Xia Country Astronomical Observatory

Three days later.

"Yongchang, have you read the latest issue of Nature?"

As Lü Yongchang sat in his office puzzling over the implications of sonoluminescence, Fang Xu's voice came from beside him.

He paused briefly and looked up at Fang Xu. "Hmm? No, why?"

Seeing the mysterious look on Fang Xu's face, a trace of confusion flickered in Lü Yongchang's eyes.

Nature...

As far as he remembered, nothing major should have happened in academia around this time.

"Then you really should take a look!" Fang Xu looked even more mysterious. "I've never seen anything so bizarre in my life!"

A flicker of unease passed through Lü Yongchang. His brows knitted tightly as he asked quietly, "Xu, what exactly happened?"

Fang Xu smiled and shook his head. "You... you're always so impatient!"

"All right, I'll stop teasing you. An astronomy lab in the United States published a paper in Nature. According to their observations, the sun has shown a lot of anomalous readings over the past month."

"Based on those observations, the lab came to a conclusion."

"Hahaha! Yongchang, you'll never guess what they concluded!"

Before Fang Xu had even finished speaking, Lü Yongchang's expression changed drastically!

At Fang Xu's question, Lü Yongchang murmured to himself, "The sun has entered its old age..."

Fang Xu, who had been about to reveal that absurd conclusion, froze briefly. Then he looked at Lü Yongchang strangely. "You... didn't you say you hadn't read the latest issue of Nature?"

Lü Yongchang ignored Fang Xu's words.

His mind was already in turmoil.

How could it have happened so soon?!

In my previous life, this paper shouldn't have appeared for another two months!

Could it be... that the changes in the sun had accelerated?!

The terrifying scene of the helium flash appeared before his eyes once more.

"Yongchang? Yongchang, what's wrong?"

Perhaps because Lü Yongchang looked so awful, Fang Xu began to panic too. Calling Lü Yongchang's name loudly, he turned toward a nearby researcher and shouted, "What are you standing there for? Get the medical staff!"

Lü Yongchang slowly waved a hand, stopping the researcher.

"I'm fine... there's no need to call the medical staff."

Fang Xu frowned deeply and said in a low voice, "You call this fine? Do you have any idea how pale you look?"

Lü Yongchang swallowed and said quietly, "Xu, I need an astronomical telescope."

Fang Xu said, "Huh???"

Lü Yongchang suddenly reached out and seized Fang Xu's arm. "Xu, trust me! Don't ask why. I need an astronomy lab that can analyze solar data!"

Seeing the sheer terror deep in Lü Yongchang's eyes, Fang Xu swallowed.

Though he had no idea what had happened, he nodded gently and said gravely, "All right... I understand."

"And... let me see the latest issue of Nature!"

Lü Yongchang gritted his teeth and quietly added.

As he looked at the all-too-familiar data in Nature, the last shred of hope in Lü Yongchang's heart vanished completely.

The changes in the sun really had come early!

This made no sense!!!

Could it be... that the changes in the sun in my previous life weren't a natural phenomenon?!

A thought whose implications were utterly terrifying rose unbidden in Lü Yongchang's mind.

He hurriedly shook his head, driving that despair-inducing thought away.

Knock, knock, knock!

A knock sounded at the door.

Lü Yongchang did not look up. He merely stared blankly at the issue of Nature on his desk. "Come in. The door isn't locked..."

Click...

The latch clicked, and the door opened.

"Yongchang, I've put in a request with Minister Hong."

Fang Xu's voice reached him.

At the news, Lü Yongchang's eyes brightened slightly. He looked up at Fang Xu, who stood in the doorway. "Did you get in touch with a reliable astronomy lab?!"

Fang Xu nodded gently.

"Minister Hong took what you said very seriously and contacted the Xia Country Astronomical Observatory directly."

"It's up to you now. When are you ready to leave?"

Lü Yongchang sprang from his chair and stared intently at Fang Xu. "Right now, of course!"

"We have to move fast! I... we may not have any time to waste..."

As he said this, a trace of bitterness flashed in Lü Yongchang's eyes.

Seeing this, Fang Xu grew even more puzzled, but he still nodded gently. "Understood."

"There's a helicopter outside the lab right now. You..."

Before Fang Xu could finish, Lü Yongchang grabbed the pen on his desk and strode resolutely out of the office.

Two hours later.

An armed helicopter slowly descended onto the helipad in front of the Xia Country Astronomical Observatory.

Before the helicopter had fully settled, Lü Yongchang jumped straight out.

The roar of the rotor overhead brought a flicker of nostalgia to his eyes.

"Professor Lü, welcome, welcome!"

Once the helicopter's rotor had slowly come to a stop, an elderly man with graying temples approached Lü Yongchang.

"And you are..."

A hint of confusion appeared in Lü Yongchang's eyes.

"Hehehe, I forgot to introduce myself." The old man beamed as he said cheerfully, "I'm Ye Nangeng, director of the Xia Country Astronomical Observatory."

Lü Yongchang gave a slight start and hurriedly bowed to the old man with a respectful expression. "Mr. Ye, forgive me for failing to recognize someone of your stature. That was rude of me!"

Ye Nangeng waved a hand with a chuckle, utterly unconcerned. "Don't say that!"

"Compared with controlled nuclear fusion, my position as director of an observatory is hardly worth mentioning!"

Suddenly, Ye Nangeng changed the subject.

"By the way, Minister Hong told me you came here to study solar data?"

Lü Yongchang hurriedly nodded. "That's right!"

"Why?" Mr. Ye frowned deeply. "Don't tell me it's because of that paper in Nature?"

Seeing the change in Lü Yongchang's expression, Ye Nangeng immediately knew he had guessed correctly.

As he led Lü Yongchang toward the observatory, he frowned and said, "Professor Lü, I have to say this."

"That paper in Nature makes some very shaky claims!"

"The sun is still in the prime of its middle age. That's an indisputable conclusion."

"When we saw that paper, we observed the sun ourselves. Although some of the data were indeed a little unusual, that absolutely doesn't mean the sun has entered its old age!"

Listening to Ye Nangeng, a trace of bitterness flickered in Lü Yongchang's eyes.

It had been exactly the same in his previous life.

Everyone had believed those tiny changes in the solar data were merely a coincidence.

And because of that, humanity had lost two whole years in which it could have escaped!