Cixin Liu's Ball Lightning: A Catastrophic Encounter

Philosophical Reflections

• 💡 The family engaged in a philosophical discussion about life's purpose, contrasting focusing on a single passion like painting with solely pursuing wealth.
• 💬 The father described life as fragile and uncertain, comparing it to a small candle flame in a desert dune, unable to endure a puff of wind.

Appearance of Ball Lightning

• ⚡ A basketball-sized arc of ball lightning emerged through the wall, shining with a hazy red glow and an erratic flight path.
• 🎶 It drifted gracefully, emitting a deep whistle pierced with a sharp high whine, reminiscent of a spirit playing a flute.

The Catastrophic Encounter

• 🎯 The ball lightning stopped about half a meter above the father's head, its whistle deepening into an intermittent, bitter laughter.
• 🔬 Inside the translucent red blaze, a cluster of blue stars streamed, and its internal energy density was later understood to be 20,000-30,000 Joules per cm³, far exceeding TNT.
• 🔥 As the father lifted his hand, the ball lightning was attracted to him, resulting in a blinding flash and a deafening boom that made the world explode.

Immediate Aftermath

• 👁️ After the flash blindness subsided, the protagonist observed the world had been transformed into a grayscale mode, a sight that would remain forever.