Chapter 42: Stunned Silent by a Single Shot

In the desert, all the top brass who had gathered were left utterly speechless by the activation of this kinetic energy weapon.

Damn it, wasn't the firepower just a bit too overwhelming?

The army's surveillance drones were dropping out of the sky as if they were worthless, falling like absolute rain.

The Air Force Commander took a deep breath, hurriedly rushed over to the computer terminal which had just recovered its function, and began to observe intently.

As a result, just a single glance was enough.

He drew a sharp breath, his heart filled with lingering shock.

It turned out that the aerospace-grade chip he had pinned such high hopes on hadn't even survived a single pulse; it had been instantly destroyed in the very first wave.

"Quick, quickly have people collect the equipment damage data!"

The Air Force Commander exhaled deeply, turned around, and looked at Ma Weixing with eyes burning with fiery intensity.

Without a doubt, this was a weapon capable of upending the existing rules of warfare.

However, Old Xu from the Army was a step faster than him.

Rushing forward in a fit of rage and impatience, he demanded crossly, "What the hell! Didn't you guys say the lethal radius was only three hundred kilometers?"

"The drones I deployed at six hundred kilometers were still knocked out of the sky!"

That was a huge loss, an absolute bloodbath.

Those drones were expensive, you know?!

"Old Xu, step aside. I thought you were going to talk about something important."

Hearing Old Xu crying over those drones, the Air Force Commander shoved him aside, clearing his path.

"What a petty way to act."

"With kinetic energy munitions around, what use do those drones of yours have?"

"Better they scrap early so we can salvage the frames. Wouldn't it be smarter to wait until the anti-electromagnetic pulse technology is fully ready and then refit them?"

As the saying goes, the crying child gets the milk.

Securing funding was a technical art form.

Aside from regular appropriations, why did the Air Force manage to secure so much more funding than the Army every year?

If I roll out the J-5 for a spin every year, wouldn't the funds roll in just like that?

Clearly, Old Xu just didn't get it!

"Oh, I suppose that's true?"

The elderly army officer paused slightly at those words.

Since these drones were classified as "special combat losses," what on earth was he agonizing over?

After dropping this "hint," the Air Force Commander turned his glowing gaze back to Ma Weixing and asked expectantly, "Academician Ma, has this kinetic energy munition been finalized?"

"It has already been finalized," Ma Weixing confirmed, and explained further: "After the Academy of Military Sciences produced the technical model, the higher-ups immediately realized that this is a weapon capable of rewriting the rules of modern warfare."

"As long as we firmly grasp this weapon, it is no exaggeration to say we will stand unrivaled across the globe in the future."

"Therefore, R&D has always been treated as a top priority. The production line for the kinetic energy munition is already up and running, General, so rest assured."

"That's wonderful! This thing must be equipped by our Air Force as a top priority!"

The Air Force Commander clapped his hands in excitement.

"Hey, hey, hey! Have you forgotten about us in the Navy, Old Wu? Looking for a beating, are you?"

The Navy Commander couldn't watch this any longer.

Tell me, what the hell do you mean by "it must be equipped by the Air Force first"?

Did you even ask us in the Navy?!

"Alright, alright, you're both grown men and you still have these fiery tempers."

Just as the two top commanders were about to launch into a righteous brawl, Zhu Chengjin covered his forehead and was forced to intervene.

He glared at both of them, swept his gaze across the crowd, and made his decision: "Since opportunities to use these kinetic energy munitions will be rare, we'll start by distributing a small batch to each service branch."

"These few rounds will be enough for strategic reserves. It's not like you're planning to bomb America back to the Stone Age."

Elder Zhu finalized the allocation plan.

Meanwhile, the researchers who had gone off to verify the experimental data returned.

The data was compiled together.

Everyone gathered around, flipping through the report.

"Well, well, well, Old Wu, hahaha! The core of your aerospace-grade chip literally melted!"

"What are you laughing at? Your radar vehicle didn't fare any better—it's completely fried."

"And you, wasn't your shipborne radar turned into scrap metal too?"

"Don't mock others when you're in the same boat, brother. Damn it, a 128-nanometer radiation-hardened and anti-interference chip, rendered useless just like that. This thing is terrifying!"

