=Three-Body=
=Episode 14=
(An hour in the morning is worth two in the evening.)
(Comrades, let's perk ourselves up and welcome this brand new day.)
(According to the latest weather forecast,)
(from 8:00 AM today to 8:00 AM tomorrow,)
(there will be light snow in some areas of the northeast.)
When I first joined the Red Coast Base, they didn't give me a fixed job.
I was just doing technology-related odds and ends,
and there was a security guard supervising me doing that.
It's okay.
I can manage it myself.
What did you do exactly?
Why do they want you watched even when you're cleaning a machine?
I made a serious mistake.
A serious mistake?
What serious mistake could you possibly have made?
You?
I don't believe it.
What's wrong?
It's indeed problematic.
You're in charge here?
Why didn't you notice this?
Fix it right now.
Yes.
Impressive.
You know experiments,
and you have pretty strong observation ability.
When I was in college, my mentor told me that an astrophysicist
wouldn't achieve anything without experiment skills and observation abilities,
however good at theories they were.
At least that's the case in our country.
Compared with your father…
Compared with his opinion, this is entirely different.
Theories are the foundation of application.
I feel theoretical research tends to mess with people's minds.
There are so many terms in physics.
Will changing the names be enough?
I tend to agree with this opinion.
He was too obsessed with theories.
(I will now announce)
(the night shift schedule for next week.)
(Monday: Transmission Department.)
But I'm not surprised. Your mentor is the doyen
of radio astronomy in our country.
Highly respected.
He was the reason I became interested in radio astronomy.
I taught myself some electronic engineering and computer knowledge.
Without the expertise in the two fields, I wouldn't have found the glitch.
That's right.
By the way, what's your postgraduate topic?
I participated in the debugging
of the first small radio telescope in our country with my mentor.
It was during that period
that I accumulated quite some experience in this field.
I never thought this expertise would come in handy in this place.
Yang.
Political Commissar.
The glitch's fixed?
Yeah.
You found it?
She found it.
You have experience in radio astronomy?
As chance would have it, she does know a thing or two.
That's good.
We may move her here for the maintenance.
People who can find such glitches are a rare breed here.
Okay. I'll think about it.
What's there to think about?
Wenjie, from now on, you're in charge here.
Well, Lei…
I need to talk to you about Liu. Come over here.
No…
Liu is incompetent and lacks professionalism.
Why does the stuff he overhauled keep malfunctioning?
I'm speaking to you.
I'm listening.
You were the one who brought him here, and now he proved incompetent.
Should we keep him or weed him out?
Liu, right?
Yeah.
Well, Liu…
I'll knock some sense into him.
That won't improve his competence.
Well, sure, knocking sense into people is also a very important task.
♪Resolved to build their mother country into a paradise♪
♪Advance! Advance♪
♪The momentum of revolution is unstoppable♪
♪Advance! Advance♪
That's good.
We may move her here for the maintenance.
People who can find such glitches are a rare breed here.
From now on, you're in charge here.
That was my first substantive job
in the Red Coast Base.
(Forward the Revolutionary and Improve Productivity)
I couldn't tell if my heartfelt joy
was because of the long-lost trust, or because of the monotonous busyness.
But that was a feeling of great relief.
We don't even have time for lunch.
- Let's go. - Don't be late for the afternoon meeting.
Stop talking. Just go.
(Members of the Transmission Department)
(are to attend a meeting in the debriefing room this afternoon.)
Hey, why don't you eat in the mess hall?
That'll make a difference?
Of course it does.
In the mess hall, you may eat with the others.
I always eat alone.
Uh, how many machines
do you have to check later?
Six.
S… Six?
Well, is Liu absent from work again?
You're doing his job for him?
He's sick.
The hell he is.
That guy is always shirking.
In the past, he had to work, but now you've come,
so he keeps faking being sick.
At this rate,
you'll soon become a technical cadre here.
Don't say that.
I don't like him.
(Equipment Maintenance Report) Liu slacks every day,
dropping all the work in your lap.
I've got to reason with him.
