I have a debt of 3 trillion, and my creditors are begging me not to die.

Yang Chen immediately ended the broadcast after finishing his call with Crown Prince Salman. What he said earlier was just to mislead the world. In fact, he knew in his heart that the translator was absolutely accurate and that there really was an alien civilization from 5 light-years away asking other civilizations for help.

Although 5 years have passed, and that civilization most likely no longer exists, this signal proves that extraterrestrial civilizations do exist.

From this moment forward, Yang Chen will officially begin exploring the mysteries of the universe, attempting to find any remaining extraterrestrial civilizations.

At this moment, the entire NASA was in an uproar, and the head of NASA, Mark Dafie, immediately convened a meeting with key members.

"If there are no unforeseen circumstances," Markelduff exclaimed excitedly, "the alien signal translated by the Four Seas Sound Wave Converter is accurate. An alien civilization 50,000 light-years away once sent a distress signal to other civilizations. Although we can't be sure if this civilization still exists, we can now confirm its existence. If an alien civilization from 50,000 years ago could have spaceships, it's unimaginable how advanced their technology would be today. If we can be the first to make contact with them and obtain their technology, we can dominate Earth. We must be the masters of this planet, we absolutely must!"

Everyone was thrilled by Mark Dafie's words, as if they could actually make contact with an alien civilization.

However, after the initial excitement, some people calmly analyzed the situation.

The NASA deputy administrator said, "But Yang Chen said he couldn't guarantee it would be accurate. If we put a lot of effort into a space race, won't we just waste a lot of money and end up with nothing? How will we explain that to the government and the people?"

Markelduffy immediately said, "Of course Yang Chen would say that. He's afraid other countries will join them in a space race. His converter can accurately translate the sound waves of so many animals, I believe it can definitely translate the sound waves of aliens too. After all, aliens are also human, and humans belong to the biological realm. As a biological being, the sound wave converter can accurately translate it. Didn't you see Yang Chen hang up the phone and immediately end the broadcast? Isn't that unusual behavior obvious enough?"

Everyone nodded, completely agreeing with what Markelduffy said.

The deputy director then asked, "So what should we do? Yang Chen's technology is definitely more advanced than ours; we're already far behind him."

Markelduffy immediately retorted, "You're wrong. It should be that he's far behind us. We've accumulated a vast amount of data and experience over the years, while he's only just begun to explore. Even with the help of the Chinese Space Agency, he can't possibly compare to us. Regardless of whether we succeed or not, we must immediately apply to Congress for 1000 billion Eagle Dollars in funding to fully commit to exploring extraterrestrial civilizations. This is crucial to our ability to dominate the planet, and Congress must provide the funds!"

Everyone's eyes light up when money is mentioned.

The director is right. Regardless of whether we succeed or not, we should focus on making money first; everything else is secondary.

Michael Duffy immediately called his boss and asked for 1000 billion peso.

This infuriated the boss. "Damn it, does he think money falls from the sky? He hasn't achieved anything yet, and he dares to ask for 1000 billion Angkor dollars!"

"Do you think I'm a sucker? Shouldn't you show me some results first before asking me for money? You're asking for 1000 billion US dollars right off the bat. Do you think the Federal Reserve is run by me?"

"But we're already behind Yang Chen. If we don't increase investment to catch up, he'll be the first to make contact with extraterrestrial civilizations. Think about it, extraterrestrial civilizations already had spaceships 5 years ago. Nobody dares to imagine how advanced their technology is now. What if he really makes contact with them first and gets technology that shouldn't exist on Earth? What will we do then? What's the use of handing over the Federal Reserve to him to print money at will? Will anyone still recognize our money? The whole world only recognizes one Dragon Coin, and the whole world only obeys the orders of the Dragon Nation. Can you imagine what kind of world that would be? Let's put it this way, even if we only have a 1% chance of making contact with extraterrestrial civilizations, we still have to spend the money. We have no other choice."

These words left the bald eagle's leader speechless. After a moment of silence, he said helplessly, "Alright, I understand. I'll approve the funds as soon as possible. Promise me you'll ensure that as much of the money as possible is actually used for research. Okay?"

Markelduffy immediately replied, "I understand what you mean. Don't worry, I promise to spend the money wisely."

Everyone knows that if half of the 1000 billion Eagle Dollars were actually allocated, it would be considered good if it were used for genuine research. It's not just the military's outrageous practice of spending 9 Eagle Dollars on a bag of screws; the Smith Commissioners from various departments all have the same insatiable appetite.

