Chapter 32
Before the broadcast began, Director Huang had specifically warned Ji Minghui that livestreaming was different from filming movies and TV shows. Unexpected incidents were bound to happen, and it was a hundred percent impossible to perfectly replicate their plans. Once the stream started, the specific pacing would be controlled by Xia Anran.
Ji Minghui recalled Director Huang’s evaluation of Xia Anran after he had officially joined the team last night.
“Anran is a very spirited child. She’s quick on her feet and does the livestreams very well. We’re just here to provide support.”
He was beginning to understand what his teacher meant.
Usually, the moment a stream ended, Xia Anran would eagerly come over to discuss any issues with them. But today, contrary to her usual behavior, she was sitting on the edge of the flowerbed under the willow tree, staring at her phone with a grave expression.
“What’s wrong, Anran?” Everyone gathered around, but since they couldn’t see the content of the livestream app on her phone, all they could do was worry.
It was Ji Minghui’s first time participating, and he was still a bit lost. He was inexplicably pushed to the side, and by the time he realized what was happening, Xia Anran was completely surrounded. He couldn’t even squeeze in. Fortunately, he was tall and could see a little from the outskirts.
Xia Anran looked up and saw Ji Minghui’s pitiful state, standing on his tiptoes and craning his neck to see. She couldn’t help but chuckle.
“It’s good news,” she said with a smile. “We might have to make a trip back to the capital.”
…
Capital Academy of Sciences
Professor Gong was humming a little tune, his hands behind his back, stretching on the lawn below the laboratory building. As he got older in recent years, he always felt his bones were getting more brittle, and his energy was not what it used to be. A year ago, he could have worked in the lab for two days and two nights straight, and still have the energy to hold a seminar for his students afterward. Not anymore. Now, pulling one all-nighter was almost too much for him. So, he had specifically found a set of maintenance exercises to keep his body flexible.
“Teacher, you’re in a good mood today.”
Just then, one of his students passed by with a pile of documents and saw his teacher exercising, looking very cheerful.
“Ah, Little Cheng. How could I not be happy? Professor Lin’s stem cell research has made a breakthrough. And absolute zero, a field that has been a headache for us for years, is finally showing some promise,” Professor Gong said, his face beaming at the mention of it. “Once the research is fully mature, think of how many lives it will save.”
Little Cheng’s eyes also lit up. “Really, Teacher? Can I apply to help in Professor Lin’s lab?”
“It’s already packed to the brim. You couldn’t get in now if you tried.”
Little Cheng let out a disappointed “Oh.”
Professor Gong gave him a light smack on the head. “Don’t be so ambitious! You haven’t even figured out your own project, and you’re already trying to reach for the sky?”
Little Cheng clutched his head and fled. Professor Gong laughed and cursed, “That little rascal.”
He then readjusted his posture, preparing to go through the exercises again. Halfway through, another student came rushing down from upstairs.
“Teacher!”
Professor Gong sighed and stopped his movements. What is it with today? I just can’t seem to finish this set of exercises.
“What’s wrong?”
“A call just came in. The Chief wants you and a few other professors to go over.”
…
Professor Gong and the other professors quickly assembled and got into a car. On the way, he had a faint feeling that Xia Anran must have returned.
After learning that Xia Anran and the production team would be traveling around the country for a while, the entire Academy of Sciences had been heartbroken. They, of course, hoped she could be permanently stationed in the capital, so they could be the first to know about any new discoveries.
The moment they arrived, Professor Gong rushed inside. Sure enough, he saw Xia Anran sitting on the sofa, with several high-level leaders discussing something. The atmosphere was quite mild, so it probably wasn’t bad news.
When Professor Gong and the others arrived, the leaders stood up. The top leader smiled and said, “You’re all here. We’re not talking here today. Let’s go out first.”
Although they were a bit confused, they obediently followed. And so, having just gotten out of one car, they immediately got into another, which sped off toward the city outskirts.
The car finally stopped in front of a large building. Many military personnel were already waiting. The top leader led them into an elevator. Only then did Xia Anran realize that this building not only had over a dozen floors above ground but also eight floors below.
The top leader pressed the button for the eighth basement level. The elevator made a slight rustling sound as it moved. Perhaps it was just her imagination, but Xia Anran felt it was particularly dark inside. The top leader keenly sensed her mood and said with a smile, “Little Xia, don’t be afraid. This is one of our secret bases. It’s absolutely safe.”
