Chapter 24

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Chapter 24: She Must Return Home

Ji Shu stood beside Ao Ci, wearing a neat silver-gray jumpsuit. She looked to be around fifty, with short, tousled black hair standing up at odd angles, and her eyes and eyebrows exuded competence.

She held a drink in her hand and smiled at Luo Yu after Ao Ci’s introduction, “About the matter you asked me yesterday, the teacher also mentioned it to me on the way here. Come on, let’s chat as we walk.”

They followed the crowd toward the center of the valley. As there were many people around, Ji Shu didn’t ask her too many questions but briefly introduced the genetic diversity issues that had arisen after this world began exploring asexual reproduction, as well as the progress being made in genetic medicine.

Others trailed behind them, with Ying Zhao asking Lei Ming about the history of the Ji Nu River, while Zhu Huai was more focused on where to find river clams to eat soon.

A lively group moved along the valley, and as they progressed further into the center, the platforms grew wider, revealing the stone steps of the grand council venue up ahead.

The entire valley venue was divided into southern and northern sides, with staggered stone platforms constructed above the steps. There were also mobile viewing platforms on the river that allowed people to walk back and forth. Inside the valley’s cliffs, many rooms were available for resting and conversations.

As Luo Yu walked, she looked around. The valley could probably accommodate hundreds of thousands of people, but perhaps due to their early arrival, there didn’t seem to be too many people right now.

Director Ao Ci walked at the front, leading them and a few younger friends to find a stone platform to sit down. Soon, a Serving Robot approached with a menu.

After Lei Ming sat down, she patted Zhu Huai on the shoulder, pointing out the clam collection devices at the riverside below. The inconspicuous transparent nets were neatly hung along the riverbank, and a row of water birds waited at the shore to catch any falling clams.

She then pointed to the Serving Robot, “Once it comes back, we can order some river clams to eat. It’s the specialty dish of this valley; almost everyone who comes here orders a portion.” Zhu Huai nodded, her eyes filled with anticipation as she looked at the Serving Robot.

Since Luo Yu and Ji Shu were discussing personal matters, Ao Ci gestured toward the talking room inside the mountain wall behind them, indicating that they could talk in there. After ordering their drinks, the two told the Serving Robot to deliver them to their location before walking up the small steps to the room inside the mountain.

The talking room was built into the mountain wall and had floor-to-ceiling windows. Sitting by the window, they could see the people on the steps and the river not far away.

“I heard from the teacher that you want to ask about this child. Is her situation currently not good?” Ji Shu inquired directly as she took a seat.

Luo Yu replied, heavy-hearted, “Yes. After discovering this situation last year, we have been searching for the cause. At first, she could sense her fatigue and tell the adults she wanted to sleep. Later, it got severe, and she would faint in the middle of playing, falling and injuring herself. Now she sleeps sixteen or seventeen hours a day. The doctors say if her sleeping time exceeds twenty hours, there’s a risk of her becoming a vegetable.”

Ji Shu listened seriously and asked solemnly, “Has your treatment plan not provided any relief?”

“There has been some relief. Half a year ago, we discovered it was a genetic issue. Our family members have all been tested, and only my blood type was a match. I’m currently giving her a transfusion once a month to slow the disease and waiting for a new treatment plan.”

Ji Shu nodded, “Your medical level isn’t too bad. You identified that blood can help alleviate the condition. This disease can be treated; we have existing plans, but we must extract blood from the mother. Is she your daughter?”

“No, she’s my sister’s daughter.” Luo Yu leaned forward slightly, “Isn’t it possible to use blood from relatives?”

“No, it must be the biological mother’s blood. What about your sister?”

Luo Yu lowered her head, “She passed away.”

“Then this child right now is…” Ji Shu scrutinized her, “Who takes care of her while you are away?”

“My mother is taking care of her.” Luo Yu looked back at Ji Shu and asked, “Is it really not possible with relatives? My blood is indeed helping her a bit; maybe…”

Ji Shu shook her head, “Alleviation is not the same as treatment; unless you and her mother are identical twins.”

