Chapter 1022: World-Shaking Discovery!

Chapter 1022: A Discovery That Shocked the World!

Chu Guang did not personally go to low Earth orbit to welcome Ye Shi; instead, he chose to sit in the study of Vault 404, watching the live broadcast on the Dawn City TV news channel.

For one thing, that place could be considered the front line of the standoff between humanity and the Celestials, and his presence there would stir up too much hatred. For another, since so many little players were already going to pick up the person for him, he didn’t want to steal anyone else’s thunder.

As a professional mascot, Chu Guang felt it was best to stay put where he belonged, maintaining his aura as the faction’s boss.

At the same time, thousands of kilometers above.

The silver-white research ship slowly adjusted its orbit, approaching the defensive platform suspended in low Earth orbit.

Through the cockpit glass, Ye Shi could already make out the familiar faces pressed against the bridge’s floor-to-ceiling windows.

Of course.

He could see because his eyesight was good; Jiang Xuezhou, sitting beside him, couldn’t see so clearly.

“The space station docking protocol is downloading…”

“Interface position locked… Executing docking procedure!”

Jiang Xuezhou, in the pilot’s seat, exchanged a few words with the navigator on the defensive platform, and soon all preparations for the space station docking were complete.

To be honest, Ye Shi was quite awestruck.

He had only ever seen such scenes on the evening news, never imagining that one day he would experience the feeling of being an astronaut himself.

Even if it was in a game.

Even if, not long ago, he had experienced something even more thrilling…

Under the gaze of countless eyes, the connecting rod extending from the front of the research ship slammed firmly into the interface of the defensive platform.

The entire process was smooth and seamless, without a hint of delay, as if it had been rehearsed in advance.

“You’ve awakened psionic powers too?” Ye Shi glanced in surprise at Jiang Xuezhou, who was sitting in the main pilot’s seat beside him, and whispered.

“How could that be…” Jiang Xuezhou was taken aback, then chuckled and teased, “If only that were true, I could study myself.”

“Then how are you so skilled at this?”

Jiang Xuezhou laughed dryly.

“How can you ask such a stupid question? Of course, it’s because the space station’s interface uses our standard.”

Well.

The truth was so simple and unadorned.

Neither the Alliance nor the Corporation had any technical accumulation in the space field; in this regard, only the Academy on the entire wasteland had taken the lead.

And it was far ahead of all the other survivor factions.

Just as Ye Shi was marveling, the VM screen strapped to his arm suddenly lit up, and a line of flashing large characters scrolled across it.

[Congratulations to player “I Get Up Ten Times a Night” for clearing the “Hyperspace Maze” and “Distant Colony” events! Unlocked exclusive titles: “Civilization Savior” and “Pioneer Explorer”!]

The moment he saw this pop-up, Ye Shi almost burst out laughing.

But when he saw the next pop-up, he immediately stopped smiling.

[Welcome back, Hunter Unit! The People’s Union Aerospace Force is home!]

“Holy crap!”

Confiscated just like that?!

Noticing Ye Shi suddenly spring up from his seat, Jiang Xuezhou looked at him with confusion.

“What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing, nothing.”

Ye Shi cleared his throat and composed himself.

Everyone was a descendant of the People’s Union, no one more equal than anyone else, so on the wasteland, trash belonged to whoever found it.

Except for Vaults and Black Boxes.

But even those would be converted into rewards for the players who discovered them.

As for this starship—

Not to mention that the crew of the Hunter Unit had already acknowledged his status as their inheritor, it was still something he and Jiang Xuezhou had painstakingly snatched back from the Celestials and flown home!

Although the Alliance’s recovery of this starship wasn’t entirely without legal basis, he felt that Brother Guang wouldn’t screw him over like this.

Just then, Ye Shi suddenly noticed that the mission reward, aside from the titles, only added a bunch of reputation and contribution points—nothing else.

In an instant, a flash of insight dawned on him, and he immediately understood the Administrator’s intention.

So that’s it…

Brother Guang had actually tacitly approved of this starship as a reward for him, as long as he could keep it from the hands of other survivor factions.

The dog of a game designer still loved him!

