115: Chapter 115 Lunar Celebration and Earth's Cheers
The successful completion and operational capability of the first phase of the "Guanghan Palace" interplanetary port was undoubtedly a powerful stimulant for the Dragon Nation, which was in the midst of the "Deep Blue Era" mobilization and fully preparing for unknown threats.
The Supreme Command Headquarters decided to present this milestone achievement to all the people of the Dragon Nation who had strived for it through a special celebration that spanned the space between Earth and the Moon, connecting billions of hearts.
The main venue for the celebration ceremony was set in the newly built central plaza of the "Guanghan Palace" base.
A massive Dragon Nation flag and the "Guanghan Palace" emblem hung side-by-side above the plaza, swaying slowly in the Moon's low-gravity environment.
Surrounding the plaza was a connected complex of silver-gray domed structures, and further in the distance, the majestic outlines of the newly built massive port dry docks and fuel storage tanks were faintly visible.
The twelve members of the second batch of lunar personnel, led by Zhao Xiaopeng, stood in neat formation in the center of the plaza, dressed in crisp, new-style lunar service uniforms.
Behind them were engineers and scientists representing various posts, as well as several intelligent robots with flashing signal lights.
Through ultra-high-definition cameras set up throughout the plaza and the "Mozi" quantum communication network, the real-time footage of the celebration was transmitted without delay to Earth, 380,000 kilometers away.
At exactly 8:00 PM Dragon Nation time, the celebration officially began.
There were no long-winded speeches from leaders; instead, Zhao Xiaopeng, as the representative of the lunar station, stepped forward, faced the camera, solemnly raised his right arm, and gave a standard military salute.
All the lunar personnel behind him, along with the robots, also turned toward Earth at the same time to pay their highest respects.
Zhao Xiaopeng's voice, carried through quantum communication, spread clearly and resoundingly to every corner of the Dragon Nation:
"Motherland! People of the nation! All personnel stationed at the 'Guanghan Palace' base are reporting to you! We have successfully built our first home, our first port, and our first bridgehead to the sea of stars, outside of Earth and on the far side of the Moon! Please review our progress, Motherland and people!"
As his voice fell, the pre-arranged "light show," composed of the base's controllable light sources, instantly illuminated.
The massive national flag and emblem shone brilliantly under the lights, and the outlines of the key buildings of the entire base and port were traced out one by one, forming a breathtaking and futuristic magnificent picture against the backdrop of the deep universe and Earth, the blue planet.
Meanwhile, on Earth.
From the brightly lit Tiananmen Square in the capital to the giant LED screens on the skyscrapers of the Shanghai Bund; from the open-air venues of the Shenzhen High-Tech Park to the command hall of the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the northwest; from the border guard posts in the snow-covered plains of the northeast to the aircraft carrier decks on the blue waves of the South China Sea; from thousands of households in bustling cities to Hope Primary Schools in remote mountain villages...
Countless screens, regardless of size, were simultaneously broadcasting the thrilling scene on the lunar surface.
At this moment, time seemed to freeze.
Immediately after, like a long-dormant volcano suddenly erupting, deafening cheers, applause, and shouts rose to the sky simultaneously from every corner of the Dragon Nation!
"Long live the Motherland!" "Long live Guanghan Palace!" "Long live the aerospace personnel!"
People waved the national flags in their hands, hugged each other in excitement, and wept with joy.
Children pointed at the clear lunar base on the screens, jumping with excitement, their eyes sparkling with infinite longing for the starry sky.
The elderly wiped tears from the corners of their eyes; they had witnessed the great leap of this country from poverty and weakness to standing among the stars today.
On the internet, the wave of celebration instantly flooded every platform.
"I'm crying! This is our own planetary base, us Chinese people!"
"Look at this scale! This momentum! Who dares to say we can't do it?"
"From Earth to the Moon, how many years did it take us? From the Moon to the sea of stars, how much longer will we need? I believe it won't be long!"
This was not just a victory of technology, but an ultimate sublimation of national spirit and cohesion.
It made every citizen of the Dragon Nation truly feel that their own destiny was so closely linked to the country's, and so close to that distant starry sky.
The lunar celebration and the cheers from Earth intertwined into a magnificent symphony spanning space, sounding the strongest note of the Dragon Nation's journey into the deep space era.
It declared to the whole world, and to that deep universe: the spark of human civilization had already ignited the most vigorous flame in the east of this blue planet, and it would never be extinguished!