Arthur stood on the balcony of his wooden hut, staring up at the starlit sky. Somewhere up there, thousands of pieces of "space junk"—dead satellites, frozen coolant, and discarded rocket stages—were orbiting the Earth at lethal speeds.
[The Providence Mandate: Level 5]
Current Investment Capital: ¥6,000,000,000
Personal Salary: ¥5,000 (The "Billionaire" who still mends his own socks).
The Stakes: If he loses this six billion, the rebate will be ¥12,000,000,000.
"Infrastructure on Earth keeps turning into gold," Arthur whispered, his eyes narrowing at the moon. "But there is no profit in the vacuum of space. There are no customers in orbit. There is only physics, fire, and expensive failure."
The Plan: "Project Void-Sweep"
Arthur summoned his leadership team to a high-tech hangar in the Gobi Desert. For the first time, even Captain Li looked nervous.
"We are entering the Space Race," Arthur declared. "But we aren't launching satellites. We are launching 'The Vacuum.' I want a fleet of massive, heavy-lift rockets designed to catch space debris and push it into the atmosphere to burn up. We will use the most expensive, non-reusable materials. Gold-plated heat shields. Diamond-tipped grappling arms. And we will provide every engineer with a luxury apartment in Singapore and private schooling for their children."
"Young Master," the lead scientist stammered. "Space debris removal is a 'public good.' No one pays for it. It's purely a cost. There is literally zero way to make a cent back."
"Perfect!" Arthur slapped the table, a genuine smile breaking across his face. "I want the most inefficient engines possible. Fuel them with the highest-grade refined chemicals. We're going to burn six billion yuan in the upper atmosphere!"
Point of View: Captain Li (The Earth-Defender)
Captain Li stood on the launchpad, watching the massive "Void-Sweep 1" rocket being fueled. He felt like he was part of a holy crusade.
The Young Master has finally revealed his true scale, Li thought, his heart pounding with pride. He isn't just saving villages or dogs anymore. He is saving the entire planet's future. He knows that if we don't clean the sky, we will be trapped on Earth forever. He is spending six billion of his own 'potential wealth' to be the world's janitor, knowing he will get no credit from the greedy corporations.
"Check the diamond-tipped arms again!" Li barked at the technicians. "The Young Master wants the best because he knows the world is watching! We aren't just cleaning trash; we are cleaning the path to the stars!"
Point of View: Lin Xia (The Silent Architect)
Lin Xia watched the launch from the mission control center. She saw the sheer exhaustion in Arthur's eyes—the exhaustion of a man trying to be "poor" in a world that insisted on making him a legend.
You want to lose it all so you can finally be just 'Arthur' again, don't you? she thought, her eyes softening. But the universe loves you too much.
She picked up her phone. She didn't call the media this time. She called the insurance giants—the companies that insured the world's multi-billion-dollar telecommunications satellites.
"Hello? This is Lin Xia. You've seen 'Project Void-Sweep'? It has reduced the risk of satellite collision by 40% in just one week. My partner is doing this for 'charity,' but I think it's only fair that for every satellite we save, your industry pays a 'Risk Mitigation Fee' into the project's sustainability fund. Otherwise... well, we might just stop cleaning near your satellites."
The Result: The Rain of Gold
Six months later, Arthur was sitting in the desert sand, watching the beautiful streaks of "shooting stars"—which were actually tons of space trash burning up thanks to his rockets. He was waiting for the "Account Depleted" notification.
[Ding!]
[Project: Void-Sweep]
Status: GLOBAL ESSENTIAL SERVICE.
The "Flaw": The "Risk Mitigation Fees" from the insurance and telecom industries turned into a tidal wave of revenue. Governments began competing to pay Arthur "Orbital Taxes" to ensure their national satellites remained safe.
The "Accident": One of the debris-catching nets accidentally snared a "lost" 1970s experimental satellite containing a legendary cache of early-encrypted digital keys and precious metal components worth a fortune in historical and raw value.
Outcome: ¥10,000,000,000 profit donated to "The Global Space Exploration & Climate Fund."
Penalty: Next Project Capital: ¥12,000,000,000. Arthur's Salary: ¥5,000.
Arthur fell backward into the sand, staring at the sky. Twelve billion. He had started with ten million. He was now the most powerful financial force on the planet, and he still had to check the price of a bus ticket before boarding.
Lin Xia sat down beside him, leaning her head on his shoulder. "The world is calling you the 'Guardian of the Heavens,' Arthur. They say you've secured the next hundred years of human progress."
"Xia," Arthur whispered, his voice trembling. "I just wanted to take you to a movie. A normal movie. With popcorn. And maybe a large soda."
"We can't afford the large soda, Arthur," she teased, though her eyes were full of tears. "But we have the stars. Aren't they enough?"