Chapter 914 - Stingray X-1
After establishing an agreement, the Dusk Church Sectarian Guardians immediately sent a tribute, the heritage that belonged to the Pan-Asia Cooperation, to a cargo ship. They also sent a group of diplomatic personnel who would be stationed at the Sixth Street. The ship was escorted by Beluga Observation Station to the port of Wanghai.
In the warehouse at the port, Jiang Chen saw the Stingray X-1 multipurpose spacecraft Lu Minghui mentioned. Even at just the first sight, the spaceship made a deep impression.
Because the craft’s primary functional area was space, the spacecraft was different from an conventional aircraft. There was no aerodynamic design, and even the wings were omitted. An orange cockpit was at the head of the sleek ship. The back of the fuselage was embedded with a bowl-shaped pulse engine, and the wings were equipped with mechanical cantilever arms that could be folded in the atmosphere. The abdomen was equipped with a low-power engine for adjusting directions, as well as a connecting ring.
Because it was a multi-purpose aircraft, if the mechanical cantilever is equipped with a laser cutter and the abdominal connecting ring is equipped with a mining module, this aircraft could be used as a mining vessel. If a directed energy weapon was mounted on the mechanical cantilever, and a missile or an electromagnetic torpedo is hung on the abdomen connecting ring, it could be used as a fighter soaring in space…
“Although it is a prototype, the PAC scientists have already tested it and equipped it to the space colonization ship Zheng He.” Lu Minghui patted the outer shell of this spacecraft in reminiscence.
“In other words, the first generation machine?” Jiang Chen asked.
“Yes. At the time they were in a hurry, not having the time to improve it, and many functions are quite crude. However, the functionalities are all there. Whether the mining module or the attack module, the PAC scientists designed them quite well and a set each. But I don’t recommend that you use this thing in the war against the Northern Alliance Area. In the atmosphere, it could only fly upwards like a rocket by consuming a lot of fuel. The correct way to launch this ship should be sending this to outer space through a space elevator… If you have a space elevator,” the bishop said, shrugging.
Jiang Chen smiled and did not speak.
He really did have a space elevator. It was just in another world.
According to his plan at the time he left, the asteroid capture plan should be at the weaving stage. In early December, the orbital work was to start and the asteroid would be pulled into Earth and Moon system. He originally planned to use the mining rocket independently developed by Celestial Trade, but now it seemed that it was sufficient to use the Stingray with the mining module.
After Jiang Chen accepted the tribute to the Sectarian Guardians, Jiang Chen also reciprocated and asked Wang Qing to send them a whole container of cocoa beans. This commodity was definitely one of the most sought-after food, especially during the winter time. With 22nd century technology, it could easily be made into delicious and high-calorie cocoa or chocolate with some little processing. Since Country F was included in the sphere of influence of Celestial Trade, the last thing Xin lacked was tropical crops.
Unlike Jiang Chen’s calmness, after seeing a whole container of cocoa beans, Lu Minghui was stunned.
The Sectarian Guardians lived a fairly plentiful life, but they never saw a whole truck of luxury goods.
It was obviously impossible for these crops to be nurtured in the soil in Wanghai region. It must be traded with the survivors of South Asia. Or else, NAC must own plantations in South Asia, and these cocoa beans must be produced from those plantations.
No matter from what perspective, NAC’s strength far exceeded the imagination of the Dusk Church.
Apart from rejoicing, Lu Minghui also re-examined the alliance between the two parties.
[The Dusk Church must treat this covenant more carefully and do everything possible to avoid conflicts with the NAC!] Keeping this statement firmly in mind, Lu Minghui bid farewell to Jiang Chen respectfully and took this full container of goods to board the transport ship operated by Beluga Observation Station. He headed north along the East China Sea to Shangjing.
After watching the messengers from the Dusk Church disappear in the horizon, Jiang Chen left the port by car, returned to the Fishbone base, and went to the community center.
After finding the staff of the logistics department and ordered them to transport the Stringray X-1 to the backyard of the mansion, Jiang Chen went to the holographic meeting room and confirmed the front line situation with Han Junhua, who had already taken over the Second Army control in Wu City.
For Han Junhua’s command ability, Jiang Chen was quite assured. Since she had experience commanding a PAC brigade prior, she should have no trouble taking control of the battlefield.
Sure enough, she did not disappoint him. Under her command, Second Army successfully blocked the Northern Alliance Area to the north of the Yangtze River. Even with more than a dozen Wanderer tanks, they could no longer move forward by a single inch.
However, it was not all good news from the front.
“…mutated humans?”
Sitting in a holographic meeting room, listening to the reporting of Han Junhua’s holographic images, Jiang Chen frowned and began deliberating.
“How did they get together with those monsters?”
These seemingly inhuman creatures were far more dangerous than raiders and mutants. Since NAC incorporated the entire Suhang Province into its territory, it cleared all the mutated human tribes and cannibal tribes in the territory. From this perspective, the mutated humans did have reasons to hate NAC.
However, what he did not understand was what kind of benefits the Northern Alliance Area offered to convince these boastful and arrogant beasts to join their camp. If it was really like what Han Junhua said, then it was indeed a big problem.
On individual combat capability, even if equipped with a kinetic skeleton, pure humans could hardly overcome these green skin monsters. Under the command of the enemy First Legion, these mutated humans did not clutter together and gather at the frontline. Instead, they sent more troops in an organized fashion to battle positions with wounded soldiers.
As a result, the killing effect of barrage was greatly reduced. Although Second Army had adequate supplies, it didn’t mean ammunition was unlimited.
“According to intelligence from the Hunter Corps, aiding the Northern Alliance Area is the Helmet Tribe that previously settled around Hongcheng and fled to Wu City after the Empire collapsed. The Northern Alliance promised the Helmet Tribe that after victory, they will gift Hongcheng to them.”
Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow, ” They believed them?”
Han Junhua in the hologram shooked her head.
“It is unclear whether they have reached any other agreements, but the fact is that they are on the same front. We need more rockets to defend our defense line, what’s the situation on your side?”
“I have already told Zhao Group’s military factory. Their factory will ramp up the production of Fireball-1s.” Here, Jiang Chen had a smile on his face, “In addition, I have good news that the Sectarian Guardians’ of the Dusk Church has reached a coalition with us. They will send reinforcements from Shangjing and attack the rear of the First Legion.”