Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The press conference was a mess.
The audience sitting in front of TVs, computers, and mobile phones watching the live broadcast of the press conference were all shocked when they heard Lu Zhou announce that he would go to Mars in person.
He’s going to Mars?!
What is going on?!
“Academician Lu is going to Mars himself?”
“F*ck, no way? He’s really f*cking going?!”
“I think… Academician Lu is probably joking? Although he is not old, going to Mars is still too ridiculous. I remember that only professional astronauts can adapt to life there.”
“No please, God Lu, please stay on Earth!”
The discussions on Weibo were exploding.
The popularity of the topic soared rapidly, surpassing the “Mars landing plan press conference” and other terms that dominated the trending search list.
The situation on Twitter and Facebook was the same. There were also YouTube and streaming websites that were directly broadcasting the news conference. People expressed their shock in the comment sections.
Although some people had speculated before whether Lu Zhou’s name would be on the list, this was thought to be an outlandish prediction.
No one thought that Lu Zhou actually planned to go to Mars himself.
No one thought that the relevant state departments would actually agree to his wish.
At the press conference, the noise covered the entire No.1 Conference Hall ceiling.
The staff desperately wanted to maintain order, but the reporters on the scene were too surprised by the breaking news. They broke out with enthusiasm and rushed toward the platform.
“Professor Lu Zhou, is this a temporary decision you made? Or is it one that you have been preparing for a long time!”
“If astronauts without professional training go to Mars, will they become a burden for frontline researchers?”
“Have you considered the danger of contacting the extraterrestrial civilization? If they show offensive behavior after seeing you, how do you plan to protect your life?”
“I heard that you are already engaged. Have you considered the feelings of your partner?”
“Will you return to Earth to get married? Or do you plan to have a wedding on Mars?”
Faced with the flood of microphones and questions, Lu Zhou started to get a headache.
It was impossible to answer all of the questions.
By the time the reporters finished asking all of the questions, it would be nighttime already.
Lu Zhou looked at the secretary standing next to Director Li, suggesting that he was ready for him to take his place. The secretary immediately understood what Lu Zhou meant. After whispering a few words to Director Li, he quickly walked toward the backstage.
Lu Zhou cleared his throat and made a shush gesture in front of the reporters in the audience.
He took this opportunity to raise his volume and speak loudly.
“Space travel itself is nothing scary. You guys don’t need to worry about me at all.
“Even ordinary people with no foundation and average physical fitness can go to space to work and live after receiving simple training. This is not much more difficult than taking a driver’s test. In fact, I have only received a month of training.
“I will prove this with my own actions.
“Next, we have our press spokesperson to announce the full list of the second batch personnel…”
Lu Zhou went backstage under the eyes of the reporters. Director Li’s secretary successfully took over his position and pushed the press conference to the next stage.
The situation at the press conference was under control.
The reporters at the scene also calmed down.
But everyone knew that until the launch mission began, the heat caused by Lu Zhou’s announcement would not die down.
Some people thought that his decision was too careless, some people thought that he was an unselfish scholar who made a choice between his own destiny and the destiny of mankind.
Others said that this was just a show, paving the way for a future political career. Some people even thought that Academician Lu was irritated by the reporter at the scene and decided to say something outlandish.
Perhaps next month the China National Space Administration would give Lu Zhou an opportunity to go back on his words.
The time quickly passed by while people debated whether Academician Lu would venture to Mars personally. Finally, it was the day of departure.
Many people were surprised to see that Academician Lu was actually serious about his trip…
Jinling launch site.
The Starlight stopped steadily in the center of the runway.
The side of the runway was full of people.
Some of them were the staff of the launch site, and some were the relatives and friends of colonists and researchers who were about to go to Mars and Guanghan City. Some were invited or voluntarily applied to come here to send off the heroes of human civilization.
The atmosphere on site was exceptionally quiet.
As if they were worried that the sadness in their hearts would be transmitted to others, people quietly hugged their friends and exchanged messages of blessings.
Luo Wenxuan, who was the chairman of the ILHCRC, spoke with a heavy heart to Lu Zhou.
“I never thought that one day you would go so far.”
Lu Zhou smiled as he hugged his old friend and patted him on the shoulder.
“It’s just a couple of millions of kilometers, not far.”
Luo Wenxuan took a deep breath, looked at him, and spoke solemnly.
“Take care!”
“Yeah.”
One sentence was often enough for male friends.
Talking too much would seem unmasculine.
Lu Zhou walked away from Luo Wenxuan. He looked at the assistants and students who came to see him. He smiled at them and spoke.
“It’s quite a shame, unfortunately, I didn’t help you guys much in my number theory class. I didn’t even have enough time for lectures. The best I can give you guys is a blessing.”
Lu Zhou looked at Li Mo standing among the students. He was the IMO competition champion he poached from Yan University. Lu Zhou continued with a smile.
“Your mathematics talent is good, but talents alone are not enough. Perseverance is the cornerstone of the math building. The former may only determine whether the road in front of you is smooth, but the latter determines how far you can go… Work hard, and there will be a place for you in the future of mathematics. If you have any problems, go to Professor Perelman. He is a person who seems introverted but is surprisingly easy to communicate with. Even simple questions he will also explain to you in detail.”
“Professor…”
“Enough, no need for the kind words.”
Lu Zhou smiled and patted the young man on the shoulder. He then looked at Han Mengqi.
When he looked at her, she was also staring at him.
“Master…”
After staring at Lu Zhou for a long time, she decided not to call him “brother-in-law”.
However, Li Mo’s eyes nearly popped out of his face.
What the hell?!
Didn’t you say not to call him master?
How come you get to say it?
Lu Zhou was used to being called this, he didn’t react. He smiled and spoke.
“You are also a gifted student. Even now, I still remember that when I taught you math for the first time, you struggled with calculating an elliptic equation, but in just two to three months, you caught up with everything.
“Your academic path is beyond my expectations, and you have proved yourself with your actions. You are indeed a scientist.
“I don’t have much to teach you in terms of academic matters. You are a woman with a strong opinion. Follow the path you have identified and go forward.”
Lu Zhou gave her an encouraging look. He then walked to the side of his fiancee, Chen Yushan.
Chen Yushan’s lips trembled slightly when she looked at Lu Zhou.
Although the two sat on the balcony and talked all night, they still felt like they didn’t have enough time.
Lu Zhou looked at the pretty face and went silent for a while. He did not say anything. He closed his eyes and gave her a kiss on the lips in front of everyone.
“I have a lot more… to say to you, I believe you feel the same. But I’m afraid we don’t have enough time.
“But it’s just half a year.
“We can talk when I get back.”
“Yeah…” Her heart pumped as she stared at Lu Zhou for a long time. She gulped and said, “I’ll miss you…”
Lu Zhou gently brushed her bangs and glanced at her for the last time. He then took the helmet from the staff nearby and put it on.
He made a farewell gesture to those who came to see him but didn’t speak to him. Lu Zhou resisted the urge to look back and strode toward the boarding gangway.
The spacecraft hatch closed.
The ground crew began to evacuate the nearby crowd.
The blue plasma ignited the air and melted the cement. The scorching air current raged in the sky, and the silver-white spacecraft flew forward, eventually disappearing into the skyline.
Han Mengqi looked in the direction of the spacecraft.
As she stared at the clouds in the sky, she said, “I feel like… Master is going somewhere really far.”
Chen Yushan also had a similar thought in her heart.
Her throbbing heart stopped her from speaking. She felt a sharp pain in her chest.
Chen Yushan clenched her fists and prayed.
“Please be safe.”