Lu Zhou used the experimental results from his carbon-material research to develop an implicit density functional method for studying complex carbon materials. After working through its theoretical foundations, he believed the approach showed promise, and the system announced that he had completed his mission.

• Lu Zhou considered possible applications for the high-strength material and chose carbon-based composites as the research focus.
• After reviewing the flawed experimental sample, Lu Zhou identified incomplete polymerization as its likely cause.
• Lu Zhou wrote down the idea for an implicit density functional method and set out to extend it to complex carbon materials.
• Lu Zhou derived equations for the method and concluded that it showed promise.
• The system congratulated Lu Zhou and announced that he had completed his mission.

Chapter Summary: SuperFiber

Key Plot Points

• Lu Zhou receives his mission completion notice: he successfully synthesized 1g of special carbon nanofiber with a Young's modulus of 2.2 TPa (0.1 higher than expected), earning an S+ rating, 500,000 Materials Science exp, a lottery chance, and 1,000 points.
• His Materials Science level rises from LV7 to LV8, with the experience cap tripling to 3,000,000.
• The lottery yields only 30 Vitality Potions (no surprises).
• A reward mission activates: publish any "high-impact" academic paper, with rewards based on the paper's overall impact. This aligns perfectly with his completed Implicit Density Functional Method research, which he considers "nuclear-weapon-level" for computational materials science.
• Lu Zhou finishes converting his research into a paper and uploads the preprint to arXiv.
• Director Li visits with a fabricated story about a "bet" with Old Academician Yuan, claiming Yuan won't approve the Lagrange Point Space Base plans unless Lu Zhou can produce the material for a specific component.
• Lu Zhou immediately provides the requested material: SuperFiber-1 (SF-1), a black powder sealed in a plastic bag, leaving Director Li dumbstruck.

Character Developments

• Lu Zhou: Confident, perceptive, and efficient. He immediately sees through Director Li's "routine" but chooses to cooperate anyway, showing both his competence and his willingness to work within the system when it serves his goals.
• Director Li: Continues his manipulative but well-intentioned scheming. He openly admits to himself that he fabricated most of the story about the bet, rationalizing it as being "all for the greater good." His guilt quickly fades as he focuses on getting the material.

Significant Themes

• System mechanics: Mission rewards, level progression, and the strategic value of aligning personal research with system missions ("pulling off a Combo").
• Theory meeting practice: The Implicit Density Functional Method (theoretical/computational) directly supporting practical material production (SuperFiber-1).
• Bureaucratic maneuvering: The gap between official approval processes and actual technical capability—Director Li's methods of navigating both.

Character Interactions

• Lu Zhou ↔ System: He checks his status panel, completes the lottery, and activates the reward mission.
• Lu Zhou ↔ Xiao Ai: Xiao Ai announces Director Li's arrival and serves tea.
• Director Li ↔ Lu Zhou: The central conversation—Director Li rambles through a fabricated explanation, Lu Zhou bluntly cuts through it, asks for the material requirements, and delivers SF-1 immediately, stunning Director Li.

Key Details

• Mission: Successfully synthesize 1g special carbon nanofiber (Young's modulus 2.2 TPa, breaking strength 83 Nm).
• Reward Mission: Publish any "high-impact" academic paper; rewards scale with the paper's impact.
• SuperFiber-1 (SF-1) is the material provided—a pitch-black powder in a palm-sized plastic bag.

Chapter Summary: Strong Enough to Be Terrifying!

1. Key Plot Points & Events

• At MIT, Professor Stanley (a Nobel laureate) teaches his usual morning class, years after losing a patent race to Lu Zhou over Lithium-Sulfur Battery electrode materials.
• The backstory reveals Stanley later shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry (with Goodenough and Yoshino), which rebuilt his academic reputation; ExxonMobil sought to repair ties with him, and student interest in his classes grew.
• Stanley lectures on how modern computational methods transformed Materials Science from a "craft" into a true "science," assigning students a review paper on Density Functional Theory (DFT).
• After class, his student/assistant Dr. Jones brings his attention to a new arXiv paper uploaded by Lu Zhou, titled Implicit Density Functional Method.
• Stanley reads it carefully and is deeply impressed: the paper addresses a major open problem—extending Implicit DFT from simple to complex systems—using special mathematical methods to correct its inability to describe van der Waals forces and metals, broadening its application to carbon composite materials.
• The chapter ends with Stanley admitting that, despite Lu Zhou's years away from Materials Science, his abilities remain formidable.

