Chapter 30: History Deviated Once Again
Chapter 30: History Deviated Once Again
The announcement of the ’50-Year Lunar Exploration Plan’
was one of the bigger events this year, and even Qin Yu had heard about it.
If someone insisted on connecting it, Qin Yu did have a slight relation to this.
The prefix ‘Fifty-year’ on this plan would have been very improbable before the emergence of the 2611 Longevity Injection in 2611.
After all, fifty years was simply too long. Making such a lengthy plan for a specific project didn’t make much sense.
Fifty years was enough time to go from youth to near the grave.
In the past, some might have considered things fifty years ahead, but no one paid daily attention to something that would only yield results after fifty years.
It was only now,
in the post-2611 Longevity Injection era, that such a plan spanning over fifty years could be born.
The reason was simple:
fifty years, compared to the expected lifespan of one hundred and eighty years, didn’t seem that long anymore.
The young people of this era would all live to see that time, and by then, most would still only be middle-aged.
Within Huaxia Nation, people had always been generally supportive of the development of future technologies like spaceflight,
and now, the enthusiasm among Huaxia Nation’s people soared even higher.
People were generally optimistic that the ’50-Year Lunar Exploration Plan’ could be perfectly realized.
Furthermore, the fifty-year timeframe didn’t feel impossibly distant to the people of this era.
The vast majority would be able to enjoy the final fruits of this long-term plan.
Under these circumstances, how could people’s enthusiasm not be high?
As for the specific content of the 50-Year Lunar Exploration Plan,
it was roughly divided into three phases.
Phase One: Within five years, starting 29 years from now, complete a manned moon landing.
Phase Two: Over twenty years, from years 34 to 54, repeatedly execute manned moon landing missions,
and complete the construction of a small, semi-permanent Lunar Base, similar to a space station.
Finally, Phase Three: Over the remaining twenty-five years, expand the scale of the Lunar Base to sustain at least a thousand permanent residents and periodically host a certain number of tourists from the ground.
It would also achieve the ability to mine and transport back certain materials from the moon, signifying the Lunar Exploration Plan entering a stage of direct returns.
Simultaneously, attempts would be made toward permanent interstellar human habitation on the moon and operating the Lunar Base independently for periods.
Of course,
these were just the broad outlines of the plan’s three phases.
In reality, each phase involved many ‘sub-plans’ and ‘sub-tasks’ to be carried out.
There were also many specific hurdles to overcome.
Such as spacecraft payload capacity issues, the operation of the semi-permanent Lunar Base,
and the plan’s cost issues.
Speaking of which,
within Qin Yu’s own plans for the future,
he did consider advancing human civilization’s exploration within the Solar System to increase productivity and total resources.
However, for now, regarding this fifty-year plan, Qin Yu was essentially an observer.
He didn’t plan to get involved in this matter just yet.
For him, a super genius in the Field of Life Sciences, to suddenly shift into aerospace, seemed rather strange right now.
“…It would probably be quite difficult for me to personally oversee the completion of the entire 50-Year Lunar Plan. But I calculated—with my lifespan just barely stretching—I ought to see the plan succeed… after I retire.”
“And I owe that thanks to you, Professor Qin Yu.”
Director Wei said this to Qin Yu with a smile.
“By the way, Professor Qin, you’re an expert in the Field of Life Sciences. If the Field of Life Sciences could develop plants adaptable to the space environment, or even plants capable of altering planetary environments… then that would truly… change everything.”
Director Wei recalled this idea and mentioned it casually.
But it was more of a joke.
Because he knew, in fact everyone in the world knew, that Qin Yu researched the Lifespan Mechanism within human physiology.
Though plant research also fell under Life Science and Biology, the gap and breadth were simply too vast.
“Perhaps someday, related fields will indeed produce similar results that could play a supportive role in our external explorations.”
Qin Yu didn’t dismiss Director Wei’s words but offered this reply with a smile.
“If that happened, it would be tremendous…”
Inspired by Qin Yu’s words, Director Wei felt a spark of hope.
They chatted a little more before concluding their conversation.
…
In October, Qin Yu stood on the city gate tower to watch that year’s celebration parade.
Exactly as predicted before,
Qin Yu’s reappearance after a long absence was noticed by many beyond the context of the month’s celebrations.
