2: The First Soldier and Homespace

Inside the Moon Base Command Center, Sun Zheng stared unblinkingly at the control screen. Thanks to the joint efforts of the Ore Refinery and that industrious little Chrono Miner, the funding figures were steadily ticking upward: [Funds: $1150].

The speed was much slower than in the game. After all, the 'ore' on the moon wasn't ready-made gold nuggets; useful elements had to be refined bit by bit from the lunar soil, so efficiency naturally couldn't be high. But as he watched those numbers climb bit by bit, Sun Zheng actually felt a bit more at ease—every single dollar was capital for his survival.

The ten-minute wait wasn't too agonizing. As soon as the funds broke the $1200 mark, Sun Zheng's gaze locked onto the next target in the construction list—that familiar tent icon.

[Allied Barracks] - Cost: $1000

[Function: Trains basic infantry. Even the mightiest empire must start with soldiers.]

Construction Requirement: Power Plant

"Confirm construction!" Sun Zheng made the decision without a second thought.

The familiar laser beam shot out from the Command Center once again, beginning to assemble the framework of the barracks next to the Power Plant and the refinery. This time, Sun Zheng's mindset was completely different. With electricity and a stable income, building this third structure was no longer a struggle in despair, but a tangible expansion.

Taking advantage of the construction gap, he studied the control interface thoroughly. Besides the building and unit menus, he discovered a "Tech Tree" panel; unfortunately, most of the area was grayed out, with only the most basic lines lit up. Another "Map" panel only showed a small circle around the base, with everything beyond that being a void of black.

"I need to build an Air Command Post to reveal the map," Sun Zheng remembered the game's mechanics and knew what to do.

Just as the barracks was halfway finished, something unexpected happened.

An icon in the corner of the console suddenly flashed several times, as if there was a bad signal, before finally stabilizing. The icon looked like a distorted vortex, completely out of place with the usual rugged tech style of Red Alert.

Sun Zheng instinctively touched it with his consciousness.

[Detected that the adapter's mental state is stable; activation standards met.]

[Subsidiary module 'homeworld space' activated.]

[Description: An independent sub-space anchor point outside the current universe. The Commander can travel to and from it freely by thought. Current Level: 1, Area: 100 cubic meters. Limited to non-living entities only.]

[Warning: Opening the passage consumes a small amount of mental energy; please act according to your capability.]

"homeworld space?" Sun Zheng was stunned. This wasn't an original Red Alert feature! Had the system mutated, or... Intense curiosity made him decide to try it. He concentrated and thought silently: "Enter."

There was no world-shaking commotion, just a momentary blur before his eyes, like passing through a film of water. When he looked again, he was no longer in that cold Command Center, but standing in a gray, boundless, and strange space.

The ground beneath his feet felt solid, yet he couldn't tell what material it was. The surroundings were empty, with only an area of about a hundred cubic meters enveloped in a soft glow; beyond the glow was a bottomless darkness. The entire space was so quiet he could hear his own heartbeat.

"Good heavens..." Sun Zheng looked around in shock. He tried jumping, and the sensation and gravity were similar to Earth. Thinking "return" in his mind, the scene before him rippled like water, and he was sitting back in the command chair. The barracks progress bar on the screen had only moved two-thirds of the way.

It wasn't a dream!

A surge of wild joy welled up in his heart. The value of this "homeworld space" might be even greater than the Red Alert system! It wasn't just a portable warehouse; it was more likely... the key to going home?

He immediately tested it, locking onto an electronic pen on the console with his mind and entering the space again. Sure enough, the pen was floating quietly in the center of the space. He then tried bringing out the simulated Earth air from the space, and he succeeded!

"Two-way transit! I really can bring things!" Sun Zheng's heart raced. What did this mean? It meant he might be able to get supplies from Earth to accelerate the base construction. Even... one day, he might really be able to go back?

However, he quickly calmed down. The most important thing right now was to stabilize the Moon Base. Without strength, everything was for naught. This space would become his most important trump card and backup.

At that moment, a prompt popped up on the screen:

[Construction Complete: Allied Barracks.]

Sun Zheng's spirits lifted. He temporarily suppressed his exploration of the space and looked intently at the barracks' production list.

Ranked first was that classic avatar wearing a beret and carrying an M60.

[American Soldier] - Cost: $200

[Equipment: M60 machine gun; range and firepower increase after deployment.]

Slogan: For King and Country!

"Two hundred each... quite a bargain." Sun Zheng looked at his funds, which had returned to 200, and smiled. "Then let's do it, my first soldier!"

He clicked the production button.

The sound of machinery operating came from the barracks. A few minutes later, the airtight door opened, and a soldier wearing standard Allied combat gear, holding a machine gun and wearing a steel helmet, marched out with standard steps and stood at attention in the open space. Although the movements were a bit stiff, his gaze was firm, and one could feel that programmed loyalty even through the visor.

[Unit ready. Awaiting orders.]

Sun Zheng issued his first command through the Command Center's speaker: "Soldier, report status."

The American Soldier immediately looked up, saluted toward the Command Center, and his voice came back clearly over the radio: "Reporting, Commander! Soldier number A001, in good condition, ready for combat at any time!"

His voice was loud and meticulous.

Even though he knew this was likely a preset program, hearing another "human" voice besides the system prompts in this dead silence of the moon still sent a warm current through Sun Zheng's heart, giving him a strange sense of confidence.

He was no longer a Commander with no troops.

He switched through the cameras outside the Command Center, carefully observing the soldier. The equipment, the demeanor, and even the details of the machine gun were exactly like the game units in his memory. It was a 100% restoration!

"Very good, A001. Your mission is to patrol the base perimeter and maintain vigilance."

"Yes, Commander!"

Watching the American Soldier begin to patrol around the base with his gun, Sun Zheng leaned back in his chair. He had power, he had stable income, and now he even had his first soldier. This base was finally starting to take shape.

He pulled up the construction list, his gaze falling on the next key building—the War Factory. The icon was still gray, showing it required a barracks and more power.

"Power is almost at capacity again; I need to build another Power Plant. Then the War Factory!" Sun Zheng calculated, "But before mass-producing tanks, I have to solve the visibility issue first. The next building should be the Air Command Post..."

His thoughts gradually drifted. With this homeworld space, maybe he could try... bringing back some lunar 'local specialties'?

Once this thought popped up, it could no longer be suppressed.

He glanced at the soldier on patrol on the screen, then looked at the blue planet hanging in the black sky.

"The first step has finally been taken. Next, it's time to let the snowball roll."

He took a deep breath, a sharp light flashing in his eyes. The Moon Base was his foundation, and this unexpectedly appearing homeworld space might just be the fulcrum for him to connect to the past and move the future.