Technology invades the modern world

Chapter 374 Lei Zong Lands on the Moon? No, He Travels with Ran!
Lin Ran knew that Lei Jun was wearing Xiaomi glasses, and he also knew that Lei Jun was 100% capable of live streaming the entire time.

Spending a billion dollars on marketing is perfectly normal.

Lin Ran hadn't expected that President Lei's marketing would be so smooth and natural, winning completely.

Analyzing this matter from today's perspective, Lei Jun has at least bought up half a year's worth of public attention, potentially upgrading Xiaomi Auto's brand image in consumers' perception.

In other words, a billion dollars would not only not be a loss, but could actually be a profit.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing for Apollo Technology. They aren't competitors with Xiaomi, and their paid value-added services have fully demonstrated their worth.

No one else could have achieved the same results as Lei Jun.

In the simplified Chinese internet landscape, issue management has always been a challenge for businesses, and those who understand issue attack and defense are even fewer.

Xiaomi and Huawei are practically the only two companies that are adept at navigating the Chinese public opinion landscape.

While both are leading mobile phone manufacturers, OPPO and Vivo only seem to know how to freeze issues, which is quite different from Huawei and Xiaomi.

Not to mention other new energy vehicle companies, they are even further behind.

After Lin Ran finished speaking, just as he had guessed, the barrage was flooded with "Are you OK?" Lei Jun could only smile helplessly at the teasing.

Lin Ran continued, "Don't worry, Mr. Lei, this time you'll definitely get your money's worth."

This trip is so wonderful that you'll never forget it.

Will the Xiaomi glasses be able to operate stably in the lunar environment?

Lei Jun was very grateful; the other party was being very kind.

They would first make jokes to attract traffic and increase the number of viewers in the live stream, and then immediately bring up topics to explain the advantages of Xiaomi products.

"I have great confidence in our Xiaomi products! I believe they will be able to successfully complete the live broadcast mission on the moon!"

They refused to mention that the pair they were wearing was custom-made, and that the Xiaomi glasses sold to the public later would not reach this level at all.

A year later, Xiaomi glasses were officially released, and many Mi fans placed blind orders. However, after unboxing them, they found that something was wrong. The video recording effect of these glasses was not as good as the version Lei Jun had released a year ago.

Then they all posted complaints that Lei Jun was too shrewd.

Turning the focus back to the launch site, Lin Ran continued after speaking, "I believe that this trip will not only make President Lei feel that it was worthwhile, but also make the viewers watching the live broadcast feel that it was worthwhile."

The colorful sedan chair was carried by everyone.

Lin Ran was giving Lei Jun so much face, how could Lei Jun not support him? "Oh, President Lin, what do you mean? I was already looking forward to it, but now I'm even more excited."

Lin Ran explained, "I believe that friends who follow Apollo Technology should have noticed that on our official website, we have been launching continuously in recent months, with at least three rockets launched during a lunar landing window."

One of them is manned, while the other two are fully automated cargo rockets.

There are now 3D printing factories on the moon that utilize lunar soil, waiting for us to complete the assembly.

An unprecedented lunar nuclear fission miniature power plant awaits us to build and connect to the grid.

We have superconducting chips waiting for us to test.

There is an electromagnetic orbit based on lunar soil waiting for us to build its first layer of foundation.

In short, it was definitely worth the trip.

Nuclear fission is not nuclear fusion.

The comments section was full of "666".

Nuclear fission power plants have always been on Apollo Technologies' project list; it's a classic NASA project that Apollo Technologies built.

(This was a nuclear fission power plant planned by then-acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy during T's first term. It was planned to be sent to the moon and generate electricity by 2030. It was obviously a grandiose project planned to please T.)
But now, Apollo Technologies has delivered its latest, truly small-scale nuclear fission power plant, developed by China National Nuclear Corporation, to the moon.

The Shackleton Crater awaits Chinese astronauts to assemble it themselves.

Lin Ran spoke with great passion, and the viewers in the live stream were equally excited.

Any one of the projects Lin Ran mentioned is far more interesting than all the space research projects on the International Space Station over the past decades combined.

"Holy crap, nuclear fission?"

