42: Parents' scientific research projects

Time flies, years pass like shuttles.

Driven by the powerful, unseen hand of Paradox Technology, Human Civilization boldly stepped into 2030 with an almost frantic pace of advancement.

This was a year full of hope and change.

The Guanghan Palace Base on the moon had expanded into a bustling lunar city with thousands of permanent research staff.

The voyager starship, carrying the hopes of all humanity, had completed all its outfitting work and was undergoing final system integration, scheduled for official delivery to the China-led Earth United Space Force next month.

And in Earth's synchronous orbit, the giant annular keel of the Babel Space Station had initially closed, shining brightly in the starry sky like a magnificent crown adorning Earth.

Human Civilization was advancing at an unprecedented speed towards the era of the stars and the sea, which once only existed in science fiction.

However, no matter how the world changed, for the people living on this land, some things would never change.

For example, Chinese New Year.

...

New Year's Eve 2030, Tianqiong City, at Lei Wen's home.

Outside the window, firecrackers popped and fireworks bloomed, illuminating the entire city's night sky as if it were daytime.

Inside, under the warm lamplight, a lavish New Year's Eve dinner already filled the dining table.

Steamed grouper, white-cut chicken, braised pork, vermicelli with garlic scallops...

Dishes full of hometown flavor, steaming hot and exuding an inviting aroma.

But there were only two people at the table.

Lei Wen and his sister Renee, who had returned home for the winter break.

"Come, try this Buddha's Temptation I just learned to make." Lei Wen placed a steaming bowl of soup in front of his sister.

"Wow! Brother, when did you learn to make this too?" Renee exclaimed in surprise, looking at the meticulously prepared, golden-hued Buddha's Temptation.

"Learned it from a Bilibili video," Lei Wen said casually, not mentioning that white flower had guided him through every step of cooking.

This Buddha's Temptation required 586 ingredients stewed for 106 minutes and 659 seconds to complete, with the most important main ingredient being penguin.

In recent years, as Paradox Technology's operations expanded, Lei Wen also became increasingly busy.

But he still had time to make New Year's Eve dinner.

Renee picked up a spoon, carefully took a sip, and then her eyes happily narrowed.

"Mmm... delicious! Even better than what the chefs at five-star hotels make!"

Seeing his sister's contented expression, Lei Wen's face also broke into a genuine smile.

The siblings ate their meal while watching the monotonous Spring Festival Gala on TV, chatting about interesting things from school and work.

The atmosphere was warm and pleasant.

"The dumplings are steamed, I'll go get them."

However, when the dumplings were brought to the table, the smile on Renee's face faded without her realizing it.

She looked at the two empty seats across the table, couldn't help but pout, poking the dumplings in her bowl with her chopsticks, and muttered softly:

"Hmph, it's just the two of us celebrating New Year again."

"Who knows what those two irresponsible people are busy with in that godforsaken South America, they can't even bother to call."

"The whole world knows it's New Year, except for them."

"I bet in their eyes, those flowers and plants, rocks and mud, are far more important than us, their own children."

Lei Wen knew that his sister was missing their parents again.

Although she complained, her beautiful eyes were filled with undisguised disappointment and longing.

Since their parents went to South America for a scientific expedition a few years ago, they hadn't returned home for Chinese New Year for several consecutive years.

Although they called regularly every month to report their safety, for Chinese people who value family reunions, not coming home for New Year was always something hard to let go of.

"Don't say that, Renee," Lei Wen comforted. "Mom and Dad are doing very important work, and the communication conditions in South America aren't good, maybe..."

Before he could finish his sentence, the phone charging on the corner of the table suddenly vibrated with a "buzz."

The caller ID that popped up on the screen made both siblings freeze instantly.

[Dad]

"Speak of the devil!" Renee's eyes lit up instantly, all the resentment on her face vanished, and she snatched the phone, quickly pressing the answer button.

Soon, two familiar yet slightly weathered figures appeared on the phone's small screen.

They were Lei Wen's mother, Li Wen, and father, Lei Jun.

They seemed to be in a simple camp built with canvas and wood.

In the background was a dense, sunless rainforest, and the faint chirping of various strange insects and birds could be heard.

Both of their skins were tanned a healthy wheat color, and their faces showed traces of weathering.

But their spirits seemed exceptionally vigorous, and their eyes sparkled with that unique light belonging to explorers.

"My dear son! My dear daughter! Happy New Year!"

Mother Li Wen immediately showed a brilliant smile and waved enthusiastically as soon as she saw her two children on the screen.

And father Lei Jun, who was usually stern, now had a subtle, gentle smile at the corner of his mouth.

"Dad! Mom!" Renee's eyes instantly reddened when she saw her parents. "You still remember it's New Year! I thought you were kidnapped by monkeys in the rainforest to be their bandit wives!"

"You girl, what are you saying!" Li Wen scolded laughingly, but the doting in her eyes hadn't diminished at all.

They turned the camera around, showing their own "New Year's Eve dinner."

It was a table of dishes, made up of various cans and locally gathered ingredients on a simple field table, which, while not shabby, was certainly not lavish.

"Look! We're celebrating New Year too! And your favorite braised pork, although it's made from wild boar, it tastes pretty good!"

