Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

—【You look very happy, is there something to celebrate?】

A voice rang in Cheng Xiao's ear. He was slightly taken aback, but then immediately recognized the owner of the voice.

[Just trying to feel superior. Luo Ji in the original story is someone I greatly admire. Although he was still quite immature at this time, being able to outshine one's idol is a rare experience—okay, I'll be honest, I'm feeling incredibly good right now, Ms. Zhan Lan, who's gone off to be a space diva!]

—【That's your freedom, no one will interfere. Okay, what do you think of Luo Ji? The captain and the others will only get started, they won't care about the follow-up developments of these small things, we have to produce some results.】

[As for Luo Ji's assessment...] Cheng Xiao composed himself slightly. [He's currently just a disillusioned university professor, a PhD in cosmological sociology. That light of personality, that flame of wisdom, hasn't been ignited at all. Like a precious jade in a box, though a faint glimmer shines through, it's still very weak for now.]

—[So, there's at least a faint glimmer of light?]

Yes, his intuition is unexpectedly sharp. I even suspect he might have the ability to see the truth of the world. The reason he's like this, I think, is because he hasn't yet shouldered a responsibility strong enough to make him risk his life. And that cold, aloof guy, Chu Xuan, seems to be showing him unexpected attention. So, is it...?

—Just a heads-up, this is a public channel.

【………………】

Cheng Xiao's face froze instantly. His expression and movements were so extreme that even Luo Ji, who had most of his attention focused on the top-secret document in front of him, sensed something was amiss. The original protagonist of the world raised his head in confusion and looked up and down at this world government employee who had seemed so shrewd and calculating just minutes before.

“I guess you might have something to share with me, Dr. Cheng Xiao…” Luo Ji carefully considered his words. He hadn’t noticed before that Cheng Xiao had always addressed him as ‘Doctor’. But after Cheng Xiao revealed his background, he subconsciously regarded the guy in front of him as one of his own kind in some sense.

However, Cheng Xiao did not provide a suitable answer immediately this time.

After several seconds, he spoke with a stiff expression.

Do you... know Zhan Lan?

"I know her, she's a top-tier figure in the contemporary music and video industry. Every song she releases becomes a hit, she's a hugely popular singer. I really enjoy listening to her songs... So, is there something wrong with her? This level of meeting shouldn't need her, right?"

“I just saw her. She should be coming with us to Saturn.”

"...What did you say?"

..........................................

Shortly afterward, General Kampavsky's meeting concluded successfully.

As expected, there were no objections. The PhD in Cosmic Sociology, who had been the focus of special attention, caused no trouble at the pre-departure allocation meeting. On the contrary, he got along very well with the security chief of the starship 'Tang,' which he was to be traveling on. They even seemed to be developing a friendship. Under the arrangement of Chief Cheng Xiao and some security personnel, he shared passenger seats on the starship with the famous singer Zhan Lan and the split team of Lunar Research—because he was the only group leader in the 'Star Research' project who had no team, no assistants or apprentices, and whose research projects did not even require additional manpower or resources—his status was very high, qualifying him to have one of the twenty-four starships corresponding to the twenty-four histories all to himself. And naturally, he was also able to share his extra space with others.

The fleet moved swiftly, completing the scholars' boarding in just ten minutes after the meeting concluded. Fifteen minutes later, the gravitational well opened a rift, allowing the starship to detach from the surface. Approximately thirty-five minutes later, the fleet arrived at a one-light-second region outside of Saturn's moon Iapetus.

Then, the fleet completed its docking at the extraterrestrial spaceport.

....................................

A sudden crackdown... there's nothing we can do. Although it's a fictional world, let's try to minimize the focus on events on Earth.

After all, the original novel of *The Three-Body Problem* is quite... suggestive...

Chapter Twenty-Six: The Cage Remains

Iapetus, with a radius of only 100 kilometers, is the only retrograde moon in Saturn's outer rings. Its rotation period is less than ten hours, and when one is in a starport orbiting Iapetus, Saturn's rotation speed seems unusually fast.

