"As a Wallfacer, how many resources can I mobilize?"
Standing before the newly established Aerospace Force Headquarters in Beijing, David questioned Kanther, who stood beside him. A ring of UN agents surrounded them, while the outer perimeter was secured by armed members of local public security and national safety departments.
"It is difficult to imagine," Kanther replied after a moment of careful thought, ultimately offering an ambiguous answer.
"Can I organize a space expedition fleet?" David asked.
"Yes!" Kanther stated solemnly. "As long as the scale does not exceed that of a space fleet from any one of the Permanent Five nations, it is entirely possible!"
"Very well." David nodded and strode into the headquarters.
A field officer from the Aerospace Force greeted them. Due to the haste of its formation, parts of the Beijing headquarters were still under renovation, and the air carried the faint scent of fresh paint.
"Commander Chang Weisi is on field duty in the East China Sea, but he told me to fully cooperate with all your orders," the officer said. As the first leader of the Aerospace Force, Chang Weisi undoubtedly possessed that authority.
"I need to see someone," David said.
"Who?"
"Zhang Beihai. He is a political commissar in the Navy's Fifth Flotilla."
David knew that with the current industrial level of the Moon base, he could at most manufacture products related to psionics, such as polymorphine or Astartes. The resources required for a space shipyard capable of building interstellar warships were astronomical—far more difficult than building the Varyag.
This wasn't like the Soviet-era Varyag, an aircraft carrier that only required the seamless cooperation of tens of thousands of departments. Russia hadn't even been able to finish the final touches on that, eventually selling it to the industrial Cthulhu that was the East for continued modification and installation.
Building interstellar warships required the concerted efforts of hundreds of thousands of departments and the day-and-night labor of tens of millions of highly educated, skilled workers. Even the materials and metallurgical technology needed for starships were not things a small Moon base could scrape together. Therefore, in David's plan, the lunar laboratory would only handle the production of Astartes and small rockets. The actual construction of the main fleet would depend on Earth and a future Mars base.
"Bring him to me. I have questions for him."
"Is this part of your Wallfacer plan?" Kanther asked in fluent Mandarin, watching the officer make the call to order Zhang Beihai to report for duty.
"No, it's just to give an old comrade a hand as much as possible."
David turned his head, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding UN agents. "Since when did the UN have so many armed personnel?"
"To deal with the sudden changes in the international situation and the need to maintain world peace, UN Resolution 1840 passed the expansion of ground peacekeeping forces—"
"Stop it," David interrupted.
Kanther was visibly stunned.
"Excessive ground troops are meaningless. My plan is to retain only a basic military force capable of mid-scale warfare, and incorporate everyone else into the UN's newly formed Aerospace Force."
"This... this requires the confirmation and approval of the permanent members of the UN Security Council," Kanther stammered in response. He truly hadn't expected that the first move of the Wallfacer introduced by the UN would be to cut into the UN's own structure.
"Then convene a special General Assembly. I think the Permanent Five will agree." David sighed at the bewildered look in Kanther's eyes. "Focusing on space is not a bad thing for the United Nations."
David didn't particularly care if Kanther understood what he was saying. Currently, the Trisolaran fleet was about four light-years away from Earth. Two hundred years would be enough time to prove David's words correct. As the Trisolaran threat drew closer, the power of individual nations would decline. Eventually, before the final battle, humanity would naturally achieve a unity of purpose. The UN only needed to prepare for war with peace of mind; staying out of the struggles between great powers was the optimal choice for now.
"Major David!"
The officer led Zhang Beihai into the headquarters. "We found the person you were looking for on the recruitment rolls. Coincidentally, he is currently in Beijing receiving training for the Aerospace Force."
"Good." David nodded.
He looked at Zhang Beihai. Unlike the gritty, resolute soldier he had imagined, Zhang's features were quite soft and harmonious, even carrying a sense of somber tragedy. Only his eyes were sharp, piercing through everyone like a dagger.
"Zhang Beihai, are you interested in participating in the UN's plan to establish a space fleet?"
"..."
Hearing David's words, a flash of confusion crossed Zhang Beihai's eyes. He looked at the officer, who shook his head, clearly as baffled as to what this Wallfacer was trying to do.
"What specifically do you need me to do?" Zhang Beihai asked.
"Simple." David produced the Peacekeeping Medal he had been awarded by the UN. "Act as my adjutant to begin the formation of the UN fleet. During this process, you will retain your domestic rank, and the UN forces will grant you the treatment of a captain."
This was a massive bargaining chip. Compared to Zhang Beihai's current position, becoming an independent captain of a space warship was an end goal he might only reach after a lifetime of struggle. Now, if he accepted David's invitation, it would merely be his starting point.
"Allow me to ask," Zhang Beihai said after a moment of silence. "Why me?"
"I believe you are well-suited for the job. That is all."
"This isn't your real plan... for a Wallfacer, is it?" Zhang Beihai looked into David's eyes. Although he didn't know much about how Wallfacers worked, he knew that under the constant surveillance of the Sophons, a Wallfacer's plan to counter the Trisolarans must be kept completely secret.
"This is part of the plan," David replied. "We must use every ounce of strength to counter the alien invasion. How could strengthening the UN fleet not be part of the plan?"
The UN fleet was currently the only fleet whose production process he could potentially control. The Moon had already mastered technology for travel at nearly 1/20th the speed of light. Merging this with the "Electronic Demon" would be enough to create a barely usable fleet.
As for why he wouldn't share the technology with Earth—it was because the technology was flawed. If not for the need to fight the Trisolarans, David didn't want to pollute human technology with the incomplete techniques of the Singer—a civilization that wasn't even god-tier yet. The best outcome for this fleet would be for it to be entirely consumed in the coming Trisolaran war. Otherwise, David would have to have the Mars factory start actively destroying and recycling these ships built with alien technology.
But how to reasonably explain the UN suddenly possessing a fleet that could reach 1/20th the speed of light was also a problem. A miraculous Warp storm? A strange instance of time travel?
Perhaps next year, or even tomorrow, David would obtain an interstellar fleet capable of nearly 1/20th the speed of light.