"Next up on the news, in England, the Debye AB Bio-Technology Company announced last week that they made a major breakthrough in gene-editing technology. They have developed a blood plasma for human genes that can induce evolution. Currently, they are experimenting with clinical trials, which is causing an uproar around the world. Two volunteers already tested out the first live injections yesterday. The pair remain in good condition, and have not experienced any side effects," the news anchor reported.
"This morning, following the AB Bio-Technology Company's successful experiment, they have announced that the time has come for human beings to enter a new era. This major breakthrough in gene technology has made most human diseases theoretically treatable. But, while some are cheering for this new and promised longevity, many more scientists worry that this technology will bring calamity to humanity, along with its benefits."
Lu Zhiyu was lying on the sofa next to the window with a cup of coffee. He looked at the beach outside. In the distance, he could see the endless ocean. He was at Byrne Island in the South Pacific. From time to time, the sound of planes would buzz overhead, as they landed at the airport in the middle of the island.
An unbelievable amount of materials and personnel were being transported to the islands. There was also an incredible number of robots that were working on the islands, constantly transporting the new materials, as well as ferrying about people underground. Currently, people could only enter the island, but couldn't leave. This was in order to maintain top level secrecy, as no one else knew about the events that were happening on these islands hidden in the South Pacific!
Lu Zhiyu was drinking coffee while he looked at the newspaper. The newspaper had an exaggerated headline, "In this new era of longevity, our expected lifespan will reach two hundred years!"
He picked up another newspaper. It featured a picture of the spokesperson of the Debye AB Group, who was quoted as saying, "We are not only breaking through the secrets of life, but we are also investing in space exploration and space technology. In the future, AB Technology Ltd. will be at the forefront of human progress, as we lead the world into a new, interstellar era."
Lu Zhiyu put the newspaper down. How Nicholas Debye was using publicity to increase his power and expand his influence was of no interest to him. The blood plasma solution that Nicholas had named "Embrace" could only be tailored to specific people right now anyway.
Only Lu Zhiyu could manufacture it. So far, Nicholas Debye had only injected it. Even the Prototype 01 solution that could give subjects a two hundred year life span was still not ready for mass-production.
The Prototype 01 evolution blood plasma was a product that was prepared exclusively for the rich and famous. Ordinary people could not afford that sort of luxury. To Lu Zhiyu, this product was not just some so-called herald of a new golden era. On the contrary, he believed that this product would only solidify the existing human hierarchies and form a wider gap between ordinary people and those in power.
The Vatican Clan and Nicholas Debye were using the technology that they had acquired to rapidly expand their power base. They had even gotten the support of the reigning political parties of several countries.
After all, the the promise of longevity and healthy bodies was irresistible for powerful men, who were facing death and disease. Thus, they did not hesitate to meet Nicholas Debye's conditions and requirements, just to get a place on the list of recipients.
Under Nicholas Debye's ambitious direction, the Vatican Clan continued to expand. They began to construct a technological empire of legends. From bioengineering and blood plasma research to other fields, they began to dominate the market by creating monopolies. They were even stepping into the fields of human space exploration and aviation technology.
Lu Zhiyu's AB Technology Co. Ltd. was funded by these donors. The Vatican Clan provided whatever Lu Zhiyu wanted, as well as supplied an unimaginable selection of talent and resources.
They also had partial ownership of the AB Technology Co., Ltd. via stock shares, as well as access to the company's technology, which, in Nicholas Debye's view, was a great bargain. But, no one knew that Lu Zhiyu basically had no technology to speak of.
More and more, Lu Zhiyu began to feel that the Earth wasn't an attractive place for him anymore. The vast infinities of the universe were the real future.
Lu Zhiyu was itching to build a starship that would, at the very least, be able to travel within the solar system. That exploration would fulfill some of his initial goals, but so far, it seemed that Lu Zhiyu's plan had been far too optimistic.
After all, space technology was a complex and multidisciplinary endeavor. It involved basic science, applied science, and engineering. It was not a unilateral technical field.
As such, in order to create a starship that could be used for travel through interstellar dimensions, calculations in computer technology, thermodynamics, mechanics and materials science, as well as a series of other technologies, were essential.
Due to this, some smaller countries did not even have the qualifications to dream of such research, as this sort of research required both money and a large pool of scientific talents, as well as knowledgeable experts and a powerful industrial base.
The manufacture of an engine alone involved scientific theory that was complicated enough to make people dizzy. So far, even with the most advanced engine and taking the best route, it would still take more than six months to reach Mars from Earth. Traveling out of the solar system was still impossible.
Lu Zhiyu wanted to complete his own plan to build a starship. In order to do so, he needed a large number of talented researchers to help him.
These talents were each unique leaders within their fields. Many of them were regarded as national treasures, with their movements being closely monitored. As such, Lu Zhiyu had to get the Vatican Clan to locate them and snatch them away discreetly.
Lu Zhiyu stood up and pressed a glass door open to reveal an elevator. Lu Zhiyu entered through the door, then went dozens of meters underground before swerving to the left. Finally, after descending a few hundred meters more, the elevator stopped.
He was in what appeared to be a huge underground cavity. It seemed like it was a location that was straight out of a science fiction novel! A large number of robots and automatic vehicles were moving back and forth inside it, and fluorescent panels, which were placed overhead, gave the entire underground space a white tint.
Within the underground base were various buildings, spacious roads, and several specialized structures. The entire underground base was built according to the specifications of the professionals. As such, it had countless experimental spaces, all of which only had one purpose: to design and manufacture a spacecraft that could travel throughout the universe!
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