The Return of Stars to the Jianghu

Chapter 150 Mars Outpost Base, Conference Room 3

Luo Yifei, Shen Lixi, and Su An, the three members of the youth team, have already spent three months at the Mars base. During this time, the three have been shuttling between different project groups. Each research project leader is an expert professor with established achievements on Earth, and they all feel they lack laboratory assistants. With the help of Luo Yifei and the other two, many research projects have made new progress.

On June 30, 2030, they received a meeting notice from Commander Duchi. Commander Duchi was the captain of the Phoenix Order's Mars division and had consistently provided them with tremendous support and guidance. The three arrived at Conference Room Number Three at the Mars outpost with great excitement.

Before entering the conference room, Luo Yifei gently knocked on the door. Commander Du Qi's voice came from inside: "Come in."

They pushed open the door and entered, only to see Commander Du Qi standing in front of the large screen in the conference room, holding a report in his hand. His gaze swept over the three of them, and a friendly smile appeared on his face.

"How are you doing? Are you adapting to life on Mars?" Commander Duqi asked with a smile.

Luo Yifei replied, "It's not bad. Although the environment here is a bit unfamiliar, we're gradually getting used to it. Every research project is interesting, but I don't understand most of them. I'm already very happy to be able to help them out."

Shen Lixi and Su An also expressed their agreement.

Then, Commander Duchi handed them the report. "Here, memorize this," he said.

The three took the report and began to read it carefully. Luo Yifei opened the report first, only to find it filled with various technical terms and data, including terms such as "Hohmann transfer orbit" and "Arcadia Plain." Shen Lixi looked at these complex terms and couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

Su An quickly glanced through the report, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

"The next launch window is coming soon, and Vulcan 11 will..." Commander Duqi said.

"A magnetized palladium fusion reactor?" Su An suddenly interjected. "So, the base's energy supply doesn't actually rely on those few solar panels?" His words were full of doubt and curiosity.

Commander Du Qi smiled slightly and asked in return, "Who told you that a few solar panels can supply the energy for the entire base?"

Luo Yifei answered first: "Nantian told us."

Commander Du Qi nodded and explained, "Nan Tian did indeed go to the Xuan Tian Continent, but he didn't pass the comprehensive test. Captain Zhang recommended him to join our team mainly because of his extensive experience in interdimensional travel. However, his security clearance level is only D. After this meeting, the security clearance level for the three of you will be raised to C."

Upon hearing this, the three people did not feel excited or proud, but rather more confused and puzzled.

Next, Commander Duzi gave them a detailed explanation of the Vulcan 11 launch plan and related technical details. The three listened with rapt attention, as if they were already at the exciting launch site.

After the meeting, the three returned together to the dome cabin in the living area. The soft, warm lighting inside the cabin illuminated their slightly tired yet excited faces.

Shen Lixi broke the silence first, speaking slowly: "According to the meeting's decision, the three of us will be included in the list for this manned spaceflight. That is to say, in August 2031, one year from now, the three of us will be sent back to Earth aboard a spacecraft." His voice was filled with anticipation for the future and a hint of reluctance.

Luo Yifei picked up the thread, saying, "I remember that when the astronauts from the Mars base returned to Earth in September 2026, there was no live broadcast. But in October, Ye Xuehan and Nantian finally updated their QQ Moments, indicating that their year-long internet shutdown was officially over."

Su An smiled slightly and said, "Luo Yifei, I know what you want to say. Regarding those scientific research tasks, we didn't actually help much in any substantial way; most of the time we were just doing some lab assistant work. However, our experience is extremely valuable to researchers on Earth. They may never be able to experience our experiences in another world firsthand."

Shen Lixi nodded and added, "That's true. Moreover, judging from the current situation, it's still a very distant prospect for humanity to achieve large-scale interstellar migration. Unless, of course, most of the raw materials for building the base come from Mars itself."

Luo Yifei seemed a little impatient, and he interrupted their conversation: "Are you two even listening to me? I'm talking about Nan Tian and Ye Xuehan returning to the solar system through the Martian tunnel. How did they do it? What does this mean for us?"

Su An and Shen Lixi exchanged a glance, and then Su An explained, "Luo Yifei, Nan Tian actually said a long time ago that he and Ye Xuehan returned to the solar system through the Martian time tunnel. We know you're trying to say that our experience this time is similar to theirs. But there's nothing to discuss about that. If they wanted to return to Earth from Mars, of course they could only do so via a spacecraft."

Shen Lixi picked up where Su An left off, continuing, "We've moved on to the next topic. Of course, we're not talking about scientific research missions or interstellar migration. We're talking about how this will be a completely new era. The demon race on Mars—their appearance could change the fate of humanity throughout the entire solar system."

Luo Yifei frowned and asked, "The demon race? You mean they changed the ecological environment of Mars?"

Shen Lixi nodded and said, "That's right. There's a time tunnel right next to the Mars base, so theoretically they could send the demon race away from Mars at any time. But they didn't do that. There must be a deeper reason behind that."

Luo Yifei seemed to understand their meaning, and he asked, "So, do humans want to change the natural ecology of Mars through the demon race? What will be the price they pay?"

Shen Lixi sighed and said, "The price? There's no such thing as a free lunch. Humans have to pay a price for what they want to gain. As for what the specific price is, we don't know yet. But one thing is certain, this will definitely not be a simple matter."

Su An added, "That's right. The permanent residency rights of the demon race on Mars may only be part of it. We also need to consider many other things, such as how they interact with humans, cultural conflicts, and so on."

"We still have more than a year left, maybe we'll have a chance to visit the demon race's oasis," Luo Yifei said.

Shen Lixi nodded, and after a moment of contemplation, he said, "That's a good idea. We can apply to the Mars base to see if we have the opportunity to conduct research in the demon race's oasis. This would not only allow us to gain a deeper understanding of the demon race, but also provide more reference information for human interstellar migration."

Su An nodded and said, "That's true, but I'm afraid it's inconvenient for me to go. After all, the Demon King revealed his true form under my sword. Some grudges can't be easily resolved."

Luo Yifei chuckled and shook his head, saying, "Su An, you're being too pessimistic. Although the demon race is different from us humans, they are also intelligent beings with their own thoughts and judgments. I believe that as long as we treat them with sincerity, they will respond to us in the same way."

“If you were alone on the Xuan Tian Continent, you probably wouldn’t survive,” Su An said.

"Are you changing the subject again?" Luo Yifei asked, puzzled.

Shen Lixi shook her head helplessly.