Chen Hao held up the sealed bag and waved it in the sunlight. The fruit was a glossy purplish-red, as if it had just been washed.

Susan squinted at me, her hand still resting on her backpack. She had just woken up, her hair a mess plastered to her face. "This...is it really edible?"

“At least the rats ate it.” Chen Hao grinned. “Nana said there was a pit in the pit, which means whoever ate it didn’t die.”

Carl rolled over, sat up from the ground, and rubbed his ankle: "You two disappeared early this morning, just to pick a few wild fruits?"

“It’s not picking it up,” Chen Hao corrected. “It’s discovering a new species. From now on, we’ll call it ‘Brother Hao Fruit’.”

“The names you’ve come up with are so corny,” Carl said, but then reached out and took the bag to look at it. “If you really want to eat it, you have to try it first.”

Nana stood to the side, her voice steady: "The feeding observation process has been recorded. It is recommended to divide it into three stages: the initial food intake should not exceed 50 grams, and the patient should be observed for 12 hours; during this period, heart rate, blood pressure, and pupillary response should be monitored."

Susan nodded: "I'll take notes. Anyway, I can't walk too fast."

"Then it's settled." Chen Hao took the bag back, slapped his thigh, and stood up. "You need to eat well to have the energy to walk. Now let's go pick more, and try to carry enough for two meals each."

The four of them ate some of the remaining dry rations. Karl chewed on a hard biscuit, his face scrunched up. "If I don't eat something fresh, I'd rather starve to death."

"Don't rush," Chen Hao said, tightening his shoelaces. "I'll make you eat until you throw up."

They walked eastward along the same route. The ground was still wet, but the mud began to harden after the sun came out. Chen Hao walked in front, using a broken metal rod as a walking stick.

When I reached the edge of the woods, the green shadows were still hidden behind the slope. The branches and leaves were very dense, and there were even more fruits hanging on the branches than in the morning.

"Can we pick them this time?" Chen Hao turned to ask Nana.

“It is permissible to collect them,” she said, “but three principles must be followed: do not damage the main trunk, do not harm the root system, and prioritize collecting mature, fallen branches.”

“I don’t understand,” Carl said. “Just say, can I shake the tree harder?”

“You can tap the side branches lightly,” Nana added, “but keep the vibration level below 3.5.”

“Then tell me which is 3.5?” Carl raised the pole. “I only know how to push harder and harder.”

Chen Hao chuckled: "Just think of yourself as someone who's putting a baby to sleep, and pat it gently."

They quickly decided on their roles. Nana climbed the tree, the robotic arm gripped a branch to steady herself, and her other hand precisely picked the fruit. She was fast and efficient, filling a small bag in just a few minutes.

Chen Hao spread a waterproof sheet on the ground and shouted towards the treetops, "The ones on top are yours, the ones on the bottom are ours!"

Carl gently tapped the middle-layered branches with his stick. The fruit fell with a clatter, some rolling into the crevices of the rocks, and he quickly bent down to pick them up.

"Ouch!" he suddenly cried out, nearly slipping and falling.

"What's wrong?" Susan asked.

"I stepped into a hole." Carl steadied himself. "It's very soft underneath, like it's been dug out by something."

Nana glanced down and said, "These are rodent digging marks. They're about four centimeters in diameter and about fifteen centimeters deep, so they must have been formed during nocturnal activity."

"So that means—" Chen Hao squatted down and touched the soil, "that there are really animals eating here?"

“More than one.” Nana scanned the surroundings. “Footprint analysis shows that at least three different types of creatures have stayed here.”

"Then what do I have to be afraid of?" Karl perked up. "They dare to eat even alien rats, so why shouldn't we?"

Susan sat on a dry rock, picking out the fallen leaves and pebbles that had gotten into the bag. She worked slowly but carefully. After cleaning each bag, she handed it to Chen Hao to reseal.

"The peel is quite thick." She squeezed one, "It's not easy to crush, so it's easy to carry around."

"The key is that it's sweet." Chen Hao peeled one and put it in his mouth. After chewing it a couple of times, his eyes lit up. "It's really sweet! With a bit of sourness, like grapes and hawthorn."

"Do not take orally!" Nana immediately turned around. "Do not consume before the observation period is complete!"

"I'll just have a bite," Chen Hao spat out the fruit pulp. "It's not against the rules, is it? I didn't swallow it."

“Swallowing it is also a violation,” she said. “The system has recorded this behavior, and the risk level has been raised to level two.”

"You keep accounts?" Chen Hao smiled wryly. "Do I have to write a self-criticism just to eat some fruit?"

“Scientific procedures cannot skip steps.” Nana continued picking fruit. “You can try them on the way back.”

