Chapter 29: The United States: Ready or Not, Here We Come!

In the White House, United States.

Fred felt incredibly unlucky. Why was it that during his term, China showed signs of surpassing them? And these signs were not just in one or two areas, but in many. Moon landings, electric vehicles, exoskeletons. In his eyes, these were not merely three types of technology; they represented aerospace, civilian infrastructure, and military power. All three areas were being eclipsed.

"Clyde, you have successfully saved yourself." Looking at the pale man before him, Fred narrowed his eyes. "My poll numbers haven't dropped yet because of their actions. But a more dangerous situation has emerged!"

"Mr. President, I understand, but this is no longer my problem." Clyde remained silent for a moment before saying in a low voice, "I am not responsible for matters of technology."

"I know that!" Fred suddenly erupted, questioning Clyde with a roar, "But you mean to tell me you had no intelligence on these technologies?! Did they just appear out of thin air?!"

Clyde remained silent.

"Congress gives you so much money every year, and you don't even have a whisper of information on these technologies?!" Fred was furious, yet he felt a sense of helplessness. Concealment would not last long. Given the rapid pace of China's development, these facts could not be hidden for long. They would soon be exposed before the public. What to do? This was a pressing issue.

"This cannot go on. We must take action, or I will become a sinner of the United States!" Fred’s gaze hardened. He had to make a choice. If he continued to let China develop this way, they would sooner or later surpass the United States. As a nation accustomed to being the world’s hegemon, this was something the U.S. could never accept.

"Clyde, connect me to the Space Agency. We need to have a serious talk."

"What do you mean, sir?" Clyde frowned, not quite grasping the President's intent.

"Hmph!" Fred sneered, shouting, "Don't think I don't know how much project funding they embezzle in their daily operations. The audit plane I sent to the Middle East just happened to be shot down by a terrorist missile? Tell them the U.S. 'Return to the Moon' program must be launched immediately! Tell them to get the rockets ready—at least within the year—or they can wait for me to make their lives miserable!"

***

August passed without incident. Or rather, the biggest event was the successful launch of the Windstorm-9, Remote-2. This news excited many, as this success meant the Windstorm-9 was ready for its unmanned test flight—a prerequisite for the manned lunar lander. As part of the safety verification process, two launches were required: one completely unmanned to orbit the moon and return, and a second carrying animals to do the same. Only then would a manned mission follow. Thus, China was only two launches away from its first manned moon landing. Two! At China’s current launch frequency, they might actually accomplish this feat within the year.

This was what all of China was looking forward to. And Fang Jing was looking forward to it even more. He was eager to see what changes would occur in the machine within his consciousness once a base was successfully established on the moon.

September also passed quietly. The Windstorm-9’s unmanned and animal-carrying test flights were both successful. China’s manned moon landing had reached its final stage. Even the British *Times* commented: "Undoubtedly, China has reached the door of the moon. With one more kick, they can walk in and declare the moon their territory."

Regarding such a sour tone, the Chinese public was delighted. "Hahaha, is Britain salty about this?" "Don't be so blunt, at least their ancestors were once rich, right, 'Empire on which the sun never sets'?" "Empire on which the sun never sets? Hahaha, more like the sun has already set, right?" "This tone is even sourer than the South Koreans; I can smell the lemon from here in East Asia!"

Netizens mocked the "Sun-Has-Set" Empire for its bitterness. Aside from this, another major development was that China was still digesting and learning the Grade-C technology from the *Wandering Earth* universe. Even with the help of scientists from the other side, the sheer volume of advanced knowledge was overwhelming for the China of this universe. They were struggling to digest it, and the process involved pausing all other projects. After all, China didn’t want to invest money into products that would be obsolete by the time they were finished. They wanted the best, using only the new technology.

***

Peace is always short-lived. By October, in the Middle East, a brutal war for homeland defense broke out, drawing global attention. The cause was that the "Six-Pointed Star" had oppressed the people there for sixty years, and now that they were on the verge of extinction, they rose up in resistance.

However, the disparity in strength made the resistance heartbreaking to watch. As the horrific images from the battlefield flooded the internet, the war made more Chinese citizens realize the truth of the saying: "There is no such thing as a peaceful life; it is only because someone is carrying the burden for us."

A 12-year-old child, when asked by a war correspondent what he wanted to do when he grew up, replied with numb eyes: "Here, we won't live to see that day." How heartbreaking that sentence was. This was the tragedy of a small nation. These videos and pieces of information served as a constant reminder that this world remains one where the strong prey upon the weak. Backwardness leads to being beaten!

Fang Jing saw the news from his base and felt a lump in his throat. This was the reality. The United States and other Western nations were constantly suppressing China, trying to turn them into just such a place—a land left to be bullied and suffer, just as it was a century ago. But fortunately, this was no longer a century ago.

"My wish is for every person in China to live in happiness and joy, free from suffering. To let China stand tall among the nations of the world, and even among the races of the universe." Fang Jing’s gaze was firm. He looked at the map of the solar system in front of him, toward the planet next to Earth—Mars. This had been his childhood dream. If he could terraform Mars into a habitable planet and move there, how wonderful would that be? It was a dream once, but now, with the mysterious machine and the connection to the *Wandering Earth* universe, it was no longer a dream.

What did the *Wandering Earth* have? Heavy fusion technology. If he used that to transform the Martian environment to make it habitable, he would move all of China to Mars. To become an interstellar race, the first step was to completely transcend the mother planet. As for other nations on Earth, sorry, Fang Jing was selfish. After adopting the technology from the *Wandering Earth*, China’s development would be incredibly fast. Cultural and linguistic integration takes centuries, even millennia. China couldn't wait. So, he prepared for a dual-track approach: let the rest of humanity on Earth continue to integrate with Chinese culture, while they themselves take the first step, heading into the universe and stepping into the deep void!