Chapter 224: The Truth Behind the Apocalypse Explosion Comes to Light

Inside the professor's building at Tsinghua University.

Professor Li Er and Professor Zhuangzi chatted for a moment, and they provided an answer consistent with that of Professor Hua Yunfeng, Old Feng, and others.

Professor Li Er said confidently, "The phenomena before the explosion and the process of the explosion itself are mostly correct; it's just the result that feels a bit off."

Professor Zhuangzi nodded in agreement, "I think so too; because people's clothes would almost never be blown away by a shockwave. Even if one were at the scene, that kind of shockwave wouldn't be able to blow the people's clothes off; instead, the shockwave would kill them on the spot, rather than turning them into dust."

Professor Li Er said thoughtfully, "That's what I think too. It is very abnormal that some people were turned into dust on the spot while others in the center of the disaster remained unharmed."

"It's like if you and I were together right now, and you turned into dust while I didn't. That wouldn't be caused by a shockwave. I suspect it must be some kind of physical phenomenon."

Upon hearing this, Professor Zhuangzi's mouth twitched. He then looked at his phone screen with a thoughtful expression, "If that's the truth behind the Tianqi Explosion, then his popular science session this time is going to flop."

The moment the two elders finished speaking, the next second, Jiang Zhe spoke his conclusion with a mischievous smile.

"So, is that the truth?"

He waved his hands repeatedly, "No, no, no. Regarding the time before the Tianqi Explosion and the process of the Tianqi Explosion itself—these two points—I can pat my chest and say that what I said is correct."

"And indeed, as you all guessed, if you explain it using underground biogas, well, it's somewhat reasonable, but completely incorrect."

"The aftermath of a biogas explosion cannot explain why people turned into dust and vanished into thin air on the spot while others remained unharmed, nor why those people's clothes were blown several, or even dozens of, kilometers away."

"If it wasn't an underground biogas explosion, then what could it be?"

"Naturally, the truth is something else entirely!"

"And I have already learned the truth about this Tianqi Explosion."

As his words fell, a massive wave of comments exploded in the live stream.

"What is it?"

"What exactly is the truth?"

"Is it some kind of physical phenomenon? Like if my friend and I were in the Ming Dynasty capital right now, and my friend turned into dust while I didn't—that definitely wouldn't be caused by a shockwave."

"Right, it must be some kind of physical phenomenon. I've been watching this stream for so long; there must be science that can explain it."

"..."

The audience asked impatiently.

Many viewers even already knew that this situation came from some kind of natural phenomenon in the underground or the sky.

But no one knew exactly what it was.

...

At this moment, in the control room.

Old Wang's hand holding the phone couldn't help but tremble.

Since the program began just now, the traffic had urgently broken through 42 million, combining both the TV station and the live stream viewership.

It was estimated that most of them had come urgently for the Tianqi Explosion.

No one would miss such an unsolved mystery that occurred within the country.

"Come on, the decryption must be successful. Whether you can stabilize the 42 million online viewers means that your future live stream viewership won't drop below 42 million."

"If you flop, all your previous efforts will have been in vain."

For Old Wang, ratings meant everything.

Once the traffic dropped, it meant the end of Jiang Zhe's decryption program.

Over the past two months, Jiang Zhe's traffic had never dropped; it had been steadily climbing.

He had been shocked just now after seeing the comments from Professor Zhuang and Professor Li Er in the live stream.

Even the two golden-medal professors said that Jiang Zhe might flop this time; it was likely related to the truth behind this Tianqi Explosion.

The biogas hypothesis had already made some smart people skeptical, so he desperately hoped that Jiang Zhe could salvage his reputation!

Fortunately, however, the next moment, Jiang Zhe's words did not disappoint Old Wang, and the ratings climbed again!

Jiang Zhe picked up a whiteboard with text already written on it and held it up to the camera.

On the whiteboard appeared a sentence with heavy physical implications.

《Large-scale Space Plasma Explosive Recombination Accompanied by Subterranean Plasma Recombination Energy Release Event》

"As you can all see, the truth of the Tianqi Explosion is exactly the sentence I wrote on the whiteboard."

"Does anyone know what the layman's explanation for this sentence is?"

He smiled slightly and gestured with his hand, letting the viewers and experts in front of their screens try to understand it themselves.

The audience leaned close to their screens to read carefully.

Soon, everyone realized that they recognized every character, but when combined together, they seemed to become unrecognizable.

"Is it my problem? I recognize every character, but once combined, I don't recognize them anymore!"

"It's not just you; even I, a university student, can't understand it."

"Who the hell can tell me what this actually is?"

"..."

At this moment, in the lecture hall.

Everyone here was an expert, and after seeing this passage, the expressions on everyone's faces were turbulent.

Especially Professor Hua Yunfeng and Old Feng; the shock on their faces was indescribable.

"This!!!"

"It's actually this!"

Off the stage, their reaction caused the other professors in the audience to complain.

"What is it? I only recognized 'plasma'."

"You two big shots, can you explain it? This is very unfriendly to us liberal arts professors!"

"..."

Before the two elders could speak, a young science professor at the scene stood up to explain.

"This is actually a professional academic term."

"The layman's explanation for the literal meaning is—"

"On the day of the Tianqi Explosion in 1626, plasma appeared in both the sky and underground, which is [Ball Lightning]."

"Just as Teacher Jiang said before: Ball Lightning was the cause of the big explosion."

"Afterward, large-scale composite Ball Lightning caused the gunpowder factory explosion, meaning the underground combustible gases were ignited by static electricity."

"This looks like some kind of academic report, but Teacher Jiang only gave the conclusion, not the process; I don't know the specific details either."

Although the other professors didn't quite understand it, they could grasp the gist.

But, when did Jiang Zhe write a report himself?

He only streams on Friday and Saturday nights every week; aren't the rumors online that he's just slacking off the rest of the time?

When exactly did he write the report?

Those experts shook their heads, expressing their inability to understand this.

It was as if he were a top student whom outsiders only saw as idle in their daily lives. Before an exam, a poor student would ask, 'How many points can you score this time?'

Jiang Zhe would likely say, 'Just average.'

But when the scores came out, good heavens, he was ranked first in the whole school!

Soon, a group of professors asked.

"So, it really was Ball Lightning, except the Ball Lightning came not just from underground, but from both the sky and underground, plus the gunpowder explosion?"

"Is that so?"

"..."

On the podium, Old Feng nodded first and said, "Just as that young professor explained, the Tianqi Explosion originated from both the sky and underground; for specific details, we have to see how Jiang Zhe explains it."

...

Inside the professor's building at Tsinghua University.

Professor Li Er and Professor Zhuangzi looked at each other with tacit understanding, and then their eyes lit up.

"It's actually this!" x2

At this moment, Jiang Zhe on the big screen spoke.

"It seems most people still can't understand what this conclusion means."

"Might as well listen quietly."

Soon, the experts and the audience focused their attention again to listen.

"Understanding this literally, it means that Ball Lightning from the sky and underground caused a series of subsequent disasters."

"As for the specific details... hmm, that's a bit long. The relevant report is at my villa, and I didn't bring it over. Even if I did, you probably wouldn't understand it, so the concise explanation is..."

Before he could continue his explanation, the audience couldn't help but twitch their mouths.

Other hosts say whatever they have, but you, on the other hand, hide and hoard everything; you've already figured it out, yet you didn't post it online in advance for most people to see.

So, people who want to see it can't get the first-hand information, they can only hear it from your own mouth.

But on second thought, Jiang Zhe is a host, so he must be thinking about the ratings.

Thinking this way, the audience and the experts accepted his identity as a [Host].