Time flew.
Under the pressure of the energy crisis, almost every researcher in Mars City worked themselves to the bone.
Rest?
There was no such thing.
Why sleep so long in life when death offered an eternity of rest?
The Starship's basic framework, the conduit design...
One proposal after another was rapidly refined.
With the survival of their entire species at stake, every researcher unleashed their full potential!
And so, thanks to all the researchers grinding away day and night, a complete Helium-3 Collector Ship design emerged six months later.
Zero swiftly allocated computing power and began running simulations.
The moment the design passed the simulations, the factories that had stood idle for a full six months sprang back to life.
Under Zero's full control, construction of the Helium-3 Collector Ships advanced at breakneck speed!
October 2038
Ten Helium-3 Collector Ships departed simultaneously from the Mars Spaceport, setting out for Jupiter in search of energy!
To slow helium-3 consumption as much as possible, Lü Yongchang had ordered most nonessential factories and Starships shut down during the development of the Helium-3 Collector Ships.
Only the Hummingbird-Type Mining Ships continued working around the clock in the Asteroid Belt.
While gathering mineral resources, they also scavenged as much helium-3 as possible from asteroid surfaces to replenish their reserves.
Even so, by the time the Helium-3 Collector Ships departed, Human Civilization's helium-3 reserves had reached a critical threshold.
According to Zero's rough estimate, there was only enough to sustain Human Civilization at its current level for about six months.
January 2039
Three months remained before the helium-3 reserves ran dry.
Inside Mars City One.
The command hall was packed.
Almost all the senior members of the Academy of Sciences had arrived.
There was only one reason: today was the day the ten Helium-3