The elevator quickly reached the eighth basement level. The moment the doors opened, Xia Anran was stunned. The space was enormous, at least three or four times larger than the building’s footprint above ground. And it was completely empty. If she had to describe it, it was like an underground parking garage that hadn’t been put into use yet.
Someone walked to the side and flicked a switch on the wall. Rows of lights instantly turned on, illuminating the entire space. Only then did the top leader explain to Professor Gong and the others why he had summoned them.
“Little Xia came over this morning and told us something very important,” he said. “The interstellar side has sent us a return gift. Considering the unknown dangers of the interstellar era, we chose to open it here. I’ve asked you all to come to see what it is together.”
…
The moment the livestream ended and she saw the upgrade notification, Xia Anran had originally planned to check out the newly opened shop. But the system first reminded her that her inbox had stored nearly two hundred million emails and that she should check and clear them in a timely manner. Only then did she finally find the entrance to the gift mailbox.
…This cursed app had actually hidden the function in a remote corner, and with only an icon! No wonder she had never found it! The fact that the system was now kindly reminding her, Xia Anran reasonably suspected, was because its memory was about to run out, and it was on the verge of crashing.
As it happened, the first item in her inbox was the return gift from the United Star System Consulate. The inbox was sorted by the time the gift was sent, so it was pure luck that she was able to see it. If she had opened it a few seconds later, it would have been buried, and digging it out would have been difficult. Worried that the United Star System’s gift would be pushed to the bottom, she decided to accept it first. This was a state gift; of course, it had to be received first.
The moment she hit “accept,” the app, in its eagerness, cleared out the remaining gifts in her inbox with a single click, returning them all to their senders.
Seeing the gift he had carefully selected for Xia Anran being returned, Director Hukeni’s heart was bleeding. And seeing the notification that the United Star System Consulate’s gift had been accepted made him so angry he nearly coughed up three liters of blood. Detestable! So detestable! The only thing more tragic than his gift not being chosen was his rival’s being chosen.
His assistant, seeing his director’s face turn red and looking like he was about to have a heart attack, quickly tried to comfort him. “After all, Host Anran is an ancestor of the United Star System. It’s only natural that she would receive special treatment.”
Hearing this, Hukeni became even more displeased. “Who’s to say we’re not also descendants of Earth! Is there any news from the research yet?!” Ever since the sun had appeared in Xia Anran’s stream, a faction within the Interstellar Empire, using the star as a starting point, had emerged, firmly believing that the Empire also had a connection to Earth and had even migrated from there, just like the United Star System. Ahem, the representative of this faction was Director Hukeni. Unfortunately, he was not an expert in history. Although he had been cramming knowledge recently, most of the tracing work was still left to professional researchers.
After getting a negative answer from his assistant, Director Hukeni waved his hand for them to leave. He continued to stare resentfully at his returned gift. Hmph, one day Host Anran will know that the Interstellar Empire is also her family!
…
Xia Anran, oblivious to Hukeni’s resentment, had rushed to the capital the moment she received the gift. Hearing the news, the top leader had immediately summoned the high-ranking officials and Professor Gong’s team. Although he knew the United Star System was unlikely to send anything dangerous, it was still an alien object. After careful consideration, he decided it was better to be cautious and not open it on the spot, but to bring them to this heavily guarded base instead.
“Alright, Little Xia, you can take it out now,” the top leader said.
Xia Anran nodded and took out a small, silver-white sphere from her pocket. It had circles of ripples slowly rotating on its surface. She gently placed the sphere on the table in front of her. It moved slightly, as if observing its surroundings.
“Wait, Little Xia, you’re just holding it with your bare hands?!” Professor Gong suddenly shrieked.
Xia Anran: “Huh?” What else would I use?
Professor Gong’s face was a mask of pain. “Who knows what’s on an object from an alien civilization! You should only touch it after ensuring it’s safe!”
“Uh… I understand. I’ll be careful next time, definitely,” Xia Anran said, scratching her head. It was probably best not to tell him that she had casually touched all the interstellar items she had received before. For some reason, she had a faint feeling that any item transferred through this livestream app wouldn’t be dangerous.
