Age of Cosmic Exploration Chapter 214

The orange sun rose up lazily from the horizon. The horizon of the sea melted seamlessly into the sky, giving the illusion that the rising sun had emerged from the sea to dye the entire world orange.

The few thousand people on the beach were silent watching this majestic moment. It was so quiet that one would be able to hear the sound of the people breathing. After the sun completely rose above the horizon, people looked at one another and chuckled in relief, breaking up the oddly solemn atmosphere.

On the first day of the holiday, there were at least 8,000 people gathered on the beach to watch the sunrise. There were newly-weds and young couples cuddled in each other’s arms watching the sunrise together.

This was a great moment for relaxation for many people. They could finally sigh in relief after 6 long years of extreme stress. There were tears among the smiles.

These were tears of happiness. The crowd didn’t have time to be melancholy. After the sunrise, the amount of the people on the beach gradually increased. Several business-minded people had set up little stores by the beach, selling the freshest fruits, seafood, wild game, and vegetables from the new planet. The price was three times the normal price, but after considering that everyone was still getting paid on the holidays, it was still affordable.

Yao Yuan brought Bo Li to one of these shops after watching the sunrise. Along the way, many people saluted and bowed to him, but everyone acted within a sense of propriety. No one disturbed him on this precious holiday; they merely stood in awe and appreciation for this hero who saved them multiple times from certain death.

Yao Yuan pulled Bo Li into the waiting line. Under the waiters’ confused gaze, he ordered a light breakfast for both himself and Bo Li.

The breakfast was simple but nutritious. Even though humanity had just started to populate this new planet, they realized that the natural resources on this planet were more than enough to feed several tens of thousands of people. The food resources gathered from this delta region to the sea were more than enough to feed the entire the Hope. Therefore, in terms of food, humanity had nothing to worry about.

Yao Yuan gentlemanly helped Bo Li peel open the skin of a fruit called ‘Milk Fruit.’ They had a custard-esque milky-colored flesh, and they had a buttery bouquet to them. The smell alone was enough to open one’s appetite. This kind of fruit was found when the gathering party ventured into the northern Frozen Needles Forest. The gathered amount was small, so the price was fairly expensive, but it was still affordable by Yao Yuan’s standards.

Bo Li blushed slightly. She used a spoon to scoop out a small piece of the fruit's flesh. It had a consistency of ice-cream and custard, melting immediately when it hit the mouth. It left behind a refreshing, milky taste with each bite, a real alien treat. Even a normally indifferent girl like Bo Li finished the fruit in a few scoops. Then she stared straightly at the Milk Fruit on Yao Yuan’s plate.

Yao Yuan laughed jovially, peeled open his own Milk Fruit, and put it on Bo Li’s plate. The girl smiled happily and Yao Yuan said, "This Milk Fruit is incredibly unique. It is a type of nut, but it has buttery flesh. Currently, only the Frozen Needles Forest at this planet’s North Pole has them. Before mass plantation, even I only have 2 to 3 of them each month."

Bo Li ignored him and focused completely on the Milk Fruit. After she finished it, she gave Yao Yuan a sudden side-eye, adding, "You’re way too good at things like this. How many women have fallen for these tricks of yours? … You know what, I didn’t expect the hot-blooded captain to be such a ladies’ man."

Yao Yuan didn’t take offense. Instead, he laughed it off. "You’re right. Even though my flirting skills are nowhere near my combat skills, I’m not ashamed to say they're not bad either. At least expert level. However, this doesn’t mean that I’m a Lothario; you know about my previous history, sometimes…"

Bo Li rejoiced even though she had no idea what made her so happy. When Yao Yuan stopped in the middle of his sentence, she urged, "Sometimes… what?"

Yao Yuan came to and said, with a smile, "Oh, it’s nothing. At least you should know I’ve been absolutely clean after we left Earth. You’re the first woman I’ve invited after we got on the Hope."

