Chapter 318: The Gene Coin Gamble

Han Song was stunned. He had heard of Gene Coin, of course, from a customer.

Hearing the girl mention something new, he quickly asked, “What’s this all about donating your own genes?”

The girl explained, “Gene Coin is tied to the human gene count. It’s issued by United Bank, a subsidiary of our parent company.”

The more human genes we collect, the more Gene Coins we can issue; otherwise, with too few coins, their value will soar.

So, anyone who donates their genes to United Bank is rewarded with 500 Gene Coins.

Han Song asked, “So if all eight members of my family donate their genes, does that mean I get 4,000 Gene Coins? That way, I could pay just 6,000 Gene Coins for a standard apartment?”

“Exactly,” the girl replied. “If there are eight of you, I’d suggest purchasing two side-by-side units so you have more room.”

Han Song and his wife were only children. With four elders and two kids crammed into one home, it was really uncomfortable.

Since eight donations earn 4,000 Gene Coins, buying two apartments would cost 16,000 Gene Coins.

That amount was roughly equal to what he had just gotten from selling his suburban home. Not only would it mean upgrading from one to two homes, but since the property was on Mars, his whole family could find refuge there if needed.

Thinking it over, Han Song asked, “Miss, one more thing. If I buy a property on Mars and something disastrous happens on Earth, how do we get to Mars?”

The girl smiled and said, “Don’t worry. When you purchase Martian Real Estate, we’ll register all the information of the residents.”

If Earth ever suffers an unavoidable natural disaster, we’ll alert you immediately, so you can decide whether to head for Mars.

Once you decide, our dedicated team will come and pick up your entire family to take you to Mars.

So, when signing the agreement, please make sure to register all the names for the Martian property, because we won’t accept any last-minute additions during a crisis. Please understand.

Han Song felt instantly reassured, though he still wondered what would happen if everything turned chaotic at the last minute.

Lately, he had watched many online videos of disasters in Central America and the United States—the chaos and devastation made him uneasy.

“Miss, in a crisis, can you really guarantee you’ll pick up every single one of us? I’m worried it might all get too chaotic…”

Still smiling, the girl replied, “Rest assured, our parent company, Dream Technology, has its own Dream Rescue Team that’s saved countless people in various disasters. They never make mistakes when it comes to evacuations.”

And if you’re still unsure, you can pay a small fee to have a tiny chip implanted on the wrist of each of your eight family members, so no matter where they are, we can locate and rescue them.

Han Song immediately pressed, “How much is this fee? And does having the chip implanted cause any side effects?”

The girl maintained her pleasant tone and continued, “It’s 5 Gene Coins per person. These nanobiotech chips have no side effects.

In fact, if you end up living in Mars City, you’ll need an identification chip anyway. Consider this an upgrade ahead of time.”

After all his doubts and concerns were addressed, Han Song decided to proceed with the purchase.

He first signed a preliminary reservation agreement with the girl and then took it to United Bank to exchange for Gene Coins.

United Bank doesn’t exchange Gene Coins for just anyone. Usually, they only do so when you’re buying products or services from Dream Technology and its affiliates—only with the proper invoices or contracts will they proceed.

After all, with their limited supply, Gene Coins were expected to appreciate significantly, which meant many people wanted to get their hands on them for collection.

Otherwise, why else would the black market sell a single Gene Coin for as much as 50 Euros?

Han Song returned home with the contract and immediately gathered the family to explain everything.

“Xiao Song, our country is currently the safest place in the world. Why on Earth would you go all the way to Mars to buy a house?” his father was the first to object.

Retired and living a leisurely life, he had no desire to move to distant Mars—what if he never returned? It would be like being buried in a foreign land.

Han Song’s mother naturally sided with him, though she did chide her son for selling the suburban home when it still had potential to appreciate.

“Old Han, I think it would be best if little Song explained everything first, then we can all share our thoughts,” she suggested.

His father-in-law, a retired teacher, loved to discuss things logically.

Han Song then recounted the doomsday rumors he had heard and detailed the Martian Real Estate plan, even showing some images to the family.

His eight-year-old son, upon seeing pictures of Mars City, cried out, “What a beautiful Mars City! I want to go to Mars!”

His four-year-old daughter pointed at an image of a Swan-class aerospace bus and said in her soft voice, “I want to ride that bus!”

“Geez, Old Han, I never imagined Mars City would look this stunning—it’s so beautiful and futuristic,” someone remarked.

At that moment, his mother-in-law spoke up, “Honestly, there have been too many natural disasters worldwide last year. Take that massive volcanic eruption in the United States—the TV even said it could drop global temperatures by over 15 degrees.

That would definitely impact food supplies and cause chaos. I think little Song’s move to invest in Martian Real Estate as a backup is a smart one!”

His mother-in-law, who had been a community official before retiring, highly valued having contingency plans.

Han Song’s father hesitated and asked, “Is this Martian Real Estate really reliable? It sounds too good to be true.”

His father-in-law immediately replied, “Old Han, you don’t seem to care about national affairs. The company behind this, Dream Technology, is the very one that pulled the world back from the brink of nuclear war. Do you really think such a company would be untrustworthy?”

“So it’s backed by Dream Technology? Then we needn’t worry about scams. Speaking of the nuclear threat, I suppose little Song’s decision makes some sense—who knows when disaster might strike again.”

“Old Han, if a nuclear war actually breaks out, even with property on Mars, I doubt we’d have enough time to escape.”

Han Song quickly explained, “Dad, not necessarily. We’ll all have identification chips implanted on our wrists, and at the first sign of a catastrophic disaster, they’ll pick us up immediately.”

He went on to praise the Dream Rescue Team. In any disaster, they had a record of saving people, so he was confident they’d get the whole family to safety.

“Honey, I’ve seen their rescue videos online. Their technology is top-notch, and the team’s skills are phenomenal. They always put others before themselves. I really think we should invest in this property.”

After thorough discussion, the whole family reached a consensus. They all went together to United Bank’s Imperial Capital branch, donated their genes, then visited the Martian Real Estate office to sign the final contract, and even had identification chips implanted on everyone.

From that day on, whenever Old Han took a leisurely stroll or played chess, his favorite boast was, “I own property on Mars—think you can beat me?”

Others would invariably retort, “Owning property on Mars has nothing to do with your chess skills.”

Old Han would casually lift his left wrist and quip, “I’ve got a high-tech chip—it’s like having a secret weapon!”