Since she had already touched it and seemed fine, Professor Gong didn’t dwell on it. “Is this their return gift?” he asked, leaning in curiously. At first glance, the sphere looked ordinary, but upon closer inspection, its structure was extremely ingenious. A fire of excitement ignited in his heart. Something sent as a state gift must be far more advanced than the cryo-freezer that could achieve absolute zero.
After receiving the gift, Xia Anran hadn’t figured out what this little thing was for either. She had observed it for a long time on the way here but hadn’t found any kind of opening mechanism. Could the gift just be this sphere of unknown purpose? That was a bit too abstract.
A group of top figures circled it but couldn’t make heads or tails of it. The professors also examined the small sphere. It had the hard texture of metal, but for some unknown reason, the swirling ripples on its surface moved, giving it a gentle, warm quality.
“Could the sphere be the gift itself?” Xia Anran said uncertainly.
The top leader shook his head and said with conviction, “This should just be a container. The return gift is inside.”
Xia Anran didn’t know why he was so certain. She leaned in to observe it again. The sphere moved, suddenly rolling a little in her direction. Then, where the ripples converged, a small camera appeared. It flashed a red light twice, and then an electronic voice sounded.
[Pairing complete. Activated.]
Xia Anran: “?” What just got paired?
After beeping twice, the entire sphere emitted a green glow. Then, a small door suddenly opened, and a flash of white light appeared. A machine, gleaming with a cold light, materialized on the ground. After the machine appeared, the sphere spat out a card.
The top leader picked it up. It wasn’t made of paper but a soft material like silk, yet it had a distinct texture to the touch. He didn’t know what it was made of. The card explained the purpose of the sphere. As he had said, it was a container, called a “Yuan Pouch.” It could temporarily particle-ize objects by scanning them for storage. This particle-ization was a reversible state; upon activation, the object would reassemble into its original form.
The key to open the Yuan Pouch was Xia Anran’s pupil, or rather, her iris. The United Star System, fearing it might be opened by others, had added a layer of security, collecting some of her information from the livestream as the opening condition. Moreover, the Yuan Pouch had an additional program: the moment she opened it, it would automatically collect her genes as a new key, which was more secure than the iris. In the future, she could open and close it just by touching it.
“It can collect genes just by contact?” The professors looked incredulous. And how it could identify genes was even more magical.
The instrument inside was the real gift.
“Human Body Repair Instrument.”
The top leader slowly read out the name of the device.
“Possesses basic human body repair functions. Can cure most diseases and enhance physical fitness,” he summarized after reading the introduction.
In fact, the United Star System had been more direct in their letter. They had stated that this instrument could repair any disease on present-day Earth because they had already fully mastered the human body, down to the cellular and even fungal levels. Therefore, modern interstellar humans simply didn’t get sick, or if they did, a trip to a government-established recuperation center and a session with this instrument would be enough. The current field of interstellar medicine was focused on how to further extend human lifespan. Although modern humans could easily live to be over a hundred, and it was common for psychics in the Interstellar Empire to live to two hundred, humanity still couldn’t escape the natural laws of birth, aging, sickness, and death. One day, they would grow old and die. So, how to further delay the body’s aging process was the main focus of interstellar medicine. Some researchers were even dedicated to achieving cyclical immortality through body reconstruction, but there had been little progress so far.
But for the people of present-day Earth, this Human Body Repair Instrument was more than enough to meet their needs. Something sent as a gift was, of course, no ordinary item. This was the most advanced repair technology in the United Star System. It could, to a certain extent, repair human cells and allow organs to regrow through metabolism. It could even repair mutilated bodies. Simply put, as long as you were still breathing, you were guaranteed to come out of this machine alive and kicking.
After understanding the function of this instrument, everyone present sucked in a sharp breath. Besides Xia Anran, all the top figures present were of advanced age. The damage that time had inflicted on them was already irreversible, and they had all clearly felt the decline in their physical functions. If this instrument was really as magical as it was described, then the United Star System had truly given them a great gift.
But no one knew the specific effects of the instrument, so they didn’t dare to act rashly. The instruction letter was very simple, only stating that it was a fully automatic device. All one had to do was lie down, and the instrument would automatically examine, treat, and repair.
The top leader pondered for a moment and decided to first have the professors examine the instrument and then find volunteers to test it.
Professor Gong and the others were, of course, more than willing. They were already happily circling it, observing. This level of technology was practically a miracle; how could they not be excited?