Seeing her parents' efforts to create a New Year's atmosphere even in such difficult conditions, Renee could no longer hold back, and tears streamed down her face.

Lei Wen took the phone, looking at the two familiar figures on the screen, his heart also filled with mixed emotions.

"Dad, Mom, are you two doing well over there?" His voice was a little hoarse. "I've always been worried about your safety."

This was not a polite remark.

Since the birth of white flower, Lei Wen had brought almost the entire Earth into his field of vision.

But there were a few places that even white flower could not fully cover,

such as the bottomless Mariana Trench, the geomagnetic anomaly in the Antarctic hinterland, and the vast, boundless Amazon rainforest where his parents were currently located.

The dense, multi-layered canopy of the rainforest there acted like a natural green barrier, effectively blocking satellite surveillance from space.

And the backward, almost non-existent local infrastructure made white flower's pervasive information manipulation capabilities useless.

He couldn't monitor everything around his parents at all times, as he did with his sister.

This sense of lack of control had always made him very uneasy.

"Don't worry, son," Father Lei Jun's steady voice came from the phone. "We have a good relationship with the local tribes; they are very simple people, and our camp is also very safe."

"Then when... when are you coming back?" Renee couldn't help but ask. "How much longer will your expedition project last?"

Hearing this question, Li Wen and Lei Jun on the screen exchanged glances, both seeming a little hesitant.

After a moment, Mother Li Wen seemed to make up her mind and spoke:

"We weren't planning to tell you this so early, because it might sound a bit... incredible."

"But you're all grown up now, especially you, Xiao Wen," she looked at Lei Wen, her eyes full of pride, "what you're doing now is much greater than us, perhaps... you can help us make a decision."

She took a deep breath and began to recount their most important research project in the depths of the rainforest over the past few years.

"We discovered an extremely special plant on a remote cliff face in this rainforest, which the locals call 'Tears of God.'"

"The local natives call it blood orchid."

As Li Wen narrated, a miraculous plant, almost mythical, appeared before Lei Wen and Renee.

This blood orchid resembles an ordinary orchid on Earth, but its petals are a captivating, blood-like red, and it emits a faint glow at night.

Its miraculous quality lies in its almost magical effects.

"Its sap," Li Wen's voice carried an uncontrollable excitement, "possesses super strong clotting and cell regeneration capabilities. We personally saw a native hunter, bitten by a venomous snake, apply its sap to the wound, and the bleeding stopped and scabbed over within seconds. In less than half a day, it completely healed, leaving no scar!"

Father Lei Jun added: "Its leaves, when crushed and eaten directly, can greatly enhance human muscle strength and immunity. The elders of the local tribe told me that people who regularly consume blood orchid leaves can live to over 150 years old, never get sick throughout their lives, and their physical strength can even rival that of young jaguars!"

"And the most amazing part is its roots," Li Wen concluded. "If its roots are ground into powder and steeped in water, drinking it can keep a person's mind absolutely clear and their energy extremely vigorous for an entire month. They only need two or three hours of sleep a day, and their thinking speed and memory will be greatly enhanced!"

Rapid wound healing, strengthening the body, prolonging life, and even enhancing the brain...

This was no ordinary plant.

This was practically a legendary 'heavenly treasure' that could transform a person!

"We conducted a preliminary component analysis," Lei Jun said, "and found that its cells contain an extremely complex organic compound we've never seen before. We hypothesize that this compound is likely a natural, highly efficient gene-editing medium capable of benign interaction with human DNA."

"It might even unlock the ultimate secrets of human aging and evolution!" Li Wen eagerly chimed in.

"So that's why you haven't been willing to come home these past few years?" Renee listened, dumbfounded.

"Yes," Li Wen nodded. "The growth environment of this plant is extremely demanding; it only grows in a special rock formation on that one cliff, and its quantity is extremely rare. It took us a full three years, with the help of local guides and risking our lives, to successfully collect two complete live blood orchids."

Upon hearing this, Lei Wen's first reaction was not excitement, but vigilance.

For any planet to evolve such a

defying species, there must be unknown reasons behind it. Our Earth seemed even more mysterious than he had imagined.

But he knew now was not the time to dwell on that.

"Dad, Mom," he mused for a moment, then spoke, "your discovery could change the future of all Human Civilization."

"But with only the equipment in your simple camp, it's impossible to fully unravel its secrets."

"How about this," he suggested, "my parent company, Paradox Technology, has the world's most advanced and highly classified biological laboratory underground in Tianqiong City."

"Can you find a way to send one of the blood orchids to me?"

"I can guarantee that we will analyze its complete gene sequence and active ingredients for you at the fastest speed, and even attempt artificial cultivation."

Lei Wen's parents exchanged glances again upon hearing this suggestion.

They naturally knew that their son, in the years they were away, had built a hugely influential tech giant in China from scratch, in a way they couldn't comprehend.

Although they didn't know the secrets behind it, they chose to trust their son unconditionally.

"Good!" Father Lei Jun made a decisive decision. "This is a great suggestion! We've indeed been making slow progress working in isolation here."

"We'll have someone send one of the blood orchids back to the country tomorrow!"