At this time, the European Space Agency also convened an emergency meeting.

Director Werner stated bluntly, “The existence of extraterrestrial civilizations has now been proven, and we must keep up. If Yang Chen and the Bald Eagles make contact with them first, our future is hopeless. The Bald Eagles are already trying to exploit us; if they acquire information about extraterrestrial civilizations, they will definitely treat us as colonies to plunder. This situation absolutely cannot be allowed to happen; we must make contact with extraterrestrial civilizations before them. I suggest that the European Space Agency allocate 1000 billion euros for space research and development, striving to make contact with extraterrestrial civilizations before other countries. Representatives of member states, please share your thoughts.”

Representatives from various countries expressed their views.

The German representative spoke first: "I agree with this proposal. If 1000 billion isn't enough, we'll raise another 1000 billion. If that's still not enough, we'll keep raising more. We must spare no effort to be the first to make contact with extraterrestrial civilizations. Look at Europe's current situation; we've become meat on a chopping block, at the mercy of the US and Russia, and we don't even have the right to resist. Extraterrestrial civilizations are our only chance to turn things around. As long as we acquire their technology, we can once again plunder the world by force, and our descendants can enjoy another 300 years of good life."

The French representative said, "No problem, I wholeheartedly support the German representative's statement. For the first time in human history, we've entered an era where the spacefaring field determines victory. We've won so many times, and we must win this time too! We have the experience and the genes for victory; who else but us?"

The Italian representative stated, "But we're already in a difficult situation. If we invest such a large amount in space, our finances will suffer. What if we end up with nothing and have spent hundreds of billions of euros? How can we explain this to the government and the people?"

The German representative immediately criticized, "If you don't want to be with us, you can apply to withdraw from the European Space Agency now. In the future, when we achieve results, don't come to us asking for a share. If you are bullied or even your country is destroyed, don't ask us for help; we will not help you."

Representatives from other countries nodded in agreement with the German representative's opinion.

The Italian representative immediately retorted, "Why are you in such a hurry? I was just reminding everyone to consider this possibility. Is it necessary to get so agitated? Italy is one of the most important countries in the EU and even the world. Of course, we want to participate in such an important project."

ESA Director General Vorner said, "Alright, stop arguing. We're here to discuss solutions, not to fight. Let's vote by raising our hands. Those who agree to raise 1000 billion euros for space research, with unlimited subsequent investment, please raise your hands."

Representatives from various countries raised their hands, and the proposal was passed unanimously. Werner nodded happily and said, "Excellent! This shows everyone recognizes how important this is to us. As before, each country will contribute according to its respective share, and we'll get the 1000 billion euros in place as soon as possible. Meeting adjourned!"

Meanwhile, the space agencies of Japan, South Korea, India, Russia, and other countries held meetings to discuss countermeasures. Ultimately, they all reached a resolution similar to that of NASA and the European Space Agency, investing huge sums of money in space research, with the option to add more money indefinitely until results were achieved.

Early in the morning, Yang Chen received a call from Qiu Yuntao, the head of Longguo Aerospace.

"Chairman Yang, we have a meeting at 10 o'clock to discuss extraterrestrial civilizations. Could you participate via video?" Qiu Yuntao asked.

Yang Chen replied, "Of course."

"That's great. See you at 10 o'clock," Qiu Yuntao said happily.

Yang Chen quickly got up, ate breakfast, and then took a helicopter to work.

At 9:30, Huang Wei, president of Sihai Intelligent, arrived at Yang Chen's office.

"Chairman Yang, we've received inquiries from companies and government departments around the world. They want to know when our acoustic wave converters will be available for sale, as they need to place orders or become our distributors. Some of the offers from distributors are really high. A company affiliated with California Governor Nelson offered 50 billion Eagle Dollars to become the exclusive distributor for the Americas. Should we give it to him?"

Yang Chen said with a smile, "Tell him that he shouldn't try to do too much at once. He already has enough businesses, so let's just forget about this one. It's fine if he only deals with the Bald Eagle market, but if he tries to handle the entire Americas market, I'm afraid he won't have the energy. It would be troublesome if he messed it up for us."

Huang Wei nodded and said, "Okay, I understand. So, are you sure now whether we'll be selling directly or through agents?"

