Chapter 154: The Traction Plan (3rd Update, Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

“What?!”

“Send everyone up? What do you mean? No need to queue?”

“Two hours, really??”

Lin Xian’s words were like a bombshell dropped among the crowd, which immediately erupted. Everyone looked at Lin Xian with burning anxiety. His words seemed to have suddenly lifted everyone’s spirits.

Zhang Dingzhong frowned slightly as he looked at him. “What’s the plan? Just say it.”

“Captain Lin, two hours? Does that mean we don’t need to overwrite the system?” Wei Kexue was both nervous and anxious, but as he looked at Lin Xian, his heart pounded. His subconscious told him that Lin Xian might really have a way.

Lin Xian said without hesitation, “If we overwrite the system, the power will still only be enough for the anti-aircraft system and the electromagnetic acceleration system. If we supply it to the ascension elevator, even if it can run, the transport capacity won’t be high. It might even be slower than before. In that case, it will take more than 5 hours. And the anti-aircraft system will be affected. There are more and more monsters now. According to the set time, we definitely won’t be able to get everyone up.”

“That’s right,” Wei Kexue nodded. “The ascension elevator has the highest power consumption, after all…”

Lin Xian didn’t have time for details and directly interrupted him. “There’s another problem. The more people who leave, the fewer people there are to resist. Once the airport’s defense line falls, the people behind will definitely not be able to get up. So, the best way is for everyone to go together!”

There was one thing Lin Xian didn’t say out loud: order. When the outer defenses collapsed, the convoys at the back of the line would be the first to suffer. At that time, large-scale chaos would erupt, and the situation would become uncontrollable.

“No, there are thousands of vehicles here, tens of thousands of people. How can we all go together when the airport’s power supply is insufficient?” Shi Diyuan asked doubtfully.

“The method is not complicated!”

Lin Xian spoke loudly. He waved his hand, and a fluorescent light flickered in his palm. A micro-scale metal model of the ascension elevator was created by him.

On it were four simulated metal trains, representing the four trains currently docked at the airport.

He then looked at Jian Xuwei and Shi Diyuan and said quickly, “Longshan No. 1 and the Iron Guard’s trains are both intercontinental-class trains, with engine power exceeding 150,000 kilowatts. And the Silver Star, as an eternal-class train, must have an operating power of at least 200,000 kilowatts.”

“220,000,” Jian Xuwei said proudly.

Lin Xian nodded. “Plus my Infinity, which also has over 100,000 kilowatts of power. The total power of the four trains is over 600,000 kilowatts. And since everyone is going to enter the Star-Ring Orbit, I believe these trains must also be equipped with Horizon Gateways, which are for rushing up the ascension channel and entering the ocean orbit without traction. If we have all the vehicles board the ascension traction devices and use mechanical tractors to pull them, and then our four trains connect with steel cables, we can completely drag the two thousand-plus vehicles here directly up to the high-altitude corridor without the ascension elevator.”

“We can completely supply the power mainly to the anti-aircraft system and electromagnetic acceleration. We’ll climb the ascension elevator ourselves!”

As soon as Lin Xian’s words fell, the atmosphere suddenly tensed. Everyone’s expression gradually changed from dazed to shocked.

Using trains to pull thousands of vehicles up to a high-altitude corridor 4800 meters above the ground—this sounded absolutely insane!

Bai Shuang looked at Lin Xian with a surprised expression, then she looked at the equally dumbfounded Wei Kexue. “Engineer Wei, is… is this feasible?”

Wei Kexue’s mouth hung open, his eyes constantly shifting. “This… this…”

He quickly calculated on his computer.

“The total length of the ascension channel is 7250 meters, with a 90% gradient and a vertical height of 4806 meters. There are 2696 vehicles in the current queue. Assuming all the vehicles, including the trucks, weigh 10,000 tons, and the train rushes up at a speed of 100 kilometers per hour, with the Horizon Gateway and mechanical traction, after three-stage track acceleration, this… this requires an instantaneous traction power of at least… 408,000 kilowatts. From… a theoretical point of view, this is feasible, and the speed can even be faster. It’s just this traction steel cable…”

*Clang, clang, clang!*

A fluorescent light appeared in Lin Xian’s hand. A high-carbon alloy steel cable with a diameter of 10 centimeters was created by Lin Xian and fell to the ground with a dull metallic sound.

Lin Xian took a deep breath. “The trains only need to connect to the traction devices. After rushing up to the high-altitude corridor, all vehicles can use the high-speed traction devices to enter the electromagnetic acceleration channel. Other trains can use track acceleration. This can also avoid the problem of chaos inside the channel.”

“Holy cow, how did you even think of that? Pulling thousands of cars up to the high-altitude corridor. You’ve got guts!” Shi Diyuan’s eyes widened. The engineer next to him was also constantly calculating, but it seemed his conclusion was similar to Wei Kexue’s.

On the other side, the countless engineers of the Silver Star were also frantically brainstorming, providing calculated information to Jian Xuwei.

Zhang Dingzhong’s gaze swept over the noisy scene, then landed on Lin Xian with a deep meaning in his eyes.

