Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Purpose of the Test

After the mission on Relic Island concluded, Xu Yan found no solace in the commendations and honors he received; instead, his heart felt heavier than ever. The sacrifice of the operator weighed upon him like a boulder, denying him rest night after night. It was precisely this gravity that sparked deeper reflection and a firm resolve within him.

Following a "friendly" exchange with "Jiyu," he declined the sincere invitation from the Elite Special Forces, choosing instead to remain at the new recruits' training base with his comrades. Although Duan Peng found Xu Yan’s decision somewhat strange, he chose to trust his friend, especially after Xu Yan explained that joining the elite unit would have been far too easy and lacked the challenge he craved.

Duan Peng’s decision to stay moved Xu Yan deeply. It was rare to find a comrade who would offer such unwavering support without question. This went beyond simple trust; it was a commitment, a choice to put aside his own dreams to strive alongside a friend.

Xu Yan told Duan Peng that he intended to persuade Jing Zhimin. Regardless of the arrangements made by the Interstellar Command, he was determined to establish a new training system for interstellar fighters.

"Are you insane?" Duan Peng asked, not out of concern for the audacity of approaching Jing Zhimin, but because he found it hard to believe that anyone could overhaul the training system that Blue Star had relied upon for so many years.

"It is not impossible; in fact, it is entirely achievable," Xu Yan stated firmly.

Through his communication with "Jiyu," he had realized that the bottleneck in Blue Star’s interstellar training lay in the transition from the human body to the space environment. The extreme physical demands imposed by sudden changes in speed and environment were the primary hurdles in training interstellar soldiers. If the physical requirements for the "journey" itself could be reduced, the number of Blue Star citizens capable of working, fighting, and exploring in space would expand infinitely. The result would be self-evident—a massive, transformative revolution.

"I need test subjects to prove its feasibility," Xu Yan said.

"Count me in!" Duan Peng replied without hesitation.

Xu Yan shook his head. "Not you."

"Why?" Duan Peng asked, bewildered.

"Because your physical condition has already met the basic standards for current interstellar training; you only need to be strengthened," Xu Yan explained. "I need people who have not yet reached those physical requirements, even those who rank at the bottom of our Jinjiang Special Forces. Only then will the results be truly convincing."

"What can I do, then?" Duan Peng asked, sounding a bit dejected.

"Be my assistant. Trust me," Xu Yan said bluntly.

"No problem. If you succeed, people will introduce you as the great Mr. Xu Yan, who, along with his assistant Duan Peng, achieved the great transformation of Blue Star," Duan Peng joked.

Xu Yan, however, was dead serious. "This will certainly be achieved. Your name, Duan Peng, will be inextricably linked with mine."

Xu Yan said this because he believed that, for the future of Blue Star, it would be an absolute benefit for another person to understand and perhaps even recognize the concepts and technology of "Jiyu." If Duan Peng proved worthy of his trust, he would become a witness to the connection between Xu Yan and "Jiyu."

Moreover, achieving this would not be easy, as the resources of the Jinjiang Special Forces were limited. If it were merely a change in training methods or equipment—like the modifications he had made to the centrifuge—Jing Zhimin would support him. But if it involved other areas, especially cutting-edge technology, Jing Zhimin would not have the final say. This touched upon the core of Blue Star’s interstellar spacecraft—technology they did not possess—and the Interstellar Command might view him as either a madman or a spy.

Therefore, he needed to build a small-scale model first to prove the concept. This required funding and time. Every beginning is difficult, but the first step had to be taken.

"Captain, I have some new ideas I would like to discuss with you." Xu Yan knocked on the door of the base commander’s office, his voice filled with the resolve of a soldier.

Jing Zhimin set down his file, a flash of surprise in his eyes, before grinning. "Come in. I actually have something I wanted to talk to you about as well."

Xu Yan stepped inside and locked the door behind him. This action made Jing Zhimin suspicious. "What is this? Are you about to tell me something highly classified?"

Xu Yan nodded. "Captain, what I am about to say should be treated as top-secret information. If there is surveillance in your office, please shut it all down."

The expression on Jing Zhimin’s face tightened. "Are you serious?"

"Captain, I have never been more serious."

"Very well." Jing Zhimin stood up, operated the tablet on his desk, and then powered it off. He looked at Xu Yan and said, "Now, you may speak."

Xu Yan began, "I want to conduct a test. But this test may require both time and funding."

"What kind of test?" Jing Zhimin searched Xu Yan’s face and found no trace of falsehood, only absolute sincerity.

"Captain, I must ask you to swear on your life that you will never disclose the purpose of this test!"

"As long as it does not conflict with the interests of the Jinjiang Special Forces and the Blue Star Interstellar Command, I can swear to it! But you must also guarantee that there are no malicious intentions behind this test."

"I promise! I swear on my life!"

"Fine, I agree. I will not disclose it!"

Only then did Xu Yan smile, relaxing his posture. "I want to build a small-scale interstellar spacecraft."

"Xu Yan!" Jing Zhimin was so furious he almost shouted. "This is the test you want to run?"

"Exactly!"

"I should break your legs!" Jing Zhimin grabbed a teacup from his desk as if to throw it at him.

"Captain, please don't be so hasty." Xu Yan quickly held up his hands in defense. "I really have my reasons. Please hear me out; you can be angry after I've explained."

Jing Zhimin paused with the cup in mid-air, then set it down. He unscrewed the lid, took a sharp gulp of tea, and warned, "You had better explain this clearly, or I will beat you to a pulp!" He sat back down and glared at Xu Yan.

Xu Yan was prepared. He drew from his experiences, starting from his simulation exams for the Interstellar Team to the recent operation on Relic Island, weaving in his insights and "conjectures" about the future.

"Captain, the fundamental reason the Interstellar Team is understaffed is that the ability of Blue Star citizens to adapt to high speeds is the limiting factor. If we can overcome this primary constraint, imagine how vast the number of potential interstellar soldiers could become."

"You are correct," Jing Zhimin nodded. "The training equipment you modified is the best way to change that paradigm. In my estimation, it could at least double our recruitment pool, if not more."

Xu Yan shook his head, looking immensely confident. "Captain, that is not the goal of my test. My goal is to enable every single member of the Jinjiang Special Forces to become a member of the Interstellar Team."