Hello, Old Grandpa

It's obviously impossible to see all the stars in the night sky in just one night.

Nofi is still young, and her routine is to go to bed before 10 p. m.

Shen Qi and his daughter returned to the staff dormitory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Kedu Town, where they had a late-night snack together and slept together.

Lying in bed, Nofi couldn't sleep; she tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

"Daddy, sing a song."

"Okay, let Dad get into the mood first."

At home, Shen Qi took on the important task of singing to lull Nofi to sleep, because Ou Ye's singing voice was not good.

While traveling, Nofi was accompanied only by Shen Qi, who naturally continued to sing to soothe the baby.

Having come here with his daughter to see the stars and explore the mysteries of the universe, Shen Qi thought of a fitting song and began to sing:

"When the sun stops rising."

"When the Earth stops rotating."

When spring, summer, autumn, and winter no longer change.

"When all the flowers, grass, and trees have withered."

"I still can't break up with you."

"I'll take the Earth with me."

The song is an old song; Shen Qi had just been born when "My Fair Princess" was airing.

Several years later, a domestic science fiction film became a hit. It was about the sun about to explode and humanity taking the Earth with them to escape the Solar System.

Power Station is truly talented. In the 1990s, they predicted the apocalyptic scenario of the sun exploding and the earth wandering, creating the popular hit song "When".

Listening to this old song, Shen Nuo Fei drifted off into a sweet dream...

Daylight broke.

The sun rose as usual.

In May, Kedu Town is bathed in sunshine, filled with the sounds of birds and the fragrance of flowers.

Earth is an incomparably beautiful home, and it's difficult to find another planet in the universe as suitable for human habitation. At least, none have been found yet.

If one could live and work in peace and contentment, who would willingly leave their home and wander?

Escaping the Solar System is way harder than escaping Beijing, Shanghai, or Guangzhou.

Shen Qi looked at his still-sleeping daughter beside him with a heart full of fatherly love. What an adorable little girl! For the sake of future generations, we should protect the Earth's environment. Green mountains and clear waters are more valuable than gold and silver mountains.

A solar helium flash is a natural disaster. If that day really comes, there's not much to say. Humanity either accepts its fate or it's doomed.

But humanity has brought disaster upon the Earth; it's reaping what it sowed.

Shen Qi tiptoed out of bed, brushed his teeth, washed his face, made coffee, and prepared Nofi's breakfast.

After a while, Nofi woke up naturally, and her new day began.

The father and daughter enjoyed their breakfast together happily.

Around 9 a. m., someone called Shen Qi. It was an astrophysicist from the Chinese Academy of Sciences who was stationed at the China Sky Eye.

The other party spoke politely and apologetically on the phone, "Academician Shen, I apologize for bothering you. I know you are on vacation with your daughter. Although it is very presumptuous of me, I still made this call to you."

"Professor Qu, you're being too polite. Just tell me, what do you need me to do?"

What are Academician Shen's plans for today?

"I spend my days strolling around town with my daughter, and my nights stargazing with her. I'm free during the day, but I have one condition: wherever we go, I'll take my daughter with me."

"That's good, that's good. Why don't you bring your daughter to sit in our office for a while?"

"Okay, see you later."

After ending the call, Shen Qi guessed what was going on. Professor Qu's astrophysics team must have encountered some academic difficulties.

If you have a problem, consult an expert. Shen Qi received two Nobel Prize in Physics; if Professor Qu didn't consult Shen Qi, who else would he consult?

With Nofi by his side, Shen Qi arrived at the "Astrophysics Research Group of the Department of Mathematical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Research Center in Kedu Town".

The astrophysics research team led by Professor Qu warmly received Shen Qi and his daughter.

"This must be Nofi, right? Hello, Nofi." Professor Qu greeted Shen Nuo Fei with a big smile. Shen Nuo Fei was the youngest guest their research group had ever received at the Kedu Town Research Center.

"Hello, Grandpa." Nofi was quite polite; her parents had raised her well.

"Grandpa?" Professor Qu chuckled, his negative emotions surging.

Touching his bald head, Professor Qu squatted down, his gaze level with Nofi's. "Nofi, my dear niece, Uncle Qu is only eight years older than your father. I'm only 39 this year, the same generation as your father, both born in the 90s. If you call me grandpa, wouldn't I be taking advantage of your father?"

"Hmm..." Nofi glanced at Professor Qu, then at her father.

What does "post-90s" mean?

If your dad and I are both born in the 90s, why does my dad look so young while you look so old?

After thinking it over, Nofi finally understood, and she sweetly greeted, "Hello, Uncle Qu."

"My niece Nofi is wonderful!" Professor Qu, who is nearing forty and has no children of his own, is very fond of Nofi, this smart, lively, and adorable little girl.

After teasing the little girl, Professor Qu got straight to the point. "Academician Shen, on behalf of our team, I'd like to report to you on our recent work achievements, as well as the difficulties we encountered in our work."

As expected, Professor Qu and his team did encounter a problem.

Shen Qi is an academician of the Department of Mathematical Physics the Chinese Academy of Sciences of Sciences. When the research team in this division makes an academic request, Shen Qi should lend a helping hand.

Shen Qi sat in the large chair and said, "Let's all discuss and study together."

Shen Nuo Fei sat on a small stool next to her father with an air of seriousness, her earnest demeanor making her look like Shen Qi's little secretary.

Professor Qu handed Shen Qi a tablet. "Our astrophysics research group and colleagues from the National Astronomical Observatories have been working here for a long time. Our main task is to search for new Pulsar using FAST. To date, we have achieved our expected goals in finding Pulsar and have accumulated a certain amount of sample data for our 'Lighthouse System'."

Pulsar is a rapidly rotating neutron star produced by stellar evolution and supernova explosions. It has an extremely high density, with each cubic centimeter weighing hundreds of millions of tons. A piece of Pulsar matter the size of a sugar cube is equivalent to the weight of ten thousand 10,000-ton ships on Earth.

Pulsar have extremely stable rotation periods, more than 10,000 times more stable than hydrogen atomic clocks, making them equivalent to stable astronomical clocks in the universe. Precise clock signals are a necessary prerequisite for spacecraft navigation, and one of the significances of Pulsar for humanity is that they serve as beacons for interstellar travel, guiding humans to find their way during interstellar journeys.

The farthest place human astronauts have ever been is the moon, while human scientists have begun planning navigation systems thousands of light-years away.

Shen Qi fully affirmed the efforts and achievements made by the Astrophysics Research Group of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the National Astronomical Observatories in the field of "Lighthouse System" research. He then asked, "Professor Qu, what exactly are the difficulties you have encountered?"