Chen Hao's pen was still on the writing board. He had just finished writing the line "Preparation for the Design of the First Generation of Localized Agricultural Implements," and the ink was starting to smudge. He didn't move or say anything, just stared at those words for two seconds before stuffing the pen into his pocket.

"Nana, let's begin."

The sound wasn't loud, but all three people in the room heard it. Susan looked up from the data terminal, Carl put down the tool list in his hand, and their gazes turned to Nana.

Her optical lens flashed, the robotic arm connected to the database port, and the data stream immediately began. The first window popped up on the screen: **Applicable Terrain Analysis**.

"We have retrieved the complete database of agricultural machinery from Earth and the colonies, totaling 3,726 models," Nana said calmly. "We are currently conducting the first round of screening based on the soil viscosity, gravity coefficient, and root system structure of the main crops on this planet."

The list scrolled rapidly, line after line being crossed out. Tractors, rotary tillers, combine harvesters… most disappeared instantly. The remaining items gradually clustered into a few categories.

“We’ve eliminated complex structures that rely on hydraulic systems and precision bearings,” she continued. “We’re prioritizing lever-driven, modular components and low-energy transmission designs.”

Susan leaned closer. "I've compiled the data here. Of the three main crops, the tubers have the deepest root systems, averaging 45 centimeters deep, mostly between 30 and 50 centimeters. The topsoil is severely compacted, and the lower layers have a high sand content."

"Received." Nana brought up the simulation model interface. "Establish a dynamic response test for the tillage unit to simulate the operation performance under different resistances."

The scene shifts to a simplified mechanical structure moving through virtual land. It starts smoothly, but upon encountering hard soil, the front sinks, resistance increases sharply, and the drive chain jams.

“No way,” Carl shook his head. “If we actually made this, it would be ground to a halt on the very first day.”

"Adjust the leverage ratio." Nana quickly modified the parameters, "Add rear counterweight to optimize the distribution of force points."

A new model is generated and run again. This time, the front end is pressed in more steadily, and the angle is automatically raised when encountering resistance to avoid sinking too deeply.

“This is acceptable.” Chen Hao nodded. “It doesn’t look like plowing, it looks more like digging trenches.”

"The goal is to effectively loosen the soil," Nana said. "The current objective is to improve the consistency of tillage depth and reduce the number of repetitive operations."

The screen displays two options in a split-screen format. The left side shows the composite lever-driven tillage unit, and the right side shows the low-loss cutting and harvesting mechanism.

“The harvesting section uses a dual-action blade structure.” She demonstrated the cutting simulation, “It mainly uses lateral shearing, supplemented by slight vibration, to reduce the pulling damage to the fragile stems.”

Susan frowned. "We have a leafy vegetable crop with high water content in its leaves, making them prone to tearing. Isn't this cutting angle still too harsh?"

“It’s adjustable,” Nana replied. “The blade angle can be manually switched in three settings to suit different crops at different maturity levels. Automatic recognition can be achieved later by adding sensors.”

"Don't make it too complicated," Carl interjected. "We're even using screws sparingly right now, and you're thinking of implementing automatic recognition?"

"We've reserved an interface," she said. "We won't integrate it, but we'll leave space. We can install it directly when we have the materials later."

Chen Hao laughed. "You know how to advance and retreat, don't you? Draw the skeleton first, the flesh will grow later."

That's exactly what I meant.

Nana combined the two core structures into a single master plan. The overall design is simple, with clear lines, and key parts are labeled with dimensions and connection methods.

"The first draft of the design is complete," she said. "Should we project it for demonstration?"

"Of course." Chen Hao pulled out a chair. "Put it on the board."

The image was moved to the writing board, covering the original title. The new sketch took center stage, with the parameter bar appearing next to it.

Susan stood up and walked closer. "How does the soil feedback mechanism work? I see a movable joint here, but it doesn't have a motor."

“Purely mechanical sensing.” Nana pointed to the structural details, “When the front probe contacts the soil, it generates reverse pressure, which is transmitted through the linkage and directly drives the depth adjustment device. The harder the soil, the higher the plowshare automatically lifts.”

"No electricity needed?" Karl's eyes widened.

"Need not."

"What if it's stuck on a stone?"

“There are slip grooves on both sides.” She played a simulation animation, “When encountering too much resistance, the side plate will briefly separate, release the stress, and then return to its original position.”

"Sounds like he knows how to avoid pitfalls on his own," Chen Hao grinned. "Pretty smart."

