Chapter 120: Space Industry as the Core and Pillar (Bonus Chapter for the 10,086 Reward)

As Li Fu had anticipated, just a few days later, while he and Wang Yun were still happily enjoying their private world in their little home in Huaxia Garden, an urgent call came from Old Master Wang. Without saying a word, he simply instructed Li Fu to come to the Wang family’s courtyard immediately.

Li Fu and Wang Yun hurried back to the Wang residence. By then, the old master was dressed impeccably in a sleek black suit, which made him appear much younger.

“Ah Yun, stay here. Li Fu, come with me,” the old master said decisively.

He was brisk and efficient, rising without any idle chatter and heading out. After exchanging a glance, Li Fu followed him. Outside, the old master’s driver was already waiting in the car.

The vehicle cruised slowly along the wide streets of the imperial capital. Inside the car, the old master was deep in thought. After a moment, he spoke to Li Fu quietly, “Later, I want you to repeat what you told me a few days ago. Huaxia must change, it must.”

“Understood,” Li Fu replied, though puzzled. He tried to guess what the old master’s true intentions were this time. Soon, however, he understood. The car did not travel far; it simply circled around the very center of the imperial capital before entering a heavily guarded area. Li Fu sensed through his spiritual energy that even a mosquito would find it impossible to fly in unnoticed.

“This is it!” Li Fu thought, piecing together the route they had taken. He quickly instructed his shadow assistant to check, and his nerves tensed. The old master was leading him into the very heart of Huaxia, the most secure zone in the imperial capital. Suddenly, everything became clear.

The car moved slowly inside, greeted with salutes from the guards along the way. Eventually, it stopped in front of a massive gate.

“We’ve arrived. Let’s go,” said the driver as he opened the door for the old master. Li Fu stepped out smoothly, carefully observing the surroundings. The environment was serene, with ancient buildings exuding a profound sense of history. Guards stood watch with unwavering vigilance, and Li Fu felt countless eyes fixed on him from all directions.

Following the old master, Li Fu entered a vast conference room. Many people were already seated inside—figures who were often seen on television, true powerhouses of the nation.

Alongside these leaders, Li Fu recognized many of the top scientists who had worked on the “Divine Arrow” aerospace fighter last year: Liu Shiying, Yin Ya, Wu Chengying, and numerous experts and scholars from the fields of aerospace and aviation.

Within minutes of Old Master Wang’s arrival, several top officials also entered. Clearly, this was a meeting of the highest importance, attended not only by current leaders but also by veteran revolutionaries of the nation.

“It must be a crucial conference on aviation and aerospace,” Li Fu thought to himself. Seeing Liu Shiying and the others, and recalling the old master’s words in the car, Li Fu immediately comprehended the purpose behind this gathering.

As expected, the meeting revolved around aerospace and aviation, with the central theme being the Space Age.

Renowned experts took the stage one by one, presenting the current state of Huaxia’s aerospace industry and their visions for the future. They emphasized the need to develop the space industry, explore space resources, and exploit lunar materials. Yet none of their presentations were as comprehensive or systematic as Li Fu’s would be; he had learned from the vast Han technology empire what the true Space Age entailed and was prepared to deliver a thorough account.

Soon, when the host called out Li Fu’s name, amidst applause, the youngest participant slowly took the stage. Li Fu’s shadow assistant had already prepared a draft speech, connected to the conference’s computer system. On the large display, a map of the solar system appeared.

“The forthcoming Space Age, or rather, the Space Age as I envision it, should look like this…”

That day would be deeply etched into history. Li Fu’s speech, titled “The Solar System Is Our Backyard,” was immortalized in the annals of time.

“We will build factories in space, develop agriculture, and harness solar energy; establish bases on the moon to mine resources for constructing spacecraft and space cities; terraform Mars for colonization, allowing the Huaxia people to claim a star of their own, no longer worrying about land; mine asteroids in the asteroid belt, each worth hundreds of billions, even trillions… The solar system is our backyard!”