People weren’t at all surprised to see Qin Yu on the city gate tower;
given his contributions, he more than deserved the spot.
People were more curious about what Qin Yu had been doing these past two years.
Of course, besides the public, other nations, like North Bear Nation and Moon Nation, were likely quite interested too.
Fearing that Qin Yu, unseen for so long, was suddenly brewing something big.
While standing on the gate tower,
Qin Yu himself noticed
that several ‘foreign guests’ occasionally cast glances his way.
Over the last few years,
even though no outside forces had actually confronted him or affected him personally,
Qin Yu had heard rumors about many events unfolding concerning his whereabouts and information.
The temptations of life extension and immortality were truly enough to drive people crazy.
The current situation could be considered relatively restrained.
If they could actually seize Qin Yu, there were probably people who would attempt it even at this very spot.
While the majority believed the idea that Qin Yu possessed other, superior Life Extension Technology beyond the 2611 Longevity Injection was a conspiracy theory,
for some people, what if?
And in a way fulfilling many people’s expectations,
as the celebration event concluded that day,
a reporter from Huaxin News Agency secured a brief, impromptu interview opportunity.
Right under the city gate tower, before Qin Yu left, a brief interview was conducted with him.
“Professor Qin, I believe many people are very curious. You haven’t been seen in public much recently, nor have you been teaching at Lingchuan University. Are you continuing in-depth research on the mechanisms of life extension and life extension technology?”
A reporter from Huaxin News Agency placed the microphone in front of Qin Yu. Other reporters at the scene also wanted to crowd around, but without authorization, they couldn’t get this close.
The title of Father of Longevity Technology made Qin Yu’s situation quite special compared to other scientists and researchers, on top of his huge scientific contributions.
For now, it was hard to say if Qin Yu was the greatest scientist in history, but even if Einstein came back to life, he probably wouldn’t have been as much in demand as Qin Yu.
“In the last year or two, I haven’t done any research on the mechanisms of life extension or life extension technology.”
Qin Yu gave only that short reply and didn’t bother to explain more.
“So, Professor Qin, are you working on other research projects lately?”
“Yes, it’s a project still in the field of life sciences.”
“When will the results of your new research project be ready for the public?”
“I don’t know either.”
After Qin Yu gave that answer, this short interview ended.
Actually, Qin Yu told the truth in his reply to the last question.
Even though the Human Reproduction Device research project would be done soon, Qin Yu really wasn’t sure when its existence and use would be made public.
He didn’t care much about this and also didn’t know when the authorities would choose to announce it.
Developing the Human Reproduction Device was one thing, but using it was a whole different matter.
After finishing this short interview with Qin Yu, the Huaxin News Agency reporter couldn’t help looking a little disappointed.
Being able to interview Professor Qin here was a good addition to any reporter’s record, since Professor Qin was special and rarely gave interviews.
It was too bad that the interview was so short.
But there was nothing the reporter could do about it, as these three questions were sent to Qin Yu ahead of time, just in case any secrets got out.
Two or three years had passed, and the technology for making the 2611 Longevity Injection was still only held by Huaxia Nation.
North Bear Nation and Moon Nation hadn’t made much progress in their own research on the 2611 Longevity Injection technology.
Over the last two or three years, because of the 2611 Longevity Injection, Huaxia Nation’s influence in the HCC had clearly grown strong enough to challenge North Bear Nation and Moon Nation working together.
To put it simply, in terms of the 2611 Longevity Injection technology, Huaxia Nation had a tight grip on those two sides in the HCC, and it was a deadly hold, literally life-or-death if not handled right.
Any chance to get the technology for the 2611 Longevity Injection would never be given up.
After this short interview by Huaxin News Agency was released, it had a very strange effect.
— Many research projects related to life extension mechanisms and life extension technology took a big hit.
One word from Qin Yu pretty much cooled down much of the hottest research trend right now.
Researchers working on such topics felt like crying but couldn’t hate Qin Yu for it.
After all, Qin Yu hadn’t done anything wrong; he just said a few words.
But the market overreacted a lot to what the Father of Longevity Technology said.
Before, all sorts of money for further research on life extension technology was pouring in eagerly, since Qin Yu had set such a high standard—who could say it wasn’t possible to build on the 2611 Longevity Injection and go even further?