The World Government began terraforming Iapetus several years ago. Based on the top-secret documents available, the project supposedly started nine years ago, before the World Government even reached the vicinity of Jupiter—of course, that was a fake, although all the records were complete, and every worker's name and position could be found, even the workers themselves. But all of this was merely history deduced autonomously during the world's reconstruction. In reality, the Reincarnators terraformed Iapetus for less than a week.

The Nanoscale Gray Tide is an extremely useful tool. After Patchouli's computing power was fully unleashed with the activation of the fourth stage of the Gene Lock, she was finally able to complete the site construction work as well as she had described several worlds before. Under her will, this only retrograde moon of Saturn began to change at a rate that was completely renewed every day from the start of the project.

On the first day, the entire moon was still rocky. On the second day, it was covered with an iron shell. On the third day, buildings appeared on the surface. On the fourth day, the inner layer was transformed into metal. On the fifth day, mass was drawn in from the outside. On the sixth day, the core reactor was ignited. By the time the seventh day arrived, the entire moon had transformed into a huge metallic star, with several auxiliary spaceports extending outwards.

In the last minute of the seventh night, the fleet carrying the 'Star Research' project team arrived at the airport's berth.

..........................................

Looking down from the bridge of the starship 'Tang', the entire Titan resembles a sea urchin with its spines retracted. At the heart of the urchin lies a precious and fragile core, through which the numerous exposed pipes and complex propulsion system are clearly visible through the transparent or semi-transparent shielding. Approximately three percent of the entire sphere is visible, much like the deliberately exposed weak points of Frankenstein's monsters in video games. The remaining ninety-five percent is firmly encased in thick armor plating, leaving no gaps.

“Those areas are the unfinished areas of Io. In the internal documents, the completed Io is annotated as ‘Gray Moon’. You can think of those areas as the lunar maria of Gray Moon.”

On the bridge, Cheng Xiao pointed out the exposed area in operation to Luo Ji. With the aid of instruments, they could even clearly distinguish the swarm of robots patrolling around the exposed area of ​​Saturn's moon Titan. They were visibly reducing the unfinished 3% area bit by bit, and perhaps in less than five hours, the pipelines would be completely covered under the thick armor plates.

The project is nearing completion. The core will soon be finished, and the spaceport will be located at the folded, spiky tip of the sea urchin. It's about 300 kilometers from the tip to the base, roughly 1.5 times the original diameter of Iapetus—Luo Ji looked up at the other end of his field of vision. Unsurprisingly, he found several faint points of light in the dark expanse of space.

"That's an extended region made up of material dismantled from Saturn's rings. Over the next few days, it will be pieced together on Iapetus like building blocks. Once it's all complete, Iapetus will transform from a sea urchin into a sphere with some bumps on its surface. Only in this way can the mass of the gray moon be balanced with the white moon and the dark moon. Only then can we build a sufficiently reliable gravitational well."

White moon, dark moon, gray moon, three dots, three moons.

“Three points don’t seem enough to create a balance point in space. A regular triangle on a plane and a square in space are probably two different things?” Luo Ji frowned almost imperceptibly as he watched the 'sea urchin' becoming more complete every second. “Or was the fourth point deliberately left empty, to serve as the ejecta of a gravity well?”

“That’s right, that’s what you think, Dr. Luo Ji.” Cheng Xiao nodded. “If four moons were created, the entire Earth would be covered by a perfect gravitational field. The force would be uniform everywhere, and the Earth would naturally be unable to move. So we have to leave a gap, just like a cannon barrel has a muzzle.”

"Don't call me Dr. Luo Ji anymore, Dr. Cheng Xiao. Just call me Luo Ji, and I'll call you Cheng Xiao too," Luo Ji replied, his fingers gently tracing the projection porthole on the bridge—the bridge itself didn't actually have any windows that allowed a direct view outside. The space they saw was merely a projection of optical signals onto the bridge corridor.

Cheng Xiao smiled silently and nodded to indicate that he understood.

