158: Chapter 158 UN Protest? Protest Invalid

New York, United Nations Headquarters.

This blue building, usually filled with well-dressed people and diplomatic jargon, was in an uproar.

In the hall of the emergency special session, the clamor almost blew the roof off.

The five permanent members and representatives from over a hundred member states were all in attendance.

Everyone's face wore the same expression: anger, shock, and undisguised... jealousy.

"This is banditry! This is an infringement on the common property of all mankind!"

Representative Smith, representing the Eagle, stood at the podium, his tie crooked, waving the thick "Outer Space Treaty" in his hand, roaring like a mad dog that had its tail stepped on:

"According to the convention signed in 1967! The Moon does not belong to any country! It does not belong to any sovereign entity!"

"That Dragon Country person named Jiang Chen actually dares to draw circles on the Moon? And wants to collect toll fees?"

"Who does he think he is? The Mayor of the Moon?!"

Below, his lackeys like John Bull and the Gallic Rooster echoed him, spittle flying everywhere.

"That's right! Sanctions must be imposed! He must be made to get off the Moon!"

"This is a trampling of international law! Dragon Country must provide an explanation!"

Facing this overwhelming barrage of accusations.

Sitting in the Dragon Country seat, China Representative maintained that calm of "watching a monkey show."

He sipped his tea unhurriedly, not even sparing Representative Smith a glance.

"Quiet!"

The rotating chairman hammered the gavel, finally making the venue calm down a little.

"Since the person involved is not on-site, we will connect to him."

The chairman looked at the big screen, "Please connect... to the Moon Base."

"Static—" The big screen flickered twice.

The video connected.

There was no solemn conference room, nor a stiff negotiation table.

The background was a huge floor-to-ceiling window, and outside the window was the azure, breathtakingly beautiful Earth.

Jiang Chen was sitting on a lazy sofa in front of the window.

In his hand, he held a steaming cup of instant noodles; beside him lay Xier, who was gnawing on a special alloy, and at his feet curled a Pikachu that was charging.

This vibe was lazy, domestic, and full of—disrespect for the United Nations General Assembly.

"Slurp—" Jiang Chen took a bite of noodles, looked up at the group of elites in suits and leather shoes on the other side of the screen, his face full of surprise:

"Yo? Everyone's here."

"What? Not sleeping in the middle of the night, are you having a party?"

Seeing this face, Representative Smith's blood pressure instantly skyrocketed to 280.

He pointed at the screen, his fingers trembling: "Jiang Chen! Stop playing dumb!"

"I represent the United Nations and formally notify you! Your actions have seriously violated Article II of the 'Outer Space Treaty'!"

"The Moon belongs to all mankind! You have no right to occupy it! Immediately remove your so-called 'private territory,' otherwise we will take all necessary measures!"

"Treaty?" Jiang Chen put down the noodle cup and pulled out a tissue to wipe his mouth.

He laughed.

He laughed lightly and breezily, yet it revealed an arrogance that made people's spines chill.

"Representative Smith, do you have some misunderstanding about the law?"

Jiang Chen extended a finger, and across 380,000 kilometers, gently shook it:

"First, the 'Outer Space Treaty' binds countries, sovereign entities."

"May I ask, am I a country?"

"I am just a legal, tax-paying, slightly wealthy... good citizen of Dragon Country."

"What is not prohibited by law is permitted. Which law stipulates that an individual cannot go to the Moon to build a house?"

Representative Smith was choked up.

This was clearly exploiting a legal loophole!

The treaty from back then indeed didn't regulate individuals, because who could have imagined at that time that decades later, a freak would be able to physically land on the Moon!

"This is sophistry!" Representative Smith argued unreasonably, "Even if you are an individual, you must obey international jurisdiction! You have no development rights!"

"Development rights?" Jiang Chen stood up, walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, and stood with his back to the Earth, his figure appearing exceptionally tall in the backlight.

"Representative Smith, let's talk some adult logic."

