Chapter 20
The interstellar network was in an uproar over Xia Anran’s livestream, and at the same time, the internet in the Hua nation also exploded.
The reason was that the official account of the Hua Nation Academy of Sciences had formally announced that the country was now capable of achieving absolute zero, a state that had, until now, only existed in theory.
Without a doubt, this was a major breakthrough in the history of science!
The person in charge of the absolute zero project was Academician Lin Chengxiu, a leading figure in Chinese physics. In the video released by the academy, it was Academician Lin who spoke as the representative. A short video was also released, revealing what things were like under the conditions of absolute zero.
The public was overjoyed and ecstatic upon seeing the news.
[Making big moves in silence! Hua nation is incredible!]
[So proud of my country!]
[I never thought I’d see absolute zero, which only existed in theory, in my lifetime.]
[It’s so magical! Water doesn’t freeze at absolute zero, and its state is so different!]
[Question! What can we use achieving absolute zero for?]
[To brag.]
[What’s wrong with that? Can’t I brag? I’m gonna brag my head off!]
[This is absolute zero, hey, hey. Of course it’s useful, okay?]
A small celebration was also being held within the Hua Nation Academy of Sciences. Ever since Xia Anran had brought over the interstellar cryo-freezer, the researchers had been practically living in the lab day and night, even taking breaks in shifts, completely forgetting to eat or sleep. The younger students, in particular, wished they could grow roots in the lab.
In the end, it was Academician Lin Chengxiu who discovered the key.
“So that’s how it is. So that’s how absolute zero is achieved.” Looking at the successful replication of absolute zero in the experimental chamber, Academician Lin was nearly moved to tears of joy.
“I was just one step away. My research was just one step away,” he murmured. Academician Gong, who had been with him throughout the entire experiment, patted his old colleague on the shoulder.
“This shows your direction was correct. Who knows, you might have figured it out yourself in another two years.”
Academician Lin shook his head. “A miss is as good as a mile. It’s not unheard of in the history of science for progress to stagnate for hundreds of years because of such a fine line. I really have to thank Little Xia. If it weren’t for her, I’m afraid I would never have fulfilled this lifelong wish.”
“By the way, how is the research on those black boxes coming along?”
Academician Gong gestured toward another lab, where the atmosphere was completely different from the jubilant scene here. “Old Zhong has been in there for a day and a night already. I’ll go drag him out to eat something later. We’re all in our seventies and eighties; we can’t be pushing ourselves like this.”
Academician Lin smiled. “We’ll have plenty to be busy with in the future. Now that we can achieve absolute zero, so many projects that have been stagnant for years can finally make progress. And those few foreign countries won’t be sitting still either.”
The two exchanged a smile, but before they could say more, they were called away by students for a celebratory meal.
…
Back at the livestream villa, the moment the broadcast ended, the entire production team let out a long sigh of relief, especially the two older teachers in the screenwriting team, who were even older than Director Huang. They had already taken their blood pressure medication.
Director Huang held a mirror, examining himself from all angles. He grabbed Xia Anran and asked, “Little Xia, do you think I should dye my hair? What color is popular with you young people these days?”
He couldn’t have the interstellar viewers saying he looked old again. He had to spruce himself up.
Xia Anran said sincerely, “Director, your hair color is perfectly fine.”
Director Huang probably hadn’t intentionally dyed his hair black, but he clearly took good care of himself. At his age, although he had some white hair, it wasn’t too obvious. His hair was still a salt-and-pepper gray, and he looked quite energetic.
“I have to dye it,” Director Huang muttered, lost in his own world. As he walked out, he said to his assistant, “When the nutritionist and fitness coach arrive, have the entire production team join in for a workout. Who knows when we might appear on camera again.”
Xia Anran: “…”
Is it possible that interstellar people just have longer lifespans? Maybe for them, being in your sixties is like being a young adult, so of course they look young.
After chatting with Director Huang for a bit, Xia Anran took out her phone and called the top leader’s private number. Ever since their last meeting, her phone’s contact list was filled with a string of top-tier figures, making her overthink every single social media post she made, because these leaders would not only ‘like’ her posts but sometimes even leave comments.
Xia Anran: …The pressure is immense.
This livestream had contained a lot of information, and she wanted to report it upwards immediately. The top leader had told her before that she could contact him directly at any time for any matter, without going through anyone else—a green-light channel just for her. Unexpectedly, this time the call was answered by the top leader’s secretary.
The secretary politely informed her that the top leader was currently in an important meeting that would likely last until the afternoon. If her matter was urgent, he could go in and ask right away. If it wasn’t too urgent, he would inform the top leader as soon as the meeting ended.
After some thought, Xia Anran decided not to have the secretary interrupt the meeting. The things she had to report were important but not urgent. The afternoon would be fine.
After hanging up, Xia Anran’s rest time began.
Her life now was incredibly comfortable. She received a large stipend from the state every month, clocked in for a half-hour livestream each day, and the rest of her time was her own to manage. Director Huang and his team had it tougher; after the stream, they had to hold meetings to summarize and plan the next day’s content, prepare costumes and props, and so on.
