Chapter 701 Return

Aside from this conclusion, the netizen also provided a large number of high-definition video screenshots and a detailed analytical breakdown. The argument was so convincing that it made one wonder if he was a government plant.

In any case, over a hundred thousand years was indeed too long a time. It also greatly increased the possibility that Earth had already been discovered by aliens, which immediately threw many people into a panic.

“You guys think they’re already on their way? We’re so dead, we’re so dead, we’re so dead! Is it too late to start digging an underground shelter?!”

“Thanks for the invite. Just landed in the Solar System, fresh off the ship. Too many insiders here, going anonymous.”

“By ‘insider,’ he means the spaceship’s wreckage.”

“I’m still a little skeptical about all this. The Spiritual Energy Revival was only two years ago, and since then, we’ve had confirmation of Immortal Gods and Demons, and even the existence of Otherworlds. Now there are aliens, too? Was the world always this crazy? How did I not notice before?”

“It’s definitely real. If it were fake, foreign governments would have questioned it long ago. As it is, officials worldwide are silent, even implicitly confirming it. The truth is the truth, and a lie is a lie.”

“Down with human tyranny! The world belongs to the Tri—”

“User above, what happened to you?! User above!”

Of course, aside from the netizens endlessly debating about the aliens themselves, there were others who were a bit more unflappable. Rather than discussing the future of Earth from behind their screens and keyboards, they preferred to get bogged down in the details. These users began a meticulous, exhaustive analysis of the battle traces left on the Moon by a certain individual with the surname Su.

First and foremost was the wreckage of the alien spaceship, which had clearly been split in two by a single strike. It had now become a viral meme in Su Zhou’s fan groups and was even being used as raw material for a series of photoshops.

“We who are sworn brothers shall share weal and woe. Should any of us break this oath, may we end up like this ship!”

“ImFallingApart.jpg”

“ImPuttingMyselfBackTogether.jpg”

“Su Haiwang: Your hardness can’t even match a ship’s.”

As for why Su Zhou was fighting an unknown enemy on the Moon, at least a dozen different theories were now circulating around the world. The more popular theories included an attack by Moon People, aliens awakening from their slumber within the ship, the ship’s automated defense systems, or a giant alien Monster.

Fortunately, Su Zhou had clearly won the battle and even detonated a nuke at the end. Otherwise, the rumors and panic on Earth would likely have multiplied dozens of times over.

Faced with such a massive wave of public opinion, the world’s governments had no good solutions. Aside from briefly explaining the situation on educational programs and offering a few bland, perfunctory words of reassurance, there wasn’t much they could do.

This was because they, too, were unsure of the aliens’ specific level of technology, or how Earth should face this bustling Cosmos—with warmth, or with indifference? It was true that public opinion could be easily guided, but reversing a mindset that had already taken hold was a difficult task.

Until they actually encountered a group of living aliens, no one could be sure of their true attitude towards them. But by the time that happened, it would be far too late to decide on the proper course of action.

And so, everyone waited. They waited for the astronauts to return from the Moon, and for the ‘first-hand alien materials’ they carried.

「March 19, 2017.」

Under the watchful eyes of an expectant world, the return capsule from the Moon broke through the atmosphere, leaving a long, crimson trail. It finally splashed down in the Western Pacific Ocean, where a recovery ship, having long been on standby, successfully retrieved it.

After a series of checks, all four astronauts were confirmed to be safe and sound. With no incidents, the moon-landing mission was finally declared a complete success.

And what awaited Su Zhou was the attention of the entire world, and the immense curiosity of all Earth People about extraterrestrial life—a massive, unstoppable wave of interest.