In the year 176 of the Interstellar Era, with the initial phase of galactic development concluded, certain highly classified information and secret archives, previously withheld, were gradually declassified in response to public appeals. Many pivotal figures also began to emerge from the shadows.
The official bodies even compiled a list of the top one hundred contributors to the Interstellar Era. Many scientists who had previously worked in anonymity appeared on this list, often with high rankings, a fact the public found entirely reasonable.
However, when the names Yuan Meng and Song Mingyue appeared, especially with both ranking in the top three, the internet exploded in an uproar. Some were curious, others astonished, and some expressed dissatisfaction. Yet, most understood that their inclusion was not without reason and that detailed explanations would surely follow. Thus, only a minority genuinely believed the list was rigged, while the majority were merely curious about the contributions of these two entrepreneurs who had passed away many years ago. Their supermarkets were indeed large, the largest globally, but hardly the source of such monumental contributions. It seemed unlikely their ranking was bought through donations.
Following the disclosure of the list, detailed explanations were provided, as a mere roster of names would not suffice to convince the public. Only a list with public endorsement could truly be considered one that would carve their contributions into eternity. Without public acceptance, it would become mere waste paper, forgotten in no time.
In this regard, the television station responsible for public relations maintained its characteristic suspense. They began by revealing the contributions of the individuals ranked first and proceeded downwards. Many watched, feeling that the higher rankings were understandable, yet intensely curious about the qualifications of Song Mingyue and Yuan Meng that propelled them to the top.
Unfortunately, regardless of their anticipation, the television station methodically unveiled the information, one day at a time. It wasn't until the ninety-seventh day that the declassified files reached Song Mingyue and Yuan Meng. Given their close relationship and the inherited nature of their contributions, their stories were ultimately revealed together.
As the program aired, certain secrets were unveiled. For instance, it was revealed that Song Mingyue had once experienced a special fortuitous encounter, which she leveraged to establish the now-vast, self-sufficient supermarket conglomerate. Furthermore, it was disclosed that before her death, Song Mingyue entrusted all related legacies to her daughter, Yuan Meng. Yuan Meng, in turn, did not hoard this inheritance for personal gain but collaborated with the nation, contributing numerous valuable assets. It was even stated that their nation's ability to leapfrog competitors and lead the world by breaking through the limitations of the Fourth Industrial Revolution was entirely due to Yuan Meng's assistance.
At the conclusion of the video, the production team showcased the final items Yuan Meng had contributed to the nation – essentially, the objects that Ding Yun had left to her daughter.
"First, we introduce these two items. The ring on the left is a storage ring, much like those found in xianxia novels. The item on the right is a spatial button, frequently mentioned in science fiction, and the prototype for the portable spatial buttons we sell today. Most of our nation's spatial technology originates from this spatial button. Without it, we would not have developed space-folding technology, short-range spatial transfer technology, or the wormhole jump technology specifically for galactic development. The importance of this item cannot be overstated. To date, we have only deciphered most of the technology contained within this spatial button; some aspects remain beyond our understanding. For example, we are currently unable to replicate a spatial button identical to this one. The internal volume of this spatial button has been calculated to be one million cubic meters, while the largest spatial buttons we have produced so far have an internal volume of only one hundred thousand cubic meters. Bridging this gap will require the continued efforts of many scientists. As for the storage ring, its internal capacity is quite small, but the technology it contains is incompatible with our current systems, and the authorities are still meticulously studying it. Should we succeed in deciphering it, it would undoubtedly complement our entire existing technological framework. In addition to these, Ms. Yuan Meng also contributed many cultivation-related items inherited from her mother, similar to the storage ring. These items are generally difficult to decipher, so we will not dwell on them. We will primarily focus on the technology that is more familiar to everyone."
After explaining the initial two items, the host immediately turned to another section. "This is the holographic helmet and holographic game pod. The technology behind the holographic helmets and game pods sold by Ms. Yuan Meng's department store, as well as later products introduced by the state such as medical pods and sleep pods with similar functions, originated from these two items. The related technologies for both have been fully deciphered, and we can even replicate them identically. Therefore, these two items will soon be moved to the National Museum as mementos of civilization's development."