"I know what you were worried about, Luo Ji. When the Earth comes to a standstill, the dynamic March system will form a solid, all-encompassing shield. And when the Earth begins to move, the March system will revert to a static mode, unfolding a gravitational bubble in the direction of Earth's movement—"

"This is like an ancient supercavitating torpedo. Because the Earth moves only within a cavitation bubble created by gravity, its speed can be greatly increased without worrying about its surface being blown away by storms. However, this also creates a loophole in the gravitational membrane that perfectly envelops the Earth. Aliens could easily bypass the gravitational membrane and attack us from behind."

"It seems the World Government has a solution?"

“No,” Cheng Xiao replied. “But the Earth Garrison Fleet exists for this purpose. When the gravitational membrane fails to protect Earth, the fleet will become a new barrier. After all, if an alien enemy appears that can ignore the gravitational membrane, then the fleet will become meaningless. But if the gravitational membrane can withstand a frontal attack from aliens, then our fleet will naturally come in handy.”

"...What if we really encounter an enemy that neither the gravitational membrane nor the fleet can handle?"

“That depends on your research results, Luo Ji,” Cheng Xiao replied, a hint of anticipation in his smile. “The scholars in the Star Research Project cover various fields: astronomy, geography, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology… With the support of the World Government, any known technological field has the potential for explosive growth. But the growth of these technologies is predictable, and the progress can be estimated… It’s like the evolution from flintlock to rifling; although the power, accuracy, and convenience have increased many times over, it is still predictable and easily understood.”

"But you're different, Luo Ji. You're the world's most powerful, intelligent, and cutting-edge expert in the study of cosmic sociology. Perhaps other experts can develop powerful weapons like planet-destroying bombs or spacetime-destroying cannons. But as long as interstellar civilizations exist in the universe, there will definitely be no shortage of weapons and countermeasures at that level..."

"...The high-tech weaponry and interstellar fleets we've painstakingly created and on which we place such high hopes may be nothing but a complete joke in the face of a truly powerful interstellar civilization. But society... Dr. Luo Ji, the achievements of your cosmic sociology research could potentially bypass all of the enemy's defenses and directly destroy their civilization at the societal level... or protect our civilization."

"I...I'm just an ordinary university professor." Luo Ji's voice became dry. He swallowed several times, and the composure he had barely managed to maintain even after being forced into the joint meeting was completely gone. In its place was a sense of shock and fear that he was unworthy of his position.

He stammered an explanation for himself: "Doesn't Yue Research have many sociology experts...? Not long ago, I even read the works of Nietzsche and Machiavelli..."

“But they weren’t attacked. Out of billions of people on Earth, you are the only one who was assassinated. Luo Ji.” Cheng Xiao stared at him, his serious gaze making him instinctively want to back away. “Only you, only you. This proves that your research direction is correct, at least partially correct. And no one else can shoulder this responsibility.”

Silence enveloped the bridge. After a long while, a voice filled with complex emotions finally broke through.

"...So, I've become the final line of defense."

"That's one way to put it. If the enemy we encounter demonstrates a level of technology that we simply can't catch up to, then your achievement will be our final line of defense... or the red button for mutual destruction."

“That sounds terrible,” Luo Ji replied dryly. “I hope that day never comes.”

However, after several seconds he suddenly asked again.

"What if... I mean, what if the hostile aliens on the other side used this... sociological weapon before we did?"

He received no answer. This time, the silence lingered longer than before. The bridge was empty. Apart from the two silent men, only silence remained.

After a long while... a soft 'click' sound suddenly came from Cheng Xiao's wristwatch.

"The starship is now fully docked, and the passageway is ready, Luo Ji. Before you begin your research, let's take a closer look at your new laboratory and the alien technological entities our people captured in the outer regions of Saturn. Perhaps you can find a sense of security there."

"Of course, if your schedule isn't too tight, then we can also catch Ms. Zhan Lan's concert. I just received some inside information—nine out of ten engineers on Saturn are her fans, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to meet her here."

Cheng Xiao spoke quickly and clearly—and his protected person did not raise any objections.

