The rain gradually subsided, and the wind stopped lashing the walls. Chen Hao leaned against the corner of the control room, his hand still gripping the tool handle tightly, his knuckles white. He looked down at his shoes; the mud had dried into a hard crust, crumbling at the slightest movement.

Nana stared at the screen, her fingers swiping rapidly. She suddenly spoke: "The main storm belt has moved out of the affected area; this is a safe window."

No one answered. Carl squatted on the ground, hands on his knees, panting. Susan stood leaning against the doorframe, fingers pressed against her forehead, as if counting how much strength she had left.

"Everyone who can move, get up." Nana turned her head. "It's check-up time now, not sleep time."

"I'm not dead yet." Chen Hao slammed the tool handle into the ground to help him stand up. "But I feel like I'm not far from dying."

Carl looked up at him and said, "If you really can't do it, don't force yourself. You still have work to do later."

"If I collapse, who will tell you jokes?" Chen Hao grinned. "Wouldn't you all die of depression?"

Susan snorted: "You call that a joke? Last time you told a lame joke, Nana's cooling fan even stopped."

“That’s because she laughed so hard she overloaded.” Chen Hao patted the robot’s shoulder. “Right, Nana?”

Nana remained expressionless: "My system is functioning normally and has not experienced any abnormal fluctuations due to your words."

“Look, she said she smiled.” Chen Hao proudly raised his chin.

Carl rolled his eyes: "Alright, alright, hurry up and assign tasks, or we won't get anything done before dark."

Nana pulled up a base floor plan and projected it onto the wall. She used the cursor to mark four areas: "Residential area, food storage area, research area, and outer defense. Two people per group, report back in fifteen minutes."

“Susan and I are going to the living area,” Chen Hao raised his hand. “After all, I know best whether a bed is comfortable or not.”

"It's because you've been lying down the most, isn't it?" Susan gave him a push. "Come on, stop talking nonsense."

Carl and Nana walked towards the research area, their steps heavy but steady. Chen Hao dragged his legs as he followed Susan through the corridor; the water on the ground hadn't completely receded, making a splashing sound as they stepped on it.

"This road is even harder to walk on than yesterday." Chen Hao leaned against the wall, almost slipping and falling.

"Be careful," Susan said, reaching out to steady you. "Does your leg still hurt?"

"It hurts, but I can bear it," Chen Hao said through gritted teeth. "Besides, if I fall, who will carry the sandbags? You?"

“I can,” Susan glared at him. “The question is, will you cry?”

"I'll just hum a couple of times at most," Chen Hao chuckled. "It's nothing shameful."

They entered the residential area; there were several leaks in the ceiling, dripping onto the floor. Chen Hao took out a piece of chalk and drew a circle next to each crack.

“The leak is worst right above bed number three,” he said. “If I sleep here any longer, mushrooms will grow on my body tomorrow.”

Susan opened the closet and found it damp inside. "All the clothes are wet, I need to hang them out to dry." She rummaged through them, "Luckily, I moved the blankets in time, otherwise they would all be soaked."

"What about the grain?" Chen Hao asked.

“Let’s go take a look.” Susan walked toward the grain storage warehouse.

As soon as the door opened, both of them frowned. Three bags of grain were soaking in shallow water, the rice grains swollen and white.

"It's over." Susan crouched down to examine them. "These are inedible."

"How much less?" Chen Hao asked.

"Enough for at least two weeks." She shook her head. "We have to be careful."

“Then I’ll skip a meal.” Chen Hao shrugged. “Anyway, I’ve gained weight recently, so this is a good opportunity to lose weight.”

“You’re losing your life.” Susan stood up. “Let’s go take another look at the wall.”

Meanwhile, Karl was checking the instruments one by one in the research area. He opened a cabinet door, took out an analyzer, and the screen was black.

“It got wet,” he said. “The motherboard is short-circuited; it can’t be repaired, so we’ll have to take parts apart and use them.”

Nana took the equipment, shook it gently, and heard water running inside. "It needs to be dried, but we don't have the facilities right now."

“What about the solar panels?” Carl asked.

"The array failure rate is forty percent." Nana pulled up the data. "The power supply at night can only maintain the basic system."

"In other words, the lights will work, but don't think about anything else." Carl rubbed his temples. "How many more days will the battery last?"

“Three days,” Nana replied, “if we don’t use high-energy-consuming equipment.”

“Then don’t use it.” Carl put the broken instrument back in the cabinet. “There’s nothing to measure anyway.”

