Chapter 181: The Real and Fake VV

“A ticket to the moon?”

It sounded like an outrageous idea at first. But as Lin Xian examined the ticket and saw the name “Elon” printed on it, he began to reconsider.

Elon Musk.

A globally recognized genius.

He was the mastermind behind several groundbreaking projects: founder of SpaceX, head of Tesla, initiator of Starlink, and a pioneer in the quest to colonize Mars.

Ten years ago, his plans seemed overly ambitious, even impossible. Yet a decade later, many of his bold predictions had become a reality. Not only had he advanced reusable rocket technology, but his company had also changed global perceptions of space travel.

Gone were the days when rockets were considered failures due to minor errors. Now, rockets were designed with numerous safety backups, allowing them to function even if multiple engines failed.

In 2021, Elon Musk made headlines by selling four tickets for a space trip, successfully sending four tourists 500 kilometers above Earth for a three-day excursion. This event cemented Elon Musk’s reputation. Until then, only three countries had achieved manned spaceflight. Now, a private enterprise had joined their ranks.

Following this success, Elon Musk started selling tickets for Mars colonization trips. Though mostly promotional, considering his track record, who could doubt his vision?

Often dubbed the Iron Man of Silicon Valley, he seemed capable of turning any vision into reality.

According to the article Zheng Xiang Yue showed him, Elon Musk had sold out a second batch of space travel tickets, with the next flight planned for the following year. Capitalizing on this success, he was now offering tickets for moon trips.

While manned moon missions were still complex, they were less challenging than Mars missions. Elon Musk believed moon trips could begin within a few years.

The price for a moon trip ticket was a staggering $12 million, over double the cost of a space trip ticket, equivalent to more than 84 million yuan. Currently, a $2 million deposit was required, with the remainder due a year before the launch. Two million dollars converted to about 14 million yuan.

Lin Xian noticed Zheng Xiang Yue’s eyes widen in excitement. Such an amount—her brother would never earn that even if he worked non-stop!

And that was just the deposit. The total was another 70 million yuan. Clearly, Zheng Xiang Yue had a limited understanding of finances, having never left the hospital.

“This seems like just a promotional gimmick,” Lin Xian handed the phone back to Zheng Xiang Yue.

“You might not know much about Elon Musk. He’s famous for his plans to colonize Mars. But right now, it’s still a long shot.”

“This moon travel scheme doesn’t even have a fixed launch date, suggesting it’s not quite ready. It might be all talk.”

“Instead of banking on this uncertain plan, you should focus on your treatment, wait for a heart transplant, or the success of the hibernation research. Then we could become astronauts and visit the moon ourselves!”

Lin Xian was slightly taken aback by CC’s words. Today, CC seemed more open and even a bit endearing. He thought this change was due to their interactions since entering the dream.

Initially, unfamiliarity led to inevitable arguments or conflicts. But now, Lin Xian knew this part of the story well. He understood everything CC was willing to share and didn’t worry about what she kept to herself. This led to CC’s growing fondness for him.

From CC’s perspective, Lin Xian was knowledgeable, reasonable, and incredibly capable. He selflessly helped her, providing valuable information and safely bringing her to the safe. Without expecting anything in return or competing for the combination to the safe.

Naturally, CC’s attitude towards Lin Xian improved significantly, even leading to trust.

“You probably can’t help,” Lin Xian remarked. “It’s a matter concerning another world and another time.”

“Tell me.”

Lin Xian paused, then, as if speaking to himself, casually said: “There’s a group of people who killed my friends. I don’t know their motives, but now it seems they’re targeting me, wanting to kill me too.”

“Are you going to run away?” CC inquired.

“Running isn’t an option... Where would I go?” Lin Xian found an aluminum alloy safe to sit on and continued: “Besides, it’s not easy to kill me. They need evidence, and... I don’t want to run. Those people were close to me, and they died in front of me. I can’t just leave; I want revenge. But so far, I haven’t found any evidence of their crimes, so I can’t bring them to justice. Instead, they’ve infiltrated the police, gained control, and even invited me to join the investigation team.”

“Did you join?” CC stopped turning the dial and looked at Lin Xian.

“Not yet.” Lin Xian shook his head. “I’m still hesitating. Joining the team would give me a chance to get close to the killers and gather evidence. But it also gives them a chance to get close to me. In the police station, their territory... it’s dangerous for me. I might be caught before I find any evidence and be killed.”

“Are you scared?” CC stood up.

“Scared? No.” Lin Xian smiled. “I’m not scared. I’m just worried that without the perfect plan, I might not only fail to avenge my friends but also lose myself.”

After that, neither CC nor Lin Xian spoke. After a few seconds, CC crouched down again, turning the dial, trying to open the lock but failing.

“This problem of yours, I might not have any advice or answers,” CC said amid the clicking sounds. “Only you know how dangerous your situation is. As an outsider, my words might not help. But... I can tell you a story.”

“Who?” Lin Xian looked up.

CC, seeming resolute, pursed her lips and met Lin Xian’s gaze.

“VV.”

This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslationNe/w novel chapters are published on no/vel(/bin(.)co/m