Chapter 13: Watching the Starry Sky

Shen Xingyun took the file and flipped through it carefully for a moment before saying, "Look, every one of these black holes has a mass hundreds of millions of times that of the Sun. Although we know that black holes possess immense gravity and leave almost no matter behind, the more we realize this, the more carefully we must observe. We must not overlook even the slightest change or the faintest trace..."

Yuan Jie nodded slightly, then couldn't help but ask, "Professor, how large are these mysterious spaces—these black holes—that look like tangyuan?"

Shen Xingyun smiled, a profound light in his eyes: "That is precisely what we must explore through continuous observation."

"Using this telescope of ours?" Yuan Jie asked cautiously, his eyes filled with both confusion and anticipation.

Professor Shen sensed the doubt in Yuan Jie's words and patiently explained, "Although our country's current astronomical telescopes possess excellent performance, high sensitivity, and rapid response speeds—capable of capturing even the faint signal of a voice from the Moon—they are burdened with the vital mission of searching for extraterrestrial life and exploring unknown pulsars in the universe."

As he spoke, he looked at Yuan Jie with a hint of expectation: "Tell me, what is the unique advantage of our Lijiang Station telescope?"

Yuan Jie scratched his head sheepishly and replied with a smile, "I understand now. Our focus isn't on observing black holes, but on those small asteroids that are easily overlooked." He suddenly recalled the paper the professor had published in the journal *Science*, titled "Asteroid Observation and Identification," and was struck by a sudden realization.

Yuan Jie knew that the 2.4-meter Lijiang telescope excelled at observing near-Earth asteroids. As the primary observation tool of the Lijiang Observatory of the Yunnan Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, it possessed the capability for high-precision tracking of fast-moving targets such as near-Earth asteroids.

This general-purpose optical telescope had a distinct "personality," equipped with both Cassegrain and Nasmyth foci. With a long focal length and a relatively narrow field of view, it could be operated both remotely and automatically. Its pointing and tracking system was exceptional, allowing for precise observation of the trajectories and position information of asteroids. This made it ideal for discovering and recording celestial bodies and astronomical phenomena that often went unnoticed, effectively serving as the "natural enemy" of fast-moving objects like near-Earth asteroids.

In December 2024, in particular, it successfully captured images of the near-Earth asteroid 2024 XA1 before its impact, obtaining its position and brightness data, which provided scientific support for human early warning and defense against near-Earth asteroids.

Shen Xingyun nodded slightly and continued, "You also know that the total mass of all stars, planets, and galaxies in the universe currently accounts for less than 4% of the whole. The remaining 96% consists of mysterious dark matter and dark energy, the secrets of which have yet to be unveiled by humanity. Therefore, observing and discovering valuable asteroids—those that pose a threat to Earth—in this vast universe is no easy task; we must be selective."

Yuan Jie was lost in thought and raised another question: "I learned from the data that the farthest distance for observing the universe from space is about 13.8 billion light-years, but if we infer based on the expansion after the Big Bang, the observable universe can reach 92 billion light-years. Which region do you think is easier for us to find valuable asteroids in?"

Shen Xingyun reached out and pointed to the cosmic space on Yuan Jie's computer screen, analyzing earnestly: "Look, if we observe regions too far from us, even if asteroids exist, it is difficult for them to reach our vicinity. Furthermore, in areas where black holes exist, no matter can escape the control of their powerful gravity."

His finger traced slowly across the screen. "Therefore, I believe we should focus our gaze on the Milky Way, which is only 160,000 light-years in diameter. It contains hundreds of billions of stars, especially those near newly formed supernovae. In our solar system, scientists have currently detected 30,039 near-Earth asteroids, among which over 1,400 cannot be ruled out as having the potential to impact Earth."

Yuan Jie's eyes lit up, as if he had already seen through the telescope those shimmering, mysterious little bodies among the countless stars of the Milky Way. His heart was filled with anticipation for future observation work...

At that very moment, in the wilderness sky, the young people's drag racing carnival had reached its climax, with Yao Kui's "Soul Reaper" and Er Hei's "Lightning" still chasing one another.

Suddenly, a blinding flash streaked across the high altitude, followed by a deafening "boom." Countless brilliant sparks bloomed instantly, like fireworks during a grand festival, scattering toward the earth. But behind this beautiful scene lay an endless disaster.

Two speeding cars seemed to have suffered a fatal blow; they lost control and plummeted rapidly toward the valley.

"Oh no! Something's wrong!" Chen Miaomiao screamed in terror. Everyone was instantly jolted out of their excitement, frantically jumping into their own cars and speeding toward the scene of the accident.

