Rebirth of Hong Kong Island, leading the technology war

Chapter 653 The Astounding Land Reclamation Project
A moment later, Hu Jiangshan personally led Zhao Dongmei and Kevin to the land reclamation construction site on the island in an electric commuter vehicle.

Hu Jiangshan is quite familiar with that area.

Hu Jiangshan chose the construction site and designed the construction plan himself, so how could he not be familiar with it?

The group rode in two electric commuter vehicles.

Hu Jiangshan and Zhao Dongmei led an inspection team in one car, while Yu Sheng led several security personnel in another.

Yu Sheng was quite nervous. The environmental protection officials seemed very strict, and she wondered if they would cause trouble.

When it comes to such large-scale projects, if you want to find trouble, there will be trouble everywhere; there is no such thing as a perfect situation.

It really comes down to whether the relevant departments take it seriously or not.

The Hu family is a prominent family in Hong Kong, so the other party wouldn't completely disregard them. The real concern is that there might be other ulterior motives involved.

It's important to know that the power struggles among these major families in Hong Kong are quite intense, and even ordinary people in Hong Kong have heard about them, treating them as mere entertainment.

A moment later, two electric commuter vehicles crossed a bridge and arrived on the West Island side.

Throughout the journey, Zhao Dongmei also kept observing and had people continuously record the situation on the island using their personal video equipment.

Zhao Dongmei had to admit that Tenglong Island was indeed very beautiful. The island's environment was already excellent, and with the addition of Tenglong Bay, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a paradise island.

Even Kevin, a German known for his extensive knowledge, was full of praise.

I wonder how much money it cost to acquire this island.

In fact, no matter how much it costs, being able to buy it at all is already a bargain.

However, Zhao Dongmei just checked and found that the environment on Tenglong Island wasn't this good before; it only improved in the last two years.

Could it be that Hu Jiangshan modified it himself?

That's impossible. Transforming the ecological environment of an island or a bay is no easy task; the human and material resources required are unimaginable.

Zhao Dongmei couldn't figure it out, and it wasn't convenient to ask her right now, so she could only put it aside for the time being.

Their job is to make preliminary records of the land reclamation efforts; other matters are not within their scope of responsibility.

Of course, if Zhao Dongmei really discovers that the land reclamation on Tenglong Island poses a serious risk of environmental damage, she should record it and intervene in advance if necessary.

Thinking of this, Zhao Dongmei asked Kevin, "Mr. Kevin, what kind of land reclamation method do you think will be used here?"

Kevin shrugged: "I had no idea. This young Mr. Hu said that they developed their own land reclamation technology, although I think it's a bit... far-fetched."

Zhao Dongmei also felt that Hu Jiangshan seemed to be bragging. How could such a project of land reclamation be so easy to innovate? Apart from dredging sand to create land, it was nothing more than filling the sea with sand and gravel from the ground.

There seems to be no other way.

The two were talking in hushed tones when they suddenly spotted a large object.

It was a large construction vehicle. From its appearance, it looked like a bulldozer, but the overall design was very futuristic and sci-fi.

Zhao Dongmei and the others were very surprised. Could these be the engineering vehicles that were carrying out land reclamation operations?
One construction vehicle just passed by, then another, two, three...

These construction vehicles come in various sizes, but even the smaller ones are relatively large; to the average person, they still appear quite large.

The types of engineering vehicles are also very diverse. Some look like bulldozers, some are excavators, and others should function as stone crushers.

Zhao Dongmei and others also noticed something else: these construction vehicles all looked wet, as if they had been washed or even soaked in water.

Suddenly, someone exclaimed with wide eyes, "Look! There seems to be no one in the driver's cab!"

Upon closer inspection, everyone realized that it was true; there seemed to be no one in the driver's cab of the passing construction vehicle.

Kevin even stood up, craned his neck to look, and was horrified.

"Oh! Wang Defa! What's going on?! There's no driver?!"

Zhao Dongmei couldn't help but ask Hu Jiangshan, who was sitting in front of her, "Mr. Hu, are these construction vehicles used for land reclamation?"

"Correct."

"Unmanned, driverless?"

"Yes, this is the autonomous driving engineering system developed by our company. It has powerful functions and can operate around the clock."

Hu Jiangshan spoke casually, seemingly unaware of the astonishment on Zhao Dongmei's, Kevin's, and the others' faces.