The two continued inspecting the energy compartment; they found loose pipe connections and peeling insulation. Carl noted the locations, preparing to return and address them.

Fifteen minutes later, the four people gathered in the control room.

Nana summarized all the information on the whiteboard. There were five structural damages, approximately 30% of the materials were lost, and the power system was partially paralyzed.

"The roof needs fixing," Chen Hao said, pointing to the diagram. "Otherwise, next time it rains, we'll be living in a waterfall cave."

"Prioritize restoring power," Carl objected. "Without power, nothing can be done."

“One of you is afraid of getting wet in the rain, and the other is afraid of being in the dark,” Susan interjected. “Can’t we think of a compromise?”

Watching the two argue, Nana suddenly said, "We'll repair the roof and walls during the day, and take turns using portable power sources for lighting at night. We'll also use old tents as temporary storage to prevent the remaining food from getting damp."

“That’s a good idea,” Susan nodded. “It will also free up space to dry things.”

“Dredging also needs to be arranged,” she added, “otherwise the drainage ditch will get blocked again and the water will backflow.”

"Then it's settled." Chen Hao made the decision. "Let's start work first thing tomorrow morning and get our accommodation sorted out first."

Carl glanced at him: "Are you sure you can get up early?"

"I can do it." Chen Hao puffed out his chest. "I'll risk it all so I don't have to sleep in a puddle."

“Then don’t sneak any cookies tonight.” Susan stared at him. “I know you’ve hidden a pack under your pillow.”

"That's emergency rations!" Chen Hao hurriedly explained, "I need to conserve my energy in case the power goes out in the middle of the night!"

"Then you'd better be at the training ground at six o'clock sharp tomorrow morning." Susan sneered. "If you're even a minute late, I'll throw away all the snacks you have left."

"This is too cruel!" Chen Hao wailed. "This is psychological oppression."

“It’s because you have a guilty conscience.” Carl crossed his arms. “Why weren’t you afraid of being discovered when you were hiding things?”

"That's my tactical reserve," Chen Hao muttered to himself.

Nana wrote down the first phase of the plan on the task board: repair the roof, patch the leaking walls, move the food, and clear the drainage channels. She was responsible for monitoring the progress daily.

As night fell, only a few emergency lights remained on in the base. The four men huddled together in a still-dry corner to rest.

Chen Hao stared at the crack in the ceiling. The rain had stopped, but the wind was seeping in through the crack, making him feel cold.

“This time it didn’t collapse,” he said softly. “We fought our way through it.”

No one responded. Carl leaned against the wall, dozing with his eyes closed; Susan was tidying her toolbox; and Nana was still adjusting the repair plan on her tablet.

Chen Hao reached into his pocket and felt for the bag of cookies he had secretly hidden. He hesitated for a moment, then finally took them out and broke them into four pieces.

"Here you go." He handed it to the others, "One bite each, to replenish your blood sugar."

Susan took it without saying a word. Carl opened his eyes, glanced at him, and took a bite.

Nana took the piece and placed it on her lap. "I don't need any energy intake," she said, "but I'll take it."

"That's enough to show your appreciation," Chen Hao smiled. "Anyway, I'm not going to give you everything."

He leaned back against the wall, his eyelids growing heavier and heavier. His body felt like it had been run over, every muscle protesting. But he knew he had to continue tomorrow.

The wind was still blowing outside, not strong, but persistent. The sound of dripping water from the eaves was intermittent.

Carl suddenly opened his eyes: "This weather...it's unbelievable."

“You’ll get used to it.” Susan put the tools back in the box. “It won’t get any better just because we complain.”

“I’m just saying it’s inhuman,” Carl muttered. “It’s been raining for so long, and there wasn’t even a warning.”

"Is it giving a forecast, or is it for extreme weather?" Chen Hao mumbled sleepily. "Maybe it thinks we're too idle and is arranging some activities for us."

"So you want it to happen again?" Susan raised an eyebrow.

"No!" Chen Hao sat up abruptly. "I was just kidding! I'm serious! I never want it to rain again!"

Nana looked up: "According to meteorological models, there will be no large-scale precipitation in the next 72 hours."

"Did you hear that!" Chen Hao breathed a sigh of relief. "At least I can focus on repairing the house now."

He had just finished speaking when a soft sound came from above his head.

A loose metal plate wobbled, its edges curled up, and it looked like it was about to fall off.