Chapter 476 Nationwide Celebration

When Lao Sun pushed open the door, the television was showing footage of celebrations along Chang'an Avenue. He didn't sit down; instead, he placed the folder on the table, his fingers pressing firmly on the cover.

"They asked you, 'Do you want the title of Space Hero or not?'"

He Yuzhu didn't turn his head. On the screen, an old woman wiped away tears in front of the camera, saying that she had lived for sixty-eight years and had finally seen a Chinese person go to heaven. He Yuzhu stared at that face for a few seconds. The old woman cried so hard that snot was coming out of her nose, and a young girl next to her handed her a tissue.

"don't want."

Old Sun tapped his fingers twice on the folder. "Director He, this isn't just a personal matter. The higher-ups feel that as the commander-in-chief, you deserve some recognition."

"The honor belongs to the collective. The Kunlun was not built by a single person. Report this statement verbatim."

Old Sun took the folder in his hand but didn't put it back on the table.

The television feed switched to Shanghai. The Bund was packed with people, and a middle-aged man wearing glasses climbed a utility pole to hang a banner, while people below shouted "Watch out!" He Yuzhu stood up, walked over, and turned off the television. The screen went black, and the control room fell silent.

What time is the press conference?

"3 PM. Beijing Hotel."

He Yuzhu glanced at the clock on the wall. It was 10:40 AM. He picked up the water glass on the table, took a sip, and found the water had gone cold.

Old Sun stood at the door, not leaving. "Taiwan has spoken again. The Central News Agency published a commentary saying that the technology of the Kunlun was stolen from the United States."

He Yuzhu put down his water glass. "Whose is it? The Americans themselves haven't even created antigravity."

"They don't care about the facts."

"I will speak at the press conference this afternoon."

Old Sun hesitated for a moment, then his lips moved. "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has given instructions not to use too strong a wording."

"I know how to say it."

Old Sun is gone. He Yuzhu stands alone by the window. There are no clouds above the launch site, and the sunlight shines on the empty launch tower. Kunlun isn't there; it's in the sky, in orbit four hundred kilometers above. Several workers are cleaning the site below the launch tower, and dust kicked up by their brooms floats in the beams of sunlight.

He opened the drawer and took out the request document regarding awarding him the title of "Space Hero." It had a red header and an official seal. He looked at it for two seconds, then turned the document face down and stuffed it into the deepest part of the drawer.

At 3 PM, in the banquet hall of the Beijing Hotel, He Yuzhu stood on the stage, surrounded by reporters. The front row held Xinhua News Agency, People's Daily, and China National Radio; the back row held Reuters, AFP, AP, and TASS. Old Sun sat beside him, several documents in front of him. He Yuzhu had no prepared remarks.

He spoke, his voice not loud, but every word was delivered to the very last row.

"Kunlun has been in orbit for 46 days. All systems are functioning normally. The astronauts are in stable psychological condition. The warp drive test was successful. The anti-gravity system is working properly. The plants in the ecological circulation module have already been harvested twice. These are facts."

An Associated Press reporter raised his hand. "Director He, the Pentagon believes the USS Kunlun can be converted into a weapons platform. What is your response to this?"

He Yuzhu looked at the reporter. "The Pentagon sees everything as a weapon. The Kunlun is a research vessel. If the Americans have evidence, please present it."

The Reuters reporter stood up. He didn't ask a question immediately, but instead flipped through his notebook. Some people coughed, and others opened their water bottles. The reporter read a summary of a commentary from Taiwan's Central News Agency, and when he read the phrase "technology stolen from the United States," someone in the audience gasped.

Taiwan's Central News Agency published a commentary today claiming that the core technology of the Kunlun spacecraft originated from data leaked from the US Space Shuttle. What's your opinion?

He Yuzhu didn't answer immediately. He took off his glasses, pulled a cleaning cloth from his pocket, and slowly wiped the lenses. The audience fell silent, save for the occasional click of a flash. He put his glasses back on and adjusted the nose pads.

"Taiwan is a province of China. The so-called Central News Agency—" He paused, "is not qualified to speak on behalf of China."

He pushed his glasses up his nose.

"As for the source of the technology, let me ask you: Did the American space shuttle achieve antigravity?"

The reporter shook his head.

"Then where are we supposed to steal it? Something that doesn't even exist?"

Some people in the audience laughed. He Yuzhu didn't laugh. He shifted his gaze from the Reuters reporter and glanced at the cameras in the back row.

A TASS reporter raised his hand. "Director He, the Soviet space agency hopes to cooperate with China. What is your attitude towards this?"

"Cooperation is possible. It must be based on equality and mutual benefit. The Kunlun welcomes scientists from all countries to participate. However, core technologies will not be transferred, licensed, or sold."

A Xinhua News Agency reporter stood up. "Director He, we heard that you were going to be awarded the title of 'Space Hero,' but you declined?"

He Yuzhu looked at the reporter. "The Kunlun spacecraft is not the achievement of one person. The honor belongs to the collective. It belongs to the workers who stayed up all night at the launch site, to the technicians who burned coils in the laboratory, and to the astronauts who bore the psychological pressure in space. They are the true heroes."

Applause erupted from the audience. He Yuzhu didn't wait for the applause to stop. He picked up the water glass on the table, took a sip, and then put it down.

"This concludes today's press conference."

He stepped down from the podium. The reporters stood up and surged forward, but were stopped by security guards. Someone called out from behind, "Director He! Director He!" He didn't turn around and entered the elevator. Old Sun followed him in and pressed the button for the first floor.

The elevator doors closed, cutting off the noise from outside. Old Sun leaned against the elevator wall, still clutching the folder in his hand.

"Director He, your last sentence was too harsh."

Which sentence?

"The technology will not be transferred, licensed, or sold. That's what American journalists would write."

"I'll write it. I wasn't selling it anyway."

The elevator doors opened. He Yuzhu stepped out of the hotel. The sunlight was blinding, and he squinted. The old jeep wasn't there, so he sent it back. A man by the roadside was holding up that day's newspaper; the front page featured a silhouette of the Kunlun spacecraft, with the headline in large red letters—"The Chinese Have Taken to the Skies."

He stood there for a moment, then walked along the sidewalk. Old Sun followed behind.

Old Sun lowered his voice. "Hai Li is asking you, how long do you intend to remain the chief designer of Yanhuang II?"

He Yuzhu didn't answer. He walked slowly, his leather shoes crunching on the paving stones, each step sinking into the cracks between the bricks. There was a newsstand by the roadside; the owner recognized him and called out, "Director He." He nodded, without stopping.

Old Sun waited a few steps, then said, "Then I'll reply that you haven't given your opinion?"

He Yuzhu still didn't answer. There was an intersection ahead; the light was red, and he stopped. Across the street, a little girl holding a small red flag was crossing the road with an adult, the flag waving back and forth in her hand. A small national flag was sewn onto the pocket of her cotton-padded jacket, and the cuffs were frayed. The little girl reached the middle of the road, suddenly turned around, and saw He Yuzhu standing by the roadside. She paused for a moment, then waved the small red flag vigorously.

He Yuzhu didn't wave. He watched as the adults pulled her across the road.

The green light came on. He stepped forward.

In his mind, a line of text popped up on the system interface—Yanhuang II mission progress 10%. Below it followed a new notification: [Unlock new option: Improved warp engine].

He didn't click on it, and the interface disappeared automatically.

Old Sun walked up from behind and stood beside him.

"Director He, then I'll say you didn't object."

He Yuzhu did not answer.