Chapter 152
Jiang Fan and Bubble
Chapter 152 Jiang Fan and Bubble
Since humanity set foot on the stars, the number of newborns has been decreasing. When Jiang Fan awoke from hibernation, the global population was nearly four billion.
More than 30 years later, without disease or other threats to survival, this number only increased by 400 million, with an annual growth rate of less than 0.5%!
If the number of deaths were not almost zero, population growth would probably be negative.
According to Xiling's research, one reason is that humans are gradually getting rid of the reproductive desire brought about by their genetic instincts. More importantly, the success rate of natural reproduction has decreased.
To put it simply, previously, having sex ten times might have a 50% chance of resulting in pregnancy, but now, even having sex a hundred times only has a 1% chance of conception.
Even more alarming is that human embryos born using in vitro fertilization (IVF) technology or even more advanced artificial womb-in vitro fertilization technology do not develop intelligence when they grow up!
Like a cloned body, it's just an empty shell without any thought.
After Jiang Fan first discovered this, he immediately ordered a ban on exploring non-natural human reproductive technologies.
Only a handful of people still have the authority to study this area, with the aim of finding the root cause of this change, but so far they have made no progress.
Fortunately, the human population has not yet become aware of this problem on a large scale. As lifespans increase, people are turning their attention to the stars.
Jiang Fan had once speculated that there might be some hidden defects in in-vitro fertilization technology, but the fact that a human whose mind was transplanted into a cloned body could actually give birth to normal offspring was simply mind-blowing.
If we rule out technical issues, then only one issue remains: the universe may have a mechanism to control the number of life forms.
Chu Tianshu and Noah brought Bubble to the central building, where Jiang Fan, Xiling, Ding Yi, Luo Yinxi, and others were already present.
He saluted Jiang Fan with a respectful expression and said...
"Leader, the Eternal has returned to port. Captain Chu Tianshu is reporting to you."
Jiang Fan patted him and Noah on the shoulder and said with a smile,
"Welcome home, my good child!"
The bubbles in Noah's arms couldn't help but fly out and circle around Xiling as soon as they saw her.
"Xiling, Xiling, have you missed me?"
Xiling forced a stiff smile.
"Hello."
Bubble spun around a few times and then suddenly exclaimed.
"Xiling, are you a physical being?!"
Jiang Fan slightly turned his body to block Xi Ling's path.
"Mr. Bubble, is there a problem?"
Bubbles hung in front of Jiang Fan's eyes.
"who are you?"
Jiang Fan replied,
"Mr. Bubble probably won't care about my other identities, but there's one that I'm sure will interest you: I wrote the underlying code for Xiling."
Bubble's reaction was exactly the same as the Trisolaran civilization's initial reaction.
"Impossible! With your current level of civilization, you wouldn't be able to create the Xiling even in a thousand years!"
A strange light flashed in Jiang Fan's eyes. This bubble knew its stuff. The code about Xiling was indeed a super artificial intelligence algorithm that the Shenhe Civilization had refined after it entered the third level of civilization.
If human civilization were to develop normally, it would take more than a thousand years, or even ten thousand years, to reach that level. After all, the Shenhe civilization developed steadily for a hundred thousand years before it came into contact with dark matter and the dark plane.
“Mr. Bubble, facts speak louder than words. Whether it’s possible or not, Xiling is right before our eyes!”
Bubble froze for a moment, as if it had caught something. Xiling, hiding behind Jiang Fan, revealed a smug look when she saw this.
On the other side, Ding Yi and Noah, master and apprentice, seemed to have endless things to talk about. Both were physics geniuses, and the collision of geniuses was the most inspiring. Chu Tianshu's gaze had been fixed on Luo Yinxi since he entered. The girl before him was his only spiritual belief in the four-dimensional space. If it weren't for this persistence, he probably would have used hibernation to escape the voyage.
Now that we've met again, the emotions that should have erupted like a volcano have instead remained dormant in my heart like a deep, cold pool.
He looked at her and asked only one question softly.
"Are you OK?"
Luo Yinxi nodded in reply.
"It's fine. How about you?"
Chu Tianshu suddenly smiled, with a profound and enlightened awakening.
"I'm doing well too, and it's great to see you again."
Humans are always lost in the pursuit, letting obsessions obstruct their vision and reducing the richness of life to a single goal.
Buddhism teaches that only by taking things up and letting them go can one attain true freedom.
Taoism says that only by following the natural order can one gain insight into the universe.
Chu Tianshu had never truly taken it, but his obsession with it was even stronger. Yet, because he had never actually taken it, the process of letting go seemed so natural.
He still loves Luo Yinxi, but that love has gone from being the entirety of his life to being just a part of it.
Therefore, he was able to face himself with equanimity, his gaze transcending the shackles in his heart, and seeing a broader sky!
Luo Yinxi had a feeling that the man before her had transformed from a focused hunter into a gentle spring breeze, and the unsettling sense of oppression suddenly dissipated.
She smiled sweetly.
"Me too, I'm so happy to see you back!"
The two leading figures of the new generation looked at each other, each seeing a clear reflection in the other's eyes. The elevation of their thinking was invisible, only perceptible.
Bubble seemed to sense this, flew in front of Chu Tianshu and suddenly said something.
"Congratulations, you possess truly powerful inner strength."
Apart from Luo Yinxi, who seemed to understand something, no one else knew what those words meant. However, Chu Tianshu replied without any apparent instruction.
“Strength comes from boundless freedom, Bubble, am I now qualified to make you a crew member?”
The bubble swirled for a while,
“Just barely qualified!”
Noah interjected,
"Brother Tianshu, don't forget me!"
Chu Tianshu laughed.
"Of course not, you're my personal physicist!"
He exuded the same aura as Jiang Fan, Zhang Beihai, Luo Ji, and others—a state of mind that stood atop a mountain, overlooking the scenery, with everything clear in his mind and everything serene and untroubled!
Jiang Fan nodded to himself, delighted that the children had finally grown up to be able to stand on their own, and that there were successors to carry on their legacy!
"Tianshu, you should go back and rest first. In a few days, go to the Space Factory to see the transformation process of the Eternal. Xiling will explain everything to you."
The subtext of these words is that the Eternal will take Chu Tianshu's will as its supreme will, and the human warship with that name and number will permanently belong to one person—this is a great honor.
Chu Tianshu still maintained respect for Jiang Fan, but the previous restraint and caution he displayed as a subordinate to a superior or a person in a lower position to a person in a higher position was gone.
"Good leader, I believe that the Eternal will represent human civilization and sail eternally through the stars!"
Jiang Fan nodded in agreement.
"Young tigers roar in the mountains, fledgling eagles soar through the sky; the future belongs to you!"
Everyone left, but Bubble stayed because of Xiling.
(End of this chapter)