Chapter 151: Arrival at the Moon

In the void of space leading to the Moon, the velocity of the aerospace plane had dropped to a mere twelve kilometers per second, and its reverse thrusters continued to fire for deceleration to ensure a smooth lunar gravitational capture upon reaching the lunar orbit.

"Pardon me, I just dozed off for an hour. Oh, Lord, is everyone seeing this?"

"The Moon has grown so massive within our field of vision. Even with the naked eye, we can now clearly discern the lunar surface—rugged and uneven, covered everywhere with massive craters formed by meteorite impacts."

"Let us turn our gaze back to Earth. It remains just as breathtakingly beautiful, though its silhouette has shrunk by several folds."

"I have just received notification that in about half an hour, we shall arrive in lunar orbit and then descend directly to Chang'e City in the Ocean of Storms region on the Moon. I can hardly wait anymore."

Advanced in years, Dennis Tito had inevitably dozed off during the journey, yet he had slept for only an hour before quickly waking up.

At this moment, much like the other tycoons, his eyes were wide as he gazed at the rapidly expanding Moon in his field of vision. Now extremely close, they could distinctly make out the lunar mountain ranges, maria, and impact craters.

Naturally, taking photos and shooting videos was a must, followed by connecting to the virtual world or the old internet via virtual reality headsets to update their homepages and social media feeds.

Half an hour later, the aerospace plane was successfully captured by the Moon's gravity. After orbiting the Moon a few times, the vessel plunged downward toward the lunar body much like a duck diving into water.

Chang'e City in the Ocean of Storms boasted a remarkably sprawling scale. Following more than half a year of construction, over a hundred aerospace flights had transported massive quantities of supplies to build the metropolis.

From lunar orbit, Chang'e City was already visible to the naked eye. The vast complex of buildings blazed with brilliant lights, creating a dreamlike, sci-fi spectacle against the desolate backdrop of the surrounding lunar terrain.

Adjacent to Chang'e City lay an enormous airfield paved entirely with thick alloy steel plates. Featuring two runways exceeding one thousand meters in length and an expansive tarmac, several aerospace planes were currently parked upon it.

Fleets of lunar utility vehicles busily unloaded cargo from the aerospace planes while simultaneously loading precious rare earth minerals extracted from nearby lunar mining sites, preparing them for transport back to Earth.

"Good heavens!"

"Did everyone see that? China's Chang'e City is right down there! It is so immense, with continuous complexes of architecture and a colossal tarmac. It is simply incredible. The pace of China's development on the Moon is just as rapid as on Earth, managing to construct such a massive city in such a short span of time."

The tycoons were gripped by intense excitement and nervousness. Soon, they would land upon the Moon—a celestial body beyond Earth—and they could not help peering down at Chang'e City and the desolate wilderness surrounding it. The stark contrast evoked heartfelt sighs of wonder from deep within their souls.

Meanwhile, back on Earth, news media outlets worldwide were naturally engaged in close follow-up reporting. This task was made even easier as the tycoons continuously updated their personal homepages and feeds in real time.

"Welcome to NHK's latest news broadcast. According to information just received, the aerospace plane carrying our nation's tycoon, Itsumi Yamamoto, is about to arrive at Chang'e City on the Moon. He will become the first person from our island nation to set foot upon the lunar surface."

"It is hard to know whether to rejoice or to sorrow over this event. Compared to China's meteoric rise in the aerospace sector, the achievements we have made thus far are utterly negligible. Although we achieved manned spaceflight last year, China has already established a sprawling metropolis like Chang'e City on the Moon."

"They have already initiated lunar tourism and begun harvesting lunar resources, whereas our nation's first person to reach the Moon arrives simply as a tourist. One must admit, this is a sorrowful reality."

The reports from the island nation's media were invariably fraught with anxiety—perhaps a universal malady of their entire country, though politely termed as a strong sense of potential crisis.

"Al Jazeera brings you the latest technology updates. Prince Mohammed is about to arrive at the Moon, becoming the first Saudi citizen to set foot upon it. His extraordinary courage has forged a new chapter in our history. Reports indicate that His Majesty the King intends to bestow upon him the Aerospace Hero Medal in recognition of his pioneering feat."

Al Jazeera's broadcast left people around the globe marveling once again at the incomprehensible world of the ultra-wealthy. Reaching the Moon was a glorious milestone regardless of the manner in which it was achieved; after all, they had made it.

