Chapter 294: The Calamity That’s Around the Corner!
Translator: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales
Chapter 294 – The Calamity That’s Around the Corner!
[Transdimensional Store Recommended Products]
[1. Civilization’s Shining Moment, April 2106 Edition: This edition’s main theme is NASA’s KIC 8462852 Star Observation Report. This journal’s publication has caused a huge impact and revolutionary changes on the economic, social, and cultural structure of human civilization. This is an extremely important publication in human history. This journal is the April 2106 Edition. The selling price is 100 points.]
After quickly browsing through the first product’s description, Chen Yu’s brain focused on the words “impact” and “change.” Simultaneously, his pupils also expanded in surprise.
“It’s this thing again?”
After searching through his memories, Chen Yu remembered that the Civilization’s Shining Moment journal was the contributor that led him to discover the existence of a black hole in the solar system in advance, thereby saving Earth from the misfortune of being hit by an asteroid.
The next moment, Chen Yu purchased the journal without hesitation.
Let alone 100 points, even if the journal cost 1,000 or 10,000 points, he would still choose to buy it.
[110 points expended (product + tax). Remaining points: 4,226]
A line of text flashed past his watch’s screen.
Simultaneously, a s.p.a.ce-time wormhole opened up in his room. An elongated delivery box then emerged from the wormhole and fell on the floor, sending fine dust flying into the air.
“You started redeeming goods?” Little Peach was immediately attracted by the noise. Hurriedly, she jumped off the chair, crouched before the delivery box, and carefully observed it. “Is it a toy?”
“It’s not a toy.”
Chen Yu shook his head with a solemn expression on his face. After waiting for the wormhole to disappear, he quickly stepped forward and removed the box’s seal. He then pulled out a familiar journal from the box.
Compared to the February 2041 Edition, the April 2106 Edition was slightly thicker. At a glance, it had around 150 pages. As for the page size, it was still A3 in size.
Without delay, Chen Yu tore away the exquisite plastic packaging used to wrap around the journal. He then flipped open to the first page and began browsing its contents.
Meanwhile, similar to the previous instance, Chen Yu felt a biting cold spread across his entire body as soon as he finished reading the first page!
“Mr. Chen, is something going to happen again?” Little Peach keenly noticed Chen Yu’s strange reaction. She then stepped forward and asked curiously, “Did another black hole fly into the solar system?”
“…Are you itching for a beating? One black hole is already plenty astonishing, alright?”
“What happened, then? Is it something even scarier than a black hole?”
“…The problem this time isn’t scary. Instead…” After hesitating for a moment, Chen Yu looked down at the page and scratched the tip of his nose. After racking his brain to find an adjective, he said, “Instead, it’s…thrilling.”
“Thrilling?”
“Yes.” Chen Yu nodded. He then flipped to the second page and said, “I’ll need to read more to find out about the details. Don’t disturb me for now.”
After saying so, Chen Yu continued immersing himself in the journal’s contents.
Perhaps the journal had adopted the principle of first popularizing science and then recording, but this journal’s layout was similar to the one before. Aside from there being a large amount of texts, there were also dozens of a.n.a.lysis diagrams available. These diagrams allowed Chen Yu to gain an accurate and thorough understanding of the subject without having to strain his brain.
Two hours later…
Chen Yu closed the journal, walked up to the window, and looked up at the night sky thoughtfully.
“Mr. Chen, can I take a look at it as well?” Little Peach asked eagerly as she pointed at herself. “If it is related to astronomy, I can understand it now as well. I’ve learned plenty of astronomy knowledge already.”
“It has a lot to do with astronomy.” After thinking for a moment, Chen Yu handed the journal to Little Peach and said, “Read it later. For now, edit today’s official livestream and publish it to the various platforms at 9 AM tomorrow. Afterward, make an announcement on the ten broadcasting platforms stating that we’ll be hosting an additional livestream next Sunday.”
