110: A New Journey and the "Homeland" Plan

Under the meticulous treatment of the base's top medical team and the attentive care of Su Mu and Evelyn, Excellence's physical condition gradually improved.

The minor cerebral hemorrhage was absorbed, the symptoms of neurological dysfunction slowly subsided, and his pale cheeks regained their color.

However, the severe backlash caused by his unconscious intervention in the superconducting magnet quench crisis, like a high-intensity electroconvulsive therapy, not only left traces on his body that needed time to heal but also carved an indelible warning inscription in his own heart and the hearts of all the guardians.

During his days in the hospital bed, although Excellence could not fully understand everything that had happened at the time, he clearly remembered the terrifying feeling of his consciousness being instantly drained and his body falling into darkness out of control.

He vaguely realized that he seemed to possess a "special" ability, but the use of this ability was accompanied by unbearable pain and danger.

He became more cautious than before, and even when facing some complex mathematical problems, he would subconsciously hesitate, fearing that he would trigger that uncontrollable exhaustion again.

This change made Su Mu and Evelyn ache in their hearts as they watched.

Wang Jianguo's mood was even heavier and more complex.

Excellence's ability had played a decisive role in critical moments twice, proving its unparalleled strategic value.

But this clear, physiological cost also nakedly revealed the double-edged sword nature of this "divine weapon"—it could cut down external enemies, but it could also hurt the wielder, and might even be completely destroyed due to improper use.

The limitations of simply viewing Excellence as an ultimate weapon that needed to be strictly "sealed" or a precious asset that needed absolute "captivity" were fully exposed.

A deeper worry lingered in his heart: by keeping Excellence imprisoned in a highly closed, highly militarized, and stressful base environment for a long time, would this "protection" itself become an oppressive cage?

Would it distort his mind, hinder his comprehensive development as a "person," and perhaps even increase the risk of his ability going out of control or psychological problems due to the monotonous environment and lack of normal emotional nourishment and social stimulation?

With these heavy thoughts, Wang Jianguo convened the base's core decision-making layer, top scientists, psychologists, education experts, and security consultants to hold a secret strategic meeting concerning the fundamental direction of the future.

The atmosphere of the meeting was serious and pragmatic.

Wang Jianguo first threw out a sharp question: "Are we protecting Excellence in this underground Fortress to allow him to survive and grow better, or just to keep him as a 'tool' or 'specimen'?"

"Can the current model support his healthy development for the next ten or twenty years?"

"When he grows up, how should we explain his identity and the world he is in to him?"

These questions sparked heated discussions.

The head of the security department insisted that safety was always the priority, and any act of relaxing vigilance could lead to disastrous consequences.

But several psychologists and human development experts put forward different views.

A senior professor of cognitive development pointed out: "Excellence is in a critical period of cognitive and personality formation."

"He needs richer environmental stimulation, needs moderate and safe interaction with society, and needs to experience normal emotional exchanges and interpersonal relationships."

"An excessively closed and specialized environment may lead to his lack of sociality, narrow cognitive structure, and even serious psychological problems."

"How can an unsound mind control powerful forces?"

Another education expert who had participated in Excellence's rehabilitation plan added: "We must consider not only how to 'protect' him, but also how to 'cultivate' him."

"The goal of cultivation should not just be to make him a powerful ability user, but a person with a sound mind, empathy, and a sense of social responsibility."

"He needs to learn broader knowledge, not just advanced physics; he needs to experience the joys of life, not just the challenges of the laboratory; he needs to build healthy attachments and friendships, not just relationships of dependence and being depended on."

Evelyn also offered her insights from her perspective, with a trace of imperceptible guilt and a deeper sense of responsibility: "The Foundation... my father and the others viewed Excellence as a tool for 'Ascension.' This objectification is the root of the tragedy."

"We must never repeat the same mistakes."

"True protection should be based on his own well-being and long-term development as the fundamental starting point."

"A 'living community' that simulates a normal society and provides guidance and support might be more conducive to his balanced growth than a purely 'military base'."

After repeated debates and weighing, the attendees gradually reached an important consensus: they must find and create a more open, more natural, yet also capable of providing top-tier protection, guidance, and scientific research support, comprehensive growth environment for Excellence.

Simple "imprisonment" was no longer a good strategy; they had to shift to a more forward-looking, more humanized "cultivation" model.

The goal was to allow Excellence to grow into a complete "person" in the future who could effectively control his own abilities, understand and integrate into human society, and use his abilities for the right path.

Based on this consensus, a long-term development plan codenamed "Homeland" was officially put on the agenda.

This was not just a construction project, but a massive, systematic social-technological-educational engineering project.

The vision of the "Homeland" project was to create a comprehensive ecological community that looked no different from an ordinary high-tech R&D community or high-end residential area on the outside, but integrated the most cutting-edge scientific research facilities, the most rigorous security system, the most humanized living facilities, and the most professional educational guidance on the inside.

Its core design philosophy was "loose on the outside, tight on the inside; integrate with nature, support growth."

Environmental simulation: The community would have independent energy, water supply, and life support systems, but the external landscape would simulate a natural ecological environment as much as possible.

The plan included tree-lined streets, a central park, man-made lakes, and even small farms and a Greenhouse.

The residences would be comfortable detached or townhouses, not cold dormitories.

There would be an indoor lighting system simulating sunlight, ensuring that even in locations that needed to be hidden, there would be a near-natural lighting experience.