"Why didn't I see any concept art on the official website?"

"Surprised? Are you?"

Lei Jun was a bit dumbfounded. Wasn't the plan to visit and tour the moon? With so many projects involved, and you two working on them, I couldn't just stand by and watch, could I?
Furthermore, if it weren't for the live stream, there might be room to slack off, but since it's being streamed live the entire time, there's absolutely no room for slacking off.

You're not even thirty yet, you're in your prime. As for Wei Xuhang's astronaut qualities, I'm at most a middle-aged man who's physically fit. I hope I won't be exhausted to death on the moon after one trip.

He said cautiously, "Mr. Lin, I'm old."

Lin Ran quickly replied, "Don't worry, I definitely won't assign you any heavy tasks."

Lei Jun was finally relieved. With such a good working relationship, he wouldn't have to work so hard on the moon.

But at this moment, a new worry arose: "President Lin, the nuclear fission power plant on the moon? Won't it leak?"

Lin Ran shook his head: "I don't know."

Lei Jun: "Huh? Didn't you install any detection equipment inside to ensure there's no leak?"

Lin Ran laughed and said, "The moon is full of radiation, and our spacesuits are designed to avoid it."

Okay, enough joking around. There's definitely a testing instrument there. It's perfectly fine, just waiting for us to go up and start it.

This lunar nuclear fission miniature power plant, named FX-1, is specifically designed for the lunar environment and is equipped with its own heat dissipation device.

It will also form the basis for our future expansion on the moon.

There's only one base, but if we're going to mine on the moon or explore beyond it, the energy it provides is significantly more stable, continuous, and powerful than solar panels.

FX is an abbreviation of the pinyin initials of Fuxi.

Before the launch, Lin Ran's casual conversation revealed another side of him to the viewers watching the live stream.

The ordinary side of people is shown.

So much so that a Xiaomi fan blogger posted: "How come I feel like Ran Shen is also a Xiaomi fan when he's making fun of Lei Jun?"

Of course, some haters stepped forward and said, "Your whole family are Mi Fans! Can you stop slandering Ran Shen? Does he even know he's a Mi Fan?"

That's how Lei Jun is; anything related to him generates his own buzz, and everyone can always find an angle to start a fight.

The moment the Burning One rocket broke out of Earth's atmosphere, Lei Jun felt as if the world had turned upside down.

"Hello everyone, we have reached Earth orbit. Mr. Lei, what are your thoughts now?"

Lei Jun hadn't reacted yet, and after a moment he replied, "I feel very good right now, and I'm very emotional."

Seriously, starting in the 90s, when it was called Virgin Atlantic, I think? they sent wealthy people from Europe and America into space.

Later, many wealthy people experienced space tourism, but at most they went to the space station.

But it was enough to make me incredibly envious back then. Foreign tycoons could go to space, while our Chinese space program hadn't even sent astronauts yet.

Now, I actually have the opportunity to go to the moon and become the first Earthling to travel to the moon.

This made me excited and thrilled, but also filled me with emotion. Our country's science and technology have truly progressed, to a level that many people did not expect.

How fortunate I am to be able to participate in China's scientific and technological progress and become one of the pioneers.

And I'm also very grateful to Mr. Lin for giving me the opportunity to sell me the boat ticket.

Lin Ran's gaze flickered in the slightly dim cabin. He thought to himself, "Damn, Lei Zong is amazing. He just went through a rocket launch and is in a new environment, yet he can still give such a standard answer."

Netizens say you're a marketing genius, and that's truly well-deserved.

He speaks with perfect tact and precision.

This gave Lin Ran more confidence that once they got to the moon, Lei Jun would be the one to deal with the dust.

Outside the porthole was an endless darkness, dotted with twinkling stars.

The Earth has shrunk into a blue and white sphere, suspended in the void.

After clapping, Lin Ran said, "President Lei, you can unbuckle your seatbelt and experience the zero gravity unique to space. This is the ultimate experience for others' space tourism, but it's just your entry-level basic experience."

Lin Ran floated on the seat; after the seatbelt was unbuckled, his body gently rose upwards.

Following Lin Ran's instructions, Lei Jun unbuckled his seatbelt and said, "Finally, this isn't a simulation training anymore. Is this real space?"

