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The book tells the story of Ye Wenjie, a young woman who grows up during the Cultural Revolution in China and witnesses the brutal murder of her father by a group of radical Red Guards. This event sets her on a path of disillusionment with humanity and ultimately leads her to participate in a top-secret government project to make contact with an alien civilization orbiting a three-sun system. The aliens, known as the Trisolarans, are facing an existential crisis due to the unstable environment of their planet and are seeking to colonize other planets, including Earth. Ye Wenjie, who has become cynical about humanity's ability to solve its own problems, decides to invite the Trisolarans to come and conquer Earth, believing that they will bring a more advanced and rational civilization. The story follows a complex web of characters, including scientists, politicians, and members of a secret organization known as the Earth-Trisolaris Organization, as they navigate the implications of first contact with an alien civilization and the potential consequences for humanity. Throughout the book, the author explores themes of science, technology, and humanity's place in the universe, raising questions about the long-term survival of human civilization and the potential for cooperation or conflict with other intelligent beings in the universe. Ultimately, the book ends with a sense of foreboding and uncertainty, as the characters and the reader are left to ponder the implications of the Trisolarans' impending arrival and the future of humanity.
In 1967, during the height of the Cultural Revolution in China, a violent struggle session is taking place at Tsinghua University. The target of the session is Ye Zhetai, a physics professor accused of being a reactionary academic authority. Ye's wife, Shao Lin, is forced to denounce him, and he is subjected to physical and verbal abuse by the Red Guards. Despite the brutality, Ye refuses to repent or surrender, and he engages in a debate about the nature of science and philosophy with his tormentors. The session ends in tragedy, with Ye being beaten to death by the young Red Guards. The story then shifts to Ye's daughter, Ye Wenjie, who is left to pick up the pieces and try to make sense of the senseless violence that has destroyed her family. She visits her father's friend and mentor, Professor Ruan Wen, only to find that Ruan has also fallen victim to the Revolution, having taken her own life. The chapter ends with Ye Wenjie, numb and grief-stricken, walking away from the devastation, her future uncertain.
Ye Wenjie, a young woman, is working in a logging camp in the Greater Khingan Mountains as part of the Inner Mongolia Production and Construction Corps. She meets a reporter, Bai Mulin, who is investigating the Corps' activities and shares with her a book called "Silent Spring" that critiques the environmental damage caused by human activities. Ye is deeply moved by the book and begins to question the morality of the Corps' actions. Meanwhile, Bai writes a letter to the central leadership in Beijing criticizing the Corps' destructive practices, but when it is discovered, he betrays Ye and claims she wrote the letter. Ye is arrested and interrogated, and during her imprisonment, she is visited by a military representative, Cheng Lihua, who tries to persuade her to sign a document that would incriminate her father, a physicist who was killed during the Cultural Revolution. Ye refuses to sign, and as a result, she is subjected to harsh treatment. The chapter ends with Ye's life hanging in the balance, as she is left to suffer in a cold and isolated cell.
Ye Wenjie, still recovering from her ordeal, finds herself on a helicopter with two men, Yang Weining and Commissar Lei Zhicheng, who reveal that she is being taken to a secret research facility called Red Coast Base. The base is working on a top-secret project that requires her specialized scientific knowledge, and she is given the option to join the project and redeem herself or face imprisonment. Ye agrees to join the project, despite Yang's warnings that she may never be able to leave the base again. As she enters the base, she witnesses a mysterious transmission experiment that seems to be using a massive antenna to send energy into the sky, causing birds to fall from the air. The true nature and purpose of the project remain unclear, but Ye is determined to see it through, drawn by a sense of security and purpose that the base offers.
The story jumps forward in time and introduces a new character, Wang Miao, a nanomaterials researcher. Wang is visited by two police officers and two military officers, who invite him to a meeting at a military compound. At the meeting, Wang learns that several prominent physicists have committed suicide in the past two months, and the authorities are investigating a possible connection to an organization called the Frontiers of Science. The organization's goal is to explore the limits of science and determine if there are boundaries beyond which science cannot go. Wang is asked to join the Frontiers of Science and gather information for the authorities, but he initially declines. However, after a confrontation with one of the police officers, Shi Qiang, Wang changes his mind and agrees to join the organization. As Wang leaves the meeting, General Chang hints that a major crisis is looming, one that will change the world forever, and warns Wang to prepare for the worst. The chapter ends with Wang asking the driver to take him to the address of Dr. Ding, a theoretical physicist who was involved with the Frontiers of Science and had a personal connection to one of the deceased physicists, Yang Dong.
