The Return of Stars to the Jianghu

Chapter 214: Test passed, about to head to launch site.

Time flies, and three months have passed in the blink of an eye.

Ye Xuehan, Qiao Lu, and Ren Changxi have successfully completed all the courses in the first stage.

"Congratulations on successfully completing the first phase of your studies and passing the assessment. I just received notification that the second phase of the course will take place directly on the lunar base," Nie Qiuyue announced to the three.

The three trainees were quite surprised. According to the original plan, they were supposed to continue their training on Earth for at least a year before joining the reserve team. However, now, after only three months, they were allowed to go to the lunar base.

Seeing their surprised expressions, Nie Qiuyue relaxed considerably: "Xinghai Group and Phoenix Group signed a technology exchange agreement. The supplementary clause of the agreement requires the dispatch of three new employees who have joined Phoenix Group within the past three months to Xinghai Group's lunar base. It seems you were unaware of this beforehand."

"Then what category do we fall under? Labor dispatch?" Qiao Lu asked.

Nie Qiuyue shook her head, denying Qiao Lu's guess: "No, you will be officially incorporated into the Xinghai Group's organization and become reserve astronauts. Of course, I don't know what this means. You'll have to find the answer yourselves."

After hearing this, the three of them each had their own guesses.

"Can I refuse to join Xinghai Group?" Qiao Lu asked.

"Someone from the group has already contacted you and offered different conditions to the three of you. Qiao Lu, they said you can be promoted three levels from your current position. They also said they would provide you with an independent research lab and ample funding so you can focus on your research in the field of aerospace medicine."

For Ye Xuehan, they promised to arrange for her to participate in the latest spacecraft research and development projects, giving her the opportunity to gain an in-depth understanding of the structure and principles of spacecraft.

"As for Ren Changxi, they said you could participate in the upgrade of the navigation and communication systems. This is a core department with a bright future," Nie Qiuyue explained, taking out two employment contracts and a leave cancellation form.

"More than three months of paid leave?" Qiao Lu took the leave cancellation form.

Ren Changxi looked at the employment contract in her hand and thought to herself, "I'll have to ask him when I get back whether my dad got involved this time."

Ye Xuehan looked at the employment contract on the table but didn't pick it up. Instead, she recalled that more than three months ago, Captain Zhang had come to her village to invite her to explore the ruins.

Qiao Lu looked at the leave cancellation form and promotion notice in her hand, her heart filled with mixed feelings. She secretly wondered if it was Ning Ze's doing. Logically speaking, he shouldn't have noticed a mere researcher like me.

Nie Qiuyue looked at the three of them, unsure of what to say. After a moment of silence, she said, "I know you must have many questions in your hearts, but you need to find the answers yourselves. Now, you have two choices: one is to accept this contract and become a reserve astronaut for Xinghai Group; the other is to refuse, but Phoenix Group will not give you an employment contract, but will only give you a severance package according to the standards for new trainees."

The three trainees looked at each other, and finally nodded silently, indicating that they accepted this unexpected opportunity.

Nie Qiuyue nodded in satisfaction and handed them the employment contracts and leave cancellation forms: "Since you've made your decision, then sign them. From today onwards, you are members of Xinghai Group."

The three of them signed their names.

After signing, Nie Qiuyue carefully collected the documents and said, "Alright, now you can go back and pack your things. Meet in front of the Xinghai Building in Qianmo City in three days. A car will take you to the airport, and then you'll transfer to a bus to the launch site. Good luck!"

The three said goodbye to Nie Qiuyue and returned to their respective dormitories. They began packing their luggage, preparing to face new challenges.

......

On the edge of the Sahara Desert in eastern Africa, the equator casts an ethereal halo on the Gobi Desert three hundred meters away. Six tunnel boring machines are roaring through the rock strata, while workers wearing sand-proof masks operate all-terrain cranes to hoist prefabricated alloy frames into a forty-meter-deep foundation pit.

This enclosed city, designated by the United Nations as part of the "Horizon Project," is beginning to take shape with its ring-shaped structure, and eight radial corridors connect to a group of rocket launch towers three kilometers away.

When the dust storm temporarily subsides, the coated visors on the workers' helmets reveal a double spectacle: beneath their feet lies a massive foundation of carbon fiber reinforced concrete, while above them hangs the Origin Space Station, perpetually suspended above the equator.

The artificial celestial body, composed of sixteen concentric rings, is now unfolding its silver-blue solar panels, with its bottom docking hatch resembling a flower bud waiting to bloom—this is the umbilical cord connecting heaven and earth in the future, although for now only the transport rocket can be seen drawing a discontinuous silver line between the two.

In the engineering control room, the quantum computer has begun simulating the stress parameters of the carbon nanotube cable, while deep in the desert, the vacuum tube of the maglev train is extending towards Mount Kilimanjaro, where twelve sets of electromagnetic catapult tracks will one day stand.

Dozens of temporary buildings surround the construction site, their faded corrugated steel walls gleaming metallically in the setting sun. These shops, converted from shipping containers and prefabricated houses, line two rows along the construction site fence, forming a lively temporary commercial street.

Every day at noon, steaming heat rises from the restaurant with the sign "Old Zhang's Fast Food," and the sign for "All You Can Eat for Eight Yuan" is painted in red on the door curtain. Men in overalls carry stainless steel trays and move among the customers.

The adjacent "Xinyuan Hostel" displays the words "Daily rental 30 yuan" on a fluorescent board, and work clothes drying on the second floor flutter like colorful flags in the wind. The bathhouse around the corner provides hot water 24/7, and rubber boots covered in cement stains line up in front of the steps, with the sound of running water coming from behind the hazy glass door from time to time.

The most eye-catching thing is the sign that reads "Blue Night Entertainment Center". On weekend nights, you can always hear the crisp sound of billiard balls hitting the table and the noise from the card room.

At the end of the street, there's a tea restaurant with a bilingual menu in Chinese and English. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, you can see researchers in lab coats discussing things in hushed tones.

This dusty, temporary street silently bears the diverse yet intertwined lives of more than two thousand builders and over three hundred researchers.

Origin Restaurant is the most luxurious restaurant here, but of course, in a normal city, it would just be a regular restaurant.

"Building a base in the desert. That's a big undertaking," Ma Ying remarked, looking at the construction site not far away from his window.

Just then, a middle-aged man walked in. It was none other than Zhang Zhaoyi, who had just landed in Africa and had taken a bus to get here.

"How did it go? Did you reach an agreement?" Zhang Zhaoyi asked Ma Ying as soon as he entered the room. He wasn't worried about anyone overhearing and leaking the secret, because Ma Ying was the only customer at the restaurant.

“No. He replied: ‘A snake trying to swallow an elephant, wishful thinking.’” Jing Yun, sitting next to Ma Ying, said to Zhang Zhaoyi.

“Well, in that case, let Ning Ze handle the negotiations; he’s a professional.” After saying that, Zhang Zhaoyi looked at the two people sitting opposite Ma Ying and continued, “You two must be Li Hongbo and Li Ergou.”