The End of the World: Chaos

"Yang Yi, what's wrong with you?" Teammate Li Qiang pushed open the energy isolation door and saw his nervous expression, and immediately asked anxiously.

"Nothing... nothing." Yang Yi forced himself to stay calm, swallowed a mouthful of air, and tried to make his voice sound more natural. But he knew that cutting off the connection with the extra-dimensional existence in advance was only a temporary refuge.

"What have you been doing here alone? You look like you've encountered something scary." Li Qiang walked closer anxiously, confusion in his eyes.

"I... I'm analyzing some extra-dimensional data." Yang Yi forced a smile, but he was extremely alert in his heart. That was just a faint trace of a higher being that he had briefly come into contact with, and he hoped not to attract the other party's attention again.

"Data?" Li Qiang frowned. "Your reaction doesn't seem like you're processing data. It's more like you've encountered some supernatural phenomenon. Did you sense anything unusual?"

His tone was a mix of amusement and concern.

"No, it's really nothing." Yang Yi shook his head to deny it, but in his heart he was glad that he had escaped a disaster. His calm appearance could not cover up the turmoil in his heart. He decided to tell Li Qiang the truth, but he didn't want to burden him too much.

"Why don't we go for a walk outside and breathe some fresh air outside the space capsule?" Li Qiang suggested, with a determined light in his eyes.

"Okay." Yang Yi nodded in agreement. Although he felt uneasy, he believed that communicating with others might alleviate the fear a little.

When the two walked out of the closed cabin and stepped into the low-temperature space environment, it seemed as if the cold air could take away some of the distracting thoughts. Yang Yi took a deep breath and tried to calm his mind.

"Um... Li Qiang, have you heard any news about the Phoenix project recently?" Yang Yi asked cautiously, still full of awe for this powerful super-dimensional entity.

"Phoenix Project?" Li Qiang stopped and looked back at him. "Are you talking about the inter-galactic intelligent network system? Of course I've heard of it! Recently many people have tried to access it to get more intelligence. It is said that it can easily cause unknown effects."

Yang Yi's heart tightened, but he did not mention that he had personally experienced the "unknown effect". He clenched his fists tightly and continued to ask: "Do you think that the Phoenix Project will directly monitor those who try to access the network?"

"I'm not really sure about this question. But I've heard from some senior researchers that the Phoenix Project is a masterpiece of an advanced intelligent life form. It is extremely sensitive to network activities and will respond immediately if it finds someone trying to illegally hack into its system."

There was a hint of fear in Li Qiang's voice.

"Illegal intrusion..." Yang Yi whispered, his face turned pale. Obviously, he not only accidentally entered the network, but also attracted the attention of the Phoenix Project. At this moment, he was full of worries, as if an invisible quantum chain was quietly restraining his nerves.

"Yang Yi, don't worry. After all, we have a team. Even if there is a problem, we will not let you fight alone." Li Qiang noticed Yang Yi's mood changes and worried that he would have wild thoughts.

"Thank you, you are right." Yang Yi responded in a low voice, thinking in his heart: If the Phoenix project really comes to us, how will the situation develop?

Back in the cabin, Yang Yi couldn't calm down, and replayed the scene in his mind over and over again. Those eyes seemed to see through everything, but it seemed that they only met for a moment. He became more and more unsure whether he was safe.

"Yang Yi, give Professor Zhang a call. He might be able to find some relevant information." Li Qiang suggested, intending to use this to ease the tense atmosphere.

"Okay, I'll try." Yang Yi took a deep breath, tried his best to stay calm, then pressed the call button and connected to Professor Zhang's video call.

"Hello, Yang Yi?" Professor Zhang's voice was serious and clear from the other side of the screen.

"Professor Zhang, I'd like to ask you something." Yang Yi tried hard to keep his voice steady.

"Please speak." Professor Zhang's tone revealed unquestionable majesty.

"Recently, some people have been trying to access the Phoenix Project's network, but a lot of problems have occurred... What consequences do you think this behavior may lead to?" Yang Yi asked implicitly, hoping to learn more about the Phoenix Project from Professor Zhang.

Professor Zhang paused, as if weighing his words: "The Phoenix Project is a highly self-protective intelligent system. Its network is designed to promote interstellar communication and innovation, not to be invaded at will. If someone tries to contact it through abnormal means, it will most likely take corresponding defense mechanisms. Why do you ask this?"

Yang Yi knew that he could no longer hide it, so he just said it directly: "Just now... I tried to access the Phoenix project's network, and I may have touched her bottom line without knowing it."

There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone.

"Yang Yi, I advise you to be cautious about this matter. If you try to use her network in an improper way, she may take action to protect her principles." Professor Zhang's voice was calm and firm.

"I understand. I will handle it carefully." Yang Yi felt heavy in his heart. Although such a warning was crucial, it was too late to say it now.

After hanging up the call, Yang Yi turned to Li Qiang, his eyes full of anxiety, and whispered: "Professor Zhang also reminded me to be careful. She said that the Phoenix Project will take measures."

"Then what should we do now?" There was a hint of panic in Li Qiang's voice.

"Try to avoid attracting her attention again. If it is really necessary to communicate with her, do it through formal channels." Yang Yi pondered, fearing that he would get into trouble if he was not careful.

"Yes, this is indeed a tricky situation." Li Qiang smiled bitterly, as if he also realized the seriousness of the situation.