2. Character Developments

• Professor Stanley: Frames his past loss to Lu Zhou as a turning point. His Nobel Prize vindicated his career, and he deliberately shifted his research focus to Computational Materials Science—directly influenced by Lu Zhou's earlier display of computational mastery. Reading Lu Zhou's paper, he shows genuine humility, respect, and admiration rather than old resentment.
• Lu Zhou (off-page): Though he doesn't appear directly, the paper proves his genius remains sharp despite his absence from the field, reinforcing his reputation as a transformative figure in science.

3. Significant Themes

• Science vs. Craft: The chapter contrasts traditional trial-and-error materials research with modern, computation-driven rational design, framing the latter as genuine "science."
• The Relentless Pace of Progress: Even brief periods away from frontier research can leave a scientist behind—highlighting the importance of staying current.
• Respect Earned Through Achievement: Stanley's journey from rival to admirer shows how extraordinary work can transcend personal history and reshape relationships.

4. Character Interactions

• Stanley ↔ Students: He teaches a lecture and assigns a DFT review paper, establishing his role as a respected, somewhat reformed academic.
• Dr. Jones ↔ Stanley: Jones excitedly brings Lu Zhou's paper to his professor's attention. Their exchange reveals Stanley's uncharacteristic shock and admiration, culminating in his final verdict: "He was still terrifyingly strong!"—the chapter's title callback.

Summary: "The More You Know, the Less Imagination You Have"

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Director Li returns to Shangjing from Jinling with Lu Zhou's SF-1 super fiber sample and delivers it to Aerospace Science Group.
• Academician Yuan Huanmin is stunned by the sample's properties and hurries to Director Li's office to demand who developed it.
• Director Li explains that Lu Zhou produced the finished material almost instantly — within five minutes of being asked whether he could make it.
• Yuan reveals the material's extraordinary properties: its Young's Modulus is measured in TPa rather than GPa, and its tensile strength is at least 1000× that of nylon rope.
• Yuan speculates that the material's only limit is imagination, suggesting even a space elevator could become possible.
• Meanwhile, the broader scientific community is rocked by a paper Lu Zhou posted on arXiv — he has solved two long-standing problems in Computational Materials Science, including limitations of implicit functional densities (Van der Waals forces, metallic bonds) and the accuracy of the Density Functional Method.
• The chapter ends with the materials science community in disbelief, marveling that Lu Zhou has returned to materials science after a long absence and immediately produced a world-shaking breakthrough.

2. Character Developments

• Professor Stanley: Briefly mentioned as stunned by the events, though his role is marginal.
• Director Li: Serves as a bridge between Lu Zhou and the aerospace community; his shock at Lu Zhou's effortless genius highlights Lu Zhou's extraordinary nature.
• Academician Yuan Huanmin: A decades-long aerospace veteran who quickly becomes excited and imaginative about the material's potential, eventually daring to dream of a space elevator — an idea that even he thinks is too far-fetched.

3. Significant Themes

• Knowledge vs. imagination: The title reflects the idea that accumulating knowledge typically erodes fanciful thinking (citing Dyson as a rare exception), yet Yuan's conviction has been renewed by Lu Zhou's breakthrough.
• Sudden scientific revolution: One paper and one sample can unsettle an entire field overnight.
• The shock of effortless genius: Lu Zhou accomplishes in minutes what would take teams years, leaving others staggered.

4. Character Interactions

• Yuan Huanmin & Director Li: Yuan bursts into Li's office in astonishment; Li offers tea and recounts how casually Lu Zhou handed over the finished sample. Their conversation escalates from confusion to awe as Yuan explains the material's capabilities, ending with Yuan half-apologetically floating the space elevator idea that leaves Li stunned.

Summary: "Into Hell!"

