Chapter 364: This Is A Good Thing Too?
“Isn’t this Xiaomi’s LOGO? Did I see it wrong?”
Chen Hao posted a screenshot in the work group and asked.
“No, you didn’t see wrong. The lunar rover we made was sent into space by NASA.” Zhang Xiaoming replied.
“No way, so Xiaomi gave money to America for advertising too? Lei Zong is really an aerospace enthusiast.” Chen Hao followed up with a complaint.
This American version of the Apollo Moon Landing also received a lot of attention from Chinese netizens.
Because in the public narrative, China outputs technology. Whether it’s Saturn V or the moon landing spaceship, they are all made by America itself.
So Chinese netizens are very concerned about whether America’s moon landing can succeed. This is about how much industrial manufacturing ability America has left.
This time is a very good observation indicator.
In the manufacturing field, it’s not that having technology means you can definitely make it.
After all, with the same technical assistance, even directly aiding production lines and engineers, different countries’ final results can still be worlds apart.
The result is that America’s moon landing performance this time greatly exceeded the expectations of Chinese netizens.
Everyone originally came to watch the fun, but America’s entire moon landing was incredibly smooth.
In Bilibili’s some aerospace anchors’ rebroadcast channels, Chinese netizens discussed very heatedly:
“Americans still have some foundation. From orbit change to landing, no issues!”
“After all, they landed on the moon with this stuff before. Now some technologies are lost, but experience is still there.”
“It’s just this black woman moon landing, saying one small step for black women, I really can’t hold back laughter.”
“If I were a redneck, I’d have to vote for Big T. Can this be tolerated? Whites watching in near-moon orbit, one white and one black woman going up? Even white man and black woman, or black man and white woman would be better!”
“I’m in rural Arizona. Not only rednecks around me are broken, even some nerdy white classmates are broken, nagging me why China’s moon landings are all domestic men, America’s moon landing is all women. But the only consolation for him is no transgender went up.”
“Shouldn’t white nerds support equality? How come white nerds want to rebel too?”
Since Apollo Technology’s moon landing success, Bilibili has seen a bunch of aerospace science popularization anchors pop up. Only those with some strength can stay. In spare time, they do live broadcasts to earn some living expenses.
Because of strong professionalism, few anchors can balance professionalism and fun.
This leads to few viewers in the live rooms. Those who stay are die-hard fans. Bullet screens are slow, and everyone chats like friends.
Until the Xiaomi LOGO flashed by, sharp-eyed viewers kept spamming: “Anchor, replay! Xiaomi LOGO appeared just now!”
The anchor muttered: “Impossible, right? This is NASA’s moon landing, not Apollo Technology’s moon landing. How could there be a Xiaomi LOGO?”
Until the bullet screens kept spamming, he rewound. After pausing, Xiaomi’s LOGO was clearly visible on NASA’s space rover.
The matter quickly fermented on the Chinese Internet.
“Lei Zi, come explain!”
“No way, Xiaomi sponsored this moon landing too?”
“Xiaomi is too rich. Sponsored moon landings on both Chinese and American sides?”
“Lei Zong, can you explain?”
On the Chinese Internet, Lei Jun switches between Lei Zi and Lei God, sometimes Lei Zi, sometimes Lei God.
Now, honestly, everyone is a bit confused about whether to call him Lei Zi or Lei God at this time.
Just being able to sponsor private institutions’ moon landings in both China and America is impressive in itself.
But isn’t this suspected of aiding the enemy?
Chinese netizens’ simple values don’t know whether to praise or criticize for a while. Of course, most want to hear what’s really going on.
“Holy crap, it really is. What’s up with Lei Zong? How did he quietly sponsor General Aerospace?”
Netizens quickly pushed the term to Weibo hot search. Countless netizens flooded under Lei Jun’s latest Weibo, asking what was going on.
Professional anchors on Bilibili live realized something was off:
“Wait, if it’s really sponsored by Lei Zong, with his style, wouldn’t he have started promoting it 800 years ago?
We might think sponsoring Americans’ General Aerospace is problematic, but actually it’s fine. After all, it uses Chinese technology. More accurately, it’s technology China dug up from America’s own archaeology. Returning the original soup as original food.
But Lei Zong shouldn’t feel embarrassed, right? Since sponsored, he should promote it vigorously. After all, the other side is also a private institution. He can use sponsoring humanity’s universe exploration to avoid unnecessary trouble.
But it just appeared out of nowhere like this, trying to scare everyone?”
No one watching America’s moon landing anymore, no one watching astronauts’ moon walk. Everyone discussing the Xiaomi LOGO on America’s lunar rover.
The previous ones, Apollo Technology domestically has done countless times.
