Chapter 732: Chapter 732: Immortal Barbecue on the Space Station
After Chen Yiyang became rich, he no longer remembered how much the most expensive meal he had eaten had cost.
But no matter the amount, it was just a number to him.
As long as he desired, he could eat many things prohibited by law by traveling abroad.
However, the barbecue that the little accountant was eyeing, he truly couldn’t taste.
Because this barbecue wasn’t made on Earth, but in space.
The chicken wings, subtly glistening, were roasted at 180 degrees for 28 minutes in a space station high above space; Chen Yiyang probably wouldn’t have the chance to try them for years.
Of course, the little accountant’s craving for this barbecue wasn’t just because the wings were cooked at a space station; it was because the setting was somewhat special.
The thing about having a barbecue in space really is quite something.
Because within the space station, the moisture in the chicken wings is completely locked in, and barbecuing and deep-frying can better preserve the tender taste of the wings.
Under microgravity, the oil layer wraps around the chicken wings like amber, providing even heating without needing to flip them.
This is something that cannot be achieved on Earth.
Because even with human effort, the oil layer couldn’t be wrapped as perfectly as it is in space.
Moreover, during the barbecuing process, because of the microgravity, the internal heat convection in the ingredients barely happens. Even if steam is generated, it only expands internally, preventing the moisture from escaping, thus ensuring tenderness from the source.
Truly heavenly food.
Picture of space-roasted chicken wings.
Chen Yiyang also drooled over it.
"Do you think it’s possible to simulate a microgravity environment on Earth?" the little accountant asked Chen Yiyang. "I have some money now; maybe we can splurge a bit."
"Let me look it up." After returning home, Chen Yiyang checked some information on his computer.
The good news is, it is indeed possible to simulate a microgravity environment on Earth like in space.
The bad news is, to simulate a microgravity environment on Earth, a electromagnetic launch device is required to create a 10⁻⁵g microgravity environment through vertical ejection, which lasts only four seconds.
Four seconds isn’t even enough to roast ants, let alone chicken wings.
To truly barbecue like at the space station, you’d need at least twenty to thirty minutes.
So Chen Yiyang conveyed this finding to the little accountant.
"Why don’t we spend some money on a space trip? I’ve seen services available abroad. The ticket price is only two or three hundred thousand US dollars each time."
The little accountant was quite unwilling. She truly wanted to taste barbecue made in a microgravity environment.
"Let me look it up." Chen Yiyang remembered seeing the news himself.
Indeed, there are mature commercial projects abroad to send people into space.
Soon, Chen Yiyang found the information.
As the little accountant said, there is indeed a company abroad claiming to send wealthy individuals into space for an experience.
The ticket price is indeed hundreds of thousands of US dollars per person.
But this project actually has a lot of hype.
It’s well known that currently there are only two suspended space stations in space.
One is the domestic space station, and the other is the International Space Station.
However, the primary role of these two space stations is to advance scientific research. Because in a microgravity environment, buoyancy and other physical effects disappear, and space radiation affects some biological entities.
Hence, just conducting scientific experiments on these space stations isn’t enough, making commercial development unfeasible.
Therefore, the so-called space travel offered by foreign companies isn’t truly sending people into space but is suborbital space tours.
Suborbital flight, in layman’s terms, involves a brief parabolic trajectory entry into space before returning to the ground, without reaching the so-called first cosmic speed for continuous orbit around Earth.
The advantage of suborbital flight is it requires low energy and encounters low aerodynamic heating upon return, making it technically easier and cheaper.
But the downside? Such space travel requires sitting in a seat for the whole journey with hardly any room to move around.
This is why there is often news hype about going to space abroad.
Because this type of space travel is merely a gimmick, with no real experience, let alone eating barbecues up there.
Of course, nothing is absolute.
Musk’s Starship Company and North America’s NASA have indeed been exploring space commercial projects these years.
For instance, a few years back, several billionaires were genuinely sent to the International Space Station to experience life there for a week.
Though these billionaires spent billions each, the project wasn’t exactly commercial, with many political considerations involved.
Because with the aging International Space Station nearing its designed lifespan limits, many facilities within need timely renovations, and many research projects lacking commercial prospects require investment.
This is why they brought a few billionaires who’ve been sponsoring space endeavors to take a tour.
But even this involves selection.
Even if Chen Yiyang was willing to spend several times the money, they wouldn’t allow him, a Huaxia person, to visit the International Space Station for a barbecue.
Moreover, the old equipment at the International Space Station might not even be capable of barbecuing.
And domestic space tourism projects are still being set up.
A space company launched a space travel service, ticket price at a million per person, with only two tickets available—the competition is fierce.
However, this space travel service lasts a total of twelve minutes, allowing tourists to experience five minutes of weightlessness, without being able to enter the space station.
"Seems like it’s a no-go." Chen Yiyang spread his hands helplessly.
If he could somehow start a starship company of his own, maybe he could fulfill this wish.
But given technology’s rapid development these days, and with the little accountant and him still young, perhaps waiting for a decade or two might truly allow them to enjoy barbecue in space.
After listening to Chen Yiyang’s explanation, the disappointed little accountant resorted to making some barbecue in the kitchen using an oven.
The next morning, Chen Yiyang saw a new treasure-hunting tip.
Today’s tip, silver coin with a hole: On a booth at Lin’an’s artifact trading street, a rare silver coin with a hole is being sold. Buying this silver coin is a chance for smart shopping.
The location of the relevant item is on the second page.
Silver coin with a hole?
Chen Yiyang hadn’t expected to find an antique treasure tip, as it had been a while since he’d come across such information.
So Chen Yiyang decided to delay going to work, dressed casually, and headed directly to the trading street.
The buying process went surprisingly smoothly.
After all, Chen Yiyang is an old hand at treasure hunting; he easily blended in, appearing as someone just casually buying something he fancied, avoiding making the vendor suspicious of a treasure hunt.
The item was indeed, as the treasure tip described, a silver coin with a hole, and it was preserved quite well.
So Chen Yiyang took the silver coin directly to his company.
