342: Chapter 122: The Past Sea [Part 2] 342: Chapter 122: The Past Sea [Part 2] After saying many words, Jing Hongtu also beca sowhat listless.
He seed to age rapidly, his energy nowhere near what it once was.
He piled the books one by one into Xiang Shan’s hands, as if he was reluctant to part with the entire study.
He suddenly sighed, “I feel like I’ve put too much pressure on you.
For , letting you take over the position as the head of that research departnt might just be my greatest achievent in life, no exaggeration at all, it’s true.
As a technology developer, you’ve done more beautifully than the daydreams I had in the past.
You’ve nded wars, brought developnt, and are about to eradicate famine.
Perhaps poverty will also beco a thing of the past…
In the most corrupt tis, I couldn’t even dream of such good things happening.”
“In the remaining years of my life, I might not achieve anything greater.
I really hope you can achieve victory, Xiang.
To achieve the ultimate victory in the continuous battles.”
Xiang Shan felt the weight of the books in his hands.
The density of paper was heavier than bricks, even heavier than so stones.
Xiang Shan put the books down, lowered his head and said, “Although I’ve never formally taken lessons, I have learned a lot from you.
You are my teacher.”
Jing Hongtu shook his head, “I am just an external factor.
The elents for your Awakening as a Self-actor were already in place before we even went to the Rama Project.”
Xiang Shan smiled, “You shouldn’t say that you can’t achieve greater things…
I see you are still writing sothing?
Perhaps there are shocking academic achievents yet to co?”
“Ah?
That?
Science fiction,” Jing Hongtu laughed, “after all, I missed that bus.
Over these years, I still want to pick up the dreams of my youth.
Want to take a look?”
Xiang Shan picked up the unfinished manuscript.
Xiang Shan plunged into the white pages.
—This is one of my last visits…
—Why did I want to visit at that ti…
The whiteness of the pages transford into another kind of white.
The air was filled with the scent of disinfectant and a faint aroma of incense.
Xiang Shan shivered.
The late sumr of 2043.
The leaves on the trees outside the window had already started to turn yellow.
Xiang Shan sat in a chair, holding an aged hand.
It was an elderly woman.
She rambled on, “Shan, now you’re a great scientist, a big boss.
You keep busy with your work; you don’t have to keep visiting .”
“How could I not?” Xiang Shan tightly held the woman’s hand, “I have only one mother in this lifeti.”
His nose felt a bit sore.
“This child…” The mother withdrew her hand smilingly and patted him, “Your elder cousin visited a few days ago.
His son took the college entrance exam this year, and the essay question was about your speech at Peking University.”
Xiang Shan awkwardly smiled, “That’s a small matter…”
“That’s small?
Our ancestors for eight generations have not done sothing as grand as this.
The whole family basks in your accomplishnts.
In the last few days, distant relatives are coming from afar to visit .” The mother laughed, “Shan, you are a person ant to do great things, it’s not up for old ladies like to worry.
But mom still has a few concerns that I can’t let go of.”
“Mom…” Xiang Shan again clasped his mother’s hand, “Your son is capable now, there’s nothing he can’t do.
Just say what it is.”
“Your grandma passed away early, and we don’t know if it was this disease.
Your grandaunt also died of this disease,” the mother instructed, “Now that you’re capable, and have the most professional…
that thing.
Do that screening for your female cousins as well.
It might allow for early discovery and treatnt… and you the sa.”
Xiang Shan lowered his head, “There will never be this disease again.
Really.
They are all fine.
I’m fine, too.”
“Yes, yes, I know you are capable.
Show off,” the mother chuckled, “Enough of that.
Let’s talk about you.
Zhu is a good girl…
You two have been together for so many years, why don’t you just marry her?
The poor girl has been without a title for so long, don’t let people laugh at her.”
Xiang Shan lowered his head.
He had a lot to say, considering he saw himself as progressive and innovative.
But he said nothing.
“When you brought that girl ho, oh, your father and I couldn’t have been happier.
He was so delighted he drank three glasses of vodka the next day…
even though his liver was bad.
We both thought you’d get married soon, that we’d have grandchildren to hold.
But you guys…
I’m not blaming you.
You both are extrely capable and busy.
Yet no matter how busy, a person needs a family, right?
It’s okay if you’re too busy for kids.
The Xiang Family has more than just you, but Zhu has been with you for so many years, she deserves official recognition.”
“Yes, yes…” Xiang Shan lowered his head, tears falling to the floor, “I’ll go and…
arrange…
the wedding…”
“Oh, don’t.
Your wedding anniversary followed by my morial day, bad luck.” The mother’s hand rested on Xiang Shan’s head, “Mom’s not forcing you…
You, my child, don’t cry.
When I et your father below, how can I say this?
My son, all snivelingly.
Shan…
Mom still hopes you can live a happy life.”
Xiang Shan fell forward, and the white sheets shattered, then reford into a white funeral banner.
More than two hundred years later, in the mory space, the cries of a son resounded.
Zhu Xinyu sat opposite Xiang Shan.
This was the edge of the morial hall.
In recent years, the state had promoted frugality, advocating modern funeral customs, and as the deceased had not liked elaborate arrangents, there were no wreaths or ritual papers, only white chrysanthemums from all of society around the remains.
Under a few large bamboo flower baskets, there were funeral banners signed by leaders and various national embassies.
Zhu Xinyu looked at the closest one, “A character of great virtue thrives, beneficence extends to descendants.”
