Chapter 523
Kristen peered through the protective shield and activated the camera mounted on her waist. Like a witness, she leaned close to the lens and spoke to herself:
"Today is September 17, 1098, at 10:05 AM, a day destined to be recorded in history. I have entrusted Mister Zhongli as my guide, and through Teleportation Array created by the lich, I have arrived at this giant planet codenamed 'Tower Two'. From now on, you will follow my perspective as we explore the mysteries of the universe. But before that, I need to take samples from the soil and vegetation here..."
After listening to Kristen's introduction, Shi Lei felt it was exceptionally formal and found it difficult to joke around with her.
He remained silent off-camera, accompanying Kristen as the recording continued to ensure her safety.
"According to equipment measurements, the nitrogen content in the air on Tower Two is approximately 75%, and the oxygen content is approximately 23%. This is higher than the oxygen content in Terra, meaning that vegetation here will be more likely to perform photosynthesis..."
"Based on the geological analysis conducted on-site, the main components of the rocks on Tower Two are calcium carbonate and silicon dioxide, along with some unpredictable minerals. Detailed parameters will need to be verified upon returning to the ground laboratory. Please stay tuned for my subsequent supplementary geological report..."
"Tower Two's ultraviolet radiation is relatively strong, but within the range that is tolerable for humans. Based on the data currently available, it is a habitable planet..."
Shi Lei stood not far away, not disturbing them. Like a spectator, he watched the science blogger conduct scientific research on site and provide conclusions to the camera.
Fifty minutes later, Kristen had collected enough samples and said they could set off for space.
Knowing what the scenery would be like after leaving outer space, Shi Lei kindly reminded him:
"When you're in space, there are no samples to collect. If you want to collect samples, you have to collect enough on the ground all at once."
"That's enough, Mister Zhongli. Please take this, this, and this equipment with you. I'm ready to go into space with you."
Upon receiving an affirmative answer, Shi Lei nodded.
He built a brand new Rock House, carried Kristen and the three pieces of equipment he had indicated, and lifted them into the sky.
Kristen's parents, the Wrights, were among the leading scientists in the aerospace field, renowned not only in Columbia but also worldwide.
In 1075, the Wrights died in an accident during a flight test. But their sacrifice was not in vain, as it revealed the altitude of Star Pod to humankind.
The incident had a huge impact, leading to a situation where no scientists were willing to work in the aerospace field afterward.
They believed that the Star Pod represented the height of the sky, and since the height of the sky had already been measured, no matter how hard they tried afterward, the rewards would be negligible.
Apart from scientists like Kristen who are willing to Stargazy Pie and love the Starry Sky, other scientists need concrete results to enrich their resumes. This has led to the stagnation of the space program, which continues to this day.
A few months ago, Shi Lei broke through the Star Pod and returned to Earth, causing a great shock in the scientific community. It turns out that there is not just a Star Pod outside, but a vast and boundless space.
Thanks to him, Kristen secured more funding from the Columbia Ministry of Defense for spacecraft development.
However, no matter how much research she does, it can't compare to having Shi Lei lead a team to outer space. Even if the Space Teleportation Array created by the lich malfunctions, he can still break through the Star Pod and return to this land.
Putting everything else aside, the mere fact that she could safely bring back the collected samples was enough to make Kristen incredibly excited.
Fortunately, I didn't go against him when we first met. The cause I made then has led to the cooperation we have today.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh~"
Shi Lei was flying very fast, and the airflow Rock House rushed in through the windows with iron bars.
Even without looking at the altimeter's readings, Kristen could estimate that he had risen tens of thousands of meters.
This is many times higher than the sky over Terra Planet, which is more than 6,000 meters high.
"We're almost there. I'll seal the Rock House first. Check your spacesuit and let me know when it's ready."
Hearing Shi Lei's reminder from outside, Kristen took a deep breath to calm her extremely excited emotions.
Arrive!
We're almost at the place we've been dreaming of!
Dad, Mom, can you see this from heaven?
I, Kristen, am about to enter space!
Following Shi Lei's instructions, she continued to check her spacesuit for any damage. Kristen was now more concerned with calming her overwhelming nervousness.
As the Rock House completely broke free of the atmosphere and entered the realm of space, Kristen instantly broke free of the constraints of gravity and floated up in a state of weightlessness.
Shi Lei slowly opened the window of the Rock House to allow the air pressure inside and outside to balance.
Without the obscuring effect of the atmosphere, the universe appeared vast and boundless to Kristen.
The surroundings were pitch black, like an endless black hole with no end in sight.
The surroundings were eerily quiet; not a sound could be heard, as if a silent mode had been activated.
Within this seemingly silent darkness, countless brilliant stars and magnificent nebulae are being nurtured.
