Chapter Summaries

Jing Youwei left his meeting with President Zhang and, unable to contact Meng Anping from the other spacetime, headed back toward the Spacetime Tunnel. Along the way, he met disaster victims relocated from No. 3 Spacetime and learned how proudly they spoke of the Planetary Engines.

• Zhang Tianyuan assured the two diplomats that the Mutual Aid Society would not prevent them from joining, and Jing Youwei left with them for the guesthouse.
• Jing Youwei remembered that his communication device could not reach Meng Anping across spacetimes and hurried out to report through the Spacetime Tunnel.
• A receptionist explained that the people gathered at the base were disaster victims relocated from No. 3 Spacetime, whose underground homes had become uninhabitable.
• Jing Youwei asked to speak with the victims, then approached a young man and asked about the Planetary Engines.
• The young man recited public information about the engines with pride, and Jing Youwei noticed how the Mutual Aid Society had changed people’s outlook in Wandering Spacetime.

Jing Youwei returned from Wandering Spacetime convinced that the Mutual Aid Society had earned its people’s trust and learned why Zhang Tianyuan commanded such respect. After hearing that each branch was led by people from its own spacetime and that other worlds needed industrial goods, Meng Anping revised his plans and began to prepare a public campaign for the Society.

• Jing Youwei heard a Wandering Spacetime resident explain how the Mutual Aid Society had helped people survive and improve their lives, strengthening his view of the Society.
• Jing Youwei returned through the Spacetime Tunnel with two diplomats and called Meng Anping to report that Zhang Tianyuan had offered Rampage Spacetime a chance to participate in importing resources without conditions.
• A diplomat told Meng Anping that the Mutual Aid Society’s branches were run by people from their own countries, and Jing Youwei explained how Zhang Tianyuan had helped evacuate dungeon residents with few casualties.
• The diplomats reported that the Society needed food and industrial goods, and Meng Anping learned Rampage Spacetime could help by producing goods at full capacity.
• Reassured that he would lead his spacetime’s branch, Meng Anping ordered relevant departments to lower the Mutual Aid Society’s secrecy classification and stir up public attention.

Cha Minzhi discovered the Spacetime Tunnel and the negotiations with a parallel spacetime, then tried to secretly report the information and was arrested as part of Meng Anping’s purge of foreign agents. After closing the airport tunnel and meeting the Mutual Aid Society, Meng Anping sought help stopping the other powers’ escalating war, and Zhang Tianyuan asked how strong their militaries were.

• Cha Minzhi learned about the Spacetime Tunnel and saw Jing Youwei’s video call, confirming that contact with a parallel spacetime was real.
• Cha Minzhi secretly assembled a covert transmitter and sent coded information about the tunnel, but burly men caught him after he dismantled it.
• Meng Anping used the tunnel’s existence to identify and remove agents across the airport, while their reports were dismissed by the people who received them.
• Zhang Tianyuan opened a new tunnel for Meng Anping, closed the airport passage, and introduced him to the Mutual Aid Society’s branches at a spacetime conference.
• Meng Anping asked the Mutual Aid Society to help stop the fighting between the other two major powers, and Zhang Tianyuan asked about their military strength.

Zhang Tianyuan and the branch presidents learned how Rampage Spacetime’s widespread small nuclear weapons had kept Connor’s superior military from winning outright, then agreed to send a thirty-carrier joint fleet on a friendly visit. Connor dismissed Meng Anping’s warning as fantasy until intelligence reports about the Spacetime Tunnel unsettled him, and his fleet mobilization further heightened global tensions.

• Meng Anping showed the presidents Connor’s formidable military strength and explained how small nuclear weapons had prolonged conflict and caused lasting devastation in Rampage Spacetime.
• Zhang Tianyuan proposed a joint fleet visit to Connor, and the presidents of Legend, Pacific Rim, Snowpiercer, and "2012" agreed to contribute thirty carrier fleets.
• Meng Anping returned to his spacetime and formally informed Connor that the Mutual Aid Society’s joint fleet planned to visit soon.
• Connor initially dismissed the letter as an absurd mistake, but an intelligence official told him that reports about Meng Anping and a Spacetime Tunnel might be true.
• Connor ordered West Coast fleets onto high alert, and their movements alarmed other powers and increased worldwide tensions.