His stomach began to churn, and the rising of bodily fluids made him feel dizzy.

Lin Ran saw his pale face: "This is space adaptation syndrome. Generally speaking, the first 24 hours are the most severe."

"Mr. Lei, if you're not feeling well, take a deep breath. You absolutely mustn't vomit here."

Wei Xuhang turned his head from the control panel and added, "President Lei, take a deep breath. Our life support system has a carbon dioxide scrubber and humidity control, which can keep the cabin pressure stable. It's so much better than when I first came to the moon with the professor."

This feeling is like slamming on the brakes. The first time I went with the professor, it felt like I'd been on a rollercoaster for a full hour.

Their voices were exchanged via intercom.

Lin Ran added, "Mr. Lei, you could also consider drinking some electrolyte drinks to help you adapt."

We will soon be in the Hohmann transfer orbit, the most energy-efficient route, which accelerates us from low Earth orbit to the Moon in about 72 hours.

The lunar probe's thrusters will ignite en route, providing additional velocity variations, allowing us to cruise at 11 kilometers per second.

Lei Jun nodded. He felt that the two voices seemed to be floating from the void, so unreal.

Not only were the two people's voices unreal, but his current situation was also unreal.

The movements appear particularly clumsy in zero gravity.

He gripped the handrail tightly, his gaze drifting to the porthole, watching the Earth gradually recede into the distance.

"This is incredible, I'm actually going to the moon."

On the first day of the flight, the cabin environment was quiet and monotonous.

There was only a low hum of the ventilation fan and the occasional beeping of data.

During this process, Lei Jun tried to eat something—a floating nutrition bar—and chased it around in the air.

Looking at the feedback from the live stream on Earth, Lei Jun felt a little regretful.

Because netizens are already jokingly calling his show "Walking with Passion".

Originally, I was thinking of promoting Xiaomi.

However, because the glasses were perched on his ears, the camera was always pointed at Lin Ran, making Lin Ran the main character in the live stream.

On Weibo, Xiaomi is manipulating public opinion, and people are discussing Xiaomi and Lei Jun himself, so the buzz remains.

But in the live streams on Douyin and Bilibili, the first thing people said in the comments was Lin Ran, not Xiaomi or Lei Jun.

"Walking with Fire" is incredibly popular around the world, and many businesses have already started registering the trademark.

"This is harder to catch than any Earth delicacy!" Lin Ran joked.

Lin Ran handed Lei Jun a fixed plate: "It takes time to adapt to zero gravity."

Back in the 60s, Apollo astronauts also complained about their food; they were eating dehydrated food, while we're eating fresh, synthetic protein.

Earth's comment: "Burning God is so heartwarming!"

"I've never realized the God of Fire is also a warm-hearted guy."

"A multi-talented guy with all five stars is also a caring and warm-hearted man? I wonder if the God of Burning has gender restrictions when looking for a partner?"

"Mr. Lei, stop staring at the porthole. What's so interesting about a porthole? Why don't you just focus the camera on Ran Shen? I'm already treating this like a first-person perspective dating game!"

"+1, a first-person perspective of a space travel adventure. This live stream only needs a little editing and VR conversion to become top-notch footage."

The style of live streaming rooms on Earth is gradually going awry, with female viewers now outnumbering male viewers for the first time.

It's worth noting that, generally speaking, in fields like aerospace, men overwhelmingly dominate the representation of men.

Lei Jun couldn't see the live stream comments all the time. He pondered them, his thoughts turning to curiosity: What if I get bored along the way?
He thought it was a card game, like three people playing Dou Dizhu.

Unexpectedly, it turned out to be an exam.

"Before we reach lunar orbit, we will perform a mid-course correction burn, which is a small thrust adjustment to ensure we don't deviate from the orbit."

"The moon's gravity will pull us into an elliptical orbit, and then we'll use retro-rockets to enter lunar orbit to do the calculations," Lin Ran said.

Wei Xuhang began to frown. It was a problem of orbital mechanics, and he had to calculate the result mentally without paper and pen.

Some key figures and steps can be recorded using the spacecraft's computer, but the computer cannot be used as scratch paper.