Key Plot Points

• Professor Gerhard Ertl (Fritz Haber Institute director, 2007 Nobel laureate) is stunned by a new paper from Lu Zhou on computational materials science, describing it as a "near-Nobel Prize-level achievement."
• The paper provides both a new research method and an effective mathematical framework for studying complex molecular systems, elevating the entire field of computational materials science.
• Ertl is so inspired he decides to follow Lu Zhou's example and go into seclusion for a month.
• Professor Kliqing (Physics Research Institute director) shrewdly deduces that Lu Zhou actually did NOT go into seclusion this time — the work was done too quickly since Kliqing was recently in Shanghai.
• In the System Space, Lu Zhou completes his reward mission (shocking the materials science community). Rewards: 1 million Materials Science exp, 500,000 free exp, one Legendary Mission Card, and 3,000 points.
• Lu Zhou allocates 200,000 free exp to Engineering (raising it to Level 8) and the rest to Biochemistry (Level 7).
• He activates the Legendary Mission Card, spawning the quest "Into Hell!": Complete a crewed Mars landing plan within the year. The reward scales with number of landers and remaining time.
• Lu Zhou feels a distinct sense of foreboding upon reading the mission name.

Character Developments

• Lu Zhou: Strategically manages his system resources; returns to materials science triumphantly after dominating physics/mathematics; now faces an enormous new challenge — a crewed Mars landing.
• Gerhard Ertl: Moves from authoritative senior scholar to inspired disciple, demonstrating Lu Zhou's influence on even Nobel laureates.
• Kliqing: Portrayed as perceptive and intellectually curious, deducing the truth about Lu Zhou's timeline through careful reasoning rather than gossip.

Significant Themes

• Academic legacy & influence: Even the world's top scientists defer to Lu Zhou's methods and follow his example.
• Relentless escalation: The scale of challenges grows — from papers to interplanetary missions ("humanity's thirst for living space is endless").
• Strategic growth: Lu Zhou's careful experience allocation reflects long-term planning (growing all disciplines toward Level 10).
• Foreboding/ambition: The mission title "Into Hell!" (with Mars as an "uninhabited desert") hints at mortal danger and high stakes.

Character Interactions

• Ertl & Kliqing: A collegial conversation where Ertl gushes over the paper's significance while Kliqing probes his curiosity about Lu Zhou's recent odd behavior (resigning from IMCRC Council, apparent disappearance). Their exchange reveals how Lu Zhou's actions are being watched across disciplines.
• Lu Zhou & the System: Implicit interaction — he completes the reward mission, allocates experience, and activates the Legendary Quest, ending the chapter with ominous anticipation.

Lu Zhou accepted the Mars Crewed Landing Plan mission and went to sleep after abruptly ending Director Li’s call about a space elevator. Meanwhile, the International Materials Research Society Alliance debated whether to honor Lu Zhou despite political pressure and a prior promise to Professor Kolhart, ending with Chairman Switov deciding to seek the White House’s opinion.

• Lu Zhou decided that completing the Mars Crewed Landing Plan should be straightforward, then went to bed after accidentally hanging up on Director Li while he was asking about a space elevator.
• Professor Ertl nominated Lu Zhou for the International Materials Research Society Alliance’s annual award, adding to more than ten nominations already received.
• Chairman Switov and Secretary-General Melifinch discussed how honoring Lu Zhou could conflict with their plan to award Professor Kolhart and with the Alliance’s political pressures.
• Melifinch argued that Lu Zhou’s visit to North America could help repair relations between Hua Nation and the United States.
• Chairman Switov decided to ask the White House for its opinion before making a decision.

Chapter Summary: “You Should Give Young People More Consideration”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Zhou receives a nomination for the International Materials Research Society Alliance Annual Award and immediately decides to decline.
• His assistant, Zhao Huan, is shocked because the award is prestigious and carries a $100,000 prize, but Lu Zhou insists.
• Lu Zhou writes the reply himself, politely withdrawing from consideration and explicitly stating that the award should go to younger scholars who need recognition and career support more than he does.
• He then calls his PhD student, Han Mengqi, and asks her to attend the Alliance’s April Meeting in Boston as his representative to present a Computational Materials Science report.
• Han Mengqi hesitates because she has switched to pure mathematics, but she agrees. Lu Zhou offers first-class airfare and a five-star hotel, and tells her to greet his old friends.
• After hanging up, Han Mengqi regrets agreeing so quickly.

2. Character Developments

• Lu Zhou: Shows humility, generosity, and a sense of academic responsibility. He is unmoved by honors and money, and actively chooses to support younger researchers. He also acts as a caring, non-coercive advisor to his student.
• Zhao Huan: Practical and attentive to institutional formalities; she values the award but respects her boss’s decision.
• Han Mengqi: Struggling with her difficult doctoral research on the Riemann zeta function, she accepts a task outside her current field, showing adaptability and a willingness to help. Her regret suggests self-doubt and pressure.