Zhang Tianyuan prepared for the joint fleet’s deployment while learning that a nuclear-armed faction had emerged in No. 0 Spacetime. He also faced Sun Deyi’s request to evacuate over a billion people from Wandering Spacetime, a plan complicated by the Escape Faction; the chapter ended with the joint fleet ready.

• Connor sent a fleet into the Pacific, prompting intelligence agencies and smaller powers to prepare for conflict, while his forces watched Meng Anping’s fleet for three days without seeing it move.
• Zhang Tianyuan learned from Ke Jinjun that repeated nuclear explosions and radioactive dust in No. 0 Spacetime pointed to a faction using nuclear weapons, and he ordered exploration rockets launched in every direction.
• Sun Deyi told Zhang Tianyuan that the Moon Exile Project was nearing completion and asked him to help evacuate more than a billion people before the moon was pushed away.
• Zhang Tianyuan worried that Escape Faction members might abandon their families and settle permanently in other spacetimes, or even sabotage underground cities to escape, so he sent Sun Deyi’s proposal to the Mutual Aid Society’s branches for discussion.
• After half a month of coordination drills, Zhang Tianyuan received word that the joint fleet was ready.

Connor waited for news of the supposed Joint Fleet, but reconnaissance found nothing until an enormous black curtain opened in New York Harbor. A massive, unrecognized fleet began emerging through it, leaving the city and harbor in alarm as reports climbed the chain of command.

• Connor learned from Lewis that the Joint Fleet was expected near New York Harbor at noon, then ordered the Norfolk fleet to search for and intercept any unidentified ships.
• Connor received word that reconnaissance aircraft had found no unidentified warships and prepared to confront Meng Anping.
• A mysterious black curtain appeared off New York, drawing the attention of harbor workers, residents, and a television helicopter.
• A harbor speedboat approached the curtain, but its driver turned away when an aircraft carrier emerged from it.
• Unidentified escort warships and additional carriers poured through the Spacetime Tunnel, filling the waters and prompting people to flee.
• Reports of the fleet began moving up through the ranks.

A joint fleet emerged from a spacetime tunnel outside New York Harbor, shocking Connor and Lewis as the number of warships grew to 240. Connor arranged for the fleet to dock and flew out to meet its commanders, leaving the chapter with him aboard its command ship.

• Lewis learned from a live broadcast that warships were streaming through a spacetime tunnel into New York Harbor and rushed to tell Connor.
• Connor confirmed the fleet had arrived, learned it was visiting, and ordered New York Harbor to arrange berths for the ships.
• Port operators struggled to clear the busy harbor, then began evacuating vessels and making room for the fleet.
• Zhang Tianyuan and the joint fleet agreed to send a destroyer into port first while the rest of the ships waited offshore.
• Connor and Lewis arrived in New York, realized the destroyer was not the fleet's command vessel, and flew to meet its leaders aboard the command ship.

Connor and Lewis welcomed Zhang Tianyuan and the Cross-Spacetime Joint Fleet aboard its command carrier, where they learned the fleet included 30 carrier fleets from four parallel spacetimes. Connor grew friendlier after hearing that many of the ships were formidable, while Lewis struggled with the wind and his hair.

• Connor and Lewis arrived by helicopter with their secretaries and security personnel to meet the aliens aboard the carrier.
• Zhang Tianyuan introduced himself as the temporary president of the Mutual Aid Society headquarters and described the Cross-Spacetime Joint Fleet.
• Zhang Tianyuan explained that the fleet had come because Connor had not formally refused its requested visit, leaving Connor to regret not replying.
• The fleet commanders arrived, and Zhang Tianyuan introduced them and their ships to Connor and Lewis.
• Connor heard that some fleets were weak while others, especially those from Pacific Rim Spacetime and Snowpiercer Spacetime, were powerful, and he warmly welcomed the visitors.
• Lewis watched Connor pose for photos and felt déjà vu at the sight of a four-spacetime joint force.

