Chapter 2009: Where Did Your Money Come From?

"Clap!"

Without any warning, applause broke out. There were only thirty-some people, but the applause came in wave after wave like a rising tide.

Hearing Guan Shengjie and Du Youwei's eyes were filled with admiration. They asked themselves, if they were as rich as Zhou Andong,

let alone one billion US dollars, they might not even be willing to donate one billion RMB.

Meanwhile, Young Master Pu followed along with the applause mechanically, his head buzzing. He was working himself to the bone in Longjiang Province, digging in the dirt, trying to find a way to earn milk money for his future son.

Yet this bastard Zhou Andong—even if you have money, you don't have to be such a show-off, right? He donated one billion US dollars, over seven billion RMB, just like that. Don't you know that doing this really hurts people's self-esteem?

As he thought about it, this guy also remembered what Zhou Andong had told him: as long as you work hard, your name can be carved on a monument and you can become a national hero.

Damn it, Young Master Pu gritted his teeth secretly. I'll let you have your moment in the spotlight for now. Once the plan succeeds and my name is carved on the monument, it will be my turn to shine. He couldn't wait to go back immediately and keep digging in the dirt.

As for the few guys who came with Young Master Pu, their hands were all red from clapping. They knew Zhou Andong was rich, very rich, but they hadn't expected him to be *this* rich.

Just think, he donated one billion US dollars with a single word. How much money must he have? It must be several times that billion. After all, no matter how generous a person is, they wouldn't donate half of their net worth, right?

The applause lasted for about half a minute before it gradually stopped, and then all the reporters raised their hands.

Zhou Andong scanned the room and saw Hearing Guan Shengjie raising his hand with a breezy, lighthearted smile. The corner of his mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly, and he raised his hand to point forward.

The smile on Hearing Guan Shengjie's face became even brighter. He opened his mouth, the words already at the tip of his tongue, only to hear Zhou Andong say:

"Please, this female comrade, ask your question."

Hearing Guan Shengjie froze on the spot. Du Youwei let out a snort of laughter, then immediately pulled it back.

"Chairman Zhou, I am Du Youwei, a reporter for the *Youth Daily*. First, I want to express my respect for you. Second, could you talk to us about how you view our country's aerospace engineering?

After all, in aerospace engineering, the former Soviet Union sent the third-generation permanent space station, Mir, into space before 1986, and the United States has already achieved a moon landing.

Looking at our side, space stations, manned spacecraft, manned rockets, etc., are all still stuck on the drawing board. Everything must start from zero.

You have donated one billion US dollars to the National Aerospace Research Institute with such a grand gesture. I admire your sincere heart for the motherland, but the gap between us and the US and the West is too large; we are not at the same starting point. Do you really think our aerospace dream can be realized?"

"From the mythological legend of Chang'e flying to the moon to the flying apsaras murals in the Mogao Caves, from Qu Yuan's 'Heavenly Questions' in the Warring States period to Li Bai's 'Drinking Alone Under the Moon' in the prosperous Tang Dynasty... Looking back over a thousand years, the dream of flying to the sky is almost as ancient as the brilliant civilization of our ancient nation.

The feat of Wan Hu flying to the sky over 400 years ago sounded the overture to human exploration of space, but the first person to truly turn the dream into reality was a foreigner.

On April 12, 1961, the former Soviet Union successfully launched the Vostok 1 manned spacecraft, and the news of Gagarin traveling through space soon shocked the world.

Two months later, under the chairmanship of scientists like Qian Xuesen, our Academy of Sciences held a symposium on interstellar navigation, specifically to explore aerospace flight issues, including manned spaceflight.

It was during the three years of natural disasters, but the extremely difficult conditions did not shake the determination of us Chinese people to pursue the dream of flying to the sky. The older generation of scientists began a long journey of exploration.

A few years later, our Space Technology Research Institute, the Institute of Space Medicine and Engineering (China Astronaut Research and Training Center), the Xi'an Satellite Control Center, and other scientific research units were established one after another."

Zhou Andong looked at the dozens of people below listening quietly, a smile appearing on his face.

"In this era of treacherous clouds and surging winds, the international landscape has undergone profound changes. In order to seize the strategic commanding heights, major aerospace powers in the world are competing to develop manned spaceflight. Sixteen countries, including the US and Russia, are brewing a joint construction of an international space station, but they have not included us.

I am not convinced. In the past, we were constantly subjected to nuclear blackmail, and our predecessors shouted the lofty ambition that even if it took ten thousand years, we would build an atomic bomb.

Driven by the strong power of the country's needs and the people's expectations, no matter how many 'Loushan Passes' or 'Lazikou Passes' were on the road ahead, they broke through them, turning their dreams into reality one step at a time.

The era is the questioner, the people are the graders, and the scientists are the answerers. Standing at a new historical starting point that inherits the past and ushers in the future, they will surely record their glorious dreams in the annals of history.

Therefore, I believe that the space station era belonging to China's aerospace will eventually come. We will definitely break the blockade of the US and the West and realize the dream of building our own space station and landing on the moon with humans.

I donated one billion US dollars in the hope that through this donation, I can make a modest contribution to the country's aerospace cause. I hope to inspire more people's patriotic enthusiasm and national pride, and let everyone work together to strive for the realization of the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation."

"Clap!"

Enthusiastic applause rang out once again. When the applause died down, Zhou Andong pointed to a young man in the back.

"Table nine, the comrade wearing the hat."

The young man was full of surprise. He hurriedly stood up and said, "Chairman Zhou, I will take the liberty to ask you: the total assets of the Yugong Group and all its subsidiaries combined do not reach one billion US dollars. You donated so much at once, where did the money come from?"

His voice echoed in the quiet venue, and everyone held their breath, waiting for Zhou Andong's answer.

In fact, everyone had this doubt in their hearts, but no one dared to ask.

Now that the young man had asked, everyone focused their eyes on Zhou Andong, and at the same time, they admired the bravery of this peer.

After all, this Chairman Zhou would often offer rewards of millions to collect evidence of competitors' illegal activities, and they themselves had received many gifts in the past, so they were truly feeling guilty.

A gloating smile appeared on Hearing Guan Shengjie's face, and he whispered to Zhou Andong, "Serves you right, who told you not to let me ask a question."

Pu Zhenrong was also grinning broadly, giving a thumbs-up to the young reporter who had asked the question.

Zhou Andong also laughed: "Brother, are you an assassin sent by my enemies, running all the way here to assassinate me?"

"No, no!" The young man hurriedly waved his hands: "You are my idol; I have always admired you. Actually, this question is just out of my own personal curiosity. If you don't want to answer, that's fine too."

"I can answer this question for you all."

Zhou Andong's words perked everyone up. They were genuinely curious; how Zhou Andong made so much money was simply inconceivable.