Star Ocean: Starting from the Abandoned Mining Space Station.

Chapter 224 Expanding the Colony

After Chen Ming left the logistics center, he immediately embarked on the road to the second target location.

However, this time Chen Ming did not use hyperspace jump or ordinary jump system directly, but flew slowly in hyperspace.

While waiting for Hong Guanghong to send the blueprint, he was also waiting for the mental power he had just consumed to control the warehouse of the logistics center to recover.

Chen Ming's destination this time is an industrial colony planet.

On the star map, you can view various data of the destination planet, as well as the general appearance of the destination planet.

When Chen Ming clicked on the corresponding location on the star map, a planet surrounded by satellites appeared in front of Chen Ming.

But what he wanted to go to was not the planet, but the seemingly deserted satellite orbiting the planet.

The industrial colony on this satellite mainly produces the basic hull of the spacecraft and the supporting basic components of various parts of the hull. It is also responsible for the development of mineral resources on some planets.

However, Chen Ming does not need to worry about the development of mineral resources. The colony itself still focuses on industrial production.

It is very similar to what Chen Ming learned from the basic cruiser technology given by Bai Quan.

Therefore, on the premise of meeting the original requirements, the new design plan made according to the new restrictions is very special.

Although this special design of pure expansion was requested by Chen Ming, Chen Ming himself had never done anything similar.

"Okay, can we start after entering the port?"

And he doesn't need to worry that learning this will cause him to take on other people's colors when using various technologies.

But the gains Chen Ming gained in industrial design in just a short while gave him the feeling that he had gained more than the total gains he had made in self-study in this area in the past week.

And this blueprint also has obvious traces of military technology.

Especially Chen Ming, who is on the main body, is already overdrawing part of his mental power to learn new things at a thinking speed that is several times the post-attenuation speed.

After all, the military technology he received from Bai Quan some time ago actually didn't last long, only two or three months.

It is unnecessary for Chen Ming to travel to such a scattered and small place.

The remaining time would be a complete waste if not used to study.

However, if Chen Ming could learn based on other people's experiences and learn by stepping on other people's shoulders, then the difficulty would be different.

If you don’t have the foundation, you may not be able to understand it, let alone gain knowledge from the blueprint.

At this moment, Hong Guanghong suddenly sent over the blueprint of Chen Ming's target industrial colony.

Moreover, this blueprint also complied with Chen Ming's requirements. In terms of design, it can be said to be a pure expansion. It was expanded on the basis of the original industrial facilities, and only a few buildings needed to be built independently.

But in terms of professionalism and advanced technology, as well as some special military design techniques, etc., to be honest, he can't compare to Hong Guanghong.

Hong Guanghong is a student majoring in engineering at a military academy who is about to graduate.

The deep consciousness penetration of the Fourteenth Legion's simulation equipment gave him a super high rate of thought acceleration.

I don’t know how long it took after Chen Ming sunk into studying.

Mineral resources are just a supplement, relying on some small branches outside the main colony, similar to what Chen Ming once saw in Yuhui's industrial colony.

Although Chen Ming has graduated many years ago, his technical level has also improved dramatically during this time.

Chen Ming shook his head, put aside all the knowledge about blueprint design in his mind, and replied to Song Pu: "I'm already here. I was just looking at the engineer's blueprint and was preparing to enter the port."

Chen Ming took a casual look and could feel that this blueprint contained some special design skills.

Anyone who has some ideas and ambition knows what to do.

Of course, this is based on Chen Ming's previous knowledge in this area.

Chen Ming's special terminal suddenly vibrated.

Song Pu said something to Chen Ming on the communication frequency: "I received news here that a Dominator-class cruiser has arrived at the colony over there. Have you arrived?"

It always takes time to learn from scratch. How can it be compared to someone who has been studying this for three or four years?

Because of these reasons, when Chen Ming got this blueprint, he didn't rush to the destination to build things as soon as possible. Instead, he simply started school where he was.

The seemingly deserted moon is in sharp contrast to the cold planet covered in ice and snow below.

Just when Chen Ming was checking the information about the target planet, some time had passed since he set off from the last logistics center.

"anytime."

Autonomous driving has taken him to his destination

The speed of the hyperspace channel is quite guaranteed within the scope of the star sector.

Chen Ming actually spent only a short time on the blueprint.

The prosthetic can also learn the dozens of times increase in thinking speed in more than ten hours, so why not learn it?