Zhang Tianyuan told Connor that the Joint Fleet represented the Mutual Aid Society, which had helped eight parallel spacetimes and planned to inspect other countries as well. Connor became eager to join after seeing the Society’s advanced exoskeletons, while Lewis complained that the port was taking too long to prepare a berth for the fleet.

• Zhang Tianyuan explained the Mutual Aid Society’s work across eight parallel spacetimes and said it had come to help Connor’s world by learning about it through visits.
• Connor asked about joining, and Zhang Tianyuan described the Society’s basic requirements without accepting Connor’s implied offer.
• A soldier demonstrated an exoskeleton by lifting and pulling one corner of a plane, leaving Connor and Lewis impressed.
• Zhang Tianyuan explained that the exoskeletons were exported from another spacetime, and Connor began to long for access to parallel-spacetime technology.
• Connor lost sight of Zhang Tianyuan, returned to Lewis, and heard him complain that the port had not prepared a berth despite the fleet’s long wait.

Connor struggled to berth the Joint Fleet at New York Harbor and ordered supplies and promotional brochures for the ships. After arranging preparations on both coasts, he called Meng Anping late at night to ask how he could join the Mutual Aid Society and become a messenger.

• Lewis explained that New York Harbor could not clear berths quickly, and Connor learned that thirty Joint Fleet warships had docked while 210 remained at sea.
• Connor ordered East Coast supply ships to resupply the fleet offshore, while docked ships received fuel, provisions, gifts, and promotional brochures.
• Lewis arranged the resupply and brochure printing, and West Coast bases and California ports prepared for President Zhang's visit.
• Crowds gathered around New York Harbor as news of the Joint Fleet spread, and Connor fielded calls from countries around the world.
• After briefing his people, Connor contacted Meng Anping to ask how he could join the Mutual Aid Society and become a messenger.

Connor asked Meng Anping how to join the Mutual Aid Society and learned that his government’s actions had already put its prospects at risk. He realized the Joint Fleet’s visit was both a response to the downed reconnaissance craft and a warning to stop interfering overseas.

• Connor spoke with Meng Anping about joining the Mutual Aid Society and shared what President Zhang had told him.
• Meng Anping explained the society’s principles and warned Connor that a spacetime that rejected its help had seen a hundred million people freeze to death.
• Meng Anping revealed that Connor’s side had shot down the society’s reconnaissance satellite and drone, prompting Connor to send his secretary to investigate.
• Meng Anping said he had defended Connor’s side to President Zhang and urged Connor to consider whether its world was on the wrong path.
• Connor concluded that joining the Mutual Aid Society would require him to abandon overseas interference, and he recognized the Joint Fleet’s visit as a warning as well as a show of force.

Connor learned that the Economic and Trade Organization could supply his country with resources from other spacetimes, giving him a possible alternative to overseas interests. Seeing crowds gather around New York Harbor, he recognized how widely the Joint Fleet’s visit had drawn attention and decided to address the public from the warship.

• Meng Anping told Connor that another spacetime was abandoning its old planet and that the Economic and Trade Organization could import resources from it.
• Connor asked about oil, natural gas, coal, and freshwater, and Meng Anping described the organization’s expanding trade between spacetimes.
• Connor considered replacing overseas resource supplies with imports from other spacetimes, especially while the Joint Fleet remained in New York.
• Connor saw crowds and civilian vessels gathering around New York Harbor as supply ships served the Joint Fleet and warships kept other boats away.
• Connor called Lewis and decided to give a televised address from the warship rather than go ashore.