You’re still using this old-style separation and recombination moon landing, with command module waiting in near-moon orbit for lunar module docking. To Chinese netizens, this is outdated moon landing method.
Now Apollo Technology uses Burning One Modified, one-shot to the end. Return is also direct spaceship one-shot return. No need for Apollo Moon Landing’s trouble.
So after observing that America’s industrial ability isn’t too bad, everyone’s attention focused on the inexplicably appearing Xiaomi LOGO.
A netizen in the live room commented: “I think so too. If really sponsored by Lei Zong, he should’ve started promoting long ago. Xiaomi Car is about to release soon. Wouldn’t he rub this heat?”
“Maybe the marketing god thought of another leading marketing way. Directly saying we sponsored, what promotional effect? Still need to buy traffic on Weibo. Previously sponsored Apollo Technology’s lunar rover too.
So this time Lei Zong took a different path, suddenly popping up to scare everyone. Now it’s all organic traffic rushing to top ten?
Proves the strategy is successful. We can’t use normal thinking to figure out how the marketing god operates.”
At Xiaomi headquarters in Yanjing, Lei Jun, who was anxious about the upcoming Xiaomi SU7 press conference, called Xu Fei over and asked: “No way, when did we sponsor General Aerospace’s moon landing? How come I don’t know? Did this budget approval pass through my hands?”
It was past 10 PM Yanjing time. Xu Fei had gone home after work but was called back to the company by the boss’s phone. She had already investigated on the road:
“Lei Zong, we absolutely did not sponsor this project. This is an accident!”
Lei Jun was furious: “Then what’s going on? Did we sell that lunar rover to Americans?”
This matter is very complicated. Even Lei Jun, who has galloped on the Chinese Internet for years, can’t grasp whether sponsoring General Aerospace’s moon landing is good or bad.
He himself said Xiaomi Car is his last entrepreneurship, actually also about how high Xiaomi Group’s ceiling can be.
At this time point, doing nothing is better than making moves.
This is also why Lei Jun is angry. Inexplicably dropped trouble from the sky.
“Sorry, Lei Zong. I confirmed. This matter has absolutely nothing to do with us!
Could it be intentional from General Aerospace? They framed us on purpose? Bribed by Tesla? So our LOGO appeared, for negative publicity.” Xu Fei got more excited, “After all, our Xiaomi Car targets Tesla. They feel pressure, so pull us to the same level as them on supporting domestic.
They are American companies, and we sponsored American companies.”
Lei Jun initially thought it made sense, but then thought no way. With Musk and Young John Morgan’s Twitter feud intensity, Musk giving money to Young John Morgan, he probably wouldn’t take it.
Besides, is Xiaomi really worth Tesla paying so much attention? Lei Jun isn’t that arrogant. “Okay, I know who to ask.”
Lei Jun called Lin Ran, and during the call, sent a WeChat.
About half an hour later, Lin Ran called back: “Lei Zong, I was commanding just now. I’m not too clear on that either.”
Lin Ran felt reality really lacks logic.
NASA and General Aerospace surprisingly no one discovered the problem, that the lunar rover’s front has an MI.
“General Manager Lin, okay, trouble you. Can you ask General Aerospace what’s going on? So I can explain based on their reaction.” Lei Jun said.
Lin Ran said: “Okay, I’ll ask for you.”
Actually, after hanging up, Lin Ran didn’t ask at all.
Astronauts are on the moon, waiting to ensure the lunar rover steadily heads to Lunar South Pole.
While they are still on the moon, if failure happens, there’s still a way to solve it.
This term hung on hot search for a whole day, still fermenting with time.
Lei Jun isn’t a tycoon without connections. As an early successful entrepreneur, he has connections in America. Through twists and turns, he contacted Young John Morgan.
Young John Morgan then realized something was wrong.
The matter started fermenting on America’s Internet too.
Reddit’s r/space board, everyone was originally celebrating. America moon landing success again. Though with various unpleasant episodes like black moon landing, all-female lineup, whites left behind, Chinese technology etc., but we did it!
That’s enough!
Reddit nicknamed Reddi. Besides literal and free translation of the name, many rednecks too.
Touched with red, how not many rednecks? Same as Baidu Tieba having many old conservatives in China.
Everyone started celebrating the smooth moon landing success.
In r/space, this channel mainly discusses space content, focused on technical analysis and celebrating moon landing success.
“General Aerospace succeeds in moon landing with 1960s Apollo Technology! What does this prove?”
Post author wrote: “Just watched CBS live. Saturn V replica perfectly launched. Astronauts planted flag on lunar surface! Using F-1 engine, liquid hydrogen liquid oxygen propulsion system, and original navigation computer. Okay maybe upgraded some RAM. They did it.
Artemis still delayed. Isn’t this ironic?”
