Chapter Two: Undercurrents
Lin Tianqi stood in the high-level conference room of the Space Center, overlooking the busy launch pad through the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows. In the distance, a lunar shuttle was making final preparations for its next flight. His heartbeat had not yet fully calmed down, the contents of the encrypted message still echoing in his mind.
The conference room door suddenly opened, and Space Administration Director Wu Zeyu strode in. At 58, Wu's hair was graying, the wrinkles on his face revealing the pressure he had endured over the years. However, his gaze remained sharp, full of determination and wisdom.
"Engineer Lin, thank you for coming so quickly," Wu Zeyu extended his hand, shaking Lin Tianqi's. "The situation is more serious than we imagined."
Lin Tianqi nodded, "Is it about the lunar base's communication system?"
Wu Zeyu's expression became even more grave, "Not just that. The quantum communication system of the lunar base has completely shut down. We've lost all contact with the base."
Lin Tianqi gasped. The quantum communication system was the culmination of his years of hard work, theoretically impossible to fail completely. "How is this possible? The system has multiple backups and safety mechanisms..."
"The worst part," Director Wu interrupted, his voice low, "is that we suspect this might be a deliberate act of sabotage. If we can't restore communication quickly, the lives of 180 staff members at the lunar base will be in danger."
Lin Tianqi felt dizzy. He knew the weight of the responsibility on his shoulders. "Are there any specific suspects?"
Wu Zeyu shook his head, "It's not clear yet. But we suspect it might be related to the 'New Earth' organization."
"New Earth" - Lin Tianqi was not unfamiliar with this name. It was a radical environmental organization that had risen rapidly in recent years, advocating for abandoning space exploration and using all resources to repair Earth's ecology. But Lin Tianqi hadn't imagined they would resort to such extreme measures.
"We need you to go to the lunar base immediately," the Director said. "The next lunar shuttle will take off in two hours. Are you willing to accept this mission?"
Lin Tianqi didn't hesitate: "I accept. But I'll need more technical support and the latest equipment."
Wu Zeyu nodded, "It's all been arranged. Our best technical team will support you throughout the mission. Remember, Engineer Lin, this mission is absolutely confidential. Even your family can't know the specifics."
Lin Tianqi thought of Su Mengyao and the children, feeling a bit uneasy. But he knew there was no turning back now. "I understand. I'll resolve the issue and restore communication as soon as possible."
Just as Lin Tianqi was preparing to leave Earth, Su Mengyao also encountered an extraordinary morning.
At the Gene Research Institute, her assistant Li Ming ran up excitedly: "Dr. Su, the ES-2124 experiment results are out!"
Su Mengyao immediately put down her work and quickly walked to the laboratory. ES-2124 was a gene therapy project she had been researching for years, aimed at completely eradicating human genetic diseases.
When she saw the experimental data, she couldn't help but gasp. The results far exceeded expectations - this technology could not only cure genetic diseases but might also extend human lifespan and even enhance human physical capabilities.
"This... this is a revolutionary breakthrough," Su Mengyao muttered, her eyes fixed on the data screen.
However, amidst the excitement, a trace of worry crossed her mind. What consequences might this technology bring if misused? She needed to handle this discovery very cautiously.
"Li Ming, lock down all related data immediately. From now on, only you and I can access the ES-2124 experiment results," Su Mengyao said seriously.
Li Ming looked confused, "But, Dr. Su, shouldn't we publish such a major discovery immediately?"
Su Mengyao shook her head, "No, it's not time yet. We need to conduct more tests to ensure there are no potential negative effects. And..." she paused, "this technology might cause huge ethical controversies. We must be fully prepared."
Just then, Su Mengyao's communicator suddenly rang. It was the institute's security chief.
"Dr. Su, we have an urgent situation. We've detected an attempt to infiltrate the institute's database, and the target seems to be your project."
