Chapter 61: Superior Technology

Of course, it also possesses the capability to take off by gliding on a short runway like a conventional aircraft, a method that offers an even higher margin of safety.

It is worth noting that during normal flight, the CX-class aircraft relies on electromagnetic energy generated in flight for propulsion. At the same time, it is stocked with solid energy blocks extracted from the special mineral kc20, enabling leap-flight when necessary to cope with complex and volatile flight conditions.

Although He Yunfei had previously heard of this type of aircraft, this was his first time actually riding in one. He suddenly remembered the Chao-Yi bracelet that Bao Xiaotong had given him not long ago, and he decided to open it and take a look. To his surprise, the Chao-Yi bracelet seemed to sense its master's thoughts and automatically opened its interface. This situation left He Yunfei greatly astonished.

Over the past few days, he had not found the time to study this new device. At this moment, he saw on the smartwatch-like LCD screen an intersection of coordinates: between 29°05'–30°20' North latitude and 94°39'–96°06' East longitude, which was precisely the Linzhi region of Tibet in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon.

Despite the unexpected performance of the Chao-Yi bracelet, He Yunfei did not pay it special attention, assuming that he had accidentally touched a button and triggered this function.

Time flew, and finally being able to fly once again over the skies of the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, both He Yunfei and Banma Dorje could hardly conceal their excitement.

Forty-nine-year-old Banma Dorje was a veteran expert who had been stationed at a glacier observation station for many years. He was simultaneously an "old Tibet hand," a veteran glacier researcher, and an adept mountaineer. To him, every deep valley and every iceberg of the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon was like a treasured heirloom stored at home; he knew everything about this place like the back of his hand, and could readily pull up relevant information whenever any location was casually mentioned.

Feeling the smooth flight of the CX aircraft, He Yunfei was full of confidence regarding today's deployment mission. He asked Dorje, "Elder Brother, have the valley glaciers in the eastern section of the Nyainqentanglha Mountains changed much over the years?"

Looking down at the water vapor channel surrounding the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon, Dorje said with a solemn expression, "The changes are enormous! Due to the continuous rise in the average temperature of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, this has directly affected fifty peaks with altitudes exceeding 7,000 meters, among which eleven peaks exceed 8,000 meters in altitude. Upon this Roof of the World, nearly two-thirds of the glaciers have basically vanished..."

He Yunfei was greatly shocked upon hearing this. He thought to himself that compared to three years ago, the changes were truly world-shaking; it was hard to imagine that in just these few years, nature could undergo such drastic alterations. Those once-magnificent glaciers were now disappearing at an alarming rate, and the ecological crisis reflected behind this was likely far more severe than imagined.

Banma Dorje continued with a worried expression, "Now, even those two mega-glaciers exceeding 35 kilometers in length on the northern slope of the eastern section of the Nyainqentanglha Mountains are continuously shrinking. What is even more severe is that approximately 12,300 tons of carbon dioxide locked within the strata thousands of years ago are being continuously released into the atmosphere, causing greenhouse gases to further increase. I believe that if this situation continues to deteriorate, the world will surely face catastrophic challenges."

As an expert in the energy field, He Yunfei had always been deeply concerned about glacier changes. He knew very well that climate warming leading to glacier melting would inevitably trigger geological shifts in the Himalayan region. This would not only lead to the leakage of underground carbon dioxide, but might also release viruses sealed deep underground. At the same time, deep in his heart, he harbored a lingering expectation that special mineral deposits might be discovered in this region at any moment.

Over the years, through radioisotope dating, scientists had determined that the age of the oldest rocks on Earth and the rocks measured on the Moon were both between 4.6 and 4.7 billion years, yet substances similar to kc20 had never been discovered on Earth.

According to He Yunfei's deduction, the Earth and the Moon were once a single entity; since such a substance existed on the Moon, it stood to reason that it should also exist on Earth.

He Yunfei was just about to check the information on the Chao-Yi bracelet on his wrist once again when suddenly, Chao-Yi emitted a gentle female voice prompt: "According to data estimates from recent years, an average of about 300 square kilometers of glaciers melt on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau every year..."

This time, He Yunfei was truly taken aback! Because he was certain that he had not operated the bracelet, nor had anyone instructed it to speak.

Immediately afterward, Chao-Yi continued: "More than 50% of the permafrost underground is melting and disappearing, leading to groundwater seepage and the formation of numerous dangerous glacial lakes beneath the glaciers, posing a huge hidden danger to downstream human settlements..."

He Yunfei could hardly believe it. Was this a machine malfunction, or pure coincidence? Or could someone truly peer into his thoughts? He subconsciously glanced at Banma Dorje, a trace of doubt floating in his mind: Could this be the spiritual awareness of the sacred mountain at work?

He instinctively recalled that when Bao Xiaotong gave him this wrist-worn instrument, she seemed to have warned him not to be frightened by its peculiar functions.

