Chapter 56
The "secret" Susie uncovered was like a stone dropped into a calm lake, sending ripples swiftly across the base. However, unlike the awkwardness Wen Ling had anticipated, the base members expressed a kind of tacit relief. In the cafeteria, when he and Miao Weizhen appeared together again, the good-natured teasing glances remained, but with a deeper, "as expected" understanding. Han Zhong even quietly reserved the chair next to Miao Weizhen's usual seat for Wen Ling, and Lao Lin, during one of his inspections, conveniently adjusted the lighting angle on Wen Ling's workbench to make it more comfortable for extended reading.
This invisible acceptance gave Wen Ling a sense of belonging despite her shyness.
Meanwhile, the core team's collaboration entered a new phase. Under the leadership of Dr. Anthony, the upgrade and transformation of the "Luofeng Reverberation" system progressed steadily. He discarded some of the overly radical and dangerous original designs, instead embedding Wen Ling's rigorous ethical framework and security protocols deeper into the system's core.
"Minister Miao," Anthony said during a technical meeting, pointing to a new architecture diagram with a scholarly seriousness. "According to the new security protocols, the 'rip' mode, which forcibly breaks through the deep consciousness defenses, will be permanently locked. We must accept that some memories, obscured by layers of encryption or self-deception, may never be accessible."
Miao Weizhen stared at the red-locked function module on the screen, his face expressionless. That was the weapon he had designed to uncover the truth at all costs.
"Okay," he uttered after a moment's silence. He chose to accept this bondage, for the sake of the "bottom line" that Wen Ling had always guarded, and also for, perhaps, a different beginning from the past.
Wen Ling listened at the side without saying a word, but gently squeezed Miao Weizhen's hand under the table. The slight coolness from his fingertips distressed him, and also made him feel a shared weight.
Technical barriers were overcome layer by layer, but the search for clues to Xinglan's whereabouts seemed to have reached an impasse. The fragments of intelligence that existed were like jigsaw puzzle pieces scattered among the cosmic dust, difficult to piece together.
"We need a broader perspective," Wen Ling said to Miao Weizhen, standing in front of a massive star map late one night. He traced his fingertips over several ancient routes marked on the map that might be related to the Star Shuttle project. "Perhaps we've been focusing too much on the details and overlooking the bigger picture. Where these routes intersect...are there patterns we haven't yet discovered?"
His proposal received positive responses from Susie and Ye Lan.
Two top engineers began utilizing the computing power of the Iron Throne, combining ancient star maps with existing star field data to attempt a large-scale simulation of spatial structure. This was a time-consuming task requiring the mobilization of significant resources at the base.
At this time, the daily operation of the base faced new challenges——
The management pressure brought by the population increase. More people coming here means more complicated material allocation, job arrangement and potential friction.
Ayuan, who had been quietly overseeing internal coordination, stepped up. This gentle woman, once solely focused on the hydroponic garden, now displayed unexpected management talent and patience. She meticulously identified each person's strengths and needs, worked closely with Lao Chen to optimize the flow of supplies, and even cleverly introduced subtle competitive mechanisms into daily work, improving overall efficiency. She was no longer simply a nurturer of life; she had also become the coordinator of this small social ecosystem.
General Han Zhong reorganized his "Cangling Guard" with the base's existing defense forces, implementing a model of veterans mentoring the new. While he remained strict on the training grounds, he would privately chat with the homesick young soldiers, recounting Sailiang's past glory and future hopes. He was more than just a military leader; he became a pillar of unity.
Even Luo Yan seemed to have changed slightly. She was still quiet and efficient, but once, Wen Ling saw her standing outside the medical area, looking through the observation window at an injured member of her team who was receiving treatment inside. Her cold, mechanical eyes stared for a long time before turning away.
Everyone is growing up, finding their own irreplaceable position on this ark called the "Iron Throne", and being quietly changed by this collective.
A few days later, Susie and Ye Lan made a breakthrough in their simulation calculations.
"Minister! Your Highness! Come and see!" Susie's voice came through the communicator with uncontrollable excitement.
Everyone gathered at the command center. The vast star map was redrawn, countless points of light and lines intertwined, ultimately forming a vague, vortex-like topological structure in a previously overlooked star region that had been rarely explored due to gravitational anomalies.
"According to simulations, the center of this 'vortex' coincides with one of the theoretically defined extreme jump coordinates of the 'Star Shuttle' project with a 92% accuracy!" Ye Lan pointed at the dark area, his tone calm yet his excitement barely concealed. "Furthermore, the spatial readings here are extremely abnormal, consistent with the presence of long-term high-intensity energy."
Everyone's eyes turned to the center of the vortex. There, perhaps the final answer to Xing Lan's disappearance lay, or perhaps, a huge unknown danger lurked.
Miao Weizhen gazed at the abyssal starfield, his eyes sharp as a hawk's, as if he could penetrate the endless space and gaze directly at the answer to the mystery that had troubled him for years. The aura around him once again became cold and oppressive, the state of a hunter who has finally locked onto his prey.
Wen Ling stood beside him and could feel the suppressed excitement and a deeper fear beneath his tense muscles. He once again silently held Miao Weizhen's hand.
This time, Miao Weizhen gripped his fist even tighter, almost crushing his finger bones.
"Prepare the fleet." Miao Weizhen's voice was deep, carrying unquestionable determination, echoing in the silent command center. "Target, the center of the vortex. We should go and take Xinglan home."
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