Wang Miao visits Ding Yi, a theoretical physicist, at his apartment, where he finds him in a state of despair and intoxication. Ding shares his memories of Yang Dong, a physicist who had recently committed suicide, and the two engage in a conversation about the nature of physics. Ding conducts an experiment with a pool table, demonstrating the invariant laws of physics across space and time. However, he reveals that recent high-energy particle accelerator experiments have yielded inconsistent results, suggesting that the laws of physics may not be universal. This revelation has profound implications, implying that physics as a discipline may not exist. Wang begins to understand the motivations behind Yang Dong's suicide and the potential consequences of this discovery. The chapter ends with Ding providing Wang with an address to visit Yang Dong's mother, and Wang is left to ponder the existential implications of the non-invariance of physical laws.
Wang Miao, a nanomaterials researcher, is experiencing strange occurrences after taking a series of photographs with his camera. Every picture he takes shows a countdown timer, and he becomes obsessed with understanding the origin and purpose of the timer. Despite his initial skepticism, Wang's experiences become increasingly bizarre, and he begins to question his own sanity. He seeks help from Shen Yufei, a member of the mysterious organization known as the Frontiers of Science, who seems to know more about the countdown than she is letting on. As Wang delves deeper into the mystery, he becomes embroiled in a complex web of intrigue and deception, and is forced to confront the possibility that the countdown may be more than just a simple trick or illusion. The chapter ends with Shen issuing a challenge to Wang, promising to reveal the true nature of the countdown on a cosmic scale, and warning him that the consequences of his actions may be catastrophic.
Wang Miao enters a virtual reality game called "Three Body" where he meets King Wen of Zhou and his follower in a desolate, post-apocalyptic world. The world is experiencing a "Chaotic Era" where the sun's movement is unpredictable, causing extreme temperatures and making survival difficult. King Wen is on a mission to reach Zhao Ge, where he hopes to present a accurate calendar to King Zhou, which will help predict the sun's movement and ensure the survival of civilization. As they journey through the Chaotic Era, they experience various environmental disasters and eventually reach Zhao Ge, where King Wen presents his calendar and predicts a long Stable Era. However, the prediction fails, and a long night begins, forcing the civilization to dehydrate and store themselves to survive. The game ends with the destruction of Civilization Number 137 and an invitation to log on again in the future to continue the game.
Wang Miao visits Yang Dong's mother, Ye Wenjie, at her home, where he finds her taking care of her neighbors' children. Ye Wenjie is a kind and gentle woman who is still grieving the loss of her daughter. Wang Miao is drawn into Yang Dong's room, where he finds a birch-bark notebook containing her childhood drawings, which express a sense of anger and desperation. Ye Wenjie shares her regrets about not being a good teacher to her daughter, exposing her to abstract and extreme topics at a young age. Wang Miao tries to comfort her, and they discuss the challenges facing scientists, particularly women. Before leaving, Wang Miao asks Ye Wenjie about observing the cosmic microwave background, and she arranges for him to visit a radio astronomy observatory. As they part ways, Ye Wenjie shows concern for Wang Miao's health and gives him a box of ginseng, touching his heart with her kindness.
Wang Miao visits the Miyun Radio Astronomy Observatory to investigate a strange phenomenon related to the cosmic microwave background radiation. He meets with Dr. Sha Ruishan, who is working on a project to create a detailed map of the cosmic microwave background using data from three satellites. Wang asks Sha to observe the overall fluctuation in the cosmic microwave background, which Sha thinks is a joke, but they proceed with the observation anyway. As they monitor the data, they discover that the universe is indeed "flickering" with a fluctuation of over 1% in the cosmic microwave background radiation. Sha is shocked and tries to verify the results using data from other satellites and an observatory, and they all confirm the phenomenon. Wang uses a special pair of "3K glasses" to observe the cosmic microwave background directly and sees the flickering universe. He becomes obsessed with understanding the countdown and feels like he is trapped in a small universe with no escape. As the countdown continues, Wang's mental state deteriorates, and he starts to see patterns and messages everywhere. He eventually breaks down and cries, feeling helpless and overwhelmed by the mystery of the universe. The chapter ends with Captain Shi Qiang appearing and laughing at Wang's distress.