At the airfield outside Chang'e City, the aerospace plane descended from the skies, glided slowly along the runway, and soon docked precisely at its designated position.

Compared to the tensions of humanity's maiden lunar landing, the Moon's airport—equipped with ultra-long runways—offered far greater safety, reliability, and stability. Combined with the braking effect of reverse plasma thrusters, the entire landing process was virtually risk-free.

Docked beside a structure resembling a space terminal, the aerospace plane slowly opened its massive cargo bay. Inside were abundant supplies brought from Earth; its primary mission this time was to resupply Chang'e City while generating hundreds of millions of US dollars by ferrying these eleven tycoons.

"Safely landed and successfully arrived at the Moon! I suddenly feel my body extraordinarily light, as if I have grown decades younger. The lunar gravity is merely one-sixth that of Earth's; my entire being feels as light as a swallow. This sensation is simply marvelous!"

Clad in a spacesuit while slowly exiting the aerospace plane, Dennis Tito did not forget to livestream his experience. Advanced in age, his physical body inevitably lacked the vigor of youth, yet upon reaching the Moon, he felt instantly rejuvenated and weightlessly agile.

One by one, the travelers gazed curiously at everything within the lunar city. Because the aerospace plane was quite tall, their vantage point offered a panoramic bird's-eye view of Chang'e City.

Chang'e City consisted of a cluster of massive interconnected structures. Fully sealed passageways linked every building, and reinforced glass was widely utilized, allowing the interior illumination to spill outward and radiate a brilliant glow.

"Welcome to the Moon! I am your tour guide, Yan Ping, and I will be orchestrating your upcoming lunar expedition."

"You may now remove your spacesuits. I will brief you on several important precautions regarding Chang'e City as well as your upcoming itinerary."

After traversing a long corridor, the eleven individuals arrived at a spacious hall where a smiling young man greeted them.

"Chang'e City is roughly divided into five zones: the residential zone, the entertainment zone, the scientific research zone, the agricultural cultivation zone, and the industrial zone. You are free to relax in the residential zone and enjoy yourselves in the entertainment zone. As for the other three zones, they are currently closed to the public, so we deeply regret that you cannot visit them."

"All zones within Chang'e City employ independent isolation designs, primarily for safety purposes. Each zone features a red emergency rescue button; remember, these are only to be used in the event of an emergency."

"Additionally, any personal expenses incurred within the residential or entertainment zones must be paid for out of your own pockets. Of course, the quality of the complementary catering we provide is quite exceptional."

"The exterior of Chang'e City is a vacuum devoid of air. Therefore, if you encounter red warning signs, it indicates that the area ahead lacks atmosphere or serves as a transition zone—much like the corridor you just passed through, which acts as a transitional airlock. To venture into such areas or outside Chang'e City proper, you must don your spacesuits to ensure your safety."

"Next is your itinerary. First, you will have two hours to familiarize yourselves with Chang'e City. During these two hours, you are free to explore the residential and entertainment zones—though do remember to replenish your energy. Afterward comes a six-hour sleep period."

"Tomorrow morning—well, of course, Chang'e City doesn't strictly experience day and night, but we maintain the habit of following Earth's daily routine—after breakfast, I shall take you to experience driving lunar rovers across the lunar terrain, and we will take the opportunity to tour our Chinese lunar mining operations."

"Then tomorrow afternoon, I will lead you to scale a lunar mountain for a walking excursion while visiting the Moon's largest impact crater. During this time, you may choose a memorable moonrock of your own accord to take back to Earth as a keepsake."

"Around six o'clock tomorrow evening, we will gather here once more and board the aerospace plane for our return journey to Earth. That concludes the itinerary, and I sincerely hope you all spend a joyous time here."

With a smile on his face, Yan Ping connected to the virtual reality network, transmitting the schedule and details directly to the eleven tycoons. The text and language had long since been translated into their respective native tongues with meticulous detail, explicitly highlighting numerous critical safety guidelines.

"This is the list of precautions I just received regarding our stay on the Moon. It's comprehensive and exhaustive—there are even specific rules for using the restroom! But it cannot be helped; after all, we are far from Earth, and virtually all resources must be transported here from our home planet, meaning we must recycle and conserve materials to the absolute maximum."

The tycoons carefully perged the information transmitted into their minds via the virtual system. There were numerous safety-critical regulations among the guidelines, compelling everyone to memorize them firmly.