3. Significant Themes

• Mentorship and the importance of giving opportunities to young scholars.
• Academic humility: true scientists care more about discovery than awards.
• Generational responsibility: passing the torch and supporting emerging talent.
• The tension between institutional honors and genuine scientific curiosity.

4. Character Interactions

• Lu Zhou and Zhao Huan: She brings the nomination email, is astonished by his refusal, and is relieved when he offers to handle the email himself, avoiding blame if something goes wrong.
• Lu Zhou and Han Mengqi: A casual, supportive phone call. He asks rather than orders, showing respect for her autonomy. She becomes flustered initially, then cautiously agrees, but feels uneasy afterward about the commitment.

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• The International Materials Research Society Alliance leadership (Chairman Swift and Secretary-General Melifinch) is in shock after Lu Zhou withdraws from consideration for the Alliance Annual Award, despite the White House and Congress having already arranged an elaborate diplomatic reception and presidential meeting to normalize relations with Hua Nation.
• The White House probes Hua Nation's diplomatic position, fearing a deeper misunderstanding.
• Director Li visits Lu Zhou at his home in Jinling, informing him that the higher-ups want to de-escalate tensions with North America, as both sides should take a step back; he also mentions the earlier Northern Lights cruise ship incident to reassure Lu Zhou it wasn't connected to the U.S. government.
• Lu Zhou announces he wants to submit an application to personally take command of the crewed Mars landing mission and lead the expedition.
• Director Li reveals that the organization had already planned to appoint Lu Zhou as chief designer of the Mars Colonization Project and happily accepts his commitment, prompting them to prepare for a trip to Shangjing and then the northwest base.

2. Character Developments

• Lu Zhou: Remains apathetic toward international accolades, preferring to leave honors to younger scholars. Shows consistent disinterest in political maneuvering, identifying strictly as a pacifist scholar focused on exploration. Enthusiastically embraces the Mars project as his true priority. Ends on a humorous note, impatiently avoiding talk of the space elevator.
• Director Li: Acts as the diplomatic bridge between the government and Lu Zhou. Shows care and urgency in ensuring Lu Zhou remains on good terms with national policy. Is genuinely delighted to secure Lu Zhou for the Mars project, though comically exasperated by Lu Zhou's evasiveness regarding the space elevator question.

3. Significant Themes

• Diplomacy vs. confrontation: The chapter explores the tension in international relations, with both countries recognizing the need to repair ties through academic events rather than continued conflict.
• Science above politics: Lu Zhou deliberately stays removed from political games, prioritizing scientific ambition over reputation or diplomatic gestures.
• Mars exploration as a uniting cause: The crewed Mars landing serves as the common ground between Lu Zhou and the organization, representing the future-focused spirit superseding political distractions.
• Miscommunication and assumption: Both the American officials and the Chinese diplomatic department misinterpret Lu Zhou's actions as politically motivated when they are simply personal choices.

4. Character Interactions

• Swift and Melifinch: United in their bewilderment and frustration, they speculate over Lu Zhou's motives and worry about the diplomatic consequences with the White House.
• Director Li and Lu Zhou: An informal, candid conversation where Director Li carefully probes Lu Zhou's political stance, dispels the cruise ship concern, and discovers the mutual desire to collaborate on Mars. Ends with a lighthearted moment when Lu Zhou dodges the space elevator topic, leaving Director Li speechless.

Chapter 1 Summary: Biosphere Unsealed

Key Plot Points and Events

• The setting opens at the Gurbantunggut Desert research base, where an enclosed biosphere has been hermetically sealed for 400 days as part of the "Spark Plan" — an experiment simulating life support for future Mars colonization.
• The chapter starts with Liang Youcheng, an astronaut inside the biosphere, finishing his diary on the final day of the experiment. He notes that the biosphere will be opened today.
• Outside, Academician Lu Zhou, Director Li, and Professor Hu Yang arrive to inspect the facility. They observe the research base has grown significantly since its founding years earlier.
• Lu Zhou announces to the astronauts that the Mars Crewed Landing Plan will begin within a month. They will be the crew destined for Mars.
• The biosphere's mission is declared a success, having operated for 400 days with no external resource input.

