"If you want to see how we produce food, just say the word and someone will take you on a tour. Why mingle with these ordinary workers? How was lunch? Did you enjoy it?" Chang Jianyi asked Yue Hengyi.
After his identity was exposed, Yue Hengyi was brought before Chang Jianyi. Since his identity had been revealed and he posed no threat, he was not apprehended. If he had malicious intent, he could have destroyed the surrounding plastic greenhouses in an instant. His calm demeanor upon being brought in indicated he had no intention of causing trouble.
Yue Hengyi replied helplessly, "Because Brother Feng kicked me out before, I wanted to understand his thoughts, so I came to the production base without permission, wanting to see it with my own eyes. If I had applied for a normal visit, I would likely have been taken to a prepared demonstration area and wouldn't have seen the real situation!"
"Then sit down, have some juice, and let's chat. Ask me whatever you want to know, and I'll tell you. However, please don't mention those plans of yours again, because the food we produce is all useful and cannot be supplied elsewhere!" Chang Jianyi said slowly.
Yue Hengyi and his father sat down. After much thought, he said, "Currently, we have a plan. If we can contact the main stakeholders, we can save the people from dire straits. However, I haven't even managed to convince Shen Feng for the first step, so I feel like a complete failure."
Upon hearing this, Chang Jianyi shook her head and said, "Because large-scale plans like yours generally require a great deal of effort. Unfortunately, Yuzhou no longer has the spare energy to invest."
"I understand that, but if this plan I'm talking about isn't implemented, humanity will still head towards extinction!" Yue Hengyi said earnestly.
"Then you can tell me what your so-called plan is. If these plans are truly reasonable, perhaps I can mention them to Shen Feng. If I don't think the plan is good, I won't bring it up at all, because everyone is just barely surviving now and doesn't have the strength to do anything else!" Chang Jianyi suddenly said.
Yue Hengyi's heart immediately filled with hope upon hearing this, as he knew his plan could proceed. Chang Jianyi and Shen Feng had the closest relationship. Whenever Shen Feng was away, all household matters were entrusted to her, indicating she was the most trusted by Shen Feng. Therefore, if Shen Feng heard Chang Jianyi's persuasion, he might change his previous decision.
So, Yue Hengyi quickly said, "Our so-called plans are all based on one thing: finding the meteorite that fell into the Pacific Ocean. Although we don't know where this meteorite is now, as long as we find it, we can find the information left behind by the aliens!"
"Even if we find the meteorite, what's the use? Earth has already entered an ice age. If we can't solve the food crisis, then let's not talk about anything else. We should focus on immediate issues rather than long-term strategies!" Chang Jianyi said.
At that moment, someone under her command reported, "Madam, planting in Area 36 is complete and ready for harvest. We request your ability to be used!"
Chang Jianyi nodded and said to her subordinate, "I understand. In 10 minutes, the crops here will mature. Harvest them quickly, then replace the soil! Based on my estimation today, the food produced in our production bases will allow for three harvests!"
Upon receiving this notification, the subordinate immediately left.
Chang Jianyi then remained seated in the center of the production base. After using her ability, a large number of crops began to grow in a distant area. She could now control her ability freely, making crops grow wherever she desired without affecting other areas.
Yue Hengyi then said, "The first step of my plan is to solve the food crisis. According to foreign analyses, the meteorite thrown by the aliens most likely contains many alien machines. Otherwise, these meteorites wouldn't have traveled for a hundred million years to reach Earth with such precision. And among the technologies mastered by aliens, they might have mastered artificial food production!"
"Artificial food? I haven't heard of that. Explain it to me!" Chang Jianyi nodded, realizing that the other party had mentioned something she was unaware of, and was now willing to listen carefully to his plan.
"Artificial food production is actually very simple. It's using scientific methods to convert inorganic matter into organic matter using existing materials. For example, artificial starch. Humans can now synthesize starch to some extent, but it consumes a large amount of energy, and the return is not proportional to the investment. Therefore, hardly anyone chooses to synthesize starch!" Yue Hengyi began to explain the first step of his plan, believing it to be very effective.
Under normal circumstances, humans obtain energy solely through plants, as plants convert carbon dioxide into organic matter, such as sugars, through photosynthesis. Humans lack this capability. If plants were to disappear from the world, almost 99.9% of living beings would be unable to survive.
However, humans are unwilling to be solely dependent on plants. To explore space, humanity must master several technologies, the most crucial being the ability to synthesize sugars independently. This would allow them to produce food using various energy sources instead of relying on plants.
