159: Chapter 159 My Rules Are the Rules

With the video feed from the United Nations cut off, the Moon Base returned to silence.

Jiang Chen tossed his phone onto the table and slumped back into the leather executive chair that had been transported up from Earth.

He spun around, gazing at the gray-white Wasteland outside the window. Where had the aggressive, sword-drawn murderous aura from a moment ago gone?

In its place was a sort of calculating, mercenary, petty cunning.

"Old Zhao."

Jiang Chen tapped on the table, producing a crisp "clack-clack" sound: "Go, have someone set up a sign for me at the base entrance, right at the exit of the elevator shaft."

"The sign needs to be big, the characters bright—preferably neon, the kind that blinds you."

Zhao Gang, who was cleaning his gun, paused at these words: "Boss, what should it say? 'Welcome'?"

"Vulgar!"

Jiang Chen waved his hand dismissively, picked up a piece of A4 paper he had doodled on, and handed it over: "Just write this—'Far Side of the Moon Scenic Area Management Regulations (Provisional Edition)'."

Zhao Gang took the paper and looked closely.

There, written in bold, sweeping strokes, were several lines of large characters, each one exuding the bandit-like aura of "I opened this mountain, I planted these trees."

**Article 1: Ticket System.**

Anyone who enters the Far Side of the Moon (i.e., Jiang Chen's private territory) who is not an employee of Chenxing Technology must pay an "Environmental Maintenance Fee."

Price: 100 million USD per person, per entry. (Note: Double for Eagle Nation citizens; installment plans not accepted.)

**Article 2: Logistics Monopoly.**

Given the fragile lunar environment, any unauthorized rocket landing is prohibited. All personnel and supplies entering or leaving the Moon must use the "Chenxing Space Elevator."

Freight rate: 10,000 USD per kilogram. (Note: Fees apply even if you bring your own supplies.)

**Article 3: Resource Tax.**

Any mining or scientific research conducted on the Far Side of the Moon must pay a 50% tax in kind to the Lord (i.e., Jiang Chen himself).

If you dig up soil, it's yours. If you dig up Helium-3, it's mine.

The right of interpretation belongs to this Lord.

Zhao Gang's hand trembled, and the thin piece of A4 paper nearly fell to the floor.

He looked up at the calm Jiang Chen, his throat dry: "Boss… this… isn't this a bit too black-hearted?"

"100 million USD for a ticket? Freight more expensive than gold? And you're taking half as tax?"

"Are these management regulations? This is daylight robbery! Will those foreigners agree to this?"

"They won't agree?"

Jiang Chen scoffed, stood up, and walked to the massive floor-to-ceiling window.

He pointed to the Space Elevator cable stretching into the clouds, shimmering with a faint blue light, his tone revealing the absolute confidence of someone in total control: "Do they have a choice?"

"Old Zhao, you need to understand one principle."

"Right now, I'm the only one with a ladder."

"If they want to come up, they can either take my elevator and come up comfortably while drinking coffee, or they can build their own rockets."

Jiang Chen counted on his fingers: "How much does it cost to build a heavy-lift launch vehicle? Hundreds of millions of USD. What's the success rate? Depends on the weather. How much cargo can it carry at once? A few dozen tons at most."

"And my elevator?"

"Five hundred tons at a time, running 24/7, and the cost is just electricity."

"Anyone with a brain knows which to choose. This is called—"

Jiang Chen snapped his fingers, his eyes sharp: "Technical monopoly."

"This is why I spent a fortune to build this elevator. I'm not doing charity; I'm seizing the throat of Earth's access to space."

"As long as I hold this route, anyone who wants to mess around on the Moon in the future will have to answer to me."

Zhao Gang listened, stunned.

Although he felt the logic was a bit like a bandit's, when he thought about it carefully… it actually made perfect sense!

This was a dimensional reduction attack!

"But boss…" Zhao Gang was still a bit worried, "If you collect money like this, aren't you afraid the whole world will curse you as a vampire?"

"Curse me?"

Jiang Chen turned around and looked at Xi'er in the corner, who was gnawing on a discarded generator.

The little girl's mouth was covered in machine oil, but her face was full of happiness.

At her feet, a small mountain of metal debris was already piled up.

"Old Zhao, I have my hardships."

Jiang Chen sighed and pointed at the headache-inducing "gold-swallowing beast," his face full of compassion: "Look at this child. One meal consumes several tons of special alloy. This isn't raising a child; this is raising a money shredder!"

"And then there's the Wasteland…"

He thought of Jiang Wanqiu's breathtaking face and the interdimensional portal that still required another billion energy points to open, and he felt the pressure mounting.

"The wife over there needs a dowry, needs travel expenses, and I need to support an entire city of people."

"Can I afford not to be a bit ruthless?"

"How is this hegemony? This is clearly the plight of a head of the household who has to work his fingers to the bone to support his family!"

Jiang Chen spoke with tears in his eyes, feeling deeply moved by his own words.

He sat back down in his chair, picked up his phone, snapped a photo of the "Regulations," and posted it to his global social media account.

The caption was just a simple sentence: [Small business, no bargaining. If you're not happy, deal with it.]

Sent successfully.

Almost at the same time.

The global internet exploded once again.

Countless people cursed at their screens, and countless countries issued protest statements, accusing Jiang Chen of being an "interstellar pirate" and a "space bully."

But cursing was just cursing.

Everyone honestly realized—

On that Far Side of the Moon, in that area locked down by the main guns of warships, Jiang Chen's words were law.

His rules were the heavenly decree.

Because if you didn't follow them, you could only stare at the moon from Earth, unable to even touch a single hair of it.

"Boss, it's sent."

Zhao Gang looked at the 999+ comments on his phone and wiped away cold sweat. "Now the whole world is asking whether the Dragon Country authorities are going to do anything about this. After all, you're still a Dragon Country citizen."

"Indeed."

Jiang Chen leaned back in his chair, looking at the blue home planet outside the window, his eyes turning profound.

The reason he dared to be so wild, dared to be so unscrupulous in seizing land and collecting rent, was not just because the guns in his hands were powerful enough.

More importantly, he believed that the old men behind the Red Walls possessed enough wisdom and courage.

"Manage?"

Jiang Chen smiled, his fingers tapping lightly on the table: "They will certainly manage."

"However…"

"They won't be managing me."

"They'll be managing those—who want to move against me."

At this very moment.

Earth, Capital.

The press conference hall of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was brightly lit.

Facing the aggressive questions from hundreds of foreign reporters, and the sharp inquiries regarding "whether Jiang Chen has violated international law," the spokesperson straightened his tie and slowly looked up.

There was not a trace of panic on his face; instead, he wore the unique calmness and… protectiveness of a great power.

"Regarding the series of commercial activities conducted by Mr. Jiang Chen on the Moon…"

The spokesperson adjusted the microphone, his voice carrying across the entire world: "We have a few things we would like to say."