(Normal)
(No. 1731. Reinforce the floorboard.)
It's okay.
I like working.
(PLA Rocket Force,) (the 151st regular transmission)
(of Red Coast Project,) (authorization confirmed.)
(30 seconds to go.)
(Target category: A3.)
(Coordinate serial number: BN20197F.)
(Positioning-check finished. 25 seconds to go.)
(Final document check finished.)
(20 seconds to go.)
(Energy unit report. Normal.)
(Coding unit report. Normal. Amplifier unit report. Normal.)
(Interference detection report. Within allowed range.)
(Application irreversible.)
(Countdown.)
(Thirteen.)
(Twelve.)
(Eleven.)
(Ten.)
(Nine.)
(Eight.)
(Seven.)
(Six.)
(Five.)
(Four.)
(Three.)
(Two.)
(One.)
(Transmit.)
(All units, keep monitoring.)
It's almost time, right?
Yeah, it's almost time.
(Amplifier unit malfunctioned. The computer magnetic core storage)
(in the Transmission Department malfunctioned.)
(Redundancy unit in working order.)
(Checkpoint one reached. Resuming transmission.)
Power source index!
- Hurry! - Okay!
- I'll check it right away. - Report. The signal's weakening.
Have you sent the new data?
- Press on with the check. - On it. Here it is.
Press on with the check.
(…in the Transmission Department displays a failure code.)
(Maintenance personnel are to go and fix it immediately.)
(The computer magnetic core storage)
(in the Transmission Department displays a failure code.)
(Maintenance personnel are to go and fix it immediately.)
Liu, check this out.
We've found the reason. Tell everybody it's because of No. 1731.
Alright.
Malfunctioning device identified. It's No. 1731.
(The 151st transmission of Red Coast Project is finished.)
Malfunctioning device identified. It's No. 1731.
(Red Coast entering detection mode.)
(Monitoring Department, please take over system control)
(and upload the break point data.)
(All units are to fill in the forms in the transmission logs carefully.)
(Group leaders are to go to the meeting room for regular transmission meeting.)
I've checked the data.
There's nothing wrong. The problem lies in your devices.
You know better than me that's not true.
You're just… You're just trying to have me take the fall.
You know better than me if you should take the fall as well.
Yang Weining, you just want me to be your scapegoat.
(All units are to carefully fill in the forms in the transmission log)
(about the malfunction of No. 1731.)
(Group leaders are to go to the meeting room for regular transmission meeting.)
(Over.)
Actually, Liu has identified the problem already.
He also figured out a solution.
He put it all in the maintenance report, but someone crossed it out.
I see.
Liu is actually much more professional than he seems.
Yeah.
All technical military officers here are the best in PLA Rocket Force.
I'll never be able to catch up with him
in terms of electronic and computer expertise.
It doesn't matter anymore.
Anyway, he's leaving.
That's what I'm trying to say.
Liu is competent.
You shouldn't…
It'd be a shame if he got expelled.
A shame?
You're so naive.
You think I'm the reason he's leaving?
Living conditions are very poor in this godforsaken place.
Of course, those things can be overcome,
but you should know very well
what a scientific researcher values the most.
It's the prospects of achievements,
but the research and development of Red Coast systems is over.
There are no prospects for achievements anymore.
And Liu is fully aware that in a top-level project like this,
once he accepts a core position, he'll have to stay here forever.
He's leaving on his own account?
Liu is a smart guy.
In his domain, he counts as a genius, but he chose to pretend to be a fool.
(Equipment Maintenance Report) Do you know
who revised this report?
He himself?
Yeah.
He did it himself.
He can't slack off, so when we tell him to go east,
he'll try his best to go west.
He's playing dumb, and he's a master of it.
He won.
Lei has talked to me many times about his competence.
He said Liu's no good, that he's incompetent,
and unprofessional, and wasting a post.
"Just let him go."
What could I say?
I could only steel myself.
But now I feel this won't work.
At this rate, sooner or later he'll resort to sabotage,
which will be a serious mistake.
He didn't resort to sabotage.
I'm not Cheng Lihua.
