Ye Wenjie, watch my moves closely.

Chapter 53 God is protecting the Trisolaran civilization

As I emerged from the physics building, the sun was already setting in the west, and the tree-lined path in front of the teaching building was filled with the chirping of cicadas.

Li Youyu strolled along the tree-lined path dappled with sunlight, stopping and starting, observing the plants and trees around him with great interest.

He had visited the capital once in his previous life.

Because he hadn't made an appointment, he was stopped at Tsinghua University's iconic gate, despite his high expectations.

He still remembers it was a clear, windy autumn day when he squatted across the street from the school campus, watching his classmates, who were considered geniuses in his hometown, come and go.

Before leaving, he made a special trip to a nearby cultural and creative store and bought a refrigerator magnet with the Tsinghua University gate on it and a study book with the Tsinghua University name printed on it, to motivate himself to achieve brilliance in the college entrance examination.

As it turns out, this was completely useless.

Aiming for Tsinghua University, he ultimately only got into a small university in the south. The university was located in the north and south of the capital, thousands of miles apart, and they never had the chance to meet again.

Ye Wenjie walked about a meter away from Li Youyu, and every now and then students would greet him with a smile.

"You've become a celebrity, Teacher Ye."

Li Youyu turned his head to the side.

"That's nothing compared to you. If these students knew your real identity, they'd probably carry you into the principal's office."

Thanks to constant media hype, the prototype Type I chip has become a household name across the country. Laymen reading the reports might think it's impressive, but those in the know who have actually experienced the capability to produce the Type I chip would only say one thing:

That's fucking awesome.

As for that domestic research team that has been hidden by the media, it has been elevated to the altar of the international academic circle by waves of pride.

Li Youyu didn't take Ye Wenjie's teasing to heart. He said, "Actually, it was all luck. The trial production of the Type I chip was the result of everyone's hard work. My role in it was not as significant as that of the logistics support staff."

"The value of a light bulb may be far less than that of the books on the desk, but without a light bulb, no matter how profound the knowledge in the books is, no one can see it. You are that light bulb, Comrade You Yu."

He was the one who decided to expand the research direction of chips, and he was also the one who decided to shift the main research direction of physics to quantum physics.

Without his coordinated efforts, the scientists at the Deep Space Research Institute might still be specializing in their own branches, unable to focus on a single point and break through the stubborn rock.

"Thank you for your compliment, Teacher Ye."

This was the first time Li Youyu had ever heard Ye Wenjie praise someone.

When she was at Red Shore, Ye Wenjie always had that seemingly indifferent demeanor, but secretly she was keeping a close watch on everything.

Later, things got better. I learned to look up and observe the world, and to observe both the good and bad sides of a person. Although on the surface, I still couldn't tell any emotions.

After returning to school to teach for a few months, Li Youyu clearly felt that Ye Wenjie had also become more cheerful in this youthful and vibrant campus.

Her emotional expression during her cosmology class is the best proof of this.

If Ye Wenjie were to be appointed as a Wallfacer now, Li Youyu was certain she wouldn't refuse.

However... it's too heavy, as if one is carrying original sin on a journey to redeem.

At that time, she will definitely be criticized by millions of people.

By then, I will have returned to the main world. I wonder if Ye Wenjie will be able to handle it.

"Statement of facts is not praise. You haven't undergone scientific thinking training, so you don't know how important it is for researchers to have a guiding light. The seniors at the Institute of High Energy Physics all praise you in private."

How could I not know?

He knew all too well the feeling of racking his brains for a month to be no match for a single word of guidance from his professor back in college.

During their casual conversation, the two walked to a stone bell sculpture at the end of the tree-lined avenue.

Several students were sitting under the sculpture, discussing philosophy. I don't know what their topic was, but the atmosphere was quite tense.

"Morality is the product of the self-legislation of consciousness, independent of external standards. Whether in the universe or on Earth, the driving force of human morality has always been internal."

"But the universe doesn't care. Morality is merely a presupposition of accidental life forms on Earth. Different species have completely different forms of morality. After humans enter the universe, will they still be human?"

That's a different topic altogether. Our framework for discussion is the permanence of humanity as a subject.

How did we get off-topic? Could it be...?

.....

As Li Youyu listened to the students' ongoing debate, he suddenly said, "They should have received the news by now."

"What news?"

Ye Wenjie turned her head and saw Li Youyu gazing at the starry sky. Her heart skipped a beat, and she said softly, "Yes, he should have received the news by now."

---

It is now the fourth year since Ye Wenjie replied to the message, in the year 1983.

At the same time, the Trisolaran world is four light-years away.

On the vast wasteland, there is a huge metal pendulum swinging with the rotation of the Trisolaran home planet.

The little sun on the horizon cast its long shadow onto the earth, like a giant walking between heaven and earth.

In front of the giant swing stands a towering monument.

At this moment, the leader of the Trisolaran world, under the watchful eyes of a group of governors dressed in fully enclosed electric heating suits, walked onto the base of the giant pendulum and flipped a red switch.

He turned to the officials and said, "I have just shut off the power to the giant swing; it will come to a slow stop due to air resistance."

"Your Majesty, why is this happening?" a consul asked.

"We all understand the historical significance of the Giant Swing; it was used to hypnotize God. Now we know that it is more beneficial for the Trisolaran civilization to be awake, and it has begun to bless us."

Everyone fell silent, pondering the meaning of the leader's words.

After the giant pendulum swung three times, someone asked, "Has Earth civilization returned to normal?"

The leader nodded. "Yes, the report I received half a month ago was a response to that warning message."

"So fast?! It's only been a little over 80,000 hours (eight years) since the warning message from monitor number 1379 was sent. That means, that means..."

"This means that Earth's civilization is only 40,000 light-years away from us."

"Isn't that the closest star to us?!"

"Yes, that's why I say: God is blessing the Trisolaran civilization."

A wave of ecstasy spread through the hall, yet it couldn't be fully expressed, like a suppressed volcano. The leader knew that allowing this fragile emotion to erupt would be harmful, so he immediately poured cold water on the "volcano":

"The Trisolaran First Fleet was completed 20,000 hours ago. I have ordered the fleet to head towards this star, but things are not as optimistic as you think. As things stand, the fleet is heading towards its own grave."

The head of state's words immediately calmed the officials down.

"Does anyone understand what I mean?" the leader asked.