Professor Qin made big leaps forward, and others took small steps behind him, right?
But now, Professor Qin said that for the last two or three years, he hadn’t worked on life extension technology at all.
Didn’t that mean Qin Yu, the Father of Longevity Technology, thought the future of life extension technology looked pretty bad too?
Although he’d mentioned this issue long ago in an interview with Huaxin News Agency, right after the 2611 Longevity Injection became common, what he said now had a different weight after two more years.
So after Qin Yu’s words, big funders who were usually generous suddenly became stingy and cautious about investing in such projects.
“… Ah! I’m doomed! A big shot’s one sentence knocked down the hottest research direction in life sciences, even in the whole academic world. I really feel like crying but can’t even shed tears. I saw my advisor today, and he also looked like all hope was gone.”
“It’s over. I’m a PhD student in life sciences too. Earlier, my advisor got a research project related to life extension mechanisms. For the last two years, our group lived large—the monthly support pay was really high! Ah, Professor Qin, why couldn’t this happen one year later? Then I’d already have graduated… Right now, a broken grad student is shattering here.”
“Me too… but I don’t hate Professor Qin.”
“Hate Professor Qin? When you get down to it… we were all riding on Professor Qin’s coattails to eat well, or else who’d pour that much money into such projects? This is good now—clear away the messy projects that had nothing to do with it, and keep the real ones. Also, later on, that lost money might come back someday… Why throw so much cash around? Did anyone really think all project teams could pull off huge breakthroughs like Professor Qin? No, it was just greed, hoping for a lucky break to live a few more years.”
“True.”
Besides this kind of fallout, the main thing from the short interview was that most people became very curious about what other research project Qin Yu was working on.
“Tell me, what project is Professor Qin Yu really doing now?”
“I know, it’s definitely something about humans!”
“Well, isn’t that obvious? Like Professor Qin would go build a spaceship?”
“Probably no need to get too worried about it. Even Professor Qin can’t have every project become as earth-shattering as the 2611 Longevity Injection, right?”
“But… I heard it only took Professor Qin a few years from starting research on life extension to creating the 2611 Longevity Injection. Now it’s already been two or three years since that project ended.”
“If you put it that way… Hiss… yeah, if you put it that way…”
The buzz online didn’t catch Qin Yu’s attention.
The next day, he went back to Research Institute 011 from the capital.
After another quiet period of time came the day when the first test run of the Human Reproduction Device, based on Artificial Womb Technology, ended.
First, the researchers confirmed one thing: in the gestation environment, the baby inside the Human Reproduction Device was actually growing normally. It didn’t need any changes even past the normal gestation time.
But at the same time, they saw that the baby kept growing normally in the Human Reproduction Device without showing any special changes or having any advantages over babies born naturally at the same stage.
So, Research Institute 011 planned to wrap up this run of the Human Reproduction Device and go ahead with the ‘delivery process’ for the developing baby.
The researchers chose a date and set it for January 1st, year 30.
On January 1st, year 30, Qin Yu was there. Academician Shen Yaoguo, who was there for the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the authorities, was also present. All the key researchers who worked directly on the Human Reproduction Device project were in attendance, and other researchers from Research Institute 011, plus everyone in the know, were waiting for news.
At 10 in the morning, after Qin Yu gave his okay, the researcher in charge looked at the time.
Then, together with other researchers, they drained the nutrient fluid from the gestation chamber of the Human Reproduction Device.
They adjusted the artificial environment inside the gestation chamber and then opened the Human Reproduction Device’s gestation chamber.
“Professor Qin, how about you hold the baby?”
The researcher in charge had the thought, pulled back their hands, and suggested it to Qin Yu.
Qin Yu didn’t refuse. He just nodded and stepped forward.
He reached out with his gloved hand and gently lifted the baby, who was lying in the chamber, into his arms.
In that very moment, right in Qin Yu’s hands, the world changed greatly again.
It was like a giant, standing by the long river of time with an axe, carving out the whole civilization.
He shaped the entire civilization into whatever form he wanted, time and again.
This moment was definitely going to have a big impact later on.
Also, someone from Research Institute 011 captured this moment on camera.