Chapter 38: How on earth did you guess that?

Indeed, Fang Jing’s aerospace training was being personally overseen by Uncle Yang.

When Fang Jing first saw Uncle Yang, he wondered if he was dreaming. Even Zhou Yuan, Wu Xi, and the others were astonished. Seeing this aerospace hero in the flesh, the burly Zhou Yuan instantly turned into a fanboy, calling him "Brother Yang" with infectious enthusiasm.

However, since Uncle Yang was not part of Project 237, he remained unaware of Fang Jing’s secrets. All he knew was that Fang Jing was involved in some military project and might eventually be selected as a payload specialist to travel to a future lunar base. Nevertheless, since the mission involved reaching for the skies, he was determined to see it through to the end and ensure the training was impeccable. Consequently, he was extremely strict with Fang Jing on a daily basis.

With the manned lunar landing project temporarily paused, Uncle Yang had stepped away for a moment. No sooner had he left than Zhao Guangyao approached Fang Jing, brimming with excitement.

"Good news, Xiao Fang! There’s a new breakthrough in the development of the electromagnetic pulse weapon!"

Zhao Guangyao dived straight into the big news.

Electromagnetic pulse weapons—commonly known as EMPs. Anyone familiar with such games knows that this type of weapon utilizes an electromagnetic pulse to cripple an adversary’s electronic information technology and equipment. It bears a formidable nickname: "The Second Atomic Bomb."

Yet, unlike in games, there are no non-nuclear EMP weapons in actual use in the real world. In fact, to this day, nuclear weapons remain the most potent source of an electromagnetic pulse. It is said that in 1961, when the Soviet Union detonated a hydrogen bomb over Novaya Zemlya, it triggered an electromagnetic pulse that traveled thousands of kilometers. Since then, nations have been actively researching such weaponry.

Fortunately, Fang Jing had discovered the technology for a non-nuclear EMP weapon within the Class-C technical library opened by *The Wandering Earth*. Based on the full-spec "Osa" exoskeleton battery—which the military called the "Kinetic" battery—this EMP weapon, while having a smaller range than an atomic one, was fully functional. In this universe, it was nothing short of a divine artifact.

"A breakthrough?" Hearing the excitement in Brother Zhao’s voice, Fang Jing brightened. "How is it? Has a prototype been built?"

"The Academy of Military Sciences collaborated with the Institute of Electromagnetic Field Efficiency to create a prototype. It’s been mounted on a Dongfeng-17, and they’re likely preparing for trials right now!" Zhao Guangyao could hardly contain his fervor. "Preliminary estimates suggest the pulse coverage will reach about three hundred kilometers."

This was an EMP! In modern information warfare, whoever masters EMP technology first holds an absolute advantage. In modern warfare, what doesn't rely on electronic components? With a single EMP blast, the enemy's drones, communications, and electronic controls would all be rendered useless. This could serve as a trump card; deployed at the critical moment, it could cripple an entire American carrier strike group. It would elevate China’s combat capabilities to an entirely new level. The military had prioritized this project ever since receiving the technology.

"Three hundred kilometers!" Fang Jing gasped. A single missile capable of frying every electronic component within three hundred kilometers—this weapon was truly ruthless.

"Exactly. This weapon is arguably more terrifying than a nuclear one," Zhao Guangyao noted. He wasn't exaggerating. If you use a nuclear weapon, it signals to other major powers that the gloves are off, leading to mutual destruction. But EMP weapons are different. Used correctly, they are far more terrifying than nuclear weapons, capable of shifting the tides of battle in an instant.

As Zhao Guangyao’s excitement faded slightly, he frowned, looking troubled. "However, when we handed the technology over to Academician Ma Weixing, he seemed to notice something..."

He recalled that when they brought the technology to the Academy of Military Sciences, Academician Ma Weixing had browsed the technical summary and made a cryptic, offhand remark.

"What do you mean? Was there a problem?" Fang Jing was puzzled. What could be problematic? Wasn't the Class-C technology not that much more advanced than what existed in this universe?

"Well, when Chen Limin and I showed the technology to Academician Ma, he looked it over and said with a faint, enigmatic smile: 'This technology doesn't look like something from this era.'" Zhao Guangyao recalled the scene with a sense of apprehension. He was almost certain the academician had sensed something.

"Did he say anything else?" Fang Jing asked, curious.

"He also said that the security personnel could rest easy; without the core data, even if we handed this technology to the Americans, they wouldn't be able to learn it." Zhao Guangyao, not being a technician himself, scratched his head. He truly didn't understand what that meant.

"?" Fang Jing’s mind was also filled with a massive question mark. *Hmm, I don't follow.*

...

While the two were conversing in the depths of the Xishan Base, Ma Weixing had already departed with the data from the Institute of Electromagnetic Field Efficiency. He did not return to the Academy of Military Sciences, but instead traveled directly to Beijing.

In Beijing, at the Zijin Pavilion, he sought out Elder Zhu.

"Oh? Academician Ma, what wind has blown you all the way to Beijing?" Elder Zhu sat in a wooden chair, looking calm and composed. He picked up a cup, poured one for his guest, and took a sip himself.

"Elder Zhu, I came here specifically to see you." Ma Weixing glanced around the room and lowered his voice, sighing, "After all, this is where Number One lives. It’s absolutely secure!"

"Hmm?" As the fragrant tea touched his lips, Elder Zhu’s brows arched. He stared at Ma Weixing with curiosity. *Absolutely secure? Is this young man about to tell me something of great importance? Could there be a major breakthrough at the Academy of Sciences?*

As he pondered this, Elder Zhu couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation. He took another sip of the rich, aromatic tea.

"Elder Zhu, has China unearthed some kind of alien relic?" Ma Weixing asked point-blank, his words shocking enough to stop a heart.

"Pfft!" Elder Zhu spat out the tea he had just sipped.

Ma Weixing quickly handed him a tissue. Elder Zhu wiped his mouth hurriedly, and once he had regained his composure, he stared wide-eyed at him, trembling. "What are you talking about? What alien relic? How could such a thing exist? Where did you hear that?"

Elder Zhu looked at Ma Weixing with a guilty conscience. *This guy definitely figured something out. But how? The security surrounding Project 237 is unprecedented!*