Chapter 154

【On September 23, a demonstration involving tens of thousands took place in Natal Doloro City…】

“Another protest.”

On the morning of September 25, in Xiaoyugang Village, Ningzhou, Zheng Taolin casually scrolled through the news on his phone. Zheng Taolin was fifty-one this year and had been working in the seafood fishing industry for years, living a life that was neither prosperous nor dire. Just when he thought things would continue on this way, the government announced the Acid Rain Algae cultivation initiative.

The subsidies for Acid Sea Algae were generous. After discussing with his family, he contracted twenty mu of seaweed farming area. After two months of preparation, the groundwork for the base was complete. All that was left was to hang the algae seedlings.

Zheng Taolin had just finished reading when the Village Party Secretary walked over. “What are you looking at?”

“A protest in Natal.”

“How many times is that this month?”

“The seventh.”

“What’s the reason this time?”

“Seems like the residents are unhappy with the high taxes.”

The two chatted back and forth.

After the signing of the Global Joint Cultivation Agreement, countries around the world set up seaweed cultivation plants. But that did little to quell public anger. Since the Food Crisis, domestic tensions in countries like Natal had only escalated. It was like a bottle of soda being violently shaken—Acid Rain Algae was merely the spark.

In just the past two months, over fifty protests had taken place in Natal alone. These were tied to rising prices, poor management of the Hugua H1 outbreak, and high taxes, among other factors. Economists predicted the large-scale demonstrations would likely continue until the end of December.

Residents of Longxia, on the other hand, had gone from surprise to indifference. Compared to the international situation, they preferred quietly focusing on economic development.

After chatting for a bit, the Village Party Secretary took a call and said, “Get ready. The algae seedlings will arrive at ten.”

“That fast?”

The Village Party Secretary smiled. “We made seven trips to the Agricultural Bureau. This batch is from our application.”

Ningzhou was a well-known fishing port city, and ordering seedlings now was like fighting for limited stock. Even just among the small fishing villages, there were already twelve seaweed bases.

Zheng Taolin called his family to get ready.

At 10:20, a large truck carrying seaweed seedlings arrived at the small fishing village’s planting base. Zheng Taolin began unloading. Each box of seedlings was priced at 171, but with government subsidies, the cost came down to 82.

Seaweed is a spore plant. The national cultivation plan was divided into two phases: individuals would use the hanging method, while in other sea areas, spores would be directly scattered. Until the seaweed matured, harvesting in public waters was prohibited, but there were no restrictions on privately cultivated areas.

At 11:10, everyone began pulling out hemp ropes to hang the seedlings.

“These seaweed seedlings are really green,” his wife said, holding one up. She had worked in a kelp factory before, and seaweed seedlings were usually brownish. These were even greener than Qinghai kelp.

“They really are,” Zheng Taolin said, carefully hanging the seedling. According to official information, the seaweed would gradually turn red as it grew, a sign that it was absorbing heavy metals from the seawater. Seeing how vibrantly green they were now, he was curious to see them turn red.

He didn’t have to wait long. A week later, the seedlings had grown from three centimeters to seventy.

Acid Rain Algae shared growth characteristics with kelp, growing 20 to 50 centimeters per day, with a maximum length of up to seventy meters. The small fishing port had already signed a contract with an agricultural company. Once mature, the algae could be harvested and replanted.

On October 7, the Ningzhou Agricultural Bureau visited the planting base. According to professional measurements, the seawater at the base was 17% to 20% purer than regular seawater. This purity would continue to increase as the seaweed grew.

“Amazing!” Zheng Taolin said, adjusting his oxygen mask. He had been wearing one for five years. Now that the seawater was being purified, he looked forward to the day he could take it off.

“It really can purify seawater!”

“Working at a seaweed base—here’s a chart showing one month of seawater changes. [Image]”

“It really is getting clearer.”

…

Online, users began uploading comparison images of the seaweed.

First image: The base was covered with hemp ropes, and the seawater was dark and murky, with metallic dust floating on the surface.

Second image: The ropes were now draped with broad seaweed, visibly tinged with red. Against the deep red algae, the water looked crystal clear.

