Lois Lane asked Luciela how she had come here, and Luciela replied that Kaitou Kid had brought her. From her, Lois also learned that Earthlings had gone on expeditions to other planets. Ordinary people might not believe it, but Lois was an experienced reporter—her instincts told her what was true the moment she heard it. And she believed Luciela.
So not only did aliens come to Earth, but Earthlings also went out to explore other worlds. This wasn't just some superhero adventure; it was a UN-led interstellar exchange. Yet there hadn't been a single whisper of it in the press. That was practically a crime against freedom of the press. Lois had reported multiple alien invasions of Earth, but not once had she been able to cover Earthlings venturing to alien planets. Now that she had the chance, she couldn't let it slip away.
But how could she actually report on it? Lois had gathered plenty of details from Luciela, yet those same details made her realize just how difficult it would be to land an interview. First, this was a classified program. Second, the initiative wasn't even led by the U.S. She had no idea who to even approach to get to another planet.
Official channels were basically impossible. That left only her own methods. Lois turned her gaze on Luciela. "If you want to go back, how would you do it?"
"If I want, Kaitou Kid will send me back," Luciela said.
"Then call him now. I want to see your homeland." Lois never doubted Luciela—her face was too flawless, her words seamless. Lois trusted her own judgment on that.
"But I haven't met Superman yet," Luciela protested, not forgetting her real goal. "Such a strong man—if he became my subordinate, my forces would definitely be the strongest on the continent." She was still daydreaming about building her army.
Lois figured Luciela must be some kind of princess or noble, but she was certain of one thing: Superman would never be her follower. "Forget it. Superman will never leave Earth." After much persuasion, Lois finally got Luciela to drop that ridiculous idea and urged her to call Kid.
Lois thought, with her way with words, plus the fact that she and Kid had already crossed paths once, it shouldn't be hard to secure an interview.
But how had the two of them even ended up together? When Liu A'dou saw Lois and Luciela standing side by side, his expression turned odd. Two women who had nothing to do with each other, meeting like this—it was really fate.
"You know already?" Kid asked, glancing at Lois.
Lois gave a triumphant smile. "Everything Luciela knows, I know. Now take me to Planet Einstein. This is explosive news, and the public has a right to know."
Kid could only give a wry smile. Whether it was good or bad to report on this, he wasn't sure. But one thing was certain: the impact would be huge. If Lois got hard evidence, the Daily Planet's sales would skyrocket.
But letting such a story break in the civilian press instead of through official channels would be a major embarrassment. Liu A'dou knew the UN's plan: first stabilize wormhole travel, then establish diplomatic relations with Einstein's major nations, and only afterward exchange envoys.
Right now, none of that groundwork was done. Sending a reporter in at this stage was reckless. Kid finally said, "I can take you. But even if you get the story, you can't publish it. Earth's relationship with Planet Einstein follows a set plan. The UN hasn't finished its arrangements yet. Your article could wreck that plan and waste trillions of dollars in preparation."
"How could that be?" Lois shook her head at Kid's words. "The people need to know that Earth has made important achievements in space. The first time we've taken the initiative to make contact with aliens shows that humanity isn't just waiting to die but is taking the offensive. That boosts Earthlings' honor and pride. And remember the last time the Black Lantern Corps invaded? So many aliens gathered on Earth, treating us like nothing, crushing everyone's sense of security. I think people should know that Earth has already taken a huge step toward space. We are making progress."
"You make a good point," Kid admitted. But he didn't agree right away. Instead, he turned to Luciela. "Are you ready to go back?"
Luciela nodded. "What Earth has, the South will have sooner or later." She had originally planned to drag back a few car and railway engineers, but soon realized that wasn't enough. She also needed iron mining and smelting. Taking that many people was impossible. So she settled for the next best thing—finding strong fighters.
"That'll probably take a few years. As for trade, that'll have to wait." Shipping steel and iron all the way to Planet Einstein was impossible. Those had to be mined and processed locally, which would take time.
"I know Earth's rules. Don't worry, I'll pay you in gold," Luciela said confidently, clearly valuing Earth highly.
Kid could only smile bitterly. Who wouldn't want money? But right now no one on Earth could cash in on that kind of deal. Still, talking about alien trade made Liu A'dou think of Osborn Enterprises. They weren't doing well in the U.S. weapons market, but if they could crack into the interstellar market, that could be a game-changer. Something worth considering.
"We'll talk about that later. But shouldn't you buy some Earth souvenirs for your little sister before going back?" Liu A'dou grinned.
"Who said I didn't? Lois helped me buy plenty." Luciela pointed to the rental car garage behind her. "All in there."
Clothes, shoes, cosmetics—typical girl stuff. Loads of snacks too, probably ones Lois liked herself. And unbelievably, even electronics—on a planet with no power plants.
Kid stared at the pile of souvenirs speechless. The personal items made sense, the snacks he could understand. But electronics? Totally useless. Outside of Earth's bases with generators, there'd be no way to charge them.
A whole brand-new undeveloped world. Kid saw the glitter of money again. If Osborn Enterprises got involved, they'd be the ones building power plants, stringing power lines, laying railroads. Huge projects. Liu A'dou even started calculating how long it would take to build a brand-new interstellar transport ship from scratch. But he shook his head. In the end, those big contracts would get carved up by the five major powers. Osborn Enterprises couldn't compete with national machines. At most they'd bid on a project or two and scrape some leftovers.
"Kid, you still haven't said if you'll let me interview," Lois pressed.
"Go? Of course. But remember, this is your personal choice. Whatever happens has nothing to do with me."
"Got it, got it. Of course it's my own decision. I won't blame you. So when do we leave?"
Kid knew that if anything went wrong, Superman would back him up anyway. "We leave now."
A flash of white light wrapped around the two women, shaping into soft seats for them to sit in, complete with seat belts. Then it wrapped up all the souvenirs too. "Let's go!" Kid said, as he whisked away Superman's girlfriend.