avenue.

Ten mechas.

Their silver-white metallic shells shimmered in the sunlight, each standing five meters tall and weighing about eight tons. They had no tracks or wheels, but instead walked on two thick mechanical legs. With every step they took, the ground trembled slightly.

They lined up in a neat formation, passing through Tiananmen with perfectly synchronized speed and steps. Their mechanical arms swung naturally and their heads turned, as if a team of steel giants were on parade.

On the Viewing Stands, there was a second of silence.

Then, a thunderous cry of surprise erupted.

"What is that?!"

"Mecha! It's a real mecha!"

"My god! Isn't this a sci-fi movie?!"

Li Xiao's eyes widened, her mouth hanging open wide enough to fit an egg. She watched those silver-white giants walk past her, seeing their uniform steps, the weapon systems on their shoulders, and the eye-like sensors on their heads.

"Brother Zhao!" She grabbed Zhao Gang's arm. "Are these ours?!"

Zhao Gang nodded, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly.

"Yes. Ours."

Meanwhile, on the Space Elevator Platform.

Chen Xueming stood in the command center, staring at the live broadcast on the big screen. When he saw those ten mechas marching through Tiananmen, the coffee cup in his hand almost fell to the floor.

"Holy crap!" he blurted out.

Xiao Zhou, who was nearby, was startled. "President Chen, what's wrong?"

Chen Xueming pointed at the screen. "Look! Mechas!"

Xiao Zhou leaned in to take a look and was also stunned.

"Is... is this real?"

Chen Xueming shook his head, then nodded. "It should be real. You can't fake it at the National Day parade."

Xiao Zhou stared blankly at the screen and murmured, "When did we get these?"

Chen Xueming thought for a moment. "It should be after the sky ladder was completed. With the ability for low-cost access to space, many things that were too expensive to build before can be made now."

He looked at the ten silver-white giants on the screen and suddenly smiled.

"Old Lin must know. He's been keeping it from us."

In Beijing, on the Viewing Stand.

Li Xiao finally snapped out of her shock. She whipped out her phone, frantically taking photos and videos, and sent them to the work group.

"Did you guys see that?! Mechas!!!"

The group chat exploded instantly.

Wang Lei: "Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap! Are those really mechas?!"

Xiao Zhou: "I thought I was watching a movie!"

Liu Jianguo: "Can these things fight in a war?"

Section Chief Wu: "Looking at that armor thickness, ordinary bullets definitely won't pierce it."

Chen Xueming sent one last message: "Old Lin must know. When he gets back, we'll have to give him a good questioning."

Li Xiao looked at the messages, grinning from ear to ear.

She looked up and watched the last mecha walk past her. Under the sun, its shell shimmered with a silver-white luster, every step steady and firm. As it passed Tiananmen, its head turned slightly toward the Viewing Stand, and that eye-like sensor seemed to lock eyes with someone for a second.

Li Xiao was stunned for a moment, then she waved her hand.

Even though she knew it couldn't possibly see her, she still waved.

After the military parade ended, social media was in a complete frenzy.

Of the top ten trending topics on Weibo, eight were related to mechas.

#National Day Parade Mecha Debut#

#Is This a Sci-Fi Movie?#

#China's Mecha Infantry System#

#Steel Giants#

#The Mechas of Tiananmen#

All kinds of videos, photos, and GIFs spread like wildfire. Some were analyzing the mecha's performance parameters, some were guessing its weapon systems, and some were lamenting, "I can't believe I'm seeing real mechas in my lifetime."

Overseas media also blew up.

BBC: "China showcases mecha units at military parade, sparking global shock."

CNN: "From space elevator to mecha individual soldiers: China is redefining the 'future'."

The New York Times: "This isn't a sci-fi movie; this is China's reality."

On social media, foreign netizens' comments were varied:

"Is this really 2024? I thought I'd have to wait until 2100!"

"Has China secretly collaborated with aliens?"

"Iron Man: I'm going to be out of a job."

"I suggest Hollywood come to China for filming; they won't even need special effects."

Others were tagging Elon Musk: "Elon, did you see this? China has mechas!"

At three o'clock in the afternoon, Lin Mo finally appeared.

When he walked into the base's conference room, everyone was already there waiting. Chen Xueming, Li Xiao, Zhao Gang, Section Chief Wu, Liu Jianguo... over a dozen pairs of eyes were fixed on him.

Lin Mo was stunned for a moment. "What's wrong?"

Chen Xueming stood up and pointed to the news on his phone. "Old Lin, this... do you know about this?"

Lin Mo took a look, then nodded. "I know."

"Then why didn't you tell us?" Li Xiao glared at him.

Lin Mo sat down and unhurriedly poured a cup of tea. "Because of confidentiality."

There was a second of silence in the conference room.

Then Chen Xueming asked, "Can you talk about it now?"

Lin Mo took a sip of tea and nodded.

"The Mecha Infantry System is one of the derivative projects of the sky ladder project," he said. "With the sky ladder, we can send large components into space and assemble them in orbit. With Carbon Nanotubes, we can manufacture lighter and stronger armor. With Nuclear Fusion, we can provide sufficient energy."

He looked at those dozen or so surprised faces.

"Research and development began three years ago. We just finished the final tests last month."

Liu Jianguo's mouth fell open. "Three years ago? Isn't that when the sky ladder just started being built?"

Lin Mo nodded.

Section Chief Wu asked, "Can this thing really fight in a war?"

Lin Mo thought for a moment. "Theoretically, yes. But its primary use isn't for war."

"Then what is it for?"

Lin Mo stood up, walked to the window, and pointed at the sky outside.

"It's another path beyond the sky ladder," he said. "If one day we need to build a base on the Moon, a city on Mars, or explore deep space—mechas will go further than humans themselves."

The conference room was silent for a long time.

Then Chen Xueming smiled.

"Old Lin, you really kept it well hidden."

Lin Mo also smiled.

"When it's time to know, you'll know."

Late at night, Li Xiao was alone in the data center, looking at the comments online.

"Has China secretly collaborated with aliens?"

She thought of what Lin Mo said in the afternoon and couldn't help but laugh.

She tapped on the keyboard and replied to a comment:

"No cooperation with aliens. Just a group of ordinary people doing some ordinary things together."

After posting, she closed her laptop and walked to the window.

Outside the window, the night sky was dotted with stars.

36,000 kilometers above, that invisible cable was connecting the Earth and space.

And on the ground, those silver-white mechas were standing quietly somewhere, waiting for their first mission.

There is more than one path to the stars.

And they are opening up every path.