Bo Li nodded silently, took a sip of her Purple Plum Juice, and a thought flashed across her mind… After we got on the Hope? Then what about before then? What happened before then?

But the thought quickly dislodged itself. After the quick breakfast, the sun was already high up in the sky. The external temperature was about 32 degrees, perfect for a day on the beach. The sun didn’t feel prickly on the skin; it was like a blanket of warmth. This was probably because the new planet’s ozone layer was undamaged, free from modern pollution, so the light on this planet wasn’t as dangerous as the one on ‘Earth.’ One could enjoy a day in the sun with the minimum SPF protection.

Yao Yuan then brought Bo Li back to the beach. This time it was Bo Li who came prepared. She set down two towels and beach rugs for them to lie down on. In an inspired moment, Yao Yuan took out his top and went for a swim. After a quick round in the ocean, he came back feeling completely refreshed. He accidentally found out Bo Li’s secret: she didn’t know how to swim. When he asked Bo Li to join him, the girl rejected him with an annoyed expression. Yao Yuan pulled her into the ocean, but she only floated about in the area where her feet could still touch the sea bed.

Yao Yuan noticed that Bo Li actually yearned to learn how to swim, but like a scared kitten, she didn’t dare to venture into the deeper ocean. When Yao Yuan left her side, she would stealthily wade back to shore. Finally, Yao Yuan took the courage to put his arm around her waist and the both of them swam alongside each other. 10 minutes later, both returned to shore and started sunbathing.

"Are you having fun?" Yao Yuan asked. He had on his sunglasses and had his hands behind his head. He was enjoying this rare moment of peace and quiet.

Bo Li still had a blush on her face, but it was unknown whether it was caused by the sun or the couple’s swimming session. She thought about it and said, "Yes, this is very fun. I’ve always wanted to see the ocean, but there simply wasn’t time…"

Yao Yuan was silent before asking, "After the incident on the space station, I rushed to Beijing to find you and your mother, but two of you had disappeared. What happened then?"

Bo Li’s body visibly shook. Finally, she said icily, "… I was still too young then, so I can’t remember anything."

Yao Yuan sighed inaudibly. Suddenly, he pushed out his hand to straighten Bo Li’s hair, adding, "Alright, it’s no use fixating on the past anyway. We’re out today to have fun; it’s my fault for bringing that up. I promise you you’ll have a future full of happiness, so let’s not dwell on the past."

This time Bo Li didn’t swat Yao Yuan’s hands away. She lowered her head and asked, "A future full of happiness… What about you? What are your plans for the future?"

Yao Yuan answered, "Naturally, after the human government is formed, I expect I’ll be in power for at least the next 100 years. This is the best option for all the parties involved. 100 years is not a short period of time. At least 4 new generations of babies will be born. That is enough to ensure humanity’s future…

"I predict that in the next 50 years, humanity’s population will increase to about 5,000,000 people. Of course, this might seem to be an astronomical number when we look at our current statistics, so in the next decade, after the new capital is ready and the societal structure has stabilized, I plan to use the sperm and ovum bank. With the combined numbers of both natural and clinical births, we should be able to reach 5,000,000 people. This is the early part of the plan.

"The middle part, after we’ve reached the population target, is time for colonization and development. Of course, I’m personally against colonizing this beautiful planet; I think we should keep it as natural as possible. So when the time comes, I will suggest we colonize the moon or other planets, building space stations or alien bases. At the same time, effort will go into constructing massive spaceships. Of course, the Academy will be given all the resources necessary to make inroads into the 4th revolution technology, and hopefully, in the next 100 years, humanity will be able to enter the peak of 4th industrial revolution."

Bo Li asked rather impatiently, "That’s all? What about your personal future?"

Yao Yuan guffawed. He pushed out his hand again, but instead of tousling Bo Li’s hair, he reached for her hand, saying, "For the next 100 years, or as long as I may live… would you experience it together with me? Holding each other’s hands just like this."

At that moment, Bo Li’s face became as red as a ripe apple…

Chapter end