Su Mengyao's heart sank. Had someone already realized the potential of ES-2124? She realized that her discovery might be more dangerous than she had imagined.
Meanwhile, in the high school virtual reality programming class, Lin Xingchen was fully focused on debugging his new project. This was a program aimed at enhancing the sense of reality in virtual reality experiences. If successful, it would greatly enhance users' immersion in the virtual world.
Suddenly, he noticed a strange string of code in the program.
"What's this?" he frowned, muttering to himself, "I didn't write this."
Lin Xingchen began to trace the source of this mysterious code. As he delved deeper, he was surprised to find that it seemed to be a backdoor program hidden in the virtual reality system.
"Is someone secretly collecting user data?" Lin Xingchen's heart raced, "This could be much more serious than I imagined."
Just then, his virtual reality interface suddenly flickered, and an anonymous message popped up: "Be careful with your investigation, you've already caught their attention."
Lin Xingchen felt a chill. He realized he might be involved in a huge conspiracy. But who were "they"? Why were they collecting user data? More importantly, was this mysterious message sender a friend or foe?
He hesitated for a moment, then replied: "Who are you? What do you know?"
A few seconds later, the reply came: "Can't say much now. Remember, don't trust everything you see in the virtual world. The boundary between reality and illusion is blurring."
Lin Xingchen wanted to ask more, but he received no further response. The anonymous sender seemed to have cut off contact, leaving Lin Xingchen alone to face this mysterious warning. This sudden silence deepened the sense of mystery and danger, making Lin Xingchen realize he might be involved in a situation more complex than he had imagined.
He took off the virtual reality helmet, cold sweat already forming on his forehead. He knew he had to proceed cautiously, but at the same time, his curiosity and sense of justice drove him to continue investigating.
At that moment, in the elementary school's biological garden, Lin Haiyang was excitedly observing the peculiar plant he had discovered yesterday. This plant seemed to be absorbing surrounding pollutants at an astonishing rate, purifying the air and soil around it.
"This is amazing!" Lin Haiyang excitedly recorded his observations in his notebook, "If we could cultivate this plant on a large scale, maybe we could really help repair Earth's ecosystem!"
He carefully collected a leaf, planning to take it home for more detailed observation and experiments. Lin Haiyang silently thanked his parents for the small biological laboratory at home, a gift they had given him for his birthday last year.
However, he didn't notice that in the distant bushes, a small drone was quietly monitoring his every move. The drone's operator was a mysterious organization that had been searching for ways to quickly repair Earth's ecology.
Just as Lin Haiyang was about to leave the biological garden, his teacher, Zhao Ming, suddenly appeared.
"Haiyang, I heard you discovered a new plant?" Zhao Ming asked with a smile, but a flash of tension that Lin Haiyang didn't notice crossed his eyes.
"Yes, Teacher Zhao!" Lin Haiyang said excitedly, "It's really amazing, I was just about to take a leaf home to study!"
Zhao Ming's expression became serious, "Haiyang, you know the school has rules against taking plants from the garden. Why don't you give it to me? I can help you conduct a more professional analysis."
Lin Haiyang hesitated. He always followed the rules, but this time, he had a strong feeling that he should keep this discovery to himself.
"Um... okay, Teacher Zhao," he said slowly, while secretly hiding the leaf in his pocket, "I'll remember the rules and won't do it again."
Zhao Ming seemed to relax, patting Lin Haiyang's shoulder, "Good boy. Now go to class, don't be late."
Lin Haiyang nodded and quickly left the biological garden. What he didn't know was that the moment he turned away, Zhao Ming's expression darkened, and he quickly took out his communicator, speaking a few words in a low voice.
Thus, each member of the Lin family encountered major events that could change their destinies on this day. They didn't yet know that these seemingly independent events might be closely connected, weaving together into a grand proposition concerning the future of humanity.
A thrilling adventure spanning Earth and the Moon, reality and virtual reality, was about to unfold. And the Lin family of four would be at the center of this storm...