[The Wandering Earth] Short Story Collection: The Age of Roses

Modern AU, Astrophysicist x Reporter

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The Volvo XC90 is galloping on the road, and the scenery outside the car window flies by.Liu Qi turned his eyes back to the front, and the road stretched across the endless wasteland.The gray, slightly reflective pavement merged with the whitish sky, leaving a dry, monotonous shadow on the retina.

He silently took a cigarette out of the cigarette case, held it in his mouth, but did not light it.

The red dot on the Moss display flashed, and according to the analysis and reasoning of the artificial intelligence, he should be able to see the CN171-11 base now.Sure enough, a steel-gray building gradually appeared on the skyline: it looked like a piece of steaming grass at first, and then he saw clearly that it was a matrix composed of countless giant radars.They raised their heads, facing the sky obliquely, and a line of cold white light appeared at the edge.

The bases at the beginning of CN171 are all bases related to cosmic science, Fa Xiaoli introduced them one by one.The genius programmer spread out two notebooks in front of him, and pointed to the unsmiling man in a white coat: "This is Wang Lei you are looking for," he said, "Astrophysicist and theoretical physicist, The coalition government rewards scholars. Young and promising, working in the joint institute of astrophysics."

"What is this research institute for?" Liu Qi asked.

Li Yiyi pointed to his ear.

"Listen," he said, "listen to the sound. Receive sounds from beyond the universe. So the locations are basically in the desert because there is less interference."

"How could anyone want to go to that kind of place." Liu Qi picked up the note, with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Li Yiyi knew that he had been dissatisfied with Dr. Liu Peiqiang's focus on research and neglecting his family's affairs, so he didn't comfort him, and only sighed in his heart.

"Everyone has his own aspirations." He said, "Aren't you going to interview him, and you will know when the time comes."

Moss has already prepared all the admission procedures.Liu Qi held the steering wheel with one hand and turned around to reverse the car.A white figure suddenly flashed through the rear windshield, and he couldn't help turning his head.Standing ten meters away from the front of the car was a man in a white coat. He was tall and straight, and both the buttons of the white coat and the shirt inside were buttoned up to the first.

With a "bang", Wang Lei frowned.The Volvo, which was backing into the garage in the distance, bumped into the wall, and the garage's security system sounded an alarm.

Liu Qi was still yawning when he lifted the quilt. Base 171 has no curtains, so even if the guest room is on the dark side, it will still be bright due to the reflection from the radar system.

He stood by the window for a while.The sun did not come out, and thick clouds formed over the base.The wind beat against the glass, and then pierced through the empty field between the radars with a strange, high-pitched cry.

The door of the laboratory opened, and a man in a white coat came out.He is carrying a toolbox, holding a tablet computer, and his profile picture is communicating with the portable version of Moss.Liu Qi kept seeing him go under the third radar in Area A, open the door and go in, but he was out of sight.

After arriving at the 171-11 base yesterday, Wang Lei told him to take care of himself.The scientist glanced at the dark circles under his eyes caused by staying up late last week, and said lightly that his work tasks are not heavy, and Liu Qi can interview him at any time after he gets off work, but he'd better catch up on sleep first.Later, through the introduction of Moss, Liu Qi realized that there are only him and Wang Lei in the entire base. Fortunately, Moss, as a professional AI, can accurately and safely undertake all the daily assignments.

When Liu Qi raised his head from a news report, it was already raining heavily outside the window.Bubbles with a diameter of nearly five centimeters on the ground outside the glass door quickly bulged and burst, and the popping sound accompanied by the wind reminded Liu Qi of the Devil City for a moment.

There is an umbrella at the door of the opposite laboratory.

When Wang Lei fixed the last thread and walked out with the repair box, he smelled the rain.He frowned.Oops, I forgot the umbrella at the door of the laboratory.He untied his white coat, stuffed the tablet into his pocket, put away the repair box and decided to run back first, and return to Area A to pick it up after the rain stopped.

The card machine beeped, and the radar door slowly opened.

The young man was standing with his back to the door.He bowed his head and held an umbrella upside down in his hand.

"you……"

"I wanted to leave the umbrella here for you and leave," Liu Qi said, "but Moss didn't find the second umbrella. Go back?" he said abruptly.

"Thank you, Reporter Liu."

Sometimes Liu Qi will find the shadow of Liu Peiqiang in Wang Lei—maybe it cannot be said to be a shadow, the astrophysicist and his father are two completely different people, and what he notices is their similarities.Are all scientists alike?He thought of the time before he was four years old.At that time, Liu Peiqiang was just a researcher, and he still had time to go to parks and shops with his family, watch Liu Qi's mother choose clothes, and play football with Liu Qi.But when Liu Qi was four years old, Liu Peiqiang became the director of the project, and a few years later he was promoted to director.The time spent with family is getting less and less, and the inclination towards work is gradually increasing.

He understands everything, but he just doesn't want to forgive.

Wang Lei said, "Do you drink tea?"

"Thank you."

He has been at the base for a week.Sufficient supplies, a lot of free time to study news reports, except for the poor scenery, Liu Qi thinks this is simply the best place for vacation.A lounge is set up in the living area, and the windows on both sides face the radar area and the wasteland respectively, and you can see the pale mountains in the far distance and the Achnatherum splendens on the wasteland.Wang Lei sometimes stays with him, but more often in the laboratory.

Where he often sits faces the wasteland.When night falls, he spreads a book (or tablet) on his lap, and takes notes on white paper with a pen in his hand.When Liu Qi stared at his profile, he was unmoved, and occasionally cast a questioning look, but it was more out of concern than offended.

This is a person who naturally conveys a stable temperament outward.

In the interview, Liu Qi asked him: "Why did you choose astrophysics?" Wang Lei's answer was that this was his professional ideal.It wasn't a cheery reply, but the reporter just nodded knowingly.These six days of common experience made him feel something about scientists, a kind of...spiritual temperament, he can't say it, but it exists steadily by Wang Lei's side, calm, steady, and as always.

Wang Lei and Liu Peiqiang are essentially the same people.Lonely and stubborn, he plunged into the professional field to find his professional ideal.Misunderstandings from the outside world mean nothing to them, and all accusations or slanders are insignificant.Because in the hearts of those people, the external world is infinitely compressed, and the inner capacity is enlarged again.Day after day, all that is in view is the sun, the wind, a radar array looking at the sky, and complex calculations[1].

Liu Qi closed his eyes, the voice seemed to be redeeming.

When he saw Wang Lei again, it was at the release site of the "Wandering Earth" project.The scientist in a white coat explained on the stage in simple language, his black eyes still calm.

Liu Qi stopped him in the background, "Hi." He said.

"It's you," Wang Lei said, and he smiled, "Little reporter."

"It's me," Liu Qi also smiled, and he switched the microphone, "Would you like to accept my interview again?"

"Very willing."

——We have 65 billion ways to fall in love, and these magical loves are like stars, and like universal gravity, they attract our lonely little planets together to form a huge galaxy.

【End】

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note

1. Wandering Earth film review by [email protected] Mr. Zhou Liu