Character Developments

• Liang Youcheng: An astronaut and psychologist's recommender of daily journaling. He shows strong commitment, self-awareness, and courage. He expresses pride that his son will be proud of his father's name, demonstrating his resolve despite leaving family behind for years.
• Lu Zhou: A chief scientist and architect of the aerospace program. He is authoritative yet personable, taking time to meet the crew directly and give them an inspiring send-off.
• Professor Hu Yang: An agricultural scientist who has visibly aged from the harsh desert environment. He worries about the ecological damage caused by the base's growth and the encroachment of civilian settlements, suggesting the project may need to relocate.
• Director Li: A pragmatic administrator who handles practical concerns (reporting the civilian encroachment issue and arranging relocations). He has visited the site multiple times over the years and notes its transformation.

Significant Themes

• Sacrifice and dedication: Astronauts willingly endure isolation, psychological stress tests, and separation from family for a multi-year mission to Mars.
• From small beginnings to major achievements: The "Spark Plan" — once a barren desert outpost — has become a major international research hub and the foundation for humanity's first crewed Mars mission.
• Environmental fragility vs. human progress: The base itself has disrupted the desert ecosystem, and civilian settlement threatens to destroy the very "forbidden zone" that made the location ideal, raising questions about the costs of expansion.
• Psychological endurance: The chapter highlights the psychological toll of isolation (the 2-month internet cutoff during stress tests) and the methods (diaries, video calls) used to cope.
• The heroism of explorers: Lu Zhou's speech frames the astronauts as carriers of civilization who will turn barren Martian plains into fertile fields.

Character Interactions

• Lu Zhou, Director Li, and Hu Yang walk through the base, discussing its growth, the need to relocate nearby civilians, and the progress since the plan's early days.
• Lu Zhou meets the astronauts in the lounge, where Liang Youcheng enthusiastically greets him. Liang asks directly whether they are about to depart; Lu Zhou confirms the timeline.
• Lu Zhou delivers a motivational speech to the assembled astronauts, praising their performance during the biosphere experiment and framing their mission as fulfilling the unfinished dreams of earlier pioneers. He ends with the rallying metaphor of turning "barren plains into fertile fields, deserts into oases."

After Biosphere A opened, Hua Nation announced that its manned Mars landing plan would begin within the month, with Lu Zhou as chief designer. The news stirred excitement at home and sparked fierce debate abroad, where former astronaut Jason praised Hua Nation’s technology and Professor Phil Goethe condemned the rushed plan.

• Liang Youcheng felt inspired by Academician Lu’s speech as news of the Mars plan spread through the research base and domestic media.
• Hua Nation announced that its manned Mars landing plan would begin within the month, with Academician Lu serving as chief designer.
• International audiences debated whether Hua Nation could establish a permanent Mars base, with many Americans doubting its ability to withstand Martian conditions.
• Former BFS captain Jason posted that Hua Nation’s spacecraft and technology far surpassed America’s and urged its leaders to reconsider their confrontation.
• Professor Phil Goethe called the plan reckless and warned that it could become a tragedy unless Hua Nation delayed its launch.

Lu Zhou showed senior officials and aerospace engineers the completed Colonial Module and explained that it was the core of a colony ship assembled in geosynchronous orbit. The system was designed for deep-space planetary colonization beyond Mars, and the group learned it could potentially serve on distant worlds as well.

• Director Chang Hezhi, Academician Yuan Huanmin, and aerospace executives welcomed the senior leader and Lu Zhou at the Jinling Aerospace Assembly Center.
• Lu Zhou described the factory’s automated production and discussed with the senior leader how AI-driven automation could affect employment and social welfare.
• The group entered the factory hall and saw the enormous silvery-white Colonial Module.
• Yuan Huanmin asked how the Colonial Module would reach Mars, and Lu Zhou explained that its components would be launched into geosynchronous orbit and assembled into a colony ship.
• Lu Zhou said the complete system was designed for extraterrestrial colonization and could be used on worlds beyond Mars.

Lu Zhou showed officials and Aerospace Science Group leaders the Deep-Space Planetary Colonization System and explained how it would support a modular Mars research base. The Aerospace Science Group’s leaders confronted how far their manufacturing capabilities had fallen behind, while Lu Zhou named the colony ship the Xu Fu spacecraft.

