Episode 14 recap: Ye Wenjie recalled past events.
When young Ye Wenjie first entered Red Coast Base, she was not assigned to a specific job. She mainly performed miscellaneous technical tasks under the supervision of a security personnel, who had no belief that Ye Wenjie would make any serious mistakes.While working, Ye Wenjie quickly noticed errors in the machines and promptly reported them to Yang Wei Ning. Yang Wei Ning, her mentor and a prominent figure in domestic radio astronomy, was highly respected. It was under his influence that Ye Wenjie developed a strong interest in radio astronomy. She self-studied some electronics engineering and computer-related subjects. Lamenting her lack of knowledge in both areas, Ye Wenjie realized she couldn't identify the cause of the machine's malfunction.
Lei Zhi Cheng soon learned that it was Ye Wenjie who discovered the radio malfunction. He recognized her expertise and decided to assign her to work in that field. It was the first time Ye Wenjie obtained a substantive job at Red Coast Base. She couldn't quite distinguish whether the joy in her heart stemmed from the long-awaited trust or the monotonous busyness. It was a feeling of finally being able to breathe.
During lunchtime, Ye Wenjie ate alone, barely making do with whatever was available. She planned to inspect six machines. Time was passing quickly. The power amplifier unit had a malfunction, and the transmitting computer's magnetic core memory was also faulty. The redundancy unit was functioning normally, and the breakpoint continuation was normal. Further investigation was underway to identify the cause of the new data. The faulty device was quickly identified as device number 1731.
Upon hearing this, Ye Wenjie rushed upstairs to find Yang Wei Ning, driven by a desire to speak up for Old Liu and give him a chance to stay. Old Liu's departure was not Yang Wei Ning's decision because challenges in this remote place could be overcome. What researchers valued most was achieving scientific results, and the development work at Red Coast System had already concluded, leaving no chance for further scientific accomplishments. Old Liu understood that once you entered the core positions of such high-level projects, it became a lifelong commitment.
Ye Wenjie realized he was an intelligent person who deliberately pretended to be foolish, intending to leave this remote place ahead of time.
Lei Zhicheng stormed into the office, feeling embarrassed and angry. He wanted Liu to leave as soon as possible, but he knew that once Liu was gone, there would be no one to take over his position. Lei Zhicheng happened to notice Ye Wenjie sitting nearby and decided to assign her the task. He believed she was responsible and capable of completing the job.
Yang Wenning, who was present, disagreed. He had brought Ye Wenjie to the base for maintenance work and believed she wasn't suitable for a core position at Red Coast. This was because she had made a serious mistake in the past. Lei Zhicheng, as the political commissar of Red Coast Base, didn't concern himself with the matter and simply believed Ye Wenjie was capable.
Although both faced significant controversy, in the end, Ye Wenjie quickly took over Liu's work. She worked tirelessly every day, and Lei Zhicheng developed a great deal of trust in her. He even took the time to patiently explain some internal information about Red Coast to her. Yang Wenning strongly disagreed with Lei Zhicheng's actions. Lei Zhicheng understood that Ye Wenjie had made mistakes in the past, but he also recognized her exceptional work abilities and her high level of motivation, which surpassed many others at the base.
Yang Wenning was the one who brought Ye Wenjie to Red Coast Base, yet even now, Ye Wenjie didn't understand why he still didn't believe in her. Yang Wenning consistently followed his own instincts, believing that trust would lead people into the abyss.
After that day, Ye Wenjie was transferred out of the launch department. She thought she had completely left Red Coast Base behind. However, Lei Zhicheng entrusted her with the core secrets of the base, which made her deeply grateful for his trust. In that era, trust was a rare luxury for Ye Wenjie. Yang Wenning, as a typical intellectual of the time, grew further apart from Ye Wenjie. Lei Zhicheng, on the other hand, displayed the frankness of a soldier. From that moment onward, everything changed for Ye Wenjie. Later, she also realized that Lei Zhicheng had deceived her to some extent. Even in the end, she never revealed the true value of Red Coast Base to Wang Miao.
Upon returning to the office, Wang Miao unexpectedly learned about the paper written by Ye Wenjie. Shi Qiang, who was present, became even more suspicious of Ye Wenjie. He found it strange that she remained calm when her daughter died, despite being involved in everything, but having no apparent connection to the scientific field.
The most nauseating aspect of the entire series is the character portrayal of Pan Han. On one hand, he enjoys the convenience brought by technological advancements, while on the other hand, he harbors extreme hatred towards the very people who bring forth these advancements.
He consumes resources in every aspect of his life—food, clothing, and shelter—without any consideration. If he truly wants to be environmentally friendly, he should be prepared to starve to death while being completely naked.
Any attempt to cover his shame and protect his body with even a single leaf is considered environmental destruction. In simple terms, he's just a glutton who causes trouble out of sheer boredom.
Here's a joke going around: Wu Jing takes The Wandering Earth to the Alpha Centauri system and encounters the Three-Body fleet. Humans say, "Our sun is about to undergo a helium flash. Where are you going?
We need to move." The Three-Body people reply, "Our Stelliferous Era is too short. We're heading to the Solar System." Humans and Three-Body individuals stare at each other in disbelief...
Trisolarans: We have three suns, and you dare to come? Earthlings: If the sun is about to explode, do you dare to go? Earthlings: Damn it! Don't even bother living! Trisolarans: Damn it! Don't even bother living!
Trisolaran: Big brother, big brother, what are we going to do now? My entire planet, young and old, is on this ship. We were hoping to seek refuge in the Solar System, but now it's all over!
Human: Big brother, don't worry.
How about this? You come with us and wander together. Let's celebrate the Lunar New Year together by making dumplings!
The two novel's worldviews are different. In "The Wandering Earth," the Centauri system is as stable as the real world, with a star system called Proxima Centauri located only about 4 light-years away from us.
Afterward, the Wanderers and the Trisolarans jointly decide: "Let's go rob the universe together." Robbing the universe.