While the palace's nightlife unfolded in an extremely luxurious yet charming manner, the commoner districts of "Chengtian Capital" were equally immersed in an ocean of peace and happiness.
Unlike the grandeur of royal palaces, which often cover hundreds of square kilometers, the planning of civilian districts embodies a different kind of exquisite beauty in technology, full of humanistic care.
Rows of beautifully designed, sleek white buildings are scattered around the huge central ecological park.
Between the buildings, there are no crowded streets or noisy traffic; instead, there are transparent magnetic levitation tracks crisscrossing in the air.
One after another, fully automated public transport aircraft, resembling capsules, silently shuttle along the tracks, precisely transporting people to every corner of the city.
On the 78th floor of one of the apartment buildings, named "Hope Garden," a bright and cozy home is brightly lit.
This is the home of engineer Li Hao and his wife, Chen Yue, a primary school teacher.
This is a "standard family residence" with an area of 350 square meters, allocated by the kingdom.
Despite being "standard," its interior decoration and configuration are enough to make any middle-class family in the Blue Star era feel ashamed.
The house features whole-house smart voice control, a lighting system that changes color according to mood, a nutritional food processor that can automatically cook thousands of dishes, and a smart wall that can switch between a panoramic floor-to-ceiling window and an ultra-high-definition screen at any time.
All of this is free.
At this moment, Li Hao was sitting on the soft sofa in the living room. On the coffee table in front of him, a holographic chessboard was floating. He was playing a game of chess with a friend who was thousands of miles away.
His wife, Chen Yue, had just finished her "bedtime yoga".
She was dressed in comfortable loungewear, smelling fresh after a shower, and carrying two glasses of warm milk, automatically prepared by a food processor to help her sleep, as she walked to her husband's side.
"Are you still playing chess?" Chen Yue handed the milk to her husband and asked softly.
"Hmm, last move." Li Hao smiled and moved a piece. "Checkmate! Haha, Old Wang, you've lost again!"
The virtual figure on the opposite side of the chessboard let out a helpless sigh: "You kid, ever since you joined the 'Tiangong Kaiwu Academy,' your brain has become increasingly sharp. No way, let's play again tomorrow!"
After ending the call, Li Hao took a sip of warm milk and sighed contentedly.
"It's so comfortable at home."
Chen Yue sat down next to him and gently rested her head on his shoulder: "Was work tiring today? I heard that your 'Tiangong Kaiwu Institute' is working on a big project recently."
"Tired? Not at all!" Li Hao's eyes gleamed with excitement. "You have no idea what a breakthrough we've made today! We've successfully integrated the scales of the 'Void Carp' into the external armor of the 'Divine Might' aerial fortress. Theoretically, this could extend the fortress's 'optical camouflage' activation time by more than three times! Chief Engineer Wang said that once the plan is finalized, it will be submitted to His Majesty! Perhaps, the armor we designed will become standard equipment on all the kingdom's main warships in the future!"
His tone was filled with pride and glory.
To be able to contribute one's wisdom and strength to this great kingdom and to that supreme emperor is the greatest pursuit of every researcher in this era.
"You're amazing." Chen Yue's eyes were filled with admiration. She was proud of her husband.
She gently stroked her slightly protruding belly, her face radiating maternal glow: "Today, the school organized a viewing of the movie 'The Descent of Gods' for the children. They all watched very attentively. One little boy wrote a reflection after watching it, saying that when he grows up, he wants to be as great as Your Majesty and protect this world."
"Haha, that's ambitious!"
Li Hao laughed and said, "But becoming someone like His Majesty is not easy. He is... one of a kind."
When Lin Feng is mentioned, the couple's faces involuntarily reveal a heartfelt and utmost respect.
They were all participants in the Great Migration.
They vividly remember how, in that dark, apocalyptic early period, they struggled to survive amidst the ruins, starving and constantly facing the threat of death.
It was Lin Feng who descended like a god, bringing order, food, and hope.
It was Lin Feng who single-handedly created this wonderful new world that they could never have dreamed of before.
Here, there is no 996 work schedule, no exorbitant housing prices, no unaffordable medical care, and no unaffordable education.
As a top-notch engineer, Li Hao only needs to work six hours a day. He can spend the rest of his time with his family or delve into technologies that interest him.
His income was enough for them to live a very comfortable life.
As a teacher, Chen Yue receives the highest respect from the entire society. Her work is also relatively easy, and she enjoys exceptionally long holidays.
They don't need to worry about the future, because the kingdom has planned everything for them.