Kristen slowly turned her body, her gaze piercing through the dark night sky, looking towards the distant stars.
Those planets, light-years away, appeared to her like sparkling jewels. Such a breathtaking sight was unforgettable for Kristen!
After being stunned for a long time, she gradually came to her senses. She quickly adjusted the camera lens, hoping to record all the mystery and magnificence of the universe.
Kristen could already imagine how excited the other scientists would be when they saw this!
This is what the Outside the Starry Sky looks like!
Her camera circled around, finally settling on Terra Planet. The countless Star Pod that formed the outermost layer looked like a worn-out rag that had been used for many years. The whole thing was gray and drab, with only the outlines of the mountains below vaguely visible.
Not to mention comparing it to the vast universe, even compared to the planet Tower Two, where Kristen and Shi Lei are located, Terra Planet, despite its immense size, appears as an insignificant gray sphere.
Kristen gazed at the small ball; it was her home, the place where her dreams began.
In that instant, a complex and indescribable emotion welled up in Kristen's heart.
To quote a fable from the Yan, it's like the frog-like creature at the bottom of a well finally climbing to the top.
It originally thought the bottom of the well was the whole world, but it didn't realize that the well only occupied a very, very small part of it.
Kristen felt awe for the universe, a sense of profound openness that broadened her horizons. She understood how small Terra was in comparison to this size, and also the insignificance of humanity.
In this moment, Kristen longed to share this with her parents. Perhaps they were on distant stars, proud of their daughter. Her dream of space travel had never faded, and today it had finally come true.
Perhaps because Terra Planet's technology hasn't reached the point where satellites fill the sky, there are almost no floating objects or space debris in the universe.
Kristen's breathing was slow, as if she had merged into this endless void.
She's not thinking about the meaning of the universe, nor about how today's discovery will change the scientific community or even the aerospace industry. She's simply letting go of everything and enjoying the freedom of wandering in the universe.
A moment later, Shi Lei took the Rock Constructs Writing Tablet and wrote something. He asked Kristen how long he wanted to stay there.
There are no samples worth collecting in the universe, something he said before he set off.
If Kristen wants a sample of the Star Pod, she can ascend back to heaven and help collect it.
Flying at full speed from here to the outside of Terra Planet would take more than twenty hours. It's far less convenient than returning to Terra Planet and ascending directly by more than six thousand meters.
Kristen stared at the Writing Tablet, hesitated for a moment, then picked it up and wrote down only a few words.
"Let me stay a little longer."
Seeing this, Shi Lei stopped urging her and allowed her to take pictures and make scientific records in a weightless state.
A few hours later, the camera ran out of power, and the red warning light kept flashing.
Kristen wanted to change the battery, but then felt it wasn't right to just leave it at that without doing anything.
He had no choice but to use Writing Tablet to tell Shi Lei that he could leave, reluctantly bidding farewell to the universe. He then plummeted to the ground of Tower Two and returned to Terra via the Teleportation Array.
While Kristen was organizing the samples, Shi Lei took his girlfriends back into the Space-Time Tunnel.
The two of them were just going to have fun, so they didn't need to carry heavy scientific research and collection equipment. All they needed was two oxygen tanks to set off for the planet Tower Two.
The ground was filled with oxygen, and the distant vegetation was lush and green, like an untouched virgin land. Shi Lei flew them directly there to take photos.
Texas and Xi took many beautiful photos amidst the natural scenery. To be honest, such scenery is not uncommon in Terra, but beautiful women like these are rare.
After the two girls had finished playing, Shi Lei had Texas and Xi take their oxygen tanks. Using the Rock House, he carried his two girlfriends into space and sped towards outer space.
Once inside space, the silence here is eerily profound.
Texas took a lot of photos, then beckoned to him, asking for the Rock Constructs Writing Tablet.
Shi Lei had no reason to refuse, so he casually made one and handed it to her. Unexpectedly, she couldn't help but smile after taking it, though he didn't know what was so funny.
Texas isn't used to weightlessness, so she writes very slowly to avoid her handwriting becoming crooked.
Xi was closest to her, so she leaned over to check the contents. Then, her face flushed red, and she lightly patted the other person twice.
This piqued Shi Lei's curiosity. Not knowing what Texas had written, he beckoned with his finger to ask for it.
As the Rock Constructs Writing Tablet was turned over, he saw a line of text written on it.
Have you tried doing it here?
Upon seeing this, Shi Lei immediately understood why Xi had reacted that way. He was both amused and exasperated, unsure how to respond.
To be honest, Texas had always had a strong desire for certain things. This desire intensified, especially after she learned that Mudrock was pregnant. Just like what she learned in the Capital City of Yan, sexual happiness had to be earned.
