At this time, the sun had just set, and night had already fallen on Mars.

But outside Mars City, the lights were on.

Rows of high-powered streetlights illuminated this desolate land as if it were daytime.

Lü Yongchang looked up.

At the end of the line of sight, there was still only deep darkness.

When he saw the streetlights combined with the crimson sandstorm, Lü Yongchang couldn't help but hold his breath.

"Well?" the elderly councilor's voice came through the radio. "I didn't lie to you, did I?"

"This place has long been recognized as a relaxation zone, and I guess only you, the chief scientist, are unaware of this."

Lu Yongchang turned his head and glanced around, then slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

Perhaps because he had stayed in Mars City for too long, when he suddenly saw this vast world, Lü Yongchang felt a sudden sense of relief throughout his body.

The heavy feeling that had been weighing on my heart also lessened considerably.

He felt his stiff brain begin to slowly start moving again.

That's enough.

Isn't it time to go back?

He turned his head to look at the old man wrapped in a spacesuit, his lips moving slightly.

Before he could speak, the councilor reached out and grabbed his arm tightly: "Come with me."

"What I want to show you is not just this wild and desolate scene."

After saying that, the old man pulled Lü Yongchang toward a nearby hill.

It was a small impact crater.

Walking on the sloping earthen slope, a hint of doubt appeared in Lü Yongchang's eyes.

"Speaker?" Lu Yongchang asked tentatively in a low voice.

"..."

There was no response.

There were only faint breathing sounds and electrical noises in the radio.

Clearly, the Speaker of Parliament was not prepared to explain anything to him at this time.

Following behind the old man, Lü Yongchang gave a wry smile, wondering what the councilor was planning to take him to see.

He put aside his doubts and silently followed behind the old man, his mind involuntarily pondering the question that had troubled him for a long time.

...

"arrive."

The old man's voice came through the radio once again.

Lu Yongchang, who had been silently pondering with his head down, suddenly raised his head.

His eyes widened suddenly.

Sparkling.

A small lake appeared before him.

On the lake, twinkling starlight and the lights of Mars City shimmered.

Looking at the scene before him, a hint of disbelief flashed in Lü Yongchang's eyes.

If it weren't for the surrounding reddish soil constantly reminding him, he would have thought he had traveled back to his previous Earth.

"This lake appeared slowly more than a month ago," the old man's voice rang out again.

"At first, the soil was just a little damp, so we didn't pay much attention to it."

"But who knew that, as time went by, it would slowly accumulate into a small lake."

"...The underground ice layer has begun to melt?" Lu Yongchang asked softly after a moment of silence.

The old man nodded silently.

"After the Sun began to turn into a red giant, the surface temperature of Mars continued to rise."

"The underground ice in this crater also began to melt gradually, eventually forming this lake."

"That's what the researchers told me," the old man shrugged, adding, "I don't know much about it, all I know is that this is a nice tourist spot."

A faint smile appeared on Lü Yongchang's lips.

Then, a question came to his mind.

"Did they test the biological condition?"

"Won't it cause any harm?"

The old man waved his hand and said with a smile, "Don't worry, everything has been tested."

"Since the Gale bacteria incident, Mars City has strengthened its disinfection measures considerably. Coupled with medical nanorobots, these microorganisms will not be brought back under normal circumstances."

"Not to mention, this area is being monitored at all times."

Hearing this, Lü Yongchang breathed a slight sigh of relief and looked up at the lake again.

Suddenly, his eyes flickered slightly.

He seemed to have seen something by the lake.

"Speaker?" Lu Yongchang frowned slightly and pointed to a shadowy spot in the distance. "Do you see that?"

The old man's laughter came through the team's radio.

Lu Yongchang frowned even more deeply.

Did he see it wrong?

Just as he was struggling with this, the old man's voice rang out again: "You've finally figured it out!"

The look of doubt in Lü Yongchang's eyes deepened.

The old man didn't give an answer, but silently walked towards the small lake.

Fearing an accident, Lü Yongchang quickly followed the old man's steps.

As he got closer, Lü Yongchang gradually discovered the true nature of the circular shadow.

A plant.

No, to be precise, it should be fungi.

Just like mushrooms on Earth, only much larger.

The purplish-red cap, more than a meter in diameter, lay quietly on the ground.

"Is this the fungus we discovered before?" Lü Yongchang strode over to the fungus, turned to the old man, and asked, "Has it revived?"

The old man smiled and nodded gently: "Yes, it's the fungus that provides hibernation hormones."

"Life will always seek a glimmer of hope when faced with dire circumstances."

Lü Yongchang's eyes were filled with amazement.

The miracle of life was fully revealed to him at this moment.

Despite countless billions of years of changes, life beneath the Martian surface continues to survive in an extremely tenacious way.

“Over the past month, traces of these fungi have been found in many places near the Martian equator.” The old man walked to Lü Yongchang’s side and gently touched the purplish-red cap of the fungus. “According to Zero’s calculations, the subsurface ice layer and the ice caps at the poles of Mars will gradually melt over the next year.”

"In the next few years, Mars may even become a second Earth."

"What a pity," Lü Yongchang said as he stood up and exhaled a long breath. "Good times don't last."

"When the helium flash occurs, these lives that have finally been given a second chance will still be trapped in a desperate situation."

"Yes, it is indeed a bit of a pity," the old man nodded with a sigh.

Then, the old man put his hand on Lü Yongchang's shoulder and patted him gently twice: "Don't put too much pressure on yourself, you've already done enough."

Lu Yongchang nodded silently, his gaze fixed intently on the purplish-red fungus in front of him.

At this moment, his long-dormant thoughts gradually became active again.

At the same time, the expression on his face gradually became more lively.

"What? Have you got an idea?"

The old man's voice carried a hint of laughter.

Lü Yongchang nodded vigorously and gave the old man a grateful look.

"Good!" The old man laughed and turned to walk back the way he came.

"Now that we have a plan, we should head back."

"Yongchang, remember this: don't push yourself too hard."

“You have done enough. Even if humanity can only go this far, I believe no one will resent you.”