Ethan's ambition rested on two distinct pillars.
The first was the Minecraft World, serving as his primary base and an inexhaustible rear area. It provided infinite resources and the absolute protection of its unique, reality-bending rules.
The second was the Heavens Conquest System, bound to the very fabric of his soul.
The system's requirements were as straightforward as they were cold. It granted Ethan the ability to open Portals to other planes, but with a singular, non-negotiable condition: Ethan must conquer and unify those worlds.
This was the fundamental reason he had been so eager to bridge the gap with the Federation. Relying solely on himself, he could build fortresses in Minecraft until the end of time, but to truly subjugate foreign worlds with tens of millions of inhabitants or extraordinary powers? He would collapse from exhaustion before the first province fell. Furthermore, the system restricted him to controlling only one "entity" crossing through the gate at any given time.
He needed a blade—an indestructible, sharpened blade. The Federation military was that blade.
Pulling his thoughts back to the present, Ethan looked at Marcus Zhang. He spoke slowly, dropping the real bombshell.
"General Zhang, unlimited coal and Steel might make life on Earth a bit more comfortable, but my goal—the true value behind the door I possess—has never been mere comfort."
Ethan pointed to his temple.
"In my mind, countless coordinates are lighting up. Those coordinates represent real, existing worlds. And I intend to conquer them."
"Conquer... other worlds?" Zhang's brow furrowed, his expression becoming incredibly solemn. "To what end? For colonization?"
"For evolution," Ethan said, the weight of the words hanging in the air.
Then, he cast a lure that no Federation leader could refuse.
"General, you're thinking in terms of industry and technology. But have you considered what happens if the door I open leads to a world of High Cultivation?"
At the mention of the word, Zhang's hand tightened around his teacup so sharply his knuckles turned white. His breathing hitched.
Ethan continued, his voice dropping into a low, magnetic tone. "If, in that world, there are those who fly on swords, those who can pluck stars from the sky, or those who live for a millennium... and we, with modern tactical equipment and the ability to Respawn, conquer them? We seize their techniques. We take their Miraculous Elixirs."
Ethan leaned forward, enunciating every syllable.
"It won't just be a leap in technology. We can make the entire Federation ascend. We can train soldiers who withstand missiles with their bare skin and extend the human lifespan beyond its natural limits. General, compared to a future where our people soar through the heavens, aren't a few tons of gold just pebbles by the roadside?"
The silence that followed was deafening.
If the promise of infinite resources was a grenade, the prospect of national evolution was a nuclear strike. Zhang's mind raced. As a high-ranking official, he knew the state had spent decades researching the limits of human biology, always hitting a brick wall.
Now, Ethan had laid out a path to the stars.
After a long silence, Zhang recovered from the shock. He looked at Ethan with entirely different eyes. Before, he saw a lucky young man holding a gold mine. Now, he saw the helmsman of a civilization-altering shift.
Zhang stood up and straightened his uniform. He was a sharp man; he understood Ethan's unspoken boundary. This world is mine. I opened the door. I need partners, not masters.
Taking a deep breath, Zhang extended a calloused hand.
"Ethan, I understand. Your ambition is the Federation's greatest opportunity. The state will not interfere with your authority in that world, nor will we overstep."
His voice was forceful and sincere. "On this special battlefield, you are the Commander. We are your backing. Whatever world you wish to strike, the General Staff will provide the strategy, the Army will be your vanguard, and Logistics will be your shield. We cooperate as equals. You achieve your conquest, and the Federation achieves a future that leads to the heavens."
Ethan looked at the outstretched hand and finally allowed a satisfied smile to reach his eyes. This was the dynamic he required. No subordinates, no hidden agendas.
He gripped Zhang's hand firmly. "It's a pleasure working with you, General."
A cold, sharp light flashed in Ethan's eyes—the look of a man ready to wage war against the stars.
General Zhang didn't reach for the secure red phone immediately. He glanced toward the surveillance probe in the corner, its red light pulsing faintly, then at the recording equipment on the table.
Everything said here had already been transmitted through the highest encryption channels to the capital. At this moment, the Prime Minister and the inner circle were likely reeling just as he was.
With the weight of the report lifted, Zhang's posture relaxed slightly. He looked at the young man before him, the professional scrutiny fading into a more personal appreciation.
"Ethan," Zhang paused, then waved a hand dismissively. "Always being so official feels a bit distant. Given the age gap, I could be your father. If you don't mind, I'll call you Ethan, and in private, you can just call me Uncle Marcus."
It was a massive political signal. Ethan was no longer just a "resource"; he was being brought into the inner circle of protection.
Ethan nodded easily. "Of course, Uncle Marcus."
The tension in the room evaporated. Zhang took a long sip of his tea, his throat dry from the adrenaline of the conversation.
"By the way, Ethan... the Prime Minister seeing you in a dream last night. That wasn't some divine vision, was it? It was the 'consciousness possession' you mentioned?"
Ethan smiled. "You have a keen eye, Uncle Marcus."