The sled made its final descent down the gentle slope, coming to a steady stop in the open space at the base entrance. Chen Hao let go, collapsing into the snow, panting heavily. He raised his left hand; the edges of the dressing were already red, and blood was seeping out again.

Nana walked over and glanced down at him. "I suggest treating the wound."

“Wait a minute,” he said. “Let me catch my breath. This thing is more exhausting to run than I thought.”

Nana didn't say anything more, and turned to inspect the sled. The reinforcing bars on the track were intact, and there were no cracks at the joints. She pulled up the data record: continuous operation for forty-seven minutes, maximum speed of 36.5, no overturning.

The sun climbed higher, and the snow began to shine, softening underfoot. Chen Hao pushed himself up, brushing the snow off his backside. "Why didn't we build this sooner?"

"Because you said before that if you can walk, you shouldn't use your hands too much."

Did I say such a thing?

"three times."

"Back then, I probably didn't realize how lazy I was."

Nana packed up her tool bag, picked up one side of the sled, and easily carried it into the warehouse. Chen Hao followed behind, closing the door behind him. It was warmer inside, but the frostbite on his face still throbbed faintly.

The two changed clothes and replenished their food and water bladders. Chen Hao rummaged through the closet and found new bandages, an ice pick, and two high-powered flashlights, stuffing them into his backpack. He also brought a spare battery, saying that if they encountered a place with electricity, they might be able to get something for free.

Before leaving, he stood at the door and glanced at the sky outside. "The wind isn't strong today, and the snow isn't heavy either; it's a good day to go somewhere further."

Nana stood beside her, scanning the topographic map. "Based on the previous remote sensing data, there was an abnormal heat source signal five kilometers to the southeast, which has been uninterrupted for seventy-two hours. The preliminary judgment is that it is a closed, insulated structure, which could be an abandoned base station, an underground storage room, or a research facility."

"Research facilities?" Chen Hao grinned. "Are there any signs inside that say 'Self-service supplies'?"

"No."

"I knew it."

But he still slung his bag over his shoulder and pulled out the sled.

This time, they didn't test their speed again and went straight onto the main road. The sled was full of supplies, and Chen Hao pulled it at a slow pace. The sunlight shone on the snow, reflecting off it so brightly that he squinted to see ahead.

After walking less than a kilometer, Nana suddenly stopped. "The snow density in the area ahead has decreased by 18%, which is insufficient to support the weight of the snow."

Chen Hao turned around. "You mean it'll sink?"

"yes."

He crouched down and poked the snow with his hand; the surface was hard, but the bottom was soft. He tried stepping on it, and his left foot sank right up to his calf.

"Damn." He pulled it out, shook off the snow, and said, "Looks like I can't go in a straight line anymore."

Nana opened the navigation interface. "The signal is blocked by the terrain, and the positioning error has increased to 150 meters. It is recommended to use an auxiliary positioning method."

"Speak human language."

"We rely on the sun and the terrain to find our way."

"Then you lead the way, and I'll follow."

The journey that followed took on a strange rhythm. Every 500 meters, Nana would plant a metal stake in the snow, with a fluorescent strip attached to it. Chen Hao was in charge of scouting, personally stepping over any suspicious sections to confirm whether they were passable. The two of them, like clumsy surveyors, inching forward in the vast white world.

During a break, Chen Hao ate a piece of compressed biscuit and drank some hot water. "Do you think that heat source might just be an empty shell with nothing left?"

"There is a probability."

How big?

"More than 60%."

"That means it's basically useless."

"But there is still a 30% chance that it will be a complete facility."

Chen Hao chewed on a biscuit and thought for a moment. "Thirty percent is enough to take a gamble. Anyway, we don't have anything else to do."

keep going.

The deeper they went, the stronger the wind became. Around 2 PM, visibility dropped significantly, and snowflakes lashed at their faces like tiny knives. A slight rattling sound came from the right side rail of the sled; Nana checked and said the connection was loose and needed to be reinforced.

Chen Hao took out a spare bandage from his bag and wrapped it around the bandage several times to tighten it. "This thing will have to be replaced sooner or later."

“The available materials are limited,” Nana said. “The structure can still be maintained for now.”

"Let's just make do with it for now, and upgrade it when we find something new."

They switched to a "leapfrog" approach, advancing in 500-meter sections, marking out areas only after confirming safety, and gradually venturing deeper. As the temperature continued to drop, Chen Hao's fingers began to go numb, forcing him to stop and stretch them.

At 6 p.m., they finally arrived at their target area.

Before me lay a low-lying valley, surrounded by frozen mounds, its center flat as a mirror, the snow so thick that the ground was invisible. From the outside, there was nothing there.