Wei Xuhang finally figured it out, but if he made a mistake, he would have to start all over again.

Once he got the calculation right, a new problem was presented to him: calculating the combustion angle and the estimated fuel consumption.

This time, the warm-hearted guy has transformed into an unprecedentedly pushy professor.

"Mr. Lei, you should look out the window instead of looking at the Burning God. If you keep looking at it, you'll develop a psychological trauma."

"I'm here to rest, not to attend a math class!"

"Damn it, I finally got back to my dorm from the lab and wanted to lie down and relax, but the model calculations are still relentlessly attacking me!"

"Mr. Lei, turn off the sound right away! I don't even want to hear the voice of the God of Burning!"

People are still very realistic.

The next day, when they were about halfway to the moon, the alarm sounded softly.

Wei Xuhang was finally relieved. He checked the instruments: "Solar activity is normal. We are now monitoring the effects of the Van Allen radiation belts. We have passed through them, but residual particles still need to be monitored."

Lei Jun looked out the porthole. The moon had grown from a small dot into a grayish-white sphere, its surface covered with craters and dark lunar maria.

“It’s just as desolate as it looks in the photos,” he said softly.

Lin Ran said, "Our infrastructure construction will begin soon. I believe that when you come back in ten years, this place will be completely different."

Lei Jun grinned and said, "Professor, I hope you'll actually be able to come in ten years."

Mr. Lin's tone was somewhat stiff. When Lei Jun saw Wei Xuhang address him as "Professor," he followed suit, as "Professor" should be addressed with more respect.

But the viewers in the live stream disagreed: "Calling a professor to give me a lesson makes the feeling even worse!"

Lei Jun asked, "The moon has no atmosphere, and the temperature changes drastically from 120 degrees Celsius during the day to below zero degrees Celsius at night."

Before he could finish asking, Lin Ran began to explain: "Our spacesuits have a heat circulation system, so don't worry about that. Wei Xuhang has been to the moon countless times."

Lin Ran continued, "The moon's gravity is one-sixth that of Earth's, and there is no air resistance, so the landing process relies entirely on rocket deceleration."

Our lunar probe has a variable thrust engine that can reduce its speed from 11 kilometers per second to zero.

An automated navigation system, aided by laser rangefinders and Doppler radar, will guide us to avoid the rocks and reach our destination, Shackleton Crater.

The technology for lunar landing is now very mature; the entire process is fully automated and requires absolutely no manual operation.

On the morning of the third day, there is no day or night in space; Earth time is still used here.

The lunar lander has entered the lunar influence zone.

Gravity gently pulled, causing the cabin to tremble slightly.

"Can you feel it?" Lin Ran asked.

The body has regained a slight weight.

“We have been captured by the moon,” Lin Ran said. “We are now in lunar orbit at an altitude of about 100 kilometers.”

After circling once, we will land.

Wei Xuhang added, "Pay attention to the real-time data on the HUD on the helmet. It includes oxygen reserves, radiation levels, heart rate, etc. Make sure all of them are green."

"Descending phase begins. Engine ignition, deceleration to 2 km/s."

The descent was tense and precise.

The engine spewed blue flames, and the temperature in the thrust chamber soared to 3000 degrees Celsius, slowing the descent.

Lei Jun looked through the porthole at the approaching lunar surface: dust-covered plains, sharp peaks, and all the way to the lunar south pole crater where light and shadow intertwined.

“Shackleton Crater,” he thought.

Altitude 5000 meters, speed 300 meters per second. The spacecraft switches to hovering mode.

The engine adjusted its thrust, and the lander hovered like a helicopter. Dust was stirred up by the airflow, forming a lunar dust storm that obscured visibility.

The radar has locked on.

In the final 100 meters, the engine slowed down, and the landing legs extended.

Upon impact, it felt like a feather falling to the ground, with the shock absorber absorbing the impact.

"Contact successful," Lin Ran announced. "Engine shut down, we have landed."

Lei Jun's heartbeat calmed down as he gazed at the moon outside, where gray dust shimmered in the sunlight.

“We did it,” he murmured. “From Earth to here, damn, it felt even smoother than flying?”

(End of this chapter)