“This is too cool! 1960s Saturn V thrust 3.4 million kg, now SLS only 2.3 million kg, cost twice as high.
Proves simple design + huge investment = success.
White House sponsored diversity team adds points!”
Americans here still underestimated NASA’s absurdity. Twice as high? Maybe they can be ten times.
“Can we stop talking about that damn diversity? I believe swapping all astronauts to men would succeed too. Why can China be all male astronauts to moon, but we must be black woman and white woman? Isn’t this too unreasonable?”
This subthread argued about whether diversity should be there for over a hundred floors. Later turned into mutual cursing and attacks.
“I’m more curious. Did we one-to-one replicate China’s replica technology, or optimize improvements on their basis?
Like using modern titanium alloy to reduce weight 15%.
If not pure replicate, but inspired replicate, I’d think it’s better than pure copying.”
“I estimate this time is one-to-one copy. For tech optimization, wait for next time.”
“Apollo era, Congress gave NASA nearly unlimited budget. Now private companies like General Aerospace and SpaceX lead, efficiency higher.”
“No, I don’t think it’s private companies’ problem. It’s managers’ problem. General Aerospace backed by Randolph Lin, SpaceX backed by Musk. Can you imagine NASA Director Melroy competing with these two?”
“Why is returning to moon harder now? Because safety standards higher.
1960s we tolerated 1% failure rate. Now max 0.01% failure rate. This only proves private aerospace companies have higher failure tolerance, not that NASA is behind.”
“Really? China never failed once. They even achieved routine round trips now.”
“So China’s new technologies have higher reliability. Otherwise why after using Apollo Program tech for moon landing, China quickly switched to their own tech route?”
This moon landing, to conspiracy theory channel Americans, like sky falling.
r/conspiracy always conspiracy theory paradise. Conspiracy means conspiracy.
Previously most popular conspiracy theories one is moon landing conspiracy theory.
Now more extreme. Those believing 1960s moon landing conspiracy have more to say.
“GE moon landing with 1960s tech? Why do I keep seeing people say this proves Apollo Moon Landing real?
Doesn’t this moon landing exactly prove Apollo Moon Landing fake? We only have moon landing ability today. Tech used except name and appearance similar to 1960s, nothing the same!”
Conspiracy board netizens, no matter what happens, always find way to explain it’s conspiracy.
Some other netizens liking to watch fun in this board complained below: “If Apollo Moon Landing fake, how did Chinese people manage Apollo Moon Landing?”
“Chinese people faking. Their moon landing looks too perfect, CGI or filmed in Earth studio!”
Anyway everything TG’s conspiracy.
Until Xiaomi LOGO live screenshot appeared in conspiracy board, instantly exploded.
“I said it’s conspiracy!”
“Did General Aerospace and China share a studio?”
“XDDDDD Shared studio discovered”
Musk posted this screenshot on Twitter, with a laughing-crying emoji.
Someone below asked him: “Elon, can you explain what’s going on?”
He replied: “Don’t know. Maybe Young John Morgan is Xiaomi’s loyal user, loyal to put a Xiaomi LOGO on NASA’s lunar rover XDDDD”
The matter started fermenting in America too. Young John Morgan panicked. “Professor, how does your made lunar rover have Xiaomi LOGO?”
Without Musk, just this matter, Young John Morgan could definitely suppress it with Morgan family’s energy.
Just cold process. No more frontal shots of lunar rover later. Cut this YouTube shot, pretend nothing happened.
After months, it becomes Mandela effect. Some say saw it, some say no. Anyway Roshomon. They play dead no response, media no report.
But can’t handle Musk there. Musk controls Twitter this public opinion killer weapon. No way to cold process.
“Ah? Wasn’t it you who told me to keep secrecy?
To keep secrecy, I couldn’t tell engineer team we’re making for NASA, right? I just assigned the task. They thought it was for our own lunar probe plan unmanned rover, so per past convention, put a Xiaomi LOGO on.
No, isn’t this your problem? After receiving goods, don’t inspect?
If you inspected even a bit, remove LOGO done?”
Lin Ran tone indignant. Anyway responsibility all on you. I did this for secrecy.
You dare question me back?
Young John Morgan started doubting life too. Yeah, problem visible with one look. How no one in entire process mentioned?
Wait, not just me saw. NASA side saw too. They no one raised this issue?
So where exactly problem?
Just as he felt his head about to explode, after carefully sorting out what happened, NASA’s phone came.
Caller is Grov. Young John Morgan pressed answer: “Mr. George, this is my negligence! This is our work mistake, letting Chinese company’s LOGO appear on NASA’s VIPER lunar rover.”
He hurriedly apologized. Grov George is NASA’s veteran. Will rely on him more later.
“Apologize what, Mr. Morgan. This is good thing!”