From birth to education, from work to retirement, and even to their unborn children, they will enjoy the country's top welfare benefits.
All they needed to do was to fulfill their duties and offer their eternal loyalty to the king who had given them all this.
The Imperial Palace, the Study.
After frolicking with the concubines, Lin Feng went to the place where he was handling serious business.
This study is larger than a football field in the Blue Star era.
At this moment, he was sitting behind an enormous desk made from a single piece of "Imperial Black Gold".
Su Wanqing and Qin Lan, his two most capable right-hand women, stood on either side of him.
They had shed their evening glamour and donned formal court attire, their expressions becoming serious and focused.
Before them were several top-level reports that they had selected and deemed necessary for Lin Feng to review personally.
"Your Majesty, this is the final report on the 'Tianhe' project." Su Wanqing spoke first, projecting a holographic document in front of Lin Feng.
In the scene, a magnificent waterway, resembling a silver dragon, stretches across towering mountains. The rushing river flows through it, carrying the source of life to the once arid west.
"With the support of 30,000 engineering robots and superconducting water diversion technology, the 'Tianhe' project was completed yesterday, 20 days ahead of schedule."
Su Wanqing reported, "Now, the 'Desolate Mountains' in the western part of the kingdom have initially formed a stable rainfall climate. Experts from the Ministry of Ecology predict that within ten years, it will become a new oasis."
Lin Feng merely glanced at it casually.
The so-called "Tianhe" project, from his casual remark to its completion, took only a little over a month.
A super project that would have altered the landscape and required generations and the entire nation's resources to complete in the Blue Star era was accomplished in his kingdom with such nonchalance.
"Approved," he said calmly. "Tell them to focus on farming; the sea buckthorn berries will taste even better in the future."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Su Wanqing recorded his exact words.
"Next item." Lin Feng's gaze turned to Qin Lan.
Qin Lan's expression was even more serious than Su Wanqing's. She pulled up another document, marked "Top Secret".
"Your Majesty, this is the latest report on the 'Xuanwu Project' jointly submitted by the Ministry of National Defense and the 'Tiangong Kaiwu Institute'."
As she spoke, an incredibly stunning 3D model appeared before Lin Feng.
It was a humanoid mech, fifteen meters tall, with a dark black body, full of power and beauty!
Its design is inspired by the mythical beast Xuanwu from ancient Chinese mythology, exuding a sense of weight and majesty.
Its armor is not smooth metal, but a strange material resembling obsidian with irregular crystalline patterns. On its shoulders and back are also equipped massive, tortoise-shell-like energy shield generators.
It held no weapons, but its massive, beast-like mechanical hands, shimmering with a ghostly blue light, exuded a destructive and oppressive aura.
"The 'Xuanwu' Type I Heavy Assault Mech," Qin Lan's cool voice, tinged with barely perceptible excitement, began to introduce: "The mech body is forged from a mixture of 'obsidian alloy' and 'beast nerve bundles,' possessing extremely high physical and energy resistance, and also having a certain degree of self-repair capability."
"Its power source is our newly developed super battery, which has almost unlimited energy."
"The primary weapon is a 'high-frequency particle oscillation cannon' built into the palm of the hand, which is enough to vaporize a main battle tank in three seconds. The secondary weapon consists of thirty-two 'miniature missile launchers' distributed throughout the body."
"Its biggest highlight is its defense system—the 'Void Deflection Shield'. This shield is generated by four generators on its back, and theoretically, it can deflect most energy attacks below the level of the 'God's Might' main cannon."
“Most importantly,” Qin Lan paused, her tone becoming more serious, “we have successfully implanted a simple ‘mental power amplification system’ into the cockpit. Although it is still very rudimentary, it allows the pilot’s will to be initially synchronized with the mecha’s operating system. In other words, the pilot’s thoughts can directly affect the mecha’s actions, greatly improving reaction speed.”
"Currently, the first batch of twelve experimental machines has completed the final debugging."
The military requests that a live-fire test exercise be held for you. Please grant your decision.
After listening to Qin Lan's introduction, Lin Feng finally showed a hint of genuine interest.
Robots and mega-projects are merely extensions of his power.
But mechs, these ultimate weapons full of violent aesthetics and individual heroism, are more likely to touch his instincts as a man.
In particular, that so-called "mental power amplification system".
He could imagine the terrifying power that would be unleashed if he were to personally "drive" this machine.
“Interesting.” He slowly stood up, his gaze fixed intently on the model of the “Xuanwu” mecha.
"Notify the Ministry of National Defense that the exercise will take place tomorrow morning."
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority.
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