In this day and age, driverless cars are still a concept found in science fiction movies, and few people believe that fully autonomous driving can actually be achieved.

Of course, in a few years, the situation will be different, and electric vehicles with intelligent driving capabilities will be running all over the streets.

Zhao Dongmei's environmental protection team was indeed shocked. They never expected that the technology on Tenglong Island would be so advanced; it was practically alien technology.

No wonder the land reclamation project on Tenglong Island started construction right after obtaining the construction permit; it turns out it had been prepared for a long time.

The key point is that so many large engineering vehicles are driverless, which means that construction can be carried out 24 hours a day without interruption.

That would greatly shorten the construction period.

This time, it was truly an eye-opening experience, like a small knife pulling a big hole.

But here's the question: is this technology reliable or not?
Zhao Dongmei was a little worried that these driverless construction vehicles might suddenly go out of control and crash into their commuter vehicles, causing an accident.
If you get hit by one of these big guys, the consequences would be unimaginable, and you'd be in deep trouble.

Not only Zhao Dongmei, but Kevin also had this concern, and it was even more serious.

However, they were clearly worrying unnecessarily. All the construction vehicles passing by were safe, and they even yielded to the electric vehicles.

A moment later, the two electric commuter vehicles stopped.

As everyone got out of the car and looked around, they were immediately stunned by the scene before them.

Zhao Dongmei opened her mouth, but it took her a lot of effort to make a sound.

"Mr. Hu, this...this doesn't seem like it just started today, does it?"

Hu Jiangshan quickly replied, "Minister Zhao, it is true that construction started today. Because we were well prepared, the progress is quite fast."

"This……"

Zhao Dongmei looked at the construction site again. This can't be described as "fast," can it?

The others also looked shocked.

Unbelievable, unbelievable.

At this moment, everyone found themselves on a high slope, with the construction site below, where countless construction vehicles were shuttling back and forth.

These construction vehicles weren't working on land; they drove into the sea.

Indeed, there was a large, sloping building on the shore that led directly into the sea. Vehicles that came by drove down into the water.

The seawater was a bit murky, but it was still possible to make out what the construction vehicles were doing.

Some were digging sand, others were crushing stones, and bulldozers were gathering the excavated sand and stones to one side.

This definitely looks like land reclamation!

Kevin was equally shocked, his mouth agape. Like Zhao Dongmei, Kevin was speechless for a moment.

After a long while, Kevin finally mumbled something hesitantly to himself.

"How is this possible? Impossible... How did they do that? These construction vehicles, how can these construction vehicles dive underwater? My God, that's seawater!"

Kevin has hit the nail on the head. What are the difficulties in land reclamation?
It's underwater construction!

Seawater is highly corrosive, and ordinary machines simply cannot withstand it. That's why sand dredging and land reclamation were developed. This method is simple, crude, efficient, and its advantages outweigh its disadvantages.

In addition, construction can also be carried out on the road, dumping materials into the sea.

But now, things have taken a turn for the worse; Hu Jiangshan is actually working directly underwater.

Putting aside the sealing issues of these engineering vehicles, aren't they afraid of seawater corrosion?
One car after another went into the sea...

This looks so far-fetched, it feels like watching a science fiction movie. No, even science fiction movies wouldn't have such a wild imagination!

But everything before my eyes is real.

Other members of the environmental protection working group were also whispering and discussing among themselves.
"My God! Do you see that? Those construction vehicles are really working underwater!"

"My God, I never thought it could be done like this."

"That's right, I wouldn't even dare to have such a dream, it's too absurd!"

"I don't understand, how long can these construction vehicles last? Won't they break down soon?"

Everyone looked at Hu Jiangshan without prior arrangement, but no one asked him anything.

Even if Hu Jiangshan heard it, he wouldn't reply. No matter how he answered, he would be seen as bragging, so it was better to ignore it.

At this moment, Hu Jiangshan saw their reaction.

In fact, not to mention these people, even Hu Jiangshan himself was very surprised. He really didn't expect these engineering vehicles to be able to do this.

Of course, the time the engineering vehicle can operate on the seabed is also limited; it will come out in about an hour.

A vehicle washing area was set up on the shore, where these engineering vehicles will be washed with fresh water. This reduces the side effects of seawater corrosion and also prevents barnacles from infesting the vehicles.