Connor delivered a televised speech from a Mutual Aid Society carrier, assuring the world that the visitors came from a parallel Earth and were friendly. He ended by announcing that the Joint Fleet would next visit California.

• Lewis secured permission from the Mutual Aid Society to host Connor's speech aboard a carrier and arranged for a television crew to fly in from New York.
• Connor addressed viewers from the ship's island, describing the Joint Fleet's arrival as a friendly visit after earlier contact.
• Connor explained that the visitors came from a parallel spacetime and praised the Mutual Aid Society as a charitable organization dedicated to peace.
• Officials in other countries analyzed Connor's speech, and some intelligence officers wondered whether he had been taken hostage.
• Connor concluded by announcing that the Joint Fleet would visit California to learn about the world.

The Joint Fleet prepared to leave New York Harbor after establishing the Mutual Aid Society’s power, but Connor refused to get off Zhang Tianyuan’s command ship. Zhang Tianyuan eventually ordered the fleet to sail to California, giving Connor a high-profile visit through a Spacetime Tunnel.

• After Connor announced that the Joint Fleet would visit California, other powers contacted Meng Anping to seek visits of their own.
• Meng Anping told the powers to wait, expecting the Joint Fleet to leave New York Harbor once it was ready.
• Zhang Tianyuan decided to depart the crowded harbor after the fleet received gifts and supplies from Connor.
• When Zhang Tianyuan announced the departure, Connor asked the Joint Fleet to stay but refused to leave the command ship.
• After an hour of arguing with Connor, Zhang Tianyuan ordered the command ship to sail to California through a Spacetime Tunnel.

Connor turned the signing of the temporary agreement and his passage through the Spacetime Tunnel into a live spectacle, using his connection with the Mutual Aid Society to build public support. The Joint Fleet reached California to a massive welcome, leaving Connor and Lewis exhausted but delighted by their sudden popularity.

• Connor arranged for a television crew to broadcast him and Lewis signing the temporary agreement aboard the carrier.
• Connor asked Zhang Tianyuan to let the crew film his passage through the Spacetime Tunnel, and Zhang agreed.
• Connor chatted with Joint Fleet commanders and gathered basic information about other spacetimes while the fleet loaded his supplies.
• Connor kept addressing the camera as the carrier passed through the Spacetime Tunnel, presenting himself as enthusiastic and fearless.
• The Joint Fleet sailed to California, where crowds welcomed it and the Mutual Aid Society, strengthening Connor's public support.
• Connor and Lewis waved to the crowds until they were exhausted, then returned smiling and unsteady on their feet.

The Joint Fleet’s highly publicized visit to California sparked lavish welcomes abroad and a heated Mutual Aid Society debate over whether Rampage Spacetime’s countries should be allowed to join. After the debate reached a compromise, Zhang Tianyuan met with key figures, while Connor and Ski waited anxiously to learn whether they would be accepted.

• Connor turned the Joint Fleet’s California arrival into a global spectacle, prompting countries to compete with gifts and supplies for visiting ships.
• Mutual Aid Society members argued over whether Rampage Spacetime’s countries deserved membership despite their roles in wars and nuclear contamination.
• Connor finally disembarked after five days aboard the carrier, and the Joint Fleet completed its weeklong visit across the continents.
• Zhang Tianyuan inspected disaster-relief and reconstruction work while avoiding meetings with Rampage Spacetime’s delegations as the membership debate continued.
• After the Mutual Aid Society reached a compromise, Zhang Tianyuan made a brief appearance at a reception, then met privately with Meng Anping, Connor, and Ski.
• Connor and Ski worried that the society had not acted on their promises to give up overseas interests, while Meng Anping kept quiet about the debate and his own successful membership.

Zhang Tianyuan pressed Connor and Ski to accept responsibility for contamination and reconstruction in their spacetime, making their cooperation a condition for joining the Mutual Aid Society. After they agreed, he revealed that another spacetime might have technology for accessing resources buried at extreme depths.