Wang Miao, struggling to cope with the mysterious countdown and its implications, is comforted by Shi Qiang, also known as Da Shi, who shares a meal and drinks with him. Da Shi, a no-nonsense and experienced cop, reveals that he has been investigating a series of strange events, including crimes against academia and science research institutions, and believes that someone is coordinating these events to ruin scientific research. He theorizes that the goal is to misdirect scientists' thoughts and damage science's reputation in society. Da Shi also mentions that the military is involved, with multiple Battle Command Centers around the globe, but the enemy and the details of the conflict are unknown. He advises Wang to continue his research and play the "Three Body" game, which he believes is connected to the mysterious events. With a newfound sense of determination, Wang prepares to face the challenges ahead, armed with Da Shi's "ultimate rule" that anything sufficiently weird must be fishy.
Wang Miao returns home and logs into the virtual reality game "Three Body" where he meets Mozi, a slender and tall man dressed in a flowing black robe. Mozi is working on a complex machine to replicate the universe and predict the motion of the sun. He believes the universe is a machine and has created a model to simulate its behavior. Wang is impressed by Mozi's imagination and the complexity of the machine, but he is also skeptical of its ability to accurately predict the sun's motion. As they wait for the sunrise, Wang uses Mozi's telescope to observe the sun and discovers that it has a small core and transparent outer layers. However, the sun fails to rise as predicted, and instead, a giant sun appears, filling the sky and causing widespread destruction. Mozi's machine is proven to be incorrect, and the civilization in the game is destroyed. Wang exits the game and returns to his normal life, but he is haunted by the experience and feels a sense of unease. He visits Ye Wenjie, who offers him comfort and agrees to tell him about her experiences at Red Coast Base, a secret research facility where she worked on a top-secret project.
Ye Wenjie, a skilled astrophysicist, is working at Red Coast Base, a secret research facility, where she is assigned to the Transmission Department and later to the Monitoring Department. As she becomes more familiar with the base's operations, she discovers that the facility's technology is not as advanced as she expected, and the staff is intentionally hiding their technical competence to avoid being indispensable. Commissar Lei, who has taken a liking to Ye, reveals to her the true purpose of the Red Coast Project: to use a high-powered microwave transmitter to disable or destroy enemy space vessels. However, Ye soon realizes that there are many unexplainable matters at the base, and she begins to uncover secrets about the project. Eventually, Commissar Lei and Chief Engineer Yang inform her that they have been lying to her about the project's nature, and they offer to reveal the truth to her, but at a great personal cost: once she knows the truth, she will never be able to leave the base. Ye agrees to learn the truth, and Yang begins to explain the true nature of Red Coast, which is revealed to be a shocking and incredible secret.
The chapter delves into the Red Coast Project, a top-secret initiative aimed at searching for extraterrestrial intelligence and establishing contact. Declassified documents reveal the project's goals, including monitoring a vast range of frequencies and transmitting messages to potential extraterrestrial civilizations. The messages, carefully crafted to convey a positive image of humanity, are designed to be universally understandable using basic mathematical and physical laws. The project's implementation plan, including the development of a self-interpreting code system and the transmission of messages, is outlined. Additionally, the documents discuss the potential consequences of making contact with extraterrestrial intelligence and the need for a comprehensive strategy to respond to such an event. The chapter also touches on the political and ideological aspects of the project, with instructions from central leadership emphasizing the importance of presenting a united and just image of humanity to the universe.
Wang Miao visits Ye Wenjie and asks her about the high security rating of the Red Coast Project, a top-secret initiative aimed at searching for extraterrestrial intelligence. Ye explains that the project's true purpose was not just to search for extraterrestrial life, but to consider the potential consequences of making contact with such life. She discusses the theory of "contact as symbol" proposed by sociologist Bill Mathers, which suggests that contact with an alien civilization would have a profound impact on human society, exacerbating internal divisions and conflicts. Ye shares her experiences working at Red Coast Base, including the project's decline and eventual decommissioning. She reflects on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence as a unique discipline that profoundly influences one's perspective on life, and expresses her own conflicted mentality about the significance of human existence in the universe. The conversation ends with Wang offering to visit the ruins of Red Coast Base with Ye, but she declines due to her advanced age and poor health.
