Seeing the unclaimed gold, anyone would momentarily forget other priorities. But now that William had decided not to dig any further, he needed to shift focus back to survival—specifically, food. This would prevent others from becoming suspicious of his motives.
Picking up his shovel and returning to the spacecraft, William spoke to the hovering livestream drone, "I've already wasted too much time on gold, which has no immediate value for my survival. Now, I need to collect volcanic ash and ice to fulfill the monumental task of farming on Mars—preparing for the long haul, just in case something goes wrong."
He piloted the spacecraft, showing viewers the rugged Martian landscape of mountains and valleys along the way. As he flew at high speed through narrow canyons, taking sharp turns and sudden stops, the real-life science fiction spectacle left many viewers exhilarated.
Some couldn't help but dream of being in his place, soaring freely over the Martian terrain.
Meanwhile, intelligence analysts from various countries, observing the spacecraft's movements and maneuvers, were deeply unsettled. Watching it perform rapid acceleration, hovering, and tight turns, they came to an alarming conclusion: existing fighter jets would stand no chance against this spacecraft in a dogfight.
Even at long range, air-to-air missiles would struggle to keep up with the spacecraft, let alone hit it.
The calculations were grim. If England could produce just a few dozen of these spacecraft, it would render all other nations' air forces obsolete.
The implications were so severe that, back in the United States, some strategists were already considering extreme measures. They believed this was the perfect opportunity to undermine England's resurgence while William remained stranded on Mars and unable to intervene directly.
Reaching Olympus Mons, William guided the spacecraft in a wide arc around the summit. Smiling at the livestream drone, he began to describe the mountain to viewers.
"Olympus Mons is the tallest mountain in the solar system, standing 27 kilometers high. That's over three times the height of Mount Everest.
"The winds here regularly reach speeds of over 100 kilometers per hour. Standing at the summit requires more than just an ordinary space suit—it requires something tougher than most military-grade flight suits."
He patted the chest plate of his armor. "Luckily, I'm wearing the Devonshire Mark IV Space Combat Armor. Unlike traditional space suits, this armor doesn't just keep you alive in the -140°C temperatures here.
"It's bulletproof against sniper rounds, can withstand a head-on collision with a truck at 100 kilometers per hour, and can handle the immense pressure at this altitude."
William's voice grew more excited. "So, I'm about to stand on the tallest mountain in the solar system to experience what it truly feels like to be on top of the world—or worlds."
After that dramatic declaration, he suddenly grinned mischievously at the camera drone.
"Who knows? If I'm lucky, I might just find some Martian gemstones while I'm up here."
Viewers were immediately intrigued. And when William added, "Any gemstones I find will be auctioned off, with the proceeds donated to the World Children's Fund," the announcement sparked worldwide applause.
He raised a hand. "However, if I find only one gemstone, I'll be giving it to my mother. In that case, I'll donate the equivalent value in gold instead. How does five tons of Martian gold sound?"
The room erupted into applause as journalists at London's Mission Control cheered for William's generosity. Television audiences across the globe joined in, impressed by his gesture.
For the wealthiest elite, however, it was the gemstones that sparked their interest. The idea of owning a one-of-a-kind Martian gemstone caused their imaginations to run wild.
The World Children's Fund wasted no time in releasing a public letter expressing their gratitude. They revealed that William had donated several times to their cause in the past, though they declined to disclose the exact amounts, citing the donor's wishes.
Journalists, however, quickly deduced from hints in the letter that William's donations exceeded the value of his Chelsea football club—at least £600 million.
This revelation left the public astonished. Yet to William, this sum was mostly "dirty money" from his covert operations—money he couldn't openly pocket. Donating it to bolster his public image was a no-brainer.
Walking along the summit of Olympus Mons, William activated the scanner on his suit, searching the terrain for valuable minerals.
After half an hour of fruitless searching, he was about to pull out a gemstone from his personal stash to stage a discovery when the scanner unexpectedly pinged.
The alert indicated a faint red glow nearby. Excited, William hurried thirty meters to the location. When he glanced down, his eyes widened, and he exclaimed dramatically,
"Oh my God, I think I'm going to be in trouble when I get back home.
"If I donate everything I find here, my mother might actually hit me for the first time in my life!"
William deliberately kept the camera focused on himself, refusing to show what he had found. This only heightened the anticipation.
Millions of viewers around the world leaned forward in their seats, dying to see what could provoke such a reaction.
Television ratings skyrocketed as people anxiously waited for William to reveal his discovery.
Finally, William sighed and said, "I regret promising to donate these gemstones."
He crouched down, muttering, "I knew that gemstones like topaz, citrine, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires are associated with volcanic activity, but this... this is beyond anything I expected."
He adjusted the drone to focus on the ground, and the livestream showed the world his discovery:
Embedded in a dark, irregularly-shaped piece of lava rock was a ruby the size of a baby's fist, glowing with a mesmerizing crimson light.
Viewers gasped audibly.
"Oh, thank God I didn't promise to donate all of the gemstones," William quipped with a grin.
Then, under the intense gaze of millions, he smashed the lava rock with his fist.
The livestream revealed dozens of smaller rubies, each at least the size of a pinky nail, glittering like fiery stars within the fractured rock.
Wealthy collectors sighed in relief. Even if William kept the largest ruby for himself, there would be enough smaller ones for auction.
For the World Children's Fund, this was nothing short of a miracle.
As for whether William would be foolish enough to auction off the largest ruby—no one believed for a second that he would.
(End of Chapter)
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