Chapter Seventy-Eight The Barrier

“You can’t be serious, can you?” Chen Hao was taken aback. “Even now, we still haven’t figured out exactly what the things here in Kestar are?”

Shaotian nodded helplessly as well. “That’s right. We have absolutely no idea.”

Chen Hao shook his head. “That doesn’t make sense! That strange building you mentioned—can’t we at least determine if it belongs to Earth by analyzing its materials?”

Shaotian nodded. “Well…”

“What’s the issue? Is there some difficulty?” Chen Hao asked.

“There’s a major difficulty. After all these years, we still haven’t been able to get within five meters of the building. It’s as if there’s a barrier around it. No matter who or what tries to approach, nothing can enter its perimeter.”

“A barrier?” Chen Hao was stunned. “What kind of barrier?”

Shaotian thought for a moment. “How should I explain… Young Master, you’ve surely seen The Avengers, right? You know the high-tech shield Wakanda uses for defense?”

Chen Hao nodded. “You mean it’s a shield like that?”

“Hmm… In terms of effect, it’s similar, except Wakanda’s barrier is visible, while the one around the building in Kestar is invisible. But the moment someone or something enters its range, they’re incinerated by electric sparks—nothing left.”

“Is it really that dramatic?” Chen Hao was skeptical. “If it’s as you say, isn’t that basically alien technology?”

“Well…” Shaotian seemed troubled. “Actually, this kind of barrier technology has already been mastered by our country and several other advanced nations. But… the barrier we’ve discovered is somewhat different from anything that currently exists in the real world. That’s why we’re not sure if it’s Earth’s technology or, as you suggest, something from an alien civilization.

There was a time when my father suspected that some organization on Earth possessed unimaginable technology and resources, and had developed tech that even the most powerful nations couldn’t replicate.”

“What sort of organization could have that kind of power?” Chen Hao was obviously doubtful. “Sounds like something out of a movie.”

Unexpectedly, Shaotian shook his head. “You’re mistaken, Young Master! Things aren’t as you imagine. Most countries are as you think, but there’s one exception on Earth.”

“Hm?” Chen Hao was startled. “Don’t tell me you’re going to bring up Wakanda again? That’s just a movie!”

“Of course not,” Shaotian replied seriously. “That story about a tiny African nation becoming the world’s wealthiest and most technologically advanced country due to rare resources is basically impossible in reality.

The exception I’m talking about isn’t a small African country, but one of Earth’s technological powerhouses—the United States.

You might not know this, but many of the weapons and equipment used by the US military and government are developed by private enterprises within the country. Take, for instance, the well-known Lockheed Martin, the makers of the B2 stealth bomber—commonly called the Skunk Works. It’s actually a privately owned company.”

It was originally founded in 1912 by brothers Allan and Malcolm Lockheed as a seaplane company, essentially an aircraft manufacturer. The context was that the Wright brothers had invented the airplane in 1903, and the Lockheeds spotted the massive business opportunity, so they started the company. Later, in 1995, the Lockheed Corporation merged with Martin Marietta and was officially renamed Lockheed Martin.

This company has factories and branches in 45 states across the US, and joint ventures in 56 countries worldwide.

Domestically, nearly thirty percent of all military equipment spending goes directly to this company. And countries outside the US also have to purchase large quantities of Lockheed Martin products.

That’s simply because Lockheed Martin’s weapons and equipment are among the most advanced in the world. Familiar examples include the F22 stealth fighter, the F35, the B2 stealth bomber, the F117 stealth attack aircraft, and so on.

Of course, Lockheed Martin doesn’t just make planes—they’re involved in many other military fields. For instance, the Aegis radar system and Trident missiles are among their products.

But despite its vast size, the company isn’t majority-owned by the US government. At least, not at its founding, nor in any official capacity today. Lockheed Martin’s largest shareholder is the company itself, holding seventeen percent. No other shareholder holds more than that, and a significant portion is held by retail investors in the stock market.