Subsequently, the host went on to explain and introduce many other items. These included personal transformation mechs obtained from Ding Yun's advanced blind boxes, levitating skateboards, and later, complete empty vials of gene therapy potions from top-tier blind boxes, a true hundred-meter-tall space mech, the most advanced personal spacecraft, and an ecological simulation toy space for children.
In the end, the host affirmed the contributions of Song Mingyue and Yuan Meng while offering conjectures about the origins of these futuristic technological products. The program then concluded.
Following the program's end, discussions surrounding it only just began.
[My goodness, this is absurd. Is this the protagonist of a dark technology novel, complete with mother-daughter inheritance?]
[Speaking of which, where did Song Mingyue get her dark technology from? The most terrifying thing to me is that ecological simulation toy space for children. As the name suggests, it's just a children's toy from an unknown technological civilization, perhaps a very expensive one. But back when farming simulation novels were popular, this was the portable farm everyone dreamed of! A children's toy capable of containing over ten thousand mu of ecological farmland, and the ability to manipulate internal air circulation, water cycles, ecological cycles, and even species. How is this different from a miniature creator? This technology is far too terrifying. Wouldn't we be utterly doomed if we encountered this technological civilization?]
[So, Song Mingyue was already playing with holographic games decades before they were even invented. That's just too awesome, oh my god, I'm so envious!]
[I knew it! Yuan Meng lived to be over 180 years old because she had the complete set of gene modification potions left by her mother. And her mother was truly great, as she only lived to be over 80 before passing away. This suggests the potion set was likely unique, and her mother, unwilling to use it herself, gave it to her daughter. If my mother had a complete set of gene modification potions and knew it could make her younger and extend her life, she would have probably drunk it herself and might not even have told me.]
[I don't believe it. How can an ordinary person be so much luckier than us and obtain so many good things? I strongly suspect Song Mingyue wasn't from Earth. Perhaps an alien possessed her. Or maybe she was an alien from the start, and her daughter is too, and these two aliens were up to something!]
[No, all I can think is, why? Although Song Mingyue and Yuan Meng's contributions were significant, they didn't achieve them through their own efforts. Why should they be on the list of top contributors? What would those who contributed to the nation through their own abilities think? It's really unreasonable. If I had their fortuitous encounters, I could achieve what they did!]
[But the key point is, you don't...]
[That hits home!]
[I am willing to acknowledge Yuan Meng's greater contribution, as without her contributions to the nation, our country would not have developed so well. But what contribution did Song Mingyue make? When she had her fortuitous encounter, she only pursued personal gain and did not contribute to the nation.]
[Are some people out of their minds? Without Song Mingyue passing on her discoveries to Yuan Meng, what would Yuan Meng have contributed to the nation? And did you not pay close attention to the explanation just now? Yuan Meng's last words explicitly mentioned that her mother might have paid a price to obtain these things. Items like the spatial button and the mech were given to her by her mother before she died. Before that, her mother's health was always good. Afterward, her health rapidly declined and she passed away. Judging by the fact that Song Mingyue did not take the gene modification potion herself but left it for her daughter, it's hard to imagine she wouldn't have passed on her fortuitous encounter to her daughter if there were no hidden dangers associated with it. Therefore, I lean towards Yuan Meng's conjecture being correct: her mother indeed paid a price to obtain these items, a price a mother would absolutely not want her daughter to bear.]
[Can some people stop spreading fear or deliberately exaggerating someone's contributions? Song Mingyue lived to 86 before passing away; what serious price could she have paid? Is not living to 180 considered a serious price? When she died, the average lifespan in the country was less than 80. Most people didn't even live to 80.]
[Exactly. Perhaps she couldn't pass on her fortuitous encounter to her daughter, maybe it was non-transferable. Many novels mention soul-binding systems that cannot be inherited. I've read a hundred system novels, and only in one or two can the system be passed to a son, and usually it's a sub-system or a secondary system. In any case, I haven't seen any system that can be completely passed down to descendants.]
[Can you all stop arguing? Regardless, the items were produced by these mother and daughter. What's wrong with their contributions and merits being attributed to them? If not them, then to whom should they be attributed? To the original owners of those technological products who came from who knows where!]
[I find it acceptable.]
[What I'm most curious about now is, what exactly was Song Mingyue's fortuitous encounter? I want one too!]