Jiang Yexing, Du Zhong Middle School.
Du Zhong Middle School is surrounded by a vast expanse of Eucommia ulmoides trees. Over half of the students' parents are employees of the Eucommia processing group, and more than half of the school's construction funds came from the Eucommia industry. This school can be said to have been raised by the Eucommia trees, hence its name, Du Zhong Middle School.
First Year, Class Three.
During the precious break, students leaned out of the windows, trying to find the end of the Eucommia forest, but the green seemed like an endless ocean. In the distance, black whirlwinds could be seen rising and falling within the forest, appearing like flocks of birds, but they were actually drones spraying insecticide. The students were all very familiar with these drones; one of them might even be operated by their parents.
The class bell rang, and the students by the windows instantly retreated, like small beasts shrinking back into their dens upon hearing a wild beast's roar.
The classroom door opened, and the homeroom teacher entered, holding a piece of red paper.
The homeroom teacher of the adjacent class hurried past the doorway, also holding the same red paper.
"Students, an urgent notice, something big has happened!" the homeroom teacher stood on the podium. "A joint essay competition for the three planets, Jiang Yexing, Birongxing, and Liuwangxing, is open to all students. The first prize is five million, and even the encouragement prize is ten thousand yuan!"
The entire class erupted in an uproar.
Essay activities were held every semester, but they had never heard of such a grand event!
Three planets organizing an essay competition together, with prizes in the tens of thousands!
"The theme of the essay is simple: If your lifespan could be extended to three hundred years, or even five hundred years, how would you plan your life?" the homeroom teacher said. "Every student must submit an entry for this competition. There are no restrictions on genre or word count; you can write however you like."
"Now, I will read the distributed notice in detail." The homeroom teacher unfolded the red paper in his hand.
All the students in the class quietly watched the red paper.
Some students were listening attentively to the homeroom teacher read, while others had glazed eyes, their minds wandering, their thoughts soaring.
...
Jiang Yexing Television Station.
The conference room was packed with people.
Many familiar faces from the entertainment industry were gathered here: famous directors, hosts, actors, singers, screenwriters... Nearly half of Jiang Yexing's film and television industry was present, including even some big bosses of film and television media companies.
Looking around, it was hard to find anyone unknown. Even unfamiliar faces were often renowned behind-the-scenes figures in the industry, individuals whose slightest move could shake the entertainment world. A few newly popular young stars were practically terrified, sweating profusely, like husky dogs that had wandered into a wolf pack.
Tang Hanliu stood at the front, holding a microphone.
"I've called everyone here today to announce a series of major projects. I was summoned to the Dragon King's office yesterday to discuss this matter." Tang Hanliu's tone was serious, and he pointed to the ceiling.
Everyone in the conference room immediately understood. Some entertainment company bosses sat up straighter as a sign of respect.
The Dragon King was a pseudonym for Jiang Ye. No one knew how this nickname came about, but it was how the industry referred to him.
Perhaps because Jiang Ye's surname was "Jiang," which evoked "rivers flowing into the sea," and then the East Sea Dragon King. This explanation was somewhat far-fetched, but it was the most plausible one that could be found.
"The goal of this project is to promote a concept," Tang Hanliu said. "What will society become, and how will everyone's lives change if the average lifespan is increased to three hundred years, or even five hundred years?"
The conference room buzzed with the faint sound of fingers tapping on screens. Many people were holding their phones or tablets, taking notes.
"This concept requires maximum promotion, but not through overt advertising; instead, it should be done by creating a trend," Tang Hanliu said. "The current confirmed directions are variety shows; we will invest heavily in several shows around this theme, with specific formats yet to be determined. Films, TV dramas, games, and online novels will also receive significant investment."
"In addition to our domestic talent, we will be utilizing some extraterrestrial forces this time. We are already in contact with famous extraterrestrial screenwriters and will subsequently reach out to other excellent extraterrestrial teams. Therefore, this will be a tough battle for everyone. The wolves are here; whether you can get a bite of the meat depends on your skills."
"I will personally oversee it. The quality must be impeccable. This mission is more important than any previous one, even more so than wartime propaganda," Tang Hanliu raised his voice.
Many people in the conference room changed their expressions.
More important than wartime propaganda?
Why would this mission be so crucial?
Some began to speculate, and their expressions turned incredulous.
Tang Hanliu spoke for over half an hour.
"That's roughly the content. If anyone has questions, you may ask. If not, we will have a thirty-minute break before proceeding with the specific project bidding," Tang Hanliu said.
A middle-aged man raised his hand.
"Mr. Liu, please speak," Tang Hanliu said.
"Why is this mission more important than wartime propaganda?" Mr. Liu asked. "This seems to be a purely sci-fi theme."
"I cannot disclose more about this issue for now. Everyone, do your work well, and you will eventually understand why these tasks have been assigned," Tang Hanliu replied. "All I can reveal is that science fiction is valuable because it simulates possible realities."
As soon as Tang Hanliu finished speaking, the conference room erupted in an uproar.
Although not explicitly stated, the implication was quite clear.
Everyone in the room was in a state of extreme shock.
Could it be that Jiang Ye truly had a way to significantly increase the average lifespan?
Three to five hundred years might be unrealistic, but an increase of several decades would be enough to cause disruptive societal changes!
...
Subway.
It was the late rush hour, and the subway was filled with tired office workers. Many people were scrolling through short videos on their phones, relaxing after a day's work.
As soon as they opened the short video app, a video with two hundred and fifty million likes appeared.
Many office workers in the carriage were astonished; such a popular video was truly rare.
On the dark screen, a prominent white question:
"If life could be extended threefold, how would you plan it?"
Following this, countless familiar and unfamiliar faces appeared, each with a different expression, speaking their answers into the microphone.
A famous entrepreneur: "When my business failed, I climbed to the rooftop, thinking that I would have to spend the rest of my decades paying off debts. What was the point of living like that? It would be better to jump! If my lifespan could be extended threefold, I probably wouldn't have climbed to the rooftop then, as I would still have two hundred years left after paying off my debts. Living longer means more possibilities for a comeback."
A university student: "No way! I repeated the college entrance exams for two years before getting into university. If it's extended threefold, wouldn't I have to repeat it for six years? I'd probably vomit blood and die on my desk! Studying is so tiring!"
A bestselling author: "Lifespan extended threefold? That's great! I can extend my manuscript submission deadline from one week to three weeks. Anyway, readers are living longer, so they can wait a little longer!"