I live in the Martian wilderness!

"Yes, Captain." Xuanjian immediately pulled up the last page of the supplies list.

"The Seed Vault of Hope, numbered HZ-01. It lies quietly in a temperature-controlled safe in cargo hold number two, and has never been opened even once since launch."

Gu Yu stared at the green mud on the screen that looked like it was wriggling. On Earth, this would probably be a disgusting dish.

But in Gu Yu's eyes at this moment, the liquid with its eerie green light was even more tempting than a Manchu Han Imperial Feast.

"So what if it's sea mud?" Gu Yu grinned. "In this godforsaken place, the only thing that can fill your stomach is Michelin three-star cuisine."

"Also, don't forget that underground ice lake. As long as I pump the water up, I'll have an unlimited supply of culture medium. I can survive 60 days, let alone 600!"

"But, Captain," Xuanjian's calm voice interrupted his optimism, "you've overlooked a crucial variable—fat."

"Although spirulina has an extremely high protein content, its fat content is less than 8%."

"If you rely on it as the sole food source for a long period of time, you will face a serious deficiency of essential fatty acids, which can lead to a series of problems such as weakened immunity and damage to the nervous system."

Gu Yu's smile froze: "Um, Xuan, while you're attacking others, you must have a solution, right?"

Xuanjian then displayed a second icon on the screen. It was a spherical algae that was darker in color, almost dark green.

Alternative Option C-11: High-Value Biomass Extraction Program

[Core Crop]: Haematococcus pluvialis.

Xuanjian began to explain in detail this seemingly insignificant "backup plan":

"Haematococcus pluvialis is a type of microalga that grows in two phases. We can think of it as a kind of organism that 'accumulates experience in peacetime and gets good equipment in wartime'."

On the screen, an animation begins to demonstrate its growth cycle, which takes about 20 days to complete a full cycle from "proliferation" to "oil production".

Gu Yu immediately grasped the key point: "A 20-day cycle, so what's its output like? Don't tell me it's just some theoretical value again."

"I need to know, under our current conditions, how much oil can be extracted from one pound of dried algae powder?"

"Excellent question, Captain. We are performing localized experimental model calculations for you."

Xuanjian immediately pulled up a clear "input and output" list on the screen, with all the data in "grams" for easy viewing.

[Resources and output required to produce 500 grams of Haematococcus pluvialis dry powder]

Investment:

Water: Approximately 200 liters (mostly recyclable)

Carbon dioxide: Approximately 920 grams

Nitrogen source (from your waste): Approximately 35 grams

Phosphorus source (from your waste): Approximately 5 grams

LED power consumption: approximately 12 kWh

Total time: Approximately 20 days

output:

Grade A microalgae oil: Approximately 225 grams (based on a 45% oil yield).

Grade B protein residue: Approximately 275 grams (can be used as spirulina fertilizer)

High-value byproduct: Astaxanthin, approximately 15-20 grams

"One pound yields four and a half ounces of oil..." Gu Yu muttered to himself, staring at the astonishing figure. "This is no longer an oilseed crop; it's practically a 'biological oil field'!"

"Yes, Captain. For comparison," Xuanjian pulled up data on Earth's crops.

"To produce the same 225 grams of oil, the most efficient soybeans require 1.25 kilograms of raw materials, while peanuts require nearly half a kilogram of kernels."

"But they all require fertile soil and a growth cycle that can last for months. Haematococcus pluvialis, on the other hand, only requires water, your waste, and electricity."

"More importantly, Captain," Xuanjian highlighted the line about "astaxanthin."

"This 20-gram output is the most powerful natural antioxidant on Earth. Its antioxidant activity is 550 times that of Vitamin E."

"In the high-radiation environment of Mars, it can greatly help repair cell damage and enhance immunity. Its value far exceeds that of the oil itself."

"Fortunately, the Hope Seed Bank also contains dormant spores of this oil-producing algae."

Looking at the astonishing data, a question arose in Gu Yu's mind.

