Chapter Summaries

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wang Lili struggles to understand a paper and sends an email to her teacher, Lin Wenda, admitting she can't grasp it.
• Lin Wenda reads the paper and finds it to be a groundbreaking masterpiece, realizing its immense value and potential for follow-up papers.
• Lu Junzhe, the dean of the School of Mechanical Engineering, visits Lin Wenda and discusses the upcoming professional evaluation, urging him to publish any important papers to maintain the department's ranking.

Character Developments

• Wang Lili shows determination and honesty in admitting her limitations.
• Lin Wenda demonstrates his academic prowess and integrity by recognizing the paper's value but refraining from claiming it as his own.
• Lu Junzhe reveals his concern for the department's ranking and his willingness to capitalize on opportunities to improve it.

Significant Themes

• Academic integrity and the temptation of misconduct.
• The value and impact of groundbreaking research.
• The competitive nature of academia and the importance of rankings.

Character Interactions

• Wang Lili interacts with Lin Wenda through email, showing respect and honesty.
• Lin Wenda and Lu Junzhe discuss the paper and the department's ranking, demonstrating their shared academic enthusiasm and ambition.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The mechanical engineering professors are excited about the upcoming series of papers and their potential impact on the school's ranking.
• Professor Lu Junzhe is eager to publish Zhang Yuan's foundational paper in Modern Science, a top-tier journal, to avoid plagiarism issues.
• Zhang Yuan receives revision suggestions and submits his paper to Modern Science after making minor edits.

Character Developments

• Zhang Yuan shows diligence in his studies but doesn't waste time on trivial tasks. He submits his paper after casual edits, underestimating the value of his work.
• Professor Lu Junzhe displays impatience and urgency in publishing Zhang Yuan's paper to avoid plagiarism and improve the school's ranking.

Significant Themes

• The pressure to publish and the importance of citations in academic research.
• Zhang Yuan's underestimation of his own work and the value of his "inspirations."

Character Interactions

• Professor Lu Junzhe and Lin Wenda discuss helping Zhang Yuan revise his paper but decide against it to avoid gossip.
• Zhang Yuan and Han Ziyue interact, with Han Ziyue inviting him to the water park and reminiscing about their past. Zhang Yuan remains focused on his studies despite Han Ziyue's presence.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Han Ziyue, Zhang Yuan's ex-girlfriend's younger sister, teases him about his single status and lack of social skills.
• Wang Lili, a professor's assistant, arrives and invites Zhang Yuan to a meeting with corporate representatives interested in his research paper.
• Zhang Yuan agrees to participate, with Han Ziyue tagging along.

Character Developments

• Zhang Yuan: Shows expertise in mathematics, remains socially awkward, and expresses disinterest in personal wealth, preferring to donate earnings to a foundation.
• Han Ziyue: Demonstrates a playful and flirtatious nature, showing interest in Zhang Yuan despite her sister's past relationship with him.
• Wang Lili: Reveals herself to be helpful and resourceful, acting as a bridge between Zhang Yuan and potential collaborators.

Significant Themes

• The value of academic research and its potential applications in industry.
• The importance of collaboration and recognition in academic and professional settings.
• The complexities of interpersonal relationships, particularly among former romantic partners and their families.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Yuan and Han Ziyue: Their interactions are playful and teasing, with Han Ziyue showing interest in Zhang Yuan despite their past connection through her sister.
• Zhang Yuan and Wang Lili: They have a professional relationship, with Wang Lili acting as a mentor and guide to Zhang Yuan in navigating the academic and industrial worlds.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Business representatives from five major corporations gather at Xisha University to discuss Zhang Yuan's groundbreaking paper on motion control for robots.
• They aim to recruit Zhang Yuan and secure the rights to his research, seeing it as a significant industrial upgrade.
• Zhang Yuan attends the meeting and discusses his future research directions with the professors and business representatives.

Character Developments

• Zhang Yuan demonstrates his exceptional intelligence and maturity, handling the high-stakes meeting with ease and generosity, sharing his ideas freely.
• Professor Lu Junzhe shows his shrewdness in orchestrating the meeting to maximize benefits for the university and Zhang Yuan.
• The business representatives, such as Ma Teng and Ding Peng, exhibit their competitive nature and determination to secure Zhang Yuan's research for their companies.

