257: Chapter 257 Mass Production Begins!

Yang Tongan's brows arched slightly after hearing Lin Yuan's words.

He didn't respond immediately, instead fixing his gaze on Lin Yuan's face and studying him quietly for a few seconds.

Yang Tongan knew very well that every seemingly casual word from this young man carried the weight of a thunderclap capable of overturning the global landscape of the Blue Star.

After a moment, Yang Tongan nodded heavily.

"Fine, then let it hang there."

His voice was steady, settling the matter once and for all.

Having handled the subsequent stationing orders for the Xuan Nu Fighter Jet, Yang Tongan turned around.

Clasping his hands behind his back, he shifted his gaze away from the starry background on the large screen and slowly scanned the entire control room.

Everywhere he looked, he saw faces with bloodshot eyes and dark circles, yet flushed red with extreme excitement.

Yang Tongan's sharp, blade-like gaze softened immensely at this moment, yet it also carried an air of utmost solemnity.

He suddenly straightened his posture, snapping his heels together with a dull thud.

Then, facing everyone present, he slowly raised his right hand and gave an impeccably standard military salute.

Everyone in the control room was momentarily stunned before instinctively straightening their backs and holding their breath.

"Comrades."

Yang Tongan's raspy, low voice echoed through the control room.

"Today, the Xuannu successfully ascended and achieved a perfect hover at the Kármán line."

"This is not just the successful maiden flight of a fighter jet, nor is it merely a technological breakthrough."

"This is the first time, in a true sense, that Xia has placed its Great Wall of Steel above the heads of all its enemies."

He lowered his right hand, his eyes filled with unconcealed emotion.

"With your own hands, you have turned blueprints that once lived on hard drives into a sword hanging over the heads of those The Other Side of the Ocean."

"That Xia can stand where it is today, deterring those wolves and tigers from taking even a single step across the line, is not due to charity, but thanks to the hard work of scholars of the state like you!"

Hearing Yang Tongan's words, several elderly experts couldn't help but turn their heads away, quietly wiping the corners of their eyes.

"However, this is only the first step."

Yang Tongan shifted his tone, his voice suddenly rising with a stirring power that ignited the blood.

"The south heaven gate project is immense; the road ahead is still very long."

"I, Yang Tongan, am here to give you all a guarantee on behalf of the higher-ups!"

Yang Tongan's eyes were like torches as he spoke each word with emphasis.

"Every drop of sweat you've shed for the country, every hardship you've endured—the nation has kept a clear record of it all!"

"When the south heaven gate project is fully realized, everyone will be rewarded according to their merits!"

"The nation will never fail any Scholar of the State!"

Once this promise was made, the atmosphere in the control room reached a fever pitch.

The fatigue accumulated from days of high-intensity work was swept away in an instant, replaced by endless fervor and drive.

"Rest assured, Elder Yang!"

Shen Changhe was the first to take a large stride forward.

His voice was loud, resonating with incomparable pride.

"The one that just flew up is only the first prototype."

"To be honest, during the first assembly, no one was certain; we were all feeling our way across the river, so we moved a bit slowly."

"But it's different now!"

"The entire assembly process has been fully ironed out. From the connection of various pipelines to the coupling of superconducting materials and the assembly of the engines, we have accumulated direct data and experience."

Shen Changhe gave a forceful wave of his rough, large hand.

"As for the core components of the Aerospace Fighter, the workshop has been running at full capacity for a while now, and a large batch is already stockpiled in the warehouse!"

"Next, the assembly speed for mass production will increase exponentially!"

"Once the assembly line is running at full throttle, it won't be long before we can build an invincible aerospace fleet for the country that will blot out the sun!"

"If those The Other Side of the Ocean dare to be restless again, we'll use an overwhelming torrent of steel to show them the meaning of true despair!"

The technicians in the control room clenched their fists and chimed in agreement.

Once Xia's terrifying industrial system as the "World's Factory" began mass-producing military units, it would become the ultimate nightmare for all hostile forces.

However, just as everyone was immersed in the thrill of the moment...

Shen Changhe's tone suddenly shifted, his previously excited voice forced into a level tone as his brows furrowed with deep solemnity.

"However, besides the Xuannu..."

"The manufacturing progress of the south heaven gate's other core Aerospace Fighter, the 'White Emperor', is also nearing completion."

"According to the workshop's schedule, the White Emperor's airframe will officially roll off the line and enter the testing phase in a week at most."

Hearing the name "White Emperor," several elderly experts nearby nodded, their faces filled with anticipation.

The White Emperor.

If the Xuannu was an unmanned assassin, then the White Emperor was a heavy Aerospace Carrier escort truly capable of all-domain combat and complex tactical maneuvers.

"But..."

Shen Changhe rubbed his hands together, his brow knitted into a tight knot.

"The White Emperor is different from the Xuannu; it requires a human pilot."

"And the operational environment of an Aerospace Fighter... the requirements for the pilot..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone present understood his meaning.

Near Space, or even outer space.

A terrifying speed of Mach 6.

During extreme tactical evasions, the instantaneous G-load could easily exceed 15G, or even higher!

Coupled with the violent alternation between weightlessness and high G-loads...

In such an environment, an ordinary human body simply couldn't withstand it.

Yang Tongan's previously relaxed brow slowly furrowed.

He fell silent for a few seconds before speaking in a low voice.

"The higher-ups have actually been following up on this issue."

"Screening tests have already been conducted nationwide among the top ace pilots in active service and even astronauts."

"But the operational environment of an Aerospace Fighter demands physical fitness, neural reaction speed, and G-force resistance that far exceed current human physiological limits."

"Candidates who can barely meet the basic threshold..."

He paused for a beat before uttering two words.

"Are extremely few."

Yang Tongan's reply caused the atmosphere in the control room to sink abruptly.

The people who had been full of fervor moments ago now looked at each other in silence.

If the fighter jet they had poured so much heart and soul into was built but no one could fly it, wouldn't it just be an expensive decoration?

Just as this oppressive silence began to spread...

A composed and unhurried voice rang out within the control room.

"It's fine."

Hearing this, everyone quickly turned their heads.

They saw Lin Yuan leaning against the control console, arms crossed, in a relaxed posture.

Looking at the crowd whose eyes were fixed on him, he wore a faint smile and shook his head slightly.

"You don't need to worry too much about the pilot issue."