Dozens of times the increase in thinking can extend a dozen hours to a month, and there is no need to rest, even if most of the time needs to be spent in the simulated battle itself.

And this is a rare opportunity.

His technical skills have already been formed long ago, and what he has learned now are new branches derived from his main pole, which will only enhance his own abilities without affecting his skills.

Let Chen Ming not worry about anything and just follow the instructions.

Chen Ming immediately took his attention away from the blueprint and looked out the window.

However, he did not do so directly. Instead, he spent some time and carefully studied the logic and planning of the blueprint.

Chen Ming can certainly understand the overall content, but the content behind it is worth his in-depth study.

At the same time, there was also a design blueprint that reflected the standards of prospective graduates of the military academy's engineering major before him.

Chen Ming temporarily put down the blueprint, stretched his muscles that were a little stiff in the simulation, and got up to get ready to do something.

Anyway, the blueprint is in hand, and the research is not too late.

After Chen Ming stood up, he turned to look at Cheng Xinghai, who was sitting in a wheelchair not far away from him, watching TV programs on an ordinary terminal monitored by Chen Ming and looking extremely bored, and said, "It's time for us to leave. "

Cheng Xinghai immediately threw away the terminal and said to Chen Ming enthusiastically: "Are you finally leaving? Where to go?"

"Go to a planet."

"What you said is the same as what you didn't say."

"Guess why what I said is the same as what I didn't say."

"...It's so boring."

"You've said this many times when I was just reading."

The spacecraft soon landed in a space station in the satellite's orbit around the star.

Although Chen Ming came to an industrial colony this time, he still had to go to the local warehouse the first time he came here.

But this time, Chen Ming took Cheng Xinghai with him.

She was asked to put on a protective suit that covered her tightly and a set of auxiliary walking exoskeleton made by Chen Ming for the disabled.

At least Cheng Xinghai can walk normally, and Chen Ming will not have to push a wheelchair to eliminate the possibility of exposing his identity in this aspect.

This can be regarded as the cooperation she must do to let Chen Ming bring Cheng Xinghai out.

Cheng Xinghai had no objection. As long as she didn't stay in the cell, she could say anything.

Since the space station where Chen Ming landed was contracted to transport foreign supplies to the colonies, most of the things that needed to be transported to other places would be piled up in this space station.

So Chen Ming first walked around the space station, and then went to the space elevator that connects the space station to the ground.

Go to where he really needs to be.

The space elevator is gradually descending.

When the colony appeared visibly in Chen Ming's field of vision.

The first thing he could see was the earth-core furnace energy supply tower standing on the flat land in the dark cosmic environment.

Chen Ming has seen this thing before, just over there in the Afterglow Colony.

It can provide a steady stream of energy to the entire colony.

Underneath this earth-core furnace energy supply tower is a cluster of heavy industry spacecraft hull manufacturing factories illuminated by various heat sources.

The factory is emitting dark smoke all the time. This thick smoke rises straight into the sky on this atmosphereless planet, forming a giant pillar of smoke.

At the end of the cooling cycle of the Earth Core Furnace Energy Supply Tower's heat cycle, the thick smoke can even hide the tall tower for a moment.

Even if there is no air, the long-running high heat of the factory below and the orange-red optical fibers with heat emitted when the geothermal furnace tower itself converts geothermal energy seem to be transmitted to Chen Ming through the vacuum and protective clothing. around.

This is a complete industrial colony.

The warehouses used in the colony to house materials and products for internal digestion, as well as to temporarily store materials before being transported to other areas through the space station, are mainly concentrated near the furnace tower.

The Earth Core Furnace Energy Supply Tower is the core of this industrial colony. Starting from its feet, there are a total of four logistics channels extending outward according to the southeast, northwest and northwest directions of the planet's magnetic poles.

Finally, the logistics transportation area leading outside the colony is unified and transported directly to the warehouse of the space station through the space elevator.

Or transport it directly to other locations on the planet via spaceship. After all, there are still some supporting resources on the planet that can be developed.

Chen Ming was observing the layout of the entire colony on the space elevator, while thinking about the effect that the blueprint drawn by Hong Guanghong would have when it was realized.

At the same time, he also followed the guides arranged by Song Pu and took the freight trains on the southern transportation lines in the four directions of the industrial colony, southeast, northwest, and arrived within the industrial zone.