If Liu really wants out, I'll let him go.
But I got to give you a note of caution.
After filling the vacancy, you should just do your job,
which is maintenance.
Do not meddle in anything else.
I just can't stand Liu anymore.
You may leave.
Stay here.
I know if I chuck Liu out right now, you might worry about his replacement.
Am I right?
Well, Wenjie is a suitable candidate.
She studied electronics, and computer science,
and she's also got expertise in radio astronomy.
A very suitable, all-around candidate.
It can't be her.
Why can't it be her?
Expertise can be improved over time. Attitude is the key.
Wenjie is very responsible, and she's yearning to improve herself.
I can guarantee you she'll soon outshine Liu in expertise.
Wenjie, neither I nor Weining
obsesses about people's past and ignores the change in them.
I promise we'll assess you in a fair and objective way.
I disagree.
Why do you disagree?
She's unfit to enter the core of Red Coast.
Can we stop talking about the past?
Even Chairman Mao says we should see things dialectically.
We can't fix our eyes on her past and ignore the changes in her.
I think Wenjie's been performing very well since her arrival.
Gi…Give us the room.
Her problem is not a small one.
Well...
You were the one who insisted I move her here,
but now you refuse to put her to work. What the heck are you playing at?
Yeah, I got her here, but I only want her for maintenance.
She's unfit to enter the core of Red Coast.
Why?
She made mistakes.
Yang Weining, even I, the political commissar, have no worries about that.
Why are you concerned about it?
I think Ye Wenjie is suitable for it.
(Forward the Revolutionary and Improve Productivity)
Although Political Commissar Lei and Yang Weining
had a wide divergence of opinion, eventually, I still took Liu's place.
(PLA Rocket Force,)
(the 152nd regular transmission of Red Coast Project,)
(authorization confirmed.)
(30 seconds to go.)
Transmission document number: 27.
- Appendix: none. - Relay: none.
(The 152nd transmission of Red Coast Project is successful.)
(Authorization finished.)
(Shutting down transmission system.)
(Red Coast entering detection mode.)
(Monitoring Department, please take over system control)
(and conduct the reception of data.)
(All units are to fill in the forms in the transmission logs carefully.)
(Over.)
You've come.
The organization has made a decision.
From here on out, Liu's position will be yours.
You'll be in charge of the core work of the Transmission Department.
You need to keep it up, and stay meticulous and responsible.
I'll caution you once again.
Stay out of things you shouldn't meddle in,
- especially the kind that… - Report.
Chief Engineer Yang.
I've heard.
Our leaders had a meeting and deliberated on it.
You're now a cadre.
I need to get to work.
(Equipment Maintenance Report)
Wenjie.
Political Commissar Lei.
They told me you applied for entry into the reference room.
I did.
I need to look up the models of some machines.
I've told the security
you may go to the reference room whenever you want.
Thank you for your trust, Political Commissar Lei.
For the moment, it's just the cybernation unit
of the transmission system.
- We need to open it to you step by step. (- OS: Wang.)
(OS: These data are problematic.)
I understand.
(- OS: Check them again.) - Yes.
Why do you want to look up these models?
Lately I've come to know many core contents,
so some questions arose in my mind.
This is an important confidential project of our country,
but the devices here are too outdated.
Take the Transmission Department's computers for example.
Although there are three of them,
all of them are even more primitive than DJSC30.
They're even still using
cumbersome magnetic core memory and paper input tape.
They're too heavy,
and their longest uptime did not exceed 15 hours.
I also checked Red Coast's targeting system.
Its precision is very low, probably not even on par
with that of an artillery cannon.
I understand your worries, but our country is in the early stage of construction.
To be specific, it's like a child.
Everything is waiting to be taken up. Just like the northern tree farm.
The objective conditions are undeniably poor,
but we have to strive when conditions are good,
and when conditions are poor, we have to improve the conditions and then strive.
We need to overcome all obstacles and work miracles.
This is all we need to do in Red Coast.
I understand.
I'll try my best.
Go. Get to work.
