Humans 4.22 light-years away are naturally unaware of the massive transformation taking place in their neighbor's home.
Inside Mars City No. 1.
Lu Yongchang stood solemnly in the laboratory, looking at the professors in white coats standing in front of him.
After the space mining project was a complete success, his task became the development of weapons systems.
This also corresponds to the missing part of the technology tree system.
“Professor Lü, I think our primary goal is still kinetic weapons!” a professor with typical Soviet features muttered, speaking in broken Mandarin.
"No, no, no, my dear Professor Yevgeny, I believe that kinetic weapons are not very useful in interstellar warfare. We should focus our efforts on laser weapons and more advanced energy weapons."
A similarly broken Mandarin voice rang out from the side.
"Damn Wilson, what do you know about weapons!" Professor Yevgeny from the former Soviet Union immediately sprang to his feet, angrily waving his fist, which was as big as a cooking pot, and shouted at Professor Wilson beside him, "You have no idea about the romance of weapons!"
Professor Wilson shrugged, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "Yes! After all, we weren't the ones who disintegrated back then."
“You!” Yevgeny’s face flushed red as he pointed a trembling finger at Wilson, his sore spot touched.
"Why……"
Looking at the scene before him, Lü Yongchang reached up to rub his forehead and sighed helplessly.
When they first met, the top professors got along very well, appearing to be one big family.
Until the conversation turned to the issue of weapon selection...
Professor Yevgeny of the former Soviet Union resolutely chose kinetic energy weapons, specifically the kind with an ultra-large caliber.
Caliber is truth, range is justice.
As for Wilson of the United States, he fully expressed his disdain for this outdated weapon. At the same time, he believed that energy weapons capable of reaching the speed of light were the most suitable option in interstellar warfare.
And so... the two engaged in a fierce debate, until Wilson uttered that final, definitive statement.
"Alright!"
Seeing that the two were about to have a real-life showdown in the laboratory, Lü Yongchang quickly shouted, "Shut up, both of you!"
"Otherwise, we wouldn't have needed the two of you for this weapons development!"
The moment the words left his mouth, Yevgeny and Wilson quickly distanced themselves, standing frozen in place.
“Professor Lü, believe me, kinetic weapons are the choice of men!” Yevgeny clearly wanted to continue promoting his theory that caliber is the truth, but he was glared at fiercely by Lü Yongchang.
Lu Yongchang silently looked at the two people in front of him, pondered for a while, and then slowly said, "Laser weapons and energy weapons are our next key research directions."
“Interstellar warfare is different from war on Earth. We may have to cross millions or even hundreds of millions of kilometers to strike targets, so weapons that can travel at the speed of light are a necessity.”
Wilson's eyes suddenly lit up.
He nodded repeatedly in agreement: "Professor Lü, a wise choice!"
"I have done a lot of research on laser weapons, so you can rest assured that you can entrust this task to me!"
In stark contrast to Wilson's reaction, Yevgeny's face turned ashen, resembling a defeated rooster.
Lu Yongchang glanced at Yevgeny, chuckled, and said, "As for kinetic weapons, we cannot give up on them either."
"After all, kinetic weapons are quite powerful in close-range combat."
This was the result of his long contemplation last night.
Before the advent of so-called protective shield technology, the ability of kinetic weapons to cause damage at close range is undeniable.
The greater the mass and the faster the speed, the more energy it carries!
Energy weapons are indeed more suitable for interstellar warfare.
However, given the current state of laser technology available to humankind, it's estimated that it wouldn't be enough in the vast universe.
If we had to use an analogy, the laser technology that humanity currently possesses is like a water gun in interstellar warfare.
It doesn't cause much harm, but it's extremely insulting.
Therefore, before the future of energy weapons becomes clear, high-intensity kinetic energy weapons are undoubtedly the best option for humanity at present.
Upon hearing the second half of Lü Yongchang's sentence, Yevgeny's face immediately underwent a dramatic change, like a Sichuan opera mask.
Within seconds, the sorrow and distress on the face of the 1.9-meter-tall man vanished, replaced by excitement and joy.
"Professor! I knew it! You must understand the romance of large-caliber artillery!"
Lü Yongchang looked at Yevgeny with a strange expression: "...Let's put large caliber aside for now, I have a question for you."
Have you ever been to Sichuan, the ancient capital of Xia?
Yevgeny stared blankly at Lü Yongchang: "???"
"Cough cough! It's nothing, it's nothing." Lü Yongchang smiled and patted Yevgeny on the shoulder. "When you have time later, I recommend you go see Sichuan opera."
Yevgeny's confusion deepened, while Wilson, standing beside him, couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Do you know what I'm talking about?" Lu Yongchang raised an eyebrow and asked Wilson.
Wilson nodded quickly: "Of course, Professor, I just saw a Sichuan opera performance a while ago, and it really is... quite similar!"
As he spoke, he gave Yevgeny a strange look.
Yevgeny: "???"
Although I don't know what the two were talking about, I felt offended.
"Alright!" Fearing that he would give himself away if he continued talking, Lü Yongchang quickly steered the conversation back on track.
"Wilson, since you have experience, the task of developing the new laser weapon will be entrusted to you."
"As for more advanced energy weapons... there's no rush for now."
"Let's get the basic kinetic energy weapons working first."
...
After the research direction was established, the professors and researchers around him all took sides.
Those who had studied laser weapons automatically followed Wilson, while those who had studied kinetic energy weapons naturally followed Lü Yongchang and Yevgeny.
Afterwards, Wilson nodded to Lü Yongchang and led everyone out of the laboratory.
As for Lü Yongchang, he led Yevgeny and the other researchers toward another laboratory.
"Professor Lü, kinetic weapons... what type are you planning to research?" Yevgeny asked in a low voice, half a step behind.
"Is it a missile or something else?"
Lü Yongchang frowned slightly.
"Let's start with the simplest electromagnetic railgun."
"Regarding missiles..."
We'll talk about it later.
The effectiveness of missiles currently used on Earth against large starships remains unknown.
Compared to missiles that rely on shockwaves and fragmentation to cause primary damage, the unassuming electromagnetic railgun is a better choice.
He believed that a Type I civilization's starship would be absolutely unable to withstand a massive metal storm.
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