America: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 286 Oddball

Dominic and his companions cautiously approached the warehouse entrance. Seeing that the Grand Master had already removed the protective measures, they confidently entered.

"This thing is a nuclear reactor?" The group looked disappointed. "I thought it would be like in the movies."

"Doesn't it look like it? Although it's a bit dark, it will definitely look like it after maintenance." The leader pondered, and decided to have Haval take care of it later.

After touring the warehouse, Zhang Ailun told Haval to stay and continue the daily operations, then took Dominic and the others out, got into the car, and went to their next destination.

They arrived at a small rural town, a somewhat dilapidated farm, and parked the car by the roadside. Zhang Ailun then asked Dominic to make a phone call to the contact person.

The call was answered quickly, and after a few words, they were asked to wait a moment.

A few minutes later, a modified pickup truck drove up from the town's main road and stopped by the roadside. A large man wearing a straw hat, with a thick beard and a pink apron, got out of the truck and greeted them warmly.

"Hey! Babies, how are you?"

"Hello, hello, you're Nami?" Dominic looked at him with a sense of disbelief.

The name Nami sounds like a woman no matter how you look at it, right?

You think I haven't watched Water Pirate King?

"I'm LGBT (gay, bisexual, transgender)." The bearded man, unconcerned by their strange looks, greeted the person in the passenger seat, "Hey, you in the passenger seat, are you going to stay here the whole time, or get out and meet your dads?"

"That's rude of you!" Jennifer immediately became annoyed and got out of the car. If the Grand Master hadn't stopped her, West Coast Rose would definitely have shown him why the flowers were so red.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean you, I meant my passenger seat." The bearded man quickly explained to avoid any misunderstanding.

Soon, the group saw a muscular young man with dyed lipstick, wearing black leather high heels and a blonde wig, waddle off the bus. He stretched, revealing shiny black armpit hair, and waved to them, "Hello!"

"Baby, look at you, still so sexy! Your curves are like truck headlights! I really want to find a place to pamper you." The bearded man slapped his butt, eliciting a coquettish groan from the other man. "There are other people here!"

"..."

A chill ran down their spines.

Zhang Ailun was also a little numb.

What's wrong with me today? I've only run into weirdos. Did they all come at once?

Is this still the outskirts of Los Angeles?

Where the hell did you come from?

Calming down and suppressing the urge to punch him, I took a deep breath and said, "Okay, so you guys wanted to sell that... oh, private satellite. Did you bring it over?"

They almost mentally bombarded me so much that my CPU burned out.

Although the bearded man is LGBT, he does his job very well. Apart from his sexual orientation, he seems to be a normal person. "They're all in the car."

He turned around and lifted the curtain on the pickup truck, revealing a private satellite underneath. Zhang Ailun and the others went over to take a look.

How to put it? It looks like a miniature cube-shaped toy, but it has all the necessary hardware: solar panels, batteries, transceivers, and antennas, totaling about 27 units, making it equivalent to a complete miniature satellite system.

Unlike the size of a typical private satellite, this microsatellite is 11 centimeters on each side, weighs about 1.3 kilograms, and its manufacturing cost is estimated to be between several thousand and tens of thousands of US dollars. The cost of a single launch is estimated to be between $15 and $20.

These microsatellites have long been used by NASA for space missions.

"We don't know much about satellites. Could you explain its functionality? What can this kind of satellite be used for?" Zhang Ailun asked. "How different is it from Starlink?"

"It has many uses. If you are a photography enthusiast, a private satellite can be equipped with a 4K panoramic camera to take 360-degree high-definition photos of space and interact with your mobile phone for entertainment. It can also monitor the weather and forest fires, provide communication and Internet services, and create private navigation and positioning information. If you know a programmer who is good at programming, you can also program and build your own private network server."

"Currently, many people with network technology skills and those in large companies are using it. They are using private encrypted local area networks and independent databases, and legally, they are not subject to the supervision of the space agency or the national network. You can use it for whatever you want, even to launch homing missiles. But it is best to comply with the regulations of the local firearms administration."

Nami with the bushy beard explained, "In this technologically advanced modern world, the cost of launching a satellite isn't as high as you imagine. It's long been used for private services by the wealthy and hobbyists. Of course, I'm talking about America. If you're in a less developed region, I doubt anyone would be willing to launch a private satellite for you."

Zhang Ailun also did some in-depth research.