• Lu Zhou clarified that the colonization system was designed for experimentation and could eventually support missions beyond Mars, then guided the visitors through its airlocks, living spaces, laboratories, and cultivation areas.
• Lu Zhou explained that the colony module could sustain at least ten people for ten to twenty years and would connect to additional functional units on Mars.
• Zheng Xiangdong asked Yuan Huanmin whether the Aerospace Science Group could manufacture parts of the module, and Yuan warned that the group lacked the necessary foundation and was losing ground to specialized companies in Jinling High-Tech Industrial Park.
• Yuan Huanmin urged Zheng Xiangdong to pursue opportunities instead of waiting for Starry Sky Technology to approach them, then walked away worried about the Aerospace Science Group’s future.
• Lu Zhou told an elderly official that the module was the heart of a larger Mars research base and revealed that the colony ship had been named the Xu Fu spacecraft.

The first components for the Xu Fu colonization ship launched aboard the Radiance as the Mars mission began. Lu Zhou then told Chang Hezhi he planned to increase the first crew from three people to five, and Chang agreed to sign off on the change.

• The Radiance took off from the launch center carrying the first components for the Xu Fu colonization ship toward the Magpie Bridge in geosynchronous orbit.
• Chang Hezhi watched the launch and recalled how the technology behind the Colonial Module had convinced him the Mars mission could succeed.
• A staff member told Chang that Lu Zhou wanted to see him, and Chang went to meet Lu in a conference room.
• Lu told Chang he intended to raise the first manned Mars mission's crew from three people to five, explaining that all five had necessary duties and that the ship and module could support them.
• Chang voiced concern about the larger crew, but Lu insisted the plan was feasible and that he would not allow a tragedy to occur.
• Chang accepted Lu's judgment and agreed to sign the document approving the five-person crew.

Summary of "Assembling in Space!"

Key Plot Points

• The Arizona Astronomical Observatory, secretly funded by the Pentagon, is monitoring China's Manned Mars Landing Plan launches.
• Professor Reston and his team have been tracking all launches around the clock; the third batch of components has successfully reached the Moon Palace spacecraft in lunar orbit.
• Professor Phil Goethe, a skeptical MIT professor and NASA engineer, visits the observatory. He previously publicly declared China's Mars plan doomed.
• Reston reports that China has completed all planned launches exactly on schedule, seemingly without concern for U.S. surveillance.
• Goethe remains doubtful, speculating that China might be assembling a smaller spacecraft or delivering life-support equipment instead.
• Their doubts are shattered when radar shows the three components moving together and docking—they are genuinely assembling a large spacecraft in lunar orbit.
• Using the Universe-2 optical satellite, they confirm the impossible: China is assembling a colony ship in space.

Character Developments

• Professor Reston: Weary and pragmatic, he is relieved the launches are ending but humbled by China's flawless execution.
• Professor Phil Goethe: Starts arrogant and dismissive, then becomes speechless and forced to confront his miscalculation.

Significant Themes

• Space race and geopolitical rivalry (U.S.–China).
• The gap between assumption and reality—Western underestimation of Chinese aerospace capability.
• Surveillance and intelligence gathering in civil space programs.
• Technological achievement: on-orbit assembly of a large spacecraft.

Character Interactions

• Goethe arrives and immediately bombards Reston with questions about China's progress.
• Reston dryly explains that China has made no secret of their launches, even practically displaying them for observation.
• The two professors watch together as the anomaly unfolds, transforming Goethe's skepticism into stunned silence.
• Reston's assistant facilitates a satellite request, enabling the conclusive observation.

Professor Reston and Professor Phil Goethe watched the Moon Palace spacecraft assemble the Xu Fu colonization ship in orbit, while researchers aboard Moon Palace marveled at the technology. Reston ordered footage sent to the Pentagon, and Hua Nation’s advanced space-construction capabilities remained beyond what foreign observers could easily copy.

• Professor Reston and Professor Phil Goethe watched robotic arms on the Moon Palace spacecraft join the Xu Fu colonization ship’s components.
• Professor Reston realized the robotic arms were using plasma welding to seal the spacecraft’s hull.
• Professor Reston ordered his assistant to send the footage to Space Command at the Pentagon.
• Professor Reston concluded that Hua Nation might be able to assemble even larger spacecraft in orbit.
• Professor Pearson asked Professor Yan Xinjue whether artificial intelligence controlled the robotic arms, and Yan Xinjue guessed that it did.
• Professor Pearson told Yan Xinjue that he envied Hua Nation’s space technology.

