Chapter Sixty-One: Memories from Twenty Years Ago

Wan nodded. “The name of this spaceship was actually decided twenty years ago.”

“Oh?” Peng Dongli’s interest was piqued. “Engineer Wan, I’ve never heard you mention this before.”

Gazing at the ship being assembled on the platform, Wan was reminded of days past. He said, “You must have heard of Wang Huairen, right?”

At the mention of Wang Huairen’s name, both men nodded; his reputation was well known throughout the base.

Wan continued, “I came from the base myself. I participated in the construction of the previous ‘Ocean Voyage’. At that time, it hadn’t yet been named, so the base began preparations to select one. Wang Huairen proposed the name ‘Energy’.”

“That’s not right!” Zhang Mingyang interjected, “Wasn’t the last ship called ‘Ocean Voyage’? How did it become ‘Energy’?”

Peng Dongli tugged at Zhang Mingyang’s sleeve and whispered, “Junior, let Engineer Wan finish his story first.”

“Oh! My mistake, my mistake. Please continue, Engineer Wang.”

“It’s fine,” Wang waved his hand and went on, “At first, everyone at the base approved of Wang Huairen’s suggestion. The new ship would use new energy, symbolizing humanity’s inaugural voyage into deep space.”

“We saw no problem and submitted it, but unexpectedly, the nation ultimately decided on ‘Ocean Voyage’ as the name. I remember that day vividly—at the celebration for the completion of the ship, Wang Huairen got drunk for the first time, stood in the center of the hall, and shouted for us not to lose heart: our next ship would surely be called ‘Energy’.”

“But what puzzles me is how the previously ambitious Wang Huairen disappeared so suddenly a year later. I truly wish to know what happened to him in that year—what could have driven him away from the career he was so devoted to?”

Listening to Wan, Zhang Mingyang grew increasingly confused. What kind of person was Wang Huairen, that everyone would strive for his sake?

“Engineer Wan, is Wang Huairen really as extraordinary as you all say?” Zhang Mingyang couldn’t help but ask.

“Absolutely,” Wan’s expression changed at the slightest hint of doubt toward Wang Huairen.

“Extraordinary isn’t enough to describe him. In ancient times, he would have been worshipped as a deity!”

“So what kind of person is he, really?”

“What kind of person?” Wan paused, then pulled out his phone and opened the photo album for the two to see.

In the photo, a youthful Wan stood spiritedly at the mouth of a tunnel in the base. Beside him was an even younger man, plump, with a buzz cut, his round, cherubic face radiating a simple, honest smile that made him seem remarkably approachable.

“That’s Wang Huairen next to me!”

“What?” Zhang Mingyang grabbed the phone in surprise and scrutinized the image. “Wang Huairen really is a fat man?”

Wan chuckled. “Don’t underestimate him. Without him, our country’s space technology would be set back a hundred years.”

Staring at Wang Huairen on the screen, Zhang Mingyang felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity, unsure whether it was due to his appearance or his presence.

Peng Dongli glanced at the photo and was struck by the same feeling.

“Engineer Wan, did you ever try to contact Wang Huairen’s family?”

Wan nodded. “Of course we did, but it was futile.”

“Why?” Zhang Mingyang asked.

“Because Wang Huairen has no family. He was born in an orphanage, with neither relatives nor a girlfriend. His entire life was devoted solely to the scientific pursuits he loved.”

Wan’s voice grew wistful. “I worked with him for three years. If not for the age difference, I would have wanted to be his apprentice. Every achievement in my life began with our encounter twenty years ago. Without his help, I would never have reached where I am today.”

Seeing Wan sink deeper into melancholy, Peng Dongli quickly changed the subject. “Engineer Wan, could we see the design plans?”

“Certainly.” Wan wiped a tear from the corner of his eye and led them to a small room. He turned on the computer, revealing a massive spaceship.

The ship was rectangular, with a pointed nose and four enormous engine tubes at the rear. Since these were just schematics, its exact appearance was still unclear.

“Magnificent, isn’t it?”

Peng Dongli nodded. “The shape is definitely unlike our current rockets. Who designed it?”

Wan replied, “It was a joint effort between our design institute and the base experts. The plans have been ready for a while. Had it not been for the urgent issues with ‘Ocean Voyage’, we could have spent more time refining this ship.”

Zhang Mingyang examined the blueprints closely. As he scrutinized the underside of the ship, a spherical object caught his eye.

“Engineer Wan, what’s that sphere on the underside of the ship?”

Wan looked at the area Zhang Mingyang indicated. “That’s the landing module. When ‘Energy’ approaches Beta Geminorum, it will release this sphere for close-range exploration, and it can also land if necessary.”

“Engineer Wan, isn’t Beta Geminorum a red giant? Wouldn’t the temperature be too high for landing?”

Wan explained, “Beta Geminorum is indeed a red giant, with a surface temperature estimated at around forty million degrees. However, seven years ago, ‘Ocean Voyage’ sent back data showing its surface temperature had dropped to just over four thousand degrees—a decrease of ten thousand times. What’s even stranger is that its luminosity hasn’t changed.”

“Is that possible?” Zhang Mingyang was almost convinced he’d wasted his years studying astronomy.

“Engineer Wan, how could Beta Geminorum’s temperature fall so drastically—by a factor of ten thousand?”

Wan shook his head. “I’m not an astronomer, so I can’t say. But according to the base experts, it might be caused by some mysterious object on Beta Geminorum.”

“That is truly bizarre.” Zhang Mingyang was perplexed. Could a red giant just entering its senescence accelerate its aging and turn straight into a white dwarf?

Wan switched to another diagram. “Look here—this is the landing module, a spherical unit. Once detached from the ship, it deploys four main masts for maneuvering and orientation. The module can carry two researchers.”

“If a landing is required, the shell is designed to withstand Beta Geminorum’s current temperature and can enter directly.”

Staring at the design of the landing module, Zhang Mingyang felt as though he’d seen it somewhere before, but couldn’t place it.

“Engineer Wan, this landing module looks familiar to me.”

“You’ve seen it?” Wan smiled. “Impossible. The plans for this module only arrived last week. Unless you saw the blueprints last week?”

Zhang Mingyang shook his head, then suddenly remembered. “I recall now—I saw it in a dream!”