Chen Hao stared at the blueprints in Karl's hand for a long time, then suddenly slammed his hand on the table: "Now that we have lights on, water boiling, and the refrigerator no longer smoking, shouldn't we do something bigger?"

Susan was tightening the buckles on her toolbox when she looked up at him and asked, "Like what?"

“For example—” Chen Hao grinned, “Don’t just play house in this 40-square-meter space. There’s so much space outside; we can’t just use it to dry clothes.”

Nana stood in front of the control panel, and the screen flashed, displaying a topographic map: "According to recent scan data, there is an unmarked area three kilometers to the northwest. The surface temperature is abnormal and the humidity is high, suggesting the possibility of an underground water source or an enclosed space."

Carl put down his pen and wiped his hands: "I looked at the infrared images last night. The vegetation in that area is irregularly distributed, unlike naturally growing vegetation. And the wind occasionally carries back the smell of oxidized metal."

"Metal?" Chen Hao's eyes lit up. "You mean discarded equipment? Generators? Air conditioner outdoor units? Or... vending machines?"

“Not sure,” Carl shook his head, “but it’s worth a look.”

Susan closed her medical kit: "We've been relying on the base's existing resources, and even with careful conservation, there's only so much left. If we can find new materials or a more stable energy source, we can further improve our lives."

"Life?" Chen Hao laughed. "I don't need to burn firewood to take a bath now, the hot water comes on its own, and I can even taste the flavor in my potato chips. This is already the pinnacle of life."

“Then you stay here and guard your peak.” Susan slung her backpack over her shoulder. “I’ll go see if there’s a new washing machine.”

"Hey, wait!" Chen Hao quickly stood up. "I was just kidding! How can an exploration like this be complete without me, the team's pillar of strength?"

Nana glanced at the four people: "I suggest a pre-departure check. The journey is expected to take six hours, and a return trip within twelve hours is the safe limit."

“Okay.” Karl walked toward the equipment cabinet. “Let’s look at the signal gun first.”

Nana initiated the detection program: "The battery levels of both signal guns are below 30%, making it impossible to guarantee remote communication triggering."

“Let’s modify it using an old circuit board.” Carl opened the repair kit. “We can salvage a few capacitors from the leftover voltage regulator module from last time.”

He crouched down and skillfully disassembled the parts, his fingers moving quickly between the solder joints. Ten minutes later, the two signal guns were reconnected to the power supply for testing, and the indicator lights changed from red to green.

"All done." Carl put the gun into his side pocket. "I also added a manual safety switch to prevent accidental activation."

Susan checked the medical kit: "It's fully equipped with hemostatic bandages, anti-inflammatory drugs, and anti-allergy medication. I also brought emergency pain relief patches; anyone who can't walk can put one on."

"Who are you planning to give this to?" Chen Hao muttered as he stuffed compressed biscuits into his small backpack. "My injury has healed, and I can walk faster than before."

"Really?" Susan sneered. "Who was panting like a broken bellows yesterday when we were moving sandbags?"

"That was a warm-up," Chen Hao explained. "The body needs time to adjust when the intensity of exercise suddenly increases."

Nana scanned his physical condition: "Muscle recovery is 86%, and cardiopulmonary function is stable. It is recommended that the load not exceed 15 kilograms."

"I'll only carry ten kilograms," Chen Hao immediately stated. "I'll travel light and focus on agility."

Carl slung his exploration toolbox over his shoulder: "I'm carrying the main equipment, including the geological hammer, sampling bottles, and portable spectrometer. The batteries are fully charged, and there are two backup power supplies."

“What’s the route?” Susan asked.

Nana projected the map: "Walk along the northern wasteland to the broken bridge intersection, then turn onto the West Valley Slope. The entire route is passable. There are no large obstacles recorded along the way."

"Shall we set off then?" Chen Hao zipped up his jacket. "It'll be harder to travel after dark."

"Wait," Susan stopped him. "The protective measures aren't finished. If contact is lost, fire a signal flare every half hour. In case of any abnormal situation, retreat immediately. No recklessness is allowed."

"Understood." Chen Hao raised his hand. "I promise to follow instructions, not run around, not play around, and not put strange things in my mouth."

“That would be best.” Susan nodded. “Last time you picked up a tin can and said it was an antique, but you got an upset stomach in the middle of the night.”

“That was an accident,” Chen Hao muttered. “Who would have thought that luncheon meat from thirty years ago could be poisonous?”

Carl checked the backpack strap buckles one last time: "Everything's there."

Nana activated omnidirectional scanning mode: "No obstacles 500 meters ahead, air quality is acceptable, temperature is 13 degrees Celsius, suitable for travel."

“Let’s go.” Susan led the way to the exit.

The four walked through the main hall, past the restored lighting area, their footsteps landing smoothly on the floor. The door at the end of the corridor slowly opened, letting in a gust of cold wind.