As Chen Ming got closer to the core of the industrial zone, his attention became more and more attracted to the energy supply tower.

The sense of technology and a special sense of power in this tower made him really want to stop. Unfortunately, he cannot control this thing in the simulation now.

The size of this thing deep underground and the consumption of mental energy caused by its technical level are not something he can bear alone now.

Chen Ming was forced to retract his gaze and followed the guides smoothly to the warehouse under the earth furnace energy supply tower.

And controlled these warehouses filled with various industrial products and various transported raw materials.

Several warehouses were specially marked and filled with materials that Song Pu urgently transferred from other industrial tasks.

The expansion of the colony is the first priority, and everything else can be put back a little later.

What Chen Ming needs to do next is to transform these materials into new buildings for the colony.

And the way his psychic energy works on the colonies is also very simple.

It is necessary to control the industrial buildings of the colony in the marginal parts, and it is enough to start renovation and expansion from these buildings.

That means he only needs to walk around the edge to complete the first step before the expansion officially begins.

However, Chen Ming did not do this for the final effect, and chose to visit every factory in the colony.

Although the accompanying personnel dissuaded him, saying that the interior of the industrial colony was very dangerous, and most of them were pure mechanical equipment and robots working in it.

The only people left inside the factory were supervisors who had signed a costly death compensation contract, and a small number of engineers who could control robots to perform maintenance on these industrial equipment.

However, Chen Ming didn't listen. He still made the power armor on his own and walked into the area of ​​the factory outside the factory's logistics and transportation channels.

Cheng Xinghai originally wanted to be left here by Chen Ming.

After all, she was wearing the protective clothing and exoskeleton he made to assist walking, so she wouldn't have any thoughts if she stayed here alone with others.

However, Cheng Xinghai finally followed him with the excuse that it was boring to stay there.

Chen Ming didn't bother to stop her. Anyway, Chen Ming could control all her situations in real time, so he wouldn't be killed by a sneak attack in a dangerous situation.

Walking among factories.

Chen Ming could see various robots and various small logistics transportation vehicles traveling through the few aisles, providing various factories with small amounts of materials.

Of course, the main means of material transportation in these factories still relies on the logistics transportation lines connecting different factories, but these lines are generally underground and cannot be seen from the ground.

At the bottom of these industrial buildings, Chen Ming occasionally saw some solid small houses appearing here.

Those are where the few people who work in these extremely dangerous conditions live.

When Chen Ming passed by, several surveillance cameras turned to him.

He didn't care and continued to walk between different industrial buildings and touch them.

During this process, there was the sound of metal friction and the roar of industrial equipment.

After actually stepping into the factory area, even the power armor felt unstoppable heat, which made Chen Ming slightly excited.

This crystallization of human industry is full of the product of the combination of power and technology, while the source of danger that humans must live with in order to develop is constantly pumping his adrenaline.

Even if this is just a simulation, Chen Ming can't help but start imagining it in his mind.

Imagine what the industrial facilities would look like in his future colony, a colony completely devoid of human presence except for him.

It should be very different from here.

Of course, Chen Ming did not forget about business.

After relying on the high mobility provided by the power armor to quickly fully control all industrial equipment.

Chen Ming returned to the train in the logistics channel and headed outside the colony with others.

At this time, he took out the special terminal and said to Song Pu: "I'm ready, let's make some preparations in advance."

Song Pu asked with some confusion: "What do you want to prepare?"

"Repair the industrial equipment. I see that there seems to be some problems with the operation of the equipment in many places,"

"I feel that there should be a problem with the output of the entire colony. For example, can the cruise hull be produced five units a day? Is it okay that the efficiency of the new equipment I created is not the same as that of the old equipment?"

Professional Hong Guanghong immediately said in the terminal: "I estimate that your current colony can produce about two cruiser hulls a day to expel and escort small ship factory pirates. The efficiency is about 67% of that of the new factory."

"Mainly because this colony took a long time to build, and it is all large-scale industrial equipment. The cost of complete replacement is too high. As long as it is not completely broken, we can continue to use it."

Song Pu followed Hong Guanghong and said, "Can your mental strength be able to withstand the maintenance and expansion?"

Chen Ming personally walked through the entire colony's factories and was very confident in his own mental strength. He replied: "Don't worry, there is no problem with your mental strength. I care more about the people in the colony."

