Chapter 31: The Mirror Project

"So, scientists all over the world, especially biologists, are paying close attention to this matter. The 'Halaha Virus' that Yao Kui is suffering from likely contains such components, which is why it is extremely difficult to treat." Professor Zhao looked worried, her words filled with concern.

"He isn't contagious, is he?" Dean Lin asked urgently.

"For now, his condition is relatively stable, but the future is unpredictable." Zhao Xinru frowned deeply, looking anxious. "At least at this stage, it is not contagious. However, people infected with this type of disease gradually become irrational, their behavior becoming erratic and unpredictable, which could cause great panic in society. Therefore, we must closely monitor the development of Yao Kui's condition to avoid unnecessary trouble."

After listening to Zhao Xinru's explanation, Lin Yizhou said, "I believe you will eventually have to conduct 'Breakthrough Mirror' research, just like Professor Su and his team. It would be best if you prepare a complete report in advance so that you can report to the higher authorities in a timely manner when the time comes..."

Zhao Xinru nodded in agreement, though she couldn't help but wonder: what exactly is the watershed between normal life and mirror life?

The six space-time mirroring instruments shipped from Beijing finally arrived at the Southwest Institute of Science, and Lin Yizhou immediately notified Su Chunyang.

Upon receiving the news, Su Chunyang was overjoyed and, without a moment's delay, hurried to the Southwest Institute of Science. Coincidentally, glaciologist Ding Bonian and Shen Xingyun from the Lijiang Tianmen Observation Station were also there.

Su Chunyang said excitedly, "This is fantastic. With the space-time mirroring instruments, combined with my multi-functional intelligent remote sensing equipment, we will be even more certain of success in our experiments. We hope to use neutrino antimatter to achieve sub-light or even super-light experiments, thereby breaking through the space-time mirror surface."

"Can one travel through space and time by exceeding the speed of light?" Dean Lin asked, his face full of doubt.

Su Chunyang answered without hesitation, "Isn't that obvious? Ultimately, it's a question of light. It is generally believed that the speed of light is absolute; to reverse time, turn back the years, or step into the future, one must exceed the speed of light."

Ding Bonian chimed in, "I've heard that it's actually quite unrealistic to find matter that exceeds the speed of light."

Su Chunyang immediately responded, "But imagine this: if humanity cannot reach super-light speeds, we will never be able to fly out of the solar system to explore the deeper reaches of the universe. Therefore, the key lies in exploring the essence of light."

"That is true. Back in the day, Newton, Hooke, and Huygens had a rather painful argument over the nature of light. It wasn't until 1865, when Maxwell published a set of equations describing the laws of electromagnetic field motion, that it was proven that changing magnetic fields could generate electric fields, and changing electric fields could generate magnetic fields. This achievement proved that light is an electromagnetic wave and calculated that the speed of electromagnetic waves is exactly equal to the speed of light," said Shen Xingyun.

"Exactly. It was he who achieved a true unification of optics and electromagnetism, opening up vast prospects for our research and utilization of light waves." A faint smile appeared on Su Chunyang's serious face.

Shen Xingyun continued, "Of course, super-light speed is a speed humanity has always dreamed of. Since a light-year, as an astronomical unit of distance, is the distance at which one astronomical unit subtends an angle of one arcsecond, traversing the universe seems like a distant, unreachable dream."

"So, even now, I find it hard to believe that a space-time mirror surface exists, let alone that time travel can be achieved. Is there really anything that can exceed the speed of light?" Professor Ding Bonian asked Su Chunyang.

Professor Su replied, "In the universe as we currently understand it, the most likely things to approach or even exceed the speed of light are neutrinos. When neutrinos enter ultra-pure water, they may enter a super-light state. I would like to ask, in your understanding as astronomers, how exactly are stars and galaxies formed?"

Shen Xingyun said, "Dark energy is the reason for the rapid expansion of the universe, which causes the density of matter to drop rapidly, subsequently forming stars and galaxies..."

Su Chunyang added, "We have been searching for gravitational waves, especially those produced by catastrophic cosmic events. But gravity seems to always follow the laws of Newton and Einstein, and hidden dimensions have yet to appear."

"I would also like to ask, is it possible to discover gravitational waves through neutrinos?" Professor Shen asked eagerly.

"I believe it is possible," Professor Su said. "Since neutrinos are faster than light and are not interfered with by many factors in the universe, by observing the anti-particles produced when neutrinos interact with special matter, it may be possible to find the source of cosmic rays and subsequently discover dark matter."

Ding Bonian interjected, "Is there any danger in this? Can we really travel through time and space?"

