The green fragments gradually faded away in the Sea of Io, eventually merging into the ceaselessly surging waves. Vivian gazed at the sparkling foam on the surface, deep in thought. "How many of these things can survive?"
"Life is incredibly tenacious, and even more incredible," the Data Terminal replied leisurely. "It's difficult to create, but once it comes into existence, it's even harder to eradicate. No matter what calamity it encounters, it always does everything it can to leave behind seeds. Even if only a few cells remain, they may one day rise again. Civilizations may perish, but life... short of the true end of the world, there's almost nothing that can completely wipe it out."
Doudou happily swam back and forth through the waves, occasionally leaping out of the water. Her beautiful fish tail reflected a golden-red glow in the sunlight. Hao Ren pointed at the Little Merman and laughed. "Sometimes even the end of the world can't completely wipe out life."
In tens of thousands of years, or perhaps hundreds of thousands, new species might appear on Io. Carrying bloodlines from another planet, they would seek a way to coexist harmoniously with this world through evolution. Before releasing these seeds, Hao Ren had the Data Terminal conduct several rounds of precise simulations to ensure that the alien species wouldn't harm Io's already fragile ecosystem. He was fully confident in the release.
After watching the fish baby splash around in the water for a while, Hao Ren finally waved toward the sea. "Doudou, let's go. We're heading home!"
The Little Merman let out a string of giggles and swiftly swam over, leaping straight out of the water into Hao Ren's arms. Her entire wet body rubbed back and forth against him. Hao Ren had long since grown used to