“We’ll hold an additional livestream next Sunday?”
“Mhm.”
“Okay!” Little Peach nodded. However, she then asked in confusion, “By the way, didn’t your access level get upgraded? Why are you still limited to just ten platforms?”
“I only received advanced notice of the promotion. I’ll need to wait until the next official livestream before the change takes place officially.”
“Oh!” Bringing the journal to the table, Little Peach asked, “Mr. Chen, what about the t.i.tle? What should I write?”
Squinting his eyes, Chen Yu said, “The Calamity That’s Around the Corner.”
“Huh? Is such a t.i.tle…fine?”
“We’ll use this.” Chen Yu nodded. “Although it’s somewhat of a clickbait since this problem doesn’t pose a threat to humanity, there is nothing wrong in treating it with caution. Moreover…”
“Moreover, what?”
“It’s related to NASA’s stupid actions. It’s about time we clean up after them…”
After seeing Little Peach typing away at her keyboard, Chen Yu calmed his emotions and sat back on his bed. He then resumed browsing the next product on the Transdimensional Store.
[2. Windbreaker: Produced by the Adidas Sportswear Company in 2676. The Windbreaker is mainly made of CVC fabric. Two multi-function sensors and one anti-magnetic anti-gravity generator are set up in every square centimeter of the fabric to keep the wearer suspended in the air. The wearer can achieve a flying speed that is 1.76 times the wind speed of the surrounding environment. It is not possible to fly in the opposite direction of the wind. This product is officially designated for the 100,000-meter obstacle-free gliding event for the 2680 Olympics. The selling price is 1,200 points.]
“Anti-magnetic anti-gravity generator?”
The Windbreaker’s description and functionality did not attract Chen Yu’s attention. However, it was a different story for the so-called “anti-magnetic anti-gravity generator.”
According to the knowledge he had learned in recent times and the instruction of the Oscillating Planet Smasher he read this morning, he naturally understood what anti-gravity was.
To put it simply, gravity was created by attraction.
Meanwhile, the magnitude of gravity was the ma.s.s of an object multiplied by the acceleration of gravity.
Therefore, the so-called anti-gravity was to give an object a force that was different from gravity to defy gravity. Strictly speaking, airplanes, rockets, and maglev trains could be considered to have applied the use of anti-gravity.
However, the anti-gravity the ma.s.ses spoke of generally referred to advanced technologies that involved gravitational waves.
Meanwhile, the anti-gravity method the Windbreaker applied was a device called the “anti-magnetic generator.” No such term existed in Chen Yu’s knowledge reserves currently, and he couldn’t help but grow interested in the Windbreaker.
Unknowingly, Chen Yu’s way of thinking had gradually shifted from an ordinary person to a veteran reviewer who was curious about science and technology…
After suppressing his impulse to purchase the Windbreaker, Chen Yu slid his finger across the screen and moved on to the third product.
[3. Universal Toothpaste: Produced by the Colgate Daily Products Company in 2533. Stored in a gelatinous container filled with inert gas. The main material used to manufacture the Universal Toothpaste is still fluoride, but a large number of composite materials and nanoparticles were added into the mix. This allows the toothpaste to effectively clean skin bores, brighten hair, stop bleeding, eliminate redness, neutralize acid poisons, relieve dizziness and headache, remove body odor, polish cars, removing rust and decontaminating metals, dissolving oil stains, and bleaching pottery, rocks, silverware, wood, gla.s.s, and metal surfaces. Aside from cleaning teeth, this product can do everything. The selling price is 920 points.]
“…Another crazy product came.”
After briefly reading through the third product’s introduction, Chen Yu swiped his finger across his watch and moved on to the fourth product.
[4. Mysterious Faucet: Produced by the “Die from Addiction” Company in 2708…]
As soon as Chen Yu saw the product manufacturer’s name, he instinctively thought to move on to the next product. However, just as his finger was about to make contact with the screen, curiosity stopped him from doing so.