Wang Miao logs into the virtual reality game "Three Body" for the third time, creating a new ID as Copernicus. He finds himself in a medieval European setting, where he meets various historical figures, including Pope Gregory, Galileo, Aristotle, and Leonardo da Vinci. Wang attempts to explain his theory of the three suns and their unpredictable motion, but the others are skeptical and eventually condemn him to be burned at the stake. Just as he is about to be executed, a knight bursts into the scene, warning of an impending tri-solar day that will destroy the world. The group rushes outside, where they are indeed consumed by a catastrophic event, with three giant suns appearing in the sky and causing widespread destruction. The game ends with the destruction of Civilization Number 183, but notes that Wang's character, Copernicus, successfully revealed the basic structure of the universe, allowing the game to progress to the second level.
Wang Miao is summoned to Shi Qiang's office, where he meets Wei Cheng, the husband of Shen Yufei from the Frontiers of Science. Wei shares his story, revealing his exceptional math talent and his work on the three-body problem, a complex mathematical concept. He also tells of how he met Shen Yufei, who helped him pursue his research, and how she became increasingly obsessed with the problem. Wei reports that he received a threatening phone call warning him to stop his research, and that his wife held a gun to his head, telling him to continue working on the three-body problem or she would kill him. The police investigate and find Shen Yufei's body with multiple gunshot wounds. As they search the house, they discover that Shen had argued with environmentalist Pan Han, who wanted to use the "Lord's power" against humanity. Wei hands Wang a CD containing his three-body evolutionary algorithm and warns him to stay away from the matter, implying that the world is on the brink of change and that it's useless to try to intervene.
Wang Miao enters the virtual reality game "Three Body" and finds himself in a medieval European setting, where he meets Isaac Newton and Von Neumann. The two scholars are on a mission to meet Qin Shi Huang, the First Emperor, to demonstrate a computing system that can predict the motion of the three suns. They use a human-formation computer, consisting of thirty million Qin soldiers, to perform calculations and eventually develop the Qin 1.0 operating system. However, their calculations prove to be incorrect, and the planet experiences a tri-solar syzygy, resulting in a catastrophic event that destroys the civilization. As the game ends, Wang logs out and receives a call from a system administrator, who requests his personal information and invites him to a meet-up for Three Body players.
Wang Miao attends a meet-up for players of the virtual reality game "Three Body" at a small coffee shop, where he meets six other players, including a famous scholar, a novelist, and a reporter. The meet-up is organized by Pan Han, who is revealed to be the prime suspect in the murder of Shen Yufei. Pan discusses the game and its relation to the real world, revealing that the world of Trisolaris, with its three suns, is real. He also shares details about the Trisolarans, including their ability to dehydrate and their unique form of communication. The players discuss their feelings about the potential arrival of Trisolaran civilization, with some expressing hope and others concern. Pan ultimately expels two players who do not share the group's ideals and forms a bond with the remaining five, declaring them "comrades." Meanwhile, Wang secretly communicates with Shi Qiang, who is monitoring the situation.
Wang Miao logs into the virtual reality game "Three Body" for the fifth time, finding himself in a world that has undergone a catastrophic transformation. The great pyramid from previous sessions has been destroyed, and in its place stands the United Nations Headquarters. Wang meets Einstein, who is playing a violin, and learns about the "great rip," a disaster that occurred when three suns fell towards the planet, causing massive destruction and tearing the planet apart. The secretary general of the UN explains that the planet's place in the universe is grim, and that the only hope for Trisolaran civilization is to gamble with the universe and find a new home. The session ends with the start of the Pendulum Initiation Ceremony, and Wang is invited to log on again. After logging out, Wang feels exhausted but logs in again, only to find that the Three Body servers are about to be shut down and the game will go directly to the final scene.
