Chen Hao stuffed the engraving pen back into his pocket; the words on the metal plate had dried. He straightened up, clapped his hands—they were dusty and gray. The sun was higher, shining on the newly welded metal wall, the reflection a little dazzling.

He turned and walked towards the main building, his steps lighter than yesterday. Last night, everyone ate canned food, took hot showers, and some even hummed a few lines of a song. The singing was terribly off-key, but no one laughed at them.

Just as they reached the door, Susan came from the direction of the workshop, carrying a recording tablet. Carl followed behind, a tool bag slung over his shoulder, still walking with a slight limp. Nana stood still, the camera panning, and said, "Air quality is stable, temperature is suitable."

"You're talking like a weather forecast," Chen Hao said. "Can you use a more human-like phrase?"

“I don’t lie,” she said.

"Who told you to lie? Can't you say something happy?"

No faults were reported today.

"What's so happy about this?"

“There used to be more than three every day.”

Chen Hao smiled and knocked on the doorframe. The sound was crisp, unlike the empty silence before. This place finally didn't feel like ruins anymore.

"Gather everyone," he said. "See you at the square."

The three of them didn't ask why and followed him out. The square was paved, the water purification system was still running, and rows of solar panels stood upright, making a slight rustling sound when the wind blew.

The four of them stood still, and Chen Hao glanced at them.

"Did you eat well last night?"

“Canned food,” Susan said.

“Hot water,” Carl added.

“I slept for six hours and seventeen minutes,” Nana said. “There were no alarms from the system.”

“That’s good.” Chen Hao nodded. “But we can’t live on canned food forever.”

No one responded.

"When we were building the house, all we thought about was not starving or freezing to death," he continued. "Now the house is built, we have electricity, water, and the walls aren't falling down. What's next? Just sit here every day and watch the Milky Way?"

“Farming is also an option,” Susan said. “The soil samples have been analyzed, so we can try planting.”

“The equipment needs maintenance,” Carl said. “Generators have a limited lifespan, and spare parts need to be used sparingly.”

“Energy is the key,” Nana suddenly said.

"Huh?" Chen Hao looked at her.

"According to knowledge base data, more than 70% of the key milestones in civilizational leaps are related to breakthroughs in energy forms. Currently, the base relies on solar energy and storage batteries, with an efficiency ceiling of 1.3 times that of existing technologies. If we want to achieve long-term development, we must find new energy sources."

"Speak human language."

"It means that you can't sustain yourself by just sunbathing for long."

"Oh." Chen Hao stroked his chin. "Then do you have any leads?"

Nana raised her arm, projecting a geological map. "An anomalous heat flow signal exists in the 29-degree north latitude region of the planet, fluctuating periodically, which is inconsistent with natural geothermal patterns. Preliminary judgment suggests it may be related to some unidentified energy source."

"Sounds like a treasure map."

“It’s not a treasure,” she said. “It’s an opportunity.”

Carl frowned: "Last time we went north, we almost got buried by a sandstorm."

“This time is different,” Chen Hao said. “Before, we were running for our lives; now we’re looking for a way.”

"But what if something else goes wrong?" Susan asked in a low voice. "What if it collapses? Do we have to start all over again?"

“Then we’ll fix it again,” Chen Hao said. “At worst, we can just move a few more steel plates.”

Aren't you tired?

"I'm tired," he admitted. "My shoulders ache, my legs hurt, and my fingernails are full of dust. But I've discovered something—when I'm working, my mind is actually lighter. I don't think about the past, and I'm not afraid of the future. I just think about how to hit the target with the next hammer blow."

He paused for a moment.

"Moreover, we're not doing this alone now."

Susan looked down at the whiteboard, her finger slowly tracing a line of text. Carl rubbed his hands together, exhaling a puff of white breath. Nana's camera flickered slightly.

“So,” Chen Hao said, “I don’t want to fix anything anymore. I want to build something new.”

"for example?"

“For example, something that can generate electricity without relying on the sun.” He looked at Nana. “Is that heat flow signal you mentioned reliable?”

