Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in February 2024.
Li Xinmin touched the brand new anti-radiation shirt under his tactical vest. This was the most peculiar security equipment he had seen in his ten years of military service.
Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows of the control hall, a thirty-meter-high arc furnace is swallowing and spitting out lunar soil, and the liquid metal condenses into perfect silver-white spheres in a vacuum environment.
"Pay attention to orbital parameters!" Xiao Zhen suddenly pressed the microphone. "The Indonesian observation station reports that the US X-37B space plane is changing its orbit."
In the holographic projection, the light spots representing spacecraft from various countries suddenly began to move violently.
Three Russian "Eagle" orbital interceptors detached from the International Space Station and approached a cluster of relay satellites.
An encrypted message sent by Feng Yi from the ASNO mining area flashed on the big screen: The Saudi royal family temporarily postponed the signing ceremony.
"Activate the Tiangong-7 robotic arm." Xiao Zhen's voice suddenly silenced the entire command center. "Show us a special trick for our guests."
In orbit 400 kilometers above the ground, a silver-white robotic arm suddenly grabbed the smelting compartment that was about to drift away.
Under the watchful eyes of satellites from twenty countries, this fifty-ton capsule was precisely thrown toward the moon, and the "Interstellar Resources" logo on the fairing reflected a dazzling light in the sunlight.
Xiao Zhenbei's exclamation came from the lunar communication station: "The lava tube drill has detected abnormal vibrations!"
In the surveillance footage, the exploration device shaped like a giant pangolin suddenly had its drill bit stuck by some crystalline substance.
The analytical data flowed across the screen like a waterfall - the hexagonal crystals in these lunar rocks were exactly the same as the iridium element structure discovered by Tianwen-3 on Mars.
"Mr. Xiao, Moscow has requested a video call." Before the secretary finished speaking, the large screen was already occupied by the golden dome of the Kremlin. On the holographic sand table behind the director of the Russian Space Agency, the track of the joint Volga-Yangtze River probe clearly passed through the platinum asteroid.
"Old friend, we may need to talk about orbital adjustments..." The Russian spoke in stiff Chinese, but was interrupted by Xiao Zhen raising his hand.
"Why don't we first explain why the Soyuz, armed with a laser cutter, approached Tianwen-4?" Xiao Zhen pulled up deep space surveillance footage. The Russian spacecraft was only 300 kilometers away from the Chinese probe. A slight commotion erupted in the command center, and Li Xinmin's hand was already on the quantum communication alarm.
At this moment, Feng Yi's emergency communication cut in: "Traces of mercenaries have been found in the ASNO oil field, equipped with American-made exoskeleton armor." A blue light flashed in the sandstorm on the screen, which was a sign that the electromagnetic barrier newly developed by Gangcheng Quantum Security was activated.
Xiao Zhen suddenly chuckled and walked to the smelting console in everyone's surprise.
He tapped his finger lightly, and the cooling metal sphere suddenly cracked, revealing the precisely arranged quantum chip array inside.
"The Jiuquan Meteorological Observatory reports that there will be a Geminid meteor shower tonight." He turned to look at the Russian screen. "I wonder if your country's navigation satellites can handle the space junk?"
March 2024 Geosynchronous Orbit "Tianlian-17" Relay Satellite
Li Xinmin stood in the observation cabin wearing magnetic boots, looking out the window at the Russian "Eagle" interceptor three kilometers away.
This steel bat-shaped aircraft is using lasers to map the solar panels of China's space station, its scarlet scanning beams flashing silently in the vacuum.
"They adjust the orbital inclination every three minutes." Xiao Zhen's voice came from the quantum headset. "Switch the tactical eyepiece to spectral analysis mode."
As Li Xinmin pressed the knob on the side of the helmet, the originally dark space was suddenly filled with colorful grids.
Twelve dark purple tracks appeared in the retinal projection - they were the residual tracks left by the ion thrusters of the US X-37B space plane. These tracks were like spider webs entwined with the planned route of the Sino-Russian joint probe.
"The Americans are playing an overt conspiracy." Xiao Zhen tapped on a holographic keyboard in the Jiuquan underground command center, pulling up a deep space navigation map. "But our Russian friends are even more dangerous. The probe's fuel tank they sent...contains 20 kilograms of metallic hydrogen."
Li Xinmin's pupils constricted. This high-energy fuel, newly developed by Moscow State University, was powerful enough to cause the Volga-Yangtze River to suddenly change course and crash into the Tianwen-4 probe. He was about to speak when he suddenly saw four tiny hatches pop open on the Russian interceptor's belly.
"Mr. Xiao! Something is being released!"
"They're orbital mines." Xiao Zhen's voice remained steady. "Use the laser encoder on your left arm to take a family photo of them."
Li Xinmin immediately raised the robotic arm equipped with a laser surveyor.
As the green beam swept across the tennis-ball-sized metal balls, a shrill alarm suddenly sounded from the console - the unique frequency signal of an American EMP generator was flashing inside each mine.
Underground Command Post of the National Defense University in Beijing
Fan Dabao stared at the interwoven track lines on the holographic sand table. The reflection of the newly added star on the epaulettes left golden spots on the glass curtain wall.
Behind him, twelve aerospace force staff officers were simulating the worst-case scenario.
"The Russian probe will enter Tianwen-4's defense radius in 47 minutes." The intelligence director's electronic pen traced across the orbit of Mars. "If the metallic hydrogen is detonated..."
"They don't dare." Fan Dabo suddenly grabbed the quantum communicator. "Old Feng, overload the electromagnetic barrier of the ASNO oil field for three seconds."
Feng Yi, far away in the Arabian Desert, immediately understood. As the directed energy devices at Gangcheng Quantum Security overloaded, thousands of false signals suddenly appeared on NORAD's radar screens—this was exactly the "ghost fleet" tactic the Pentagon feared most.
While the U.S. Space Force was busy investigating the fictitious "Chinese aerospace carrier", Fan Dabao gained a critical time window.
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