Just as Ye Shi felt relieved, the research ship was firmly secured to the connection module of the low Earth orbit defensive platform.

The hatch docking was quickly completed.

As the air pressure inside the research ship adjusted to match that of the platform’s bridge, the sealed hatch opened with a “hiss”!

A crowd of players who had bought tickets shifted their positions, surging from the floor-to-ceiling windows toward the bridge’s hatch. And then, the gazes fixed on the hatchway could no longer look away!

A tall girl stood there.

Her emerald-green skin was like the tender buds hanging from treetops in early spring, and her jet-black hair, swaying gently with the airflow, was as smooth as silk.

She wore the casual uniform of the Hunter Unit crew—a monotonous white shirt and light blue slacks that could not hide her enchanting, wild curves.

In stark contrast, however, was the pair of expressive eyes that carried a hint of devout, saintly elegance.

Though at this moment, that devotion was somewhat startled.

For no other reason.

Mainly because the “progenitors” were all too enthusiastic.

“!!!”

“A Gaia?! ”

“So cute!!!”

“Giao! That emerald-green skin looks surprisingly hot.”

“Can she really photosynthesize?!”

“So big!!!”

“Damn! That bastard Ye Shi didn’t tell the truth!”

“Come out and take your beating!”

Although Dora could sense that those gazes held no malice or evil intent, she couldn’t help but shrink back a little.

Unable to withstand the crowd’s enthusiasm, she tried to say “hello” in the People’s Union language, but that only made the atmosphere even more heated.

Seeing all eyes drawn to Dora alone, the little koala left aside scratched its round metal belly, looking utterly at a loss.

“Uh, seems I’m the odd one out?”

At first it thought to help Dora out of the fix, only to find that she seemed, unexpectedly, to be gradually savoring this feeling of being the center of attention.

Finally, at that moment, the two “main characters” emerged from the cockpit, at last rescuing the embarrassed Dora.

“Holy shit! You bunch of dogs—cough! Don’t scare people.”

Seeing Big Eye’s expression, with drool nearly dripping to the ground, Night Ten almost let his mouth run wild as usual.

Fortunately, he spotted the cameras mingled in the crowd just in time, and so managed to hold back the words that had surged to his lips.

At the same time, the reporters, who had been waiting on the periphery of the crowd, conserving their energy for a long time, surged forward, crowding to the edge of the hatch.

Microphones were instantly thrust under Night Ten’s nose, and before he could even boast with his good brothers, a barrage of questions came crashing down like a volley of cannon fire.

“Hello! Mr. Night Ten, your comrade told me that not long ago your righteous act saved human civilization. Do you have anything you’d like to say?”

“No, no, I just did a little bit of work.”

“Mr. Night Ten! Does your name have any special meaning?”

“Cough—that’s not convenient to say.”

“Respected Mr. I-Wake-Up-Ten-Times-a-Night, hello! We’re from the Goblin Observer—”

“Get lost! Tell your boss to come himself!”

Watching Night Ten struggling to fend off the siege of reporters, Jiang Xuezhou couldn’t help shrinking her neck, slipping quietly out of the research ship along the edge of the hatch, and heading over to her mentor.

Seeing that stern face, Jiang Xuezhou felt a bit nervous, but she still walked over.

“Professor.”

Looking at his precious student, lost and found again, Yang Kai’s face broke into a relieved smile, but soon he furrowed his brow slightly.

“Why are you dressed like that?”

That bulky spacesuit and round helmet clashed with the academy’s aura, and all the limelight had been stolen by the Alliance people.

Jiang Xuezhou was silent for a moment, then lifted the visor of her helmet, revealing a face disfigured by neutron radiation.

Scars from damaged skin and tissue overgrowth crawled from the top of her head down below her neck, and predictably covered her entire body.

Seeing how her once lively and beautiful face had become this, Yang Kai was struck as if by lightning, frozen on the spot.

The accompanying Class D researchers were also startled by that face, whispering among themselves.

Awakened by the murmurs, Yang Kai whipped his head around and glared fiercely at the gossiping students.

Everyone immediately shut their mouths, silent as cicadas in winter, afraid to speak.

Turning back to his student, Yang Kai’s Adam’s apple moved, and his usually emotionless voice carried a note of shame and self-reproach.

