Chen Hao dug his fingers into the crevice of the rock, and his fingertips touched a hard object. He pulled hard, and the bluish-purple stone was pulled out. Its surface was covered with dust, but its luster was not obscured.

He stuffed the ore into a sealed bag and casually tossed it into his backpack. The bag was already bulging, containing seven or eight stones of varying sizes, each with its own unique luster.

"Shall we continue digging?" Susan asked, looking up.

"Let's search for another ten minutes." Chen Hao wiped the sweat from his face. "It's getting dark, we need to head back."

Nana stood beside her, and the detector screen flashed. "The signal in the northern slope area continues to weaken; the probability of a new mineral source is less than 10%."

"Then let's call it a day." Carl stood up, leaning on the metal bar. His ankle was still hurting, but he didn't say anything.

The four of them retraced their steps. They had come in a hurry, heading straight for the mine; now their bags were full, making every step heavy. They rested three times along the way, and each time Nana would check their body temperature and heart rate to make sure everything was alright before continuing.

When we arrived at the base entrance, only a dark red line remained on the horizon.

The door opened automatically, and the identification system beeped. They placed the sealed box into the clean area, removed their outer clothing, and threw it into the sterilizer. No one spoke, but their movements were perfectly synchronized, as if they had practiced many times.

Chen Hao leaned against the wall for a while, his shoulders slumping. He touched his back; the wound had scabbed over, but it still felt a little prickly to the touch. The advantage of being fat was that there was more flesh, making it less likely to break bones if you fell, but the disadvantage was that you panted faster than others.

"Let me count them first." Nana picked up the scanner and opened the sealed box.

The others gathered around. The light shone down from above, making the color of the ore even more apparent. The largest piece was about the size of a fist, while the smallest was only the size of a fingernail.

Nana scanned the samples one by one. Data popped up on the screen: purity, density, structural integrity, line by line.

“Three pieces can be precision machined,” she said. “The rest are suitable for samples.”

“Not enough to make guns,” Carl said.

"We weren't planning on making guns," Chen Hao continued. "Let's solve the food problem first."

“The pot should have been replaced a long time ago.” Susan nodded. “Last time I cooked noodles, the bottom almost burned through.”

“The shovel is brittle too.” Carl shook the tool bag in his hand. “Last time I was digging, the handle broke off.”

Nana accessed the database and projected it onto the wall. The screen flashed, revealing hundreds of tool models. She filtered them by material parameters, finally selecting six.

“A double-layered lunchbox,” she pointed to the first one. “Heat-resistant and drop-resistant, suitable for daily use.”

"Where's the kettle?" Chen Hao asked.

“Modular design, detachable and washable.” She switched the screen. “This is heat-resistant, and the outer shell is coated with mineral powder.”

“Sounds like an advertisement,” Carl laughed.

"I was talking about the function." Nana didn't laugh, but her tone remained unchanged.

"Let's try making a lunchbox first," Chen Hao decided. "Even if it doesn't work, we won't lose anything."

"We also need to test its ductility," Nana added. "The ore is hard, but has a low ductility, so it may crack if it is directly molded."

"So what are you planning to do?"

"First, grind it into powder, mix it with base metal, and make it into composite panels," she said. "This requires workshop equipment support."

"It'll be ready to use tomorrow." Chen Hao checked the time. "The reservation system still allows me to book a morning slot."

“I’m in the first class,” Carl raised his hand. “Anyway, I’m just killing time.”

Where are your feet?

“It won’t affect my ability to stand for two hours,” he said. “Besides, I want to see just how sturdy this thing really is.”

Susan pulled out her notebook and began making a list. "We need to record the number and purpose of each ore, otherwise it will be a mess later."

"You take notes," Chen Hao said, handing him a pen. "I'll handle the division of labor."

Nana transmitted the plan to the manufacturing terminal. The progress bar completed, displaying "Pending Execution." She turned off the projector and returned to her original position.

"The data is all saved," she said. "We can start work at any time."

The room fell silent. The lights were on, but it was completely dark outside. The wind couldn't reach here, and there was a faint smell of engine oil in the air.

Chen Hao sat down in a chair, his legs trembling slightly. He had walked nearly 30,000 steps that day, carrying the heaviest bag most of the time. He looked down at his shoes; the toes were cracked, and the mud hadn't been wiped off.

“We really brought the ore back,” Susan suddenly said.

"Mm," Chen Hao replied.

"They weren't all buried."

"It wasn't buried."

"It wasn't a wasted trip."

“Of course not.” He looked up. “At least the lunchbox can be replaced with a new one.”

Carl leaned against the table, an empty collection bag in his hand. He folded the bag into a small square and stuffed it into his pocket. "Don't choose such a steep spot next time."

"Next time?" Chen Hao laughed. "You still want to go?"

"If you don't go, who will carry your bags?"

"You can command from a lying position."

"That's so boring."

Nana walked to the window and looked outside. "Weather data shows that there will be no heavy rainfall in the next 72 hours."

"Does that mean it won't collapse again?"

"The probability is less than five percent."

"Did you hear that?" Chen Hao looked at the others. "We can take it slow."