Significant Themes

• Ambition and Potential: Zhang Yuan's youth and accomplishments challenge the notion that age determines one's capabilities and potential.
• Intellectual Property and Knowledge Exchange: The meeting highlights the value of intellectual property and the importance of knowledge exchange in driving technological advancements.
• Competition and Cooperation: The business representatives' behavior illustrates the fierce competition in the corporate world, while also showing the potential for cooperation and mutual benefit.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Yuan interacts with the business representatives, professors, and students, demonstrating his ability to communicate complex ideas effectively and handle high-pressure situations.
• Wang Lili and Han Ziyue, Zhang Yuan's classmates, discuss their impressions of him, revealing their admiration and curiosity about his character and accomplishments.
• The business representatives engage in subtle competition, trying to outbid each other in securing Zhang Yuan's research and recruitment.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Yuan's job offer negotiations with Ma Teng and Ding Peng.
• Zhang Yuan's refusal of high-paying offers, reaffirming his commitment to the Mars mission.
• The formation of "Genesis Technology Co., Ltd." with a 20 million investment from five major enterprises.
• Zhang Yuan securing 10% fixed equity in the company.

Character Developments

• Zhang Yuan demonstrates his resolve and integrity by declining lucrative job offers, prioritizing his dream of colonizing Mars.
• Ma Teng and Ding Peng show their competitive nature and willingness to invest in promising projects, despite initial reluctance to commit significant funds.

Significant Themes

• The pursuit of dreams and personal goals over material wealth.
• The complexities of business negotiations and investments.
• The potential for new civilizations and the lessons learned from existing ones.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Yuan interacts with Ma Teng and Ding Peng, showcasing his determination and negotiation skills.
• Zhang Yuan, Han Ziyue, and Wang Lili discuss the events and Zhang Yuan's decision to leave Earth.
• Zhang Yuan declines social invitations from the chairmen, preferring to spend time with his friends before departure.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Yuan experiences a restless feeling, akin to the end of the world, due to his impending space mission.
• He visits Professor Wang Zhong to donate his shares in Genesis Technology Co., Ltd., but Professor Wang advises him to keep the shares and donate the dividends instead.
• Zhang Yuan meets up with his friend Li Zhendong, who is also leaving for space, and Li Zhendong meets Han Ziyue, a girl Zhang Yuan knows.

Character Developments

• Zhang Yuan: He begins to understand the sentiment Ye Kaifu felt before leaving for space. He also starts to grasp the long-term implications of his actions and the foundation's future.
• Li Zhendong: He shows his eagerness to leave for space and his enthusiasm for gaming and online culture. He also demonstrates his eagerness to make a good impression on Han Ziyue.

Significant Themes

• The end of the world and how one should spend their last day.
• The decline of the Deep Space Foundation and the importance of maintaining its core purpose.
• The differences between the old and new generations in terms of their sense of crisis and will to develop.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Yuan and Professor Wang Zhong: They discuss the foundation's future and the importance of maintaining its core purpose.
• Zhang Yuan and Li Zhendong: They catch up before Li Zhendong's departure, with Li Zhendong showing off his gaming interests and eagerness to meet girls.
• Li Zhendong and Han Ziyue: They meet for the first time, with Li Zhendong trying to make a good impression on Han Ziyue.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Yuan and his friends, including his ex-girlfriend's younger sister Han Ziyue and Li Zhendong, spend their last day on Earth together.
• They go to a water park, where they enjoy various attractions and have fun together.
• In the evening, they have a dinner gathering and later go to a K-bar to sing songs.
• Throughout the day, they express their wishes for each other's futures, with Zhang Yuan and Li Zhendong preparing to embark on a 3,000-year voyage into space.

Character Developments

• Zhang Yuan shows a more carefree and relaxed side, enjoying his time with friends before his departure.
• Han Ziyue hints at her feelings for Zhang Yuan but doesn't act on them, respecting his decision to let things be.
• Li Zhendong, despite his womanizing ways, shows a hint of vulnerability when discussing the long space voyage.