Su Chunyang smiled. "Professor Ding, there is no need to worry! This is just a test. The energy level we are investing is only enough for experimental use, so there shouldn't be any accidents. Of course, it depends on the various conditions during the experiment and the amplification effect of activating the active ingredients of KC20."

"How much more KC20 is needed?" Dean Lin Yizhou asked. Su Chunyang suggested moving to the conference room for a detailed discussion, so the group, led by the dean, walked into the conference room in an orderly fashion.

Su Chunyang connected a hard drive to a computer and projected a simple diagram into the space, beginning his explanation: "As you all know, KC20 is an extremely rare energy gem. Until now, it could only be extracted from the moon, so its scarcity is self-evident. However, we have now successfully obtained neutrino antimatter with the help of KC20. If we can control this trans-spatial mirror surface, we will have the possibility of linking infinite worlds, and perhaps even move on to mastering black hole engines..."

"This is incredible! What are the specific principles and the operational process?" Hearing this, Professor Ding Bonian could not hide his excitement and asked with great concern.

"Please look, everyone. This mirror image shows two identical universes formed through refraction." As Su Chunyang spoke, he projected a mirror structure diagram of multi-dimensional space. "If we cross the mirror surface of the two-dimensional space and walk into the mirror, the two opposing worlds will connect..."

The group looked confused and bewildered.

Seeing this, Su Chunyang explained further: "Let's put it this way: when you stand in front of a mirror, an image exactly like you is reflected. When one side of the mirror bulges toward you, it means the other world is about to intersect with ours; and when we can break into the other world, we might achieve traversal."

"Is it really the same? If the mirror breaks, wouldn't a person be unable to form an image in the mirror and become invisible?" Professor Ding said, half-jokingly.

"Space-time mirroring is like data stored on one disk, with an identical copy stored on another. The worlds they represent are parallel. A 'breakthrough' is merely a crossing; there is no case of the mirror shattering due to a hard impact," Professor Su explained.

The group finally understood a little better: in parallel spaces, once a suitable path is found, one can cross space and arrive in another time and space.

After the meeting ended, everyone left with their own thoughts...

Back at the Lijiang Astronomical Observation Station, Professor Shen felt more uneasy the more he thought about it, and he decided to increase his observation of the edges of the galaxy.

For years, Shen Xingyun had been working silently and diligently at this small astronomical observation station. Life here was quiet and comfortable, but his career had reached a stalemate. Neither his professional abilities nor his job title had received any attention or recognition from his superiors. Over time, people jokingly called him "Little Sky-Gazer," a nickname that carried both his obsession with the sky and a sense of helplessness, as if he were guarding the heavens yet unable to see any hope.

Shen Xingyun knew clearly that there was a mockery hidden behind the name. Nowadays, the country only prioritized large astronomical observation stations, so it seemed reasonable that he was not valued in this small place.

He often wondered to himself: when would he finally see a new breakthrough or discovery? He thought back to the ancient humans mentioned in the residual information from the glacial research station. Were they doing something related to astronomy? For some reason, his thoughts drifted to the Zhongkang period of the Xia Dynasty.

He remembered that the *Shangshu*, the earliest compilation of Chinese historical documents, recorded a "solar eclipse" that had cost the astronomical official Xihe his life. Although the book did not explicitly use the term "solar eclipse," it has been verified as the earliest recorded solar eclipse in China, later referred to as the "Shujing Eclipse" or the "Zhongkang Eclipse."

Could that ancient information have come from the ancient Xia Dynasty?

Shen Xingyun couldn't help but feel moved. In the perception and imagination of the ancients, a "solar eclipse"—a phenomenon that allowed earthlings to strongly interact with mysterious celestial phenomena—was truly terrifying.

It is not hard to imagine that when the eclipse occurred, the sky suddenly went dark, and the light from the sun, which had hung high in the sky with brilliant radiance, gradually weakened, as if a terrifying black monster were slowly approaching to swallow it piece by piece. How could such a horrifying scene of the "Heavenly Dog eating the sun" not evoke deep fear and shock? In the eyes of the ancients, this was undoubtedly an omen of great disaster.

In ancient times, once such a celestial phenomenon considered inauspicious appeared, the common people would gather together, beating basins and gongs, running and shouting to scare away the unlucky "Heavenly Dog." The astronomical official responsible for monitoring the heavens had to report the situation to the imperial court immediately, at which point the Emperor would lead his officials to set up an altar in front of the main hall, burn incense, and offer sacrifices to pray for the sun to return. If there were any delays in such a major matter, the astronomical official would certainly face severe punishment.