Johnson, Chairman of the Committee on Outer Space Affairs, who had arrived in Shanghai the day before, was waiting eagerly at the airport.
"Mr. Johnson, Mr. Rhine's plane has arrived." The assistant said while looking at the rolling holographic projection screen at the airport.
"Got it." Johnson looked expressionless.
A few minutes later, we exited the airport.
Rhein von Groot and his party appeared not far from Johnson.
"Rhine!" Johnson stepped forward and shook hands with Rhine.
"I didn't expect Mr. Johnson to come to pick me up in person, thank you very much." Rhine said happily.
"Let's talk while walking." Johnson patted Rhine on the shoulder and said.
The skinny Rhine nodded. As soon as they left the airport, they were chilled by a biting cold wind. Rhine tightened his coat.
"It seems that the weather in Dongtang is as cold as in Xizhou!"
"It's the same thing in New York."
"What's wrong with Dongtang Space Agency?" Rhine asked as he got into the car and rubbed his hands.
Johnson shook his head and smiled bitterly: "The attitude was very cold, so he sent two clerks to entertain us. We even rented the hotel ourselves."
Phew! Rhine let out a breath of white air and leaned back on his seat: "It's very normal. Now they hold the trump card of the mass projector."
"This country has changed so much. When I came here in 2014, there were still no such big changes." Johnson sighed as he looked out the car window.
"Yes! We are falling behind, and the speed is getting faster and faster." Rhine said in a complicated tone.
The two of them talked all the way, and soon their car arrived at the hotel, but Laing and others did not rest after checking into the hotel.
Instead, he took a plane again and headed to Chongqing.
Their destination is Bazhong City, the current headquarters of the Space Development Commission, and because Bazhong City has a mass projector, Bazhong City is a no-fly zone for all aircraft.
Except for some franchised transport airships that can fly five kilometers away from the Bazhong base, any other aircraft entering this no-fly zone will be shot down directly without even a warning.
In a hurry, Rhine, Johnson and others, accompanied by two clerks from Dongtang Space Administration, finally arrived at Bazhong Space City in the evening.
In order to arrive quickly, they took an airship from Chongqing.
Bazhong Space City is the headquarters of the Space Development Committee.
The headquarters of the Space Development Committee is called Blue Star Building. It is composed of two buildings, one large and one small. The shape of Blue Star Building is a reduced version of Blue Star (88 floors, height 49o meters), and there is a Moon Building (33 meters high) next to it.
floor, height 18o meters).
Under the background of lights and holographic projection equipment, Rhine and Johnson really felt as if they were in outer space, looking down at the blue stars and the moon.
Especially the night sky in the evening makes everything look very dreamy. Many domestic tourists are taking photos and checking in next to the Blue Star Building and the Moon Building.
However, Rhine and Johnson were not in the mood for sightseeing, so they quickly followed the clerk up.
Inside the office on the 88th floor of Blue Star Building.
Rhine and Johnson got their wish and met Zhao Hongxing, one of the permanent members of the Space Development Committee and director of the Dongtang Space Administration.
"Mr. Zhao, I am Johnson. It is a great honor to meet with you on behalf of the Outer Space Committee." Johnson greeted quickly.
"Hello Mr. Zhao, I am Rhein von Groot, the representative of the Western Space Agency and the Hans Space Agency. I am very happy to meet you." Rhein also quickly extended his hand to shake Zhao Hongxing's hand.
A few people chatted, and Zhao Hongxing kept talking to him, but did not talk about aerospace matters.
Zhao Hongxing is a technocrat. Anyone who has the word "official", especially those who can reach such a high position, must be a hard-working old fox.
He would not mention aerospace matters first. Now it depends on who can't bear it. Zhao Hongxing is confident anyway.
Forced into desperation, Johnson could only speak first: "Mr. Zhao, I would like to congratulate you on the successful completion and putting into use of the mass projector."
"Haha, it's just a trivial achievement." Zhao Hongxing seemed to treat a small matter.
The meaning translated through the translator, a small achievement that does not need to be said.
Johnson and Rhine were immediately speechless. A small achievement? Is the mass projector a small achievement? Are you mocking our incompetence? Fake Squid!
"Our Western Space Agency is also very interested in the mass projector, and I wonder if there is any chance of cooperation." Rhine tentatively said.
"After all, outer space belongs to all mankind, and we have the responsibility and obligation to contribute to mankind's great aerospace industry." Johnson echoed Rhine's words with a smile.
Want to use all mankind to suppress the cosmic committee? The wishful thinking of you shameless people is very loud. Zhao Hongxing spread his hands and replied:
"Of course outer space belongs to all mankind. This is an undoubted fact. If you want to open up the universe, we have no objection."
His subtext is, of course, outer space belongs to all mankind. If you have the ability, go up and claim territory. If you don't have the ability, even if you say that the sun is yours, it will be of no use. Someone did not register a patent for the sun.
"..."
Obviously Rhine and Johnson heard the subtext of Zhao Hongxing. Of course they knew that international treaties were not very binding, especially for big gangsters.
When international treaties need to be used, they are binding; when they are not needed, they are too hard to be used to wipe one's butt.
The international community is an environment where the jungle prevails, and those international treaties are nothing more than a placebo for the weak.
The current situation is like this. Even if the Dongtang-Galaxy Alliance does not abide by the Outer Space Treaty, there is nothing they can do about the Milijia and the Xizhou Alliance.
"We don't want to contribute to the aerospace industry of all mankind. If we are willing to invest in purchasing a mass projector, how much will it cost?" Johnson probed very cunningly.
Zhao Hongxing glanced at the other party and said calmly: "The quality projector is not for sale, and we have no intention of selling it to anyone else."
"Mr. Zhao, everything has a price, we can discuss it slowly." Rhine said, hitting the snake with a stick.
"The ASML lithography machine back then was also valuable, the International Space Station was also valuable, and the F22 was also valuable." Zhao Hongxing replied with a smile.
"Uh..." Johnson and Rhine were speechless. They have done these dirty things over the years. It's true that the tides are turning, and no one will be spared.
Zhao Hongxing continued to mock and said: "However, this is also thanks to your blockade. Without your blockade, we would not have become much stronger."
Johnson and Rhine were so depressed by Zhao Hongxing's words that they almost vomited blood.
The conversation was very unpleasant and difficult. The two Lains were constantly testing the bottom line of the Universe Opening Committee, but Zhao Hongxing remained unmoved. In the end, the two sides could only temporarily suspend the conversation.
"Mr. Zhao, I heard that you have a launch mission the day after tomorrow. I wonder if you can go to the mass projector site to visit?" Johnson asked.
"Oh?" Zhao Hongxing touched his chin, thought for a while and then nodded: "Okay, I will arrange it."
"Thank you very much, we are looking forward to it very much." After Johnson finished speaking, he left with Rhine.
Although this conversation did not produce any real results, they at least knew some of the bottom lines of the Universe Opening Committee.