Chapter 111: A Ray of Light_1

Jiang Yu couldn't help but feel amused: Sophon was indeed sharp, getting straight to the point.

Externally, he continued to consult with Sophon, "Could such a technology be possible?"

Jiang Shiliu pondered, "Such technology might be possible, but 'Dark Forest' seems more like a special alloy, as it feels warm and smooth to the touch.

"If it were a dense structure formed by strong nuclear forces bringing the molecules closely together, since the molecules are fixed, the surface would be extremely cold, possibly even approaching absolute zero."

Jiang Yu nodded; he had overlooked this point.

That is to say, advanced base materials are not limited to just the path of the strong nuclear force!

As for whether the "Dark Forest" actually has an internal structure, it would be simple to prove.

Jiang Yu then arranged for Jiang Shiliu to rest and drove alone to the excavation site of the "Dark Forest."

The "Dark Forest" had been completely unearthed now, and its height of over a thousand meters seemed deep.

The engineers had already started constructing a research institute within the excavated pit.

Jiang Yu had seen the design plans; the first step was to build a massive arc to completely cover the Black Square.

The research institutes for the "Dark Forest" study group and the laboratory for the Super Soldier will both be located under this massive arc.

Once the laboratory and the research institute are completed, the population here will be on the scale of a small town, so a small power plant and water plant, among other infrastructure, are also under construction in the vicinity.

Jiang Yu, smoking a cigarette, spent twenty thousand "Deception Points" at the Wallfacer's Shop to purchase an item called "Three-Minute Surveillance System Intrusion by Sophon."

A line immediately appeared in his mind: What surveillance task do you need Sophon to complete for you?

In his heart, Jiang Yu said, "Enter the Dark Forest for exploration."

His vision immediately switched to Sophon's perspective as she dived into the "Dark Forest"!

Jiang Yu breathed a sigh of relief; he was worried that even Sophon wouldn't be able to penetrate the "Dark Forest." If that were the case, it would mean that the creators of the "Dark Forest" were far more formidable than the Trisolarans.

Inside the Dark Forest was pitch black, but Jiang Yu was certain that there had to be space inside.

Because the darkness he was seeing now was different from the darkness he experienced when piercing through the "Dark Forest." It was devoid of any substance, indicating almost certainly that it was within a space.

Jiang Yu tried to direct Sophon to move forward when suddenly, a beam of light appeared ahead, and he commanded Sophon to approach it.

Abruptly, his vision was filled with dazzling colors as if he was walking through a corridor of brilliant starlight.

Then, in a flash, the "Dark Forest," the Gobi, and the busy engineers reappeared before Jiang Yu's eyes.

Jiang Yu glanced at his watch. Only half a minute had passed; why had he lost Sophon's perspective so quickly?

...

On Trisolaris, four light-years away.

The monitor, 17166, reported to Governor Number Seventeen: The signal from Sophon unit 7-1, observing the subject Jiang Yu, has suddenly disappeared.

Governor Number Seventeen asked anxiously, "Has the subject Number Three begun researching the 'Dark Forest' again?"

17166: Yes!

Governor Number Seventeen: I reiterate once more! It has not died completely, so for now, do not send Sophons into its interior! As long as we do not provoke it, it cannot threaten us!

Then Governor Number Seventeen declared, as if pronouncing a sentence: "17166, 17119, due to your improper operation, we have lost the valuable Sophon unit number 7! You are hereby sentenced to death by fire! Carry out the execution immediately!"

The military police, who had been waiting, escorted the two officers to the square where the execution was just starting; they should make it in time.

Governor Number Seventeen then gave a self-destruct order to Sophon unit 7-2, stationed on Trisolaris corresponding to Sophon 7-1.

To prevent the enemy from tracking them through the properties of quantum entanglement.

Then, the Number 17 Governor issued a command to the other monitors: Set an evasion program for Sophon, so that all Sophon units should avoid "Dark Forest".

Right after that, the Number 17 Governor went to report the incident to the leader and received his own punishment.

…

It took Jiang Yu a while to think that perhaps there was something inside "Dark Forest" that destroyed Sophon?

Well, that would be fun!

He then bought another "Three minutes of monitoring system intrusion for Sophon" and commanded the Sophon to enter Dark Forest for exploration.

But just as it was about to enter "Dark Forest", the view suddenly "jumped", soaring up into the sky.

Jiang Yu twitched his lips—those Trisolarans were quick to react!

Tried to trap them, but ended up trapping himself, wasting twenty thousand Deception Points for nothing.

However, Jiang Yu immediately thought of that tribe with the strange appearance and ordered Sophon: Find the humanoid tribe with strange appearances living in the desert.

The Sophon did not move, clearly unable to find a target based on Jiang Yu's specified conditions.

Jiang Yu then controlled Sophon to survey the vast Gobi desert from above, and the three minutes passed quickly without finding any clues or traces.

On his way back to camp, Jiang Yu felt some pangs of regret.

Having just spent forty thousand Deception Points, plus the previously used "Stealth", his Deception Points had dwindled to just over seventy thousand.

He somewhat regretted not telling a lie or two during the live stream where he shared his two plans; otherwise, his Deception Points would have reached one hundred fifty thousand by now.

However, the recently spent Deception Points were not entirely without gain; at least it was confirmed that Dark Forest had an internal structure, dispelling the speculation that it formed naturally.

Also, the beam of light inside "Dark Forest" seemed quite powerful. Although it was unclear whether it could destroy Sophon, it could at least severely interfere with Sophon's operations.

Going further, this implies that "Dark Forest" is still operational, at least on a small scale.

Or there might still be life inside!

If they could open "Dark Forest", could there be a chance to communicate with whatever was inside?

Upon this thought, Jiang Yu was suddenly alarmed—was he on the verge of opening a cage imprisoning a "demon"?

If "Dark Forest" was opened, that would spell the disaster for Earth!

Then Jiang Yu shook his head, as if he had the means to open Dark Forest!

Let's think about how to open it when the time comes. There can't possibly be a "demon"; at most, there could be alien prisoners inside.

He didn't recall any prison arming its inmates fully, so he wasn't too worried about them wreaking havoc on Earth.

Back at the military camp, Jiang Yu needed to attend a meeting for the "Super Soldier" project team.

Now, the key members participating in the project, including Bo Xiangdong, had arrived at the camp. While awaiting the construction of the laboratory, they had already started the preliminary theoretical work.

As soon as the meeting started, Jiang Yu was the first to speak, "You should all be aware of the purpose of this project by now.

"First, I hope that everyone can let go of any wishful thinking, as our chances of victory in the Battle of Doomsday are slim.

"After the battle in space is over, we need to have enough strength to continue fighting the enemy on Earth!

"They are after Earth's ecological environment, so they will not use weapons of mass destruction on Earth!

"This gives us a glimmer of hope for our resistance!

"I hope everyone can grasp the essence of this plan. As long as we have the opportunity to engage the enemy in ongoing battle, we can learn the ins and outs of the enemy, and victory is not impossible!"