Planting Trees on Mars After Earth Exploded

Johnson was in an exceptionally good mood today. It was his granddaughter's eighth birthday, and he had the pleasure of spending it with her. 

"Just a little longer, Alice. The cream cake is almost ready!" 

Johnson called out cheerfully from the kitchen, glancing toward the living room. 

"Okay, Grandpa!" 

The sweet, well-mannered girl replied with a smile. She was dressed in her favorite pink cartoon-themed dress, much to her delight and despite her mother's insistence on the green one, which Alice didn't like at all. 

"Grandpa, what is Mars?" 

Alice tilted her head curiously as she asked. 

Johnson stroked his beard, momentarily at a loss for how to explain this to his granddaughter. 

If it had been one of his students, he would've scolded them for not studying their middle school textbooks properly and sent them off to reread them. 

If it had been one of those politicians sitting comfortably in air-conditioned offices, he would've handed them one of his research journals on Mars from 20 years ago, paired with a couple of encouraging comments. 

But for Alice? 

"Mars is like a giant bouncy ball," he said with a chuckle. 

"How big is it?" Alice asked, her head tilting further. 

Johnson paused. How big indeed? 

Its volume was approximately **129,237,426,500 cubic kilometers**, but that number would mean little to Alice. 

"It's bigger than all the bouncy balls in your little tin box combined," he said with a smile. 

Alice nodded thoughtfully. 

"That must be really big. No wonder Mommy said earlier that someone was running around on it without wearing any clothes!" 

"Lisa?" Johnson's expression froze. His daughter was supposed to be anchoring the TV program about this "Chuhang's Mars adventure." Had her work schedule changed? 

"First of all, Alice, anyone on Mars must wear a special suit. It's like the cool outfits your superhero cartoons wear. Secondly, no one can run on Mars like they do on Earth. Even walking normally requires extreme caution—remember old Mr. William next door? That slow pace of his is about the speed you'd move on Mars," Johnson explained. 

"But Mommy really said someone was running around without any clothes on Mars. Look!" Alice pouted, upset at her grandfather's disbelief. 

As Johnson was about to comfort her, his phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, he immediately answered. 

"Lisa! Do you realize the importance of your position? Public statements must be made with care." 

"Dad…" 

"Don't argue with me! What do you mean someone's running around naked on Mars? Are you planning to switch to hosting comedy shows now?" 

"..." 

On the other end of the line, Lisa was silent for several seconds before speaking in a steady tone. 

"Dear Dr. Johnson Clinton, as the former chief representative of Earth's Mars program, I know how much you value anything related to Mars. But let me repeat myself—there is currently someone doing push-ups on the surface of Mars without wearing any protective gear." 

This time, Johnson fell silent. 

Was his daughter mocking his professional expertise? Or was she preparing some outrageous surprise for his granddaughter's birthday? 

"If you don't believe me, open your computer and check for yourself," Lisa urged. 

Johnson quickly walked to his desk and commanded his AI assistant to switch the screen to Lisa's news channel. 

On-screen, an East Asian man was holding a shovel, frantically digging into the rocky Martian soil. It looked so much like Johnson's recent backyard gardening project that he nearly laughed. 

Most crucially, the man wasn't wearing any protective suit. 

Well, to be precise, he was wearing something: ordinary athletic gear. 

"Good heavens…" 

Johnson rubbed his eyes. He recognized the rocks on the screen instantly—he had studied them more than any other person alive. 

"Get me every scrap of information on this man within one minute!" 

Before he could finish speaking, Lisa interrupted: 

"Why don't you just come down to the studio? Every major media outlet is waiting for you to explain this!" 

"Fine!" 

Hanging up, Johnson scooped up Alice and dashed out the door at record speed. The last time he moved this fast was 40 years ago when he received his Nobel Prize. 

---

"Chuhang, punch me." 

**Thud!** 

Rita winced as she held her stomach, glaring at him with pain and indignation. 

"You didn't have to go that hard…" 

"What else would I do?" Chuhang shrugged, then waved his shovel. "If you're just standing around, go grab a few more seeds from the cultivation room." 

"Wait a moment!" Rita exclaimed. 

She spread her arms and took a deep breath, greedily inhaling the surrounding air. 

The sensation was surreal. Standing on the Martian surface without wearing any protective equipment was something humanity had dreamed of for centuries but never achieved. 

Yet today, the East Asian man in front of her had made it a reality. 

Meanwhile, back on Earth, after their initial frenzy, netizens had begun expressing envy in endless waves: 

- "Does anyone have tickets to Mars? I'm willing to pay a fortune just to breathe the same air as Major Chu." 

- "If he's running around without gear, what's next? Conquering the universe?" 

- "Major Chu, save us! We want to experience nature's sweet kiss on Mars too!" 

As the internet buzzed, government media outlets summoned their most esteemed scientists to appear on live television. 

"So, esteemed experts, what are your thoughts on this?" 

These scientists, titans of their fields who had weathered countless debates and breakthroughs, were at a loss for words. They stared at the screen, speculating quietly. 

"Could he have altered the magnetic field?" 

"Possibly, but how do you explain the atmospheric pressure and gravity?" 

"And what about the oxygen? Theoretically, the oxygen drawn from the base should've dissipated into space by now." 

Nobody could provide a definitive answer. 

"Professor Johnson, what do you think?" 

Seated in the center of the group, the elderly Johnson felt an overwhelming urge to kick the host. Didn't they see him trying to stay quiet and feign ignorance? 

"Yes, Professor Johnson, your research on Mars is far more advanced than ours. Please analyze this situation," urged his colleagues, their eager eyes locking onto him. 

After a few minutes of deep thought, Johnson finally covered his mouth and muttered: 

"Well, based on Rita's behavior, it's clear that the gravity there now closely matches Earth's. That man likely used the training chamber to acclimate their bodies beforehand. 

"As for the oxygen, it hasn't dissipated. It's likely being contained by some kind of invisible barrier, much like being trapped inside a glass dome. 

"But to truly understand, we'll need further observation." 

It was a classic veteran move. Johnson's analysis sounded logical but essentially just rephrased the obvious. 

His colleagues discreetly gave him a thumbs-up. 

"The professor makes an excellent point. Specifics require detailed study. For now, let's see what information Dr. Rita can gather," Lisa interjected, smoothly redirecting the conversation and offering her father a graceful exit. 

Johnson was on the verge of tears. 

The reason? 

Who the hell knew how that guy was running around Mars without a suit! 

Could he really be Superman?