“Let’s see what’s the limit for your company…”
Or, to put it in another way, what was the limit of the company’s nonsensical imaginations…
[4. Mysterious Faucet: Produced by the “Die from Addiction” Company in 2708. The faucet uses epoch-making gaseous induction and brain wave collection and fusion technology. It automatically a.n.a.lyzes whether the user needs to use the faucet. The faucet’s main body is made of carbon, and its surface is coated with a rhodium plating. The faucet’s height is 220mm, and the width is 196mm. This product does not spray water but sprays a liquid flame disguised as an ordinary stream of water, instantly melting the user’s hand and bringing surprises beyond ordinary people’s expectations. It is suitable to be used in restaurants, transportation stations, and high-end hotel toilets to improve the quality of customer experience. The selling price is 1,700 points.]
“Screw you! This mentally r.e.t.a.r.ded product…” Chen Yu couldn’t help but curse out loud. He then stood up, walked out of his room, and washed his head at the bathroom sink.
For the sake of maintaining the fifth product’s quality, he needed to wash his brain and suppress his brain waves from wandering about…
“Ah…”
Three minutes later, Chen Yu walked out of the bathroom while drying his hair with a towel. Ignoring Chen Erke, who was silently sobbing on the sofa, he returned to his room and looked at the last product.
[5. Point Hubble s.p.a.ce Telescope: Put to use by NASA in 2105. It is designed specifically for observing stars within two thousand light-years. This telescope is capable of accurately capturing the detailed optical spectrum and scene of a star’s surface through the help of the built-in quantum computer’s optical information simulation filling technology. As soon as this product was put to use, it has captured photos of the star surface photos of KIC 8462852, causing a global sensation. The following year, the telescope was included in the Civilization’s Shining Moment journal’s information table. The selling price is 2,150 points.]
“This thing…”
After reading the instructions several times carefully, Chen Yu thought, It seems the Transdimensional Store is going out of its way to select combination products for me to livestream… The upcoming episode’s performance should be guaranteed now…
“Mr. Chen!” Little Peach suddenly cheered out loud. She then turned to look and Chen Yu and said, “I’ve finished drafting the announcement already. Do you want to take a look at it?”
Returning to his senses, Chen Yu briefly watched through the edited video and nodded, “It’s good enough. Your language standards have risen sharply. Not bad.”
“Hehe.” Blushing, Little Peach said, “For you, I can do everything.”
“Everything except becoming smarter.”
“…”
…
A night went by without anything happening.
However, a problem occurred the next day.
Chen Erke fell sick…
She was suffering from a fever.
It was also a relatively severe fever.
At eight o’clock in the morning, her body temperature had already risen to 37.7°C.
When Chen Yu drowsily walked out of his bedroom under Mother Chen’s urging, he saw Chen Erke lying on the sofa with scarcely any breath left in her. Her breathing was so shallow that it looked as if she would croak at any moment…
“W-What the h.e.l.l is going on here?” Chen Yu’s mind cleared up immediately.
“She seems to have caught a cold.” Father Chen didn’t even bother going to work today. Crouching beside his second daughter and taking her temperature, he frowned and said, “It rose by another 0.05 degrees.”
“How high is it now?” Chen Yu asked with a frown. He then stepped forward and placed his hand on Chen Erke’s forehead.
“It’s 37.8 degrees now.”
“c.r.a.p! Awesome, awesome!”
“Chen Yu!” Father Chen bellowed.
“Ah, I meant to say it was serious,” Chen Yu said, rubbing his face. “She’s close to reaching 38 degrees already. We should take her to the hospital for a check-up.”
Hearing this, Chen Sanke, who stood at a side, widened her eyes and raised her hand while suggesting, “Q-Quarantine her!”
“Chen Sanke!” Father Chen grew even more furious, his reaction causing Chen Sanke to shrink back in fear.