Chen Hao glanced back at the interior of the base. The lights were still on, the refrigerator was humming, and the kettle was occasionally making a soft dripping sound.

He made a face at the security camera: "Base, flash your lights three times if you miss me!"

No one responded.

But he laughed even harder.

Outside the door stretched a rolling wasteland, withered grass bent low by the wind, and the distant horizon blurred. They walked along the ruins of an old road, the gravel path barely discernible.

“This road is even worse than I remember.” Chen Hao kicked away a piece of cement. “Last time I walked this road, I thought I was walking on the surface of the moon.”

“The road conditions are indeed poor,” Carl said, glancing down at the map, “but it saves forty minutes compared to taking the mountain road.”

"As long as it doesn't collapse, it's fine." Chen Hao patted the bag on his shoulder. "I don't want to fall into a crack in the ground halfway there."

"The Earth's crust is stable," Nana said. "There have been no seismic waves recorded in the last 72 hours."

“Listen to this,” Chen Hao said to Susan. “The robot said it’s nothing, so stop frowning.”

“I’m not worried about an earthquake,” Susan said, staring ahead. “I’m worried you’ll complain of being tired again as we walk.”

"No." Chen Hao straightened his back. "I'm now an unofficial member of the technical team, and my enthusiasm for work is at an all-time high."

“The last time you said that was when you were carrying the third bag of sand,” Carl reminded him. “Then you just sat down on the ground and wouldn’t get up.”

"That was a tactical break!" Chen Hao protested, "to observe the trajectory of the slide!"

"Fine," Susan said, too lazy to argue. "You can talk big when it's your turn to carry supplies later."

They continued forward, their pace gradually becoming steady. The wind blew from the side, carrying a faint smell of earth and rust.

Nana reports environmental data in real time: "Humidity increased by 5%, wind speed is 3.2, and oxygen content is normal."

“Looks like we’re almost at the border.” Carl looked at the red dot on the map. “Another 800 meters and we’re in the unregistered zone.”

"Finally, we're going to enter a new map." Chen Hao rubbed his hands together. "Hopefully, it won't be some kind of landfill."

“If so, at least we can find some plastic,” Susan said. “It would be good to do a waterproofing layer.”

"You still have to have dreams." Chen Hao looked up. "What if it's an abandoned supermarket? The freezers are full of ice cream that hasn't melted in ten years."

“You wish,” Carl laughed. “If such a place really existed, it would have been completely robbed long ago.”

"That's not necessarily true." Chen Hao chuckled. "Maybe the miser will die inside, turned into a dried-up corpse, still clutching his shopping cart."

"Shut up." Susan shoved him. "If you keep talking nonsense, I'll leave you here all alone."

"No!" Chen Hao quickly followed up, "I was just trying to liven things up! Team morale is very important!"

They stepped over a low, broken barbed wire fence, and the ground beneath their feet became soft. The grass was sparse, and the ground had slight cracks.

Nana stopped in her tracks: "We have crossed the base's regular activity area. The area ahead is officially marked as the 'Unknown Zone'."

"Does that mean we've crossed the line now?" Chen Hao asked.

“Yes,” Nana replied, “the communication signal will gradually weaken, so it is recommended to maintain visual distance.”

Susan looked up at the sky: "The sun hasn't reached its zenith yet, we have enough time."

Carl adjusted his backpack: "Keep the formation. I'll go second, just in case."

"I'll scout ahead," Susan said. "Chen Hao, stay close to me and don't fall behind."

"Roger that." Chen Hao stood at attention and saluted. "Sir!"

The group set off again, the four of them lined up in a single file, traversing the last stretch of familiar land.

At the edge of the wasteland, the terrain gently slopes down, forming a shallow valley. The wind takes a turn here, stirring up a cloud of dust.

Chen Hao squinted and looked ahead, vaguely able to see the outlines of some collapsed walls.

"Is there a building over there?" he asked, pointing ahead.

Carl looked through his binoculars for a moment: "It looks like the shell of an industrial facility; the roof has collapsed, but the structure is still intact."

"Is there any way?" Chen Hao asked.

“There are at least three entrances.” Karl put down his binoculars. “But whether we can get in depends on the situation on site.”

"That means there's hope." Chen Hao grinned. "Let's go see if any automatic doors are still working."

They quickened their pace, heading towards the valley. The wind grew stronger, causing their clothes to flutter loudly.

Nana's calm voice rang out: "Entering the boundary of the unknown area, approximately 600 meters from the target building. Environmental monitoring is ongoing."

Susan gripped the pliers at her waist: "Stay alert, don't get too close."

Carl checked the position of the signal flare: "Be prepared to evacuate at any time."

Chen Hao took a deep breath and touched the compressed biscuits in his backpack.

“Come on,” he said, “let me see just how many spicy snacks are hidden in this new-age wilderness supermarket.”