Chapter 259: Circling the Pacific Ocean (1)
Chapter 259 – Circling the Pacific Ocean (1)
Rumble, rumble!
Water carrying hundreds of tonnes of force sprayed out of the nozzle. The water reached up to 200 meters into the air before succ.u.mbing to gravity and scattering.
From afar, it looked as if a gigantic umbrella made of water, and it was incredibly beautiful.
Pitter-patter… Pitter-patter…
Reaching out, Chen Yu tried catching the falling drops of seawater with his hand. After a moment of silence, he said, “That’s a lot.”
[What’s a lot?]
[Why do I feel a hint of perverseness?]
[How spectacular!]
[It only sprayed up by a few hundred meters! I’m leaving a bad review!]
[This is foreplay. It’ll spray even higher afterward.]
[What are you guys talking about? As a lonely man born in the 90s, I can’t understand what you’re saying.]
[Now that there are more spectators, the number of people with dirty minds have also increased. I’m turning off the bullet comments.]
[Bear with it. There are simply too few serious people like us.]
“The test is a success. The pipeline is unblocked.” After using the seawater to wash away the calcium chloride powder stuck to his suit, Chen Yu manipulated the portal’s virtual Earth. “Now, all we need to do is get Russia’s s.p.a.ce capsule, and we can rise to heaven.”
Shortly afterward, a new spatial link was established, and the scenery inside the metal arch changed once more. The location this time was set inside an indoor hall covering several thousand square meters.
Many pieces of machinery were chaotically arranged inside the hall. However, the four-meter-tall, six-meter-wide s.p.a.ce capsule stood out so much that it instantly grabbed everyone’s attention.
“That’s the s.p.a.ce capsule Russia developed. Its name is Andromeda, and it is larger than the Orion s.p.a.cecraft produced by NASA in 2018. Andromeda has eight seats in total.”
While giving an introduction to his audience, Chen Yu entered the hall under the gaze of many military officers, special agents, and professors. When he arrived before the s.p.a.ce capsule, he gave the capsule’s inconspicuous metal surface a few taps. “If we use the Earth Spray to launch this thing, we can remove both the seats and dashboards. And with the additional s.p.a.ce, we can fit at least an extra dozen people or so.”
“Uu…”
At this time, a choked crying sound suddenly came from the crowd of onlookers.
Turning around, Chen Yu found an old professor with a gray beard wiping his tears sadly and doing his best to suppress his crying.
“What’s wrong with him?” Chen Yu asked the tall man, who looked to be in charge, in confusion.
“Mr. King, I am delighted to meet you,” the person in charge said as he quickly blocked the old professor with his body. In a strange Chinese accent, he continued, “We have already removed the s.p.a.ce capsule’s internal facilities. Taking into account your portal’s size, we have also split the capsule’s body into two parts, and they can be transported at any ti—”
“I asked what’s wrong with him?” Chen Yu interrupted the other party.
“He…” After a moment of hesitation, the person in charge stammered, “He is Andromeda’s Ch-Chief Engineer and Designer. He became emotionally unstable when he saw the capsule getting torn apart. B-But it doesn’t matter. Mr. King, you don’t need to mind him.”
“Oh.” After visually scanning the old man a few times, Chen Yu nodded and said, “Start transporting the capsule, then. Thank you for supporting my review.”
“It is our honor.”
After giving a solemn reply, the person in charge quickly directed the two nearby cranes to lift the s.p.a.ce capsule and move it through the portal.
“Uu…”
Seeing his own “child” getting dismembered, the old professor collapsed emotionally and started wailing loudly. “I-It was so close to being fully outfitted. It was just missing a propulsion engine…”
Since young till now, this was the first time Chen Yu had seen someone crying even more pitifully than Chen Sanke. After thinking a little bit, he stepped forward and patted the old man’s shoulders, “Hey, old man, don’t cry.”
“Why… I-It was about to fly in just another year…”
“Okay, stop crying. Isn’t it just a s.p.a.ce capsule? I’ll get Russian to make you another one in the future. A bigger one, even.”
“Mr. King…” The old professor wiped away his tears with his sleeves. He then hoa.r.s.ely said, “It is Andromeda’s core cabin. If you make a new cabin, it won’t be…the original one.”
“Is that so?” Chen Yu scratched his helmet uncomfortably, a sense of guilt subconsciously appearing in his heart.
“I feel sorry for it. All you need is a tightly sealed, temperature resistant sh.e.l.l, but…but it could’ve performed much greater feats. Uu…”
“Chief Ivan!” The person in charge standing at a side finally couldn’t take it any longer. Sternly, he shouted, “непереусердствуй! (Don’t go too far!)”
“I created it part by part!” The old man’s face flushed red in anger, and he started coughing violently. “I—cough, cough—I can’t even cry for it? Given my physical condition, there’s never going to be another chance for me to—cough, cough—rebuild it!”
“Успокойего. (Take him away and have him calm down.)”
“ненадо! (No!)” the old professor roared hoa.r.s.ely.
“Okay, stop arguing.” Chen Yu held back the two soldiers approaching the old professor. “Once people grow old and frail, their minds will become more sensitive. Try to understand. Also, this is my problem.” After saying so, Chen Yu patted the old man’s shoulders. “Old man, why are you crying again?”
“Uu…” The old professor pursed his lips and remained silent. However, tears continually leaked out of his eyes.
“Even your snot is going into your mouth?!”
“Uu…”
“How about this?” Sighing, Chen Yu pointed at the water column beyond the portal and said, “As compensation, I’ll take you to s.p.a.ce with me afterward.”
“Woo~ Woohoo~ Woohoo~ Ahahahaha!”
Chen Yu: “?”
The surrounding crowd: “…”
The livestream’s 26 million viewers: “…”
…
“We’re done a.s.sembling it!”
Ten minutes later, the old Russian professor clasped the last metal buckle and completed the s.p.a.ce capsule’s rea.s.sembly. He then excitedly said, “The seal is perfect! It can be used directly!”
Seeing this, Chen Yu opened his mouth but failed to utter any words.
“Esteemed Mr. King.” Approaching Chen Yu, the old professor eagerly said, “You should turn the spray off for now. I’ll have the cranes lift the s.p.a.ce capsule onto the nozzle.”
“…”
Chen Yu didn’t make a verbal reply. He simply nodded and dazedly reached out to the console by the nozzle. He then turned off the spray, causing the jet of water to instantly weaken until it disappeared completely.
“Quick! Push it up!” the old professor shouted.
“Хорошо. (Okay.)”
Brr…
Boom!
Accompanied by a loud boom, the semi-conical s.p.a.ce capsule sat perfectly centered on the nozzle.
“What a perfect fit!” The old professor waved his hands excitedly. “It is practically made to be the Earth Spray’s s.p.a.ce capsule! This is where it truly belongs! Using a rocket to propel it is simply doing it an injustice!”
“…You should get on board first,” Chen Yu expressionlessly said.
“Sure!” After spitting out some Northeastern Mandarin, the old Russian climbed up a ladder leading to the capsule’s top. He then agilely hopped into the capsule like a monkey.
“Dammit.”
After secretly cursing under his breath, Chen Yu faced the camera and patted the round gla.s.s embedded in the s.p.a.ce capsule. He then loudly said, “The capsule can accommodate more than 15 people. After including me and my female a.s.sistant, this unprecedented s.p.a.ce journey can still hold twelve more pa.s.sengers. So, for the livestream’s final phase… I’m sure everyone knows what to do, even without me stating it.
“Wave your bills!
“Release your luck!
“Come here and personally witness the scariest super fountain in Earth’s history!”