Marshal Yue hesitated for a long time on the side, then finally gritted his teeth and stepped forward. “Chief, I volunteer to test this machine!”
“Old Yue, don’t be hasty,” the top leader said with a frown. “I know about your leg… but wait a little longer. Let the Academy of Sciences study it before you undergo treatment.”
His leg?
Xia Anran couldn’t help but look at Marshal Yue’s leg. It looked perfectly normal, and he had no problem walking. But since he was wearing a military uniform, it was impossible to see what was wrong underneath.
The second-in-command also stepped forward and patted his shoulder. “That’s right, Old Yue, wait a little longer. Don’t be rash.”
Xia Anran quietly whispered to Professor Gong, “What’s wrong with the Marshal’s leg?”
“A few years ago, during a joint international operation, the Marshal injured his leg. Because the situation on site was chaotic and treatment was delayed, his leg had to be amputated below the calf.”
Xia Anran’s eyes widened. A prosthesis? You can’t tell at all!
Professor Gong saw her confusion and explained, “The Marshal is a very strong-willed man. He worked extremely hard on his rehabilitation. Don’t be fooled by how normal he looks now; his physical condition has been deteriorating day by day.”
Xia Anran felt a pang of sadness. In that case, this gift had come at the perfect time. There must be many others like Marshal Yue, who had fought and bled for the country and its people, who urgently needed this instrument to repair their bodies and return to a normal life.
In the end, Professor Gong and the others took the repair instrument and the Yuan Pouch back to the Academy of Sciences. But to Xia Anran’s surprise, the instrument was put into use that very night.
She had originally planned to return to Yanshan Village overnight. But just before she left, she received a very urgent call from Professor Gong, asking her to go to the academy.
“We originally didn’t want to use this machine on a human without knowing anything about it,” Professor Gong said, meeting her at the entrance and explaining as he led her to the lab. “After all, this is an instrument designed for interstellar humans. After sixteen thousand years, we don’t know if their body structure is still the same as ours. If it’s different, there might be adverse effects. So, our original plan was not to use it for human treatment for the time being.”
Xia Anran nodded in understanding. Then why the sudden need to use it tonight?
Professor Gong led her all the way to the top floor, where there was only one laboratory. The moment they arrived, they saw a woman in surgical scrubs rushing out, with some blood spattered on her mask.
“Professor Gong, you’re finally back! The patient is about to give out!”
Professor Gong’s face darkened. He pulled Xia Anran and hurried into the lab. Inside was an isolation room. Through the glass, Xia Anran saw the Human Body Repair Instrument in the center of the lab. Next to it was a hospital bed. A man lay on it, wearing a ventilator and connected to various monitors. Several medical staff were busy at his side.
“Little Xia, the reason we called you over so suddenly is because we have to use this machine without knowing its operating principles. If anything goes wrong midway, we’ll have to trouble you to communicate with the other side for help.”
Although Xia Anran didn’t know who the man on the bed was, she could tell from the situation that he was in a very bad state. If they didn’t use this machine, he probably wouldn’t last much longer. That was why they were forced to take the risk and use the repair instrument.
She quickly nodded and agreed. It was almost dawn, and the livestream duration would refresh soon. She opened her phone, ready to start the stream at any moment.
“Alright, Liyun, move the patient in,” Professor Gong said in a deep voice through the intercom.
The staff inside received the instruction and immediately pushed the patient into the instrument. The repair instrument was spherical, with a tunnel to send a person inside. After settling the patient, the medical staff withdrew, pressed a green button on the wall, and the instrument’s door slowly closed. A green light on top lit up.
[Repairing. Please wait.]
As the hospital bed was pushed past them, Xia Anran got a clear look at the man’s face. His eyes had been gouged out, leaving only two empty, bloody sockets.
She was so startled she couldn’t help but cry out.
Professor Gong’s heart had been in his throat ever since the man had entered the instrument. Seeing her frightened state, he sighed and said, “This is one of our frontline anti-drug comrades. He was just rescued today. Those beasts…”
He gritted his teeth, his voice trembling. “They cut off his limbs, gouged out his eyes, cut off his ears and nose, and kept him conscious with drugs. They even opened his skull. He’s only hanging on by a thread now.”
“This machine is the only hope we have of saving him.”