..........................................

Cheng Xiao's words were not unfounded. For the reincarnators, the threat posed by Chang'e was not fundamentally different from the threat posed by the Trisolarans to Earth. Earthlings were helpless against the Trisolarans' strong interaction material probes, and Chang'e was equally ineffective against the Zhongzhou team at this moment. The only way to win was for the Zhongzhou team to develop a countermeasure as effective and deadly as a cosmic broadcast, just as Luo Ji in the original novel used the Dark Forest Theory to create a deterrent under the Trisolarans' noses.

Chang'e is different from the Trisolaran civilization. She meticulously observes every member of the Central Plains team, cautiously and patiently analyzing every effort they make. She never tires, never becomes careless, never makes mistakes, and never panics. She is like a spider that has spun a web, using her eight compound eyes to watch intently at every struggle of her prey within its trap.

However, Chang'e and the Trisolaran civilization are, in a sense, the same type of enemy—they possess the same overwhelming power, the same absolute advantage in information, and just as the Trisolaran civilization needs Earth, she also has a need for the reincarnators.

Different people doing similar things, the reincarnators thought they had changed everything, but everything still operated according to the script of *The Three-Body Problem*. The protagonists changed, the supporting characters changed, but the story structure remained the same. The reincarnators arranged for Luo Ji to walk a path different from the original but similar, perhaps hoping to gain some encouragement or inspiration from Luo Ji's actions and the success they ultimately led to. But they probably also knew very well that this effort was likely just a mirage.

Fifteen minutes after the conversation ended, Cheng Xiao accompanied Luo Ji to the core of Iapetus. Together with many renowned experts, they watched in a sealed containment facility the sophons captured by Alice—Alice had captured them, absorbed their technology, and modified some of their data.

That's right, only some data. After all, in this game of world reconstruction, the biggest flaw is that the Trisolaran civilization simply didn't have time to recruit followers on Earth, didn't launch any assassination attempt against Luo Ji—they didn't even know Luo Ji existed. From beginning to end, it was the Reincarnators who orchestrated this operation behind the scenes. And naturally, this loophole needs to be plugged.

So, when Cheng Xiao accompanied Luo Ji into the containment center, the Sophons, whose data had been rewritten, leaped up like rabbits with their tails on fire the moment they appeared. They twisted and changed, transforming from a soft, irregular cloud of matter into a killing tool perfectly capable of tearing through force field defenses.

Then came an immediate assassination.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Invisible Shadow

Those constantly shifting, silvery-gray clumps of matter, illuminated by the light, almost succeeded. When Luo Ji approached close enough, they transformed without hesitation, changing form in a mere millisecond. From a jellyfish-like mass, they became a series of sharp, layered structures. The force field that had been binding them was swiftly neutralized, followed immediately by a blinding beam of deathly light that pierced through seventeen layers of the base's protective barrier!

It almost succeeded—if it had used a more concealed, more lethal directional particle beam, or a high-frequency shockwave with a sufficiently wide coverage area; or if it had simply created a neurotoxin capable of filling hundreds or thousands of cubic meters in an instant. Then it would have succeeded. Even if it hadn't succeeded, it could have killed most of the renowned scholars within the containment facility, which would have been better than a complete failure.

However, it's quite obvious, at least from God's perspective, that the forces controlling these sophons behind the scenes have no intention of adding extra work for themselves. Therefore, this incredibly powerful high-dimensional detector can only foolishly unleash its colored death ray, like those idiotic robots in old-fashioned superhero movies. And naturally, it's impossible for it to cause any real casualties.

Of course, there were injuries. As the sole victim, Luo Ji was shoved hard by Cheng Xiao before the death ray was unleashed. As a result, his chest cavity was completely vaporized, but his brain was fortunately preserved. From the perspective of the 'World Government' in the current worldview, as long as the brain is intact, the physical damage can only be considered minor.

— Minor injuries that require more treatment time to heal than a cut on a finger.

As a result, Luo Ji, who had temporarily lost consciousness, was admitted to the medical ward.

