Chapter 2290 - 1480: The Finite Nature of Life

Chapter 2290: Chapter 1480: The Finite Nature of Life

Yang Ping walked into the residential building, his coat already soaked through.

Rainwater dripped from the hem, leaving intermittent water traces on the hallway floor tiles. He didn’t immediately go upstairs; he stood in the foyer for a while, took off his coat, wrung it out, and then draped it over his arm. The elevator doors opened and closed, but he didn’t enter; instead, he turned and walked towards the stairs. Layer by layer, he ascended, his footsteps echoing in the stairwell.

When he pushed open the door to his home, the living room was very quiet. Erbao was already asleep; there was no sound from the nursery. Xiao Su was not in the living room; the kitchen light was on, and a gentle sound of running water flowed out. He changed his shoes, hung the wet coat on the rack by the door, and then walked into the kitchen. Xiao Su was washing vegetables by the sink; hearing his footsteps, she didn’t turn around, "Is the rain heavy?"

Yang Ping stood at the kitchen doorway.

Xiao Su placed the washed vegetables in a draining basket, saying sympathetically, "Your clothes are soaked? Quickly go change, don’t catch a cold; it will be a while before dinner is ready."

Yang Ping did not go to change clothes. He stood leaning against the kitchen door frame, gazing at Xiao Su’s back. "I stopped the experiment today."

Xiao Su’s hands paused in the running water, then continued washing the vegetables. "Which experiment did you stop?"

"All experiments related to the unified theory, especially the accelerated training experiments. After the third injection, the data accelerated too quickly, and within twenty-four hours, liver functions returned to normal. If the training continues, the next time might be twelve hours. The time after that could be six hours. The next time might be even faster. So fast that we don’t know what will happen." Xiao Su turned off the faucet and turned around, wiping her hands on her apron. "Are you scared?"

Yang Ping was silent for a few seconds, "Yes, I am scared. I’ve never been so scared. In previous research breakthroughs, I always knew what to do next and could see the outline ahead. This time, I don’t know. In front of me is a door, and what’s behind it, I don’t know. I only know the door is locked, locked for a reason. And we almost smashed the lock open."

Xiao Su walked up to him, reached out to touch his face. Her fingers were cold, carrying the moisture from washing vegetables. "Come on, go change your clothes."

Saying this, she dried her hands and went to find clothes for Yang Ping to change into.

"So what do you plan to do now?"

After Yang Ping changed clothes, Xiao Su asked.

"Write an article, publish it in public media. Clearly write down our findings, clearly write down our concerns. Let everyone know we found a key, but this key might open a door we’re not ready to face yet. Let the whole world discuss together, decide together whether or not to move forward."

Xiao Su didn’t immediately respond. She stood in front of him, touching his face again, "Are you scared of the key itself, or scared of being the person holding the key?"

Yang Ping looked at her without speaking. He had never thought about the issue from that angle. The key itself is neither right nor wrong; the crucial thing is who uses it. Manstein and Weber saw the potential for healing, but what he saw was another possibility. When humanity has the capability to rewrite its own life program, who decides when to write, when to stop?

"You go ahead; I’ll rest in the living room for a while."

Yang Ping sat on the sofa, while Xiao Su continued to be busy in the kitchen.

Outside, the rain continued to fall, the sound seeping through the glass like a constant low-frequency white noise. He checked his phone; there was an unread message from Weber: "I’ve written the outline of the commentary article and sent it to your email. Let me know if there’s anything that needs adjusting."

He opened his email and saw the outline sent by Weber. The article was divided into three parts: the first part summarized recent scientific discoveries, the second proposed the seal theory hypothesis, and the third called for open discussion. The structure was clear, logic was rigorous, wording precise. He replied with a line: "Add a section in the first part describing this ability during the embryonic development phase. Illustrate how during the embryonic phase, this set of programs is completely open, but it gradually closes after birth. This is direct evidence of the existence of the seal." Weber quickly replied, "Okay."

Xiao Su brought the dishes to the table—two dishes and one soup, steaming hot. The nursery emitted a faint sound, probably Erbao had turned over in his sleep. He sat at the dining table; Xiao Su sat across from him, "Did Weber message you?"

"Yeah, the article outline is ready."

"Then review it after eating."

Yang Ping didn’t argue, picked up his chopsticks, picked a piece of green vegetables, and put it into his mouth, chewing slowly. The rain was still falling, its sound exceptionally distinct in the quiet room. He ate half a bowl of rice, then put down his chopsticks, "If this article goes out, it will cause significant controversy. Some will support it, others will oppose. Some will say we’re alarmist, others will say we’re irresponsible. But debate is better than silent collapse."

Xiao Su didn’t answer, simply added another half bowl of rice for him, "Finish your meal."

Yang Ping glanced at her, then lowered his head and finished the half bowl of rice. After the meal, Yang Ping washed the dishes, cleaned up the kitchen, then walked into the study, turned on the computer, opened the article outline sent by Weber, reviewed it from beginning to end, and then opened a new document to start writing his part. He wrote slowly, with restraint, carefully pondering each sentence. After writing for over an hour, he stopped, read the paragraphs he wrote, then deleted half of them and started again. He pushed the keyboard aside, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes. Outside, the sound of rain continued, a steady, unhurried, uninterrupted rhythm.