Those who face the wall, but are in the Nascent Soul stage.

Chapter 48: The Fake Act Becomes Real (Please Read On)

The holographic screen is playing the opening scene of the film:
The Nine Provinces Grand Array covered the entire region, with colorful immortal light rising in the sky. At the end of the firmament, the golden wheels of the sun and moon shone brightly. The hidden celestial power gathered and flowed into the Grand Array like threads, layer upon layer, transforming into a part of the Nine Provinces world.

This artistic approach of 'cultivating immortality' in the form of the sun, moon, and stars gave the audience a series of visual surprises, one after another.

The entire theater flickered as the images changed.

"I wish the Eastern cultivation culture really existed."

"The world in the movie is flat and round, and the sun and moon are the transformations of gods and immortals, with stable succession. The Trisolarans are extremely envious."

"Don't confuse fantasy with reality, just enjoy the movie."

The hidden subplots buried in the first twenty films of the cultivation universe are reflected in the grand opening of the film, and at the end of the scene, there is a scene of countless extraterrestrial demons spying on the cultivation world.

The audience was sparsely populated, with most seats empty. This wasn't because the trend of cultivation culture couldn't reach New York; it was simply because the tickets for the premiere were too expensive, and most people were waiting for pirated versions online.

The people in the front row were talking in hushed tones.

“I heard this is a film that just finished shooting,” Lin Shen tore open a bag of potato chips and handed it to Cheng Xin. “There are rumors circulating online that someone saw the filming location a week ago, and the clouds in the sky were changing like special effects.”

Cheng Xin took the fries.

On the screen, the Dao Sect Master, played by Wallfacer No. 5, stands gracefully between heaven and earth. In the background, various righteous powerhouses are mixed together, and further away, there is an allied army composed of low-level cultivators. In the precarious dark tide, the only remaining hope rests on the shoulders of that 'protagonist'.

"Qingxian is as charming as ever! It feels like all the other actors were special effects!" Lin Shen's eyes sparkled.

Cheng Xin was long past the age of idolizing celebrities. Years of work at PIA had made her mature and composed; otherwise, she wouldn't be known as Director Cheng. Watching the glamorous 'Qingxian' in the movie, her thoughts had already drifted far away.

A man sat down in the seat next to Cheng Xin, holding a can of 'Green Storm' beverage in his hand.

"Sister Cheng Xin..." Lin Shen took advantage of the fact that the movie was still in the background to ask the question that had been bothering him for a long time: "I've always wanted to ask, why did Project Ladder choose Yun Tianming? Is it because he gave you a star?"

The simplest critical strike can always be delivered with the most direct straight shot.

Wade's painstaking efforts were no match for Lin Shen's quick thinking.

"Could you please not ask that question?" Cheng Xin heard herself say, her voice hoarse and unlike her own. Lin Shen's body stiffened. "I feel terrible."

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!" Lin Shen clasped his hands together.

Luo Qing glanced at the two little girls beside her, gulped down another mouthful of Green Storm, and said nothing.

...

The Three-Body Problem game

"Has everyone seen the new movie?" Qin Shi Huang asked.

“I just finished watching it. I never realized it before, but now I do,” Newton said. “Except for The Wallfacer, everything else is special effects.”

Mozi said, "This wall-facer is really interesting. The first thing he did after coming down from space was to find a movie theater to watch his own movie."

"Who is that girl next to Luo Qing?" someone asked, watching the live video broadcast by Zhizi.

"A technical director at the Planetary Defense Council's Strategic Intelligence Bureau. You know Project Ladder, right? That's what she came up with—sending a brain into space." Someone explained, then gave a thumbs up.

"Even Satan isn't as ruthless as her." "I heard that the brainy one was also a suitor of this Director Cheng, and even gave her a star." A female member exclaimed.

"That's even more amazing, Satan tattooed on her back." Someone said this, which caused everyone to burst into laughter.

Newton stepped forward and asked Qin Shi Huang, "Your Majesty, what is your opinion on the ladder plan?"

Qin Shihuang shook his head: "The master is very interested in the Staircase Project, but now, the Staircase spacecraft has deviated from its course, and the Trisolaran First Fleet will most likely miss out on that brain."

Newton asked, "With the Lord's technology, is there no way to intercept him?"

Qin Shi Huang sat on the pendulum base, closing his eyes for a short rest. The wide pendulum base, like a natural throne, made this emperor of all ages appear even more majestic.

After a long while, Qin Shihuang opened his eyes: "The Lord says that 1% of the speed of light is not easy to intercept, and the Lord does not allow the First Fleet to intercept Yun Tianming's brain."

"Why?" Newton asked.

"The Lord believes that it is very dangerous to give the Trisolaran First Fleet a brain that can hide its thoughts."

"What's so dangerous about this? Aren't they all on our side?" Newton couldn't understand the key point, and he shook his head.

Qin Shi Huang also looked puzzled: "I don't know either. The emperor is not used to deceiving, but he has learned to only say half of what he means."

Among the ETO members present, Evans, the former fifth Wallbreaker who had reapplied for the ID 'Paul Gauguin' after his 'Vincent William Van Gogh' account was banned, began to ponder the connection upon hearing this.

Unfortunately, his thoughts also went unanswered.

As the only wallbreaker present who failed to break through, Evans' position in ETO was rather awkward. To avoid being ridiculed by the other wallbreakers, he chose to remain silent.

Qin Shihuang said, "The movie itself is not the point. The point is the Easter egg left at the end of the movie: a press conference and a live link to an exercise of the 'United Nations First Fleet'."

I speculate that Luo Qing, the fifth Wallfacer, has been laying the groundwork for years and is about to use this exercise to publicly reveal his identity as a cultivator. This is also confirmed by Sophon's intelligence; the military exercise planned by the PDC seems to be targeting Luo Qing.

“Wait a minute, Your Majesty the First Emperor.” Euclid stepped forward. This ETO member, who was also a mathematician in reality, asked, “I’ve been studying the short-term prediction problem of the Three-Body Problem recently, so I haven’t been paying attention to external changes. Can anyone explain this so-called United Nations First Fleet to me?”

Newton explained to the mathematician: "It's just a shabby fleet cobbled together from various countries. The headquarters is in the Pentagon, and it's basically made up of retired or active ships. After two years of testing, it has basically achieved unmanned operation and remote control."

"Thank you, Lord Bull." Euclid sat down, suddenly realizing what was happening.

Qin Shi Huang tapped the platform with his long sword again: "The fleet's exercise target is Wallfacer Number Five, but we don't know how to prepare for this exercise, how to conduct it, or how to end it."

Currently, the Pentagon has senior military officers from seventeen countries, including China and Russia, involved in commanding this operation, yet they have no prior planning or contingency plans. I suspect Luo Qing interfered, clearly to evade the Sophon's monitoring.

Newton said, "It must be a deceptive exercise similar to 'The Truman Show,' using these fleets to highlight Luo Qing's power."

Qin Shi Huang nodded: "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and we must take action."

All eyes were on Qin Shi Huang.

How to take action?

Qin Shi Huang gave everyone present an unexpected answer: "This is an unmanned exercise. Those ships are all remotely controlled by the Pentagon. This gives us an opportunity. Now, on behalf of the Council of Seven, I will announce the highest operational order of the ETO organization:
"Seize control of the 'United Nations First Fleet' from the Pentagon, turn this charade into reality, and use the combined fleet's firepower to kill Luo Qing!"

(End of this chapter)