The engine's hum subsided, and the ship stopped shaking violently. Chen Hao breathed a sigh of relief and glanced back at Karl.

"How many more bottles can we make?"

Carl was squatting in front of the modified tank, his forehead covered in sweat and his hands trembling. He glanced up at the thermometer. "The raw materials are almost gone. We can only gather two more batches at most."

"That's enough." Chen Hao patted his shoulder. "Finish this batch first, we'll talk about the rest on the way."

Susan gripped the helm without moving, her eyes fixed on the grey sea ahead. The waves were a little calmer than before, but the fog was thicker. She adjusted the course slightly by half a degree, avoiding an undercurrent.

Nana sat at the control panel, her fingers rapidly swiping across the screen. She had just switched the engine to pulse combustion mode and was now monitoring the fuel consumption curve.

"The current speed is maintained at 32 kilometers per hour," she said. "At this speed, we are about 800 meters away from entering the port."

“Eight hundred meters?” Karl sneered. “It sounds like it’s just a few steps away, but who knows if those two steps will result in being swept into the sea by the waves.”

No one responded. It sounded depressing, but it wasn't wrong.

Chen Hao walked to the bow of the boat, gripped the railing, and looked ahead. He couldn't see anything, only fog. He took out his walkie-talkie and whispered, "Everyone stay alert, don't let this end at the last minute."

The engine jolted violently as soon as he finished speaking.

Everyone tensed up at the same time.

"What's wrong?" Chen Hao turned his head and asked.

“The fuel flow rate is unstable.” Nana stared at the data. “The second batch of fuel has started to be injected, but the calorific value is fluctuating greatly. I have to recalibrate the combustion rhythm.”

"Then hurry up and get it done." Carl wiped his face. "My third batch has only just started heating up; it'll take at least another ten minutes."

Nana didn't speak, her fingers swiping across the screen even faster. A few seconds later, the engine sound became calmer again.

“Adjustment complete,” she said. “We’re now using intermittent power supply mode, which saves fuel, but the acceleration response will be slower.”

"Slow is fine," Chen Hao said, leaning against the railing. "As long as we don't stop."

The ship continued forward. The overhead lights flickered, the electrical system was at its lowest setting, and the cabin was as cold as an icebox. Susan was wearing a coat, but her hands were still numb with cold.

“I remember there used to be a red light at the entrance of the base,” she suddenly said. “You could see it from a long way off, like a nail driven into the sea.”

"I can't see it now." Nana looked up. "The radar is being jammed; the visible distance is less than 500 meters."

"Then let's wait for the fog to clear," Chen Hao grinned. "Or let the waves wash us over there."

Carl snorted: "You always seem to tell jokes, especially when it's a crucial moment."

"How can you live without telling jokes?" Chen Hao shrugged. "Does crying solve anything?"

The cabin was quiet for a few seconds.

Then Susan suddenly spoke up: "There seems to be light at the three o'clock position on the port side."

Everyone was stunned for a moment.

Nana immediately switched the detection array around, activating deep-sea scanning mode. A few seconds later, a blurry outline appeared on the screen.

“It’s a breakwater,” she said. “The structure is intact, and there are no signs of collapse on the outer protective wall.”

"So the base is still standing." Chen Hao chuckled. "Looks like Earth hasn't turned our old home upside down yet."

“Don’t get too excited.” Carl pointed to the edge of the screen. “Look over there, the energy reading is abnormally high, like the main tower’s alarm system is running at full power.”

Nana amplified the signal source and quickly deciphered a segment of broadcast content.

"...Level 1 tsunami warning...All personnel move to shelters...Repeat, this is not a drill..."

The sound was intermittent, mixed with background noise.

“They knew they were coming,” Susan whispered.

"Knowing is one thing," Chen Hao said, staring at the faint red light. "The question is whether we're prepared."

“The data we brought back can be helpful,” Nana said. “Disaster models, resonance frequencies, and escape route optimization plans—they’re all in my memory.”

“Then we have to get to shore alive.” Carl put the last bottle of fuel into the emergency kit and tightened the cap. “This thing won’t last long; it can only be used to adjust the position during the final docking.”

"That's enough." Chen Hao nodded. "As long as we can get close, we've already won half the battle."