“It’s not that I’m smart,” Nana said, “it’s that I’m quick-witted.”

Susan pointed to the harvesting section. "How do we decide on the material for the blades in this part? We currently have a limited selection of metals available."

"Our initial recommendation is to use recycled alloy steel." Nana pulled up a material matching table. "It has sufficient hardness and decent toughness. If we can find a wear-resistant coating later, it can extend the service life by more than 40 percent."

"Let's go with this for now," Chen Hao decided. "Finalize the blueprints first, and modify the details as we go."

Carl walked halfway around the writing board, then suddenly reached out and tapped a clip on a farmland unit. "This position, when assembling, you have to screw it on from the bottom up. The space is too small; the wrench can't fit in."

“Change it to a quick-release pin,” Nana modified on the spot. “Using the principle of gravity self-locking, you only need to tap it into place during installation.”

“That’s more like it,” Carl nodded. “Otherwise, we’d have to break the arm to fix it.”

"You're being very practical," Chen Hao glanced at him. "I'll let you do the next test."

"No, I'll just watch." Karl withdrew his hand. "You can take action, but don't make me take responsibility."

“Nobody expects you to be an engineer,” Susan laughed. “As long as you don’t put the parts in the wrong place.”

"That time was an accident!"

"You said the fifth time was also an accident."

A few people chuckled softly. The atmosphere was much more relaxed than before.

Nana added, “All parts are kept within the existing processing capabilities. The largest part can be broken down into three sub-modules, which facilitates hand sanding and on-site assembly.”

"So, we don't have to wait for the 3D printer to be fixed?" Chen Hao asked.

"unnecessary."

"Okay." He rubbed his hands together. "Then there's no reason to delay any longer."

He picked up a pen and wrote three words on the edge of the drawing: **Make the plow first.**

“The tillage tools are the most urgent,” he said. “If the soil isn’t tilled properly, everything else will be for nothing. It doesn’t matter if the harvester is a few days late, since the vegetables aren’t ripe yet anyway.”

Susan checked the time. "I can also incorporate the light cycle and soil moisture variation curves to help you optimize your work schedule recommendations."

"Let's do this while we're at it," Chen Hao said. "When's the best time to work? Let's not make us hoe the fields in the middle of the night."

“I will calculate the optimal operating window,” Nana replied.

Carl suddenly thought of something. "Does this thing we made have a name? We can't keep calling it 'that plow that can dodge stones by itself,' can we?"

The room fell silent for a moment.

"How about calling it 'Iron Head'?" Chen Hao said casually. "It's smarter than a person and it's not afraid of the sun."

"Too tacky," Susan shook her head.

“Call it ‘Service Officer A1’,” Karl said after a long pause. “It sounds more official.”

"Like a security guard uniform," Chen Hao scoffed.

“It’s called ‘groundhog’,” Susan suddenly said. “It burrows underground, avoids obstacles, and can even adjust the depth itself—just like a groundhog.”

“The name isn’t bad,” Chen Hao said, stroking his chin. “And it’s down-to-earth.”

“I have no objection,” Nana said. “The naming does not affect the functionality.”

"Then it's settled." Chen Hao wrote two words in the blank space at the bottom right corner of the drawing: **Groundhog**.

The pen paused for a moment, then added: **First-generation prototype**.

Susan looked at the words and suddenly asked, "If you actually create a bunch of these things in the future, would you consider them your creations?"

"My work?" Chen Hao was taken aback. "I'm someone who's too lazy to even pick up a pen, what can I design?"

“You made the decisions,” she said. “Every single one of them was decided by you.”

“I just say ‘yes’ or ‘no.’” He waved his hand. “Nana is the one who does the actual work, you provide the data, and Karl gives feedback. I’m just someone who pushes things forward.”

“But you’re the one who made it happen.” Susan looked at him.

Chen Hao didn't reply. He looked down at the pen, then at the drawing, and finally put the pen back in his pocket.

"All I want to know right now is whether this thing can make the vegetables grow faster," he said. "Nothing else matters."

Nana's optical lens rotated slightly, still verifying the last few sets of parameters. Susan stood beside her checking the data matching, occasionally offering suggestions for adjustment in a low voice. Carl paced back and forth around the blueprints, muttering about the angle of a certain connector.

Chen Hao stood with his back to the table, his gaze fixed on the words "groundhog".

He tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

Once, twice.

The pace is very slow.

It's different from the pulse signal we received before.