♪In the blue sky float white clouds♪
♪Below the white clouds run horses♪
♪I swing my horsewhip and the crack travels far and wide♪
♪Countless birds take flight♪
♪If someone asks me♪
♪What this place is♪
♪I'll proudly tell him♪
♪This is my hometown♪
♪People here love peace♪
♪And their hometown♪
♪Singing about my new life♪
Wenjie.
Political Commissar Lei.
Wenjie, how long have you been working in the Transmission Department?
43 days.
You have a very good memory.
By now you're pretty familiar with the Transmission Department.
This is Red Coast's principal part, and also its offensive component.
I'd like to hear your views of the system as a whole.
Go ahead, speak your mind.
Political Commissar Lei, I'm just responsible for maintenance and repair.
As for Red Coast's overall condition, including its operation and targets,
I know nothing about those things.
I'm not allowed to know.
Your awareness is impressive,
but it's also important to be practical and realistic.
If you do have something to say, you may just say it.
There's nobody else around.
The principal part of the transmission component,
when you come down to it, it's just a radio transmitter.
That's one way to put it.
Wenjie, do you know about microwave ovens?
They are a luxury plaything of the capitalist West.
Food is heated by the energy generated from absorbing microwave radiation.
At my previous research station, in order to precisely test
the high-temperature aging of certain components, we imported one.
After work, we would use it to bake potatoes or warm mantou-bread.
It's very interesting.
The inside of the food heats up first while the outside remains cold.
Actually, Red Coast system is a giant microwave oven,
and its heating targets are the enemy's space vessels.
If we can apply microwave radiation at a specific power level
of one-tenth of a watt to one watt per square centimeter,
we'll be able to disable or destroy many electronic components
of satellite communications, radar, and navigation systems.
I see.
It's different from what you thought, right?
Though Red Coast system is just a radio transmitter,
it's not a conventional device.
If its transmission power reaches 25 megawatts,
that'll be really staggering.
This is not just more powerful than all communication transmissions,
but also all radar transmissions.
That's right.
Red Coast relies on a set of gigantic capacitors for energy.
Because the power requirements are so high, its transmission circuits
are also entirely different from conventional designs.
Now I understand the purpose of such ultrahigh power in the system.
But emission from the system seems to be modulated.
Yeah.
However, the modulation is unlike that used in conventional radio communications.
The purpose isn't to add information.
It's to use a kind of shifting frequencies and amplitudes
to penetrate possible shielding deployed in the space by the enemy.
Of course, those are still experimental.
I see.
Thank you, Political Commissar Lei.
Recently, two target satellites were launched from Jiuquan.
We launched an effective attack with Red Coast system.
It was a complete success. The targets were destroyed.
Temperature inside the satellites reached nearly a thousand degrees,
and all instruments and photographic equipment onboard were destroyed.
In future wars, Red Coast can effectively strike
at the enemy's communication and reconnaissance satellites,
like KH-8, the principal spy satellites our opponent is using right now,
as well as the KH-9, which are about to be launched.
Of course, the low-orbit spy satellites are even more vulnerable.
If necessary, we even have the capacity to destroy
the Skylab station that the West plans on launching next year.
This is Red Coast.
You've come.
Wenjie, give us some privacy.
Yes.
Why did you tell her this?
Does she even believe it?
She believes it.
What's the point?
It's very risky to disclose such information to her.
I know Ye Wenjie is indeed problematic,
but she is also very competent, and she's got motivation.
She overshadows many people in the base.
What do you think we're doing here?
We need to make achievements.
Of course, we'll be doing it for our country.
You picked me.
It was you who brought me to this base.
But you're too artless.
I can stay here for the rest of my life,
but even to this day, you still don't trust me.
Sometimes, trust can drag you into an abyss.
The next day, I was transferred out of the Transmission Department.
I thought I'd never be able to enter the core of Red Coast again.
So it was Chief Engineer Yang who transferred you?
But it couldn't be.
In principle, Political Commissar Lei
had way greater powers than Chief Engineer Yang.
After all, a political commissar has the final say on all important affairs.
