Many scientists across the world committed suicide. Wang Miao who was an applied physicist was asked to do an undercover job in an organization called The Frontier of Science.
Wang witnessed the universe flicker for him. With the encouragements from Shi and his family, he decided to fight against whoever's out there manipulating all this.
The civilization demolished in the game. Wang is overwhelmed by how real the game feels, yet they can't find any information on the game developer. General decides to put top scientists in military custody for protection.
Ye was accused for reading forbidden book and writing a letter that delivered anti-revolutionary ideas. She was given a way out, but with one condition, which was to accuse her father as anti-revolutionary even after his death.
Wang went into the game again and witnessed a model which showed a possible structure of the universe. The civilization this time was destroyed with the sun approaching fast.
Wang Miao re-enters the game with his daughter's inspiration and Ye Wenjie's interpretation. Shi Qiang and Xu Bingbing become more suspicious about Ye Wenjie because of her financial aid to her niece, Chen Xue.
A Tri-Solar Syzygy (a straight line configuration of three or more celestial bodies in a gravitational system) ends Civilization No.184. Wang Miao is invited to a players' meet-up by the system administrator of the game.
Shi Qiang and Wang Miao embark on a mission to find Shen Yufei and Ye Wenjie. The Earth Three-body Organization is divided, hindering communication with the "Lord." Ye Wenjie establishes the Third Red Coast Base but receives no messages.
Wang Miao and Shi Qiang share their information but Shi Qiang doubts it's all a coincidence. Ye Wenjie waits for ETO leader Evans at the Red Coast Base.
Wei Cheng's addiction to Three-Body computing led him to marry Shen Yufei. Wang Miao enters the game and realizes the problem's unsolvability, causing Shen Yufei's despair.
At an offline party for the Three-Body game, Pan Han reveals the reality of the Three-Body world. Wang Miao supports Pan Han and informs Shi Qiang about the event, exposing the Three-Body organization ETO.
Ye Wenjie pays her homage to Shen Yufei and learns about the Adventists. Wang Miao and Shi Qiang suspect divisions within the ETO. Wang Miao continues playing the game while the game server's location is discovered.
Clues link Chen Xue to ETO and the K1303 train killing. Wang Miao learns of the ETO gathering, and the Battle Command Center plans an arrest operation.
Ye Wenjie, who conducted research at the Red Coast Base, comes up with a bold exploration plan: use the sun as an amplifier to transmit signals into the universe.
Ye Wenjie meets Mike Evans in the northwest China. Inspired by Ye's findings at the Base, Evans builds a huge ship named "the Judgment Day". Ye says the Adventists' intercepted information of the Lord is stored on the ship.
Wang Miao and Shi Qiang re-enter the Three-Body game through a found hard drive. Monitor No.1379 reveals receiving a warning to protect Earth but is sanctioned for betrayal, forced to live until Earth loses hope.
Nanomaterials expert sees a mysterious countdown superimposed and finds himself under military investigation. He enters the VR game developed by a secret organization and discovers the truth behind the deaths of dozens of scientists.