Luo Yu felt a bit disappointed by the first half of the statement, but the word “unless” brightened her eyes. “Her mother is my twin sister.”

“Are you identical twins?”

“Yes.”

Ji Shu finally smiled, “No wonder! Then I think extracting your blood for medicine should be feasible.”

Just then, a voice from the Serving Robot called from outside, announcing it had brought their drinks. Luo Yu stood up to receive the drinks placed on the table. Ji Shu took a sip from her cup and continued, “I’ve understood the situation. Here’s what we’ll do, find a time for you to come to my place and do a test. We’ll be able to deduce her condition. As for the medication, it can be prepared quickly; it’ll only take two or three days to produce a dose sufficient for recovery.”

Luo Yu beamed with joy, “Can I come over tomorrow?”

Ji Shu had a plan for an outing the next day, but seeing the excitement in Luo Yu’s eyes, she smiled slightly, “Sure.”

At that moment, a loud commotion came from outside, and the two turned to look, noticing that more and more people filled the stone steps on both sides of the valley. The summer grand council was about to begin.

Ji Shu placed her cup back on the table and stood up with a smile, “Let’s go back downstairs and sit; it’s more lively down there.”

When they returned to the stone steps, everyone held a delicate little plate, enjoying the local specialty of river clams, with a delightful aroma filling the air.

Luo Yu sat down next to Ying Zhao, who quickly raised her hand to call over the Serving Robot. “These river clams are really delicious; you should try a portion too.”

The Serving Robot soon arrived, and as Luo Yu looked at the various flavors, she turned back and asked the others what their dishes tasted like, ultimately choosing a platter with three different flavors.

When the Serving Robot brought Luo Yu her order, the empty seats on both sides of the valley lit up with twinkling holographic projections. At the same time, a large display appeared in the air above the river, merging the valley venue with those of other tribes around the world in this remote way.

The quarterly Grand Council here is open to everyone; some people attend in person while others connect remotely from home to listen in. On this day, everyone learns about developments worldwide, including changes in the natural environment and advancements in technology.

Today’s Grand Council host is an elder from a tribe across the ocean. At this moment, the audience in the valley is watching her introduce the overall situation from the last quarter around the world through the river’s projection.

Next, representatives from various tribes will take turns updating the state of their regions in real-time to the entire globe.

Luo Yu and her two companions sat on the stone steps, watching the images on the projection. They saw dark-skinned tropical people and light-haired, blue-eyed polar people, all dressed in the distinctive clothing of their tribes. Each person exuded confidence under the sunlight and moonlight of different time zones, and their melodious and peaceful voices echoed in the tranquil and vast valley.

In this world, tribes share technology and lend assistance during disasters, with everyone earnestly considering “leaving a better world for future generations” as a common ideal for all humanity.

Reflecting on their own world filled with intrigue and chaos, Luo Yu thought that normal people wouldn’t want to return, but sadly she had no choice; someone was waiting for her to come back, and she had to return home.

At that moment, a familiar face appeared in the projection above. Representing the Ponsuo Tribe with updates from the Biological Research Station was Ao Ci, who had left the viewing platform and was now standing on a mobile platform above the river, ensuring that the people on both sides of the valley could see her.

She began by discussing the routine updates from the Ponsuo Tribe, such as crop planting and harvesting, along with the production capacity of several major items. Towards the end, she finally mentioned the recent emergency landing of the time-space spaceship at Di Qiu and announced for the first time to the global audience the situation from thirty thousand years in the future, as well as the preliminary genetic testing results for the male variants from outside the time-space.

People around the world had heard some details about the external time-space visitors. Fortunately, with thirty thousand years still ahead, they had ample time to respond, so the public did not feel panic about the situation.

As for the detained male variant, it currently posed no threat to human ecology. Regions only requested that the Ponsuo Tribe’s Biological Research Station synchronize their research findings periodically.

As for the request to keep Luo Yu and her companions in this world, Ao Ci did not mention it at the Grand Council since they hadn’t responded yet, and instead, she gave the public an explanation regarding the retraction and closure of the previously uncontrolled sky curtain.