"Mysterious, since its oil production efficiency is so high, why not use it to completely solve the cooking oil problem on Earth?"

On the screen, Xuanjian displayed the growing environments of two crops side by side, the contrast so stark it was almost cruel.

On one side are vast, boundless fields, where sunshine, rain, and soil are almost all free gifts from nature.

On the other side is a "photobioreactor" consisting of countless glass pipes, sensors, LED light arrays, and gas circulation pumps.

Xuanjian explained, "The total cost of growing one acre of soybeans on Earth might not even cover the daily electricity bill for a 'photobioreactor'."

"Haematococcus pluvialis has extremely demanding environmental requirements; it can only grow in a completely enclosed, sterile 'ICU ward' where light and nutrients are precisely controlled."

"Soybeans only require a piece of land. Therefore, in the global economic system, its market positioning has never been that of a mass-market cooking oil."

"Instead, it's a raw material for high-end health supplements and luxury goods. Its core value always lies in those few parts per thousand of astaxanthin, priced by the milligram."

Gu Yu frowned as he listened to Xuan Jian's explanation: "It sounds even more demanding than caring for a baby. Can we really succeed in a place like Mars?"

"Quite the opposite, Captain," Xuanjian's voice was calm and confident, "your question is precisely the answer."

"It is precisely because this is Mars that we have the perfect privilege to cultivate it."

"The most expensive costs on Earth are 'absolutely sterile environment', 'completely closed circulation system', and 'precise control of every environmental parameter'."

"And here, everything is set up to our free factory settings. For Haematococcus pluvialis, Earth is a wild place full of pollution and competition."

"And our little shelter is the sterile paradise it has always dreamed of."

"It can not only survive here, but it will survive better than in any laboratory on Earth."

Gu Yu was stunned, then laughed. "It seems that disadvantages can be advantages."

"Yes, Captain, so my suggestion is to launch two training programs simultaneously."

"Use 80% of the resources to cultivate spirulina on a large scale to solve the problems of 'protein' and 'calorie'."

"Using 20% ​​of resources, we will refine the cultivation of Haematococcus pluvialis to solve the problems of 'fat' and 'vitamins'."

"In this way, we can build a 'miniature biosphere' that, although it may not taste good, is nutritionally balanced and can support your long-term survival."

"By the way, Xuan, I remember Chlorella grows faster, so why don't we choose it as our staple food?"

"Excellent question, Captain. Your memory is correct."

Xuanjian immediately displayed detailed comparative data of the two types of algae on the screen, as if he were giving a rigorous academic presentation.

Chlorella

Growth rate: Extremely high. Under ideal conditions, biomass doubling time is less than 24 hours.

Nutritional value: Extremely high. It contains approximately 55% protein and 15% fat, and is rich in various vitamins and minerals, earning it the nickname "canned sun."

Spirulina

Growth rate: Very high. Under ideal conditions, biomass doubling time ≈ 48-72 hours.

Nutritional value: Extremely high. It contains up to 65% protein and 8% fat, making it rich in other nutrients.

Looking at the astonishing data comparison, Gu Yu frowned: "Judging from the data, Chlorella is almost completely superior in every aspect. It grows faster and has more balanced nutrition."

Xuanjian switched the data list and highlighted a line of text in red.

Bioavailability

"Chlorella has an extremely tough cellulose cell wall that the human digestive system cannot break down."

"Without cell wall breaking treatment using a high-pressure homogenizer or ultrasonic crusher, the absorption rate of its nutrients is less than 10%."

"Simply put, if you eat chlorella directly, what you're ingesting is enoki mushroom, and what you excrete is mostly enoki mushroom."

"Spirulina, on the other hand, has a cell wall made of peptidoglycan, which is thin, brittle, and easily broken down by stomach acid. Its bioavailability is close to 95%."

Gu Yu nodded. On Mars, where resources are everything, what he needed was not the crop with the highest yield on paper, but the food with the highest "input-output ratio".

Only what can be absorbed by the body can be called energy.