I'm in the county town, and you say I'm a big shot?

Chapter 828 Vigilance Across the Ocean

"The ideal is lofty, but it's easier said than done. Satellite internet investment is astronomical, and the return cycle is extremely long. Can these three companies really put aside internal competition and single-mindedly persist in investing for ten years or even longer?"

"All three are giants, and the cooperation sounds great, but internally who listens to whom? How will interests be coordinated? How will decision-making efficiency be guaranteed? We'll have to wait and see how the management unfolds."

Meanwhile, across the ocean, the news also made headlines at an astonishing speed in mainstream financial media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, and Bloomberg.

The Wall Street Journal went on to publish an in-depth report with the eye-catching headline "Chinese Tech Titans Join Forces to Challenge SpaceX's Lead in Satellite Internet".

The report astutely points out that "the unique and formidable aspect of 'Galaxy Loom' lies in the fact that it is not a single aerospace company, but rather an unprecedented integration of China's top internet ecosystem and commercial aerospace capabilities. Fang Qingye's Tuofang team provides advanced satellite design, manufacturing, and communication technology cores; Ma Yun's LandSpace ensures low-cost, high-reliability space transportation capabilities; and Ma Huateng's Tencent controls the key entry point connecting billions of users worldwide and an incredibly rich application ecosystem."

This closed-loop business model of 'cutting-edge technology + space access + terminal ecosystem', if successfully implemented, will have significant potential commercial value, industrial driving effect, and even geopolitical influence.

Backstage at a Tesla Model 2 launch event, Elon Musk was cornered by astute reporters who pressed him for his opinion on this powerful new competitor from the East.

Musk, with his signature slightly mocking yet highly confident expression, raised an eyebrow and said:
"It's good to see more players in the space internet arena. Competition drives progress, and Starlink has a significant head start."
“However,” he paused slightly, his tone becoming a little more serious, as if carefully weighing the weight of this new competitor, “the integration of Tencent, Alibaba, and TechFount is interesting. It creates a fundamentally different kind of ecosystem, more integrated with consumer applications from the start. We wish them luck. After all, making humanity a multi-planetary species requires efforts from all of us.”
("The addition of Tencent, Alibaba, and Topway... is very interesting. This creates a fundamentally different ecosystem, with deeper integration with consumer applications from the outset. I wish them good luck. After all, making humanity a multi-planetary species requires the collective effort of all of us.")
However, the situation did not stop at media attention and business competition. In an inconspicuous but heavily guarded building on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., a highly confidential interagency meeting was being held in a conference room with the curtains drawn.

Attendees included senior officials from the Department of Defense, the National Security Agency (NSA), the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), and other relevant intelligence agencies. On a large projection screen at the front of the conference room, photos of the three founders of "Galaxy Loom"—Fang Qingye, Ma Yun, and Ma Huateng—were clearly displayed, along with a seemingly simple and straightforward equity structure diagram.

“Gentlemen,” a senior official with gray hair and epaulettes indicating his high rank said in a deep voice, “we believe that this is far more than just an ordinary commercial company. It possesses the technological potential and financial strength to rapidly deploy, operate, and maintain a large-scale satellite network in low Earth orbit.”

"Behind it stands China's most dynamic and market-driven technology capital and internet platforms. We need to immediately begin a comprehensive assessment of this so-called 'loom' system to determine whether it could be used for military communications, remote sensing reconnaissance, or even space warfare purposes in wartime or during an emergency confrontation between nations, or whether its design itself contains strategic ambiguity. Undoubtedly, it poses a clear and imminent potential challenge to our ability to maintain absolute superiority in the crucial field of space in the future."

Another attendee from the intelligence community chimed in, his voice even more somber: “What should be even more alarming is its deep integration with Tencent, Alibaba, and Topway Technology. This means that ‘Galaxy Loom’ may have access to almost unlimited data support, extremely rapid market feedback, and a powerful drive for commercial monetization.”

"This will greatly accelerate the iteration speed of its satellite technology and achieve cost control that we can hardly imagine. We must closely monitor every step of its development, including technological breakthroughs, frequency applications, and international cooperation, and begin to consider developing corresponding, comprehensive countermeasures, including technological countermeasures, regulatory barriers, and diplomatic pressure, to ensure the absolute security and leadership of the United States in this key strategic domain of space."

“Please pay special attention to the chairman of this company—Fang Qingye,” another intelligence officer stood up and said.

"His company's Tuofang Hedge Fund in Hong Kong is a key target of CFIUS (Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States), and Tuofang Fund has been officially marked as a 'systemic potential threat' by the Wall Street Global Macro Strategy Council." "Why?" A senior military officer with the rank of general asked, somewhat surprised.

"Because Tuofang Fund's several large-scale investment activities are deeply aligned with China's national strategic will and resonate in sync."

"Here's the data." The intelligence officer placed a thick document on the conference table.

The general casually flipped through two pages; the keywords—soybeans, copper mines, foreign exchange—made him gasp.

"Furthermore, the Cloud Ledger distributed ledger created by his company, Zhilian Technology, is incredibly advanced. As a result, the Cloud Ledger Alliance was established, which has already attracted more than 60 financial institutions and large enterprises, including many international investment banks. It is still expanding rapidly and is already rivaling our Corda Alliance."

The atmosphere in the conference room was heavy, with only the low hum of the air conditioning system. In the dim light, several faces, serious and deep in thought, were visible.

Fang Qingye's Tuofang Group not only demonstrates its competitive stance against the US in the hedge fund sector, but also poses a systemic challenge in the financial infrastructure sector.

The Cloud Ledger alliance he built has begun to shake the traditional dominance of the United States in financial technology standards. This erosion of "soft power" may have a more profound impact than mere commercial competition.

The "Galaxy Loom" project integrates these scattered threats into a complete ecosystem with an exponentially amplified effect.

The future space race is destined to be anything but peaceful.

Fang Qingye, as the chairman of the new company, had no time to pay attention to these subtle reactions and potential waves on the other side of the ocean.

Today, he was in the office of Tuofang Technology in Shencheng Building, discussing the planning of the new company with Wang Yang, who had rushed over, and Zhang Chengwu, the CEO of Blue Arrow Aerospace, when he suddenly received a mysterious phone call from Yanjing.

"Mr. Fang, please come to Yanjing as soon as possible. The relevant authorities need to hear a detailed report on the Galaxy Loom project in person."

(End of this chapter)