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Zou Zhou believed his plan was meticulous and would surely receive strong support from above. However, after the report was submitted, the military immediately ramped up the production of mechanical dogs, but the accompanying mobile launch stations saw little progress. They retrofitted dozens of power generation vehicles as a temporary measure, and then nothing more.
Zou Zhou assumed this was because power generation vehicles were standard equipment and did not require a special increase in production.
But the reality was that the military had no intention of mass-producing launch vehicles. This was because, at the same time Zou Zhou submitted his plan, Ou Zhanpeng also found Dan Qiuyu and placed two plans on his desk: "Director, these are the plans I made."
Dan Qiuyu looked up at him, his gaze somewhat unusual. "Zou Zhou just sent his plan out, and you're here too?"
Ou Zhanpeng tugged at the corner of his mouth helplessly. "There's no way around it. I should have discussed it with Zou Zhou, but involving classified equipment, I couldn't do anything but keep it from him and proceed on my own."
Wireless power transmission didn't need to be concealed, but the plans also involved other equipment, which necessitated caution.
"Alright, let me see!" Dan Qiuyu opened the first plan, scanned through it rapidly, and nodded noncommittally.
This plan was very similar to Zou Zhou's, merely replacing the power generation vehicles with reactors.
Furthermore, Ou Zhanpeng hadn't made any plans for vehicle-mounted systems, opting instead for air drops from transport aircraft. One reactor paired with 180 mechanical dogs formed a standard attack cluster, a force that could definitely dictate battlefield situations at this stage.
Dan Qiuyu pondered and then asked, "Why not use reactors with higher power output? That way, the coverage would be larger, supporting more mechanical dogs, wouldn't it?"
Ou Zhanpeng smiled. "Director, are you testing me?"
"Nonsense, I'm not in technology, what testing? Hurry up and explain it to me!" Dan Qiuyu said irritably.
Regardless of whether one was in technology or not, the attitude of asking humbly was the proper one. The worst thing was to pretend to know when one didn't, and for amateurs to lead professionals.
Ou Zhanpeng quickly straightened his posture. "It's like this, from a technical standpoint, there's no problem with using larger reactors. However, from the perspective of cost and usability, it's simply not worth the effort."
"There's such a thing?" Dan Qiuyu's interest was piqued. "Come, explain in detail!"
Ou Zhanpeng said, "I've calculated it. When the reactors operate at economical power, the effective reception radius is just over six kilometers, covering an area of over a hundred square kilometers. When operating at full power, the effective reception radius is just over eight kilometers, covering an area of 200 square kilometers. This is sufficient for handling general missions."
Dan Qiuyu nodded slightly. "Not bad, and then? Isn't a larger coverage area better?"
Ou Zhanpeng gave a wry smile. "Of course, it's better, but have you noticed that as the power increases from 60% to 100%, the coverage area doubles, yet the effective reception radius only increases by two kilometers!"
Dan Qiuyu suddenly realized. "You mean, a few smaller-powered units are better than one large-powered unit?"
He didn't understand reactors well, but this was similar to why the Blue Star companions collectively abandoned large-yield nuclear bombs and focused on developing low-yield or even micro-nuclear bombs.
"Exactly!" Ou Zhanpeng said. "And having multiple launch nodes can disperse risk."
Based on his understanding, reactor technology was already very mature. This plan not only saved more manpower and resources but also required no human involvement throughout the entire process.
Why use humans when machines could solve the problem?
Dan Qiuyu frowned deeply. "What you say makes sense, but this is just an upgraded version of Zou Zhou's plan. You're bullying Zou Zhou by taking advantage of his lack of knowledge about cutting-edge equipment!"
"I hadn't considered that, but knowledge is power," Ou Zhanpeng said. "The key is the second plan. I believe you will be very pleasantly surprised."
"Oh?" Hearing him say this, Dan Qiuyu did feel a sense of anticipation. "Then I won't read it. Just tell me directly."
Ou Zhanpeng immediately replied, "Director, launch stations mounted on ground or aerial platforms are inherently limited by terrain. Whether it's vehicles or aircraft, neither solves the fundamental problem, don't you agree?"
Dan Qiuyu glared fiercely at Ou Zhanpeng. "Stop beating around the bush and get to the point!"
"I believe the best approach is to build a solar power station in low Earth orbit and directly supply power to ground units from space!" Ou Zhanpeng's eyes seemed to gleam. "I've calculated it. Just one space power station can cover the entire southern region and surrounding areas. Three to five power stations could cover the entire country. At that point, not only can mechanical dogs operate all-weather and all-terrain, but other weapon systems equipped with receivers can also obtain energy from the space power station. We could even build a brand new pure electric combat system based on space power stations. In the future, we could even incorporate civilian electricity into the wireless power transmission system, causing all power plants nationwide to shut down!"
Decades ago, the concept of space power stations had already been proposed, but the technology for long-range wireless power transmission had never matured, so it remained on paper.
Now, with wireless power transmission technology from aliens, the last missing piece for space power stations had been completed.
Dan Qiuyu's frown did not ease at all. "It's a nice idea, but have you considered the immense cost and time required to build a power station? Even if it only covers the southern region, the total power output of the space power station cannot be too low. Tell me yourself, is it easier to build a launch platform or a space power station?"
Just as Ou Zhanpeng was about to speak, Dan Qiuyu waved him to stop. "Let me finish first. What you're thinking is indeed good, and it's indeed achievable. But have you considered that relying on space power stations for the nation's entire energy supply means that a few artillery shells or missiles could cripple all your weapon systems? Is that a good idea? What's the difference between that and running around naked?"
He was truly getting angry. This kid, he looked like a smart person, so why was he so brainless?
"Also, there are already many space programs. All the launch sites are operating at full capacity. If we build a space power station, we must occupy launch resources from other space programs. Have you thought about how much impact that would have on the plans from above?"
By the end of his sentence, Dan Qiuyu couldn't hold back and slammed the table.
Ou Zhanpeng was completely exasperated. "Director, I've considered everything you've said."
Dan Qiuyu became even angrier. "If you've considered it, you still dare to propose the plan? Is there something wrong with your brain!"
Ou Zhanpeng sighed. "Director, I've heard everything you said. Now, please, could you listen to me finish, okay?"
"You speak!" Dan Qiuyu huffily uttered two words.
"My plan is not to build a space power station immediately, but to utilize the existing power system!"
Dan Qiuyu was stunned. "What do you mean?"
Ou Zhanpeng smiled. "Since wireless power transmission technology is mature, why don't we build a transfer station in low Earth orbit to transmit ground electricity into space, and then use the transfer station to send the electricity that has been sent into space back to the ground..."
Dan Qiuyu shot up from his seat. "Good boy, you've got it. You're a damn genius!"