Chapter 153: Provoked Once More

“Finally, it’s time to return. This journey to the Moon has been truly unforgettable; I have no regrets for the rest of my life!” Dennis Totty gazed at the Moon, which was gradually shrinking into the distance, his heart remarkably calm. At this moment, memories of his entire life surfaced. Born into an ordinary family, his father had instilled in him the belief that knowledge could change destiny, so he had studied diligently and was admitted to one of Uncle Sam’s prestigious universities.

In his youth, he became a fellow and honorary doctorate recipient at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He once worked as a scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory before venturing into entrepreneurship, eventually founding the third-largest investment management information company in North America.

Pursuing excellence in himself, he also relished a vibrant personal life. Known for his charm, no one could count how many girlfriends he had had. Even now, in his seventies, he was still dating a young woman in her twenties. His numerous scandals were well known.

Dennis was also adventurous. In his sixties, he spent over twenty million dollars to become the first space tourist. Having already visited Earth’s poles, the South and North Poles held no more allure for him.

Though active in finance in his later years, his heart remained tied to his youthful dream of aviation. Yet he was dissatisfied with the aerospace industry. “We truly lack clear goals now. Back in the sixties at NASA, we were constantly inspired and excited by this cause. The public was engaged, too. But now everything has become dull,” he said. He believed the aerospace industry should have clear objectives—such as exploring or even colonizing Mars—and pursue them relentlessly.

Thus, in his seventies, upon hearing of the opportunity to travel to the Moon, he did not hesitate to sign up. Even knowing his physical condition might cause him to remain in space forever if something went wrong, it could not deter his dreams of the stars.

Truly, his life was one of legend.

The spaceplane advanced at over thirty kilometers per second through the void. Yet against the vast cosmos, it seemed almost motionless. Without any reference points, one might think it stood still.

Like Dennis Totty, the other passengers were also deep in reflection about their lunar journey. Each was a world-class billionaire, several having risen from humble beginnings, clearly brilliant minds.

“The space age has truly arrived, and the Chinese have taken the lead worldwide.”

What moved them most were two things: the dawn of the space era, brimming with endless wealth, and the realization of China’s formidable strength in space.

Several hours later, the spaceplane reached Earth’s orbit, smoothly captured by Earth’s gravity, then plunged steadily back, landing securely at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, concluding an unforgettable lunar expedition.

“Dennis, Mark, Greg, and eight other billionaires from various countries successfully completed their Moon voyage. Even at 78 years old, Dennis remains in excellent health, able to walk unaided from the spaceplane. This flawless conclusion marks a new chapter for China’s aerospace sector.”

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“The space industry’s industrialization and pillarization will rapidly develop into a new economy. Soon, ordinary people traveling to the Moon will no longer be a dream!”

China’s domestic news media naturally framed this event within the nation’s grand future plans, their words filled with pride and confidence. Not only could China send humans to the Moon, but now it was capable of lunar tourism.

“Yamamoto Kazuki has returned home and donated lunar rock samples to the Space Agency. He said this journey revealed boundless opportunities and riches in space, yet he expressed deep disappointment in our current space technology and concern for the future. He hopes this will inspire our people to study harder, research science and technology, and develop our space capabilities to catch up with China soon.”

Hailing from Japan, Yamamoto Kazuki was treated as a national hero—the first Japanese to set foot on the Moon. His experiences and observations in space and on the lunar surface filled him with grave worries for Japan’s future.

“Our country is small and resource-poor, but space offers infinite expanses. The Moon holds vast resources. China is only conducting simple mining for now, yet their lunar mine produces 1,000 tons of rare earth elements daily.”

“The Moon is rich beyond measure. If we don’t strive, we will lose our place there and be forever confined to our tiny homeland and scarce resources.”

Inspired profoundly by Yamamoto’s words, a new space fever swept Japan. The Japanese people felt a growing sense of urgency and a strong yearning for land and resources.

Soon, Japan revised its space program, planning to invest an additional two trillion dollars over five years, aiming for a crewed lunar landing by around 2021, establishing a lunar base by 2022, and commencing lunar mining.

Japan, influenced by the space race, had already planned to invest two trillion dollars over ten years since 2018, with goals to build a space station within five years and achieve crewed lunar missions within a decade.

Now, driven by this profound stimulus, the discovery of lunar riches, and anxiety for the future, Japan tightened its belt and resolved to pour two trillion more dollars into space technology within five years, determined to catch up with China at any cost.

The stimulus was not limited to Japan. Uncle Sam’s nation was equally shaken. Originally, the U.S. had planned a crewed lunar landing in October this year, confident it would not lag far behind China. But now, seeing the rapid pace of lunar base construction like Chang’e City and the onset of lunar mining with regular Earth-Moon travel, the development had far exceeded expectations.

Moreover, top American billionaires like Dennis, Greg, Mark, and Anush, upon returning home, loudly proclaimed the Moon’s boundless wealth.

“Every mountain on the Moon holds unimaginable riches—mountains of gold and silver!”

The U.S. is a nation controlled by capitalists, who are undoubtedly greedy. China’s modest lunar mine already produces thousands of tons of rare earth daily. Rare earth elements are extraordinarily valuable, with prices ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions per ton depending on the rare metals content.

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Just a few thousand tons daily easily translates into hundreds of millions in revenue every day, and this is only initial extraction. Lunar rare earth contains high concentrations of precious metals; many are rare metal ores. Large-scale mining could effortlessly yield tens or even hundreds of billions per day.

Dennis and his companions’ description of the Moon’s mountains as gold and silver mountains is by no means an exaggeration. The wealth unlocked from mining would be staggering.

The United States descends from centuries of colonizers, explorers, and seekers of gold, silver, ivory, and spices. These capitalists possess adventurous spirits and now, faced with such a colossal temptation, they are eager to act.

Soon, the U.S. Congress passed a new space development bill, adding another five trillion dollars in funding over five years. The goal is to establish a manned lunar base by 2021—the coming year—and commence lunar mining.

The world knows the U.S. government is heavily indebted and financially strained. Yet the American capitalists are among the richest globally. Half of the Fortune 500 companies hail from the U.S., and the largest number of top billionaires are American.

When these capitalists flex their immense financial muscle, their power is fearsome. This five trillion dollar investment over five years equates to an additional one trillion dollars per year beyond existing plans—testament to their vast wealth.

They control global finance, oil, technology, and many high-level sectors. With centuries of accumulation and profound foundations, their status as the world’s police is well-founded.

The stimulus extended beyond Japan and the U.S. Other major powers were similarly shaken—both astonished by China’s rapid progress in space and deeply attracted by the Moon’s vast resources.

The Moon remains unclaimed territory. Its land and resources are ownerless; whoever occupies it first, claims it. Those who have the means can seize more; those who don’t will find no foothold.

Thus, all major powers were stirred once more. China’s enormous lunar Chang’e City, located in the Storm Ocean region, spans four million square kilometers—half the size of China—and contains immense resources.

This largest lunar mare, the Moon’s prime location with richest resources, undoubtedly belongs to China. If others do not strive, the Moon’s best lands and positions will soon be taken.

The stage is set for a new era of cosmic competition, where the destiny of nations extends beyond Earth to the stars themselves.