From Joy of Life, the Tian Gang is reversed

Chapter 512 Now, you can cheer!

Huaxia, Kyoto Base City, Global News Center.

An unprecedented solemnity and oppression enveloped the city, which had just experienced the arrival of an "alien fleet" and witnessed the mysterious arrest of its leaders.

The press center was surrounded by heavily armed and tense troops, and in the sky, small aircraft belonging to the huge mothership hovered silently like ghosts, their cold metallic gleam stinging the eyes of everyone who looked up at them.

Inside the center, the main hall, large enough to hold thousands, was packed to capacity, yet deathly silent enough to hear the hushed of breath. Journalists and representatives from major global media outlets, surviving governments, and various organizations had already entered, their faces filled with bewilderment and unease. Some whispered amongst themselves, others constantly wiped away cold sweat, and still others stared intently at the empty stage, their eyes filled with fear of the unknown and a yearning for answers.

An apocalyptic panic and a great deal of doubt filled the air.
What are those warships? Why did they come? Where did the captured people go? What will the future of Earth be? What role did China play in this upheaval?
All the questions pointed to today's global press conference, unilaterally announced by China. There was no pre-determined agenda, no pre-arranged agenda, only a brief notification, yet it attracted the core power of all still-functioning media outlets worldwide like a magnet.

As time ticked by, the tense atmosphere in the meeting room almost solidified.

Suddenly, the door on the side of the stage slid open silently.

Footsteps sounded.

In an instant, all the whispers and anxieties vanished as if gripped by an invisible hand. Thousands of eyes focused on that direction, and camera lenses zoomed in frantically.

Only two people went up on stage.

On the left is a familiar young face to Earthlings: Li Chengqian, the vice-master of the Ultimate Martial Arts Academy, a rising star in China who ascended to power by stepping over the corpse of the Third Councilor, the Ice and Snow Emperor, Mohanderson. He wore a simple black training uniform, his face calm and expressionless.

The man on the right, however, made everyone who saw him gasp instantly, their hearts almost stopping!

That was a figure nearly three meters tall!

He was entirely covered in dark silver, streamlined, and powerful metallic armor, with faint, deep blue, energy-like veins visible between the seams. His head was not human-shaped, but rather resembled a hybrid of a beetle and a reptile; his compound eyes gleamed with a cold, inorganic red light. Just by standing there, an aura of savagery, cruelty, and far beyond the level of life on Earth permeated the air, making it almost impossible for the thousands of people in the hall to breathe!
Aliens! A living, breathing, and incredibly imposing alien creature appeared right in front of the cameras broadcast live worldwide!
"Buzz—!" A chorus of suppressed gasps and exclamations erupted in the hall, followed by a swift silence. Everyone was so overwhelmed by the visceral and powerful presence of this alien being that they dared not utter a sound.

Li Chengqian walked to the center of the platform and stood still, while the alien giant lagged behind him by half a body length, like the most loyal guard or...

Subordinate? This subtle difference in position caused the pupils of some perceptive people to shrink sharply.

Without pleasantries or opening remarks, Li Chengqian's gaze swept calmly across the sea of ​​people below the stage. The next moment, his voice, clear and distinct through the microphone, resounded throughout the hall—calm, indifferent, yet carrying an undeniable and absolute power:

"Survivors of Earth's civilization."

"Let me introduce you." He turned slightly to the side, gesturing to the alien giant beside him. "This is Kren Sox, the leader of the Dark Wind Universe Mercenary Group."

A ninth-tier Stellar Spiritual Master.

"Dark Wind Mercenary Group, Ninth-Tier Stellar..."

A collective gasp rippled through the audience. Although many were unclear about the specifics of what a ninth-order stellar unit meant, the term "cosmic mercenary" represented unimaginable power and a threat from the distant cosmos to Earthlings still confined to planetary gravity.

Ignoring the commotion below, Li Chengqian continued in his calm tone, "Over the past few days, it was Commander Keren and his mercenary group that carried out the elimination of the major monster threats on the global landmass and the specific capture missions. They were hired by me."

Hire?!
This word exploded in everyone's mind like a bomb!

Li Chengqian hired an alien mercenary group? He came to wipe out the monsters on Earth? What gives him the right? Where did he get the resources and qualifications to hire such a terrifying force?

A profound sense of doubt and absurdity filled everyone's hearts.

Li Chengqian seemed to see through their thoughts, but he clearly had no interest in explaining in detail, and directly dropped an even more explosive piece of news, "As for those who were arrested..." He paused, his cold gaze sweeping over the pale-faced Western reporters and related personnel below the stage, "They have been handed over to the Dark Wind Mercenary Group for processing. According to universal practice, they have been identified as assets and are currently being transported to the slave market in the Talan Star Region for sale through legal channels."