Shi Lei could tell that she was feeling insecure and wanted to have a child with him, but such things couldn't be forced.
As a time traveler, Shi Lei did not have the concept of favoring sons over daughters or the necessity to continue the lineage of descendants.
In the era before he traveled back in time, prices were soaring, and people were in a state of apathy due to various economic pressures.
If Shi Lei were to tell Texas not to rush into having children, she most likely wouldn't listen.
Fine, fine, let her do as she says.
An hour later, Shi Lei, carrying Texas and Xi, landed on the ground of Tower Two. Through the lich's Teleportation Array, they returned to Cinderelme.
After sending Kristen back to Rhine Lab, he flew back to Liyue to recuperate.
In October, Shi Lei once again traveled to the Grand Knight Territory of Kazimierz. He purchased a large quantity of cables, Optical Cable, and Signal Base Station from the Supervision Committee and began the second phase of laying out the Cross-border Communication Network project.
Due to the tight construction schedule, it was not fully completed until the end of November. It extends westward to the border of Glassval, northward into the Endless Icefield of Sami, southward through Minoas and Sistag into Sargon, and northward through Laterano and Remupton. Through branches of the main line, it extends to the Higashi and Kazdel. In this way, it covers almost the entire continent except for Iberia.
Just as Shi Lei was preparing to extend invitations to world leaders amid a surge in users of Cross-border Communication, Laterano preemptively convened a 'Summit of All Nations'.
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Chapter 598 The Liyue Era (4K)
It's said that Laterano hosted the event first, but that's not actually the case.
Thirty years ago, they began using the system of 'Messenger of All Nations'. Each Messenger of All Nations would visit different countries and then bring back representatives from those countries to Laterano to report when the 'Summit of All Nations' was held.
Laterano is the homeland of the Exusiai, a small country that believes in divine authority. Its territory borders southern Syracuse, northern Iberia, and western Remupton.
Laterano prides itself on being an absolutely neutral nation, not participating in territorial disputes between countries. However, more than two hundred years ago, they actually participated in the war against the Sarkaz Demon King. It was Lord Kal'tsit who spearheaded the formation of the Multinational Allied Forces.
Despite its small size, less than half the size of Syracuse, Laterano possesses the largest quantity of firearms and explosives in all of Terra, making them a formidable fighting force.
Currently, most ordinary soldiers in most countries use cold weapons. Only elite troops who are willing to spend money have the equipment to compete with the Sarkaz Gun Knights.
Almost all countries agree that annexing Laterano would come at an incredibly high cost. Furthermore, given its small land area, invading Laterano would be extremely costly.
Don't be fooled by the impressive-sounding name of the Summit of All Nations, which seems to gather all nations. In reality, powerful countries won't stoop to holding meetings in Laterano.
The countries and settlements that came were all insignificant small nations and settlements, truly unworthy of the name "All Nations".
The Messenger of All Nations who came to Liyue to deliver the invitation was named Oren, full Oren Agiolas.
He usually stayed in Victoria and had a close personal relationship with the Duke Godot.
With the Summit of All Nations approaching, Oren extended an invitation as usual. Even knowing that Duke Godot would refuse as in previous years, he still had to go through the formalities.
The Duke's reply was somewhat unexpected; he said that if Liyue Kingdom participated, he would participate as well.
Oren had heard of this emerging nation, but knew little about it. In his exchanges with other Messenger of All Nations, he received the exact same answers.
In the past, those powerful nations wouldn't even bother sending someone to pay a perfunctory visit. But this year, they seem to have changed their tune, saying they'll only come if Liyue participates, otherwise they won't come at all.
Not only Sargon and Victoria, but also Yan and Columbia shared this attitude. This greatly shocked the Messenger of All Nations, who quickly rushed back to report.
Laterano Church took this matter very seriously upon hearing it.
After discussions, they dispatched Oren to Liyue, a mysterious kingdom built high in the mountains, on the border between Lungmen and Chernobyl, to extend a sincere invitation.
At first, Shi Lei learned that he was unwilling to personally receive the Messenger of All Nations over the world and wanted to leave it to Hegre to handle.
Texas seems to have hit the jackpot during that cosmic frenzy, experiencing the early signs of morning sickness as she had hoped.
Shi Lei wanted to spend more time with her and Mudrock, so he left the diplomatic matters to his subordinates.
Upon Exusiai rushed over, hoping to meet the Messenger of All Nations. After all, he was a fellow countryman from Laterano, and it didn't feel right to just give him a perfunctory response.
Shi Lei didn't care about this and nodded in agreement out of consideration for her. He summoned Ines, the Commander of the Qianyan Army, and brought the Messenger of All Nations to the Inner City for a meeting.