The night was low, and the drizzle was like weaving, gently brushing the corners of the eaves of the simple and elegant wooden houses.

At this time, there was only a few rays of yellow light from a dim old-fashioned lamp at the eaves, which shone sporadically on the wooden floor under the eaves and the bluestone road outside that was wet by rain. It complemented the raindrops dripping from the eaves.

Shining soft and misty light.

Wallfacer Bill Hines, a scientist and politician who served as President of the European Union for one term, discovered that the brain's thinking and memory activities are performed at the quantum level. He is also the only person who has received both awards for the same discovery.

Two Nobel Prize-nominated scientists from different disciplines were sitting cross-legged under the eaves in silence, not knowing what they were thinking.

Although he has become a Wallfacer, during this period of time, especially after returning from Verne Island, the headquarters of the PDC, he has been staying here without seeing any outsiders, so he took the initiative to isolate himself from the world.

Then I would sit alone in this quiet little world every day and meditate hard.

Under the dim lights and rainy night, his figure was outlined by light and shadow, vaguely integrated with the surrounding scenery, looking particularly peaceful, deep and bleak.

However, he doesn't mind very much...

He just sat cross-legged on the wooden floor and meditated. His body had a texture that had been baptized by the years but was still as warm as ever, as if it could bear all the heaviness and reverie in the world.

He was holding a small white chess piece in his hand, staring at the chessboard in the dim light. If anyone thought he was playing chess or studying chess records, they would be totally wrong.

.

Because, right now, there are not too many chess pieces on the simple and thick chessboard. There are only black and white twins placed on the four star positions in the four corners. And holding the white piece in his hand as the first mover, he feels a little uncomfortable in his heart at this time.

Making a decision, looking at the empty chessboard, but not knowing where to start.

The rain is still falling slowly, pattering, accompanied by the breeze swaying the weeds and trees in the yard...

They either tap on the tiles and make a crisp and sweet sound, like the sound of nature, washing away the hustle and bustle of the world; or they weave tightly into an invisible net, gently wrapping the entire night world.

The night wind, with a bit of coolness, shuttles between the eaves and tiles, carrying the delicate whisper of the leaves in the courtyard, intertwined with the sound of rain to form a melodious nocturne, making people feel relaxed and happy, and want to forget the troubles of the world.

but……

Bill Hines didn't pay attention to that. He just stared at the chessboard with the same expression of being unable to make a move. He was about to make a move a few times but finally took it back hesitantly. Then he occasionally raised his head to let his gaze pass through the rain.

, and threw it into the hazy distance, as if looking for something, and also seemed to be thinking about something more important.

His face was sometimes as calm as water, and sometimes tangled and ferocious, as if he was stumped by something that was difficult to make a choice.

The specific matter is unknown, but the only thing that can be known is that he is definitely not playing chess now, but thinking about something important, or something deeper than playing chess.

But the rain outside the eaves didn't know that, and it was still pattering...

Time seemed to have frozen, and all the noise and disturbances were isolated from the wooden house, leaving him alone with the wind, rain, lights, and chessboard to weave a beautiful dream that seemed to be about thinking, darkness, and hope.

Yes, maybe it's a dream...

Because, even on this quiet rainy night, even if he is taking advantage of the tranquility of listening to the wind and rain, even if there is no interference from outsiders and external objects, Bill Hines still seems to have not been able to find what he wants to find.

answer.

"..."

Just like that, I don’t know how long it took, when a woman wearing a kimono, white cotton socks and no shoes walked over on the wooden floor with a cup of tea.

He sighed sadly, and then reluctantly came back from his thoughts.

"Keiko..."

"You're here?"

Then, he put down the chess piece with another sigh, and turned to smile at the woman walking towards him.

That is his wife, who is also another great brain scientist. She is the partner who discovered with him that "the thinking and memory activities of the brain are performed at the quantum level". She is his right-hand assistant in work and in life.

An essential companion.