“How did she catch such a bad fever?”
Walking over with a gla.s.s of hot water, Mother Chen complained, “Isn’t it because you confiscated her phone yesterday? Her immune system must’ve deteriorated from all that crying. Afterward, she caught a cold and ended up getting a fever.”
Chen Yu: “…”
“Cough…” Hearing the voices around her, Chen Erke widened her eyes slowly and looked at Chen Yu. “I… Cough, cough…”
“She’s coughing! She’s coughing!” Chen Sanke shouted. “We need to quarantine her!”
Father Chen, Mother Chen, Chen Yu: “Chen Sanke!!”
“Uu…” Frightened, Chen Sanke hurriedly stepped back.
“Brother…” After sending her little sister a glare, Chen Erke struggled to stretch her left hand toward Chen Yu before saying, “Big Brother, I… I might be dying…”
Chen Yu: “…”
“Before I die, I still have a few wishes. I-I hope you can help your little sister fulfill them… If you do, I won’t have any regrets.”
“Did you turn stupid from your fever? You think you’ll die from a 37.8-degree fever? Wake up!”
“No.” Mimicking the lines she learned from a TV drama series, Chen Erke said, “I know my own body. It’s no good anymore.”
The Chen family: “…”
Stuffing the thermometer into Chen Erke’s armpit again, Father Chen said, “Can you stop talking nonsense?”
“L-Let me speak. Big Brother, can you fulfill my wishes?”
“Third Eldest, go get the towel,” Chen Yu shouted at Chen Sanke as he tossed away the ice pack on Chen Erke’s forehead. He then gripped Chen Erke’s hand and said, “Fine. Out with it.”
“Thank you, Big Brother. My first wish is…” Her pupils dilating, Chen Erke said, “I hope that you won’t blame yourself after I die. This matter has nothing to do with you. It’s my fault for being short-lived.”
“…Girl, your fever is almost reaching 38 degrees. Can you stop with that strange behavior?”
“As your little sister… I feel glad that you can still smile, Big Brother…”
“Hurry up and tell me your second wish. Didn’t you take your fever medicine already? If you don’t tell me soon, your fever’s going to disappear.”
“M-My second wish…” Revealing a pale smile, Chen Erke said, “I hope that Mommy, Daddy, Big Sis, and Lil Sis won’t blame yourselves. Although you didn’t help me y-yesterday, I know you were doing it for my sake…”
The Chen family: “…”
“My third wish…”
“You want your phone, right?”
“Uh… I won’t play with it. I just want to look at it and thank it for accompanying me throughout my life…”
After Chen Erke said so, tears suddenly leaked out from her eyes.
“You actually moved yourself to tears.”
After mumbling a complaint, Chen Yu stood up. However, just as he was about to return to his room to retrieve Chen Erke’s phone, Chen Sanke came stumbling back into the living room.
“Big Brother! I brought the towel.”
“Good girl.”
After caressing Chen Sanke’s fluffy head, Chen Yu received the loaf of bread in her hands. She then took out a slice and placed it on Chen Erke’s head. “Mom, make sure to remember that you cannot use ice to combat fever next time. A wet towel is—Dammit! Why the h.e.l.l did you bring me bread?!”
Leaning forward, Chen Sanke flipped the slice of bread on Chen Erke’s forehead and said, “T-Toast bread.”
“Chen Sanke! Go away!” Mother Chen, who was wiping her daughter’s body with a towel, bellowed. She couldn’t help but have the urge to smack the towel on Chen Sanke’s face right now.
“Leave, leave, leave!” After pushing Chen Sanke away, Chen Yu picked up the slice of bread on Chen Erke’s forehead. However, just as he was about to toss it away, he suddenly paused and said in a pleasant surprise, “Hey, not a bad idea! This is killing two birds with one stone!”
Chen Erke: “…”
“Chen Yu!!!” x2