There are a lot of construction vehicles, so they can work around the clock, but it's still hard to believe that the land reclamation project can be completed in just one month.

However, based on his experience, Hu Jiangshan believed that no matter how outrageous the situation was, the progress bar would tell the story. As long as the progress bar reached the end, the project would definitely be completed normally, and Hu Jiangshan had no doubt about that.

Hu Jiangshan said, "That's the situation, Minister Zhao. You can make records and conduct tests as you please, just be careful."

Zhao Dongmei responded with a wry smile on her face.

The current situation seems to be fine with keeping records, but doing testing seems a bit redundant.

The entire Tenglong Island appears to be free from serious environmental pollution, and even the land reclamation construction site has little impact.

When those engineering vehicles are working on the seabed, although they inevitably stir up some sea sand and break the corals and reefs underneath, this is something that must be done in land reclamation projects.

To change the existing terrain, some degree of destruction is inevitable.

Of course, the necessary procedures still need to be followed.

As planned, Zhao Dongmei was in charge of record-keeping, while Kevin provided guidance on sampling and testing.

While he was busy working, Hu Jiangshan waited to the side, having set up a simple shed beforehand to provide shade.

The sun is still very strong today; it's almost noon now, and without some shade, you'd really get sunburned.
Zhao Dongmei and the others were very serious and responsible in their work, including Kevin. He even rolled up his sleeves and personally collected samples.

Guo Jiangshan is very reliable; as long as they handle matters officially, there shouldn't be any problems.

After working for another hour, Zhao Dongmei and Kevin finally finished the job.

Judging from the expressions of Zhao Dongmei, Kevin, and others, the construction site should be able to pass inspection.

After seeing Zhao Dongmei and her group off, Hu Jiangshan could finally breathe a sigh of relief, having accomplished a major task.

Hou Jiangshan then took an electric cart to Wolong Ice Room, where he drank tea and enjoyed the scenery.

Tonight, Hu Jiangshan also plans to invite Liu Zixia to his hotel room to play cards. After all, such leisurely days don't come often, so he should make the most of the opportunity.

Just then, Hu Jiangshan's cell phone rang.

Hu Jiangshan looked up and saw that it was Professor Zhao Ruijing calling.

Zhao Ruijing is a leading figure in China's aerospace industry and a very busy man. If he calls personally, it must not be a casual chat; there must be something urgent.

Hu Jiangshan quickly answered the phone, and Zhao Ruijing greeted him from the other end.

You can tell just by listening to his voice. Although Zhao Ruijing is not young, he is full of energy, somewhat like Hu Jiangshan in his previous life.

Given Zhao Ruijing's age, she should have no problem taking on important responsibilities for another decade or so.

The two were already quite familiar with each other, so they spoke casually. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Zhao Ruijing got down to business.

"Mr. Hu, there's a meeting in the capital in a few days. If you have time, it would be best if you could come and participate."

Hu Jiangshan paused, then asked, "Professor Zhao, what kind of meeting is it? Is it related to aerospace?"

"Yes, it's the annual space program communication meeting. It's a very high-level meeting, and many important people will be attending. I think it would be best if you could come too."

Hu Jiangshan asked, "When?"

"Next Tuesday."

Hu Jiangshan thought about it and realized there were still four days left, so there shouldn't be anything to do recently.

"Okay, Professor Zhao, it should be fine. I'll try my best to participate."

"Okay, I'll have someone send you the invitation via email. Please check your inbox."

"Understood, thank you, Professor Zhao."

Zhao Ruijing laughed heartily: "Why are you thanking me? I should be thanking you."

"...Thank me? Professor Zhao, why are you thanking me?"

Zhao Ruijing said, "We have verified the quantum beam formula you provided last time many times. It is very accurate and there are no problems. It has been a great help. Many projects of the Chinese Academy of Sciences can use it."

Hu Jiangshan realized that the quantum beam formula he had provided to researcher Xu Yun earlier had indeed been a treasure to them.

Hu Jiangshan had really forgotten about this.

It seems that the formula has indeed caused a sensation within the mainland scientific system, earning high praise from Zhao Ruijing.

Zhao Ruijing then asked, "By the way, Mr. Hu, have you started preliminary research on electromagnetic rail launchers yet?"

"Yes, it has already started."

Zhao Ruijing was delighted: "Great, I hope you can come here and share the results of the preliminary research on the electromagnetic rail launcher."

(End of this chapter)