Interorbital had previously launched the TubeSat personal satellite kit in 2013, allowing anyone to send a half-pound payload into low Earth orbit for $8000, with the launch cost included.

That's right, for $8000, or about 56000 RMB, you can have your own private satellite.

Of course, this kind of experiential satellite is quite different from a standard private satellite.

Each TubeSat kit includes satellite components, security hardware, solar panels, batteries, power management hardware and software, transceivers, antennas, a microcomputer, and the necessary programming tools. With these kits, a real satellite can be built, powerful enough for users to receive signals using a handheld amateur radio receiver on the ground, or it can serve as a private amateur radio relay station.

But it can only be used for a few weeks, or at most one or two months.

Zhang Ailun also asked the bearded man about the difference between the TubeSat satellite and these microsatellites, and where he got them from.

"The user's TubeSat private satellite, along with 31 other satellites, will be launched into low Earth orbit at an altitude of 310 kilometers by Interorbital's Systems NEPTUNE 30 rocket. These small satellites will not become space debris that remains in orbit for a long time; they will only operate for a few weeks before deorbiting and burning up in the atmosphere."

Nami with a slight beard said, "But these private satellites, which Mayweather co-developed with the rocket research lab, can stay in orbit for at least 3-5 years. Their functionality and materials are military-grade, and their network signals are much smoother than ordinary satellites. They can also bypass internet censorship and learn about the ecology and geography of other regions and countries."

"My friend works in the rocket research lab. This was a successful collaboration between them and Mayweather's company. But they are now researching new types of satellites, so this microsatellite is no longer valued. I bought it from them and originally planned to find someone to launch it myself, but what happened later disrupted my plans."

With a slight beard, he looked tenderly at his girlfriend beside him and said, "I've met my true love! We've decided to sell some of the useless things in our house, use the money to travel to other countries, see the beautiful scenery of the world, and then go back to where we first met and get married in a church!"

The bride smiled shyly upon hearing this.

"..."

Zhang Ailun fell silent. Then he asked, "So, how much are you willing to sell this private satellite for?"

"$300,000. The production cost of each of them is $10,000. There are 27 microsatellites in total, as well as a mature matrix database containing geographic data and GPS programming. It has many well-established functions. I want to sell it for $300,000," the bearded Nami said logically.

Zhang Ailun immediately put on the mask of pain, thought for a moment, took out his Dragon Slayer Sword from his pocket, and slashed fiercely at the perverted LGBT man.

"Okay, Nami, you're right, these private satellites are indeed worth the price, but you forgot the most important point: these are the results of research from at least two years ago. You also mentioned that the Rocket Launch Research Lab is currently working with Mayweather Company on the latest private satellite? This means they also know that this satellite is about to be upgraded, and the new satellite will definitely be stronger in terms of functionality and lifespan."

"Currently, private satellite research companies all have their own new products. ArduSat's satellites cost $200,000 to build, and launch costs about $100,000. That means I can buy a brand-new, complete, and best-functioning private satellite for $300,000. So why would I spend $300,000 to buy your secondhand satellite? Besides, I'll need to find a rocket launch company and spend at least $100,000 to send them into space. I'll also need to hire someone to maintain the network in case of accidents; satellites are very fragile." "What you said makes a lot of sense..." The bearded Nami was stunned. She was successfully swayed by the leader's silver tongue. "So how much are you planning to spend on these satellites?"

"I'm not some shrewd businessman. I sincerely wish you both a successful global trip, a wedding in a California church, and a blissful life together. Based on its cost value and future pre-purchase value, I've decided to buy it for $175,000!" Zhang Ailun stated his price.

"..." The bearded man was somewhat dissatisfied upon hearing this; it was only half as much as he had imagined.

"Dude, the cost of these private satellites is much higher than that."

"But you bought it from your friend at a discounted price, didn't you? How much did you pay?" the leader asked pointedly.

"I only spent $122,000 at the time," the bearded man answered honestly.

"Congratulations, you made $50,000 from holding it. That's a sound investment. You bought it for $120,000 and now you want to sell it for $300,000? I don't think you can sell it at all. Besides me, no one else would buy something like this." Zhang Ailun smiled. "$175,000, that's the price I can offer you. Otherwise, I'd rather buy the latest satellite."

