Three-Body Episode 17 Recap
> Three-Body Recap
Shi Qiang pressed Chang Weisi for Ye Wenjie's declassified file, growing increasingly impatient with the delay. He pointed out the unusual coincidence that both Ye Wenjie and Shen Yufei were scheduled to go to Hai City the next day. Suspecting something was amiss, Shi Qiang declared his intention to take Wang Miao to investigate their destination, Qijiatun, which he noted was not only the location of Shen Yufei's red ginseng factory but also the Red Coast Base.
Despite Chang Weisi's mild irritation, Shi Qiang insisted they catch an early flight to the Northeast and then a train to Qijiatun to ensure they arrived around the same time as Ye and Shen. He assured Wang Miao that their associate department would provide a police escort from the airport directly to the train station. Meanwhile, on a train, Shen Yufei received a chilling phone call. The caller warned her that someone was outside her door, intending to kill her.
She was instructed to hang up, flush the toilet, and then wait for three knocks before opening the door and leaving. Shen Yufei diligently followed the instructions. Upon opening the door, she found no one, but the phone rang again, directing her to proceed to car No. 1. Navigating through the train, she accidentally bumped into another passenger before reaching car No. 1, where she found Ye Wenjie.
Ye Wenjie, whom Shen Yufei addressed as "Commander," stated that "they" were making their move and revealed that Chen Xue had just saved Shen Yufei's life. Chen Xue suggested taking Ye Wenjie back, but Ye reassured them that professionals would handle the equipment and she would personally oversee it.
Ye Wenjie also disclosed that Headhunter Qi's son had informed her about a foreign volunteer teacher in the village who taught children to protect spruce and skylarks and loved planting trees, confirming, "It's him. He's been in the village for several days." Realizing the danger, Ye Wenjie declared they could no longer stay on the train and decided they would disembark at the next stop, Shanhai Pass, as she was their target and the Adventists had gone mad.
When Shen Yufei inquired if Ye Wenjie was aligned with the Redemptionists, Ye Wenjie clarified that initially, there were no such factions. She mused that disagreements were caused by "Lord," much like the Tower of Babel, leaving her to question whether Lord sought destruction or redemption for humanity. She concluded they needed to get off and "listen to Lord's voice" to decide their next step, even if two years of silence from Lord also constituted a message.
Back in Beijing, Wang Miao's wife expressed concern about his sudden, early departure for Hai City, where he claimed he was to inspect a nanotech red ginseng processing plant. Despite the early hour, Shi Qiang and Wang Miao were already at the airport.
Wang Miao, initially surprised by the lack of conventional flights to the Northeast at such an early time, learned from Shi Qiang that they would be taking an SA341 gunship, as Chang Weisi had been unable to secure a J-10 fighter jet. On the train, Shi Qiang complained about the food and their lack of proper tickets as they repeatedly searched for Ye Wenjie and Shen Yufei without success. They were soon approached by train police checking tickets and IDs.
Wang Miao deduced something serious had happened. The police officer confirmed a murder had occurred; a body with a snapped neck, suggesting a professional killer, had been removed several stops prior, and all identifying information had been disposed of. Noting that Ye Wenjie and Shen Yufei were nowhere to be found, Shi Qiang immediately instructed Wang Miao to call Ye Wenjie.
She answered, claiming she was already in Qijiatun visiting old friends and that her friends had arranged a car for her to avoid the long train ride. Following Shi Qiang's lead, Wang Miao expressed interest in visiting the Red Coast Base, and Ye Wenjie agreed to wait for him there.
Shi Qiang found the timing of the murder too coincidental with their absence, despite the unlikelihood of their direct involvement, and they were now stuck on the train for over ten more hours. At the Red Coast Base, Ye Wenjie, Shen Yufei, and Chen Xue arrived. An associate reported to Ye Wenjie that they had maximized reception for all wavebands from the direction of Centaurus but had still received no message.
Ye Wenjie then commanded them to dismantle all the reception equipment. She explained that if Lord had chosen the Adventists, their own efforts were pointless, but if neither faction had received messages, it was their responsibility to change the Adventists' path. She reassured a dismayed Shen Yufei that this was not a bad thing.
After the system was dismantled, Ye Wenjie instructed Shen Yufei to return to Beijing so that Wang Miao, who would arrive soon, would not see them together. Using Shen Yufei's phone, Ye Wenjie then called Pan Han, instructing him to inform Evans that it was time for them to meet at Red Coast. Later, Wang Miao arrived at the village entrance of Qijiatun, waiting under a large cypress tree as instructed.
Shi Qiang went to the village committee to gather information about the red ginseng factory. A villager, Qi Jianguo, soon arrived to pick up Wang Miao, confirming he was sent by Ye Wenjie. Qi Jianguo shared that Ye Wenjie had lived with his family when she was younger and they were very close. He also confirmed the presence of a red ginseng factory run by a foreigner, which provided local employment.
When asked, he dismissed the idea of Ye Wenjie having any connection to the factory. Upon reaching the dilapidated Red Coast Base, Ye Wenjie greeted Wang Miao. She explained that the base was abandoned, but its structural framework remained due to the prohibitive cost of demolition. As they walked through the deserted facility, Ye Wenjie led Wang Miao to the Monitoring Department.
She explained that what she initially perceived as a demotion turned out to be Red Coast's true core, where she discovered the real purpose of the base. In a flashback, unseen colleagues debated how much to tell her, with one arguing she needed information to work effectively while another cautioned against revealing too much.
Political Commissar Lei Zhicheng, asserting he knew what to say, then formally informed Ye Wenjie of her transfer, explaining the department's objective: to monitor all enemy activities in space, including intercepting communications and tracking spacecraft, effectively serving as "the eyes of Red Coast."
