Deep Space Wandering Fleet
Chapter 457 - 455: Ten Years

Chapter 457: Chapter 455: Ten Years

Time hurriedly flowed by, and another ten years passed.

Zhang Yuan thoroughly enjoyed this carefree period of student life. New Human Civilization was in a constantly growing state due to its long-term population shortage, and opportunities for advancement were plentiful. As long as one had sufficient knowledge, various research institutes were competing to recruit talent, and there was no worry about finding good jobs.

The atmosphere for learning inside the spaceship was rich, with numerous like-minded partners to cooperate with. It was unbelievable, like in his small family of four members, all of whom were research personnel—an unimaginable occurrence on Earth.

As long as one studied hard, one could become "a person of great influence." Such fair and just opportunities were rare in other virtual worlds.

After ten years of hard work, he had become a researcher at the "13th Research Institute" of the New Human Civilization. This institute contained over twenty thousand experts from various fields, serving the whole society.

He was engaged in the cutting-edge "Subatomic Science Theory" and the related Super Magnetic Vector Engine research. As this project required prolonged periods of time, to ensure work continuity, he had not served in the military nor undergone hibernation throughout these years.

The current engine technology was incredibly complex, far beyond his previous knowledge.

Zhang Yuan had exerted great effort to learn the latest knowledge in this field over the years and had tried a series of improvements. Today, he finally achieved noteworthy results.

The hatch slowly opened, and looking out from the periphery of space, one could admire the "Radiant Galaxy," its rotating centrifugal wheels and complex mechanical structures filled with a sophisticated beauty. The structure of the "Radiant Galaxy" was somewhat like a disc carrying a mountain peak on top, and they were currently at the peak.

Through the observation system of the Power Armor, one could also see "The Kunlun Mountain," emitting its orderly lights tens of thousands of kilometers away.

Surrounding military vessels were navigating at high speeds, always sparking the wonderful notion that "Humans are very powerful."

Several minutes later, all the test personnel had arrived on time, excitedly discussing what the final results of this test would be and whether the success could be replicated...

"Zhang Yuan, are you nervous?" asked a female member of the team.

"Not nervous! What’s there to be nervous about with something that’s already successful? We’ve tested it many times already!" Zhang Yuan said with a smile, "If there is a last-minute error, it would only show that it was inherently inadequate."

The weight of this small unmanned test spaceship was about equivalent to a former fighter jet, roughly ten tons.

His team’s goal was to enable the small spaceship to maneuver in space with the agility of a fly, bending and curving at high speeds—the more demanding the requirements for maneuverability, the better. These requirements placed immense demands on every aspect of the engine’s performance: a ten-ton mass, yet as nimble as a fly.

But such challenges were common in interstellar civilizations. If they were to stick to the same standards as on Earth, wouldn’t it mean no progress at all?

"Test—begin!"

In a vast expanse of space, a white light twinkled brightly, displaying the image of the engine ejecting high-energy pulses, while surrounding observation equipment was recording data on this activity.

"A remarkable achievement! Compared to the previous vector engine performance, it’s improved by roughly 5.2%, a very impressive result," commented a white-haired old professor, who was the first to start clapping happily as he looked at the parameters on the screen.

"Very good, we can finally catch up with the next generation of military vessel upgrades."

Everyone knew what engine technology meant to a civilization. Whether for military or civilian vessels, only with powerful engines could a civilization be truly strong.

Zhang Yuan reported a series of parameters, "... Particle ejection generates extremely high temperatures, and this engine, in theory, can operate normally for 3000 hours; after that, it requires some degree of maintenance. Compared to previous advanced engines, the time has been increased by a hundred hours."

"In this regard, I also want to thank all members of the research group for their support."

Upon hearing this result, everyone in the research institutes started to applaud. Zhang Yuan bowed slightly and let out a soft sigh. A 5.2% improvement might not seem large, but most scientific advancements accumulate gradually through small, incremental steps.

In this era, there are many geniuses, and the easy challenges have long been conquered. It’s nearly impossible to achieve a qualitative leap overnight.

He still really enjoyed working in scientific research.

Each job had its unique pleasures. He had been the Captain of The Kunlun Mountain, as well as a captain of a Middle Ages ocean fleet, turned into an inventor during the Steam Age, and even became a thinker.

However, his favorite was still the current moment; to quietly delve into cutting-edge high-tech research. It was quite nice not being involved in too much power struggle—if a world’s power struggles are too intense, it means the internal consumption is greater, and such a civilization in fact might not have much potential for advancement.

This was just right.

The elderly professor was named Xue Xin, commonly known as Old Xue, who said with a smile, "Zhang Yuan, considering this excellent work of yours, together with your previous papers, you’ve definitely earned the title of Outstanding Young Scientist! If you wish to join the diplomatic corps of the Huantai Trading Market, you’ll still need a formal recommendation from related government departments, and our the 13th Research Institute would be recommending you as a talented individual."

"In a few years, we’ll be able to reach the Trading Market—it’s going to be an exciting journey. Who knows what we’ll be able to bring back from the market."

He was very fond of this smart young man.

Put simply, everyone likes intelligent and hard-working people.

"Thank you, Old Xue!" Zhang Yuan nodded his head happily.

"Oh, right, how old are you this year?"

"28."

"So young... In the coming years, you have to continue learning more, cannot relax; it wouldn’t be good to fall behind your peers. Especially people like Cao Man from the 12th Research Institute, Ding Yi from the 8th Research Institute, and... haha, there truly is an abundance of talent in this era!"

Professor Xue had lived through an era before the advent of auxiliary brains when technological advancement stalled, even for several hundred years, prompting a sigh of wistfulness.

For these older generations, that era, just two or three hundred years ago, was a time when humanity was on the brink of despair.

Intelligence did not improve, practically all technology had been exploited to its limits, and great achievements seemed out of reach in any profession, so what then was the point of human endeavor? The academic spirit dwindled, various ideologies began to emerge, and humanity continued its interstellar travels merely out of historical inertia—until the birth of the auxiliary brain brought new motivation to science.

That is why these elders particularly cherished this era of technological explosion and overwhelming happiness.

"... You must know that new humans nearly perished, missing death by a thread. During that era, many believed we should stop and return to our homeland, while others felt our technology was already sufficient! Yes, they thought science and technology were good enough, and that we no longer needed to develop productive forces! The life of immense wealth could be easily achieved."

Old Xue prattled on, attempting to educate the young on the importance of ambition, and urging them not to be daunted by the slightest adversity.