The three authorities suddenly found the constraints of space holding them in position vanishing.

"Hong, you-you've broken through?!" Jill Rodney exclaimed.

Hong Tianqi smiled without answering the question. "I hope you'll all take my words to heart."

"No! No! No! Hong, this is unfair! You have to maintain order on Earth!" Wilson Peters shouted, and Gresham Anderson nodded in agreement. 

"That's right, Hong! If we handle this inappropriately, it's possible that Earth might become enmeshed in conflic—"

"Enough. Whether or not there ends up being internal conflict will depend on you, not me. I appreciate that you have all reached out to me beforehand, but China won't be threatened by the likes of you. If you'd like to cooperate,...