The news that Ji Xinghe was returning to the Alien Planet spread across the entire Federation in an extremely short time, like a beam of light, shining from the Azure Star toward the Moon Base, then continuing to spread across the boundless universe, until it reached the most populous planet in the Federation besides the Azure Star.
Alien Planet.
While people were surprised by this news, they noticed that, without exception, the term "returning" was used, instead of the more typical "going."
Many were thus uplifted.
Many, however, harbored doubts or concerns, as they hadn't forgotten that Ji Xinghe, having left the Alien Planet for more than two years, was already sixty-nine years old. Taking into account the travel time from Azure Star to Alien Planet and the inevitable preparations Ji Xinghe would need for the journey,
by the time he arrived again on the Alien Planet, he would be seventy years old.
Living to seventy is rare since ancient times.