..........................................

"After everything was changed, a similar thing happened again. Similar yet different. What are we doing?" Cheng Xiao lit a cigarette—a real cigarette, the kind made from tobacco and paper, the kind from the 21st century, not some pollution-free mimicry cigarette created to fit this futuristic setting—he took a deep drag, and white smoke immediately billowed from his mouth and nose. Then, before the fire alarm sounded, he used his special privileges to stop it in advance.

Smoke entering the lungs causes inflammation. For Cheng Xiao, being able to still feel the effects of smoke and fire is a small but significant benefit. It gives him a sense of atonement for his own suffering, which can slightly improve his mood at inappropriate times.

The world won't stop turning just because one person is missing, and the Reincarnators' plans won't cease because Luo Ji is gone. Through the internal secret channel, he learned immediately that the subsequent shockwaves caused by this attack had been suppressed before they even appeared—the plan was still in progress, and the earth was still spinning. While Luo Ji lay in his hospital bed, Chu Xuan had already arranged numerous research projects for his new assistants. The fastest-moving group had already begun work.

Luo Ji's attack went completely unnoticed—in fact, very few people even knew about it. Cheng Xiao turned his head, watching the urchin-like moon, Iapetus, being gradually filled with mass outside the projection window. Many functional blocks, each the size of a city, were being created from Saturn's rings and then pieced together bit by bit onto the surface of the soon-to-be-formed gray moon.

Whether Luo Ji is attacked or not, this project will continue to operate. Whether he lives or dies, the Cruise Star will continue to run.

—If that's the case, then why insist on holding onto him?

A thought flashed through Cheng Xiao's mind. He subconsciously looked up and saw a familiar figure reflected on the edge of the projection window.

“We’re giving Luo Ji the motivation to unleash his potential, just like in the original story.” Zhang Jie’s voice came from in front of Cheng Xiao. He turned his head and saw Zhang Jie sitting on a chair on the side of the corridor, holding a cigarette of the same brand as his own. Bio-mechanical guards, perfectly disguised as normal people, moved back and forth along the corridor in various guises, creating the impression that there were quite a few people around, but they seemed oblivious to Cheng Xiao and Zhang Jie’s conversation.

“I understand, and I know it’s necessary.” Cheng Xiao nodded, but his expression didn’t show much relief. “I’m just having trouble accepting it right now, weaving destinies for others, manipulating them like puppets. I know it’s necessary, and I will continue to do it well… I just need to calm down for now. After all, he was someone I used to admire… or perhaps an idol would be a more accurate description. And…”

When a building block the size of Hainan Province was placed in place, the entire Titan seemed to tremble for a few seconds.

"Anyway, Luo Ji will be staying in the medical ward for a long time this time. I'm just sitting here doing nothing anyway, so it shouldn't be a problem for me to complain occasionally. Don't worry, it won't affect my normal operations. I can tell what's important and what's not. I won't be soft-hearted when I shouldn't be."

He spread his hands, making a helpless gesture.

Helplessness does not equate to agreement.

Looking at the eloquent man before him, Zhang Jie saw a string of data flashing before his eyes. After a moment's recollection, he confirmed that Cheng Xiao's unlocked genetic potential was still at a... rather low level, and sighed inwardly with melancholy.

Unreasonable changes, inappropriate remarks, unreliable theories, and inconsistent actions.

Very well, the Dao erosion phenomenon. Captain Zheng Zha's newly enlightened Dao hasn't even warmed up before it's already infected. It seems the anti-Dao erosion measures prepared by the wise men haven't been very effective. Staying in the story world for too long indeed has many unpredictable and serious consequences.

Zhang Jie rubbed his forehead, cursing inwardly. It was supposed to be a spontaneous meeting, and yet this had happened—it was one thing to do with Ba Wang; everyone knew that a rough, bear-like Russian man had become an elegant scholar because of Alice's corrupting influence—he knew it himself and was trying to correct it. But how could Cheng Xiao, a nobody in the team in terms of both combat strength and life level, have run into this?