"What do you do after you get your lunchbox?" Susan asked.

"We'll see," Chen Hao said. "If things go smoothly, we'll make a complete set of cooking utensils."

“The bowls also need to be shatterproof,” Carl emphasized. “The last one shattered the moment it hit the ground.”

“Thicken the edges,” Nana noted. “I suggest embedding a buffer layer at the bottom.”

"It sounds like putting shoes on a bowl," Susan laughed.

"Practicality comes first," Nana said. "Not aesthetics."

"But we don't want to eat dust every day," Chen Hao said. "If the lunchbox leaks, we'll get soup all over ourselves."

“The sealing test is a must.” Nana nodded. “The first finished product needs to undergo three tests: heat resistance, impact resistance, and sealing.”

How high did you fall?

Two meters.

"Use me to try it?" Carl asked.

“Use simulators,” Nana replied, “but real-life data can also be used as a reference.”

"I thought I could come in handy."

“You’re already here.” Chen Hao stood up. “Without your prying, the first piece of ore wouldn’t have come out.”

"I stumbled upon this by accident."

“Even a lucky accident takes strength.” Susan closed her notebook. “You were able to lift half a ton of rock with one hand back then.”

“That’s a slope.”

"Anyway, it's all thanks to you." Chen Hao patted him on the shoulder. "We'll start work tomorrow, and you'll be the supervisor."

"Supervisors should have special privileges."

"The privilege is being the first to use the new lunchbox."

“Okay.” Carl nodded. “I require the lunchbox to hold two servings of rice.”

“Get a bigger dowry,” Susan said. “You think I’m a good-for-nothing?”

"I have a big appetite."

“Then let’s make two models,” Nana added, “standard and enlarged, with adjustable molds.”

“Robots understand people better than humans,” Carl remarked.

“I’m just analyzing the requirements,” Nana said. “You’ve said so much, it’s like you’ve set the specifications yourself.”

Chen Hao walked to the door and glanced in the direction of the workshop. The lights were still off, but the time slots in the reservation system were already locked, with the message "Equipment being debugged".

"Eight o'clock tomorrow morning," he said. "Don't be late."

“I’ll be there at seven,” Carl said. “I need to keep an eye on the first batch of materials going in.”

"Aren't you afraid of oversleeping?"

"I'm scared, but I'll set five alarms."

Susan packed her bag and put the recording device inside. "I'll come early too, to film the first finished product."

"Check the quality before taking photos," Nana reminded. "Defective products cannot be recorded as successful cases."

“I know,” Susan said, zipping up her jacket, “but I still want to take the photos.”

“I understand,” Nana said. “Emotional value is also value.”

"Wow." Chen Hao raised his hand. "The robot has learned to speak human language."

“State the facts.” She paused for a second, “just using your usual way of expressing them.”

"Versailles was quite natural."

"I don't understand this word."

"It means to keep a low profile."

“I wasn’t pretending,” Nana said, looking at him. “I just stated the calculation result.”

"Okay, okay," Chen Hao waved his hand. "Whatever you say is right."

He turned and walked towards the living area. "I'll take a shower first, then I'll get up early tomorrow."

"Is there enough hot water?" Susan asked.

“That’s enough,” Nana replied. “The water storage system is working properly, and the temperature is stable at forty-two degrees.”

“Perfect timing.” Carl stretched his ankle. “I’m going to take a shower too.”

"Slow down," Susan reminded him, "Don't slip again."

"This time I'm holding onto the wall."

The two left one after the other. Susan turned back and glanced at Nana. "You should rest too."

“I don’t need to rest,” Nana said. “I can run all night.”

“But you can stand still,” Susan laughed. “That’ll be a rest.”

The door closed, leaving Nana alone in the room.

She walked to the table and reopened the manufacturing terminal. The progress bar was stuck at "Pending," but she brought up the material parameters again and checked them for the third time.

When Chen Hao came out after taking a shower, he saw that she was still there.

"Is it not over yet?"

"Make sure it's perfect," she said. "It's the first time making it, there can't be any mistakes."

"You're more nervous than any of us."

“It’s not nervousness,” she said, “it’s a requirement of procedure.”

"Okay." He leaned against the door frame. "Then you go ahead with your work, I'm going to sleep."

"Goodnight," Nana said.

He paused for a moment, taken aback. "You still know how to say this?"

“The system has a built-in database of everyday phrases,” she said, “including ‘hello,’ ‘thank you,’ ‘sorry,’ and ‘goodnight.’”

"Did they 'get out'?"

“Yes,” she replied, “but it’s not appropriate in the current context.”

"What a pity." He shook his head with a smile. "I think it's quite appropriate sometimes."

He turned and walked away, his footsteps fading into the distance.

Nana closed the terminal and stood still. The light was on, and her shadow was cast on the wall, straight and motionless.

A few minutes later, she reopened the system and checked the blueprints for the "double-layer insulated lunch box" again.

The material proportions are correct.

Mold size matching.

Safety thresholds are met.

She clicked save and then confirmed the appointment time again.

At 8:00 AM sharp, the workshop equipment will begin preheating.

She stood there, waiting for dawn.