In a blink of an eye, the end of the year has arrived.

This year, every household in China uses nuclear power to generate electricity.

What was once a cutting-edge technology that could only be seen in laboratories has now become the most common energy source.

From the high-rise buildings in the city to the bungalows in the countryside, the lights are abundant and warm everywhere.

The night had never been so bright, as if the whole country had turned into a brilliant galaxy.

Televisions and mobile phones have evolved several times, and now every household has a stereo projection device.

The virtual image emerges from the device with great clarity and resolution, as if a real person were standing in front of you.

A young couple is quarreling.

The boy's image was leaning on the sofa, lazy and helpless.

The girl's projection stood in front of the coffee table, dancing and gesticulating, filled with rage.

"You don't care about me at all!" she shouted.

"Of course I care, otherwise why would I explain it to you?" the boy retorted.

The quarrel between the two was presented through the projection equipment, which seemed real, or even more intense than the real thing.

Gu Man passed by their home and heard the quarrel coming from the window. He couldn't help shaking his head.

She raised her head, looked at the red lantern hanging high in the night sky, and continued walking forward.

The streets are brightly lit, pedestrians are hurrying, and the air is filled with the warm atmosphere of the New Year.

A nuclear-powered car slid silently past her.

This type of car is now a common sight on the streets.

The body lines are as smooth as flowing water, and there is only a slight buzz when the engine is started.

With zero emissions and ultra-long driving range, each car is like a piece of sophisticated mechanical art.

A car stopped in front of her and the door slowly opened.

"Destination?" The smart assistant's voice rang out from inside the car, clear and pleasant.

"Go home." Gu Man sat in the driver's seat and gave the address in a calm tone.

The car started silently and drove forward.

The city's buildings passed by one by one outside the window.

Today's cities are no longer the bulky, fixed forms of the past.

Since last year, the "Urban Mobility Plan" proposed by doomsday engineer Zhao Shuang has been officially implemented.

Beneath the foundations, pipes and building structures are being remodeled.

These cities can be lifted from the ground and moved as a whole if necessary.

It is like a huge beast that connects several cities together to resist possible natural disasters.

The shape of each building is full of the breath of the future.

Gu looked at the neon lights on both sides of the street and felt the great changes in his motherland.

Back home.

Mom is waiting for her.

Eyes bright.

The tabby cat with four hooves stepping on the snow under her feet meowed at her.

As if welcoming.

This anatomical cat has grown a lot, but it feels less and less like a machine, and more like a real life.

This state...

Some are like fake people.

But the faker was too ambitious to even bother pretending to be a cat.

Besides, this cat has changed because of her power and is completely different from the fake one.

But since it can change, can we make that golden planet...

Just as I was thinking about it, I saw my mother taking a fish ball to feed it.

It ate it with a meow.

Gu Man: “…”

Good guys!

"Manman, come and make dumplings. Today is New Year's Eve. Let's eat dumplings."

"Mom specially prepared abalone fillings, leek and shrimp fillings, and cabbage fillings, and we made them together."

Mom took out three pots of stuffing.

Gu Man’s eyes widened.

"Mom... we can't finish this, right?"

Xu Mengyu smiled and blinked:

"We can't finish it, and there's Xiao Song. He's a man, busy every day, mentally and physically exhausted, so he eats a lot!"

Gu Man was stunned, and it took him a while to realize that the "Xiao Song" his mother was talking about was Song Lufeng.

"Mom, well, him and I..."

Xu Mengyu smiled and said, "I understand, I understand. It's just 300 years apart. It's no big deal. You are also a superpower now. Try to live longer."

Gu Man: “…”

Good guy, really a good guy!

Mom, you are really ahead of the times!

By the evening, thousands of dumplings had been wrapped.

The ones my mother made were round, plump, white, and perfect. The ones she made had fillings showing, wrinkled skin, and juicy skin...

Furious!

When the dumplings were cooked, Gu Man passed the ugly dumplings over at his mother's urging.

"Send dumplings..."

She lacks confidence.

————————

Song Lufeng's room.

The room was very quiet, and various data were flashing and sliding.

He has the ability to connect to the base system and is handling all matters big and small in the base.

Gu Man glanced at it and said:

"Today is the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, are you still busy with these?"

"Zhao Shuang's plan will be submitted after the new year, so we need to check the data as soon as possible."

"I need to review the residents' livelihood and welfare distribution."

"The base is also using the rare resources in the meteorites to build spacecraft... I just happen to have stored up knowledge in this area."

He said, his tone calm but with a hint of fatigue.

"You always push yourself so hard."

Gu Man shook his head, "Let's put it aside for today and talk about it after we eat the dumplings."

"OK."

Song Lufeng walked to the still empty table.

Dumplings of strange shapes appeared one after another, some fat like dumplings and some skinny like broken candies.

Song Lufeng picked up one, took a bite, and it tasted good, but he couldn't help laughing.

"The shape is indeed...quite unique."

"If you don't like it, don't eat it."

Gu glanced at him.

"I don't mind." Song Lufeng picked up another one, "I like it..."

His tone was low and teasing, and Gu Man's face suddenly turned red.

I don't know if the "like" he said was referring simply to dumplings or to her.

The two of them ate and chatted.

We talked about Zhao Shuang's plan and the recent ocean governance.

"The mobile module has passed stability tests and the first mobile city should be ready for use next year," he said.

"Ocean governance has also made good progress. Fishing yields have recovered by more than 80%, and the polluted area in the deep sea is gradually shrinking."

"However, there is still a long way to go."

His tone was always calm, but every word he said exuded a reassuring power.

Gu Man listened quietly, but her eyes fell on his face, and her heart was filled with complicated feelings.

He has too much to carry.

Nuclear power cities, ocean cleanups, three-dimensional planting, behind these huge projects, Song Lufeng always stands at the forefront.

Humanity has not yet escaped the shadow of the end of the world, and he is like a machine that never stops, doing his best to protect this hope.

Not only about the end of the world, but also about her side.

He did everything he said.

"You need to rest."

Gu Man suddenly spoke, with a commanding tone in his voice.

"knew."

Song Lufeng nodded, with a smile in his eyes.

"Don't worry, I won't tire myself out."

Outside the window, the lights are on, the crowd is busy, and the light of the red lanterns is swaying in the cold wind.