Of course, at the same time, in this place, the only person who could contact him and talk to him during this period of time.

"It's very late."

"Aren't you asleep yet?"

The woman Keiko gave Bill Hines a gentle and charming smile, and then slowly placed a cup of hot tea on the wooden floor next to Bill Hines, then knelt down behind him and gave him

He pinched his shoulders gently.

"Can't sleep..."

"I didn't think of a way to break the situation, so where can I sleep?"

Looking at the empty chess game in front of him, Bill Hines, who put down the chess pieces and touched the opponent's delicate hands, couldn't help but sigh again.

It has been many days since he became a Wallfacer, and he has never thought of a practical and effective way to deal with the Trisolaran civilization. This can't help but make him, who has made great achievements in science and politics, and has always been arrogant, somewhat changed.

Got to be a little frustrated.

Because he suddenly discovered that he himself seemed not as good as he thought?

"If you don't think about it, don't think about it yet."

"Go back and rest?"

After pinching his shoulders twice more, the woman simply hugged Bill Hines from behind, and after rubbing their ears together for a while, she began to persuade him with some resentment:

"Maybe……"

"No one in this world can come up with a perfect solution to the current problem?"

"Don't be too hard on yourself."

After all, Bill Hines has been in such a state of obsession these days. He thinks about it during the day, at night, and even in the middle of the night he is still thinking about it. He is so obsessed that he doesn't even go back to his room.

, and as a wife, how could she not have some thoughts in her heart?

But fortunately, women in their island country are accustomed to focusing on family and husband after marriage. Virtue and womanly virtue are the most basic. Therefore, even if she has complaints and a little dissatisfaction in her heart, she does not dare to say anything in front of her husband.

"No……"

"No maybe..."

"It's for sure."

"us……"

"I'm afraid I can't win..."

However, the next second, what made the woman Keiko extremely surprised was that after Bill Shines was silent for a while, he finally said such a frustrated word?

"..."

Hearing this, the woman sighed slightly, then let go of Bill Hines, walked over to him in small steps, knelt down and slowly sat down sideways.

"Keiko..."

"You also know that according to our calculations, the evolution and qualitative change of the brain will take at least 20,000 years, and we only have a few centuries at most..."

"There's no time."

Looking up at his wife sitting next to him, Bill Shines first showed an extremely ugly smile, and then slowly lowered his head.

He thought about it for so long, but still found nothing. He couldn't find a way to break the situation and effectively fight against the Trisolaran civilization.

"Forget it if you don't have it."

"Maybe someone else has a way?"

"Bill..."

"Don't embarrass yourself too much. You haven't had a good rest in many days."

Shaking her head, the woman Keiko didn't seem too interested in that kind of thing. She just continued to persuade, and then reached out to stroke Bill Hines' face that was haggard and unshaven due to lack of sleep.

"other people?"

"You mean them?"

He was startled at first, and then after Bill Hines realized who his wife was referring to, he shook his head, sighed and spoke like a treasure trove:

"it's useless!"

"That rude fellow Manuel Rey Diaz..."

"His star-level nuclear bomb plan is just wishful thinking on his part. It is simply wishful thinking to use such low-level weapons to deal with the Trisolaran civilization and the Trisolaran fleet!"

"I'm not optimistic about him anyway. It's just a futile effort and a waste of resources."

"As for Frederick Taylor..."

"His idea is good, but I know his plan. Macro-atomic nuclei and ball lightning are no match for Three-Body!"

At this point, Bill Shines paused, but frowned slightly and was lost in thought, and did not continue.

"That……"

"Where is Luo Ji and the little girl?"

After waiting for a while, I saw that Bill Hines seemed to be thinking. After a long time, Keiko asked tentatively and expectantly:

"Both of them have been assassinated many times by ETO. Trisolaran civilization and Tomoko seem to be very afraid of them. Maybe they can do anything?"

"Especially that little girl. The 'neutron jammer' she made is very effective against Tomoko. That's a huge improvement, isn't it?"
To be continued...