“The risk is very high. This is a theoretical situation.” Jian Xuwei’s expression was rational. She looked at Lin Xian and said coldly, “First, the weight of all vehicles is an estimate and not accurate. There are a large number of heavy trucks and modified vehicles. Second, you only calculated the instantaneous power requirement, but the Horizon Gateway and mechanical traction have not undergone material experiments for this kind of large pulling force, so there is no guarantee that the expected effect will be achieved. If our Horizon Gateway is damaged in the process, not only will all the vehicles not be able to go up, but we, the mobile trains that could have gone up, will also lose our last chance.”

“Exactly!” Jian Zeyang was clearly against this plan. “This plan is simply for us to pull the cars, but it doesn’t benefit us at all and increases our risk. The Silver Star has 3219 lives on board. Why should we take such a risk!”

He took a deep breath and said with a flicker in his eyes, “To put it bluntly, if the other channels were open, we would have rushed up long ago. We wouldn’t be waiting here to die. We’ve already lost a lot of people. At worst…”

“Zeyang!” Jian Xuwei cut him off with a cold voice.

At this moment, the air seemed to freeze.

Zhang Dingzhong’s gaze was sharp. He looked at Bai Shuang and said, “Group Leader Bai, what do you think of this plan?”

Bai Shuang’s expression was complicated. She hesitated for a moment and said, “Although there are risks, for now, this plan has the highest feasibility.”

“We don’t agree. This plan only increases the risk for us!” Jian Zeyang protested directly. “Even if it’s only two hours, if all the survivors go to load the cars, who will defend the line?? Once the airport falls, this plan will completely drag us down. The Silver Star might as well take a few hundred survivors on board and let us rush up first!”

Jian Zeyang’s words were not without reason. He and Jian Xuwei were responsible for more than three thousand lives. If they rushed up directly, their chances of success would be greater.

*BOOM!!!*

At this moment, an explosion was heard from the sky. Everyone looked up. The airport’s anti-aircraft system and electromagnetic railguns were firing at full power towards the sky. The large Federation mobile airship that had just taken off seemed to have encountered some kind of strange attack at high altitude. It exploded in a huge fireball high in the clouds, and the other smaller aircraft were not spared, falling like leaves.

“What are the railguns attacking?”

“In the sky, there’s something!?” someone exclaimed in alarm!

Everyone looked up at the dark clouds high in the night sky, their expressions grave.

*CRACK!*

A bolt of lightning flashed, illuminating the clouds. In that instant, everyone saw it. Above the clouds, a magnificent, giant, circular black silhouette that blotted out the sky was revealed. Its bell, like a mountain range, towered into the clouds, like an alien creature!

It was that atmospheric mica!

In an instant, everyone’s expression changed drastically.

“Oh my god, it’s that monster!!”

“It’s… above the clouds over our heads!”

*BWOOM! BOOM! BWOOM! BOOM!*

The muzzles of the four electromagnetic railguns all turned upwards and fired at the sky!

Bai Shuang’s face was grim. “Damn it! If we don’t draw that big guy’s fire, the high-altitude corridor will be swallowed by it!”

“It seems we don’t have much time left,” Zhang Dingzhong’s gaze hardened. He looked at Jian Xuwei and Jian Zeyang. “Then let’s go with this plan.”

Jian Zeyang’s face was anxious. “But…”

“Ma Xiaotang!” Zhang Dingzhong shouted in a deep voice.

“Here!”

Adjutant Ma Xiaotang stepped forward.

“1st and 2nd Battalions, Artillery Battalion, defend Area A. 4th and 6th Battalions, plus the Armored Infantry Company, defend Area B. 7th Battalion, Tank Company, defend Area C. 5th and 9th Battalions, Logistics Support Company, defend Area D. 8th Battalion and the Reconnaissance Battalion will defend the central Area E with me. All air units, take off and draw that big guy’s attention to the front of the airport. Protect the ascension elevator and the sky corridor!”

“Yes, sir!” Ma Xiaotang responded.

In an instant, the entire place fell silent, the atmosphere solemn!

Zhang Dingzhong looked around. “Our Iron Guard will be responsible for defending for these two hours. Anyone else have any objections?”

As soon as these words were spoken, Jian Zeyang’s side’s expressions all changed. They were speechless. Jian Xuwei decisively stepped forward. “No objections. We will begin arrangements immediately.”

“We have no objections!” Shi Diyuan also responded loudly.

The appearance of the atmospheric mica had cast a shadow of despair over the airport. And with Zhang Dingzhong leading the entire army’s firepower to provide cover, Jian Zeyang could no longer say anything.

“Bai Shuang!” Zhang Dingzhong said, “Your emergency team and the other wounded will all board the Iron Guard’s intercontinental-class train. Our Iron Guard will retreat last.”

Bai Shuang nodded with a grave expression.

“Old Chief…”

At this moment, a voice came from behind.

Zhan Wei, leading dozens of airport guard personnel, walked over and said in a low voice, “Our Guard Regiment wants to join the defense.”

Zhang Dingzhong looked back at him, his expression changing slightly. He said in a deep voice, “Not a complete coward, then.”

After speaking, he quickly moved towards the outer defense line. Adjutant Ma Xiaotang and Guard Regiment leader Zhan Wei immediately followed.

In an instant, all the personnel of the Iron Guard and the Guard Regiment were mobilized, the atmosphere incredibly grim.

Bai Shuang now looked at Lin Xian and said with a solemn expression, “Captain Lin, the convoy leaders and I will be responsible for the sequence dispatch and getting the traction devices on board. You will be responsible for configuring the train’s traction steel cables.”

Lin Xian nodded. “There’s no time to lose!”