Homo Sapiens

They arrived at their destination at three in the afternoon.

That stretch of low-lying mountain range was not visible from the main river channel; one had to pass through a valley first.

However, the team had already disembarked on the main river channel, as the technical tests could be conducted in this valley. Moreover, the project itself would begin with excavation here.

Drone scans of the terrain showed the valley had a V-shaped profile, with a small river flowing down from the mountain range through its center.

The engineering team set up camp near the wider, flatter mouth of the valley.

Then, they began to work on the forests on both sides.

Dozens of construction workers donned work-type exoskeletons. They were all New Human employees, so there was no risk of leaks.

They hauled the iron-bamboo pipes unloaded from the transport ships into the forest and began assembling them. The pipes were laid out on the ground, similar to scaffolding used in building construction.

The frames were then connected into a single network. Next, using small drilling machines, they drove the pipes deep into the ground.

Across this area of nearly 10,000 square meters, a total of 100 underground pillars were installed.

By the time this work was finished, it was already the afternoon of the third day.

At this point, a surface pillar was installed on top of each underground pillar, extending just above the tree canopy. At the top of each surface pillar was a green sphere, slightly larger than a washbasin.

The engineering team leader, Mang Shan, carefully inspected the wiring for all 100 surface pillars. After confirming there were no issues, he instructed a technician:

"You can deploy it."

"Understood."

As the switch was flipped, the spheres at the top of the surface pillars rapidly unfurled. Green, organic frames spread out in all directions, forming hemispherical skeletons.

Due to slight variations in the height and position of the pillars, these green skeletons resembled a forest of leafless trees.

Lines connected to nutrient storage containers began pumping nutrient solution to these skeletons.

Special genetically modified plants, implanted within the green skeletons, began to grow and develop.

In less than three days, the skeletons were covered in green leaves, resembling towering, ancient trees. They perfectly enveloped the natural forest below.

This was a vine-type genetically modified plant developed from a base of air plants and Virginia creepers. It didn’t require soil and could sustain itself long-term with only sunlight, water, and a steady supply of nutrient solution.

Homo Sapiens Company called this combination of genetically modified plants and artificial skeletons the "Green Umbrella System."

This system was far cheaper than steel structures and had very low maintenance costs. Used in a tropical rainforest, it served as camouflage, blending in as a natural forest and providing much better concealment than steel.

Even geological remote sensing satellites would be unable to detect any anomalies.

Unless someone could physically enter the site to reconnoiter, it would be virtually impossible to discover the project using only long-range radar and photography.

To prevent discovery, Siam would soon designate the area as a nature reserve, relocate all surrounding villages, and establish a reserve patrol team.

After the Green Umbrella System was deployed, the engineering team began felling trees. The massive logs would be transported downstream via the waterway, while weeds, branches, and leaves were thrown into the fermentation tanks of a specialized barge to produce methane.

This methane could be used to supply the engineering team, reducing their reliance on external fuel.

Once the trees and weeds were cleared, the soil, sand, and stone beneath were exposed.

This was where the second new technology came into play.

In the area designated for excavation, drilling machines bored down to a specified depth.

Here, for instance, they drilled to a depth of 20 meters. Then, several types of special genetically modified bacteria were injected into the borehole. Activated by hormones and a nutrient solution, these bacteria would latch onto the rock layer, breaking down its structure and turning it into fine gravel.

The specific type of bacteria used was determined by the composition of the subterranean rock layer.

This bio-erosion process took about a week to destroy the rock layer within a range of 25 to 30 meters underground.

Similarly, any remaining tree roots could be decomposed using specific genetically modified fungi. This also took about a week, by which point the roots would be completely rotted.

After the rock layer and tree roots were destroyed, the ground consisted of only small particles of soil, sand, and humus, allowing the next step to begin.

Water and air were injected into the boreholes, causing the surrounding stratum to enter a state of fluid-like boiling, similar to a fluidized bed.

Due to the difference in elevation and the proximity to the river, this slurry of soil and sand would pour towards the river under the influence of the terrain and Earth’s gravity, like a massive mudslide.

Once the silt and sand entered the river, air jets installed on the riverbed would continuously release air, preventing the sediment from settling and forcing it to flow downstream.

Meanwhile, near the Dangweng River Dam construction site downstream, the engineering team had deployed a large number of dredging boats to continuously pump sand from the riverbed, artificially increasing the river’s depth.

The deepened downstream channel could then accommodate a greater accumulation of silt and sand.

This river sand could also be used as raw material for building the dam and cities.

Killing two birds with one stone.

The sharp, short-term increase in the river’s sediment content would also accelerate land reclamation in the Salween River’s delta.

This effect would be even more pronounced during the annual rainy season when the river swelled.

The transport efficiency of the stratum fluidization technology would be even better.

On another front, considering that the low-lying areas of the valley would be submerged after the dam’s completion, Homo Sapiens Company would undertake another task: dredging sand to fill in the valley.

They would use the silt and sand from the river to artificially raise the elevation of low-lying areas along its banks.

The current work at this location was merely an initial test. Once fully scaled up, the project would not cover tens of thousands of square meters, but several square kilometers at a time.

Even a relatively high mountain range could be stripped away layer by layer, eventually turning a high mountain into a flat valley, allowing the river water to converge directly from both sides in a smooth flow.

According to the project plan, the central canal hub of the Tannantawong Mountain Range would be 21 kilometers long, 500 meters wide, and 30 meters deep.

To ensure a stable water level, several large reservoirs would also be built nearby.

By the time Wunan and Liu Zhifan came to inspect the site, the engineering team had already expanded from 150 to 632 people.

The area covered by the Green Umbrella System had reached 1.3 square kilometers.

Wunan and Liu Zhifan took a small boat and entered the sky-blotting canopy of the Green Umbrella. They saw that the area where the topsoil had been washed away had formed what was almost a small lake.

"This green dome... I could barely see it from the outside. I never imagined the inside had been completely hollowed out."

Liu Zhifan said with a smile, "The leaves on top are real. Even satellites can’t detect the construction underneath."

"It seems we need to strengthen security in the surrounding area. How about we station a division nearby?" Wunan suggested.

But Liu Zhifan shook his head. "That would be overkill. A patrol team composed of New Human employees will suffice. The army is too conspicuous."

Wunan quickly realized, "That’s true."

After listening carefully to the technician’s explanations, Wunan gained a preliminary understanding of how these new technologies worked. He remarked with emotion, "At this rate, this part of the project will probably be finished in just a few years."

"If everything goes smoothly, it should be completed in about 15 months—even faster than the Dangweng River Dam."

Hearing this timeframe, Wunan looked a bit helpless. "It seems that when I get back, I’ll have to push the progress on the Mae Nam River renovation, so we don’t end up dragging things down."

"We need to push the schedule, but secrecy remains paramount," Liu Zhifan reminded him.

Wunan also knew the gravity of the situation and nodded solemnly. "I’ll be careful."

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