In fact, he did not know that when he put on this customized Chao-Yi bracelet and confirmed its activation, Chao-Yi had already identified and recognized its master. He Yunfei's personal information was recorded by Chao-Yi, and it could even deduce his next actions in advance based on his habits.

He lowered his head again to look at the Chao-Yi, only to see that it actually displayed an introduction about himself: The following text belongs to personal identity privacy and is transmitted solely for personal reading... He Yunfei's original name was Ouyang Yunpeng, taking his father's compound surname Ouyang.

This once again sent a jolt through He Yunfei's heart. How could Chao-Yi know about his private matters? Such a situation brought both unexpected surprise and an involuntary chill. At this moment, he had entirely lost the mood to appreciate the scenery outside the window; although this Chao-Yi could provide convenient services to its user, it also seemed capable of quietly influencing a person's decisions.

The text on the Chao-Yi continued to generate: Little Ouyang's father, Ouyang Wencheng, was a renowned doctor in Wuhan with noble medical ethics and superb medical skills, while his mother was a primary school teacher who tragically sacrificed her life to save her students during that great flood in Wuhan. Because of his mother's passing, his father traveled far to Tibet, entrusting him in his tender youth to the care of his grandmother.

Indeed, at that time Little Yunfei's grandmother was already over seventy years old and living in the countryside of Wuhan. To take care of him when he was only in his early teens, the old lady had specifically moved from the countryside into the city.

He Yunfei never expected that Chao-Yi would know even these trivial matters of his childhood so thoroughly. The text continued to display: This rural old lady named Ning Caixia was extraordinary; mysterious people would frequently come looking for her to inquire about all sorts of matters.

Little Ouyang had known since childhood that his grandmother, Ning Caixia, was a rare shamanic healer in this world, capable not only of curing illnesses for people but also of foretelling certain events. At that time, Yunfei only felt that his grandmother's behavior was somewhat mystical, yet he had witnessed with his own eyes on multiple occasions how she used ancient methods to cure patients who came seeking medical help, and even resolved unspeakable troubles for high-ranking leaders who came from the county and province with great admiration.

Yunfei had also curiously wanted to learn about his father, Ouyang Wencheng, who worked far away in Tibet, but his grandmother always said that his father was too busy with work and could not spare the time. Later on, he learned that his father had already passed away by then.

Seeing this, He Yunfei admired this miraculous machine to the point of complete submission. Although it did not yet know about subsequent events, Yunfei believed that it would not be long before Chao-Yi knew everything.

Yunfei knew that later on, his grandmother's health deteriorated day by day. She handed Little Ouyang a letter from his father, telling him that he still had a younger sister in Tibet whom he must find in the future and bring home, while leaving behind the address of Yalong in Shannan, Tibet at that time. However, the letter did not mention the names of his stepmother and younger sister. The letter also specifically admonished that if his grandmother felt unwell, he should travel to Mount Wudang to find his father's old friend, Daoist Priest Li Xuanqing, and ask him to help arrange everything.

When setting out on this trip, his grandmother seemed to have had some kind of special premonition, uttering rather strange words, such as that Yunfei would perform earth-shattering deeds, experience perilous trials as if stepping into the netherworld, and encounter high masters from different eras, yet ultimately turn danger into safety and emerge unscathed through all perils.

A wave of sorrow washed over He Yunfei's heart as he knew deeply that his grandmother was advanced in age, and both her physical and mental state were far worse than before.

To keep Yunfei safe, his grandmother taught him some obscure and difficult incantations, specifically copying them down and repeatedly exhorting him to keep them firmly in mind. Although Yunfei half-believed his grandmother's words, for some unknown reason, he still followed her instructions...

As he read on, He Yunfei snapped out of it as if waking from a dream, feeling that these texts were just like the thoughts within his own mind. Could it be that he was truly being spied upon by Chao-Yi? This was simply too terrifying.

Through some exploration and experimentation, He Yunfei discovered that although Chao-Yi possessed a vast amount of classified information that transcended conventional permissions, it also had strict principles and limitations. To give clients peace of mind, the manufacturer first set personnel recognition permissions for this smart wrist instrument while deliberately suppressing the display of Chao-Yi's autonomous capabilities. However, when the master's qualifications reached a certain level and they could truly communicate with it through thought intent, Chao-Yi would infinitely expand its own capabilities. The level of personal recognition and the degree of capability enhancement both depended entirely on the master's own static consciousness capacity.

Seeing that it was difficult to fully figure out more of Chao-Yi's functions for the moment, and to prevent it from emitting unexpected prompts, He Yunfei simply turned off the sound prompts.

Dorje sighed with emotion and said, "Captain, technology is developing much too fast nowadays; I can hardly keep up with the times."

Yunfei smiled and comforted him, saying, "No, Elder Brother, I'm sure you can do it. The future society will definitely be an era of human-machine integration. By then, Elder Brother, you can also install a chip, and I guarantee you'll be just like the young folks—your capabilities in all aspects will be greatly enhanced."

Banma Dorje suddenly asked with curiosity, "Captain, I heard you're writing science fiction. Is that true?"