“Just like Columbus brought the attention of entire Europe to the Americas, our fleet brought the attention of the world to the planet tens of millions of kilometers away.”

“With the advancement of our engines, I believe this number will double or even grew exponentially in the next century!”

“Now Mars is just a barren desert, full of radiation, sandstorms and all kinds of dangers, but apart from the distance itself, I don’t think it will be worse than the Moon.”

“Mars is full of rich iron ore mines. Every grain of sand smells like rust. The asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter will become our future mines for titanium, rare earth minerals and helium-3. ”

“Our fleet is growing, and our colonists are departing in batches, transforming Mars into the largest industrial area in the solar system for human civilization. We will use it as a springboard to fly out of the boundaries of the solar system and redefine the frontier of civilization.”

“Celestial Trade welcomes any company from around the world to participate in the development of Mars.”

“It is expected that around mid-year, the flight between Earth and Mars will be confirmed. At the latest, by the beginning of next year, the first flight to Mars will take off.”

“…”

The passionate speech resonated in the venue.

Inside the presidential suite at the Heart of the Sea, two men in suits sat by the window.

There was a bottle of expensive red wine on the table; beautiful and well-dressed assistants stood behind them. Judging from their temperament, their suits, and their watches, they looked like businessmen visiting Xin to learn about the investment environment.

From their point of view, everything happening in the venue was under their gaze.

“Charles, I heard that you sold the diamond mine in South Africa?” The man with the hooked-nose said as he sipped the red wine.

“Yes,” the man that appeared to be Jewish nodded and said crisply, “After the collapse of the Rothschild Bank, I repurchased my company’s debt at a low price. Now my decision is equal to our company’s decision. ”

“No, no, I mean… why are you doing this?” The man with the hooked-nose man asked curiously. “I remember you were quite optimistic about the reserves of that diamond mine last year. Why did you change your mind this year?”

“You haven’t realized?” The Jewish man raised his chin as he stared down at the venue. “I can sense from the ambition of Future Group that at least in the next century, the traditional resource industry has no future. Look at the share price of Vale, even Wall Street is reducing their holding.”

“So you want to move downstream?” the hooked-nose man smiled. “I remember you were gloating that a factory may go bankrupt, but a mine will forever keep its value.”

“You know,” the Jewish man shrugged, “That was last year.”

The same scene also happened in different places.

Although the market did not respond at this moment, people’s expectations for the mining industry completely faded.

In the next few days, the iron, aluminum, and other metals futures market plunged. Only titanium and rare earth mineral managed to remain at a relatively stable level. These two minerals were widely used in spacecraft and had demands only second to steel.

In contrast to the plunging prices of raw materials, new development opportunities emerged downstream. New factories had sprung up in Ange Island, New Malaysia Special District, and the newly built MLL Island Industrial Park. With the advantage of being close to the space elevators, they would be able to obtain cheap space minerals with lower shipping costs. Therefore, global capital flooded in.

All these changes happened subtly.

Jiang Chen, on the podium of the venue, was describing the future of human civilization to the people around the world with his voice, but he did not think that far yet.

He was playing the same role as Columbus.

He had to depict the “new world” as a paradise full of gold, where he had led Celestial Trade’s fleet to the first bucket of gold. The seed of civilization would naturally sail across the stars and turn the barren land into the paradise that only existed in people’s imagination.

In the applause, the passionate speech came to an end.

Jiang Chen nodded to thank the audience for their applause, then he handed the microphone back to the host and left the stage.

…

After the closing ceremony of the exhibition, rain started to drip down.

Next to the parking lot, Ayesha ran to Jiang Chen’s side, and caringly opened the umbrella for him.

Jiang Chen saw the rain had dripped on her shoulder as he immediately grabbed her shoulder and took her into his arm.

There were a few exclamations not far away. Several reporters immediately raised their cameras and pressed the shutter before Celestial Trade bodyguards dispersed them.

“There were reporters watching.” Jiang Chen’s move caught Ayesha by surprise, then she quietly whispered.

“Don’t worry,” Jiang Chen smiled. “There is nothing to hide.”

Even with no reporters watching, his romantic affairs were well known.

Although some men and female rights activists often criticized him for being unruly and not respecting women…

However, Jiang Chen did not agree.

He never used his position to force anyone to do anything for himself. Nor did he cover up his private life under a glamorous surface. In this regard alone, he thought he was more righteous compared to the other people in the same class.

If someone wished to make irresponsible remarks, he allowed them since he was never bothered by those comments. He never portrayed himself as a saint to participate in an election.

Feeling the warmth from his muscular chest, Ayesha’s cheeks turned red as she pressed her face against him, quietly enjoying the moment. However, her sight moved in the direction of the reporters and captured the annoying faces with the special contact lens of Ghost Agents.

Although Jiang Chen did not care, she considered it her duty to maintain his reputation and let those unscrupulous people shut up…

On the extended Luer, the magnetic levitation engine launched and the scenery outside the window gradually moved down.

He held onto Ayesha’s hand as he watched the beautiful blue building outside, his thoughts drifted away.

His watch vibrated.

“Your phone,” Ayesha said softly.

“Mhmm.”

He gently squeezed her hand before letting it go.

Jiang Chen opened the holographic screen of the watch and slid down.

When the phone was connected, Kelvin’s face appeared on the screen. As soon as he saw Jiang Chen, he reported.

“We found several stowaways.”

“Stowaways?” Jiang Chen was surprised by the comment, he laughingly responded, “This needs to be reported to me?”

“Mainly because… their identity and the location of the smuggling are a bit unique.”

“Oh?” Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow. “What’s unique about it?”

“They sneaked onto Mars.”