“I wonder when things will return to normal,” users commented as they repeatedly refreshed the images.

“Three years at most,” others replied.

With global seaweed cultivation underway, official estimates predicted that after three full planting cycles, the air quality would significantly improve. The whole process would take about three years.

“Is three years long?”

“Compared to a lifetime? Not really.”

…

Three years wasn’t short, but for those who had hit rock bottom, who thought life would never change, it felt like being pulled back to shore.

“Everyone should stay mindful—plant more grass and trees. Maybe we can shorten the timeline,” one user encouraged.

“Already started. [Image]”

“Our neighborhood did landscaping two years ago.”

“Our county’s greenery is beautiful. [Image]”

…

Users began sharing photos of their local greenery.

While planting trees couldn’t immediately change global oxygen levels, people embraced the mindset that every tree counted. Provinces and cities launched massive greening projects.

These weren’t random plantings, but carefully planned based on local terrain.

Since 3030, provinces and cities had been planting greenery. After five years of growth, the plants had matured. Watching a seed grow into a swaying sapling, residents suddenly realized that nurturing life was deeply meaningful.

…

“Did you see where I put the two packs of nori I bought last time?”

“Not in the cabinet?”

“Nope…”

“I’ll go buy some.”

…

On the evening of February 7 at 7 p.m., in Delong Community, Liunan City, Zheng Jiawang put on his coat and headed out to buy groceries. It was Lunar New Year’s Eve, and once midnight passed, 3035 would come to an end, ushering in the year 3036.

“Manager Zheng!”

“Not staying home to watch the Spring Festival Gala?”

…

As Zheng Jiawang stepped out, a neighbor greeted him.

“Ran out of nori at home, heading out to buy some.”

“The supermarket’s open?”

“Not sure. Worth a try.”

…

After a quick chat, Zheng Jiawang strolled along the path.

The community was decorated with lanterns. In the south plaza, after 31 years of resident voting, sour jujube trees had been replanted. The trees stood three meters tall, supported by wooden stakes. As he passed by, a few children were playing among the trees, holding lanterns. Though everyone wore protective suits and masks, the masks were cheerfully decorated with hand-drawn “Fu” characters, adding a festive touch.

“Manager Zheng,” one of the children’s parents greeted him.

“Just going to buy some nori,” Zheng Jiawang replied, making small talk.

By 7:30, he reached the nearest supermarket. A sign on the door read “Open on the third day of the new year.” Since it was closed, he tried a few more supermarkets. All of them were shut.

At 8:30, Zheng Jiawang returned home, frustrated.

As soon as he walked in, his wife handed him an unopened pack of nori. “Found it in the flour bag. I was just about to call you.”

Their whole family loved Nori Soup Dumplings. While his wife went to the kitchen to cook, Zheng Jiawang sat down in the living room.

“Work called earlier. This year’s holiday goes until the seventh,” his son said as he cracked sunflower seeds.

“Let’s go on a short trip tomorrow, check out the lantern displays?” Zheng Jiawang suggested.

“Sure, Rui Rui wants to go to Guangyuan Ancient City too.”

The little granddaughter was munching on a chocolate candy. As soon as she heard that, she chimed in eagerly, “I want to go out and play the most!”

“Then we’ll go tomorrow,” Zheng Jiawang said with a cheerful laugh. His son and daughter-in-law had been busy with work, and it had been a long time since the whole family had sat together so relaxed like this.

They chatted for a while until his wife called out from the kitchen, “The dumplings are ready!”

Everyone took a bowl of dumplings.

The dumplings sank to the bottom, while a layer of nori soup floated on top. Strips of seaweed clung to the white dumpling skins, making the dish look quite appetizing.

Zheng Jiawang turned up the volume on the TV. The Spring Festival Gala was playing, and two veteran actors were performing a skit about neighborhood life.

“This year’s skit is pretty good,” his son commented.

“Feels more natural than the ones in previous years,” his daughter-in-law added from the side.

Laughter and applause echoed from the television. Zheng Jiawang looked at his family, feeling a peace he hadn’t felt in a long time.

