After settling that matter, Zhang Qi turned his attention to the construction of the Plasma Spark Tower.
With vast resources poured into it, a colossal tower even more magnificent than a space elevator began to take shape. It stood crystalline upon the Earth, like a giant sword thrust straight into the clouds, and like a tree of the future growing amid a forest of steel.
Millions of tons of superalloy materials were transported to the construction site, while countless engineering robots and human engineers worked day and night without rest.
From its initial structural framework, to the later installation of its outer shell, and then to its complex internal energy transmission and containment systems, every inch of the tower pushed the limits of human engineering.
Sunlight struck its silver-gray shell, reflecting a blinding radiance. Even thousands of kilometers away, people could make out its vague outline on clear days.
Faced with such a magnificent creation, everyone's attention was drawn to it.
It was more than just a building. It was a symbol, the physical embodiment of humanity's will erupting in the face of despair.
Every kind of media outlet covered it relentlessly. Experts argued endlessly on television programs, while children sketched it in their classrooms.
"What exactly is this thing for? Can it really stop the Trisolaran fleet?"
As a street vendor sold grilled sausages, he muttered to an old regular beside him.
"Who knows? Wallfacer Zhang Qi's plans have always been shrouded in mystery."
The regular took the sausage and chewed with audible crunches. "Still, watching it grow taller day by day makes me feel a little more at ease."
People began speculating about what Zhang Qi's plan truly was and what the tower's real function might be.
Some said it was a superweapon capable of firing plasma beams