Seven hours later, the speedboat carrying the satellite entered the military port.
Inside the port, experts from various fields, dressed in protective suits, waited with eager anticipation.
Once the speedboat came to a stop, Long Zhan and the others were immediately quarantined. They would need to undergo a series of examinations before the quarantine could be lifted.
The experts first took samples from the satellite’s outer shell to test for any residual substances.
Although any substances attached to the shell were likely burned off during its descent, there would always be some trace evidence left behind.
After they finished photographing and sampling, the outer shell was finally opened, revealing the core components inside.
After another round of sampling and testing, the data storage unit was sent to the astronomical research institute.
Upon receiving the data storage device, the staff immediately began to check the data’s condition.
After running some procedures, a staff member exclaimed excitedly, "The data isn’t corrupted!"
"Download it and open it, now!" the chief engineer, equally excited, ordered immediately.
"Yes, sir!"
’Are we finally about to lift the veil of mystery from this endless torrential rain!’
At the same time, he also reported the news to Ren Yuanyang and the others.
Ren Yuanyang immediately stopped his Cultivation and hurried downstairs to head out.
Hearing the commotion, Lu Jiamei and the others all followed him.
"Leader, where are you going in such a hurry?" Qin Haonan asked curiously.
"The data from the satellite has been processed. I’m going to see what the situation in space beyond Blue Star is really like!" Ren Yuanyang replied as he walked.
Hearing this, Lu Jiamei and the others were all stunned for a moment, then quickened their pace to follow.
Everyone was curious about what was happening beyond the dark clouds.
What could have possibly happened to shroud Blue Star in dark clouds that never dispersed?
The continuous gloomy rain had put everyone in a somber mood.
Artificial lights couldn’t replace the sun, nor could they drive away the gloom in the survivors’ hearts.
Ren Yuanyang’s group quickly arrived at the astronomical research institute, where Wang Jun and two others were already waiting.
"Is it open yet?" Ren Yuanyang asked.
Wang Jun shook his head. "Not yet. Just a few more minutes!"
After an anxious wait, the images captured by the satellite finally appeared before them.
The screen was filled with a glittering, somewhat dazzling light!
"What is this? Did your sequined clothes get in front of the camera?" Qin Haonan asked curiously.
The chief engineer immediately shook his head and speculated, "This should be Ice Crystals!"
"Ice Crystals?" Qin Haonan’s face was full of confusion.
The chief engineer nodded. "It seems a massive amount of water appeared in space. It would have first boiled and evaporated, then rapidly frozen into Ice Crystals!"
"Hold on, doesn’t water have to be heated for it to boil? I thought space was supposed to be cold?" Qin Haonan asked, voicing his confusion.
The chief engineer had no choice but to explain, "Water’s boiling point is related not only to temperature but also to atmospheric pressure. If the pressure is low enough, the boiling point becomes very low. In space, the atmospheric pressure is nearly zero, so water would boil instantly!"
"But isn’t the temperature in space really low? Why wouldn’t it freeze first instead of boiling?" Qin Haonan was still confused.
"Because it’s faster for water molecules to turn into a gaseous state than a solid state, they prioritize becoming gas. But immediately after, because the temperature is so low, those newly gaseous molecules freeze solid!" the chief engineer continued to explain.
After the chief engineer had cleared up everyone’s confusion, Ren Yuanyang frowned and asked, "So, you’re saying Blue Star is currently enveloped by all these Ice Crystals?"
"Based on these images, that can be basically confirmed!" the chief engineer nodded. "Furthermore, these Ice Crystals are continuously entering Blue Star’s atmosphere. Look at these two pictures—it’s clear the Ice Crystals are moving closer to Blue Star!"
The chief engineer pulled up two of the images, comparing them as he explained to Ren Yuanyang.
Ren Yuanyang nodded slightly and continued to ask, "Besides filming Blue Star, does our satellite have cameras facing other directions?"
"Yes!" the chief engineer replied, then brought up the photos taken by the cameras facing other directions.
Those photos were also filled with a glittering light!
"Just how much water has entered our Star System!" Qin Haonan exclaimed. Then he suddenly cried out, "With all this water, will our sun be extinguished?"
Xin Wan pulled on his arm and explained in a low voice, "If you pour water on the sun, not only will it not be extinguished, but it will actually grow stronger."
Qin Haonan was stunned. "How is that possible?"
"The sun doesn’t burn through simple chemical combustion. It’s nuclear fusion—the process of hydrogen atoms combining to form helium atoms. If you poured water on the sun, as the water approached, it would instantly turn into steam, then break down into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen would be like adding fuel to the sun, giving it more raw material for nuclear fusion. The oxygen could even alter the sun’s fusion model, making it even more powerful!" Xin Wan continued to explain.
The chief engineer gave Xin Wan a thumbs-up.
Xin Wan smiled sheepishly. "I just happened to have read some similar material. I’m not sure if I got anything wrong. I feel like I’m showing off my meager skills before an expert."
"That’s basically correct!" The chief engineer nodded. "Although all these Ice Crystals are blocking the lens and we can’t get an image of the sun, based on the current situation, we can basically surmise that the sun has likely grown more powerful!"
Ren Yuanyang then said, "Could that explain why Blue Star is covered in dark clouds that block the sunlight, yet the temperature hasn’t dropped all that significantly?"
The chief engineer was stunned for a moment, then nodded. "That is indeed a plausible explanation!"
"No wonder! It’s already winter, but the temperature has remained stubbornly high!" Wang Jun said, a look of sudden realization on his face.

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