The studio.
Jiang Ye was dressed in a fiery red Tang suit, and the makeup artist was busy on his face, covering the dark circles.
Various equipment and staff were in place, with several cameras pointed at Jiang Ye. This televised speech was not only for Birong Star but would also be broadcast live on Jiang Ye Star and Exile Star, with channels for broadcasting to outer planets.
Tang Hanliu sat to the side eating a bento box. She had been busy inspecting the on-site equipment and only now had some free time.
"The bento box quality isn't great," Jiang Ye glanced over. "Little Tang, you should eat better normally. Don't neglect proper meals when you're busy; it's bad for your health."
"Thank you for your concern, Commander," Tang Hanliu continued to shovel rice. "I'm trying to lose weight right now, so this is fine. Commander, you don't seem nervous at all now?"
"Nervous about what? It's happened so many times, even a rat's courage grows." Jiang Ye yawned.
"One minute to countdown!" someone shouted from a corner.
The makeup artist stepped back. Jiang Ye's face was now radiant, as if he had become ten years younger and much more handsome, even having a bit of a male celebrity look.
Tang Hanliu had only eaten half of her bento box. She heard the countdown, stabbed her chopsticks through the plastic container with a snap, and then threw it into the trash can with a clang. She clapped her hands, got up, and stood behind the equipment.
"Birong Star's viewership has already reached 70%!" Tang Hanliu exclaimed in surprise. "Jiang Ye Star 80%, Exile Star 68%!"
Jiang Ye was startled. "So high?"
He had given many televised speeches before, and before starting, the viewership was usually around thirty to forty percent.
"The number of viewers in the online live stream is already... 31.8 billion!" Tang Hanliu's expression was contorted with shock. "And it's still increasing at a rate of one hundred million per second!"
"So many?" Jiang Ye was taken aback. "Are they alien netizens?"
"Yes, most of them are from alien IPs," Tang Hanliu nodded. "Netizens from over 160 planets are following our live stream, and the number is still growing. In addition, there are netizens from space stations and netizens from unknown locations, likely passing spacecraft traversing the universe."
"The news has spread this far," Jiang Ye murmured. "Gossip really travels faster than light..."
"Ten seconds to countdown!" someone shouted from the corner again. "9! 8! 7!"
Jiang Ye sat up straight and looked at the camera.
"3! 2! 1! Start!"
Jiang Ye paused for two seconds, smiled, and began:
"Today is New Year's Eve on Birong Star. First, I wish all citizens of Birong Star good health, prosperity, and abundant wealth in the new year."
"New Year's Eve has already passed on Jiang Ye Star, and it will be next month on Exile Star. But we often say that the three planets are one family, so we also welcome citizens of Jiang Ye Star and Exile Star to celebrate the festival."
"Today, I have good news for all citizens of Jiang Ye Star, Birong Star, and Exile Star!"
"With the approval of the Galactic Empire, the three planets have been designated as pilot zones for average lifespan reform!"
Jiang Ye smiled and paused for a few seconds.
The online live stream had exploded, with one hundred billion messages per second.
"Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit!"
"The rumors are true! Thank God I'm a Jiang Ye Star person! I moved my family here half a month ago, and I bet right!"
"The rumors are true! Damn, I lost the bet! I didn't dare to immigrate. Is it still too late?"
"My excited heart is about to give out. I'm kissing Jiang Ye on my phone screen!"
"Holy crap, is it really going to extend our lives? Will it cost a lot of money?"
"Can the poor also live long? I highly doubt it!"
Jiang Ye lowered his head and picked up a document from the table.
"The pilot program for average lifespan reform is a major event that concerns all citizens of the three planets. We are the first planets in the entire universe to implement this reform. Without the experience of our predecessors, we can only explore on our own, and the future is unknown."
"This reform will bring about earth-shattering changes to the three planets. There may be many good things, and there may be many bad things. I dare not guarantee that everything will go smoothly, but I promise to do my best to accomplish this, and to do my best to satisfy all citizens."
"After days of discussion and research, I have the first reform plan in my hand."
"First, let's talk about the overall goals of the plan."
"According to statistics from two months ago, the current average life expectancy on Jiang Ye Star is 85.8 years, on Birong Star it is 83.1 years, and on Exile Star it is 80.2 years."
"After the reform, the average life expectancy of the three planets should be increased to over 280 years."
Jiang Ye paused again for a few seconds.
His pauses were intentional. The amount of information was too great, and people needed time to react.
The live stream exploded again!
In the four seconds Jiang Ye paused, the online live stream erupted with 524 million exclamation mark messages, twenty-five billion "holy crap" messages, one billion shocked emoticons, eight hundred million long comments, and over ten billion likes.
Countless residential buildings on the three planets erupted in screams, a sound of extreme excitement and joy that gushed out from every household. The cats and dogs sleeping in the neighborhoods were startled and jumped up.
"Currently, Jiang Ye Star has built 768 longevity hospitals, which can perform longevity surgeries for 1 billion people annually. Longevity hospitals on Birong Star and Exile Star are still under construction, and upon completion, they will also be able to perform longevity surgeries for 1 billion people annually."
"Next is the most crucial issue: surgery fees and quotas," Jiang Ye said.
"The cost of each longevity surgery is approximately 8 million."
As soon as this was said, countless viewers in front of their televisions despaired.
Eight million was not a sum that an ordinary person could afford.
"Considering this price is too high, the planets will provide subsidies," Jiang Ye said. "The current discussion result is that after subsidies, the price will be reduced to about 6 million per person."
The audience was first happy, then sad.
This price was still difficult to accept.
More than 99.9% of people could not afford the 6 million surgery fee.
"Please don't be too upset yet," Jiang Ye said. "I know that for the vast majority of families, 6 million is still an unaffordable price. Therefore, there are other ways."
"The first method is the longevity loan provided by the planet."
"The longevity loan is simple: it's a loan provided to everyone, allowing them to pay for the surgery. Different loan amounts will have different repayment times and repayment amounts, ensuring that it is acceptable to the vast majority of people."
"For example, the maximum longevity loan of 6 million, with interest, would be 7 million, with a repayment period of up to 150 years, requiring an annual repayment of 46,000 yuan. After the repayment is completed, there are still over a hundred years of long life ahead."