As the two walked out of the space center, they ran straight into more security teams rushing over. Leading them was the Kennedy Space Center's security chief, a retired Marine officer with a grim expression.
At least ten fully armed guards followed him, along with several plainclothes men in suits who, judging by their bearing, were probably from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
They had clearly already been briefed on the situation.
Before the security chief could speak, Elon Musk explained, "Relax, gentlemen. This is all a misunderstanding. Mr. Gao is my guest, and I'll take full responsibility. You can tell your superiors I brought him in."
"Mr. Elon Musk, this isn't something you can take responsibility for," the security chief said coldly. "This gentleman is suspected of violating federal law by illegally entering a highly sensitive government facility..."
"I'll pay extra," Elon Musk mouthed.
The security chief's icy expression melted like cream.
"That said, an investigation takes time. We'll follow procedure. Until that process is complete, Mr. Gao still holds a valid visa and observer status. But regardless, he cannot remain here in the firing room."
Seeing the security chief capitulate so easily, the FBI agent's face darkened. The FBI wasn't intimidated by Musk's status. Even if the president himself were here, he would still investigate thoroughly. He stepped forward, but before he could speak-
"You get extra too."
The FBI agent immediately brightened.
"That's right," the agent said with a kindly smile. "Mr. Gao may return to the viewing area with you, though the subsequent investigation must still proceed. But I can guarantee that we'll notify you beforehand. When the time comes, just ask Mr. Gao to cooperate as best he can..."
Elon Musk waved a hand, too bored to bother with them any longer, and led Gao Jian away.
The security chief and FBI agent remained where they were, exchanging a silent look.
Elon Musk wielded far too much influence. SpaceX was NASA's largest contractor and a core supplier for the Artemis Program. Elon Musk himself had close ties to both the current and previous administrations, and his influence even extended into both parties' voter bases. Too many interests were involved.
If Elon Musk had a close friendship with this CNSA observer, things would be much more complicated.
Though they had temporarily put the investigation aside, how had Gao Jian entered the firing room? How had he known about the fuel shortage? Were there Asian spies inside NASA? They had to get to the bottom of all three questions.
The FBI agent told the security chief, "Come on. Let's pull the surveillance footage, then bring in whoever's responsible for security here and get some answers."
Gao Jian had said nothing the entire time. Since leaving the firing room, he had stayed at Elon Musk's side.
Something suddenly occurred to him. Among the crank-science emails pestering him, someone calling himself "Wan Hu" had claimed to be a vice president of Tesla's China operations. He had also claimed humanity was approaching the Moon landings incorrectly and wanted to discuss it privately with Gao Jian.
He had even offered $500,000 for a meeting, but Gao Jian had ignored him.
Five spirit stones would be more like it.
If the man hadn't invented his identity, wouldn't that make "Wan Hu" a subordinate of the world's richest man standing beside him?
I'll ask if a good opportunity comes up.
He spread his Divine Sense, taking in every movement for miles around and preparing for the worst.
The guards' light weapons posed no threat to a Foundation Establishment cultivator, but the American troops stationed outside the launch site were another matter. Their heavy firepower could threaten Gao Jian.
A missile hit would injure him too.
Still, he had maintained his identity as an ordinary person so far, and the military had no reason to target him. The deputy administrator had been frightened by his spiritual pressure, but had no evidence. It should be fine.
"Mr. Gao," Elon Musk said casually, "when you disappeared earlier, I thought you'd gotten lost. I never imagined you'd gone to the launch center."
The launch control center was two kilometers from the viewing stands, with buffer zones and security cordons between them. Elon Musk truly had no idea how Gao Jian had gotten through.
Gao Jian smiled bashfully. "Mr. Elon, thank you for getting me out of that. I really didn't expect you to appear. I've been looking forward to this return to the Moon for so long that I got impatient and rushed over."
"But you're with CNSA. What's your hurry?"
Normally, given Gao Jian's affiliation, it would have been good enough if he didn't sabotage anything.
Gao Jian looked deeply moved. "To tell you the truth, I've longed for this beautiful land of freedom since childhood. The Apollo Moon Landing Program was something I dreamed of growing up. I-I just love the United States so much..."
Elon Musk couldn't listen anymore. He interrupted, "Not many people knew the fuel tanks weren't full. Who told you?"
Gao Jian froze.
"Mr. Elon, what do you mean by that?"
"Exactly what I said. Someone doesn't want to land on the Moon, so the tanks weren't filled."
Elon Musk sighed softly and changed the subject, not particularly smoothly. "Forget it. Mr. Gao, let's talk about your side. How is CNAS's Moon landing progressing?"
As though some program had been triggered, Gao Jian answered without hesitation:
"At present, all missions in phase four of our lunar exploration program are progressing in an orderly manner. Queqiao-2 has entered operational service in orbit, and Chang'e-7 and Chang'e-8 will carry out lunar south pole exploration and lunar surface experiments as scheduled. Hardware development and ground verification for our crewed lunar landing program are underway across the board, and development of the Long March 10 is progressing smoothly. We will spare no effort to ensure a crewed lunar landing before 2030!"