Utmost in mournful honor.
The brief ceremony had ended.
Only close family mbers and a few friends remained.
Xiang Shan, unusually dressed in formal attire, was wearing AR glasses.
His hand weakly moved above his forehead, seemingly reviewing sothing.
Zhu Xinyu felt a sourness in her heart and wiped her tears.
It was the autumn of the 43rd year.
David and Yawgmoth stood by.
David wore a black suit with a white paper flower on his chest.
Yawgmoth was in a thick black down jacket.
It was still autumn.
Given the climate of Beiping, Yawgmoth’s attire was sowhat exaggerated.
He said gloomily, “I’m sorry…
I wasn’t able to help.”
David also bowed his head, “I didn’t manage it well, I’m sorry…”
“A few years ago, when I read a similar industry report, it said that human cryonics technology would only take fifteen years to comrcialize, right?
Look at this year, ha, twenty years.
Next ti I look, I’m afraid it might be twenty-five years.”
The tone was strange, very oppressive.
If there was anything that could sowhat salvage the elderly who couldn’t undergo the Benchmark Man gene modification surgery, it should be “human cryonics.”
The technology wasn’t ready now, but perhaps the technology of the future could.
“There’s no way…” David’s voice was very low.
“I don’t bla you.” Xiang Shan placed his hand on his forehead, “NASA, CNSA have all cut funding for Homo sapiens cryonics projects and shifted it to Benchmark Man cryonics.
This technology is for colonizing outer space.
There won’t be any more Homo sapiens astronauts.
Benchmark n are better suited for conquering space.”
“The dical field…
‘Species Renewal’ complications are what the dical field is focused on conquering nowadays.
A breakthrough in this area would lower the difficulty of transforming Homo sapiens into Benchmark n.
Once transford, eighty percent of Homo sapiens diseases are negligible…
plus cyberization.
We could conquer both illness and disability.”
“But if we’ve managed such a sci-fi concept as ‘changing species,’ why can’t we achieve ‘Homo sapiens cryonics’…”
David had no words to say.
The cryonics agencies he contacted dared not boast to these monster-sized controllers of Superman Enterprises.
They provided accurate technical data.
According to experts like Chen Feng…
existing technology could not guarantee that Homo sapiens could be revived after cryonics.
Additionally, even if revival were possible, irreversible brain damage was inevitable.
Moreover, after twenty or thirty years, dical research would shift entirely towards Benchmark n.
Yawgmoth kicked the ground with the tip of his shoe, “You can hate if you want.”
Xiang Shan covered his eyes with his hand, “We are here to save the world, seventy percent of people could enjoy a lifespan of four hundred years, free from famine, a boundless rit.
Why should I hate you?”
“Benchmark n and Homo sapiens have obvious biological differences.
The dical technology needed for Benchmark n differs from that for Homo sapiens.
The cryonics sche suitable for Benchmark n can’t be applied to Homo sapiens.”
The greatest difficulty in human cryonics lies in the fact that when water in the body turns into ice crystals, it destroys bodily tissues at the cellular level.
There are only two thods to solve this problem.
First, is by instant freezing, fixing water molecules in their original places before they have the chance to form ice crystals.
Second, is using Protective Liquid to replace water.
The forr is impossible.
The level of physics and engineering in humanity has not reached the point to instantly and uniformly freeze water in the human body.
Also, Homo sapiens’ ability to sustain injuries is too weak to allow ‘harm-free brain extraction for quick freezing’.
Protective Liquid is the more likely solution.
However, the existing Protective Liquids are not safe.
The process of replacing blood with Protective Liquid could lead to a series of chemical injuries.
According to the tiline put forth by Superman Enterprise, gene modification surgery for Benchmark n will be implented for every individual within ten years.
Those lucky enough born after the 90s might enjoy this privilege.
anwhile, Homo sapiens cryonics technology will require more than a decade to see fruition—it is a technology destined for limited application.
Zhu Xinyu couldn’t help saying, “There are so many wealthy tycoons.
Surely they aren’t content…”
“It’s aningless.” Xiang Shan exhaled, “Their money is capital.
If they can’t make their capital grow, others will take it away.
They can’t endlessly withdraw funds from their own companies, or market rules could sweep them out the door.
They can only invest the personal funds they can use in this project…
and how much could that amount to?”
“But what about the governnt…
Not to ntion, don’t any of the multitude of senators and electors in the Federation promise to prepare cryonics technology for the elderly?”
Yawgmoth scoffed, “There are a few.
But for conservatives, it’s much cheaper to contract with religious institutions.”
David clasped Xiang Shan’s hand, “Shan…
as long as you’re willing…
just give the command, we can set up a project.”
“Resources are only so abundant.” Xiang Shan lowered the hand covering his eyes, staring at David — it was a gaze Zhu Xinyu had never seen before.
He countered, “Each day the technology is delayed here, about three hundred thousand people lose eligibility for the procedure.
Each day it’s hastened, it’s the welfare of three hundred thousand people…
What should I do?”
Zhu Xinyu walked over to Xiang Shan, holding his head, “Human effort is sotis exhausted…
resources are finite.
It’s not your fault.”
Xiang Shan leaned against Zhu Xinyu’s chest, “Xinyu…”
“Hmm?”
“I know you don’t like your dad…
but he’s also an old man now.
Visit him when you have the ti.” Xiang Shan looked around, “Everyone, try to visit the elderly more often.”
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