Meng Yang and Gu Dajun, relying on their superior driving skills, were the first to arrive.

Thick black smoke rose in curls. One car had already flipped over the cliffside, followed by a violent explosion; it was Er Mao’s blue "Lightning."

The acrid black smoke, mixed with the smell of burning rubber, was a shocking sight.

Just then, "Iron Hand" Gu Dajun suddenly shouted: "Look, the 'Soul Reaper'!"

Everyone followed his gaze and saw Yao Kui’s silver-gray "Soul Reaper" nose-down, wedged halfway up the mountainside by a large, leafy tree.

Heartbroken and anxious, they rushed to search for Yao Kui.

Finally, on the mountain road, they found him lying motionless on the ground, severely injured.

Meng Yang sprinted forward, shouting desperately: "Brother Kui! Brother Kui! Wake up, wake up..." He lifted Yao Kui’s head with trembling hands, only to see blood streaming down Yao Kui’s cheeks. Pale with fright, Meng Yang screamed in terror, "Call an ambulance..."

Watching the ambulance rush the critically injured Yao Kui away, internet celebrity "Little Meow" Chen Miaomiao knew what should and should not be broadcast, lest her account be banned again. She quickly packed up her equipment and left the scene.

Meng Yang, meanwhile, realized he had invited a catastrophe. He knew full well that Yao Kui’s chances of survival were slim, and as the sole heir of the Yao family, if anything happened to him, the Yaos would investigate to the bitter end. By then, not only would his painstakingly built business vanish, but he might not even be able to save his own life.

Fear instantly engulfed Meng Yang. Without a second thought, he signaled Gu Dajun to flee. Taking advantage of the night, the two hurriedly disappeared into the darkness, leaving behind a scene of chaos and panic...

At the Lijiang Astronomical Observatory, Shen Xingyun stared fixedly at the data flashing on his computer screen, his brow furrowed. The meteor showers over the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau were becoming increasingly frequent, an anomaly that filled him with worry.

Just then, intern Yuan Jie walked over in a hurry, handing him a set of data compiled the night before.

Shen Xingyun lifted his gaze, his eyes landing on the stack of data, and asked, "Is this about the meteor shower?"

Yuan Jie nodded quickly, his expression grave: "Yes, the scale of this meteor shower is significant, and it has already impacted the entire region. I also heard that an aerial accident just occurred in Kunming; I wonder if it’s related to the meteor shower?"

"What kind of aerial accident?" Professor Shen was surprised, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes.

"It was a collision between two aerial racing cars," Yuan Jie replied truthfully.

"Could they have collided with a meteor shower?" Professor Shen’s brows knit into a knot as he pursued the question.

"It’s not clear yet; the accident is still under investigation..." Yuan Jie shook his head helplessly.

The dangers of outer space often arrive quietly, without warning. Shen Xingyun’s thoughts drifted involuntarily to Su Chunyang’s neutrino laboratory.

With the recent, marked increase in meteor showers over the plateau, he couldn't help but speculate: could this be a chain reaction triggered by neutrino antimatter while generating space-time mirrors? If those black holes around the Earth truly existed, would such experiments drag the Earth into an irredeemable abyss of danger?

Once this thought surfaced in his mind, the unease in Shen Xingyun’s heart surged like a tide, growing ever more intense. He knew that if this were true, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Meanwhile, on the streets of Kunming, an ambulance was speeding toward the First People’s Hospital of Kunming. Inside, the dying Yao Kui lay on a stretcher, with medical staff racing against time to save him. Beads of sweat as large as peas rolled down their foreheads, the atmosphere tense to the breaking point.

Upon receiving the news, members of Yao Kui’s family were frantic, nearly all of them rushing to the hospital.

Yao Kui’s mother, Qin Huizhen, usually accustomed to a life of luxury, had lost all composure. Her eyes were red and tear-stained, and she grabbed the doctor’s arm, her voice trembling as she asked about her son’s condition. She then turned to her husband, Yao Jizong, crying out in agitation: "Jizong, you must seek justice for our son! You must find the person who caused this!"

When she learned that Er Mao, who had been racing her son, had died on the spot, she could no longer suppress her grief, collapsing to the floor and sobbing uncontrollably, wailing, "If my son dies, I don't want to live either..."

By comparison, Yao Jizong was much calmer. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself, and quickly used his vast network of connections to make private inquiries.

After some questioning, he had a direction and immediately gave orders: "Find the person who modified those cars. Investigate carefully and see if they were the ones pulling strings behind the scenes."

In an instant, every member of the Yao family went into action, searching for the traces of Meng Yang and Gu Dajun like well-trained hounds.