Here is a concise summary of the chapter:

Key Plot Points

• The Moon Palace spacecraft completes assembly of the Xu Fu colonial ship – a massive, top-heavy "dumbbell-shaped" vessel. Its front section is the colony module; the rear holds propulsion, communications, and energy systems. Upon reaching Mars orbit, the front will separate and land on the surface, while the rear remains as a communication and weather satellite.
• The ship's dry mass is about 500 tons (over 1,000 tons when loaded), dwarfing any previous human spacecraft. Onlookers (Professor Pearson, Professor Yan Xinjue) are stunned by its scale; international observatories and space agencies are equally shocked.
• At the Jinling Aerospace Launch Center, the successful assembly triggers celebration. Lu Zhou discusses the ship's tonnage with Director Li, predicting future spacecraft could reach tens of thousands or even millions of tons.
• Lu Zhou instructs Director Chang to begin final launch preparations, then leaves to the restroom. Director Li awkwardly follows him and tries to dissuade Lu Zhou from personally joining the Mars mission, suggesting he visit the Moon first instead.

Character Developments

• Lu Zhou remains confident and forward-thinking, treating the Mars mission as a stepping stone for even larger space infrastructure. He is mildly amused by Director Li's clumsy probing.
• Director Li is clearly worried about Lu Zhou's safety, hinting that Lu Zhou’s increase of the astronaut crew (from 3 to 5) may mean he intends to go to Mars himself. His concern makes him behave awkwardly (following Lu Zhou, making small talk before revealing his point).

Significant Themes

• Technological triumph: The successful assembly of the Xu Fu ship marks a major milestone in human deep-space capability.
• Ambition vs. caution: Lu Zhou embraces grand visions of future megastructures in space, while Director Li urges prudence – suggesting a safer "trip to the Moon first" rather than risking Mars.

Character Interactions

• Lu Zhou & Director Li: A humorous exchange where Director Li tries to sound casual while fishing for information about Lu Zhou’s intentions, ending with Lu Zhou shutting him down bluntly.
• Lu Zhou & staff: He delegates post-assembly tasks (press interviews, launch prep) calmly, showing his leadership style.

The chapter advances the Mars landing plan to its final phase and hints at a potential personal risk Lu Zhou might take.

Lu Zhou watched the Xu Fu colonization ship’s successful assembly capture the public’s imagination while staying away from the launch center to reassure the Grand Elder. Chen Yushan visited him at Jinling University, and their teasing conversation ended with her hinting that they did not need to elope to Mars.

• Lu Zhou cleared up Director Li’s misunderstanding that he planned to sneak aboard the Mars colonization ship.
• Renren Daily published high-resolution photographs of the assembled Xu Fu spacecraft, sparking widespread excitement and online searches.
• The Manned Mars Landing Plan Office released a video showing the spacecraft’s robotic arms assembling and welding its components, astonishing viewers in Hua Nation and overseas.
• Lu Zhou stayed at Jinling University during his lunch break rather than returning to the launch center.
• Chen Yushan teased Lu Zhou about eloping to Mars, and he told her she was the treasure he wanted to take with him.
• Chen Yushan denied that she was rejecting him and said they did not have to elope.

Lu Zhou asked Chen Yushan to marry him, and they agreed to get engaged on December 10, their first anniversary. Their secret relationship became public at Jinling University, and Lu Zhou was stunned to discover it had reached Weibo’s trending searches.

• Lu Zhou proposed to Chen Yushan, who said she wanted to take their relationship more slowly and make more memories first.
• Lu Zhou suggested they get engaged on December 10, and he and Chen Yushan sealed the promise with a pinky swear.
• Zhao Huan and Kong Jie witnessed the couple kissing and promised to keep their relationship secret, but news spread across Jinling University the next day.
• Lu Zhou heard students gossiping about his relationship in the cafeteria, then received a call from Chen Yushan asking whether he had posted about it.
• Chen Yushan told Lu Zhou to check Weibo’s trending searches, and he was dumbfounded by what he saw.