After everyone had packed up their equipment and gone about their business, Xia Anran went to the courtyard flowerbed and began to leisurely prune branches, loosen the soil, and remove pests. Yu Xue and Wu Sicheng stayed by her side, rolling up their sleeves to hand her tools and turning the soil under her direction.
After finishing with the flowerbed, Wu Sicheng even built a swing for her in the yard, right next to the morning glory wall. Yu Xue, with a particularly creative touch, tied red ribbons and bells to the swing. From a distance, it looked incredibly beautiful.
The moment it was built, Xia Anran eagerly went to play on it. Before long, Director Huang strolled out, saw the swing, and praised it highly. He then ran back into the house and grabbed Sister Wang and the others to discuss how to incorporate the swing into tomorrow’s livestream.
“Anran, want to go for a walk?” Yu Xue suddenly asked.
They had gotten familiar over the past few days. Yu Xue and Wu Sicheng’s constant “Miss Xia this, Miss Xia that” had made Xia Anran uncomfortable, so she had insisted they just call her by her name.
Xia Anran sat on the swing while Wu Sicheng pushed her from behind. As the swing went high, she could see the forested mountains beyond the courtyard walls. It had been late when she returned last night, so she had only seen that the villa was surrounded by a greenbelt. Further out, it looked like a village; she had seen twinkling lights from the car yesterday.
“Sure, how about tomorrow? It’s a bit late today. I have to report to the Chief this afternoon.”
Yu Xue smiled brightly beside her. “Alright. The village on the outskirts has beautiful mountains and clear water, and the environment is exceptionally well-protected. They have a big market on the first and fifteenth of the lunar month, which is really lively. Tomorrow happens to be one of those days.”
…
Before long, it was time for lunch. The house had a large, open-plan kitchen on the first floor. The moment Xia Anran entered, she smelled a spicy aroma. A chubby, cheerful-looking chef, who perfectly matched Xia Anran’s stereotypical image of a chef, was skillfully tossing a wok. With a spoonful of red chili oil, a sizzling sound filled the room with fragrance.
Sister Wang and the others were gathered around the kitchen. Xia Anran squeezed in to watch. The chef was making a classic dish, Mao Xue Wang. Xia Anran’s mouth watered as she watched. “Master Chef, do you need any help?”
“No, no, no! You’ll just be in the way. It’ll be ready soon. Please, take a seat!”
Several dishes were already prepared on the side. Xia Anran helped set the table, but she couldn’t help turning her head to watch the chef cook. He was managing two stoves at once, busy but not chaotic, his movements incredibly skilled.
“This is Master Guo, who usually cooks for state banquets. The higher-ups specially transferred him here,” Little Yan whispered to Xia Anran. The two chatted while sneaking bites of freshly made crispy pork.
The moment it entered her mouth, Xia Anran was captivated by the fragrance. It was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with the perfect texture. She never thought she would use the word “silky” to describe a plate of fried crispy pork, but the batter on the outside and the tenderloin on the inside were so incredibly soft and tender, yet the first bite was crispy. She had no idea how it was made.
Dipped in the seasoning mix that Master Guo had fried himself, Xia Anran ate one piece after another, unable to stop.
Hearing Little Yan say that this was the chef who usually cooked for state banquets, Xia Anran finally had something to contribute. She said animatedly, “The late-night supper I had when I first met the Chief was also made by the state banquet chefs! It was super delicious! I just don’t know if Master Guo was the one who cooked it.”
Little Yan’s cheeks were also bulging with food. She nodded like a chick pecking at rice. “I never thought I’d get to eat food cooked by a state banquet chef either.”
Being part of this team was so worth it!
“Hey! You two little gluttons! You’ve almost finished the whole plate!” Sister Wang came over with a fish and saw the two of them, one piece after another, nearly emptying the plate.
Xia Anran rubbed her head, embarrassed. “Hehe, it was just too delicious. I couldn’t help myself.”
Little Yan nodded along, indicating that the crispy pork had started it.
Sister Wang laughed, exasperated. Master Guo, who had been listening from the back, craned his neck and chuckled. “It’s alright! I still have more marinated meat. If you like it, I’ll fry a couple more plates later.”
Hearing there was more, Xia Anran and Little Yan went straight to Master Guo’s station, squatting down to wait for a fresh batch.
….
Lunch was eaten at the round table in the living room. The group sat together, lively and cheerful. The dishes Master Guo made today were mostly home-style, but they were all beautiful, fragrant, and delicious, with an excellent presentation. In the end, none of the dozen or so generously portioned dishes were left, and they almost ran out of rice.
For the fried crispy pork, in particular, the group nearly came to blows over the last piece. In the end, it was Yu Xue who, with her years of training, scored a direct hit and claimed the final piece, earning a resentful glare from Xia Anran.
After eating her fill, just as Xia Anran was about to go for a walk in the yard to aid her digestion, her phone rang. Seeing it was the top leader, she quickly answered.
“Little Xia, Guoyu told me you were looking for me this morning?”
Xia Anran immediately replied, “Yes, Chief. This livestream was very fruitful. We’ve discovered the official contact for the United Star System, and also some intelligence regarding the Beastman race.”
The top leader pondered for a moment, then whispered a few words to the people beside him before finally saying, “Little Xia, if you have time, come over and we can talk in person. It just so happens that the few of us are all here after our meeting.”