The wind made the plant fibers on the drying rack sway back and forth, like a group of thin noodles hanging in mid-air. Chen Hao stared at them for a while, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the broken fiber from earlier, rubbing it tighter and tighter, until finally, with a "snap," the thread didn't form, but instead left a red mark on his finger.

He shook his hand and hissed.

Nana turned her head. "You got cut by the fibers."

“No way, these are strategic ligature marks.” He rubbed his fingers. “I was testing its tensile strength—and it turns out, it’s not as good as a shoelace.”

She didn't reply, but just watched him bend down again, pick up an even longer piece of fiber, and this time he didn't rub it, but pinched both ends and pulled gently, the whole fiber straightened, and shone with a slightly yellow luster in the sunlight.

"You know, we now have earthenware pots, grain, tools, and even machine oil burlap has been turned into sealing sets," he suddenly said. "But what about clothes? We can't keep wearing rags around our waists, can we?"

"The current clothing wear-out rate is 3.2 percent per month, and the existing reserves can last for 17 months."

"What about seventeen months from now? Running naked to welcome the New Year?"

"We recommend planning ahead."

“I knew you’d say that.” He smirked. “So I was thinking, if these fibers could be automatically twisted into thread and then woven into cloth… wouldn’t we be able to say goodbye to the era of ‘cloth beggars’?”

Nana paused for a second, a glint of data flashing in her eyes, "You mean mechanical twisting?"

“Yes! It’s that ‘spinning’ thing.” He raised his arm and twisted his wrist. “Like a windmill, it spins on its own, pulling the spool along with it, feeding fibers and twisting them into a rope—does such a thing exist?”

"Yes," she said. "The hand-cranked spinning wheel first appeared in the late Neolithic period. It has a simple structure, with the core being the spindle and drafting device. It achieves continuous twisting of fibers through human power."

Chen Hao's eyes lit up. "Why didn't you say so earlier? This is exactly what our base is lacking!"

“You did not make this request before.”

"How was I supposed to know that you robots had some kind of primitive textile history stored in your brains?" He scratched his head. "So... is it even possible?"

"Theoretically feasible."

His smile vanished instantly. "Here we go again? Last time I mentioned building a plow, and you said it was theoretically feasible, but after three days of welding, the finished product was harder than a rock."

"That time you turned the heating temperature up by two hundred degrees."

"That's because I thought 'it'll be more effective if it's hotter!' Who knew metal could also suffer from heatstroke."

Nana didn't laugh, but there was something more to her tone: "This time we can make the model first."

"Model?"

"The structure is simplified, only demonstrating the twisting principle. The materials used are discarded brackets and old bearings, and the power source can be a manual crank. If the operation is stable, then we will consider upgrading the power."

Chen Hao stroked his chin and paced back and forth a couple of times. "It sounds... not so scary."

“The cost of failure is low,” she added. “At most, it’s a waste of an iron rod and three minutes.”

"Why does that sound like you're trying to provoke me?"

"I'm just stating the facts."

He stopped and stared at the terminal projection area. "Then bring up the blueprints and take a look."

Nana lightly traced a line drawing with her fingertip, and a simple wireframe appeared in the air: a vertical shaft with a hook at the top and a turntable connected to the bottom, labeled "spindle rod," "yarn guide hook," and "handle linkage mechanism."

"Is that all?" Chen Hao leaned closer. "It doesn't even look as complicated as the relays we made."

"Single function, clear purpose."

"How can it ensure that it feeds the cable while rotating? Won't it get stuck?"

"A counterweight traction system is needed to keep the fiber under constant tension. If you suspend a weight on the fiber in your hand, it will naturally straighten."

"Oh—" he drawled, "like hanging cured meat, with a stone hanging underneath?"

"The analogy is appropriate."

"Wait a minute." He suddenly raised his hand. "If we can really make it, can we also modify it into a foot pedal? To free up our hands?"

"It is feasible."

"Going further, could we connect it to wind power? Or use water flow to drive it?"

"A technical path exists."

"Wow!" He took a step back and spread his arms wide. "We're not just making spinning wheels, we're starting a textile industrial revolution!"

"The current plan is limited to making a model that can rotate."

"Dreams should be nurtured from a young age, and projects should start with small prototypes!" He slapped his thigh. "Let's do it! Consider it practice for the future factory manager!"

Nana watched him excitedly and spun around in place, almost bumping into the tool rack.

Are you sure you want to start now?

“Of course!” He reached into the parts box in the corner. “While I still have the energy, before I think about how troublesome this is.”

The box was opened, revealing a pile of various disassembled metal pieces, screws, and broken small gears. He rummaged through them for a bit and pulled out a rusty but still relatively intact bearing.

"Will this thing even work?"

"It can be used after cleaning."

He then pulled out a bent iron bar. "Can this be straightened?"

"It can be corrected using hydraulic clamps."

"Great!" He picked up everything and walked to the workbench. "Let's set up the frame first, install the shaft, and then figure out a way to make this broken bearing turn more smoothly."