"Alright then." Chen Hao stuffed the remaining fruit into the inner pocket of his backpack. "I'll wait until I'm starving."

Two hours later, all three sealed bags were full, and two backpacks were also crammed into the spare space. The total amount collected was enough to support the trip for five days, and even if there were delays along the way, there would be no shortage of food.

“That’s enough.” Susan checked the last bag. “There’s no room for any more.”

"The trees aren't bald." Chen Hao looked around. "They haven't lost many leaves. We can come again next time."

“If there’s a next time,” Carl said, brushing the dirt off his trousers, “I still hope to go back soon and sleep in a real bed.”

They packed up their tools and prepared to leave. Before leaving, Chen Hao deliberately stuck an iron bar next to the tree and tied a reflective piece of metal to it.

"What?" Susan asked.

"To mark the way," he said, "so that we won't get lost if we need to come back for food later."

"You think this is a rural resort?" Carl laughed. "And you even have a photo spot here?"

"Survival depends on the details," Chen Hao said earnestly. "Who knows if they'll come back again?"

On the way back to the resource point, the atmosphere was noticeably more relaxed. Carl hummed a song as he walked, completely off-key, but the emotion was spot-on.

Upon arriving at the camp, they immediately began organizing supplies. Nana initiated a checklist verification process, confirming item by item whether they should be recycled.

"Medical kit, retrieve."

"Rope, retrieve."

"Flint, retrieve."

"Navigation device, battery level 68%, normal."

Chen Hao packed the wild berries separately and put them in the innermost layer. He then slung the heaviest backpack over his shoulder and tightened the straps.

"Are you really going to carry this?" Susan asked, looking at his puffed-out cheeks.

“I’m the fattest and the strongest,” he said. “You can travel light.”

“That’s fat,” Carl said. “Not muscle.”

“Fat can also contribute to strength.” Chen Hao took a breath. “Try carrying it for ten minutes if you don’t believe me.”

Susan took the smallest bag, which contained some water bottles and emergency medicine. She helped Carl up slowly, her steps still a little unsteady, but she could walk.

Nana walked at the back, her right leg making a slight scraping sound. She didn't mention the malfunction, nor did she slow down; she only occasionally paused for half a second to adjust her gait.

"Are you alright?" Chen Hao asked, turning around.

“Joint lubrication has decreased by 12 percent,” she said. “It doesn’t affect walking.”

"I'll put some oil on it when we get back," Chen Hao said. "If that doesn't work, I'll take it apart and wash it."

“I’m not a kitchen stove,” she said. “I don’t need to wash pots.”

The group lined up and followed the footprints they had made to the west. The sun rose high overhead, and the mountain path gradually became clearer. The wind was light, and the air was dry.

After walking for about twenty minutes, Chen Hao suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong?" The people behind stopped as well.

He took a fruit out of his bag, peeled it, took a bite, and chewed it slowly.

"You're here again?" Karl glared.

"The observation period has begun." Chen Hao swallowed and wiped his mouth. "First bite, no discomfort. Make a note of it, Nana."

Nana raised her wrist, and the screen flashed. "Time: 11:03 AM. Intake: Approximately 40 grams. Current status: Normal."

"I think it's great." Chen Hao popped another one in. "Would you guys like some too?"

Susan hesitated for a moment: "Let's talk about it in two hours."

"Cowards." Chen Hao laughed and walked forward. "I won't share with you when you're too hungry to walk."

Carl said in a low voice, "He's starting to establish his authority now."

“He’s the captain,” Nana said calmly. “Although his logic often goes wrong, his decision-making success rate is higher than the team average.”

"You actually praised him?" Carl asked in surprise.

“I’m just stating the facts,” she said. “The margin of error is plus or minus 3.2.”

They continued on. The mountain path undulated, but was no longer muddy. The distant mountain ridges were clearly visible, and the direction of the base was faintly discernible.

Chen Hao walked at the front, humming a tune. His backpack was bulging, and his shoulders were hunched over, but his steps were steady.

Susan followed in the middle, holding onto the rope, glancing down at the small bag of fruit in her hand every few steps.

Carl checked the straps on the toolbox to make sure they wouldn't come undone along the way.

Nana stared at the ground ahead, her indicator lights flashing continuously as she updated the terrain data.

The sun shone on the backs of the group, casting very short shadows.

Chen Hao suddenly turned around and held up the fruit in his hand to face the three of them.

"I don't know if we'll make it back alive," he said, "but at least today, nobody's traveling on an empty stomach."

No one answered. The wind blew across the hillside, ruffling a corner of the tarpaulin.

His fingers pinched the fruit stem, half of the flesh was bitten off, and the juice flowed down between his fingers and dripped into the cracks in the rocks.