The summer Grand Council in the valley continued from two in the afternoon until near dusk, with the twilight deepening and fiery clouds lighting up the valley in gold.

After all the regions provided their updates, the host began summarizing the meeting in the projection, ultimately wishing everyone a relaxed and beautiful summer day.

As the host finished speaking, the holographic projections in the venue all shut down. The people in the stands stood up, forming small groups to walk out while chatting about the news they had just heard.

After the Grand Council concluded, Luo Yu and her friends each began to prepare for their return home.

The next day, Luo Yu visited Ji Shu’s genetic medicine clinic alone, while Ying Zhao was invited by Ti Ran to tour the particle collider laboratory at the volcano. Zhu Huai, along with Lei Ming and the two communication experts introduced by Ti Ran, took the communication device from the time capsule control panel to their workstation.

With the communication repair task weighing heavily, Zhu Huai remained at the workstation, while Ying Zhao joined Ti Ran at the communication station after the laboratory visit.

Upon returning from the medical clinic, Luo Yu stayed in the hangar, conducting a secondary inspection of the repaired facilities inside and outside the Shan Hai Jing spacecraft and supervising the engineering assistant robots as they assembled the new engine according to Zhu Huai’s design.

Three days after the Grand Council, the communication workstation made some encouraging new progress. Ying Zhao eagerly messaged Luo Yu, urging her to come quickly.

Not long after Luo Yu received the message in the hangar, the hangar robot brought someone in, saying it was there to take her.

Seeing that the engine assembly in the hangar was progressing normally and there were no issues with the hull inspection, she followed the person onto the nearby aircraft, heading to the communication workstation on the southern plain.

After Luo Yu disembarked from the aircraft, she followed the person who had come to get her into the workstation, turned through a long corridor, and took another elevator outside a research room.

As soon as she entered, she saw Ti Ran with golden hair and light-colored eyes, followed by Zhu Huai and Ying Zhao, along with two communication experts and a room full of small robots.

After greeting each other, Ying Zhao excitedly said, “Sister Yu, we can contact the ground directly now!”

This was a plan the three of them had discussed beforehand; if they could send a signal, they wouldn’t directly contact the space station just yet. Instead, they would use a low-orbit satellite network called “Star Hub,” developed by a private tech company, to send a satellite call request to one person using encrypted transmission.

Luo Yu walked over to the newly repaired communication device and looked at it, bending down to enter a string of numbers on the panel. “Let’s see if we can get through with this.”

Zhu Huai recorded the information while asking, “Whose number is this?”

“Zhu Long.”

Upon hearing this name, Zhu Huai turned to make eye contact with Ying Zhao. Zhu Long, one of the elders in the Time Bureau, was the founder of the Shan Hai Jing Execution Team.

At the end of last year, Zhu Long had been promoted to Deputy Director of the Space Administration and passed the leadership of the Shan Hai Jing to Luo Yu. However, a month before their mission departure, the Space Administration had issued a document relieving her of all duties, leaving her with the title of Senior Consultant of the Time Bureau—a mere honorary position.

Zhu Huai input the string of numbers into the transmitter of the communication device using an external control panel.

The signal connection seemed to take an unusually long time, with the research room enveloped in silence save for the “beep beep” sound from the signal returner.

After about five minutes, a clear female voice finally came through the communication device, “Luo Yu, is that you?”

Hearing that voice nearly brought tears to Luo Yu’s eyes. “Zhu Long, it’s me.”

The person on the communication device chuckled softly, “I knew you would be okay. How is everyone?”

Luo Yu glanced at Zhu Huai and Ying Zhao, “We’re all doing well.”

“Are you facing survival difficulties in your time-space?”

“No, the situation here is fine. We’re repairing the time capsule and preparing to return…”

“No, Luo Yu, listen carefully.” Zhu Long interrupted her, her tone turning serious. “By choosing to bypass the space station and contact me directly, you must have noticed some clues. The situation is very complicated. My advice is to destroy the recovery panel and not come back.”

Just as she finished speaking, a burst of interference noise came from the communication device, followed by the communication light going out and the connection being lost.