Chapter 134: At Last, I Have a Gift to Take Home

On the surface of the moon, Ouyang Hao manipulated the mechanical arm, steadily stripping away the outer shell of a meteorite. As more of the thick crust was peeled away, a stone, perfectly circular and over a meter in diameter, emerged to shimmer with a crystalline brilliance under the harsh lunar sunlight.

"Haha, brothers, I’ve found a treasure! Finally, there is something worthwhile to bring back to Earth."

Though he had no idea what the object was, Ouyang Hao’s excitement was undiminished. Through the virtual communication system, he shared the news of the crystal with his teammates.

"Whoa, what is that? You’re lucky to have found something that glitters on the moon."
"Could it be a diamond?"
"You’ve got the luck of the devil to stumble upon something like that! Where are you? I’m coming over right now."

His teammates were stunned. On the desolate lunar surface, finding anything that even faintly caught the light was nearly impossible.

"Haha, I found it in a crater. It must be from outer space, not native to the moon. I’ve finally got a gift to bring home," Ouyang Hao said, piloting the lunar rover to extract the crystal fully. He carefully loaded it onto his vehicle and began the journey back to the base, as protective as if he had found a priceless relic he feared might be snatched away.

At the Earth Command Center, detailed data about the crystal was being transmitted back. Scientists were already hard at work analyzing the images, though without the specialized laboratory equipment available on the moon, they could only hypothesize until the specimen arrived on Earth.

"It is completely translucent and of extremely high purity. Given its massive size, even if we treat it merely as a gemstone, it is worth a fortune," one researcher noted. By combining the images with the crystal's calculated weight and volume, they determined its density. Determining its elemental composition, however, would have to wait until it reached Earth.

"Old Liu, what do you think this thing is?"

Li Fu and Liu Shiying, though not directly involved in the analysis, were at the Command Center and well aware of the rare find. Li Fu turned the matter over in his mind, but since the universe was filled with countless types of crystalline structures, he could not yet draw a definitive conclusion.

"Whatever it is, one thing is certain: its value is astronomical," Liu Shiying said. "I suspect the footage and data will be released to the public soon. The nation needs this to inspire the people to explore the universe, and wealth has always been the greatest motivator. Look at the American Westward Expansion—countless people headed to the coast in search of gold. The Age of Discovery was driven by the desire for silk, spices, and the gold and silver of the New World. Now that we have found this massive, high-purity crystal on the moon, coupled with the vast mineral resources already known to exist there, I believe we are about to see a surge in lunar exploration. Our descendants will soon be everywhere on the moon."

Li Fu nodded, impressed by the analysis. "Your assessment is spot on. Look at the television news—they’ve already started the promotional campaign."

Using his neural interface, Li Fu pulled up the latest broadcast. Many channels were still live-streaming the lunar mission, though the content was carefully curated. The crystal served as a perfect narrative hook: a symbol of the moon as a treasure trove of infinite wealth, a theme that could easily be extended to the entire solar system.

"Viewers, we have just received news from the Jiuquan Space Center," the anchor announced. "Our astronaut Ouyang Hao has discovered a massive, high-purity crystal during his resource survey. While experts have yet to identify the specific mineral, its size and purity are unprecedented. The moon is a vast vault of treasures, from titanium and iron deposits to the rare earth elements found in basalt—resources that are invaluable back on Earth."

The news spread across the globe. For the general public, the allure of sudden wealth was intoxicating. For powerful private entities, the true interest lay in the moon's vast mineral wealth. They were already eyeing the future, waiting for the government to open lunar mining to the private sector.

Across China and the world, the moon was suddenly seen as a land of opportunity. The Chinese government’s stated intent to open the moon for public access—for tourism and mining—made the prospect feel tangible rather than distant.

In contrast, other nations watched with growing anxiety. The live-streamed success of the mission, showing China’s ability to land spaceplanes and establish permanent bases, was a harsh reality check. China now possessed the infrastructure to stake a claim on the moon’s resources.

The major world powers felt the pressure, yet they had little recourse. China’s economic and military standing, bolstered by their permanent seat on the UN Security Council and the technological leap of their spaceplanes, left rivals with no choice but to grit their teeth and pour resources into their own space programs, desperate to keep pace.

Back at the lunar base, the team of seven continued their work. By October 4th, the time for the return flight had arrived. Nan Junpeng and Li Yang opted to stay behind at the lunar base, awaiting the next spaceplane, while the other five prepared for departure.

On the base’s runway, the engines of the *Houyi* spaceplane hummed to life. With a subtle ripple in the air, the craft shot into the sky like a laser. Without the resistance of an atmosphere, the plasma-powered *Houyi* ascended into space with ease, looping around the moon to gain the necessary velocity before setting its course back toward Earth.