Chapter 23: We Wanted to Go Up, So We Did

China has officially announced the specific launch time for its moon-landing rocket.

By the next morning, this news had topped the headlines of media outlets worldwide. It even managed to overshadow the reports of the nuclear tests the United States had announced in the Pacific just the day before.

Meanwhile, rumors began circulating throughout the American media, claiming that "the Chinese rocket is built on technology stolen from the U.S. Apollo program." This narrative showed signs of gaining momentum. A Fox News contributor even openly asserted that the Chinese had sent spies to steal American technical data. In response, CIA Director Clyde posted evidence on social media regarding a security breach at the NASA database.

This sparked a digital clash between Chinese and American netizens on X (formerly Twitter).

"I knew China couldn't possibly have this kind of technology; it turns out it was stolen," a South Korean netizen remarked sarcastically.

"Haha, why don't you try stealing it yourself and see if you South Koreans can actually build one," a Chinese netizen retorted without hesitation.

"This rocket will definitely fail; it's bound to explode in mid-air," an Indian netizen chimed in with biting bitterness.

"Better than your planes crashing every other day. Oh, and your submarines that actually sink," came the sharp reply.

"We shall see the most expensive fireworks in history on the 31st!" an American netizen joked.

"Thanks for the invite, but the Soviet N1 remains the ultimate firework; we aren't taking the blame for that one." To deflect the jab, they had no choice but to throw the Russians under the bus.

In short, many on the international web were skeptical. Some of the more extreme voices even began hurling curses. Seeing this content made the blood pressure of domestic netizens skyrocket. Yet, the more this happened, the more they anticipated the event. They were waiting for this rocket to succeed—waiting for it to slap those cynical critics in the face.

As time slowly ticked by, the domestic public grew increasingly anxious. Fang Jing, sequestered within the base, felt the tension as well. He never imagined the authorities would play such a high-stakes game. Having been isolated in the base for over half a month, it felt as though the world outside had turned upside down. Fortunately, these developments were all within his expectations. China was destined to march steadily toward the stars amidst these changes. After all, their journey was meant for the sea of stars! The technology from the *Wandering Earth* universe alone was enough for the China of this reality to officially step into deep space.

Fang Jing looked at the sky in the live broadcast and the massive launch tower. This was only the beginning of a grand transformation. Everyone should hold their shock—there was plenty more to come. A mere moon landing was just a warm-up. When he eventually unveiled the space elevator, how would they respond to that?

***

July 30th, evening. Outside the Aerospace Command Center in the South Sea.

Zhu Jincheng finished his phone call with Fang Jing, offered a few words of encouragement, and stepped out of his car. Before him stood a dense crowd of reporters, frantically clicking their shutters and thrusting microphones toward him.

"Director Zhu, when was our lunar landing program initiated?"
"Are you confident about this launch?"
"Director Zhu, what is the name of our moon-landing rocket?"

Facing the barrage of questions, Zhu simply pressed his hands downward, and the surrounding reporters immediately fell silent.

"Everyone, please enter the conference hall." He did not wish to answer questions here; it would be a waste of time.

Leading the press into the main hall of the command center, Zhu stood on the dais. He checked the microphone to ensure it was working, then swept his gaze across the room. His natural, commanding presence compelled every reporter to listen. At this moment, the moon-landing live stream cut to this scene.

After a few seconds of silence, Zhu Jincheng smiled and spoke in a clear, resonant voice:

"Ladies and gentlemen, in five hours, we will conduct the launch experiment for our manned lunar spacecraft. After deliberation by the Space Administration, we have decided to name this rocket 'Storm-9,' and the lunar mission itself will be known as the 'Lanyue' (Embrace the Moon) Project!"

Having addressed the rocket and the mission, Zhu’s expression turned serious. He looked at the reporters and then toward the bright moon visible through the window. With a slightly gravelly voice, he asked everyone present, "Why have we chosen to go to the moon now? Do you all feel it is abrupt, or perhaps unprepared?"

The reporters below exchanged glances. This was the question on everyone’s mind—not just theirs, but the entire world's. Why? Suddenly, China announced it would launch a lunar rocket in a month, aiming to complete a manned landing within the year if successful. It was simply too fast. Compared to the usual one or two years of preparation for space missions, this was undoubtedly extraordinary.

Seeing their confusion, Zhu offered a faint, confident smile. He tilted his head back, cleared his throat, and declared in a stirring, passionate tone:

"We choose to go to the moon now, not because it is difficult, but because it is no longer so difficult."

"We have sufficient talent and technical preparation; we have a stable, progressing plan."

"This is not a move under Cold War thinking, nor are we risking this just to fight for political discourse against a rival camp."

"We choose to go to the moon simply because—"

"We believe that we can, and we should, go to the moon!"

"We choose to go to the moon because we believe that technology is no longer an obstacle. We want to go, so we did it!"

The resounding voice echoed through the command hall for a long time. As he finished, the hall erupted in thunderous applause from the reporters. Zhu’s words were incredibly uplifting and pride-inducing. We choose to go to the moon not to fight for a voice against an enemy, but because our technology is no longer a hurdle; we want to go, so we did it. What a confident, proud reason.

As the press conference reached a fever pitch, the atmosphere in the live stream chat exploded as well.

"We want to go, so we did it! So domineering, Director Zhu is incredibly cool!"
"Damn, I'm so excited. This is a mobilization speech! Amazing!"
"We can and should go to the moon!"
"Wow, wow, wow!!!"
"Five hours to go! One shot, one success! Go, go, go!"

"Director Zhu’s speech is truly stirring; my blood is boiling!"

Back at the base, Fang Jing felt a shiver down his spine. He believed this video would become a family heirloom. Such a classic speech was destined to go down in history. That line—*we want to go, so we did it*—was filled with immense confidence and determination.

"Damn, we're going to the moon!" Fang Jing was filled with anticipation. It wasn't just the act of landing; he knew that after the landing, China would likely begin building a lunar base without pause.

Once the lunar base was established... he would finally understand the meaning of the words that had suddenly appeared in his mind that day: *"Come, come to the moon, land on the moon, and build a lunar base."*

"A lunar base... heh. The sea of stars has never been so close to us."

In the blink of an eye, five hours passed. The lunar rocket was ready for launch!