The Three-Body Game

"For example, the fusion reactor I'm researching, and the Hall thruster that will come in the next stage, once it has been miniaturized."

Zhang Qi's voice rang clearly through the quiet reception room. He lightly tapped the side of the white porcelain teacup with his knuckles, producing a crisp ding. "The former represents virtually limitless energy, while the latter represents the ability for long-distance interstellar travel free from the constraints of propellant."

"Although both are still at the theoretical and prototype stage, the fact that they have listed them as priority targets of concern instead proves for us that this is the right path."

He smiled, lifted the teacup, and took another sip. The scalding tea slid down his throat like a warm thread.

"In a sense, they've even saved me quite a bit of trouble—"

Chang Weisi froze with his teacup halfway to his mouth.

Several seconds later, he slowly set it back onto the table.

Those involved could not see clearly, while onlookers could.

Over the past few days, this group had been driven to distraction by those inconceivable "miracles" and the string of scientists' suicides. They had buried themselves in the dead end of figuring out how to crack the "trick," while overlooking the most fundamental question.

Whatever the other side had designated as its highest-priority target had to be the greatest threat.

The logic was as simple as one plus one equaling two.

Yet before the enormous technological gap and information asymmetry, they, the people caught within the game, had failed to see through even this thinnest layer of paper.

"We've been led around by the nose by their 'miracles,' always trying to understand them, to analyze them—"

"Yet we forgot to look for answers in their own actions."

Chang Weisi's index finger lightly tapped the