"Everything has been explained, and they will wear protective clothing when you do things."

"The sealing process has been completed. Everyone working in the colony has signed a one-month closed overtime agreement. There will be no reason to leave for at least one month."

"Information control is a little more troublesome, but it can be done, and you have your spiritual power as a final guarantee. You don't have to worry about the expansion of industrial facilities being exposed too early."

Chen Ming replied again: "Understood, then I'll start from here."

After he finished speaking, he put down the terminal, and the repair power instantly affected the entire colony.

A large amount of metallic liquid overflowed from the core warehouse area, covering the ground of the entire colony like a flood of metal.

The industrial colony also began to use the radio to repeatedly broadcast a message: "All staff please wear protective clothing and protective equipment according to the advance rehearsal. There is no need to pay attention to any abnormal phenomena. The situation will be over. If there is an unexpected situation, please contact the department head immediately." "

As the broadcast repeated itself, the metallic liquid that had flooded the entire colony changed again.

They flow along the industrial building, gradually from the bottom to the top.

All industrial buildings and industrial facilities are surrounded by these backflow metal liquids at all times during operation, but these metal liquids do not affect the work of these industrial facilities themselves at all.

This process lasted about five minutes.

These metallic liquids were either completely integrated into the industrial facilities, or they all retreated back into the warehouse.

And as the metallic liquid disappeared, what appeared in front of everyone was a new industrial colony that seemed to have been built just now.

Song Pu immediately expressed concern to Chen Ming: "How is your mental energy consumption? Do you need to rest for a while?"

"No, it's just maintenance. The next thing is the main event."

Chen Ming just finished speaking.

Metallic liquid gushes through the colony again.

This time it wasn't just a flood of metal like before.

Instead, the metal tsunami that completely submerged the entire colony surged directly from the ground near the earth's core furnace energy supply tower.

Like a metal volcano erupting, the metallic liquid that flooded the entire colony gradually rushed to the edge of the colony area.

Some of them seep into the ground, and some are formed on the ground.

Walls of steel rose outside the old colonies, and tall metal towers sat within the new colonies.

Pieces of industrial facilities emerged from the metallic liquid. Countless industrial robots were connected to the colony's industrial network the moment they were created by Chen Ming, and the industrial facilities were activated. The highest efficiency began immediately. operation.

The expanded area of ​​the entire industrial colony can be said to have more than doubled the size of the original colony.

The work efficiency of the entire colony, even if it is only seen with the naked eye rather than through precise measurement, is at least 1.5 times higher.

The relationship between area expansion and industrial efficiency increase is not one-to-one.

With the expansion of the area and some original design flaws being repaired during this expansion, the efficiency has improved far more than imagined.

Even if this is not the case, Chen Ming's psychic energy actually acts on real industrial colonies.

But the effect of the colony in the simulation is enough to show the power of Chen Ming's psychic abilities.

This colony that was built in just a few minutes made Cheng Xinghai, who had been following Chen Ming, look at Chen Ming with a hint of shock.

Although she didn't know much about Chen Ming, she was certain that Chen Ming had done something similar before, otherwise Bai Quan would not have let him do something similar in the simulation.

Just think about Baiquan's achievements in the Fourteenth Army.

Cheng Xinghai had no doubt that the giant shipyard belonging to Yu Hui became something in Chen Ming's hands during this wave of metal.

Of course, Chen Ming actually didn't go that far. Most of the giant shipyard was still under Yuhui's control. In fact, it was the spread of psychic energy and the penetration of a large number of Yuhui individuals that allowed Chen Ming to achieve his ultimate goal.

But Cheng Xinghai didn't know this, she only knew that Chen Ming's psychic powers didn't seem to be at the same level of development as hers.

The possibility of defeating Chen Ming in her mind was reduced again, but her competitive spirit remained unabated.

If she could win against Chen Ming in the simulation, that would be something that would truly satisfy her and make her happy.

Of course, forget about the simulation this time and let’s talk about it next time.

At this time, Song Pu, who was watching the live broadcast, saw the new steel city appear, and his brain shut down for a moment.

If the next dozen colonies can have expansions of this scale, productivity increases of this scale.

Even if the front line is still at a slight disadvantage, he has the possibility of crushing the government forces head-on with his military strength.

Thinking of this, Song Pu looked at Chen Ming's figure in the real-time broadcast video with even more intense eyes.

(End of this chapter)