Event Description
The Dark Forest deterrence system established by Luo Ji relied on a core mechanism: Earth could at any time broadcast the coordinates of the Trisolaran star system to the universe, leveraging the Dark Forest law to invite a devastating strike against the Trisolaran civilization. However, this deterrence was a double-edged sword — broadcasting would simultaneously expose the solar system's location.
When Cheng Xin assumed the Swordholder responsibilities from Luo Ji, the Trisolaran civilization quickly determined that Cheng Xin lacked the resolve to press the button. Within mere minutes of Cheng Xin taking office, Trisolaran Droplet probes launched a lightning assault on Earth's gravitational wave transmission facilities, attempting to destroy the broadcasting infrastructure before deterrence could be executed. Cheng Xin hesitated in that critical moment that would determine the fate of two civilizations — she did not press the broadcast button.
However, the Trisolaran civilization overlooked one fatal factor: the warship Gravity. This ship, equipped with gravitational wave transmission capabilities, was conducting a mission in deep space at the time. When its crew learned that Earth's gravitational wave facilities had been destroyed, they faced the most momentous choice in human history. After a crew-wide vote, the Gravity transmitted a gravitational wave broadcast into the universe, simultaneously revealing the coordinates of both the Trisolaran system and the solar system. This irreversible act placed both civilizations under the threat of a Dark Forest strike.