I Am Also An Extraordinary Creature
Chapter 1079 - 789: This is the Bodhisattva

Chapter 1079: Chapter 789: This is the Bodhisattva

The aerospace program, which has been restarted for less than twenty years, would never have reached its current exploration stage without sufficient technological foundation and remnants from the past.

When it comes to aerospace-related materials, they can never have too much. The goal is to quickly complete this area of exploration so that a new beginning can follow.

Exploration is just one phase; the subsequent development after exploration is even more troublesome. Achieving full-scale immigration is a long-term plan that must be carried out step by step.

To give up would be equivalent to giving up the future. For now, under strict population planning, the human race can survive, with many conflicts shifted to the virtual world.

If the virtual world weren’t realistic enough—its food, clothing, and other experiences being almost indistinguishable from reality—it wouldn’t have been possible to suppress the conflict caused by the ever-increasing population and the shrinking space of the Pure Land.

But suppression isn’t permanent; maybe it can last a hundred years, maybe two hundred years. But what about even further down the line?

Conflicts will inevitably erupt in the outside world someday. Before that happens, they must complete extraterrestrial exploration, ultimately achieving immigration, or make breakthroughs in other research fields.

Creating more usable Pure Land spaces—what other options are there? There are no alternatives. Some have proposed extreme solutions.

However, such proposals were denied. To put it bluntly, they involved abandoning physical existence and collectively transferring to the virtual world. While it appeared feasible, it was essentially a dead-end strategy.

Moreover, sustaining the virtual world also requires resources: machine maintenance, control rights, and other related issues. This is why the proposal was never fully passed, though a partial version of it remains.

But this partial implementation is only aimed at individuals above seventy years old.

And even then, it’s not mandatory. Once someone reaches this age, they can voluntarily apply for "immigration" to the virtual world.

The aim is to further alleviate population pressure. After all, with improved living conditions, humans can easily live beyond ninety years within the Pure Land.

The proposition of applying for immigration starting at seventy years old has been widely accepted. Many people face chronic illnesses that are difficult to cure, coupled with the physical aging that leads to various complications. These factors often prompt individuals to choose virtual world "immigration" after seventy.

At that age, if one’s physical health isn’t great, it’s better to enjoy life sooner—at least experiencing the vitality of youth once immigrated.

Some even believe the threshold of seventy is too high and argue it should be lowered to sixty...

But so far, this threshold hasn’t been changed. Population pressure hasn’t reached the point of urgency. Not only has it remained unchanged, but no mandatory requirements have been introduced either.

This approach has released an overall signal of calm and measured progress. After all, when policies involve mandatory measures, it’s often a sign of severe issues.

"This document, though encrypted, is incredibly comprehensive. If obtained, it could save us at least ten to twenty years of effort."

The ideal scenario would save two decades, but even saving a decade would present an invaluable head start. With their current technological foundation, an additional ten years would allow advantages in related domains to snowball.

The current slow progress is purely due to the aerospace domain’s weak initial foundation. All research now is aimed at improving it, as everything so far has merely been preparatory work.

Exploration alone isn’t enough; what they need is guaranteed readiness for full-scale immigration.

If immigration-related exploration cannot be completed quickly, then everything else is meaningless. Aerospace advancements and Pure Land creation projects are in direct competition, as both are resource-intensive industries.

Whoever progresses faster gets more resources. For now, neither side is caught in a worsening cycle; both have sufficient resource guarantees. However, obtaining more resources could accelerate development.

"Maybe it’s some lucky person who stumbled across relevant materials during waste-land exploration..."

"Then we should absolutely acquire it! How much are they asking?" Those in the conference room shared a unified mindset: the origin of the materials didn’t matter—it was crucial to secure them.

Exchanging a one-time payment for a decade’s worth of effort was undeniably cost-effective. Even if they had to allocate their annual budget, it would still be worth it.

Waste-land exploration has always been a priority project, with many trying to uncover preserved materials from the past.

However, in environments of heavy pollution, the decay rate of such materials is extremely high. Paper documents are significantly affected, and electronic records fare even worse unless stored in specialized preservation environments.

But since specialized preservation environments are used, finding them poses additional challenges—especially for aerospace materials.

If the content was indeed retrieved by someone from the waste-land, no one here would suggest asking for it to be contributed for free. That would jeopardize future collaboration in research and sour personal relations entirely.

Even research-related partnerships might dwindle as a result.

