The press conference erupted.
It wasn't just the people at the venue. Viewers watching the live broadcast on televisions, computers, and phones were all stunned when they heard Lu Zhou announce that he would personally travel to Mars.
He was going to Mars himself?!
What was going on?!
"Academician Lu is going to Mars himself?"
"Holy shit, no way! He's really fucking going?!"
"I swear... Academician Lu is probably joking, right? He isn't that old, sure, but going to Mars is still a bit much. I thought only professional astronauts could cope with living there."
"Please don't, God Lu! I'm begging you, just stay here on Earth!"
The discussion on Weibo had exploded.
The topic's popularity soared as though it had been strapped to a rocket, at one point overtaking "Manned Mars Landing Plan press conference" and the other terms dominating the trending list.
The same thing happened on Twitter and Facebook, as well as on YouTube and the video-sharing site streaming the press conference live. People poured their shock into the comments and scrolling messages, expressing their disbelief at the news.
Although some people had previously speculated that Lu Zhou's own name might appear on the long-delayed list, most of those guesses had been made in jest.
No one had imagined that Lu Zhou actually intended to go to Mars himself.
Even fewer had imagined that the relevant authorities would approve such a "willful" decision.
At the press conference, the uproar nearly blew the roof off Conference Hall No. 1. For a time, the feverish atmosphere made it impossible for the conference to proceed.
The staff desperately tried to maintain order, but the reporters had been stunned by the bombshell. Every one of them surged toward the podium with 120 percent-or even 200 percent-of their usual enthusiasm.
"Professor Lu