Obviously, Lei Zhicheng made a personal decision
to tell me the Red Coast's true purpose.
I was really very grateful to him for the trust he placed in me,
because trust was a luxury I dared not even wish for at that time.
Maybe Chief Engineer Yang was a somewhat prudent guy.
That was what I thought.
I felt Yang Weining was nothing more than a typical intellectual of the period.
I found his actions understandable, but we became estranged from each other.
Fortunately, Political Commissar Lei trusted you.
Yeah.
I feel he's a serviceman.
He had a soldier's frank and forthright manners.
In fact, from then on, everything changed.
What happened next?
When time gets involved,
the line between right and wrong becomes blurry.
Take Lei Zhicheng for example.
I learnt much later that all he told me was a lie.
A lie?
About the true purpose of Red Coast?
The true reason they built Red Coast
was far more important and complicated than he said it was.
And far more incredible.
Wasn't Red Coast for reconnoitering
and destroying enemy countries' communication satellites?
The true value of Red Coast…
Sorry, Wang, about this part, I cannot tell you yet.
I understand.
Sorry, Ms. Ye.
I asked too many questions, but I'm very grateful to you
for telling me so many interesting past events.
Thank you.
Red Coast was a giant microwave oven?
Then why did they keep it secret?
Professor Ye didn't say it's a microwave oven.
It's your job to find out what it was.
I know. I know.
The archives are still classified.
Chang has been rushing them, and I've been rushing Chang.
Have you noticed this doubtful point?
Yang Weining.
What about him?
Yang Dong.
Yang Dong's surname was also Yang.
I was too embarrassed to ask her.
I can't believe this.
You are too thin-skinned.
Do you still remember how I interrogated you that day?
I saw the look in your eyes when you saw Yang Dong's picture.
Your eyes just lit up.
What did I say? I said "You know her?"
(Yang Dong) You know her?
You don't know her, but want to know her?
Don't overthink it.
I'm just telling you
a cop must not overlook any detail when looking into a case.
I'm not a cop.
I know.
But it's the same thing, isn't it?
Did you solve the problems in the game?
I kind of made some progress.
But about the flying stars, Professor Ye doesn't know much either.
Flying stars?
I think I…
You read it only this morning.
Yeah.
Sha Ruishan gave us this paper.
Do you know who wrote it?
Who?
Yang Dong's mother.
Ye Wenjie.
(Wenjie Ye Tsinghua University)
(Stellar Structure and Evolution)
Stellar Structure and Evolution.
Professor Ye recommended this book to me.
She said she quoted a lot from this book when writing this paper.
I need to find this book and read it asap.
I'll take this paper with me and do some research.
I've got to go.
Alright.
Are you more suspicious of Ye Wenjie now?
At first I just felt she took Yang Dong's death too calmly.
(OS: Well.)
Her life remained completely unchanged. (OS: It's time)
(OS: for cartoons.)
She accepted the turkey theory, helped Wang Miao observe cosmic flicker.
She encouraged Wang Miao to follow Copernicus's example.
She's also an astrophysicist, who wrote a paper about flying stars.
Just now Wang Miao said that in the Red Coast Base,
she loved to see the sun,
but she's got nothing to do with the Frontiers of Science.
It strikes me that she is the biggest questionable point.
(Ye Wenjie)
♪I've seen things you people won't believe♪
♪Soon our planet will vanish♪
♪I've known the future you people won't think of♪
♪Soon your planet will be punished♪
♪I've seen things you people won't believe♪
♪Soon our planet will vanish♪
♪I've known the future you people won't think of♪
♪Soon your planet will be punished♪
♪I've seen things you people won't believe♪
♪Soon our planet will vanish♪
♪I've known the future you people won't think of♪
♪Soon your planet will be punished♪
♪I've seen things you people won't believe♪
♪Soon our planet will vanish♪
♪I've known the future you people won't think of♪
♪Soon your planet will be punished♪
♪I've seen things you people won't believe♪
♪Soon our planet will vanish♪
♪I've known the future you people won't think of♪
♪Soon your planet will be punished♪
=Three-Body=