When Chen Hao pushed open the door to the base workshop, his hands were still trembling. Not from fear, but from the aftereffects of excitement. The sketch of "Demolition Plan A" that he had drawn yesterday was already pasted on the control table, its edges sticking up with tape, as if it might fly away at any moment.

Nana stood in front of the terminal, her fingers scrolling even faster than yesterday. "Last night, we simulated thirteen times, and the success rate of controlling the energy output below the critical point was seventy-two percent."

"Only seventy-two?" He leaned closer. "Isn't there a 30% chance we'll be blown up?"

"So you need to stay quiet and not yell 'Holy crap' at crucial moments, which could affect your judgment."

"That's a way I manage my emotions."

She didn't reply, but instead pulled up a video—a slow-motion shot of residual fuel in the tank igniting upon contact with a spark. The flames lasted less than two seconds, followed by a muffled thud and a slight vibration in the rubble. "The shockwave will spread along the existing cracks and won't cause a complete collapse."

"It sounds like instant noodles are being cooked; it makes a sound once and then it's over."

"The premise is that the wiring is accurate, the remote control signal is stable, and you don't jump around within 100 meters."

Chen Hao grinned: "I'm standing 101 meters tall, okay? Professionalism."

They began assembling the device. After disassembling the communicator, a bunch of old wires were exposed. Nana used tweezers to pick out the power management chip, soldered it to an insulating board, and then connected a thin wire. Chen Hao was in charge of modifying the outer casing. He used a file to grind a groove in the plastic shell, inserted the battery pack, and then sealed it with three layers of waterproof glue.

"This thing looks like a primary school student's science homework." He picked it up and shook it.

"But it can solve problems that even elementary school students can't."

"That's a bit hurtful."

"I'm just stating the facts."

The equipment was installed before noon. It was a small, black box, about the size of a palm, with an antenna, a red button on the side, and a label that read "For Single Use Only." Chen Hao tested the remote control signal three times, and the terminal showed that the reception was normal each time.

"Okay, let's go."

The two men, carrying their tool bags, set off again along the mountain path. The sun was even more scorching than the day before, and the wind carried a burnt smell, likely the lingering odor of oxidized metal from the previous night. Reaching the bend in the ridge, the pile of rubble and the twisted tracked vehicle still lay across the road, like a dead but not stiffened iron beast.

Chen Hao crouched down, took the remote control box out of his bag, and checked the battery. "Ready?"

Nana had already started the robotic arm; its metal fingers extended and slowly reached under the car. "Connecting the wires, estimated in two minutes."

Her movements were steady; she carefully threaded the high-temperature resistant hose through the rusted crack, led out the end of the wire, and gently touched the damaged area on the outer wall of the fuel tank. The spark tester flashed green.

"Good contact, fuel flammability confirmed."

"Then... let's give it a try?"

“Wait.” She pulled up the terrain scan map. “With increased wind speed, the signal may be delayed by 0.3 seconds. We recommend delaying the command transmission time.”

"You really think I'm a programmer?"

"You are an operator, not a poet."

Chen Hao rolled his eyes and pressed the lock button on the remote control. "Is it okay now?"

"Can."

He took a deep breath and pressed the start button.

There was no roar, no towering flames. Just a short "bang," like someone breaking a glass bottle in the distance. Immediately afterward, the ground trembled slightly, and several large stones stuck in the cracks above loosened, slowly sliding down and crashing into the mound of earth, raising a cloud of dust.

Then, everything fell silent.

Chen Hao was stunned for a few seconds, then looked up at Nana: "It's... connected?"

She was staring at the scanner. "Structural stability improved by 61%, the main passage is open, and it can pass through with a width of 1.8 meters."

"So... I can get through?"

"Yes, but I suggest bending over."

He took a few steps forward and stepped onto the newly collapsed rubble slope. The ground felt a little loose, but it could support his weight. Looking back, he saw that the previously blocked road had now opened up, wide enough for a tow truck to pass.

"What we're doing isn't clearing obstacles, it's performing minimally invasive surgery on nature."

Nana packed up the equipment: "Next step, recycling materials."

The abandoned mine's iron gate hung askew on its hinges, so rusted that its original color was almost unrecognizable. They followed the safety path marked by thermal imaging, where the ground had collapsed in several places, its edges cracked, as if torn apart by some enormous object.

“These pipes should be about twenty meters ahead.” Nana pointed to a pile of metal half-buried in the ground. “Nine sets of standard components, more than 80% intact.”

Chen Hao walked over, kicked away the loose soil, revealing a composite pipe with a dark gray sheen. "Hey, there really is something here."

The two divided the work: Nana used the robotic arm to clear the covering, while Chen Hao was responsible for binding it. The nine sets of pipes were scattered in three areas, with the furthest pile hidden under the collapsed rain shelter, which took a lot of effort to drag out.

"This quality is good, much better than the scrap metal I picked up last time." He wiped the mud off the pipe. "It can be used directly when I get back, saving me the trouble of further processing."

"It saves about four hours of time and costs," Nana nodded.

They used a portable winch and tow rope to gather all the materials next to the wreckage of the transport vehicle, set up a makeshift trailer, and secured it. Chen Hao sat on the makeshift handcart, pushed off with one foot, and dragged the entire string of pipes back.

On the way, he suddenly asked, "Do you think this truck, once repaired, will be able to haul goods?"

"The tracks are severely damaged and the power system is unusable."

"I'm not talking about a complete repair, I mean... can we make it roll down? By gravity?"

"The slope is not steep enough, and the frictional resistance is greater than the sliding force."

"Well, I just wanted to save myself the trouble."

"Easy things are only effective if they are convenient."

As evening fell, they finally returned to base. The trailer was parked outside the workshop, the setting sun casting a cold light on the neatly stacked metal pipes. Chen Hao untied the ropes, counted them one by one, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

"Nine groups, all ready. We can start piling tomorrow."

Nana synchronized the data into the system, and the terminal automatically updated the supplies list. She turned to go inside, but Chen Hao called her back.

"Hello."

"Um."

He pointed to the last pipe on the trailer, squinting, "You know... could you cut this one shorter so I can make a bracket for my bedside? I want to hang a fan."

"Your bed has a weight limit of 200 kilograms. Adding extra structures may cause deformation."

"I'm just hanging a small fan, not an air conditioner."

"According to historical records, you once tried to nail three old monitors to the wall, which resulted in the wall cracking."

"That was an accident!"

"I do not support unnecessary modifications."

Chen Hao pursed his lips, about to retort, when he suddenly heard a soft sound from the tow truck.

He looked down.

The pipe that had just been removed had somehow slipped down and rolled to the side of the wheel, its front end slightly raised, as if it had been gently pushed.