Chapter Four: Breaking Through This Universe

4. Breaking Through This Universe

Soothing music roused Tang Xiao from his slumber. He opened his eyes, gazed at his surroundings—all just as it had been—and offered a bitter smile.

"Administrator, I apologize for the disturbance, but there is a matter of great importance that requires your decision." The voice of Qi Jian crackled through the comms unit beside him.

Tang Xiao ignored it. He rose from his bed, walked to the bathroom, commanded the Master Brain to set the water temperature to freezing, and splashed his face violently.

He braced his hands against the vanity, looking up at his own reflection—pale from the cold—and gritted his teeth. After a long moment, he stood abruptly, dressed himself, and commanded, "Master Brain! Lead the way. To the bridge!"

"Administrator, I apologize for the intrusion." As he arrived at the command center of the bridge, Qi Jian bowed respectfully.

"Speak."

"The engineering team has established two extraction stations near the gas giant. While you were resting, they already returned two shipments of Helium-3 and completed the refining process. We are now capable of launching more vessels, specifically the transport ships needed to shuttle between Dawn Planet and the mothership," Qi Jian reported.

"Continue."

"And... the reconnaissance team has returned their report. They have preliminarily selected seventeen landing sites. We may choose one of them to initiate the landing." As he spoke, Qi Jian’s voice trembled slightly; he projected an interface for Tang Xiao.

"Landing sites? Is it necessary to bother me with this?" Tang Xiao asked, puzzled.

Qi Jian replied solemnly, "Administrator, this first colony will very likely become our capital. I... I dare not overstep my bounds to make such a decision for you."

Tang Xiao nodded. He raised his finger, about to tap the screen, but caught the complex look in Qi Jian’s eyes.

The gaze held anticipation, pride, and a trace of unease. His fists were clenched and trembling slightly, as he struggled to control his excitement. It was not just him; the others on the bridge were the same.

Tang Xiao felt a slight chill in his heart. He reminded himself not to be rash. He looked back at the screen, carefully comparing the sites. The knowledge that had been force-fed into his mind suddenly surged forth like a floodgate opening.

Synthesizing what he had learned, he chose an area near mountains and water with vast grasslands. Pointing to the spot, he told Qi Jian, "Right here. The latitude is moderate, and there are water sources nearby. There is also a hill over a thousand meters high that can serve as a defensive vantage point. First, dispatch twenty marines to land; once a defensive line is established, immediately begin construction of the residential area."

"Yes! Administrator! This will be our first colony! It is our first step into this universe!" Qi Jian said with excitement, immediately setting the work in motion.

Once the landing site was confirmed, operations began in earnest.

Soon, a transport ship carrying twenty marines and fifty construction workers launched from the mothership and descended toward Dawn Planet. The marines deployed to the perimeter, driving away wildlife and placing positioning beacons, while the construction workers prepared their mechanized engineering exoskeletons.

"Beacon signal is steady, Administrator. You may command the mothership to enter synchronous orbit," Qi Jian confirmed after verifying the signal.

Tang Xiao nodded and instructed the bridge crew, "Enter synchronous orbit with Dawn Planet. Keep the mothership positioned directly above the beacons at all times. Master Brain, provide assistance."

[Understood.]

The 41,300-meter-long Kushan mothership fired its engines once more. A tremendous, overwhelming force propelled the 370-billion-ton behemoth forward, descending into the outer gravitational sphere of the planet and matching its rotational speed.

As the mothership approached, its immense mass triggered several magnitude 3–5 earthquakes and groundwater eruptions on the planet's surface.

Once in its designated orbit, the mothership required minimal power to maintain its path, relying on the planet's centripetal force and inertia. While synchronized with the ground beacons, a central bay door opened, and an orbital drop pod was launched.

The pod’s exterior ignited from atmospheric friction, looking like a shooting star as it plummeted toward the ground. As it neared the surface, the pod’s reverse thrusters fired, spewing flames to ensure a smooth landing.

Construction workers waiting nearby immediately rushed over, opened the pod, and assembled modular housing made of ultra-light materials, using the pod's shell as the building's exterior walls. In less than twenty minutes, a two-story structure was completed.

The mothership continued to drop supplies every ten minutes: housing, solar and wind power facilities, water purification systems, and more.

Tang Xiao also began selecting farmers and maintenance workers from the 600,000 cryogenically hibernating residents, waking them and sending them down to the surface via transport ships. He even selected a man named Graham from among them to serve as the village chief.

Once the process began, everything proceeded with methodical rhythm. Tang Xiao stood up and stretched, watching the busy workers, yet his heart remained heavy.

He gazed out of the side viewport at the vast, boundless universe. He walked toward it, staring at the stars, which were likely light-years away, and thought of the inexplicable dream that had likely caused his arrival here. A nameless rage flared within him; he gritted his teeth, his fists clenched tight, and he slammed a fist hard against the thick viewport glass!

*Bang!* The wound previously bandaged by the nurse tore open again, blood flowing freely.

At this moment, his eyes were filled with a fanatical fire. Yet, soon, they returned to calm—a terrifying sort of calm. "Let us break through this universe..."

"Master Brain, summon the nurse to dress my wound," he ordered coolly. "Also, pull up the data I need. I have much to do."

[Understood, Administrator.]

He had begun to accept his fate, sensing vaguely that he truly could not go back. If that were the case, if he continued to live in a daze, perhaps one day when a planet-killing warship finally descended, he would still be penniless and powerless.

Furthermore, having seen the fanatical and expectant looks from Qi Jian and the others, Tang Xiao understood he could not let them down. If he failed them, how securely he could hold his position would become a mystery.

Human society was a complex organism formed by various bonds of interest. Although the Master Brain said it would not matter even if he ordered the mothership to self-destruct, he was certain that if he truly did so, his first concern would be a mutiny from his own subordinates.

Tang Xiao sat back in the command chair and opened the colonial plan files. He needed to understand the difficulties he would face and how to resolve them.

He was a meticulous man. Since he had decided to act, he knew exactly what had to be done and how to do it. He didn't waste time like a wide-eyed child, obsessively reviewing the tech projects brought from the game or drooling over massive warships; he focused on what was necessary.

And right now, what was most essential was learning how to build a colony.

In an environment of total uncertainty, rapid development and the establishment of a secure power base would always be the optimal choice.

Especially now—with hearts being inscrutable—as a transmigrator, he realized deeply that he was the most isolated person here. Besides, who could guarantee that this current reality wasn't just another "Truman Show"?

Suppressing his confusion and anxiety, Tang Xiao clicked on the entry for *Interstellar Colony Construction Guide* and began to flip through the files.