Chapter 147: The Overwhelming Pressure on Uncle Sam

"Xiao Li, I want 100 of those Hercules spaceplanes right away!"

Tang Yunshan’s eyes gleamed with excitement. Although he was an official, his background was in technology. Just by looking at the sheer size of the Hercules spaceplane, he knew its payload capacity was far greater than the nation’s own "Divine Arrow" spaceplane, which was currently domestically produced.

What really mattered was that Li Fu had already said it would only cost 1 billion Huabi per craft. In contrast, the state’s own spaceplane cost 3 billion Huabi to produce. Anyone could easily do the math.

This wasn’t just about saving 2 billion; in terms of transport capacity, the value was dozens of times higher. That was why Tang didn’t hesitate to order 100 units—only 100 billion Huabi—an amount the country could easily afford. This would dramatically accelerate space development in the future.

“Leader, our company is currently planning to produce a batch of Hercules spaceplanes for our own use. We really can’t promise 100 units for you right now,” Li Fu said with a wry smile. His company was also venturing into space, and having their own spaceplane was a rare achievement. Naturally, they needed to prioritize their own development before selling to others.

“Xiao Li, I remember you said before you’d sell the spaceplane to the country for just 1 billion Huabi. You’re not going back on your word, are you?” Tang Yunshan pressed.

“Besides, how many spaceplanes can a single company actually use? Ten would be the max. Good things shouldn’t be kept secret,” Tang added, unwilling to let go so easily. Such a powerful spaceplane was something they wanted to equip in large numbers immediately.

“Leader, selling to the country for 1 billion is no problem, but we need to increase our production capacity first. We’ve just started manufacturing; we can barely make one a month. Even our own demand isn’t met yet,” Li Fu replied, feigning helplessness with a bitter smile.

“Alright, alright. If you need help, just ask me. Get your production up as soon as possible. Making one a month only yields just over 10 billion a year in output. That’s not your style, Xiao Li,” Tang Yunshan said, unaware that production had already reached a speed of about one unit every ten days. Once fully optimized, making one every few days would be easy. He nodded in agreement and allowed Li Fu to prioritize internal use.

Everyone knew Li Fu was making a bold push into the space sector, which was actively supported by the country. There was no reason to criticize him for that.

“Leader, can our spaceplanes be sold externally?” Li Fu cautiously asked.

“Externally? Of course not. These spaceplanes are our nation’s exclusive technology. They absolutely cannot fall into foreign hands,” Tang Yunshan responded sternly.

“I mean externally within China, to other private entities. The nation encourages private capital and forces to develop the space industry. Without spaceplanes, they can’t develop it,” Li Fu explained quickly. “As for foreign sales, no need for you to say, I know it’s absolutely forbidden.”

Selling to the state cost only 1 billion Huabi, yielding at best a tenfold profit. But selling to private capital could bring tens of billions in revenue—that’s real profit.

“I’ll report this to higher-ups. For now, only internal use or sales to the state are allowed,” Tang Yunshan said with a satisfied nod. As long as it wasn’t sold abroad, the spaceplanes were secure.

While Li Fu and his team celebrated the successful test flight of the Hercules spaceplane, halfway across the ocean, Uncle Sam was already fully briefed.

In a large conference room at the Pentagon, top scientists, aerospace agency heads, military leaders, and the U.S. Secretary of State had been summoned.

On the giant screen was live satellite footage showing a massive spaceplane launching from Meijiang County, Jiangnan Province, China, soaring rapidly into space. Its enormous form hung over everyone present like an ominous cloud.

“Ladies and gentlemen, spaceplanes are not new—China has had them for a while. But today I must tell you: this spaceplane was built by a private Chinese company,” James said, eyes bloodshot with stress. Since China’s continuous advances in space, the pressure on him had only mounted. In the global space race, Uncle Sam was struggling. China had already established a permanent base on the moon, while the U.S. had yet to return.

“A private enterprise—Lockheed Martin China, the Fuyun Group, and the globally renowned scientist Li Fu’s company—have built such a massive spaceplane. We are falling behind in the space race. The Chinese have started mining on the moon, while we remain earthbound.”

“We are falling far, far behind. The main reason is we have no spaceplane of our own. You are all aerospace experts—can anyone tell me when we will build our own spaceplane?”

No one answered. Despite massive efforts to research spaceplanes and plasma propulsion, the U.S. had yet to break through the core plasma technology. They couldn’t find materials capable of withstanding 5000-degree heat. Their plasma engines melted into molten iron after just minutes.

Moreover, they hadn’t developed magnetic field batteries yet. Without these, even a plasma engine won’t lift a spaceplane—there’s simply not enough electricity.

“In October, we plan to return to the moon and build a permanent manned base there. If we keep relying on traditional rocket propulsion, our costs will multiply exponentially. We will be dragged down to ruin.”

“Gentlemen, ladies, I beg you—by any means necessary, we must develop our own spaceplane.”

James was desperate. He had sent countless elite spies to steal technology from China, but nearly all never returned. The kidnapping of Li Fu during the Nobel Prize event was his doing, but even that failed.

As for military threats, China was no ordinary country. The U.S. had plenty of advanced weapons, but China had just as many, plus the new spaceplanes—making them nearly invincible.

Economic sanctions were likewise ineffective. China was the world’s second-largest economy, and after rapid virtual economy growth in 2019, it was poised to surpass the U.S. in a few years. Sanctioning China was simply impossible.

Any UN resolutions targeting China were also a dead end. China was a permanent Security Council member with veto power, blocking all such motions. Even if passed, China would ignore them—something the U.S. had seen time and again.

Faced with China’s impermeable defenses, Uncle Sam was helpless. China wasn’t Iraq or North Korea; it couldn’t be bullied or sanctioned at will. The only option was to pour resources into space and compete fiercely.

But with China’s spaceplanes, rapid, convenient, and cheap space travel was a reality. The advantage was overwhelming—like racing a car against a bicycle. The pressure on Uncle Sam was immense, felt from top to bottom.

From the president, whose domestic approval was falling due to massive space spending that only widened the gap with China, to the middle ranks, suffering industry collapse from the decline of electronics and information sectors and the rise of virtual worlds—many businesses were shutting down, unemployment was rising, and social tensions were mounting. The government resorted to printing money to mask the pain.

This further eroded the U.S. dollar’s global status. Nobody was foolish; with the dollar depreciating daily, everyone sought to spend or convert into more stable currencies like the Huabi, Euro, or Yen. The dollar’s global dominance was shaky, on the verge of collapse.

Now that a private Chinese firm had developed a spaceplane, the threat felt even more acute. It meant China was on the verge of fully surpassing the U.S. Their vision to make the space industry a core economic pillar was no idle boast.

With private companies able to build spaceplanes, China’s entire space sector was set for explosive growth. They would dominate space resources and territory, starting with the moon, which could soon belong solely to China.

In the future, when the U.S. wanted to develop space industries, it would be at China’s mercy—an unacceptable prospect.