In China, the ability to synthesize sugars existed 20 years ago, but it required significant energy consumption and had low synthesis efficiency. Consequently, when famine struck, this technology was largely disregarded.
"Even if, as you say, we obtain the technology for artificial starch, it would be useless. After all, synthesizing artificial starch requires a massive amount of energy, and the food produced from that energy is insufficient. It would be better to use that energy for heating in winter!" Chang Jianyi said.
"That's not right, that's not right! I've read the speculations of foreign scientists! The reason for the aliens' extinction was that they exhausted all the energy on their planet, which led to their demise. From this inference, these aliens had mastered very mature food production technology, capable of producing food without relying on plants. However, they failed to realize that their planet's energy was nearly depleted. By the time they understood, the energy required to travel to other planets was insufficient. In despair, they threw out 12 meteorites! Ultimately, only one meteorite landed on Earth," Yue Hengyi said.
Chang Jianyi began to ponder this situation, finding that it did have some merit. If alien technology was more advanced than human technology, they might have mastered the ability to rapidly synthesize starch. If these technologies could be acquired, people would no longer have to endure hunger.
"Then what is the second step of your plan? Can you tell me?" Chang Jianyi continued to ask.
"The second step of the plan is to disseminate this technology widely. Everyone can use energy and carbon dioxide to synthesize starch, thereby saving lives and at least ensuring that humanity does not perish from hunger. Then, we need to deal with the volcanic ash in the sky and the countless acidic gases!" Yue Hengyi replied.
"This is even more difficult. I don't mean to discourage you, but I truly understand the current situation. Countless volcanoes on Earth have erupted, releasing an immeasurable amount of acidic gases. The acidic gases emitted by human industrial revolutions are likely insignificant compared to this volcanic eruption. It's probably impossible to make all these acidic gases disappear. Furthermore, the volcanic ash in the stratosphere has formed aerogel. Besides allowing it to settle naturally, what other solutions are there?" Chang Jianyi continued to inquire.
Yue Hengyi responded, "Although we don't have a solution for this volcanic ash now, we will surely find a way to solve it in the future. Don't be discouraged. Perhaps I should tell you about the third step?"
"Very well, tell me your third step plan. I will make a decision after listening. However, I still believe your plans have flaws," Chang Jianyi said.
At this point, Yue Hengyi said, "The final step of the plan is crucial. Once peace is restored, we will use rockets to send the meteorites or machines thrown by the aliens into Earth's orbit to the moon. When humanity's technological level catches up, we can reacquire this advanced scientific technology. Earlier, I heard that Brother Feng requested many rocket blueprints from Jinling, indicating he shares this idea. He just doesn't intend to try it now; he plans to do it after food production is stable in a decade or so!"
After hearing all the plans, Chang Jianyi understood the other party's intention. The three-step plan was indeed perfect, and its completion would ensure eternal fame. Unfortunately, while these plans sounded wonderful, their actual execution was not easy.
Chang Jianyi stated, "Your plans sound very good, but they are merely a broad framework without specific steps, so they can only be considered half a plan. As I see it, I will not agree to participate in this plan because it would consume too much food and cause discontent among my subordinates. We will continue to live peacefully. You may return."
"Are the steps I mentioned not enough? The three-step plan has been laid out, so why do you still think it's not perfect? In my opinion, this plan is highly feasible!" Yue Hengyi was very confused, not understanding why his plan was not accepted.
Chang Jianyi then asked, "I won't mention anything else. I'll just ask about the first step of your plan: finding the meteorite that fell into the sea. Do you know where the meteorite is now?"
"We don't know that yet, but if we use satellites, we can definitely investigate it. I will personally deal with the sea beasts and seize the meteorite!" Yue Hengyi stated confidently.
"Don't worry, I'm not doubting your abilities. I believe you can achieve this because you are a rare powerhouse in the world, and few can be considered your match. However, to be frank, your plan is still just a framework. You don't even know where the meteorite is, so how can you proceed with the first step? If you truly want to convince us, then first accomplish the first step and retrieve the meteorite. Only then will we help you!" Chang Jianyi said earnestly.
"Then it's settled. As long as I can retrieve the meteorite, you will agree to my plans, right?" Yue Hengyi said eagerly, as if he had grasped a lifeline.
"No problem, consider it agreed. Rest assured, as long as you can salvage the meteorite, the subsequent plans will proceed as you outlined!" Chang Jianyi said with a smile.