New York.
A black car with a red flag stopped outside the United Nations Headquarters.
The concierge waiting on the side of the road stepped forward and opened the door. A middle-aged man who was dressed in black and accompanied by a secretary got out of the car.
“How long until the meeting begins?”
“Twenty minutes.”
“Okay.”
The man’s name was Liu Jun. He was the Chinese Ambassador to the United Nations.
In the upcoming meeting for the representatives of the 20 nations, the United Nations would revise the “Outer Space Treaty” adopted in 1966. They would also “build a community with a shared future for mankind” and initiate the “Cooperative Development of Outer Space Resources” act.
Although it seemed that only a few treaties had been amended on the surface, this matter was not trivial. It was equivalent to providing a legal basis for China’s outer space colonization activities from the level of international conventions.
Prior to this, this was controversial in the international community.
In addition to the “Human Alliance”, Academician Lu had achieved another major political achievement for China through the Mars landing plan. Although Academician Lu was not a member of the diplomatic system, every Chinese diplomat liked him quite a bit.
Because of his existence, many complicated and difficult geopolitical, governance, and historical issues had become easier.
If the situation was optimal, today’s meeting could be the highlight of Liu Jun’s career. On behalf of China and the world, he would sign a contract to challenge the hegemony of the past, and his name would undoubtedly be recorded in history.
However, there was not much excitement on his face. There was even a wave of heaviness written on his face.
No one thought that on this day of universal celebration, Academician Lu himself, who made all of this possible, could not see this happen in person.
And his achievement had become a legacy…
They walked in the direction of the United Nations Headquarters building. Just as the two were about to enter the building, two unknown guards standing at the door on duty suddenly stood at attention and saluted them.
Liu Jun didn’t speak. He just nodded to them before he continued to walk into the building.
As they walked through the United Nations Plaza, a group of young people stood there, dressed in plain academic uniforms with solemn expressions on their faces.
After noticing this, Liu Jun looked at the secretary beside him, pointed over there, and asked, “What are they doing?”
“Those people seem to be students from Princeton and Columbia University…” The secretary hesitated for a moment while looking at the news on the phone. “They seem to be here mourning for Professor Lu.”
Mourning…
With complicated feelings in his heart, Liu Jun continued to walk forward.
He met many people on the way.
Two Latin American women working in the Security Council were near the conference room.
Apparently, they were here to wait for the Chinese representatives and to express their deep condolences for the death of Academician Lu on behalf of Latin America.
“He was a hero. He was fighting for the progress of civilization until the very last moment of his life. Even though he had never been to Latin America, our people still respect him very much.”
Liu Jun and his entourage also met many ladies and gentlemen in the corridor.
They either waved, spoke softly, or gave a sympathetic glance as he walked into the conference room and sat down.
Time passed by quietly.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations announced the beginning of the meeting.
Unlike the usual atmosphere, the atmosphere in the venue this time was extraordinarily solemn and serious.
When discussing some of the provisions of the Outer Space Treaty, the provisions that had taken Liu Jun a lot of effort to persuade the majority of people were passed easily.
Perhaps it was out of plain respect.
Or maybe everyone felt pity for China.
People were always prone to do irrational things when they were emotional. This rule was also manifested in politics. There were many rumors circulating. Was it something that happened in the ruins, or was the CIA behind this?
Smart people knew this was impossible.
But if the public opinion continued to get out of control, this could become a catharsis of emotions.
The meeting went by very smoothly. It even ended an hour earlier than originally planned.
The United Nations Secretary-General Alcott stood up and proposed that the last hour of the meeting be reserved for the person who opened the curtain of the space age and a scholar who influenced the world.
Then, representatives of more than 20 countries spoke in succession and paid the highest tribute to the late Academician Lu. They expressed their condolences to China and the Chinese people. There was a moment of silence at the end.
The conference ended.
Afternoon time.
The United Nations flag on the United Nations Plaza was slowly lowered by a group of honor guards wearing black suits.
To mourn a great man in this way was quite rare in the history of the United Nations, and it had only happened 17 times.
Liu Jun looking at the lowered banner. He was silent for a long time.
Finally, he sighed and turned around.
Jinling high-tech zone.
Inside an apartment near the headquarters of Star Sky Technology, the curtains of a room were closed.
Chen Yushan was curled up on the sofa, hugging her knees. Her shoulders were wrapped in a blanket. She stared blankly at the voucher on the wall.
She still remembered the snowy day.
He had just completed the hyperspace theory. He did not have the calmness of an adult. He was excited like a teenager, pulling her to share the joy in his heart.
She still remembered every word he said.
“I want to give you a present on Valentine’s Day.
“If I tell you now, there is no surprise.
“You’ll know when it’s Valentine’s Day.”
She suddenly began to tear up.
Teardrops began to fall.
Her lips trembled as she whispered, “Liar…”
You told me we were getting married this year.
You told me you were coming back.
You told me the Tau Ceti would tell our story…
“Sis… Eat something.”
Han Mengqi looked at the person under the blanket and sighed.
After hearing the horrible news from Mars, her heart was also broken, especially when she saw what happened to her closest sister. She almost wished she was the one who went to Mars…
“I’ll open the window… If you keep yourself closed in like this, you will get sick.”
The curled-up body on the sofa still didn’t answer.
However, she didn’t object either.
Han Mengqi walked to the window and opened the curtains.
The late afternoon sun shined into the house. Although it was far from bright, it still dispelled the darkness in the room. Han Mengqi couldn’t help but feel emotional as she watched the sun gradually set.
She came here in the morning.
It was almost nighttime.
There were barely any cars on the roads.
Apparently, there was some kind of mourning activity today. It was forbidden to honk in the whole city. All sections of the university and high-tech park were prohibited from vehicles.
A group of people dressed in black and holding candles appeared in her vision as they moved slowly along the spacious street.
There were men and women in the team, old and young. Traffic police and policemen in yellow and green vests walked on both sides of the road. Many people were holding hands as they silently escorted the team forward.
Everything was so harmonious.
However, the sad atmosphere was heart-wrenching.
When Chen Yushan saw the sunlight, her eyes subconsciously narrowed.
She saw the sparks of fire outside the window.
She opened her mouth and spoke in a trembling voice.
“What is that…”
“It seems to be a mourning event organized by Jin Ling University…” Han Mengqi was looking out the window. She said in a quiet voice, “They walk from the library of Jin Ling University to the space launch site.”
The silence lasted for a long time.
This time, the lifeless face suddenly had a faint smile.
“It seems that he is very popular with people…”
Han Mengqi smiled embarrassedly.
“Of course… I heard that the United Nations even lowered the flag yesterday.”
Without him, there would be no controllable nuclear fusion, nor would there be this high-tech zone, nor would there be everything that China and the world had today.
Like some people said, his wisdom was the wealth of the Chinese people.
It was also the wealth of the world.
The distance between human civilization and the future had never been closer. He had been fighting for a great cause all his life, and people would always remember his name…
After wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes, Chen Yushan took a deep breath.
The quilt wrapped around her shoulders slid down. The decadent and depressing complexion swept away from her haggard face.
“… I should cheer up a bit too.”
She shouldn’t be depressed right now. Lu Zhou still had many wishes unfulfilled.
And that beautiful legend…
That was originally a story that should be written by two people. It was up to her to complete the exploration for him.
Chen Yushan made up her mind.
I can’t let him down…