Wang Miao logs into the virtual reality game "Three Body" and finds himself in a desolate desert landscape, but soon realizes that the ground is filled with a densely packed crowd of hundreds of millions of Trisolarans. They are all gazing up at the sky, where a stunning sight awaits: a square formation of over a thousand stars, which is revealed to be the Trisolaran Interstellar Fleet. The fleet is about to begin its expedition to a star with planets about four light-years away, and the Trisolarans are celebrating this milestone in their civilization's history. As the fleet accelerates and glides across the sky, the crowd erupts in joy, and Wang stands with them, silently gazing as the fleet disappears into the distance. The game ends with a message announcing the start of the Trisolaran Expedition and inviting players to attend a meet-up of the Earth-Trisolaris Organization in the real world.
The Earth-Trisolaris Organization (ETO) holds a meeting at an abandoned chemical plant, where around three hundred attendees gather to discuss their next steps. Pan Han, a leader of the Environment Branch, is confronted about his actions, including the murder of Shen Yufei, and defends himself by stating that he was acting in the best interest of the Organization. However, Ye Wenjie, the commander of the ETO, reveals that Pan Han has seriously violated the Organization's rules and announces that he will be punished. The meeting takes a dramatic turn when Ye Wenjie orders Pan Han's execution, which is carried out by one of her bodyguards. After the execution, Ye Wenjie addresses the attendees and explains that the Adventists, a faction within the ETO, have been secretly working against the Organization's goals and have been manipulating communications with the Trisolarans. She announces that the ETO will take action against the Adventists and that their goals and ideals will be protected. The meeting ends with Ye Wenjie beginning to tell the story of Red Coast, a secret research facility where she worked, and its significance to the Organization's history.
Ye Wenjie, a brilliant astrophysicist, becomes deeply embedded in the technical core of Red Coast Base, a secret research facility, after learning the true purpose of the Red Coast Project. She is tasked with solving the problem of solar outages, which interfere with the base's monitoring operations. Ye discovers that the sun can amplify radio waves, and she proposes an experiment to test this theory. However, her superiors reject the idea due to its potential political symbolism. Undeterred, Ye secretly conducts the experiment, using the Red Coast transmitter to send a signal to the sun. Although the initial results are inconclusive, Ye's actions set in motion a chain of events that will have far-reaching consequences. The chapter ends with Ye reflecting on the grayness of her life, unaware that her experiment has successfully amplified a radio signal, which is now spreading into the universe, making the sun the brightest star in the Milky Way at a frequency of 12,000 MHz.
Ye Wenjie, an astrophysicist, has been working at Red Coast Base, a secret research facility, for eight years. She has been tasked with monitoring the universe for signs of extraterrestrial life and has become desensitized to the meaningless noise of the universe. However, one night, she discovers a signal that appears to be modulated by intelligence, and after deciphering it, she learns that it is a warning from an alien civilization not to respond. The alien, a pacifist, warns that if Earth responds, it will be invaded and conquered. Despite this warning, Ye decides to respond, and she sends a message inviting the aliens to come and conquer Earth, believing that humanity is no longer capable of solving its own problems. She faints after sending the message and is found by her husband, Yang, who is concerned about her health. The doctor informs Ye that she is pregnant, marking a new chapter in her life.
The story continues with Ye Wenjie recounting her history with the Trisolarans to the members of the Earth-Trisolaris Organization. Wang Miao asks her about the significance of nanomaterials and the space elevator, and Ye explains that the Trisolarans fear humanity's potential to develop such technology, which could allow them to escape gravity and build large-scale defensive structures. The conversation is interrupted by a team of soldiers, led by Shi Qiang, who burst into the cafeteria and surround the ETO members. A tense standoff ensues, with three ETO members holding spheres that they claim are nuclear bombs. After a series of tests, it is confirmed that one of the spheres is indeed a real nuclear bomb. Shi Qiang attempts to negotiate with the young woman holding the bomb, using a ruse about her mother to distract her. The situation ends in a violent confrontation, with the bomb exploding and causing radiation contamination. In the aftermath, over 200 ETO members are arrested, and Shi Qiang is severely injured and contaminated with radiation. As Wang Miao talks to Shi Qiang through a phone, he reveals that his guess about the young woman's mother was just a tactic to distract her, and that he is still trying to process the revelation that actual aliens are involved in the events unfolding on Earth.
