234: Chapter 234 When alien technology arrives, all noise is just dust.

No warm-up.

No long preamble.

They couldn't even be bothered to write a single "Stay tuned."

On the homepage of the official website, there was only one image.

Plus a single line of text—[Guanghui Technology Anti-gravity Vehicle Project: First Engineering Prototype Verification Complete]

The words were plain.

But when this strike landed, the entire field of public opinion was cleaved in two.

The comment section was blank for two seconds, then it exploded with activity.

"???????"

"Wait a minute, I was just arguing about subsidies a second ago, and you hit me with this?"

"Is this thing really supposed to appear right now?"

"Holy crap, an Anti-gravity Vehicle?!"

"Look at the picture; it literally looks like a jet ski!!"

"Honestly, Guanghui Technology, did you secretly kidnap a few The Aliens?"

"This has to be alien technology, right? I've always suspected Lu Li was The Alien, and now there's concrete proof!!"

The waves of manufactured controversy that were rolling wildly just a moment ago were swept away in an instant.

...

Lu Yaoguang sat cross-legged on the carpet, refreshing the page a few times, then suddenly let out a soft breath.

She could already see the change.

The people stirring up trouble were obviously still there.

Their talking points hadn't suddenly vanished.

But the prevailing wind in the comment section had been forcibly turned by another, more surging tide of voices.

People who were originally just watching from the sidelines and didn't want to get involved finally couldn't sit still after seeing that image on the official website.

Someone stared at the single-person vehicle, which looked like it had driven out from the depths of a snowy night, their typing even showing a hint of trembling.

"If this thing is real, the whole subsidy issue suddenly doesn't seem so interesting anymore..."

"I wasn't originally a fan of Guanghui Technology, but now I just want to ask one question: how much more stuff do they actually have in their hands?"

"You guys keep arguing, I'm going to take a screenshot first. This image will likely end up in textbooks ten years from now."

"Never mind the specs; if it can really be mass-produced, traffic rules will have to be rewritten, right?"

These voices started off scattered, but before long, they rose like a tide, washing over the page layer after layer.

The talking points circling around subsidy amounts, rising commodity prices, and social equity were still there, but as more and more people began asking when the Anti-gravity flying vehicle would be test-flown, when the specs would be released, and when the actual machine could be seen, those arguments suddenly seemed old and tiresome, even revealing an indescribable sense of embarrassment.

Because when the word "Future" is truly thrown right in front of your eyes, who would still be willing to keep staring at the flaws on the ground?

Su Qingxue gazed at the screen, her originally slightly tense eyes finally relaxing bit by bit.

"The tide has turned."

Lu Li gave an affirmative hum, his tone as casual as if he were discussing something perfectly normal.

"It should have been like this from the start."

"People who want to look at the road ahead will always outnumber those staring at a few stains."

Many Guanghui Technology fans didn't even care about the controversy being stirred up; the die-hard fans were already battling it out with the other side.

Wang Peng crouched by the sofa holding a tablet, watching the visitor count under the official website jump every second, laughing until the flesh on his face trembled.

"Brother!"

"This time we really covered them up!"

"That bunch of people were barking just a moment ago, but now nobody is paying them any attention at all; everyone is asking how high it can fly, how much it costs, and when it will be mass-produced!"

Lu Li leaned back in the sofa without even lifting his eyes, and gave a soft "Hmm!"

Lu Yaoguang looked down at the comment section, only feeling a surge of warmth rising in her chest.

She used to think that public relations was just about taking the fall, controlling the narrative, deleting posts, and suppressing trending topics.

But at this moment, she suddenly understood.

Public opinion that truly stands firm is never something that can be scrubbed clean.

Nor is it something that can be strictly controlled through technique.

In the end, it all comes down to whether what you have in your hands is solid enough.

Solid enough to a certain degree, and even if you don't say a single extra word of nonsense, someone will take the initiative to hold the floor for you.

She sat on the floor hugging her knees, looking at that Anti-gravity flying vehicle, then took another look at the official website that was about to crash from traffic, and suddenly smiled.

"I've even thought of the title for my future college graduation thesis."

Wang Peng immediately turned around, alert.

"What?"

Lu Yaoguang lifted her chin, her eyes holding a hint of undisguisable brightness.

"《When the Future Truly Lands, All Noise Is Dust》."

"Damn." Wang Peng was convinced on the spot, "As expected of a journalism major, even coming up with a title carries a vibe that's ready to hit the trending topics."

Su Qingxue heard this and also gently curved her lips.

The living room became quiet again.

Only the tablet vibrated every now and then, reminding them that the world outside was still boiling over because of one image, one press release, and a few words.

And just as the lights were quiet here in Mingzhu, in another heavily guarded compound in Jingzhou, Elder Wu was also sitting in his study, looking at that live photo just posted on the Guanghui Technology official website.

The old man sat straight, his spine like an unbending old rifle.

He stared at the image for a long time, the light in his eyes brightening bit by bit, and even his eyebrows, which were usually kept perfectly steady, twitched slightly.

When the Anti-gravity flying vehicle research center was established, he had personally approved this line.

To be precise, he hadn't just approved it.

When Lu Li first submitted that application, many people didn't even really understand it; they just felt the name was frighteningly grand, like another advanced project worthy of being written into future planning.

Elder Wu, of course, understood its weight.

And precisely because he understood it, he knew better than anyone how difficult such a thing was.

Anti-gravity.

Personal vehicle.

Urban-level application.

Any one of these, if taken out, is an obstacle that could stump countless laboratories for decades.

So, although he had nodded at the time, what he was thinking in his heart was another matter—that for this line to be truly laid out in Lu Li's hands, it was already considered fast.

As for when the actual product could be seen?

Ten or eight years wouldn't be considered long.

Twenty or thirty years wouldn't be unacceptable either.

Things of this level should naturally be the longest of long-term projects.

But who would have known, how much time has passed since then?

This kid actually just threw the image out there today.

And it wasn't a concept image.

Not a render.

And certainly not some pretty model in a PowerPoint used to swindle a budget.

The thing parked in the snow in that image was clearly the real deal.

An engineering prototype that had actually been built.

Elder Wu stared at the screen, not speaking for a long while, finally letting out a hum from his nose, though he couldn't suppress the hint of surprise in his eyes.

"Good lad..."

"He kept this kind of thing under wraps well enough."

He seemed to be complaining with his mouth, but the brightness in his eyes deepened a few degrees.

He didn't even need to think to know what the next step would be.

Since the real product was already on display, it meant this line was no longer just a simple laboratory project.

Lu Li was preparing to push it out to the public.

One step further, and test flights, publicizing specs, and even an official release were only a matter of time.

Thinking of this, Elder Wu's mouth twitched slightly, as if he were amused to the point of laughter by this kid's way of doing things.

"The Anti-gravity flying vehicle is almost ready to be served on the table, yet he didn't even know to submit a couple more detailed reports to the state first."

"As soon as a good thing is made, he hangs the image on the official website first."

"This kid, he really doesn't treat himself as an outsider, and he really doesn't treat others as people to be intimidated."