Chapter Two: Transformation

Li Qingsong was deeply shaken by the sensation he was experiencing at that moment. He realized that with two brains, his abilities—learning, thinking, memory, and information processing—had all doubled. Likewise, possessing two bodies meant his physical capabilities had also doubled.

He stared in awe at the cloned body before him as both brains began to operate at full speed simultaneously.

“If two bodies mean twice the ability, what if there were three, four, or even a hundred, a thousand clones? Wouldn’t my capabilities increase a hundredfold, a thousandfold?”

More than that, Li Qingsong sensed that his consciousness could freely switch between the two bodies. With a thought, he felt himself inhabit a brand-new body—healthy, young, strong, untouched by the chronic fatigue and irregular lifestyle that had left his original self in a suboptimal state. A surge of energy and vitality washed over him, as if he had been reborn.

Unbelieving, he clenched his fists, moved his limbs, and glanced at his original body, which stood there blankly, unresponsive to his commands, as if lifeless. Joy instantly filled his heart.

The ability to freely switch between bodies meant he would never age or die. If one body fell ill, aged, was injured, or disabled, he could simply transfer to another.

Each additional clone doubled his capabilities. Coupled with the power to never age or die...

Li Qingsong approached the porthole and gazed out at the vast starry sky beyond, eyes fixed on the massive dark red planet beneath them. His heart burned with determination.

“If that’s the case, perhaps I can survive on this planet after all! Not only survive, but I must find a way to acquire enough research and engineering capabilities—to build interstellar probes and spaceships myself. Then I will journey back to Earth to see what has truly happened to our civilization.

Even if it’s dangerous and my original body cannot go, I will send probes and clones to uncover the truth.”

In that instant, the gloom and despair that had long enveloped Li Qingsong vanished completely. His two brains once again entered a state of rapid operation.

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“To survive on Roshen Star, the key lies in securing supplies and energy, which entails significant engineering efforts. Two bodies alone won’t suffice. If I had ten clones, or more, I might stand a chance.

So the urgent task now is to continue cultivating clones and increase their numbers!”

He looked back at the huge large-scale incubation tank behind him. Only such a tank could nurture his clones, but there was only one.

If it took half a year to cultivate a single clone, the pace was too slow. Then...

He resolved to dismantle the smaller incubation tanks and pool the parts to build several large ones.

After rough calculations, Li Qingsong found that by using the existing stockpiled materials and scavenging parts elsewhere, he could convert the current cloning equipment into four large incubation tanks.

That would make five in total.

With five clones cultivated every six months... it would barely suffice in the beginning.

If that wasn’t enough, there was nothing to be done; the Deep Space ship held no more materials or parts.

Having decided on this plan, Li Qingsong wasted no time resting and immediately set both clones to work in the study room.

The study room’s database contained an immense amount of scientific and technological data provided by human scientists, covering virtually every field.

Since Roshen Star was so far from Earth, a one-way communication delay was about fourteen hours; a round trip took over a day.

In emergencies, Li Qingsong would have no time to receive instructions from Earth. The study database was therefore invaluable.

He could consult it himself to devise plans and resolve unforeseen problems.

At that moment, Li Qingsong began studying the operational principles and mechanical structure of the cloning equipment.

The advantage of having two bodies and two brains became unmistakably clear.

He wasn’t smarter per se, but what once took him eighty hours to learn could now be mastered in just forty.

He simply divided the material: the original body learned the operational principles; the clone studied mechanical structure; one took on electrical systems, the other engineering knowledge...

His consciousness oversaw the process from a higher vantage, synthesizing knowledge from both bodies seamlessly.

---

The two bodies functioned like two members of a team, each responsible for part of the learning load.

Because both were fully under his control, Li Qingsong could finely coordinate their studies to complement each other, maximizing efficiency.

No energy was wasted, no internal friction occurred.

Their efficiency surpassed that of any team on Earth by an unfathomable margin.

After forty hours of study, both bodies returned to the botanical cultivation room, armed with an array of tools, to dismantle the existing equipment and begin upgrades and assembly.

In their hands-on work, the two bodies displayed astonishingly precise coordination.

As one finished a task, the exact tool needed for the next step would be handed over just in time.

When one assembled part of the components, the other simultaneously completed complementary structures, which fit together perfectly.

They moved back and forth in the confined workspace without interfering with each other, let alone colliding.

Thanks to this super-efficient cooperation, within a mere month, four brand-new large incubation tanks were completed.

Though rougher in appearance than the original, functionality was all that mattered.

Five treated sample cells were placed into the five tanks to begin cultivation.

If all went well, in half a year Li Qingsong would gain five more bodies and five more brains.

At this point, Li Qingsong turned to another pressing matter.

“Having enough bodies is not enough. To operate on Roshen Star, spacesuits are essential.

Counting the three spare suits I have, I only possess four in total—just enough for four bodies.

This won’t do—I must find a way to build more suits, at least eight more, so that all twelve of my bodies can land on Roshen Star.”