"Is this the place?" Chen Hao asked.

"Yes." Nana took out the infrared scanner. "There is a rectangular structure 3.5 meters underground, 12 meters long and 8 meters wide. The internal temperature is stable at minus 5 degrees Celsius, which is much higher than the outside temperature. It meets the characteristics of artificial insulation."

"So, there are houses down there?"

"Very likely."

Where's the door?

"unknown."

Chen Hao grabbed his ice pick and started hammering at a central point. The ice was thick, and each strike only created a small crater. In less than ten minutes, he was panting heavily.

“Let’s try a different approach.” Nana took the pickaxe, adjusted the angle, and drew a square area along the edge. “We’ll focus on clearing this area.”

The two took turns smashing, shoveling, and digging. Two hours later, a crack finally appeared in the ice. Chen Hao reached in and touched metal with his fingertips.

"There's a door frame!" he shouted, and worked even harder.

After digging for another twenty minutes, a rusty metal plate was revealed, with the words "71 North Latitude Research Station" engraved on it.

"Are there really people doing research here?" Chen Hao wiped the sweat from his face. "Even rabbits don't come here to poop."

Nana shone her flashlight on the side of the door and found a sign half-buried in the snow that read, "Airtight passage entrance, do not force it open."

“Found it,” she said.

Chen Hao wiped the snow off his face and grinned. "Shouldn't we say 'Welcome'?"

“I don’t recommend it.” Nana pointed to the side of the door. “The control panel is malfunctioning, and the power is interrupted. The manual controls may be stuck.”

"Then unscrew it."

She scanned the area along the door frame and reported the location: "The emergency knob is located 3.2 meters to the left. It needs to be turned counterclockwise at least seven times to release the seal."

Chen Hao walked over and indeed saw a round metal handle, completely encased in ice. He used the back of his pickaxe to knock off the ice shell, then gripped the handle and turned it forcefully.

It remained completely still.

He changed his posture again, pushing off the ground with both feet and exerting all his strength. The veins in his arms were bulging, and only then did a muffled thud come from inside.

"It's loose now," Nana said.

The two of them worked together, one circle, two circles, three circles... until the seventh circle was finished, when suddenly a blast of cold air, carrying the smell of years of dust, blew out from the crack in the door.

The door slowly opened.

It was pitch black inside, the air was dry, and there was no smell of decay. Chen Hao turned on his flashlight, and the beam swept in, illuminating a straight corridor. Equipment cabinets stood against the wall, their glass intact, and the contents inside were neatly arranged. Several data boards sat on a table, their surfaces clean, as if they had never been touched.

He swallowed hard. "How many years has it been since anyone came here?"

“Unable to determine.” Nana took a step inside and scanned the environment. “Power system is in hibernation, main database is online, oxygen levels are normal. No signs of life.”

Chen Hao stood at the doorway, not in a hurry to go inside. He glanced back at the heavy snow outside, then at the sled behind him, stopping it ten meters away in the safe zone.

"Are we really going in?"

“The conditions for exploration are met,” Nana said. “We recommend bringing lighting and protective equipment to avoid triggering unknown mechanisms.”

Chen Hao nodded, took a second flashlight from his bag, and handed one to Nana. He then checked the bandage again to make sure it wouldn't drip blood and contaminate the scene.

The two stood side by side at the doorway, the light shining into the depths of the corridor.

The floor was clean and there were no footprints.

The screen of the data panel on the table was slightly reflective.

Several protective suits were hanging in the corner, and the hats were still on the rack.

Everything feels like it just happened yesterday.

Chen Hao said in a low voice, "Do you think there might be someone on duty hiding inside, sleeping on the table?"

Nana replied, "The scan showed no biological response."

"That's good." He took a step forward. "Otherwise, I would have been scared to death."

At the end of the corridor was a door labeled "Central Control Room." The electronic screen next to the door was black, but the interfaces were still there.

Nana reached out and touched the read port. "We can try to wake up the system, but it requires external power."

Chen Hao took a battery panel out of his bag. "Let's see if this works."

He connected the wires and pressed the switch.

The screen flickered.

Then, a line of text slowly appeared:

[System restarting - Time remaining: 02:59]

The countdown has started.

Chen Hao stared at the screen, his breathing becoming soft.

Nana gripped the flashlight tightly.

The sound of the wind in the corridor suddenly stopped.

The snow was still falling outside, but it was so quiet inside that you could hear the sound of electricity flowing.

When the countdown reached one minute and thirty seconds, Chen Hao suddenly remembered something.

He turned to look at the table by the wall.

Those data boards were arranged too neatly.

It was as if someone had specially prepared everything in advance to welcome them.