Chapter 474 - 465: Leap Detection_1

However, it’s a pity that neither the atmospheric nor the surface samples collected by the probe detected any traces of life.

There was an abundance of organic matter in the soil, though. The high-concentration carbon dioxide closest to the surface blocked the sulfuric acid rain from higher layers. Three types of organic substances have been found, which compared to past research, is a significant new discovery.

But organic matter is still a far cry from life. Finding peptide chains that make up proteins would have been a groundbreaking result, yet the odds of that happening are exceedingly slim.

"Enough, enough. These two probes alone have already brought our extraterrestrial exploration up to world-class levels. Plus, we’re the second one after the Union to accomplish a soft landing,"

Academician She was extremely pleased with the achievements of Morning Star No.1, as every additional minute of signal it sent back from Venus set a new record in this field.

Lin Ju was slightly regretful and annoyed:

"If I had known, I would have sent a rover along. Morning Star isn’t small; it could have carried a small patrol vehicle."

"Haha, there’s no need to do everything all at once. And besides, we’ve accumulated a lot of experience this time, especially in the design of the protective layer. It lasted twice as long as the longest probe from the Union and was developed in such a short time, which is quite impressive,"

Thanks to tremendous advancements in electronics technology, Morning Star No.1’s video and image data exponentially surpassed what Venus 13 had gathered. These materials alone would keep related professionals busy analyzing for several years.

The shortcoming of deep space exploration in domestic aerospace is rapidly being rectified.

"No, let me see..."

Lin Ju checked the fuel remaining in the probe at the base, finding 80% left, as the descent barely used any.

He picked up the phone and called Xiao Okada directly:

"Hello? Hurry up and analyze if we can use the remaining fuel for a leap to a more valuable spot for reconnaissance. It’d be too wasteful not to use this much fuel."

Academician She: "..."

Luckily, this project was primarily self-financed by New Yuan; if it had been a national exploration program, such risks would never have been taken.

"Lin, there seems to be a volcano near the landing site. Maybe we can focus on that area during the flyby; it would be very helpful for geological research,"

As stopping him didn’t seem probable, Academician She simply suggested that they should try to collect as much information as possible.

"I’ll tell them right away... It’s a pity that the hydrazine fuel engine’s specific impulse is a bit low. There were people at the base who planned to use hydrogen fluoride fuel, which could achieve a specific impulse of 600, but it’s a bit toxic."

"You guys better stay away from that stuff."

"Just kidding," Lin Ju continued. "Actually, Venus isn’t worth that much of our focus at this stage."

For the base, Venus was just an opportunity while the window was open. The main focus remained on the Moon and Mars. In four more months, "Departing Fire" would arrive at Mars and was now entering the deceleration phase.

Zero Plain had always been a nagging concern for everyone at the base. "Departing Fire" carried nearly all the probes one could think of and would firmly monitor the area before human astronauts set foot on Mars, not missing any abnormalities.

After discussions within the base, it was believed that Zero Plain wouldn’t contain anything too dangerous. It should remain as quiet as before, as long as we don’t stir up trouble like in a sci-fi movie. The base’s exploration strategy was also devised to be extremely conservative.

Unless there is special certainty, no detectors or humans will approach that area, to avoid serious consequences.

But if the orbital detectors don’t find anything, there’s nothing to be done; deliberately ignoring it when you know something is there is not an option, and at that time some cautious exploration actions would likely be taken.

...

"Suplex, use a suplex!"

"Attack the lower body, don’t just aim for the head!"

"..."

In the garrison camp next to the base, soldiers were watching a sparring session on the training field.

A volunteer soldier who had completed the No. 304 Injection and was enhanced in all aspects was battling two scouts, and instead of being at a disadvantage, he was managing to gain the upper hand in the two-against-one fight.

When the sparring had gone on for nearly five minutes, the two scouts were thrown and lay sprawled on the ground covered in damp soil.

Xie Miao hurried over to check on the volunteer’s condition, who only patted his strong arm; he had taken a kick there, but his solid muscles and tough skin had withstood the blow without any damage; there wasn’t even a sensation of pain.

At this point, the curious soldiers crowded around, touching and pinching him all over, causing a commotion.

Xie Miao, along with other researchers, documented the comprehensive performance of Volunteer No.1.

The three soldiers sent over had all completed the No. 304 Injection and it was effective; none of them exhibited any adverse reactions or side effects, and like Liu Si, they had all significantly improved their physical fitness.

However, compared to Liu Si, they also demonstrated an unexpected repair function:

These elite troops, if not one in ten thousand, at least one in a thousand, all suffered various degrees of injury, particularly common joint issues such as meniscal damage and knee effusion from years of intense training.

Similarly, these accumulated injuries, which would likely linger for life and worsen with age, are difficult to heal.

But after the injection, their damaged areas were strengthened and repaired, surpassing their initial state, and mind you, even if the injection’s effect wears off, this would not disappear.

The miraculous effects combined made Xie Miao take No. 304 Injection more seriously; if its functions could be weakened and broken down into medicine, it would at least create a global pharmaceutical behemoth to rival Pfizer.

After several months of in-depth research, Xie Miao had roughly figured out the mechanism behind the No. 304 Injection.

Strictly speaking, it’s not just the drug components in the injection that create miraculous effects; the ability to target a person’s entire body for purposeful enhancement relies on the human body itself.

After the injection enters the body, it flows through the bloodstream and eventually gathers in the brain and spinal cord’s central areas. During a period of careful observation, he noticed that the body’s tissues and cells through which the medication passed had undergone subtle changes, which provided clear guidance for subsequent stimulation.

This guidance is extremely precise, capable of targeting a specific subset of cells for the necessary and purposeful enhancement.

This precision positioning technology reminded him of a challenging issue in medicine: how to precisely eradicate cancer cells that have spread throughout the body.

Destroying cancer cells is not difficult, but if any are left, they can easily bounce back, especially once they have spread throughout the body—other than radioactive self-destruct therapy, there is no solution.