第147章 第147章

**Chapter 147: The Web of Conspiracy**

程星's mind was racing, trying to come up with a plausible explanation to calm the engineer down. But before he could utter a word, the engineer's phone rang, shrill and insistent.

The engineer's eyes narrowed, his gaze flicking towards the phone before returning to 程星. "Excuse me," he muttered, stepping away from the console to answer the call.

程星 watched him, a mixture of curiosity and unease swirling in his chest. Who could be calling at this hour, and what could they possibly want to discuss?

The engineer's voice rose in annoyance, and his words were punctuated by heavy sighs. 程星's curiosity got the better of him, and he edged closer to the console, trying to listen in.

"...I don't care what you're trying to do, Zhang, but I won't play along," the engineer growled. "You're not fooling anyone with your half-baked theories."

程星's eyes widened as he recognized the name Zhang. It was the director of the national space agency, a man known for his ruthless ambition and cunning.

"...No, I won't back down," the engineer continued. "You're going to have to do better than that if you want to get to me."

程星's heart pounded in his chest. What was going on? What secrets were being hidden, and who was pulling the strings?

The engineer ended the call, his face twisted in anger. "程星, you're not the only one who's been digging," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "It seems Director Zhang has been playing a game of his own, and I just got caught in the crossfire."

程星's eyes locked onto the engineer's, his mind reeling with the implications. What did Zhang have to do with the mysterious signal from the Andromeda galaxy? And what secrets was he hiding?

As the engineer's words hung in the air, a sudden alarm pierced the silence, and the console lights began to flash. The engineer's eyes snapped towards the screen, and his face paled.

"What's happening?" 程星 demanded, his voice rising in alarm.

The engineer's eyes locked onto his, his gaze cold and determined. "It seems we've just received a transmission from an unknown source," he said, his voice dripping with menace. "And it's coming from the Andromeda galaxy itself."