154: The message was sent back

Time flies like a white horse passing a crevice; in this era of technological explosion, five years passed in the blink of an eye.

The year 2111 in the Earth Calendar was another day destined to be remembered by future generations.

On this day, the [Archimedes] deep space radio telescope array, located on the far side of the Moon, received a high-density data stream from 5.4 light-years away.

This signal traversed the cold void, crossed the long distance, and finally arrived in the embrace of the home planet.

What it carried was not boring astronomical data, but the complete video footage, administrative reports, and that weighty "Kari Star System Subordination and Peace Agreement" regarding the First Interstellar Fleet's campaigns and construction in the D-21 Galaxy System (kari).

After 48 hours of decryption and review by the Interstellar Affairs General Bureau, this earth-shattering good news was finally announced to all of humanity.

At that moment, the entire Solar System boiled over.

It was not just the hundreds of supercities on Earth shrouded in the celebratory glow of holographic projections; in Guanghan City on the Moon, 380,000 kilometers away, in the industrial zones of Mars, hundreds of millions of kilometers away, and even on mining ships cruising the asteroid belt, all humans—regardless of whether they were born on the Cradle-like Earth or on the Moon and Mars—stopped their work at this moment.

Everyone was talking to those around them about this great feat of Human Civilization.

At this moment, national pride, or more accurately, "civilizational pride," surged in the chest of every human.

Humanity was no longer a prisoner trapped at the bottom of a stellar gravity well, looking up at the starry sky, but a conqueror of the starry sky, a hunter capable of crossing light-years.

New York, Earth Council headquarters building.

This building, which had witnessed countless internal human disputes and compromises, was decorated solemnly today, with huge anti-gravity floating platforms hovering around it and countless media drones circling like a swarm of bees.

Under the gaze of tens of billions of eyes across the entire Solar System, the then-rotating chairman of the Earth Council and Chairman of the Human Federation, Zhang Wenxing, slowly walked onto the central podium.

Although this politician, now over sixty, had silver hair, he was full of vigor; thanks to the popularization of the "fountain of youth," his eyes remained as sharp as an eagle's.

He wore a dark black Zhongshan suit-style formal dress, with the azure badge of the Earth Council pinned to his chest.

He stood before the microphone, his gaze sweeping over the dense crowd below and across the camera lenses, as if watching the entire Human Civilization.

"Fellow countrymen, citizens."

Zhang Wenxing's voice would be transmitted to every corner of the Solar System within an hour via the satellite network spread throughout space.

"Today, I stand here, with an incomparably excited and reverent heart, to announce a great piece of news to you all."

The giant holographic screen behind him suddenly lit up, and the image showed a massive fleet hovering above a beautiful purple planet; at the head was the pacific, the pride and glory of the Human Federation.

"Our First Interstellar Fleet, under the command of Commander-in-Chief Li Zhenhua, has experienced a long voyage, successfully arrived at the D-21 Galaxy System, and completed its established strategic goals!"

Cheers erupted like a tsunami, almost overturning the floating orbits above New York.

Zhang Wenxing raised his hands, pressing down slightly to signal everyone to be quiet.

"We have confirmed that 5.4 light-years away, there indeed exists an intelligent civilization—the Kari Civilization. They possess their own language, culture, and history, and now, I am very honored to tell you all that the Kari Civilization has officially signed the agreement; they will become a part of the Human Federation, and the D-21 Galaxy System is renamed the New Sun System from this day forward, officially incorporated into the administrative territory of the Human Federation!"

"This is not just a military victory, but a great leap of the human spirit!"

Zhang Wenxing's emotions became impassioned, and he began to quote classics, his voice echoing over the square.

"More than five hundred years ago, Columbus set sail, and his desire for the unknown led him to discover a new continent, allowing humanity's vision to no longer be confined to the old world."

"More than one hundred years ago, Armstrong left that famous footprint on the Moon, and he said it was a giant leap for mankind; today, we have crossed light-years and imprinted human footprints on the soil of another star system!"

"From the upright apes that walked out of the Great Rift Valley in Africa, to the ancestors of civilization who established city-states; from the explorers of the Age of Discovery to the pioneers of the Industrial Revolution; from the space race under the shadow of the Cold War to the interstellar expedition of the Human Federation today..."

"Our history is an epic of constant exploration, constant expansion, and constant challenging of the unknown! Our blood flows with restless factors, and our journey will always be that unknown sea of stars!"

"Someone once asked me, why must we spend such a huge price to conquer the distant starry sky? Is Earth not beautiful enough? Is the Solar System not vast enough?"

Zhang Wenxing's eyes were like torches as he pointed to the starry sky above, still faintly visible in the daylight.

"Because the mountains are there, the sea is there, and the stars are there!"

"Because a civilization trapped in its home star system is destined to be fragile, destined to face the predicament of development and then head toward extinction; only by going out, only by sowing our seeds in every corner of the universe, can Human Civilization attain eternity!"

"Today, we have conquered the New Sun System; tomorrow, we will cast our gaze toward Proxima Centauri, toward Sirius, and toward the center of the Milky Way!"

"May the glory of humanity last forever!"

"May the glory of humanity last forever!!!"

The cheers below reached the heavens, and countless people were moved to tears. In this instant, all sacrifices, all waiting, and all efforts became filled with meaning.

After Chairman Zhang Wenxing's infectious speech ended, the atmosphere at the scene had reached its peak.

Immediately after, a younger, more upright figure walked onto the podium.

That was Lei Wen.

As the director of the Interstellar Affairs General Bureau and the mastermind behind Paradox Technology, his image in the public eye had always carried a hint of mystery and legend.