They watched from nine to eleven. When the little granddaughter got sleepy and went to bed, Zheng Jiawang went to the kitchen to wash the dishes and stay up until midnight. But just as he stepped inside, his son suddenly shouted, “Dad, come out quick!”

Zheng Jiawang hurried back to the living room.

The news had cut to a close-up of the host.

It was the veteran anchor Cui Ning, holding a cue card and speaking with visible excitement. “Dear viewers, just moments ago, we received great news from the Longxia Health Bureau. The Global Bio Team has developed the Hugua Vaccine—a powerful vaccine that provides immunity against all known Hugua virus strains. The Longxia Health Bureau plans to roll out free nationwide vaccinations through local communities, universities, and villages…”

Cheers erupted from the television, so loud that Zheng Jiawang couldn’t make out a single word.

He placed a hand over his chest. His heart was pounding wildly.

On this festive night, he suddenly felt like crying.

“What happened?”

“What did the TV say?”

His wife and daughter-in-law came out from the room.

“The bio team developed the Hugua Vaccine,” his son explained, standing up.

He had served seven years as a firefighter, but now even his voice trembled. Just like Zheng Jiawang, it was a tremble born of joy and disbelief.

“Ten, nine, eight, seven, six…” The countdown began on the TV, the audience shouting with excitement.

When it reached “one,” all the performers of the Spring Festival Gala came on stage. “Dear viewers, tonight’s gala has come to an end. We wish you a smooth and joyful new year. Happy Spring Festival!”

As the gala ended, fireworks lit up the square outside. The family watched the brilliant red explosions in the sky and suddenly felt how precious peaceful days like this truly were.

…

“It’s Spring Festival.”

“Happy New Year.”

As the world celebrated the Lunar New Year, at the Fengshan Hope Greenhouse, Qin Yun and the farm staff stood before the Hope Tree.

The Hope Tree had grown from its previous height of one hundred meters to three hundred meters tall. Against the night sky, it looked like a massive golden umbrella, its canopy covered in vibrant green leaves.

Everyone there was a farm researcher. They had seen countless trees, but none as quiet and mysterious as this one. A gentle breeze stirred its branches, producing a soft rustling sound. From outside the farm, the Hope Tree was invisible—its magic existed only within the farm’s boundaries.

Half an hour later, the Hope Tree stopped growing.

It didn’t bear fruit, but its trunk and leaves were more extraordinary than any Hope Tree fruit ever produced. Just as everyone was speculating about what this fully grown Hope Tree might do, the entire tree dissolved into golden sand, drifting into the sky and scattering in all directions. The golden sand floated beyond the farm, merging with the mountains and rivers like a whisper of wind.

Three hours later, the land where the Hope Tree had stood became smooth and level. The golden sand had fused into every inch of soil across the globe.

“It’s gone?” Liu Wensheng picked up a Hope Tree leaf, which turned to golden sand in his palm and vanished.

Qin Yun opened the System Interface.

Host Name: Qin Yun

Current Mission: Restore global ecological balance (12%)

Farm Buildings: Yellow Earth Kiln, Seed Laboratory, Technology Laboratory, Mr. Amir’s Workshop…

Previously, there had been a “Hope Tree” listed under Farm Buildings. Now, that entry was gone.

Though the Hope Tree had disappeared, the Farm Interface had turned a pure, radiant gold.

Farm Level: Advanced.

For the first time in eight years, the farm had upgraded from Intermediate to Advanced.

After a thorough examination, Liu Wensheng sighed with emotion, “We’ve done what we needed to do.”

The Hope Tree had vanished without a trace, but the farm’s research continued.

In the following two days, the farm focused all its efforts on the Hugua Vaccine.

It had been six years since the discovery of Hugua H1. Though people wore Hugua Masks, improper usage and other issues meant that Hugua H1 remained the deadliest virus in the world. According to the Shuilan Alliance, since the year 3030, seventy-six million people worldwide had died from Hugua H1. It was a global catastrophe—and a national one for Shuilan.

On February 7, the Arctic Biological Station successfully developed the Hugua Vaccine. News of the vaccine had now spread across the globe, and medical factories in every country were working around the clock to produce it.

At this moment, people everywhere shared one hope: to defeat the virus and live a normal life again.