Elon Musk: "..."
"I thought we were friends," Elon Musk said sadly. "I just helped you out of a huge mess, and you're brushing me off with these official lines you memorized in advance."
Gao Jian forced a smile. "I'm telling the truth. The theoretical problems have all been solved. We're now in the technical validation phase. But either way, it'll be at least two more years. We can't compare with this."
As he spoke, Gao Jian pointed toward the SLS rocket four kilometers away.
"But," Gao Jian said, changing tack.
"You just said someone doesn't want to land on the Moon? Why? People around the world are watching this historic return to the Moon, and the SLS is already technologically mature. NASA spent three years carefully preparing for this. Why abandon it halfway?"
Elon Musk answered without any hesitation. "There were never any careful preparations. It was a show from the moment the project was approved. The rocket just needs to fly around up there. How could they actually go?"
Gao Jian froze.
Then Elon Musk watched Gao Jian with interest. "Since you knew about the fuel, your intelligence services must have penetrated NASA pretty deeply. Didn't your side already know this Moon landing was just a show?"
CNSA really didn't know.
And what intelligence services?
When NASA announced the Moon landing, so many veteran aerospace workers had slapped their thighs in fury. They practically wanted to crawl under the launchpad with an explosive charge and blow up the SLS Block 1B. After all, they were only two years behind. The disappointment of failing to overtake the Americans had been too much.
His remarks struck Gao Jian as utterly absurd.
Elon Musk continued, "With insufficient fuel, they can just fly around once and come back down. I knew they'd do this, so I never put any faith in NASA from the start. The SLS rocket is only a stopgap. Ultimately, I'm going to land on the Moon with Starship, and no one can stop me."
As he said this, the businessman famed for his marketing gimmicks actually showed a trace of yearning for the stars.
Gao Jian, however, remembered some of "Wan Hu's" outrageous claims, and a chill ran through him.
Elon Musk continued, "But now that you've interfered, they'll probably have to arrange some other little malfunction. Something like abnormal fairing separation, increasing drag enough to drop their speed below the threshold for a lunar flyby."
The businessman's lips curled slightly, full of confidence in the outcome he expected.
There probably won't be any little malfunctions.
Gao Jian silently repeated the thought.
Whatever NASA's reasoning for refusing to land on the Moon, he had already repaired every minor malfunction aboard the spacecraft.
The technological capabilities the SLS Block 1B currently displayed were absolutely sufficient to support a lunar landing mission.
The entrance to the viewing area was already in sight ahead, with the figures of reporters and invited guests faintly visible.
Elon Musk slowed and turned toward Gao Jian. "Mr. Gao, if you're going to land on the Moon on schedule in 2030, let me know beforehand. Consider it a favor for my moving Tesla's production lines wholesale to your country and boosting employment and manufacturing. My Starship program might not catch up with you. After all, I'm only a businessman. I don't have the resources you do. If possible, I'd like to cooperate with you on a Moon landing."
Apparently, this was why he had helped Gao Jian out: to use him to get aboard the mighty ship that was CNSA. Gao Jian didn't resent Elon Musk's calculations.
He was curious about only one thing:
"Mr. Elon, could you tell me who doesn't want to land on the Moon?"
Elon Musk shook his head. "How would I know?"
"You're being too modest. You can tell me."
"I'm not being modest." Elon Musk gave a self-deprecating smile. "From beginning to end, they've never thought much of me, the 'world's richest man.' I couldn't even get onto Epstein's island. They don't let me play with them."
Gao Jian's doubts deepened.
Elon Musk had close ties to the previous United States administration and had practically become the former president's best buddy. How could someone like that fail to enter the United States' inner circle?
This world is so complicated. So much trouble.
Forget it. I'm just a damn Immortal Cultivation practitioner. Why am I thinking about this?
Getting to the Moon soon and searching for spiritual veins was what mattered.
Immortal Cultivation is the great Dao.
After they returned to the viewing area, Musk even had someone bring over a screen to partially enclose their seats, creating a semiprivate little space. He clearly wanted to talk more with this CNSA observer about China's lunar landing.
That made Gao Jian's next move more convenient.
Through Elon Musk's internal sources, he learned that ignition had been delayed by an hour. There was no need to hurry now; he could stay a while longer.
Gao Jian also asked a few questions about the Tesla factories, but the world's richest man clearly paid little attention to his senior representatives in China. Even after several attempts, Gao Jian failed to establish "Wan Hu's" true identity.
Doxxing attempt failed.
But there were only so many Tesla vice presidents. He could check them after he returned.
Elon Musk also probed him with plenty of questions about CNSA's lunar landing progress, but Gao Jian kept dodging the important points with official platitudes, leaving the world's richest man rather dissatisfied.
Neither party found the conversation particularly satisfying.
During their conversation, Elon Musk changed the subject and abruptly began discussing world history with Gao Jian, particularly Chinese history.