"Data credibility is 87.4%".

"Not high enough?"

"Enough to start research."

Chen Hao grinned: "Then it's settled. Next step: energy."

"Go straight in?" Karl asked.

“Let’s do some research first,” Susan said. “We need to know where to start.”

“Yes.” Chen Hao nodded. “Tomorrow, go to the archives and go through all the documents about energy. Nana, you’ll be in charge of selecting the key points, Susan, take notes, Carl, check the equipment status, and I… I’ll be in charge of asking questions.”

What questions can you ask?

"For example, questions like, 'Can this thing be used to cook rice?'"

Susan laughed out loud.

Carl shook his head: "You never even read the instruction manual before."

“I’ve looked at it now,” Chen Hao said. “Yesterday I flipped through the generator manual, though I only read three pages before I got sleepy.”

“You’ve improved,” Nana said.

“That’s right.” He patted his chest. “I’m now the chairman of the base’s science and technology development committee.”

Who made the choice?

"Myself."

"The procedure is not compliant."

“Rules are made by people.” He pointed to the metal plate in the distance. “The first rule says it all: ‘The people’s hearts must not be scattered.’ Now that the people are united, it’s time to do something big.”

A gust of wind blew, scattering a few scraps of paper. Karl bent down, picked them up, and stuffed them into his pocket.

“To be honest,” he said in a low voice, “I thought I’d spend the rest of my life doing repairs.”

“Me too,” Susan said. “When I first arrived, I just wanted to wait until the rescue team arrived.”

“There is no rescue team,” Nana said.

“I know,” Susan smiled, “but it doesn’t seem necessary now.”

Chen Hao walked to the unengraved metal plate and touched its edge. The surface still had some burrs and hadn't been completely polished.

"Keep this board for now," he said.

"No more engraving?"

“We’ll write it now, but not now.” He turned around. “We’ll write it after we make the first generator that doesn’t use solar power. I’ve already thought of a title—'The First Ray of Light from Zero'.”

"You got up too early."

“You have to have big dreams,” he shrugged. “Otherwise, how will you convince yourself to get out of bed?”

Nana suddenly said, "The meeting content has been synchronized to the database and marked as 'Science and Technology Development Outline - Draft'. Access is open to all members."

"It's official now."

"The process must be complete."

"You really have a machine-like temper."

"I just don't want to have to explain it again at the next meeting."

Susan carried her notepad toward the workshop, stopping as she passed by to write a few words on a piece of paper and gently circle them. Chen Hao glanced at it; it read, "Energy Research Group."

After checking the last generator, Carl took off his gloves. He looked up at the sky; the clouds were thin, and he could see the stars beginning to emerge.

"Will we really be able to see the Milky Way tonight?"

"As long as it doesn't rain," Chen Hao said. "I checked the weather forecast; Nana said so."

"When did she become a weatherman?"

"She said she's been watching."

"Then she must know you'd be talking nonsense here."

“This isn’t just empty talk,” Chen Hao said, turning to face the main building. “This is a declaration.”

"What?"

"From today onward, we will not only live. We will also move forward."

No one spoke. The wind billowed their clothes, then deflated them again.

“I used to think that I would rather lie down than stand up,” he said. “But then I found that standing is quite comfortable too. Especially when I see the things I’ve repaired with the lights on.”

Susan stood at the workshop entrance, pen in hand. Karl leaned against the wall, a slight smile playing on his lips. Nana stood still, her machine vibrating slightly, as if responding to some frequency.

"See you in the archives tomorrow," Chen Hao said. "Don't be late. Anyone who's late will be responsible for mopping the floor."

"You said yesterday that you'd carry out whoever works overtime."

"I've changed my mind," he laughed. "Now that we're doing scientific research, we need to be disciplined."

He glanced at the metal plate one last time, then turned and walked towards the laboratory. The door was open, and the equipment inside was neatly arranged, with each power indicator light on.

He stood at the doorway but didn't go in.

The room was very quiet.