Li Fu painted a vivid picture of a new era for everyone present—a grand vision of future development, a historic moment when the Huaxia nation would surpass all others in the Space Age.

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A few days later, the Huaxia No. 1 Document was publicly released. The No. 1 Document, issued shortly after the Lunar New Year each year, is a highly significant proclamation, generally revealing major national plans for the future.

For example, the 2016 No. 1 Document outlined “Opinions on Implementing New Development Concepts to Accelerate Agricultural Modernization and Achieve a Well-off Society in All Respects.” The 2017 document focused on “Deepening Agricultural Supply-side Structural Reform and Accelerating the Cultivation of New Drivers for Agricultural and Rural Development.”

These documents reveal the country’s priorities and directions. It was clear that in recent years, the government had vigorously supported agricultural reform to address the nation’s weakest links: agriculture, rural areas, and farmers, aiming for a comprehensive well-off society through deep reform and development.

However, the 2019 New Year’s No. 1 Document stunned everyone. This time, the Huaxia government did not mention agriculture, industry, or the virtual world industry, which many had expected. Instead, it declared that the future of Huaxia would center on the space industry as its core and pillar. It called for robust development of high-tech industries, particularly aerospace and aviation, to establish the space industry as the new foundation of national transformation.

This document, titled “Opinions on Comprehensively Promoting Huaxia’s Development in the Space Sector,” explicitly stated that the government would strongly encourage and support private participation in the space industry. It aimed to develop the space industry into Huaxia’s core pillar, enabling a leap in the nation’s overall GDP and laying a solid foundation for the great rejuvenation of the Huaxia people in the coming Space Age.

The release of this No. 1 Document sent shockwaves around the world. Within Huaxia, cheers erupted. The people were thrilled—finally, they would venture into space to play; Earth could no longer satisfy their desire to show off.

From online forums to everyday conversations, nearly everyone was discussing this topic. With the emergence of the aerospace fighter jets, it seemed Huaxia was truly poised to take the lead in ushering in the Space Age. The cost of shuttling between Earth and space was already very low, merely requiring electricity and compressed air. Many large companies could afford these expenses, let alone the government.

From news media to popular headlines, nearly all content focused on the space industry: space factories, space agriculture, space energy, space tourism, lunar resource mining, asteroid mining, future Mars terraforming, interstellar migration… almost verbatim echoes of Li Fu’s speech.

The content was naturally captivating—and genuinely so. Take space agriculture alone: the unlimited space and uninterrupted sunlight offered 24-hour illumination, providing many advantages unknown to Earth’s farming. Adequate light alone ensured high-quality crops, and without the need for pesticides, agriculture in space could be pollution-free, high-yield, and highly productive.

Similarly, space factories could perform tasks impossible on Earth. For instance, producing steel balls with perfect spherical shapes was unattainable on Earth, regardless of precision. But in the zero-gravity environment of space, such perfection could be achieved with ease.

The development and utilization of solar energy in space were equally promising; without atmospheric interference, solar energy was virtually inexhaustible and easily harvestable.

Ordinary citizens felt immense pride in the nation’s strength and progress. Meanwhile, Huaxia’s capitalists grew restless. The government had clearly indicated its support for private involvement. Previously, space industry development was hindered by technical limitations and high costs.

Now, everything had changed. The cost of space travel was minimal, profits were high, and the potential for returns was enormous. Anyone with insight could see that this was the golden age of the space industry’s inception. Laying a foundation now promised mountains of gold and silver in the future—besides, it aligned perfectly with national calls to keep pace with the times.

While Huaxia buzzed with excitement about the future of its space industry, international reactions were more skeptical. Global media outlets were quick to pour cold water on Huaxia’s grand strategy, citing high costs and technological challenges. At the state level, many powerful nations felt immense pressure, compelling them to revise their space programs and invest greater resources and effort.