He claimed to have read the Twenty-Four Histories and expressed admiration for China's tradition of historical writing. He especially praised the accuracy of Records of the Grand Historian, Book of Han, Book of the Later Han, and Records of the Three Kingdoms, while disparaging History of Song, History of Yuan, and History of Ming, saying their source material was confused and heavily falsified.
Gao Jian was astonished.
Elon Musk also threw out numerous questions about ancient history, such as factional struggles in the Ming dynasty, then branched into Europe's dark Middle Ages before the Enlightenment. His outrageous takes came thick and fast on both East and West, catching Gao Jian completely off guard.
He could recite the Immortal Cultivation World's ten-thousand-year feud between the righteous and demonic paths, the rise and fall of immortal dynasties, legends of genius independent cultivators, and stories of the Hehuan Sect's holy maiden and the Dao Sect's itinerant representative as though listing his own treasures. Because of his Immortal Cultivation, he had also specifically researched the local religion, Taoism, and knew quite a bit about religious matters.
But he really wasn't familiar with this secular history. This body's original owner had studied science and engineering, and his historical knowledge was limited to a shallow understanding gained from undergraduate survey courses on Chinese and world history.
Throughout the conversation, Gao Jian kept his Divine Sense fixed on the fuel tanks as they filled. Forty minutes later, he confirmed that they were full and finally withdrew his Divine Sense with relief.
Occasionally, Federal Bureau of Investigation personnel came over to question Gao Jian, but Elon Musk turned them all away. After their rambling detour through history, the conversation returned to the lunar landing program.
In the end, Gao Jian reluctantly agreed to Elon Musk's request for cooperation with CNAS on a lunar landing, promising to report the matter to the higher-ups for consideration. At least Elon Musk's special trip to the firing room to help him hadn't been in vain.
Seeing that it was about time, Gao Jian prepared to leave.
He planned to sneak into the command module, squeeze in with the four astronauts, and hitch a ride on the SLS rocket to Taiyin Star, the legendary abode of immortals.
But before Gao Jian could find an excuse to slip away, the countdown suddenly began.
[Ten, nine, eight...]
Gao Jian looked up in astonishment.
The thunderous countdown swept across the Kennedy Space Center.
He instinctively looked at Musk. "Mr. Elon, didn't you say ignition was delayed by an hour?"
Why wasn't it delayed-and why was it half an hour ahead of the original ignition time?!
Elon Musk was even more bewildered than Gao Jian. He immediately called someone inside the firing room, demanding an explanation in agitation.
"No. There's no time." Watching the rocket, Gao Jian's heart sank.
[Seven, six, five...]
Gao Jian abruptly placed both hands on his knees and sat up straight.
[Three, two, one, ignition!]
Because sound traveled far more slowly than light, a fierce torrent of flame had already erupted from the rocket's base before the final word, "ignition," reached them.
Orange-red light instantly illuminated the entire launchpad!
The two solid rocket boosters and four core-stage RS-25 main engines ignited simultaneously. More than nine million pounds of thrust erupted into a universe-shaking roar. The earth trembled, the air burned, and a visibly expanding shock wave surged outward!
After a brief pause, the brown-and-white behemoth began to rise slowly.
It hauled itself straight off the ground!
At first, it moved so slowly that it seemed briefly suspended in midair. Then it accelerated, trailing an ever-lengthening line of fire that tore open the sky above the Atlantic.
A tide of astonished cries erupted from the viewing area too.
"I found out. It was the launch director, Blecherwell. He ordered the early launch. He's lost his mind! Even if this is an act, this isn't how you-"
Halfway through his tirade, Elon Musk noticed that Gao Jian wasn't responding and reached out to nudge his shoulder.
The strangely weightless sensation made Elon Musk freeze.
As though he had pushed too hard, "Gao Jian's" body swayed in the chair, then turned into a human-sized sheet of yellow talisman paper and fluttered to the ground. Sparks rose, fiery red edges rapidly burned inward, and the paper figure soon became a puff of drifting ash.
Elon Musk's eyes widened.
What was that?
He instinctively looked around, his gaze sweeping across the sky.
Just then, a brilliant streak of azure light, concealed against the dusky yellow sky, shot toward the rocket at over Mach 2!
But that azure light was too thin and faint. Blending into the lingering glow of the rocket's exhaust, it was barely noticeable. Most people in the viewing area never saw it, but Elon Musk saw it with perfect clarity. He looked back again. By now, only scattered embers remained of the human-shaped talisman paper.
A hundred meters overhead-
The slender azure light slashed across the sky and vanished toward the horizon in an instant. Gao Jian pushed his flight technique to its limits. In only a few seconds, the rocket's exhaust flames were already within reach.
But the SLS rocket was fast too. It reached the speed of sound thirty-five seconds after ignition and would reach Mach 2 after a minute and a half—almost the maximum flight speed of an Early Foundation Establishment cultivator.
I can make it! I can make it!
The azure light surged upstream, climbing along the pillar of fire. It cleaved through sunset clouds, crossed the edge of the stratosphere, and finally, just as the rocket approached Mach 2, plunged at an impossible acute angle into the burning fire dragon's wake.
He vanished into the raging flames.
Before you continue