Chapter 792: Worst Case Scenario

Translator: Henyee Translations  Editor: Henyee Translations

In the end, the Americans didn’t make the transfer.

After all, such a large amount of money couldn’t be transferred at a moment’s notice. This had to go through a bank’s special transfer route.

Lu Zhou didn’t expect the Americans to actually pay…

“The Americans are actually paying?” Lu Zhou said to Director Li.

He thought about it carefully and realized that it made sense. This wasn’t about money anymore.

Not to mention the White House’s promise to pay the expenses, even if they didn’t make their promise, the White House wouldn’t have let China pay the money.

It would be embarrassing for America if they let China spend money to save their own people.

Director Li nodded and said, “The US treasury secretary summoned our embassy members in Washington this morning. They said the US$1.7 billion figure was too high, and they are only willing to pay US$1 billion.”

US$1 billion!

Lu Zhou felt his hands shaking.

He coughed and replied, “1 billion is enough.”

However, Director Li looked a little unhappy.

“We’ll try to get more for you, but the White House is only willing to pay 1 billion… Is that enough for you? If not, we can give you more.”

This rescue operation greatly improved China’s international image and national prestige. This was worth the money.

Even though Lu Zhou was the chief designer of the Lunar Orbit Committee, Star Sky Technology was his private company. If Star Sky Technology really had to spend that much money on the rescue operation, it was reasonable for the central government to subsidize his costs.

After all, high tech companies were the future of the country. China wanted these companies to thrive.

However, after hearing Director Li’s words, Lu Zhou shook his head.

“There’s no way it would cost that much. Including all of the expenses, it is at most two to three hundred million USD.”

Director Li was shocked.

“Only two to three hundred million? Then the US$1.7 billion bill was…”

Lu Zhou laughed.

“Exactly, it was a bargaining technique.”

Director Li: “…”

Asking for US$1.7 billion was indeed a bit too much, not to mention this was supposed to be a humanitarian relief mission.

Actually, Lu Zhou didn’t plan on making money. He knew the Americans would give him a lower counteroffer, in which he would “reluctantly” accept the counteroffer.

He had no idea the White House would be so generous. Lu Zhou was almost embarrassed.

Lu Zhou thought for a while and didn’t feel good about what he was doing.

“Should I change the price?”

“There’s no need… You really are ruthless.” Director Li thought for a while and said, “How about this… Just tell them we’ll cover the remaining US$700 million.”

Remaining US$700 million?

One billion is more than enough, what do you mean cover?

Lu Zhou suddenly realized what Director Li meant.

He sighed and replied, “I thought I was being ruthless… I didn’t expect you to be even more ruthless.”

Director Li said, “What do you mean… What if we have other hidden expenses? Like the ‘Mars Rescue’ documentary costs? Of course, when the media asks us, tell them that we spent US$1.713 billion. The Americans covered 1 billion, and we covered the 0.713 billion…”

Lu Zhou couldn’t help but ask, “Where did the 130 million come from?”

Director Li sipped some tea and replied, “It looks more legit that way.”

Lu Zhou: “…”

…

On the other hand.

NASA headquarters.

Ares program ground command center.

The president stood next to the console with his hands behind his back. He stared at the flashing green dot on the big screen, as well as a green trajectory line.

That green dot was Starlight, flying toward Mars for the rescue mission. The president wasn’t in a good mood.

It had been twenty years since the Columbia incident, in which all seven astronauts were killed.

Honestly speaking, the president would rather let another seven astronauts die than for the Soviets to obtain the wreckage of Columbia… He was sure that George W. Bush would have thought the same.

However, that was just a hypothetical situation; there was no way for the Soviets to obtain the wreckage.

However now…

It seemed like China was going to obtain the wreckage.

The president tilted his head and looked at Director Carson.

“What’s the situation in New Virginia like?”

Carson said, “The colonists are in a stable mood. We already told them that there is a rescue spacecraft heading toward Mars and that they would have more than enough fuel for the return flight…”

The president nodded and signaled for Carson to stop speaking.

After a while, the president spoke.

“The second phase of the Ares program has completely failed. We need to start doing damage control.

“The BFS spacecraft is equipped with our most advanced space communications equipment. Boeing said that it would be better to crash the BFS spacecraft than to let the Chinese get their hands on the spacecraft.”

It wasn’t just communication equipment, but the spacecraft also contained environmental-control bio-security systems and cosmic ray shielding materials. These were all state-of-the-art technologies from America aerospace companies.

Although China might be ahead in the world in terms of the ion thruster propulsion system, the Americans dominated other aerospace technology fields.

The BFS spacecraft was the embodiment of the technology accumulated from hundreds of launch missions. If they allowed the Chinese to take that technology, it would be a huge loss to the American aerospace industry.

When Director Carson heard about the president’s crazy plan, he began to sweat from his forehead.

He’s talking about destroying a billion-dollar spacecraft!

Not to mention…

“But the high-power signal transmission equipment on the BFS is the only way we can get in touch with New Virginia. If we crash the BFS spacecraft…”

“The crash will happen after China’s Starlight has reached Mars’ orbit… We can make up an excuse and say the spacecraft has failed.” The president continued, “No one will be on the spacecraft anyway. It’ll just be a piece of metal falling out of the sky.”

Director Carson said, “But… if the BFS spacecraft is destroyed, New Virginia will be completely isolated from our communication channel. This might make rescue efforts even more difficult.”

“God will protect our heroes,” said the president. He looked at the large console screen and muttered to himself, “If something goes wrong, we will give them our thoughts and prayers.”

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