He wore a well-tailored dark blue Interstellar Affairs General Bureau uniform, with a gold star representing the highest authority shining on his epaulets.

Although he still looked excessively young, as if time had stopped for him, everyone present knew that this young man held terrifying power capable of destroying or rebuilding a planet from scratch.

Lei Wen stood before the podium, without too much small talk or preamble; his style was always pragmatic and direct.

"I am Lei Wen."

A simple opening, yet it made the whole venue instantly quiet; everyone held their breath, waiting for the speech from this "power-wielding" figure.

"Just now, Chairman Zhang took us through history and looked toward ideals, but now I want to talk to you all about reality, about the future, and... about opportunities."

Lei Wen waved his hand, and the image on the holographic screen behind him changed.

It was no longer a grand fleet review, but sets of detailed data charts and high-definition field aerial footage.

The screen displayed the strange and beautiful purple vegetation on the surface of Kali Star, the vast plains, the rich mineral veins, and the steel city of the Spark Special Zone, which was already taking shape.

"This is the detailed exploration report surveyed by the First Interstellar Fleet five years ago," Lei Wen said, pointing to the screen.

"Kali Star's diameter is 85% of Earth's, and the gravity is not much different from Earth's; after comprehensive testing, we believe it is relatively suitable for human habitation."

"Although the atmospheric oxygen content there is low, Paradox Technology has already developed mature personal life-support equipment and regional atmospheric modification technology; the engineering ships that set out with the First Interstellar Fleet are currently fine-tuning the environment of the Spark Special Zone, and it is expected that within twenty years, it will become as habitable as Earth."

"More importantly, resources."

The screen switched to a microscopic perspective, displaying several types of ore crystals and strange plants never seen on Earth.

"We have discovered a large amount of heavy metal isotopes that are scarce on Earth, discovered unique plants that can be used to manufacture new types of bio-alloys, and discovered countless primitive biological samples that could rewrite the genetic map of Earth's organisms."

"This is an undeveloped virgin land, a treasure trove containing infinite wealth."

Lei Wen paused, his gaze sharp and profound.

"The First Interstellar Fleet has completed their mission; they used their sharp swords to open the door for us, cleared the obstacles, and established order."

"But to truly occupy and develop a planet, soldiers alone are not enough; we need engineers, doctors, teachers, architects, merchants... we need thousands upon thousands of courageous and ambitious people to fill the void there."

"Therefore, today I stand here, representing the Interstellar Affairs General Bureau to officially announce—"

"The Human Federation's Kali Star colonization plan starts immediately!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the whole venue was in an uproar, and everyone's breathing quickened. The live broadcast's barrage comments instantly covered the screen, and global social networks nearly paralyzed.

Colonizing an alien planet! This was no longer a plot in science fiction, but a reality within reach!

"We will publicly recruit the first batch of colonists who volunteer to go to the New Sun System for development and construction from the whole society," Lei Wen's voice was full of allure.

"The quota is 500,000 people."

"These 500,000 people will be the first batch of true interstellar immigrants in human history, and you will travel there on five super-large colonization ships newly built by Paradox Technology."

"I know what you are worried about," Lei Wen looked at the restless crowd below. "The journey is long? Yes, even using the latest engines, the voyage will still take decades, but please rest assured, we are equipped with the most advanced deep hibernation pods; you will spend this journey in your sleep and will still be young when you wake up."

"There will certainly be dangers on an alien planet, but we have already established a stable Spark Special Zone there, and we have an even more powerful fleet in the universe to protect your safety."

"What I want to tell you is that risk and reward are always directly proportional."

Lei Wen spread his arms, as if showing everyone a brand new world.

"Anyone selected for the first colonization group will automatically obtain high-level citizenship on Kali Star."

"You will obtain permanent land ownership there; everyone can obtain at least 100 mu of fertile land."

"You will receive a full set of production tools and startup funds provided by the Federation, and your enterprises will enjoy a fifty-year tax exemption policy there."

"You will have the opportunity to participate in formulating the laws of that planet, becoming the founders of a new world, and your names will be engraved on the very top of the landing monument, to be revered by billions of people in future generations."

"This is an opportunity that the current Earth cannot give you."

Lei Wen's words were like sharp knives, precisely piercing into the hearts of countless ordinary people who longed to change their fate.

On Earth, resources had been divided up, and the channels for advancement were becoming increasingly narrow, but 5.4 light-years away was a huge blank sheet of paper, waiting for them to write upon.

"Of course, we do not need cowards, nor do we need speculators," Lei Wen's tone became serious. "What we need are elites from all walks of life, pioneers with strong physiques and tenacious wills."

"The selection will be extremely strict; only the best people can get this ticket."

"But, as long as you pass the selection..."

Lei Wen's mouth hooked into a confident smile, and he pointed to the purple planet on the screen.

"That world will be yours."

"Go, conquer, build, and multiply."

"Let the fire of Human Civilization burn under the light of another star!"

As Lei Wen's speech ended, the venue erupted with even crazier applause and cheers than before.

Countless young people's eyes burned with flames, and countless frustrated middle-aged people clenched their fists.

And behind the podium, Lei Wen looked at the impassioned crowd and said softly to the air:

"It seems the first batch of 'seeds' is enough."

"Yes, Father," the voice of "white flower" rang in his earpiece. "The registration channel just opened a minute ago, and the server has already received over ten million applications; the system is expanding."

Lei Wen nodded and looked up at the sky.

It was daytime, and the stars could not be seen.

But the thoughts of countless people had already flown beyond the firmament.