Yang Chen replied, "Originally, I was thinking of direct selling, but after thinking about it carefully, it doesn't seem necessary. If foreigners really have the ability to disassemble and research it, we can't avoid it even with direct selling. It's better to earn an agency fee. You issue an announcement that we are recruiting general agents in various countries. We need agents with strength, and the one with the highest agency fee will win."

"Understood! I'll take care of it right away!" Huang Wei said.

At 10 o'clock, Sihai Intelligent issued an announcement.

"To better serve our global users, our company plans to recruit general agents in various countries around the world. There are three main requirements. First, the agent must be financially strong and capable of covering all markets in their country. Second, they must be friendly to us and abide by our rules. Third, the agent with the highest agency fee will obtain the agency rights."

"From the date of this announcement, all companies will be eligible to submit bids. After 10 days, we will announce the results. To prevent bid rigging and other irregularities, each country and region has set a minimum agency fee. Companies submitting bids must not charge an agency fee lower than the minimum fee; otherwise, they will be disqualified. Thank you for your support of Sihai Intelligent."

At this moment, Yang Chen had already connected to the video call and was greeting the attendees from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

After some pleasantries, the meeting officially began.

The person in charge, Qiu Yuntao, asked Yang Chen right away, "Chairman Yang, before we begin, could you please give us some information on the accuracy of how well the sound wave converter translates the alien signals? This is very important."

Yang Chen replied, "100% accurate! As long as it is a sound wave emitted by a living organism, no matter what form it undergoes, as long as it ultimately returns to the form of a sound wave, our instruments can accurately translate it. I only said that during the live broadcast to lull people from other countries into a false sense of security."

Qiu Yuntao excitedly said, "So, we can now confirm that an extraterrestrial civilization sent out a distress signal from the 12th Milky Way Galaxy in the fourth universe, 5 light-years away. Is that right?"

Yang Chen nodded and said, "Yes! Although I don't know the location of the fourth universe, the 12th galaxy he mentioned, it's certain that extraterrestrial civilizations do exist in the universe. They might be different from our current understanding of the universe. It's highly likely they exist something like the concept of parallel universes, or perhaps there's a larger space we can't yet comprehend that contains many universes, and the person sending the distress signal is in the fourth universe. We can't determine which universe we're currently in. Theoretically, as long as our speed exceeds the speed of light, we can achieve time travel. Is it possible that if we exceed the speed of light, we can also enter other universes? As for how to enter, I can't explain it now. We've only studied satellites, launch vehicles, and space station technology, which are all near-Earth technologies; we haven't ventured into space exploration. So, this is all the help I can offer."

Qiu Yuntao said with a smile, "Chairman Yang's help has been tremendous. At the very least, a question that humanity has debated for a long time—whether extraterrestrial civilizations exist—has now been confirmed thanks to Chairman Yang's technology. What I mean is, regardless of whether we can make contact with extraterrestrial civilizations or not, we must increase our investment in this area. I have a feeling that whoever makes contact with extraterrestrial civilizations first will lead the world."

Yang Chen said, "According to my intelligence, NASA has received approval for 1000 billion Eagle Dollars to explore the universe, and the European Space Agency has also decided to raise 1000 billion Euros for space exploration, with unlimited additional funding available until results are achieved. Therefore, I am also preparing to establish a professional company and team to explore the universe. We can cooperate and help each other when necessary."

Qiu Yuntao immediately said, "That's wonderful! With cooperation from Chairman Yang, we're sure to achieve results quickly. The US and the European Space Agency have both taken action; we can't fall behind. Chairman Yang, we'll report to our superiors immediately and request unlimited research funding, and we'll sign a cooperation agreement with you. Is that alright?"

Yang Chen smiled and said, "Of course! This is a crucial question that concerns who will dominate Earth in the future, and we must win!"

Just then, Yang Chen's phone rang. It was a call from Salman, the crown prince of the Sand Kingdom.

Yang Chen immediately ended the video conference and answered Salman's call.

"Your Highness, is there something you need?"

"Mr. Yang, I have two requests. First, we'd like to offer 300 billion Eagle Dollars as an agency fee to secure the Middle East distribution rights for the sound wave converter. Second, we'd like to offer 30 billion Eagle Dollars as a sponsorship fee to ask Mr. Yang to lead us in the search for extraterrestrial life. We can add more if needed, but please, Mr. Yang, grant our request. Thank you." (End of Chapter)