• Connor and Ski argued over how quickly their forces could withdraw overseas while Zhang Tianyuan reviewed the Joint Fleet's reports.
• Zhang Tianyuan described the Mutual Aid Society's controversy over their past actions and presented records of the oil and water riots, including the devastation of Australia.
• Connor, Ski, and Meng Anping were asked to take responsibility for reconstructing contaminated regions, and Meng Anping enthusiastically supported the proposal.
• Connor agreed to the reconstruction arrangement, and Ski reluctantly agreed after considering the consequences of refusing.
• Zhang Tianyuan told Connor, Ski, and Meng Anping that experts believed their spacetime's oil and gas might lie deeper underground, then raised the possibility of No. 3 Spacetime's underground-city technology.

Zhang Tianyuan offered Rampage Spacetime access to Wandering Spacetime’s deep-surveying and mining technology through the planned Ninth Branch, while Connor and Ski remained outside the Mutual Aid Society until they proved their commitment. As they began reckoning with their countries’ past use of nuclear weapons, a damage-assessment convoy entered Oceania in Rampage Spacetime and encountered a sandstorm.

• Zhang Tianyuan gave Meng Anping and the others technical documents for deep surveying and mining, and said the soon-to-be-established Ninth Branch would decide how to use them.
• Zhang Tianyuan refused to admit Connor and Ski immediately, telling them they needed to demonstrate their determination, though they could cooperate with Branch No. 9 as nonmembers.
• Connor arrested people responsible for starting mushroom plantations, and Ski took similar action; other countries followed, launching a worldwide wave of opposition to war and nuclear weapons.
• Connor, Ski, and other countries prepared to assess pollution and assign responsibility in Oceania, bringing experts and original records before traveling with Zhang Tianyuan through Interstellar Spacetime.
• Wang Lei escorted the damage-assessment convoy through the Spacetime Tunnel into Oceania, where a sandstorm struck the lead vehicle as it emerged.

Zhang Tianyuan's convoy entered Rampage Spacetime during a sandstorm and detected Immortan Joe's pursuing war party, while keeping out of its way. Immortan Joe found a drone wing from outside the wasteland and continued chasing Furiosa, but the discovery left him fearful and longing for the world before the wasteland.

• Wang Lei detected a convoy moving through the sandstorm, and Zhang Tianyuan ordered his convoy to stay silent and continue its plan.
• Immortan Joe pursued Furiosa through the sandstorm, enraged that she had escaped with the women he hoped would bear healthy children.
• A lightning flash revealed Zhang Tianyuan's vehicles to Immortan Joe, but he dismissed them as a hallucination and kept driving.
• Immortan Joe's attacker fell from the war rig and was run over by the pursuing vehicles as the others shouted, "Witness me!"
• A white drone wing flew into Immortan Joe's war rig, and he recognized its unfamiliar material as proof that it came from outside the wasteland.
• Immortan Joe resumed the pursuit more slowly, repeatedly glancing at the drone wing with fear, nostalgia, and longing.

Zhang Tianyuan’s convoy crossed the desert, found the wreckage of a Vulture Tribe convoy, and was confronted by another Vulture Tribe group. After the Mutual Aid Society subdued them, Zhang ordered the representatives to help turn them into good people.

• Zhang Tianyuan refused to pursue the convoy lost in the sandstorm and continued across the desert with Wang Lei.
• The Mutual Aid Society’s scouts found the wreckage of a Vulture Tribe convoy and bodies, leading Zhang to suspect the first convoy had belonged to Immortan Joe.
• A Vulture Tribe convoy surrounded Zhang Tianyuan’s vehicles and threatened the occupants, but armed drones blasted the road and forced the attackers to surrender.
• The soldiers restrained the Vulture Tribe members, and Barry Allen claimed his little brother Bruce was strong enough to pierce the armor; Bruce repeatedly failed to damage it.
• Zhang Tianyuan agreed with the delegation’s doubts about helping the Vulture Tribe and told the representatives to turn the captured people into good people.