“…You’ve suffered.”

Not expecting her mentor to care so much, Jiang Xuezhou smiled sheepishly and quickly closed her helmet visor again.

“It’s okay, he said he doesn’t mind me… cough, cough! Besides, technology is so advanced now, I can just switch to bionic skin.”

Having heard that bionic skin combined with gene repair technology could grant eternal youth, she had actually been torn for a while about whether to make the switch.

It was just that the thing was too avant-garde, and she had never made up her mind—but now, there was no need to hesitate.

Looking at that shy, cheerful smile, Yang Kai’s heart was a mix of emotions.

Just then, his gaze fell on the young man named Night Ten not far away, and suddenly something occurred to him.

Come to think of it…

His student’s partner seemed to be this guy?

Yet just as he was about to ask about the progress of their relationship, he noticed Qi Liu standing nearby with a smile, and immediately swallowed the words that were almost on his lips.

The academy was, after all, not a charity.

To prevent unnecessary complications, and for the sake of both their futures.

Some things were better asked in private…

From the moment the research ship had squared off against the low-orbit defense platform, MacLenn, standing in a corner of the space station, had kept his eyes fixed on the direction of the hatch.

He glanced at the “Alliance soldier” being interviewed in the center of the crowd, then at the emerald-skinned “Gaian,” and remained silent, not speaking.

He had come here as a representative of the Eastern Empire, invited alongside the envoy from Norton City.

And his purpose here, besides representing the Eastern Empire in paying tribute to the hero who saved human civilization, was also to probe the Alliance’s true strength.

They needed to confirm the integrity of the Orion-class missile cruiser!

And its impact on geopolitics!

Though regrettably he hadn’t seen that majestic warship with his own eyes, General MacLenn suddenly felt that seeing it or not no longer mattered.

The Alliance had in fact already shouldered the responsibility of defending the New Era, and had glued the shattered order back into a whole.

Not only that.

They had now inherited the colonies of the Human Union era—that legacy five light-years away.

In the face of so many great achievements, a Human Union-era missile cruiser was utterly insignificant; indeed, it would become a burdensome asset, neither tasty enough to eat nor worth throwing away.

Though the Alliance had never declared victory or that it was in a race with the surviving factions of the Wasteland, anyone with eyes could see they had already won it all…

Emperor Saren dreamed of dominating the world’s order like that man, even if only the order among the Verantians.

But unfortunately, even the order among the Verantians had ultimately been split in half by the Alliance.

Watching that Alliance soldier surrounded and praised by reporters from Ideal City, MacLenn suddenly felt an unprecedented weariness.

Yet, also a measure of relief.

Catching up to the Alliance was no longer possible.

Even if the Eastern Empire had shed the historical baggage of the Legion and taken the largest share of the Legion’s legacy, it was almost impossible.

But fortunately, the Verantians’ fate wasn’t too bad.

They hadn’t been left behind by the times as that ambitious man named Tiel had claimed, but had gone forward into the New Era alongside the Wastelanders.

Completely relaxed, he turned his gaze to the envoy from Norton City beside him and asked in a casual tone.

“When we return, His Majesty Saren will surely ask for our views. I’d like to know what you think.”

The envoy seemed to have been lost in thought; hearing the voice beside him, he blurted out instinctively.

“So big.”

MacLenn: “…?”

Noticing the increasingly sharp gaze, the envoy finally realized the impropriety of his words, laughed awkwardly, and hastily corrected himself.

“I meant the starship… so big.”

MacLenn: “…”

That reply left him speechless.

And just then, he heard the young man standing among the crowd, as he faced a reporter's inquiry about the starship's ownership, loudly declare.

"The Orion-class missile cruiser is a legacy belonging to all of humanity! It should not belong to any one person or any one organization."

The reporter asked sharply.

"Does the organization you mention include the Alliance?"

Ye Shi answered without hesitation.

"Of course it does!"

Having said that, he did not wait for the reporter to continue questioning, but pressed on.

"Therefore, I propose that, under the banner of the Conclave, we form an extrasolar exploration team, using the Orion as our flagship to investigate external star systems, to seek out more relics left by the precursor civilizations! Habitable and untouched planets! And—other civilizations in this universe besides us!"

