[All citizens of Heavenly Palace City welcome President Jiang’s visit…]
Originally, Hong Zewei planned to pull a banner on the synchronous orbit space station, but in the end, he decided against it because it was too tacky, so at the recommendation of other officials in Heavenly Palace City, he changed it to launching electronic fireworks.
Under the warm welcome of Heavenly Palace City, two Seagull-class starships entered the port one after another.
After Jiang Chen stepped onto the space elevator at the synchronous orbit through the gangway, he was greeted by Hong Zewei and the ministers of all levels of the city.
“Long time no see, how has it been? Are you used to living here?” After they shook hands, Jiang Chen smiled and patted Hong Zewei on the shoulder, and asked him in a relaxed tone.
“I used to be unaccustomed to all kinds of things, but now I am starting to get too comfortable.” Hong Zewei laughed heartily.
“Oh?”
“Now Heavenly Palace City is not what it used to be. You will see it in a few moments.”
“Then I’ll have to trouble you to take me on a tour.” Jiang Chen laughed along.
“Not at all, it’s my honor to serve you,” Hong Zewei said with a smile.
The officers and soldiers of the Earth Defense Alliance would take a short rest in this space station to replenish fuel, water, liquid oxygen, and food, and then set off to the forefront of the solar system. After Jiang Chen bid farewell to the captain at the entrance of the space elevator, he brought Lilith to the module that lead to the surface.
Hong Zewei stood next to Jiang Chen and enthusiastically introduce the current situation of Heavenly Palace City and everything on Mars to him.
The scenery here was really beautiful.
The space elevator descended slowly from the orbit and the panoramic view of half of the planet was visible under his eyes. No clouds blocked the view here and from the desert directly below to the hills on the horizon, the endless yellow sand was like a flame-colored ocean.
An almost straight railroad track extended from under the space elevator to Heavenly Palace City hundreds of kilometers away. The orange shield extended above the city like a semi-arc umbrella. The graviton barrier could block the most harmful rays and meteorites falling from the sky.
Blocks of graphene-covered pipeline structures intertwined among the buildings in Heavenly Palace City. Based on what Hong Zewei said, those were the roads in the city, and also the “blood vessel” of the city. Electric cables and freshwater pipes, as well as air vents, all used these tubular roads as hubs. From water purification plants, nuclear fusion power stations, ecological farms, gas distribution stations, and other production facilities, everything used these tubular roads to transport to the living units.
Not only that but there was also a “green belt” planted outside of the city. The red mycelium shaped like a coral and genetically modified trees surrounded Heavenly Palace City, which converted the rich carbon dioxide resources into oxygen, and at the same time produced a non-addictive drink that could bring happiness to people. It was also one of the specialties of the city. Curved paths meandered in this circular green belt. Based on Hong Zewei, it was one of the most popular tourist attractions and the most popular park among locals.
Through the electronic telescope in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, the panoramic view of the city unfolded in the space elevator.
Efficient, environmentally friendly, thriving, and unlimited potential.
Although Jiang Chen did not enter the city yet, that was the evaluation he gave to the city.
Although the output value of Heavenly Palace City was far less than that of Lunar City, which was responsible for half of Earth’s electricity consumption, in the long run, the future of this city would surely be linked to the future of the entire Earth civilization.
There was a limit to the population capacity of Lunar City. The high cost of living on the Moon, frequent meteorites, and barren climate and ecological environment meant that the place was only going to become a large mining area or tourist attraction, rather than a city with comprehensive infrastructures that could digest excessive population.
When Jiang Chen moved his sight away from the city, he focused on the scenery in the distance.
When his gaze landed on the horizon, on the fiery red platform protruded out from the ground, he couldn’t help but ask.
“What is that.”
“… Mount Olympus, the largest volcano in the entire solar system! It is also currently the largest tourist attraction in Heavenly Palace City! Last year we set up an outpost there, and now it has become the most famous commercial street in the city. Recently, we are considering setting up that area as a special tourist zone,” Hong Zewei replied with a smile.
Mount Olympus on Mars was the largest known volcano in the Solar System so far. Its slope was gentle and looked like a huge shield. The bottom of the volcano had a diameter over 600 kilometers long, and the area exceeded the total area of the United Kingdom. The diameter of the top of the volcano was 80 kilometers long, which could fit more than two Wanghais inside.
The height of the volcano was more than 27 kilometers, and the average height was 22 kilometers. Although he did not have a feel of the height on top of the space elevator, it was actually three times the height of Mount Everest on Earth! For comparison, the Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii would just be like an ant under the feet of an elephant.
“Really? I must go up and see it if I get the chance,” Jiang Chen said with a smile.
At this time, Lilith pulled on Jiang Chen’s sleeve from behind.
When he felt the motion from behind him, he turned his head and looked at Lilith with a smile.
“What’s the matter? Do you want to go there and take a look?”
Lilith shook her head and pointed blankly out the window.
When he looked in the direction Lilith’s finger pointed at, he didn’t see anything. Therefore, he looked at her with a strange expression
“Miss Lilith is pointing in the direction of Svetiovd City, but their settlement is very small, and most of the structures are built underground. It is difficult to see it directly from here…” Hong Zewei immediately explained to Jiang Chen; at the same time, he was shocked by the girl’s eyesight.
Is it a bionic electronic eye?
There were rumors that a special unit in Celestial Trade was equipped with this device. While this device possessed all the functionalities of a normal pair of glasses, this bionic electronic eye was capable of super-distance vision, battlefield analysis, ballistic calculation, and so on. The rumors were that soldiers with bionic electronic eyes would be incorporated into special forces and registered. Their original eyes would be cryopreserved, and after their discharge, their bionic electronic eyes would be removed and replaced.
Of course, these were all rumors. At his level, he had only heard a glimpse of it.
The more Hong Zewei thought about it, the more he felt that it was possible, otherwise, it would be hard to explain why Jiang Chen didn’t even bring a bodyguard, and only a harmless-looking girl accompanied him.
“Svetovid City?” Jiang Chen aimed the electronic telescope in the direction Lilith pointed at, adjusted the magnification of the telescope, and squinted his left eye. “What’s there?”
“They are transporting things to the space elevator.”
“Is there a problem?”
“No.” Lilith shook her head and said blankly, “It just feels odd.”
