The kicker is that DARPA needs an answer quickly — it only posted the notice on August 20th, and any evil geniuses tunnel owners have until August 30th at 5PM Eastern to offer their spaces.

And of course, DARPA hasn’t said just why it needs this area to begin with. A lair for a Demogorgon? An Us-style tunnel? An area to conduct alien autopsies? The boring reality is that it’s probably meant for non-sinister purposes like studying radio waves, but that isn’t about to stop people’s vivid imaginations — we’ve seen a few sci-fi horror movies start out this way.

Musk also hinted that the Boring Company was willing to create underwater tunnels, although there haven’t been any announced so far.

The entrepreneur didn’t explain just why the company was expanding to China, although there are a few potential reasons. For one, it might face less opposition from regulators and neighborhood groups — looser development rules might work in its favor. A larger, denser population might stand to benefit more from tunnel systems. It also helps that Tesla is dramatically expanding its presence in China. The Boring Company could represent a convenient complement to the automaker’s plans in the region.

Future Ventures — which backed other Musk ventures like Tesla and SpaceX — also contributed to the funding round. “Boring is a great example of the disruptive playbook we look for,” said Future’s Steve Jurvetson, who also serves as a director on the boards of Tesla and SpaceX. Counting the new funds, Musk’s transportation startup is now valued at $920 million. The outside investment comes a couple of months after Boring Co. nabbed its first client — the Las Vegas Convention Center. The company was awarded a $48.6 million contract to build a tunnel that would move people across 200 acres of conference space at the LVCC.

These are promising developments for Musk’s tunnel company, which has faced some recent challenges. Back in November, Boring Co. axed plans to build a test tunnel underneath LA’s Sepulveda Boulevard and 405 freeway following a lawsuit from neighborhood groups. Officials raised numerous safety concerns in a draft environmental assessment of its plan for a Baltimore-Washington DC Hyperloop released back in May. Earlier this year, The Los Angeles Times reported that regional engineers didn’t think a Boring Co. plan for a tunnel connecting JFK with Manhattan was feasible.

The Boring Company believes the tunnel system could be ready within a year, syncing up with the LVCC’s expansion plans. You could be riding by CES 2021, in other words. It’s estimated to cost between $35 million and $55 million, though the exact price will likely become clearer if and when specific plans are submitted at a contract negotiating meeting in June 2019.

A system like this might be necessary. The LVCC is already a sprawling facility (just ask Engadget’s staff), but it’ll be two miles across by the time the expansion is done — that’s a long walk if you’re just trying to visit a booth at a trade show. It could also alleviate some of the pressure on existing transportation options like the monorail, shuttle vans, taxis and ridesharing services.

This could also be an important victory for The Boring Company in the face of significant setbacks. The firm recently abandoned plans for an LA Westside tunnel, and its proposed Chicago loop is dealing with opposition as well. A completed Las Vegas project would represent a much-needed company win, and might just convince other cities to ask for tunnels of their own. That is, of course, provided there isn’t further opposition. The Vegas taxi industry successfully lobbied against a monorail extension, and it might offer a similar fight here.