Significant Themes

• Facing the Unknown: The characters acknowledge the uncertainty and potential harshness of the upcoming space voyage, contrasting it with their current carefree lives.
• Friendship and Farewells: The chapter emphasizes the importance of friendship and the bittersweet nature of partings, as Zhang Yuan and Li Zhendong prepare to leave Earth.
• Youth and Freedom: The characters embrace their youth and enjoy their freedom, with the water park and K-bar scenes highlighting their carefree attitude towards life.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Yuan and Han Ziyue share a moment of connection on the water slide, but Zhang Yuan decides not to pursue it further.
• Li Zhendong's interactions with the group show his desire for companionship and his fear of the upcoming voyage.
• The group dynamic is one of camaraderie and support, with everyone wishing each other well before their respective journeys.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The group engages in karaoke and Truth or Dare games.
• Senior Xu Yunjing, usually quiet, kisses her boyfriend passionately during a Dare challenge.
• Li Zhendong sings a heartfelt song that moves a girl to tears, leading to a kiss between them.
• Han Ziyue drags Zhang Yuan to a utility room, where she kisses him and propositions him.
• They end up in a couple's suite at the Amy Hotel.

Character Developments

• Zhang Yuan: Struggles with his feelings and values regarding Han Ziyue's advances, ultimately deciding to go along with her plans.
• Han Ziyue: Becomes more open and assertive about her feelings for Zhang Yuan, using alcohol as an excuse to pursue him.
• Xu Yunjing: Reveals a more passionate side during the Truth or Dare game.
• Li Zhendong: Shows his sensitive and emotional side through his song.

Significant Themes

• Embracing one's true nature: Characters let go of inhibitions and reveal their true selves under the influence of alcohol.
• Pursuit of desires: Han Ziyue actively pursues what she wants, challenging societal norms and Zhang Yuan's values.
• Consequences of actions: Characters face potential repercussions for their actions, such as Zhang Yuan's fear of being caught in the utility room.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Yuan and Han Ziyue: Their dynamic shifts as Han Ziyue becomes more aggressive in her pursuit of Zhang Yuan, leading to a tense and awkward situation.
• Group dynamics: The group's interactions become more open and lively under the influence of alcohol, leading to unexpected revelations and connections.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Han Ziyue confesses her feelings to Zhang Yuan, hoping he'll remember her in the future.
• Zhang Yuan is nervous and hesitant, leading to a tense and humorous exchange.
• Han Ziyue gifts Zhang Yuan a lily specimen with her portrait and signature, asking him to remember her in the future.
• They discuss the meaning of life and the significance of being remembered.

Character Developments

• Han Ziyue: She is revealed to be introspective and sentimental, with a deep desire to be remembered. She's proactive in expressing her feelings but also has insecurities about her actions.
• Zhang Yuan: He shows nervousness and hesitation in the face of Han Ziyue's advances, indicating his respect for her and his desire to act responsibly. He also demonstrates a capacity for deep thought and understanding.

Significant Themes

• Memory and Legacy: The chapter explores the desire to be remembered and the fear of being forgotten, tying into the theme of leaving a mark on history.
• Youth and Sentimentality: It delves into the emotional intensity and introspection that can come with youth, contrasting with the practical concerns of adulthood.
• Responsibility and Integrity: Zhang Yuan's actions reflect his sense of responsibility and integrity, even in the face of temptation.

Character Interactions

• Han Ziyue and Zhang Yuan: Their interaction is a mix of tension, humor, and deep conversation. Han Ziyue's proactive approach contrasts with Zhang Yuan's hesitation, leading to a dynamic exchange. They ultimately connect over their shared introspection and desire for meaning.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Yuan wakes up early, leaves Han Ziyue without waking her, and is followed by a stray dog.
• He returns to his dormitory, cleans it, and tries to leave the dog behind but fails.
• He meets Li Zhendong for breakfast, then proceeds to the space elevator registration area.
• After passing security and medical checks, he boards the space elevator, leaving Earth.

Character Developments

• Zhang Yuan shows kindness to the stray dog, reflecting his compassionate side.
• He experiences a mix of emotions—joy, pain, and regret—upon leaving Earth and Han Ziyue.
• Li Zhendong shows maturity and understanding, not pushing Zhang Yuan to talk about his last night with Han Ziyue.

Significant Themes

• The bittersweet nature of leaving one's homeland.
• The struggle between attachment and the desire for a better future.
• The kindness and cruelty of humanity, as seen through Zhang Yuan's interaction with the dog.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Yuan and Han Ziyue: They part ways silently, with unspoken feelings.
• Zhang Yuan and Li Zhendong: They meet for breakfast, and Li Zhendong shows understanding and support.
• Zhang Yuan and the stray dog: Zhang Yuan tries to help the dog but ultimately leaves it behind, reflecting his conflicted emotions.