The ship sailed forward for another ten minutes or so. The fog gradually thinned, and the distant outlines became clearer. The main tower of the base finally came into view, its red lights flashing like a heartbeat.

"The course calibration is complete." Susan breathed a sigh of relief. "The port access channel is just 600 meters ahead. I can drive in by myself."

"Don't let your guard down," Nana warned. "There are automatic defense turrets on both sides of the waterway. If they fail to identify the enemy, they may trigger an interception."

"Then let them recognize us." Chen Hao opened the communication channel, entered his identification code, and said, "I am Chen Hao, number t7-042, returning with urgent data. Please grant me access."

There was no response.

He tried again.

Still silent.

“The system may have switched to manual control,” Nana said. “Right now, probably no one inside the base is concerned with external signals.”

"Then force our way in?" Karl frowned.

“No.” Chen Hao shook his head. “Let’s approach slowly and not provoke them. We’ll call out to them once we see them.”

“Then pray they don’t mistake us for invaders and shoot us down,” Carl muttered.

No one disagreed. That's certainly possible.

The ship slowed to a minimum and slowly entered the channel. The gun emplacements on both sides were dark, without lights or movement. Susan held her breath and adjusted the course little by little.

"Three hundred meters," Nana reported the distance.

"Two hundred meters."

One hundred and fifty meters.

Suddenly, the announcements on the main tower changed.

"...Thirty minutes remaining for evacuation...Those who have not yet boarded the ship, please proceed to dock area B immediately...This is the final notification..."

"There are still people outside?" Susan exclaimed in surprise.

"Of course there are," Chen Hao sneered. "There are always those who don't believe in evil, and those who can't run away."

"Will we have enough time to save them?" she asked.

"Let's get to shore first." Chen Hao stared at the approaching dock. "We don't even know if we can land safely right now."

"How much fuel is left?" he asked Carl, turning to him.

“Keep the last bottle for emergencies.” Carl patted the box. “Unless it hits a reef or gets blown down, don’t touch it.”

"Wise." Chen Hao smiled.

“One hundred meters,” Nana said. “We detected human activity at the dock, about seven people, carrying weapons.”

"Armed patrol?" Susan tensed up.

"They're probably the last security team left," Nana analyzed. "They're clearing the area."

“Then we have to make sure they can see it’s us.” Chen Hao grabbed a flashlight and shone it towards the dock, sending out three short, three long, three short beams – the old base’s identification code.

A few seconds later, someone on the other side raised a light and returned the same signal.

"I recognized her!" Susan breathed a sigh of relief.

“Don’t celebrate yet.” Nana stared at the scanner. “The frequency of underwater vibrations has increased again. The earthquake may arrive fifteen minutes earlier than predicted.”

“That means there are less than two hours left.” Chen Hao looked at the dock. “We must complete the handover within half an hour, hand over the data, and then assist with the evacuation.”

“On the condition that they are willing to listen to us.” Carl stood up, holding the box. “After all, we’re bringing back not only news, but also trouble.”

"Then let them know that this trouble can be a lifesaver." Chen Hao walked onto the deck, picked up the walkie-talkie, and said, "Prepare to dock, everyone get into docking mode."

Susan steadied the helm and slowly steered the boat toward the berth. Several people were already lined up on the dock, holding grappling hooks and inspection equipment.

Nana connects to the public channel and begins uploading data packets. The progress bar slowly climbs.

"Ten percent."

"twenty."

"thirty."

The ship shuddered slightly as it hit the cushioning pad.

The first cable was thrown out and firmly secured to the pile foundation.

“It’s close.” Susan lowered the joystick.

Carl checked the anchor chain and confirmed it was securely fastened. He hugged the emergency kit to his chest, as if protecting a precious treasure.

Nana looked up, her blue eyes flashing.

"Sixty percent of the data has been uploaded; the remaining portion will be synchronized after logging in."

Chen Hao stood at the bow of the ship, watching the dock lights grow closer. The figures gradually became clearer, and one of them raised his hand in salute.

He was just about to wave in response—

Suddenly, the entire ship rocked violently.

It's not a storm.

It's a vibration coming from the seabed.

Nana suddenly stood up.

“Fault activity has intensified dramatically.” Her voice trembled for the first time. “The earthquake came earlier than expected.”