Selling?! Slaves?!
These two words were like the ultimate nightmare, instantly shattering the psychological defenses of many people in the audience!
"No!!!" a blonde female reporter screamed, standing up abruptly. "How could you?! They are human beings! They are the leaders of the Earth! This is betrayal! This is a crime against humanity!!" Her voice was sharp and distorted by extreme fear and anger.

Her scream seemed to ignite a fuse, and instantly, the audience erupted in chaos!

"The devil! You are the devil!"

"Release them immediately! You are making an enemy of all humanity!"

"China must take responsibility for this!"

A torrent of questions, curses, and accusations surged toward the podium, bringing the scene to the brink of chaos. Many reporters, eager to rush forward, were gently yet firmly pushed back by an invisible force, unable to cross the line…

Faced with a barrage of accusations and angry shouts from the audience, Li Chengqian's expression remained unchanged, and not even his eyes flickered.

Only after the clamor subsided did he slowly speak, his voice still calm: "Betrayal? Inhumanity? You don't seem to have figured out the situation yet."

“According to the universal laws of cosmic civilizations, and Article 32 of Volume 7 of the Black Dragon Mountain Empire’s ‘Interstellar Frontier and Property Law,’” he stated as if presenting an objective fact, “the ownership of an indigenous planet that has not joined the cosmic civilization system follows the principles of ‘first come, first served’ and ‘forced jurisdiction.’ Any cosmic citizen or organization that discovers an unclaimed indigenous planet can apply for property rights with the official agency of the relevant star system. Once approved, they will legally own the planet and its associated resources.”

His gaze swept over the faces below the stage, frozen in shock and fear.

"Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, Earth has been discovered."

"As a formal citizen of the Black Dragon Mountain Empire, I purchased the full ownership of Earth through legal procedures six months ago."

Only at this moment did a hint of mockery appear on his face.

"In other words, legally speaking, I am the sole legal owner of the Earth and all its native assets."

"Including land, minerals, organisms... and of course, you too."

"boom--!!!"

These words struck like a heavy hammer, crashing down on everyone's hearts!

Everyone was stunned by this naked universal law that defines all of humanity as an asset!
Ownership? Original assets? Legal owner?
This...this is not the interstellar contact they imagined! This is enslavement! Utter objectification!

Indeed, the Dark Forest Theory is correct.

"As for how I will handle my assets..."

Li Chengqian's voice rang out again, breaking the silence, carrying an unquestionable sense of absolute power: "It is my freedom. If I don't like someone, think someone is worthless, or if someone tries to damage my property, I naturally have the right to clean up, dispose of, or even sell them. This is the most legal business practice in the universe."

He glanced at the pale-faced Western representatives and the remaining members of the HR Alliance below the stage.

“Those people are bad assets. As the owner of the Earth, this operation is a purification operation. I am optimizing my asset portfolio, it’s that simple.”

His tone was matter-of-fact, as if he were simply dealing with a pile of garbage.

"Now, announce my decision." Li Chengqian gave the audience no time to process this terrifying information and issued the order directly.

"First, the ownership of the Earth belongs to me personally, and there is no dispute about it."

"Secondly, I hereby entrust the governance and management of Earth entirely to the Chinese government. From this day forward, the Chinese government shall be the sole legitimate representative and supreme governing body of Earth. All regions, all ethnic groups, and all remaining political systems and organizations worldwide must unconditionally accept the leadership and management of the Chinese government."

"Third, all existing administrative systems worldwide must be transferred and registered with the agencies designated by the Chinese government within a specified period."

"Fourth, based on the plan to upgrade the level of cosmic civilization, the Chinese government will gradually promote a new education, science and technology, and production system to connect with cosmic civilizations."

His gaze swept across the entire audience one last time. "Now, you can cheer, because Earth's civilization has been upgraded."

As soon as he finished speaking, the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

There was no cheering, only deathly silence! A deathly silence.

Everyone seemed to have had their souls ripped out, sitting blankly in their chairs, their faces filled with immense fear, bewilderment, and a sense of utter humiliation as if they had been utterly crushed.

It was only then that they truly understood that times had changed.

Past nations, ethnicities, ideologies, and debates... are laughably insignificant in the face of higher-level cosmic laws and absolute power.

Li Chengqian stopped looking at the distraught crowd below the stage and nodded slightly to Kren Sox beside him.

The alien mercenary leader's compound eyes flashed red slightly, and he uttered a low, inhuman language, seemingly indicating that he understood.

The next second, Li Chengqian turned around and walked backstage without looking back. Kren Socks' tall, metallic body followed closely behind.

On the podium, only empty seats and the cold lenses of thousands of media outlets from around the world remained, recording the end of an old era of Earth's civilization and the beginning of a new one.

Unfortunately, there was still no cheering!

(End of this chapter)