The reporters at the scene erupted in uproar.

Not only the reporters, but even the researchers from the Academy nearby, the commissioners from the Corporate Council, the representatives of the South Sea Alliance, and the envoys from the Eastern Empire and the New Continental Federation... all showed expressions of surprise without exception.

Clearly, none of them had expected him to make such a statement.

Including the players present.

"Damn, has Ye Shi lost his mind..." Debt-Eyes widened his glasses, muttering in astonishment, "Is he really planning to take this thing to find the edge of the map?"

Although the guy had mentioned it on the official website, he had always thought it was just boasting—never expected it to be serious.

"...I'm only curious about one thing: will the Administrator agree?" Construction Youth and Brick scratched the back of his head, his face full of confusion, "Let him take this big killer out of the solar system?"

This wasn't just Construction Guy's confusion, but also that of the other players.

"No..." Fang Chang said slowly, looking with interest in Ye Shi's direction, "Actually, from what I know of the Administrator, he'll probably go along with it."

Construction Guy quickly turned to him.

"Why?"

"For the sake of a weapon that will never be used, turning against other survivor factions on the wasteland is purely thankless work. We don't lack the ability to destroy the world, but rebuilding our home requires trust. These hundred thousand neutron warheads will only increase the cost of trust between us and our allies."

"Besides, rather than guarding against others obtaining it and using it, it's better to throw it somewhere no one can reach..."

He paused, then continued with a slight smile.

"I think it's not just the Administrator who thinks this way; the Corporate Council, after discussion, will surely come to the same conclusion."

Having said this, Fang Chang's gaze toward Ye Shi held a newfound appreciation he hadn't shown before.

That kid had indeed grown.

At least, he had learned to use his head.

Facing those eyes—some surprised, some skeptical, some tense, some caught off guard—Ye Shi raised his voice and continued.

"A hundred thousand neutron torpedoes are a problem for anyone. Whoever handles this problem will become a new problem. Instead of perpetuating the mistakes of two hundred years ago, let this starship do something truly useful for humanity! This isn't just my idea; it's the heartfelt wish of the three thousand deceased crew members of the Orion!"

"We will recruit crew from across the wasteland, accept supervision from all of humanity, and set off immediately after the final battle with the 'Celestials' concludes!"

Applause crackled through the scene.

This speech astonished nearly everyone present, especially the guests representing third-party factions and the reporters from Utopia.

The senior researchers from the Academy said nothing.

But from the expressions on their faces, they didn't seem entirely opposed to the idea.

Observing the reactions of everyone present, MacLean, standing on the sidelines, couldn't help but feel admiration; he was even tempted to applaud the kid himself.

What is vision?

This, damn it, is vision!

Raising it directly to the level of humanity's greater good and the future of civilization, even if someone wanted to obstruct the plan, they'd struggle to find a reason.

Seeing the supporters and media reporters applauding and cheering, Ye Shi breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Just then, a reporter squeezed in front of him, thrusting a microphone forward with a puzzled expression.

"Excuse me... Mr. Ye Shi, what exactly is the 'precursor civilization' you mentioned? If I recall correctly, you returned from the planet Gaia?"

Hearing this question, Ye Shi slapped his forehead, cleared his throat, and continued in front of the media cameras.

"That's exactly what I'm about to talk about next."

The scene fell silent.

Everyone was eagerly awaiting his words.

Including the players who had already seen the spoilers on the forum.

With his vanity greatly satisfied, Ye Shi curled the corners of his mouth slightly. The feeling of having the whole world's eyes on him was even more exhilarating than a server-wide announcement!

Then, in a solemn and dignified voice, he unveiled the mystery shrouded five light-years away...

"All along, our understanding and perception of the planet Gaia have been seriously flawed."

"It is indeed a vibrant planet, and the hive-mind entity named Gaia once dominated that planet—that is true. But all these phenomena are merely the tip of the iceberg we have seen."

"The truth is, on that planet once existed a civilization far more prosperous, infinitely more so than the Human Federation. And what we call 'Gaia' is merely one of many manifestations of the 'ecological maintenance system' they left behind on that planet..."