"So-called rights are built on the basis of capability."

"You are there making noise, waving a few pieces of waste paper from decades ago, saying the Moon is yours."

"But..." Jiang Chen pointed at the Moon Base under his feet, and then pointed at the alien engineering team busy in the distance:

"Can you come up here?"

"Can you build houses here? Can you breathe here? Can you eat instant noodles here?"

"You wet your pants just trying to send an astronaut up here; what qualifications do you have to talk to me about development?"

That sentence was too piercing.

It was practically rubbing the faces of the five permanent members into the dirt.

"You... you are hegemonism!" Representative Smith was furious.

"No, no, no, this is called supremacy of strength."

Jiang Chen snapped his fingers.

"Hum—" The image on the screen suddenly zoomed out, switching to a wide-angle lens.

Everyone gasped.

They saw that outside the window behind Jiang Chen, in that pitch-black space.

A black line, so thin it was almost invisible, connected the Moon and Earth in a straight line. That was the Space Elevator, continuously transporting supplies.

And above the Moon Base.

That 500-meter-long luan niao starship was silently hovering there. Although the twelve particle secondary cannons were in standby mode, that ferocious sense of oppression could make people's legs weak even through the screen.

Not to mention the thousands of gray-skinned alien laborers working tirelessly on the ground.

Where was this just a base?

This was clearly the prototype of a rising interstellar empire!

"Do you see it?" Jiang Chen pointed at everything behind him, his voice flat, yet like a great bell:

"I have a Space Elevator, I have a starship, I have workers."

"I can survive here, I can build here, I can turn this wasteland into a paradise."

"So..." He turned around, looking directly at the dumbfounded representatives of various countries on the screen, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth:

"I have strength."

"Therefore, I have reason."

"If you are not convinced, you are welcome to come up and reason with me."

"Of course, the prerequisite is that you must be able to afford my Space Elevator ticket, or... be able to withstand my particle cannons."

Silence.

Absolute silence.

In the huge United Nations conference hall, among the thousands of representatives, not a single person dared to speak.

Refute? How to refute?

They shoved a starship in your face; what are you going to use to refute it? Your mouth?

Representative Smith slumped in his chair, the treaty text in his hand sliding to the floor.

He looked at the young man on the screen, his eyes full of despair.

The rules had changed.

From this moment on, the set of rules on Earth was completely invalid in the face of the sea of stars.

"Alright, I still have to inspect the construction site."

Jiang Chen checked the time and issued an order to leave:

"Don't bother me if there's nothing important. If you want to come up for tourism, remember to pay first."

"Hanging up."

The screen went black.

Leaving behind a room full of world elites looking at each other, as if they had lost their parents.

Just then.

A sound of chair friction was exceptionally jarring in the silent hall.

In the Dragon Country representative seat that had been silent all along.

China Representative slowly stood up.

He smoothed his crisp Zhongshan suit and picked up the microphone on the table.

Everyone's eyes instantly focused on him.

Everyone was waiting.

Waiting for Dragon Country, this "parent," to come out and state its position, to manage this lawless "spoiled brat."

Representative Smith even saw a glimmer of hope ignite in his eyes.

As long as the Dragon Country officials relented, as long as Dragon Country admitted that Jiang Chen was breaking the law, then they would still have a chance to turn the tables!

"Mr. Zhou!"

Representative Smith seemed to have grabbed a life-saving straw, "The Dragon Country government must state its position! You cannot condone this kind of..."

"State our position?" China Representative smiled slightly, interrupting him.

That smile was composed, confident, and even carried a trace of... protective domineering arrogance.

He looked around the venue, his gaze sweeping over everyone who wanted to see Dragon Country make a fool of itself, and then, he slowly spoke:

"Everyone."

"Mr. Jiang Chen's words, although a bit blunt, a bit rude."

"However..."

China Representative paused, his voice suddenly rising, revealing an unquestionable majesty of a great power:

"What he said is exactly what I want to say."