Ye Wenjie is being interrogated about her past actions, specifically the murders of Lei Zhicheng and Yang Weining, which occurred on October 21, 1979, while she was working at Red Coast Base. Ye recounts how she discovered an extraterrestrial message and responded to it, and how Lei, who had also discovered the message, tried to use the information to his advantage. Ye decided to kill Lei and her husband Yang, who had arrived on the scene, by cutting the rope they were using to repair a ground wire on a cliff. She describes feeling calm and detached during the act, having found a goal to devote herself to, even if it meant paying a great price. The interrogation continues, with Ye reviewing the record of her statement and preparing to sign it.
Ye Wenjie's life takes a dramatic turn as she becomes embroiled in the lives of the villagers in Qijiatun, where she is taken in by a peasant family after giving birth to her daughter, Yang Dong. The villagers, who have been affected by the Cultural Revolution, show Ye kindness and respect, and she begins to feel a sense of belonging and peace. However, this tranquility is short-lived, as Ye's past eventually catches up with her. She searches for the female Red Guards who killed her father and confronts them, but instead of finding repentance, she is met with a mix of numbness, bitterness, and regret. The Red Guards, now worn down by the hardships of life, see themselves as mere pawns in the game of history, and Ye is left to grapple with the consequences of her own actions and the darkness of human nature. Ultimately, Ye's encounter with the Red Guards reinforces her conviction to bring about a superior civilization from elsewhere in the universe, one that will supplant the flawed and violent human world.
Ye Wenjie, a renowned astrophysicist, encounters Mike Evans, a wealthy American who has been living in a remote village in China's Northwest. Evans, driven by his ideology of Pan-Species Communism, has been planting trees to create a habitat for a nearly extinct species of swallow. However, the local villagers, fueled by poverty and greed, are cutting down the forest, threatening the survival of the swallows. Ye and Evans discuss the futility of human efforts to protect the environment and the inevitability of civilization's destructive path. Ye reveals to Evans her involvement with the Trisolarans and the Red Coast project, and Evans, intrigued by the possibility of an external force that could change humanity's course, considers joining forces with Ye. The chapter ends with Evans extending his hand to Ye, inviting her to be his comrade in a new endeavor, potentially marking the beginning of a new alliance that could alter the fate of humanity.
Three years after her last encounter with Mike Evans, Ye Wenjie receives an invitation to be a visiting scholar at a university in Western Europe. Instead of attending the interview, she is escorted to a helicopter and taken to a ship in the Atlantic Ocean, which is revealed to be the Second Red Coast Base. The base is a modified oil tanker with a huge parabolic antenna, and it is here that Evans has been working to confirm Ye's story about the Trisolarans. He informs her that they have received a message from Trisolaris, confirming everything she told him, and that the Trisolaran Fleet is on its way to the solar system, expected to arrive in 450 years. Evans introduces Ye to the members of the Earth-Trisolaris Organization, a group that aims to invite the Trisolarans to reform human civilization and eliminate its madness and evil. Ye is asked to become the commander-in-chief of the movement, and she accepts, marking the formal beginning of the Earth-Trisolaris Movement.
The Earth-Trisolaris Organization (ETO) is a movement that has attracted many highly educated individuals who have lost hope in human civilization and are willing to betray their own species. The organization is led by Ye Wenjie, who serves as a spiritual leader, and is divided into three main factions: the Adventists, the Redemptionists, and the Survivors. The Adventists are the most extreme, having completely given up on humanity and seeking to eliminate the human race. The Redemptionists, on the other hand, have developed a religious-like devotion to the Trisolaran civilization and believe that solving the three-body problem will save both Trisolaris and Earth. The Survivors are a newer faction that seeks to ensure the survival of humanity's descendants in the face of the impending Trisolaran invasion. Despite their differences, all three factions are driven by a desire to escape the flaws of human civilization and find a better alternative. The ETO's growth and influence have been rapid, with many members holding positions of power and influence in society. However, the organization's existence and goals remain largely unknown to the general public, and it is only when they begin to develop an armed force that governments start to take notice.