Chapter Summary: “The Difficult Father-in-Law”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Zhou’s plan for a low-key engagement and wedding falls apart when news leaks, going viral across the internet and academic circles; it even briefly outranks the Manned Mars Landing Plan on Weibo.
• Overwhelmed by gossip and attention, Lu Zhou moves his workspace from Jin University back to the aerospace launch center to focus on the final launch mission.
• His future father-in-law, Chen Baohua, unexpectedly arrives, furious that Lu Zhou engaged his daughter behind the family’s back.
• Lu Zhou explains the engagement was a private promise and that he and Chen Yushan intended to visit her parents in Shangjing before anyone found out, but the news spread too fast.
• Chen Baohua accepts the explanation, approves the marriage, then immediately urges Lu Zhou to have children soon after the wedding—ideally within a year.
• Before leaving, Chen tells Lu Zhou not to mention the visit to Chen Yushan, and reminds him that his wife (Lu Zhou’s future mother-in-law) wants to meet him.

2. Character Developments

• Lu Zhou: Wants a quiet, private life but is repeatedly forced into the spotlight by his fame. He remains respectful and diplomatic, choosing deference when dealing with his future father-in-law, while internally struggling to cope with family pressure and absurd demands.
• Chen Baohua: Starts off angry and confrontational, but quickly softens once the misunderstanding is cleared. His approval is practical rather than overly emotional: he cares about his daughter’s well-being but also holds traditional expectations, especially about grandchildren.

3. Significant Themes

• Privacy vs. Public Fame: The difficulty of maintaining personal boundaries when one is a public figure.
• Family Approval and Marriage: The formal and emotional weight of gaining a parent’s blessing.
• Generational Pressure: Chen Baohua’s expectations about having children contrast with Lu Zhou’s more cautious, couple-oriented approach.
• Father-in-Law/Son-in-Law Dynamics: A tense but ultimately comedic negotiation between respect, authority, and family obligation.

4. Character Interactions

• Lu Zhou and Chen Baohua have a heated but quickly resolved confrontation: Lu Zhou apologizes and explains the misunderstanding, while Chen Baohua transitions from anger to reluctant approval.
• Chen Baohua gives Lu Zhou “fatherly” advice to assert control over the timeline for having children, which Lu Zhou silently finds unreasonable.
• Their interaction ends with Chen trusting Lu Zhou to keep their meeting secret—a promise Lu Zhou doubts he can keep.

Summary: Chapter — Boarding and Setting Sail!

Key Plot Points

• Six astronauts dock their aerospace plane (Rosy Glow) with the Moon Palace spacecraft, a space fortress orbiting the Moon.
• Liang Youcheng and Captain Xu Zhenghong converse while waiting in the buffer chamber, discussing Guanghan Special Zone (a lunar colony) and its development.
• Time passes on Earth; gossip about Professor Lu's engagement fades as the Mars departure date approaches.
• On the last day of March, the Mars colonists are publicly revealed: five people instead of the originally disclosed three.
• This change sparks controversy, with international observers (especially Americans) interpreting it as a provocation by China against NASA.
• The Mars Landing Plan Office holds a press conference to clarify, but the clarification backfires, fueling more speculation online.
• Reference is made to NASA's previous failed Mars mission (New Virginia program), which nearly brought Martian bacteria back to Earth and left an astronaut unconscious in a lunar station.

Character Developments

• Liang Youcheng: Confident and committed—vows that all five crew members will go to Mars and return safely.
• Captain Xu Zhenghong: Seasoned veteran with previous experience ferrying supplies to the Moon; reflects on how quickly the lunar colony has grown. Friendly and supportive, he promises to be the one to pick Liang up after his rotation.
• Lu Zhou: The background figure behind the plan—amused and exasperated that his practical decision (adding two crew members for system rewards) was misread politically.

Character Interactions

• Liang Youcheng and Xu Zhenghong share a warm, personal exchange about the Moon's development, ending with a fist bump and mutual promises.
• Their conversation contrasts on-the-ground human experience with the political grandstanding happening back on Earth.

Significant Themes

• Space Exploration vs. Geopolitical Rivalry: A practical mission (five crew for logistical/system reasons) is interpreted as nationalistic provocation.
• Technological Progress: Depicts China's advanced lunar infrastructure—self-contained agriculture, extraction of lunar resources, even a space hotel.
• Media and Public Perception: How gossip cycles fade, how press clarifications can backfire, and how international audiences read political meaning into technical decisions.
• NASA's Shadow: The lingering consequences of NASA's failed Mars mission frame the competitive backdrop.
• Perspective: The nobility of exploration is contrasted with pettier geopolitical posturing.