The Moon, Landing Plains.
A large lunar rover traveled across the rugged lunar surface, its eight wheels rising and falling with the changing terrain, always keeping the vehicle stable.
Beneath the wheels, two tracks extended into the distance, all the way to the foot of Landing Mountain.
Shortly after, the lunar rover arrived at the designated location. Everyone fastened their helmets, and the tail gate of the lunar rover opened. Several assault team members carried two unnamed devices out of the vehicle.
One was a small reactor that had just been transported to the Landing Mountain base, and the other was an unnamed device salvaged from the wreckage of the broken ship.
No one knew what this thing was used for. Previously, there was a lack of power supply equipment, making experiments impossible. Now that the military could manufacture small reactors, Gong Yiding recalled the idle alien equipment in the hold and immediately applied for ten reactors for experimentation.
The assault team members placed the reactor and the unnamed device in the specified positions. Two technicians immediately took over, set up the wireless power supply equipment in a few steps, and then arranged various observation devices. "Station chief, it's done!"
"We'll withdraw once it's done!" With that, he was the first to board the lunar rover.
According to military regulations, any equipment with unknown experimental functions must be kept away from the base with sufficient safety distance.
This experimental field was more than thirty kilometers away from Landing Mountain. Unless a 50 million ton Tsar Bomba was dropped, even a nuclear bomb would not have the slightest impact on the Landing Base.
If necessary, aircraft could be used to move the experimental site to the second experimental field over a hundred kilometers away. However, based on Gong Yiding's experience, this alien device was likely not something dangerous, so there was no need to go that far.
After moving away from the experimental site, the lunar rover stopped behind a moon rock. Director Gong personally set up the periscopic observation equipment. "Let's begin!"
The two technicians agreed in unison and immediately issued the startup signal.
The reactor in the distance started with a roar, and continuous energy crossed the void, inputting into the unknown device.
One minute, no movement.
Two minutes, no reaction.
Three minutes, still no change.
Gong Yiding was patient, but at this moment, he was a little restless. Was there a problem with the device itself, or had the experimental equipment malfunctioned?
Once an experiment begins, there's no reason to stop it. Furthermore, the reactor's monitoring data showed that energy was indeed being supplied to the alien device, making it even more impossible to halt.
In the blink of an eye, over half an hour had passed. The energy supplied to the unnamed device had reached an astonishing figure, yet the device itself remained unchanged.
Gong Yiding's neck was stiff, but he dared not look away – who knew if a change would occur in the next second!
At this moment, a star at the edge of the lens suddenly burst into brilliant light, illuminating the lunar surface as brightly as Earth during the day.
Gong Yiding looked up abruptly, staring blankly in that direction.
The others also stared blankly at the starry sky, not knowing what had happened.
Lu Yu came back to his senses and asked curiously, "Station Chief Gong, what is that, a supernova?"
Director Gong's expression was extremely solemn. "It seems so..."
"Station Chief, there's movement!" The technicians' shouts drew everyone's attention back. Gong Yiding immediately leaned in, only to see a deep darkness covering the experimental field.
Gong Yiding was not happy at all. "Damn it, cut the power, quickly shut down the reactor—"
At the same time, near-Earth orbit.
After years, the dilapidated Cloud Palace II had been completely renovated. Lan Qingyu, who had just come on shift, drifted slowly along the corridor, intending to eat a meal before returning to her cabin to rest.
But as she passed a porthole, a beam of light suddenly shone into the corridor.
Her heart suddenly clenched. Recalling the past invasion by alien species, she immediately pressed herself against the window... In the dark void, a bright light was slowly dissipating, gradually turning into a small red dot.
It was so bright that, apart from the sun, no one could rival it. Even a full moon on the fifteenth would pale in comparison.
Could it be a supernova? No, that direction seems to be... Jupiter?
Lan Qingyu made the correct judgment, but her heart was filled with a big question mark.
How was this possible?
Huaxiong City.
Compared to two years ago, the streets were much quieter. Many shops on the streets were closed, and there were very few pedestrians, giving the appearance of a desolate and dilapidated place.
Near the coast, there were guards posted every five steps, and sentries every ten steps, with strict defenses.
But none of this could dampen Wang Lei's good mood.
This afternoon, he and his comrades had solved a major case, and their months of effort had paid off. Naturally, he was in high spirits.
It was getting late. He patted his stomach and sat down in front of a small shop on the street. "Brother Liu, one bowl of wontons!"
"Coming right up! What's this, the sun rose in the west today? Why are you getting off work on time?" the owner greeted enthusiastically.
They were all old neighbors, seeing each other often. They knew what Wang Lei did for a living.
"It's nothing, just not busy today." Wang Lei responded skillfully.
Case details had to be kept confidential. Not only from unrelated personnel but also from his own family.
"Ah, it's really not easy doing your job!" The owner shook his head, adding a few more wontons to the pot. "To be honest, my niece has had her eyes on you for a long time, but because your job is too hard and too dangerous, her family absolutely refused..."
"Oh, really?" Wang Lei laughed happily. "Too bad, I have a girlfriend."
"Isn't that right, a destined encounter but no fate!" The owner sighed helplessly.
Wang Lei didn't have a girlfriend at all; he was just going along with the owner's words.
As a police officer, it wasn't easy when there were no cases, and even more so when there were cases, working day and night. How could he have time to date a girlfriend? To say he wasn't tempted would be a lie.
But since the owner had explicitly said his family wouldn't agree, could he climb the ladder? Of course not!
As they spoke, the wontons were cooked. The owner skillfully ladled them into a bowl, added a drop of sesame oil, and placed it in front of Wang Lei. "Here, eat while it's hot..."
Suddenly, a flash of light occurred, making the streetlights dim.
Wang Lei leaped to his feet, instinctively thinking that the sea monsters had attacked again.
But after standing up, he realized the alarm hadn't sounded, and the pedestrians on the street were all looking up at the sky.
He followed suit and looked up, immediately seeing a red star hanging high in the sky, radiating light.
Wang Lei's heart sank. Years ago, when dealing with alien spacecraft, the sky was also this bright. Could it be happening again?
But he quickly realized something was wrong. The light lasted much longer than a mushroom bomb, and the light source was far beyond the moon, definitely not occurring in near-Earth orbit.
But where did that star come from?