The Sun DisappearsThe Sun DisappearsThe Sun Disappears

Chapter One: The Sun Disappears

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"CCTV! CCTV! Dear viewers, you are now watching China Central Television!"

"Dear viewers! I am currently in Queens, New York, where a riot has just taken place. The New York police have deployed a large force to disperse the rioting crowd. This incident resulted in one death and more than thirty injuries. The details are still being investigated..."

...

"Now let's connect with Sun Fei in Europe to get an update on the situation over there."

"Hello, host!"

"Hello, Sun Fei. Can you tell us about the situation in Paris?"

"Sure. Starting this afternoon, a large crowd gathered in front of the Élysée Palace in Paris, holding various banners and demanding the government reveal the truth. As we can see, a large number of police officers have gathered in front of the presidential palace. To prevent the situation from escalating, President Sarkozy has canceled his visit to the Middle East and addressed the nation on television, urging calm..."

"Alright, let's connect with Su Ren in Tokyo. Hello, Su Ren? Hello?... Well, it seems there's a problem with the satellite signal, and we can't connect to Su Ren for now. That's okay. Now let's have our two studio guests provide a scientific explanation of this event."

--- Advertisement Break ---

"Welcome back to CCTV's Special News Observation program. First, let me introduce our two special guests today, both esteemed experts in their fields. This is Professor Huo Sinian, an astronomer from Tsinghua University, and Professor Zhang Tingen, an astrophysicist from the University of Science and Technology of China!"

"Good afternoon, Professors. We know that at 7:15 AM Beijing time on the 22nd, the sun suddenly disappeared from the sky for a full ten minutes. This unusual astronomical phenomenon was observed around the globe, yet there were no prior predictions or reports of a solar eclipse, which has led to widespread speculation."

"Of course, the most famous speculation concerns the prophecy of the apocalypse. According to the prophecy, the sun was supposed to disappear completely after the 21st, plunging the Earth into eternal darkness. We know that many people, especially abroad, were deeply concerned about the accuracy of this prophecy. By the morning of the 22nd, many dismissed it as just another hoax, much like the Y2K doomsday prediction in 1999."

"However, as we know, at around 7:15 AM, the sun vanished without warning for about ten minutes, plunging the world into darkness and causing massive communication disruptions. The entire event lasted ten minutes before everything returned to normal."

"Many now believe that the doomsday prophecy might actually be coming true. Of course, we know that this is likely a special astronomical phenomenon. Since this has never happened before, could you, Professors, help us understand it from a scientific perspective? Thank you!"

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"With the insightful explanations from these esteemed professors, we now have a much clearer understanding. This special astronomical event has a valid scientific explanation, of course. It also helps dispel the rumors of doomsday predictions. We should approach these events scientifically, without falling into unnecessary panic..."

Chu Yunsheng reached out and turned off the remote control. He felt there was no need to keep watching. The internet was already filled with angry comments; so-called expert debunkings had become synonymous with deceiving the public. Since 2008, fewer people trusted the so-called experts, and Chu Yunsheng was no exception.

Although the internet was ablaze with debate, with censors working tirelessly, most people were simply curious onlookers. Still, many were genuinely frightened. Just a glance at the crowds frantically buying up food at the supermarket at noon was enough to know that if the panic wasn't quelled soon, it could cause serious economic damage.