"It is recommended to first list the required components."

"A list?" He put down his things and tilted his head. "Don't you have a database? Just give me the numbers."

“I can provide the standard configuration, but adjustments will be needed based on the available materials.”

“Then we’ll make changes as we go.” He waved his hand. “Plans can’t keep up with changes, and I’m best at improvising.”

Nana brings up the interface and begins recording:

[Project Name]: Simple Spinning Wheel Prototype Experiment

[Objective]: To verify the feasibility of fiber twisting.

[Phase]: Design Concept → Model Building → Dynamic Testing

[Person in Charge]: Chen Hao

Technical Support: Nana

"You wrote my name on your forehead?" He peeked over and took a look.

"You are the initiator."

"It sounds like someone's taking the blame."

"Just record the truth."

He grinned. "Fine, I'll accept it even if it fails. But—" he paused, "if it actually works, could you put 'Chen Hao Brand Automatic Spinning Machine' on the label?"

"Equipment naming must conform to the numbering standard."

"Can't we make an exception?"

"Special approval can be applied for, provided that the equipment passes more than three stability tests."

“Tsk, bureaucratic style.” He shook his head. “Once I’ve made ten of them, I’ll start my own business, ‘Hao’s Handmade Workshop,’ which will cure all kinds of terminal laziness.”

"The estimated customer base is less than three people."

"You're one of them."

"I don't need clothes."

"Then you're considered an audience member, the kind who applauds."

She didn't respond, but instead zoomed in on the sketch, pointing to the spindle section: "Next, confirm the method of fixing the rotating shaft. I suggest using a double bearing support structure to reduce wobbling."

"So, you need two bearings?"

"Optimal solution".

He looked back at the parts box. "I need to find another one... I hope it's not another crippled model that gets stuck after turning half a circle."

He crouched down and continued rummaging through the parts, muttering, "Last time I repaired a motor, I was just praising how good this part was, and then it started smoking. Are all the spare parts in our base cursed?"

"Probability problem."

"I think it's fate."

Nana walked to his side, and the scanner lightly swept over a pile of metal parts. "The one on the left side of the third layer, the one wrapped with blue tape, the model matches."

He reached in and pulled out a bearing that was in perfect condition with the grease still wet.

"Hey, not bad." He blew on it. "Luck's on my side this time?"

"It might be a new addition during inventory rotation."

"Anyway, this is a good omen." He placed the two bearings side by side on the table. "Look, two good buddies, working together makes the work easier."

Nana brought up the simulation animation: the handle was turned, which caused the shaft to rotate, and the virtual fiber was slowly twisted into a thin thread and sent out smoothly.

"If the actual effect is close to the simulation, the success rate can reach 82%."

"Eighty-two? Then there's still eighteen more chances of a car crashing?"

"Including slippage, entanglement, breakage, power interruption, etc."

"It sounds like they're ready to throw cold water on me at any moment."

"I'm just reminding you of the risks."

“I know.” He picked up his pen and drew a crooked circle on the paper. “But I still want to try. I used to rely on my speed when copying homework at school, but now I’m working for myself, so I have to make some progress.”

He looked up at her and said, "Tell me, after all we've been through, aren't we getting stronger little by little?"

Nana paused for a moment.

"Your motor coordination has improved by 19%, your welding error rate has decreased to 5.3%, and your willingness to complete complex tasks independently has increased."

"This isn't data, this is growth."

"In my record, the two are equivalent."

He laughed, threw his pen on the table, and said, "Then let's start recording my zeroth attempt at textiles from today."

He opened the drawer and took out a file, a roll of copper wire, and several washers, placing them one by one on the table.

“First, make the frame,” he said. “Then install the shaft. And then—” he paused, looking at the fibers swaying gently in the wind on the drying rack, “to truly turn those thin noodles into ropes.”

Nana's Update Log:

Project Status: Initiated

[Current Progress]: Materials are being prepared.

[Estimated first test time]: Within 72 hours

Chen Hao picked up the iron bar, measured its length, and hummed a tuneless melody. This time, surprisingly, the tune didn't go off-key.

He drew lines on the iron bar with a marker, preparing to cut it.

Nana suddenly said, "The background music you were humming just now was the thirteenth song that was playing on repeat last week."

"What?"

"The soothing melody of the base's energy system in standby mode."

“No wonder it sounded familiar.” He scratched his head. “I thought it was one of my original inspirational songs.”

"It is suggested that it be named 'The Iron Bar March'."

“Sure.” He smiled and held up the file. “Dedicated to all souls tormented by hand.”

He began to grind the cut, and metal shavings fell down in a flurry.

Nana stood to the side, her gaze fixed on his slightly sweaty profile.

A gust of wind blew in through the vent, ruffling a sketch on the corner of the table.

The drawing depicts a simple rotating shaft, with a line of text written beside it:

"As long as it can be transferred, that's fine."