Ye Wenjie is being interrogated about her involvement with the Trisolarans and the Earth-Trisolaris Organization. She reveals that the Trisolarans have sent two protons to Earth, which have the ability to block human scientific progress for the next four and a half centuries. The interrogator is skeptical, but Ye explains that the Trisolarans' technology is far beyond human understanding and that they are capable of manipulating micro dimensions. Meanwhile, Wang Miao and Ding Yi discuss the implications of the two protons and the possibility that they could be used to lock down human scientific progress. Ding Yi explains that the ability to control and make use of micro dimensions is a key indicator of a civilization's technological advancement, and that humans are still at a primitive level in this regard. The conversation ends with Ding Yi refusing to speculate further, advising Wang Miao to focus on his responsibilities and not worry about the implications of the two protons.
The story revolves around a high-stakes operation called "Guzheng" to capture the Trisolaran messages stored on the ship "Judgment Day". The plan involves using nanofilaments, known as the "zither", to slice through the ship as it passes through the Panama Canal, thereby killing everyone on board and preventing them from destroying the data. The operation is successful, but not without consequences. The ship is sliced into over 40 pieces, and the data is recovered. However, the true nature of the Trisolaran civilization is revealed to be far from the utopian society that Ye Wenjie had imagined. The captured data reveals a shocking reality that challenges Ye's beliefs and understanding of the alien civilization.
The chapter delves into the world of Trisolaris, where a lone listener at a remote outpost detects a radio signal from Earth, which is confirmed to contain intelligent information. The listener, who has lived a humble and isolated life, becomes enamored with the idea of a utopian Earth and decides to send a warning message to prevent the Trisolarans from invading. The princeps of Trisolaris discovers the listener's actions and condemns him as a criminal, but instead of executing him, decides to let him live to witness the eventual destruction of Earth. The princeps then orders the punishment of over 6,000 individuals responsible for the failure of the monitoring system, and begins to make plans for the Trisolaran fleet to set sail towards Earth, despite the uncertainty of the distance and the risks involved. The chapter explores the themes of existentialism, survival, and the consequences of advanced technology, as the Trisolarans grapple with the implications of their actions and the fate of their civilization.
The Trisolarans have made significant progress with their Project Sophon, aiming to transform a proton into a superintelligent computer. After two failed attempts, they successfully unfold a proton into two dimensions, creating a massive, reflective plane that wraps around their planet. They then etch electronic circuits onto the surface of the proton plane, creating a sophon, the smallest artificial intelligence possible. The sophon is capable of adjusting its dimensionality and can be controlled remotely. The Trisolarans plan to use the sophon to interfere with human scientific progress by infiltrating high-energy particle accelerators on Earth, making it impossible for humans to achieve breakthroughs in understanding the deep structure of matter. The sophons will also be used to create "miracles" to confuse and terrify humans, diverting their scientific thought onto the wrong path. The Trisolarans have also developed a way to communicate with the sophons in real-time, allowing them to monitor the Earth and communicate with alienated forces within human civilization. The chapter ends with the Trisolarans sending a message to humanity, stating "You're bugs!" which is received by everyone in the Battle Command Center, marking a significant turning point in human history.
Wang Miao and Ding Yi are drowning their sorrows in alcohol, having given up hope in the face of the Trisolarans' impending invasion and the limitations imposed on human scientific progress. Shi Qiang, also known as Da Shi, joins them and tries to lift their spirits, but they are too far gone, toasting to their own demise and the end of the world. Da Shi decides to take them on a trip to his hometown, where they find themselves surrounded by a massive infestation of locusts. The sight of the locusts sparks a realization in the two scientists, as Da Shi asks them to consider the technological gap between humans and Trisolarans in comparison to the gap between locusts and humans. This prompts them to reflect on the fact that despite humanity's best efforts, locusts have never been truly defeated, and they begin to see the situation in a new light. The chapter ends with the three men standing together, feeling a sense of dignity and purpose, and ready to face the challenges ahead.
Ye Wenjie, determined to visit the ruins of Red Coast Base, climbs Radar Peak by herself, despite her advanced age and poor health. At the top, she finds a desolate wilderness with no signs of the base, but discovers a metallic base covered in vines and a small stone tablet marking the site of Red Coast Base. Ye reflects on her past, including the lives she ended and her involvement with the Trisolarans, as she gazes out at the village of Qijiatun. With her last bit of strength, she watches the sunset, symbolizing not only her own mortality but also the impending doom of humanity. The chapter ends with Ye's poignant whisper, "My sunset. And sunset for humanity," as the book comes to a close.