Three-Body Episode 9 Recap
> Three-Body Recap
Wang Miao's daily life was made convenient by the countdown he saw, even when waiting for a red light. Upon returning home, he found his daughter, Doudou, struggling with a science experiment: how to fit an egg into a bottle. Wang Miao lit a piece of paper inside the bottle, and the pressure change caused the egg to smoothly slip in. Doudou was amazed, exclaiming that it was like magic.
Wang Miao explained the science behind it, emphasizing that physics is not magic. Meanwhile, Xu Bingbing reported to Chang Weisi and Shi Qiang that she had successfully handled reporter Mu Xing. She recounted how she simply sat in front of Mu Xing in silence for nearly three hours, causing Mu Xing to break down.
Xu Bingbing then told Mu Xing the matter was a state secret to secure her cooperation, even allowing her to continue her investigation on the condition she did not disclose classified information. Mu Xing had already obtained a video revealing all eight safe houses for the scientists.
This baffled Chang Weisi and Shi Qiang, as he had selected and numbered the houses himself, informing the escorting SWAT teams of their specific locations only at the last possible moment, making a leak seem impossible. Shi Qiang's investigation of Hu Xiaoxi, Mu Xing’s source, was surprisingly easy, as Hu Xiaoxi arrogantly and voluntarily surrendered. At the Combat Center, Hu Xiaoxi mocked Chang Weisi and his team, questioning if they even knew who their enemy was.
He displayed extensive knowledge, identifying the command center as the Asian Combat Zone and referencing its European and North American counterparts. Chang Weisi revealed Hu's background as a former internet cafe administrator who became a sci-fi writer, recently winning a large prize for a story about a terrifying future. Hu brazenly claimed to be Chang's enemy, boasting he knew the safe house locations before Chang's orders were even given.
However, Chang Weisi countered that Hu had simply followed instructions from an email and a brief, eleven-second phone call. When Hu attempted to tell a condescending story about a farmer and turkeys, Chang cut him off, dismissing him as an unworthy pawn. Shi Qiang complained that dealing with Hu Xiaoxi was a waste of time and expressed concern that Wang Miao was now exposed to the Frontiers of Science, as he had provided the list of scientists.
In a separate conversation, Shen Yufei praised Wang Miao's performance in the Three-Body game to Pan Han, noting that his progress surpassed their own, suggesting he could grasp the "Lord's" will more quickly. Pan Han remained dismissive, stating Wang Miao was not one of them. Feeling the pressure on Chang Weisi from the security leak, Shi Qiang decided to take a more proactive approach.
He resolved to accompany Wang Miao to meet Shen Yufei, planning to be direct while also ensuring Wang Miao's protection. Pan Han later met with Mu Xing, revealing that he had orchestrated her receiving the information from Hu Xiaoxi. He gave her classified documents on industrial pollution, framing his actions as a biologist's duty and explaining that a powerful union of like-minded people could help her achieve her goals.
Mu Xing realized Pan Han was far more than a simple biologist. Wang Miao arranged to speak with Shen Yufei, who instructed him to meet her inside the Three-Body game. They met on a train in Civilization No. 139, which had advanced to the Steam Age during a long Stable Era. Shi Qiang, disoriented by the game's non-sequential train car numbers, eventually joined them.
Shen Yufei stated their gatherings were always open and offered to share what she knew, but their conversation was cut short as the civilization was abruptly destroyed by the appearance of two suns. Wang Miao and Shi Qiang immediately exited the game to find Shen Yufei in the real world. Arriving at Shen Yufei's home, they found the door open and Shen Yufei waiting. Shi Qiang questioned her about the scientists' suicides.
Shen Yufei explained she had shown Professor Munphy the truth by providing him with the results of Yang Dong's collider experiment "before" it was run. The data showed three wildly inconsistent outcomes with no discernible pattern, a result that should be impossible to predict. She stated that neither applied nor fundamental physicists could calculate such a thing, suggesting physics as they knew it did not exist. She attributed this knowledge to the "Lord," who knows all.
Shen Yufei claimed Munphy committed suicide because his scientific faith was shattered by accepting this truth. Regarding Yang Dong, Shen Yufei professed not to understand her suicide. She noted that Yang Dong had seemed to accept the experimental failure, changed jobs, and even considered marriage. Shi Qiang pressed her about a file she gave Yang Dong five days before her death. Shen Yufei claimed it was merely a recommendation letter for a research institute.
She found it incomprehensible that Yang Dong, ten months after the experiment, would end her life with a note declaring, "Physics has never existed, and will never exist." Shen Yufei concluded that she only revealed the truth; the scientists' subsequent choices were their own.