Everyone knows just how dangerous waste-land exploration is. Suggesting such a thing would offend not only the individuals providing the data but also all other independent waste-land explorers.

Even official waste-land explorers earn high salaries. Their job is inherently life-threatening, so high compensation is only reasonable. Independent explorers need certifications and also risk their lives in this profession.

Their work involves gambling on their lives and luck just to repay debts. Asking them to contribute their findings freely? That’s courting disaster.

"Uh, not much—a total of one million New Alliance Currency."

Is one million New Alliance Currency a lot? For ordinary people, it’s an enormous sum. But for those present here, it’s practically insignificant; single projects often burn through more than one million.

For instance, an A3-Class gaming pod, accounting for initial purchase subsidies, costs approximately 150,000 New Alliance Currency. Special promotions can slightly reduce this price. A house smaller than twenty square meters is sold for 50,000 to 60,000, while properties in premium locations may cost several hundred thousand.

On the subject of gaming pods being more expensive than housing—consider this: gaming pods ranging from B2-Class upward are no longer meant for regular use. A C3-Class pod costs less than 6,000 New Alliance Currency, and with initial purchase subsidies, it’s around 5,000. A C1-Class pod is cheaper still; even with subsidies, it’s capped at 1,000 Currency, with interest-free installment plans available.

From B-Class onward, prices climb. A B1 pod remains under 10,000 Currency, but B2-Class pods—even with subsidies and discounts—won’t cost less than ten thousand.

In short, gaming pods cater to different consumer demographics—ordinary versions for the masses, high-end variants for the wealthy. It’s reminiscent of pre-disaster times when middle-class cars cost tens of thousands while luxury vehicles reached millions. Crashes didn’t determine which vehicle was more prestigious; both served as modes of transport.

Given this perspective, the seller’s asking price seems practically a giveaway.

The conference room rapporteur continued, "Uh, the seller also mentioned an additional request—not quite a condition. If possible, they’d like us to provide an S-Class Login Pod."

In research fields, those pods—referred to as Login Pods—are auxiliary tools for research rather than pure recreational devices.

"Respond that if they’re a senior-level researcher, we can help arrange one S-Class Login Pod. If not, it’s out of the question."

"...The seller replied that if it’s not possible, they’re fine with adding... an extra... million?"

The rapporteur scratched his head. Though he didn’t personally own such wealth, his familiarity with research values had numbed him to numbers over time. Seeing the additional offer, he felt it was almost... petty?

Of course, he couldn’t think like that; maybe the seller was deliberately aiming for a near-giveaway. His perspective was what needed adjustment.

"Accept the offer. Just ensure the transaction is completed."

The rapporteur’s comment left the attendees somewhat speechless. Where did this altruist come from?

Altruist or not, such opportunities must not be missed. Advancing the aerospace domain hinges on gaining more time. Regardless of the low cost, successfully developing the field benefits humanity as a whole.

"Well, the seller just sent over the materials—and even included decryption tools. They delivered first!?" The coordinator blinked in surprise at the decisiveness of the move.

Were they not worried something might go wrong?

Half an hour later, Zheng Yichen looked at the funds deposited after Lilith’s handling, pinching Tanshia Firlo’s cheek. "Alright, next we can start looking for a suitable place."

The money was secured; now all that remained were accommodations and equipment purchases.

Permanent housing wasn’t necessary—just renting a suitable place would suffice.

An 80-square-meter "luxury" apartment near Dusk Cathedral had a monthly rent of 20,000 New Alliance Currency. By Lilith’s standards, this price was steep.

The premium wasn’t just for the apartment’s size but also for its location.

Nonetheless, many people were living in similar local residences.

Yichen required two A3-Class gaming pods, so he naturally needed a larger space. The upcoming operation wouldn’t take place in reality—or at least it appeared so for now—hence thorough preparation was essential.

Once the mission ended, the purchased gaming pods wouldn’t go to waste—they could simply be packed and relocated.

Renting the apartment and ordering equipment happened in one fluid motion, all handled by Lilith. Yichen wasn’t concerned about attracting unwanted attention. Regarding the rental, he held legitimate credentials in this world—no violations, no crimes.

There was no reason for excessive scrutiny. As for the sudden influx of wealth, ensuring anonymity for two months was sufficient.

Lilith assured that as long as she stayed around, she could completely erase the possibility of Yichen being monitored...

As long as Yichen, her employer, didn’t plan a flashy stunt in reality.