Interestingly, apart from Lockheed Martin itself, all major shareholders are investment trusts or fund companies.

This is intriguing, because many American investment trusts and funds are, to put it bluntly, shell companies—just a license and a name, without any real business operations, earning purely by investing.

This has led to many criminal organizations in the US using these shell companies for money laundering, giving their illicit funds a legal facade.

But that’s a bit of a digression… In short, on the surface, Lockheed Martin—the Skunk Works—has no direct government ownership.

Those investment trusts or funds may belong to powerful American families or conglomerates, like the Rockefellers, for instance. Or perhaps some shares are secretly held by companies registered by the US government itself.

But whatever the case, one thing is certain: the Skunk Works’ largest shareholder remains the company itself. They possess the core technology and know-how, and outsiders—not even other shareholders—can access their key resources or secrets.

In such a situation, it’s entirely possible for Lockheed Martin to develop some ultra-advanced technological weapon. As long as they don’t sell it on the open market, no one outside would know what technology or power they truly possess.”

This was the first time Chen Hao had heard any of this, and he found it fascinating. “So you suspect that if the barrier is man-made, it might have been developed by the Skunk Works? That they possess technology beyond even other countries—or their own government?”

Chen Shaotian shook his head. “Honestly, I don’t know for sure. Lockheed Martin is just an example I thought of—there are plenty of companies like the Skunk Works in the US. I just think they’re the most likely, since they’re arguably the most powerful private military firm in the country.”

“Speaking of powerful companies or conglomerates…” Chen Hao mused. “Have you ever thought of another company?”

Shaotian said nothing, but he watched Chen Hao intently, clearly knowing what he meant.

“You and your father have probably guessed it—the Unreal Corporation!” Chen Hao gave the answer directly. “Honestly, I find it hard to imagine how a company that started with online games has reached its current level! It’s almost as powerful as Lockheed, isn’t it?

They’re not just in gaming—they have branches in nearly every major industry worldwide. The only thing missing is a military division!

Frankly, with the technology Unreal Corporation has, it would be easy for them to enter the military sector. Maybe at first they’d face resistance from existing military giants, but with their superior products and technology, gaining market share would be no problem.

Military contracting is incredibly lucrative! Why haven’t they entered that field after so many years? It’s highly unusual. I think there’s a real chance that they’ve already been researching military technology in secret.

Maybe the barrier here in Kestar was created by them!”

Chen Shaotian immediately poured cold water on his theory. “Er… Young Master, you’re wrong again!”

…

“Unreal Corporation may well be secretly researching weapons technology, but the barrier in Kestar definitely isn’t one of their creations,” Shaotian said with absolute certainty.

Chen Hao was puzzled. “Why are you so sure?”

Shaotian shrugged. “Because when we discovered the Kestar barrier, Unreal Corporation didn’t even exist yet!”

“…Ah.”

Chen Hao instantly realized his blunder. He had been a former employee of Unreal Corporation, yet had forgotten that the company was founded only in the past decade or so. Despite being a new company, Unreal Corporation’s scale is nothing like a typical startup.

Its growth rate has far outpaced any other company. In less than twenty years, it rose from an obscure online game developer to a massive multinational corporation, with businesses spanning nearly every major sector.

Setting aside any negative aspects, it must be said that Unreal Corporation’s development is nothing short of legendary. But the more legendary it seems, the stranger it all becomes. Everything about the company—from its growth rate to the advanced nature of its products, to its internal structure—is extraordinary, with oddities at every turn.

But if the barrier predates Unreal Corporation’s founding, then any connection to it can be ruled out.

Just as Chen Hao was about to ask more, Chen Shaotian spoke first. “While the barrier can’t possibly be some special weapon produced by Unreal Corporation, my father has always suspected that the company has some connection to that strange building…”

“What? Why would he think that?”