NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 1: Helium flash
"Citizens of Human Union Underground City No. 1183, according to the latest observations, the sun will experience a helium flash in 30 minutes."
"Human civilization has entered the final 30 - minute countdown."
"We... have failed."
In the underground city, 500 meters deep from the Earth's surface, a female voice with a heavy tone was playing through the speakers everywhere.
An indescribable sense of suffocation welled up in the hearts of everyone who heard the broadcast.
Lü Yongchang sat expressionlessly in front of a holographic projection.
In the holographic image, a huge fireball was quietly burning in the deep cosmic space.
This was the current view of the sun.
Lü Yongchang took a deep breath and waved his right hand in the air with a gesture.
The scale of the holographic image suddenly shrank, showing the full picture of the solar system at present.
Unlike the previous solar system, two planets had disappeared from the solar system at this time.
Venus and Mercury had already been devoured by the sun!
And the sun had turned into a huge dark - red behemoth!
In astronomy, it had a specific name.
Red giant!
"Yongchang... Are we, no, is humanity really going to perish like this?"
A slightly helpless female voice came from the side.
Lü Yongchang turned his head to look beside him.
A woman in a white lab coat was sitting on a chair, looking blankly at the holographic projection in front of her.
Lü Yongchang's eyes flickered slightly.
As the chief scientist of the Human Union Academy of Sciences, this woman named Su Yutong was his partner and his capable assistant.
"Yes, humanity is finished."
Lü Yongchang let out a soft sigh and continued, "There are still more than twenty minutes. Do you want to go to the surface and take a look?"
Su Yutong's eyes flickered slightly. She withdrew her gaze from the holographic projection in front of her and slowly stood up from the chair.
She reached out to untie her coiled jet - black long hair, faced Lü Yongchang, and showed a bright smile.
"Of course."
...
In the elevator of Underground City No. 1183, Lü Yongchang and Su Yutong, wearing heavy protective suits, looked at each other in silence.
On the elevator screen, the numbers indicating the current depth were constantly jumping.
A hint of sentimentality flashed in Lü Yongchang's eyes.
In the year 2045 AD, the sun, on which humanity depended for survival, was affected by an unknown factor, ended its prime period, and prematurely entered old age.
In just five years, the sun entered the red - giant stage and successively devoured two planets in the solar system.
Cornered, humanity eliminated all kinds of barriers and established the Human Union, abbreviated as the HU.
And Lü Yongchang, relying on his status as a top student from childhood to adulthood, passed through numerous challenges and successfully won the title of the chief scientist of the Human Union Academy of Sciences!
In his calculations, even if the sun prematurely entered the red - giant stage, it would still take hundreds of years for a helium flash to occur.
Since the surface of the earth was no longer suitable for living, under his call, the Human Union built numerous underground cities, and all of humanity took refuge in the underground cities while starting to build interstellar spaceships.
But obviously, he miscalculated.
The sun had crossed the billions - year - long life process of other stars in just five years!
The helium flash was about to occur!
The Earth, as the planet currently closest to the sun, would undoubtedly be melted into a ball of magma.
Human civilization had come to an end!
"Ding!"
"Dear chief scientist, may your research mission on the surface be a complete success."
A clear prompt sound woke Lü Yongchang from his contemplation.
He looked at the elevator screen.
518℃
This was the surface temperature outside.
The elevator door slowly opened, and a wave of heat accompanied by distorted air rushed towards them!
Looking at the huge red giant above his head and the heat - churning surface, even with the protection of the suit, Lü Yongchang still felt a sense of intense heat!
"There's one minute left until the helium flash occurs."
Su Yutong's slightly cold voice came through the radio.
Lü Yongchang didn't say anything. He just looked up and stared at the sun through the filtered mask.
As the only advanced civilization on Earth, he didn't want to bow his head and await death!
"Do you know how much effort I put in to become your assistant?"
"Do you know why I did that?"
Perhaps because it was the last moment, there was a sense of relief in Su Yutong's voice: "Because I like you."
Lü Yongchang's pupils suddenly constricted.
The helium flash erupted!
The extremely intense white light burst out from the red giant and shone towards the Earth!
In an instant, Lü Yongchang lost consciousness.
...
Everything in front of him was fluorescent green.
A white line slowly extended, drawing a tree - like diagram in the fluorescent - green void background.
Lü Yongchang looked at everything in front of him in confusion.
What... What was this?
A faint flash lit up at the bottom of the tree - like diagram.
Subconsciously, he turned his gaze to the bottom of the tree - like diagram.
Nuclear Energy Mastery: Controlled Nuclear Fission.
A line of highlighted white text appeared.
The next moment, the white area began to extend upward.
Nuclear Energy Mastery: Controlled Nuclear Fusion.
As this line of originally dim text brightened, countless words and symbols instantly submerged Lü Yongchang's consciousness!
...
"Lü Yongchang! Lü Yongchang!"
"Professor Guan is calling you! Lü Yongchang!"
Vaguely, familiar whispers came from beside his ear.
His vision gradually focused.
What came into view was a classroom.
Looking at the old man on the podium who was frowning at him, Lü Yongchang's pupils constricted slightly.
Professor Guan Hualiang!
Wasn't he supposed to have passed away five years ago?!
"Lü Yongchang! This is the first college physics class! If you dislike physics so much, why did you choose the physics department?!"
There was anger in Guan Hualiang's voice.
Lü Yongchang looked blank, stood up subconsciously, and turned his head to look around.
The familiar scene.
This was... his college classroom!
If he remembered correctly, this was the first physics class of his sophomore year!
He quickly took out his phone from his pocket and pressed the screen to turn it on.
September 6th, 2030!
He... He was reborn?!
In an instant, countless complex emotions emerged in Lü Yongchang's mind.
Confusion, sadness, loss, and a glimmer of hope!
Bestowed by heaven, long live the prosperity.
This was the origin of his name.
Facts had proven that the name was not wrong.
In his previous life, he had the most exalted position among humans, but... due to his mistake, human civilization completely perished.
In this life, he had to reverse all of this!
But... how should he do it?
"Lü Yongchang! Did you hear what I said!"
Professor Guan Hualiang on the podium was so angry that his face turned red.
Having taught at Sandaokou University for so many years, he had never seen such a disrespectful student!
Lü Yongchang looked up at Professor Guan Hualiang on the podium and the blackboard behind him, and his eyes flickered slightly.
Perhaps... he needed an opportunity to make a stunning debut!
The next moment!
Countless formulas and words brought by the fluorescent - green tree - like diagram swirled in his mind like a storm!