"Okay! Deal." The bearded man finally agreed, extending his hand to shake hands with the leader. Before Zhang Ailun could say anything, he exclaimed in surprise, "Buddy, your hands are so white, so tender, so beautiful, so soft! You smell so good, brother, no body odor at all... Wow! Buddy, you have a really good body!!"

"..."

Zhang Ailun watched as the big beard approached and touched his hands and chest, his lips twitching.

Damn it, I was careless! I almost forgot this kid is LGBT in my excitement.

I'd never shake hands with him!

Zhang Ailun immediately pulled his hand back forcefully, rubbed it vigorously behind his back twice, and said without changing his expression, "Dominic, pay his bill."

After saying that, he quickly stepped back and shielded Jennifer and Eileen in front of him.

"Oh, I just noticed there's a lovely girl here. Darling, you're so beautiful." The bearded man looked at Dominic.

Dominic replied irritably, "I'm a man."

"That would be even better!! I like people like you. Are you free tonight?"

The bearded man enthusiastically stated, "We'll be having a party at home with our friends; it'll be the best party ever. You're welcome to come if you're interested."

"...I'm sorry, I might not have time," Dominic said, forcing a smile. "Let's settle the bill anyway. Please provide your bank account details."

"That's a real shame. The party would have been so much better if you could have come."

The couple felt very sorry, so they provided Dominic with their bank account information, and Dominic transferred the money to them.

Zhang Ailun asked David for a hand to unload all the satellites from the pickup truck and load them onto the van. The group quickly finished the job and got into the van.

He turned the car around, floored the accelerator, and sped away from the farm town without even saying goodbye.

"That's fucking terrifying," Zhang Ailun complained.

"Honey, you'll definitely need to wash your hands a lot when you get back. After all, who knows what he's been holding? He even touched your chest muscles," Jennifer said.

"..."

It would have been better if you hadn't mentioned it, because once you did, Zhang Ailun even had the urge to chop off his hands.

Fortunately, this was just a minor incident and did not affect their mood. After adjusting their mindset, they drove to the next place, which was also a ranch, to buy the meteorites that the ranch wanted to sell.

When we arrived at the location, we parked the car on the side of the road. The area was deserted, except for a detached wooden villa, farmland, and a dog. The dog barked wildly when it saw the unfamiliar vehicle approaching.

Dominic also contacted the other party and soon saw an old man wearing a tightly fitted fly helmet, a homemade spacesuit, carrying an oxygen tank, rubber gloves, rubber shoes, and holding a pitchfork in his hand.

She stepped out of her house, calming the barking dog beside her, "Shut up, Mona Lisa! Our guests have arrived! Not the FBI, not the CIA!"

The dog stopped barking quickly.

What's it called? Mona Lisa?

"Dude, what's with that outfit?" Zhang Ailun looked at the other person's fly-like head with surprise and doubt.

"Shh! Don't speak loudly! There are aliens watching me!!"

The man removed his fly-shaped hairpiece, revealing a few wispy strands of bald patches on his head. His face was serious and cautious as he said, "Ever since I obtained that priceless meteorite on my farmland, I've sensed a change in the magnetic field. I suspect CIA agents have been secretly monitoring me nearby, trying to steal my treasure! They're definitely collaborating with aliens; this place is a testing ground!"

"..." Upon hearing this, the Grand Master completely lost his composure.

Well, this is another lunatic.

"You're right. But personally, I think this pasta should be mixed with No. 42 concrete because the length of this screw can easily and directly affect the excavator's torque, you know? When you hammer it in, it instantly produces a large amount of high-energy protein, commonly known as UFOs, which will seriously affect economic development and even cause some nuclear pollution to the Pacific Ocean and the charger."

Zhang Ailun said, "In addition, Genshin Impact is a classic game produced by miHoYo that is best-selling all over the world. Players can enjoy playing in the open world of Teyvat."

The old man looked at him suspiciously.

Turning to Jennifer beside him, he asked, "Are you sure your friend is mentally sound? Dude, if he's sick, he should go to the hospital. Is he having too many drug use? How can someone like that drive a Rolls-Royce? I'm speechless."

You son of a bitch!!!

Zhang Ailun resisted the urge to punch him.

The patient's attempt to communicate failed because the other party refused to connect with the idea of ​​defying the natural order.

"Hello, we are employees of Alfred's recycling station. My name is Dominic, and that mentally ill person is our boss. What's your name?" Dominic stepped forward to speak with him.

"Just call me Gordon," old Braden said.

(End of this chapter)