"..."

A group of top commanders all gasped in unison as they looked over the equipment damage statistics.

The ambient air temperature seemed to drop several degrees just from their collective intake of breath.

Everyone imagined the scenario:

If they were struck by this kinetic energy munition without any prior knowledge that the enemy possessed such a weapon, it would spell absolute catastrophe.

All kinds of radars, communicators, data links, and command systems would be completely paralyzed.

It would instantly knock you right back to World War II.

And specifically, a World War II where you couldn't even use telegraph machines.

Especially since this weapon was in the hands of China, one of the only two militaries in the world with high levels of information-driven modernization.

In such a war, the enemy might as well not even bother fighting.

The Dragon casually slammed the combination of the Dongfeng-17 and the kinetic energy munition onto the table, shouting out to the rest of the world:

"I've got a self-drawn pure one-suit hand, do whatever you like!"

The Dragon: "It's not that I look down on anyone; I just mean that everyone sitting here is trash!"

From this moment on, could they truly be considered invincible?

How on earth is anyone supposed to fight this?

If you dare to fight this major Eastern power, they'll open with an electromagnetic pulse and knock you back to World War II first.

They'll wipe out your radar, and sever your communications.

Then they'll engage in modern information warfare, pressing you into the dirt to pummel you mercilessly, just like the US did in the Gulf War.

And you won't even be able to fight back!

World War II—what kind of war was that?

It was mechanized warfare.

Fighting mechanized warfare with modern information warfare—isn't that just hanging your opponent up for a beating?

Thinking of this, the military commanders gathered here were all stirred with excitement.

At the same time, a sense of worry arose.

After all, with a weapon this formidable—

Since China could invent it, wasn't it entirely possible for the United States to develop it as well?

If this American scumbag got wind of it, even by stealing, they would surely find a way to figure it out.

Therefore, if the enemy were to also acquire this weapon while they lacked any countermeasures, these commanders, whose anxiety for potential hazards was off the charts, immediately began to worry.

The Air Force Commander immediately turned to question Ma Weixing: "Academician Ma, does the Academy have any countermeasures against electromagnetic pulse weapons?"

"If this kind of weapon falls into the hands of the enemy and we have no countermeasures, that would be too terrifying!"

As soon as the commander's voice trailed off, every general in the vicinity fixed their gaze on Ma Weixing.

"… Uh."

Ma Weixing was momentarily taken aback.

What he originally wanted to say was that this technology could never possibly fall into enemy hands.

But on second thought, if he said that, no one would believe him.

So he had no choice but to cast his gaze toward Elder Zhu.

"Hehe, rest assured everyone, our Academy of Sciences already has a solution."

Elder Zhu smiled faintly and slowly beckoned with his hand.

In the distance, a vehicle was speeding over.

Under the puzzled gazes of the group, the car stopped right in front of their camp, and a soldier jumped out.

The soldier was holding a drone in his hand.

The operator immediately launched the drone into the air. It flew for a short while before landing back in the soldier's hands.

"Elder Zhu, what is this?"

The top brass looked on with perplexed expressions.

What kind of stunt was this supposed to be?

Putting on a drone flight show for them?

"Hehe, this drone was placed by the Academy of Sciences just five kilometers outside ground zero," Elder Zhu introduced with a faint smile.

"While we were inventing the spear, we were already researching the shield."

"The circuit boards of this drone are made of a novel composite material. Within a certain range, this composite material can block electromagnetic pulses!"

Upon hearing this, the Air Force Commander's mouth split wide open into a grin.

"Within a certain range, it can block electromagnetic pulses?!"

"Doesn't that mean our troops can push forward right through an electromagnetic pulse?"

"While the enemy's radar and other equipment are reduced to scrap heaps without any ability to resist?"

The enemy's air defense systems would be wiped out, their communications and all electronic components reduced to useless junk.

Their drones would crash out of the sky as well.

Imagining that exact scenario, the Air Force Commander was practically grinning from ear to ear.

As everyone knew, modern warfare and competitive clashes came down to maintaining air superiority.

Without air defense systems, China could take even the United States and give it a thorough thrashing!

With this weapon, and with this anti-electromagnetic pulse technology—

Who else on this planet could possibly stand in their way?!!