Functional complexity: The community would have a top-tier "embedded" research institute, which might look like a university or a private laboratory on the outside, while being equipped with various equipment to meet Excellence's research needs on the inside, including an upgraded version of the "Thought Sandbox."

There would be a library, gymnasium, concert hall, and even a small commercial street and café, providing normal social life scenes.

In terms of education, top experts in various fields (from physics to philosophy, from art to agronomy) who had been strictly screened would be invited to move in as visiting scholars, distinguished professors, or "neighbors" to engage in natural communication and guidance with Excellence.

A small number of peers with absolutely clean backgrounds, gentle personalities, and special education would also be introduced as limited social objects.

Security guarantee: Security is the cornerstone of "Homeland," but it pursues a "seamless" and "non-intrusive" approach.

The security system would be highly intelligent and covert, utilizing the most advanced sensor networks, artificial intelligence behavior analysis, biometric technology, and non-lethal defense means to form an invisible protective net.

The emergency response mechanism would be extremely perfect, ensuring that any accident could be handled in the Sprout state.

All personnel and materials entering the community would undergo the most rigorous, multi-layered review.

Core companionship: Su Mu and Evelyn, as the "emotional anchors" that Excellence trusts and relies on the most, would naturally integrate into life in "Homeland."

They might have their own roles (such as Su Mu being responsible for life coordination and emotional support, and Evelyn participating in research assistance and security consulting), but the core would be to establish a stable and healthy long-term companionship relationship with Excellence.

Long-term goal: "Homeland" is not only a shelter but also an incubator.

Its ultimate goal is to help Excellence gradually adapt to and control his abilities by providing a relatively normal, supportive environment, supplemented by professional guidance, to establish healthy self-cognition and values, and eventually be able to possess the ability and mind to independently face the external world and make positive contributions.

When Wang Jianguo told the gradually recovering Excellence about the preliminary concept of the "Homeland" plan in the simplest and most hopeful language possible, the boy's eyes instantly lit up, as if stars were twinkling in them.

He ignored the complex descriptions about safety and scientific research but firmly grasped a few keywords.

"Are... are there real parks? Can I plant flowers and trees? At night... can I see real stars, not through a screen?"

He asked eagerly, his voice full of longing.

After receiving Wang Jianguo's affirmative and smiling reply, Excellence was so happy he almost jumped off the hospital bed, a flush of excitement appearing on his pale face.

"Great! That's amazing!"

He waved his arms, like a child who had received the most wanted gift, "I want to set up the biggest, biggest astronomical telescope in the yard! The kind that can see Saturn's rings clearly!"

"I also want to plant lots and lots of pothos under the windowsill... This time I want to study whether they will really use 'Quantum Entanglement' to whisper!"

"Class Monitor and Sister Evelyn should also have their own rooms, we can watch the stars together and plant flowers together!"

Looking at Excellence's heartfelt yearning for a simple and natural life, Wang Jianguo became even more determined to push forward the "Homeland" plan.

This yearning for sunlight, green plants, and the starry sky was exactly the most normal and healthy emotional need for a child like him.

Su Mu and Evelyn were also full of anticipation after learning the details of the plan.

For Su Mu, this meant she could give Excellence an environment closer to a "home," rather than just a hospital ward and laboratory.

For Evelyn, this represented a form of atonement and rebirth; in a new "Homeland," she could participate in building a better future with a more authentic identity and shake off the shadows of the past.

They both looked forward to the days when they could accompany Excellence for a longer, more natural, and more relaxed time.

Of course, building such an ideal "Homeland" was by no means easy.

The balance between the concealment of the site selection and the environmental suitability, the contradiction between the integration of cutting-edge technology and concealment, the screening of personnel and the dynamic management of the community, the huge capital and resource investment... these were all huge challenges that needed to be overcome.

Wang Jianguo estimated that from planning to initial completion, it would take at least several years.

But before that, changes had already begun.

On the premise of ensuring absolute safety, Excellence's life in the base had been newly adjusted.

He was allowed to walk in the mountains and forests above the base under the escort of special service personnel, feeling the real sunlight and wind; participate in some designed, low-risk team collaboration games; and his study courses were also more diversified, adding history, literature, art, and other content.

These changes made Excellence's mood obviously more cheerful, and there was a bit more of the nimble brilliance belonging to a boy in his eyes.

One morning, accompanied by Su Mu and Evelyn, Excellence climbed to a higher observation deck in the base.

On the eastern horizon, a red sun was gushing out, and ten thousand golden rays sprinkled on the rolling mountains, dispelling the morning mist and illuminating the boy's face full of longing.

"There," Excellence pointed to the distant skyline dyed golden by the morning sun, his tone firm and full of hope, "Will our 'Homeland' be in such a place in the future? With mountains, trees, and sunlight..."

Su Mu and Evelyn stood on both sides of him, watching his figure outlined by the sunlight, smiled at each other, their eyes full of anticipation for the future.

The sunlight warmly wrapped around them, outlining a picture full of vitality and hope.

Perhaps, the best protection is really not to build the highest wall and isolate him from the world.

But to carefully cultivate a fertile soil for him, a Homeland full of sunshine and rain, where he can breathe freely and grow comfortably.

In this Homeland, he can not only exist safely but also truly live, learn, and love, eventually growing into a towering tree that can both shade itself and bless others.

The new journey has already set sail in hope.