Liu A'dou asked the others what he should watch out for when going into space. Everyone told him, "Don't bite your tongue." Liu A'dou, dressed in a spacesuit, climbed into the rocket. This test launch was disguised as a commercial satellite mission.
"Can he really do it?" Liu Jianhao was still worried. He knew many astronauts, and all of them had gone through extremely rigorous selection processes before standing out. He'd never heard of anyone getting a ride to space because they won a bet.
Even though Liu A'dou's performance was shockingly good—his memory, stamina, and coordination were better than most astronauts after just two days of training—it was impossible not to worry.
"Don't worry, Liu A'dou will do just fine." The general looked at the screen, where the rocket stood ready. He couldn't help but think back to the first time he heard about Liu A'dou.
Over a year ago, an important figure from a U.S. intelligence agency had been discovered by the Liangshan Outlaw. That operative's unauthorized list had thrown foreign intelligence networks into chaos. When the agent fled to Gotham City, contact was lost. Everyone knew that Liangshan Outlaw had dispatched Leopard Head, Lin Long—the seemingly cute but cunning adversary.
At that time, top leaders had already decided to use the embassy's resources to evacuate all intelligence personnel. But this would've been a massive blow to China's reputation on the international stage. Espionage during peacetime was something every country did, but no one ever admitted it. Evacuating would leave China in a very awkward and passive position.
Soon, though, word came from someone embedded in Liangshan Outlaw: Leopard Head, Lin Long had lost the intelligence because she got distracted, and it was stolen by Kaitou Kid.
That was the first time the general had heard of the phantom thief. He read the reports and learned that Kaitou Kid was an eccentric thief who enjoyed stealing by performing magic. But if the stolen intel was in Kaitou Kid's hands, would it end up with the Americans? Maybe, maybe not. The general remembered those sleepless nights, worrying constantly. But there was no unusual activity around the intelligence officers, so he finally relaxed. He thought Kaitou Kid must be a criminal who had no dealings with the U.S. government, so the intel was temporarily safe.
He never expected that soon after, Kaitou Kid would reach out to their intelligence personnel himself, giving the general a shock. But his surprise quickly turned to curiosity, because the contact person was likely Kaitou Kid himself. After all, Kaitou Kid had pulled off the incredible feat of stealing a nuclear bomb right in Gotham City, something the entire U.S. government couldn't prevent—a feat that made the whole world laugh at America's helplessness.
At first, the general wanted to fly to America immediately. But rising tensions in the East China Sea had pushed China-U.S. relations to the brink, with many hotheads on both sides itching for a fight. The top leader called for restraint and decided to attend the New Year's world summit. The general went along and planned to meet Kaitou Kid face-to-face, firmly believing from the start that the person making contact was Kaitou Kid himself.
When they finally met, the general was stunned to see a young man. There's an old Chinese saying: "If there's no hair on your lips, you can't handle affairs." He'd thought Kaitou Kid would be at least in his thirties, not a kid who wasn't even twenty and younger than his own son.
During their meeting, Liu A'dou stayed perfectly calm, showing none of the awkwardness expected of someone his age. The general actually thought he was dealing with a seasoned old fox like himself.
As they talked, Kaitou Kid showed great patriotism. Even though he asked for money, he didn't hide anything and wasn't fazed by the general's probing, almost candidly revealing his identity. Sadly, the general admitted to himself that he hadn't fully believed Kid back then. He hadn't realized the young man had more technological knowledge than all the country's scientists combined.
But when the general asked Kid how he knew about the East China Sea incident, Kid's answer stunned him. Kid said that at the time, he was on an island in the East China Sea called Paradise Island, where a group of Amazon warriors now lived. The island's old name was Penglai Island. The general had heard of Penglai Island. As someone in intelligence, he'd come across many strange things, and he believed a lot of China's myths were based on real places. So when Kid suggested looking for a hidden realm on Kunlun Mountain, the general was immediately intrigued. That was when Kid gave him the white jade token.
Finding the hidden realm on Kunlun Mountain was thanks to Kid's white jade. Afterward, the general conducted a thorough investigation into Kid and discovered he was not only married but had even made a movie. Who knew what this thief was thinking? When he was stealing, he'd return what he took; when he was being patriotic, he insisted on money; and in his free time, he filmed movies. When the top leader heard about him, he just said two words: "Extraordinary person." The general wholeheartedly agreed but added three more: "A bored extraordinary person."
Then the alien invasion happened in New York, which made the general rethink what Kid had said earlier. Maybe Kid really did have some kind of advanced technology. After all, he had confidently predicted that aliens would show up sooner or later—and six months later, they did. The general and the top leaders talked through the night, and the top leader decided to try luring Liu A'dou with a tax exemption offer to see if Kid truly had technology or not. The idea was that if Kid had nothing, there'd be no loss; if he did, it would be invaluable. And if he was offended, well, an empty promise about taxes wouldn't cost them anything.
So Chu Yuxuan went to meet the phantom thief, and the result shocked everyone in the leadership. The things Liu A'dou provided were worth an astronomical amount—literally priceless—and selling them to any country would bring unimaginable wealth. But A'dou handed it all over just for an empty promise of tax exemption, which showed his deep love for his country. The top leader fully recognized A'dou's patriotism, but to protect his identity, there were no public awards.
It was precisely because of the top leader's admiration for Liu A'dou and the general's support that A'dou was able to do things his way—even stepping in as a substitute astronaut for critical missions.
"A'dou, be careful. Good luck," the general said.
This launch wasn't happening at Kunlun Mountain, since Kunlun couldn't be exposed yet. Instead, it was taking place at an external launch base. Once the Wu Gang completed its trials by the end of the year, everything would be easier—traveling to the moon would be as simple as going to another province. Even if the U.S. found out, there'd be nothing they could do except watch China make trip after trip to the moon. Still, it was best to keep things secret until crops were growing on the lunar surface.
"Countdown," An Rong's voice rang out. "Ten, nine, eight, seven…"
Ignition!
Boom—
Liu A'dou felt a powerful force pressing him into his seat. Riding a rocket really was a unique experience. "This is Liu A'dou, I feel great."
Speaking clearly under such pressure wasn't easy, but he did have to be careful not to bite his tongue.
'I'm coming, universe.' Liu A'dou was thrilled. The intense pressure all over his body felt amazing—like a full-body massage. The deafening roar of the engines and the vibrations stronger than any massage chair made everything feel real. This was humanity's first step into space: the humble, rattling rocket. Crude as it was, it was the only way forward. And now Liu A'dou could truly experience it. He knew that in the future, he might never get another chance to ride a rocket.