Rejecting Tsinghua and Peking Universities: I Will Lead Harbin Institute of Technology to World Lead

Under Lin Feng's command, the light-speed warship began to operate rapidly.

Inside the massive ship, countless systems activated simultaneously, their energy cores emitting a deep, powerful hum. The warp generator arrays lit up one by one, their eerie blue light pulsating like breath. In the control hall, hundreds of technicians stared intently at their screens, their fingers flying across the control interfaces.

Lin Feng stood in front of the main control panel, his gaze calmly fixed on the central holographic projection. On it was the real-time status of the light-speed warship—energy saturation 97%, curvature field stability 99.2%, and all systems had passed self-tests.

"Warp drive activation countdown." Lin Feng's voice echoed throughout the ship via the communication system, "Ten, nine, eight..."

Everyone's heartbeat quickened with the countdown.

"Three, two, one—Start."

Om-!

An indescribable tremor instantly swept across the entire warship. It wasn't a physical vibration, but rather a subtle ripple transmitted to the ship's hull as space itself twisted and folded. Looking out the porthole, the sky of Blue Star began to distort and deform, as if being kneaded by an invisible giant hand.

The next moment, the light-speed warship disappeared.

The massive, mountain-like ship vanished completely from everyone's sight in an instant. No tail flame, no trail, as if it had never existed.

In the ground command center, everyone who witnessed this scene through real-time data connection couldn't help but gasp.

"Too fast..." someone murmured, their voice filled with shock.

Fortunately, the light-speed warship was equipped with a state-of-the-art quantum entanglement real-time communication system. On the main screen, the scene outside the ship was transmitted back clearly—the blue planet was rapidly shrinking, the arc of the atmosphere curved in the field of vision, and the outlines of the azure ocean and brown continents gradually became complete.

"This speed is too fast; we've already reached near-Earth space." Lin Feng looked at the screen and couldn't help but sigh softly.

Old Chen beside him was so excited he couldn't speak, just staring intently at the screen, his eyes reddening.

The ship was silent; everyone was speechless, stunned by the sight before them.

They calculated that, based on the theoretical maximum speed of the warp drive, a light-speed warship would only need six hours to leave the solar system and truly step into the depths of the starry sea that humanity has never set foot in before.

Six hours passed in the blink of an eye.

No one spoke in the control room, and no one left their seats. Everyone stared intently at the main screen, awaiting that historic moment.

"We're about to cross the edge of the solar system." The navigator's voice trembled slightly. "Ten, nine, eight..."

The countdown started again, and this time, each number felt like a hammer blow to the heart.

"Three, two, one—we've already crossed over."

The image flickered slightly, then froze.

Lin Feng and his companions saw a world beyond the solar system.

It was pure darkness.

There was no sound, no light, no discernible direction. Only endless, profound, all-consuming blackness. The faint light at the edge of the solar system vanished completely here, as if blocked by some invisible barrier.

"Is this the world outside our solar system?" Lin Feng said softly.

His voice rang out clearly in the quiet control room. No one answered him, for everyone was staring into the darkness, overwhelmed by indescribable emotions.

The darkness wasn't terrifying, but it made people feel incredibly small. Humanity spent thousands of years leaving Earth, a hundred years reaching the edge of the solar system, and now finally stands beyond that boundary. But what awaits them is this profound, endless void.

"Let's come back for now." Lin Feng broke the silence and instructed the person in charge of the light-speed warship. "After we've made sufficient preparations, we'll need to truly explore the world beyond the solar system. This time, it's just for observation."

"Yes, Mr. Lin." The person in charge accepted the order without hesitation and quickly issued the return-to-base command.

The light-speed warship gently turned in the void, restarting its warp drive. The journey there had taken six hours, and the return journey would be the same. The endless darkness receded rapidly behind them, and the sunlight once again illuminated the portholes.

When the familiar blue planet reappeared in their field of vision, enthusiastic applause erupted in the control hall. Some laughed, some wiped away tears, and some embraced each other excitedly. The first test voyage was a complete success. They had not only built a light-speed warship, but also witnessed firsthand the historic moment when humanity stepped out of the solar system.

Lin Feng watched all this quietly, a faint smile playing on his lips. But he knew this was only the first step. The real challenge lay ahead—what lurked in that darkness? When would that invitation from the unknown reappear?

The light-speed warship slowly landed at the launch site. The massive hatch opened, letting in a rush of fresh air. Just as Lin Feng was about to get up and leave—

【Ding! 】

The crisp system notification sound, like a celebratory bell, rang out leisurely deep within Lin Feng's consciousness.

The familiar mechanical feel made Lin Feng pause slightly. The system hadn't proactively distributed rewards in a long time; the last time was when the Earth's core energy network was successfully connected.

[The light-speed warship, developed under the host's leadership, has been successfully manufactured and verified in the real world.]

[Project rewards are now being distributed...]

Lin Feng's consciousness was instantly pulled into the system space. In a pure white world, a huge sphere of light floated before him, slowly rotating. Inside the sphere, countless streams of information flowed like galaxies, condensing into a grand blueprint.

[Reward: Natural Planetary Terraforming]

[Description: A complete theoretical system and technological blueprint. Capable of terraforming any naturally occurring planet unsuitable for human habitation into a habitable home. Includes a full suite of theoretical and engineering solutions for atmospheric reconstruction, gravity regulation, temperature control, water generation, ecosystem integration, magnetic field stabilization, and radiation shielding.]

The sphere of light exploded, and information poured down like a waterfall.

Lin Feng's consciousness was instantly overwhelmed by a massive amount of knowledge—how to give a lifeless planet an atmosphere, how to create oceans on the surface of a rocky planet, how to adjust a planet's rotation and revolution periods to control temperature, how to construct an artificial magnetic field to resist stellar winds, how to implant a complete ecosystem from scratch...

That's not a simple recipe or technique, but a whole set of divine skills that could change the world.

If light-speed warships are humanity's ships to the stars, then planetary terraforming technology is the plow that allows humanity to take root in the stars.

With it, humanity will no longer need to be confined to this small planet, Earth. Mars, Venus, and even terrestrial planets outside our solar system can be transformed into a second or third Earth. The tentacles of civilization will truly extend from one planet to the entire galaxy.

Lin Feng's consciousness stood quietly amidst the torrent of knowledge until the last byte was completely absorbed.

When he opened his eyes again, the launch base of the light-speed warship was still bustling with activity. Technicians were busy inspecting the hull, preparing for the next sea trial. Sunlight streamed in, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.

But Lin Feng knew that from this moment on, everything would be different.

He turned to look at the sky. Beyond that azure expanse lay the solar system, the dark void he had just traversed, and countless stars and planets. And now, in his hand lay the key to reshaping those worlds.

"Planetary terraforming..." Lin Feng murmured to himself, his eyes as deep as the starry sea.

Light-speed warships allow humans to venture out, while planetary terraforming technology allows them to stop, settle down, and survive on the outside world.

Two keys: one to open the door, and one to build the house.

The invitation from an unknown, condescending source still lingered in Lin Feng's mind. But now, the stakes in his hand had risen even higher.

"President Lin?" the person in charge's voice came from the side, "The plan for the next test voyage..."

"Wait a minute." Lin Feng waved his hand. "There's something new to prepare."

He didn't elaborate. The planetary terraforming technology was far too advanced; once announced, it would completely alter the course of human civilization.