After the maintenance team left, three bags of scrap materials appeared in the workshop. Chen Hao squatted down next to the bags, rummaged through them, and pulled out a flattened section of ventilation pipe, turning it around in his hand.

“This thing works,” he said. “It’s at least sturdier than that spaceship model from yesterday.”

Susan looked up from the table. "What are you planning to do with it?"

“I haven’t decided yet.” He put the tube down. “But now that people are starting to send things, we can’t just rely on glue and wire to keep things going.”

Nana stood in front of the information screen. The optical module flashed, bringing up yesterday's material test records. After being soaked in wastewater with residual heat, the plant fiber samples showed a 37% increase in flexibility and a significant reduction in the risk of breakage.

“The softening treatment is effective,” she said. “I recommend starting small-batch pre-processing immediately.”

"Let's get started." Chen Hao stood up and clapped his hands. "Today's goal is to make something decent, not a half-finished product or an experiment, but something that can be displayed for people to see."

Carl was inspecting the modified cutting machine. He rewired the old motor, installed rollers salvaged from the repair vehicle, and cobbled together a functional fiber combing device.

"It can only run for ten minutes before it has to stop," he said. "Any longer and the motor will burn out."

“That’s enough.” Susan walked over and handed him a roll of freshly cut plant vines. “Try this one first.”

Carl put the rattan into the feed inlet. The machine hummed, the fibers were stretched and flattened, and slowly extruded into a thin strip from the other end.

"It's done?" Chen Hao leaned closer to take a look.

"It's lucky it didn't disconnect." Carl turned off the power. "Let's run two more rounds and see how stable it is."

They tried five times. On the third attempt, the strip got stuck at the exit and tore apart. The fourth attempt barely managed to form a shape, but it was uneven in thickness. The fifth attempt finally produced a complete piece of material with a smooth surface and neat edges.

Susan took the fiber strip, spread it out on the table, and measured its length and width with a ruler. "It can be used as a weaving substrate," she said. "I'll design a new pattern."

She took out paper and pen and began to draw. The lines imitated the contours of the planet's surface, intersecting diagonally to form a network structure. The pattern wasn't complex, but it revealed the shadow of a wilderness landscape.

"This is it." Chen Hao glanced at it. "Don't make it too fancy, the simpler the better."

Nana simultaneously inputs the pattern into the system, generating a simple teaching template. The template is projected onto the wall, showing four steps: cutting, softening, weaving, and shaping.

“This process can be used for next week’s classes,” she said.

“Assuming we have a continuous supply of materials,” Karl said, pointing to the remaining pile of vines. “This amount won’t last more than two days.”

“There are large patches of wild vines on the eastern slope of the base.” Nana pulled up the map. “They have a short growth cycle and a high regeneration rate, making them suitable for continuous harvesting.”

"It sounds like a free supply," Chen Hao laughed. "The problem is, nobody wants to mow the lawn."

“I’ll go,” Susan said. “I’ll pick some other plants along the way and see if there are any more suitable ones.”

“You can’t do it alone.” Carl stood up. “I’ll go with you.”

"You two are both going?" Chen Hao tilted his head. "Then who's going to watch the equipment?"

“No need to look at the machine.” Carl tightened the fixing screws. “It will only break down, it won’t run.”

Half an hour later, the two left with their tools. Chen Hao stayed in the workshop, staring blankly at the newly repaired combing machine.

"How much do you think they can get back?" he asked Nana.

"Based on standard collection efficiency estimates, each person can obtain 15 kilograms of raw fiber per hour," she replied. "The actual quantity depends on the site conditions."

"That's spot on." He slumped back in his chair. "If only I could talk more pessimistically."

“I don’t understand this request.” Nana turned to him. “My statement is based on facts.”

“So you just said ‘the actual quantity depends on the on-site conditions,’ that’s a letdown.” Chen Hao sat up straight. “It means that even if you go, there’s no guarantee of success, right?”

“The logic holds true.” She nodded.

“That’s good.” He picked up his pen and wrote in his notebook, “Say more of these kinds of things next time, it’s reassuring to hear them.”

At three o'clock in the afternoon, Susan and Carl returned. The cart was piled high with rattan, wet and covered in mud.

"It took two hours to dig," Susan said, unbuttoning her coat. "The underground root system is denser than I expected, making it difficult to pull out."

“But the quality is good.” Carl lifted a layer. “The moisture content is just right, the fiber content is high, and it can be used directly.”

Chen Hao reached out and touched it, tearing off a small piece and pulling it hard. "Pretty tough," he said. "Don't let it crack with the slightest touch this time."

They immediately began a new round of processing. The carding machine ran continuously for twenty minutes, stopping twice to cool down. The final product consisted of six complete fiber strips, varying slightly in color, but all suitable for weaving.

Susan took out a metal mold, arranged the fiber strips according to the pattern, and placed them into a simple pressing device. The heating plate was powered on, the temperature rose to eighty degrees Celsius, and was maintained for ten minutes.

When opened, the first finished artwork appeared on the table.

It is a ring, with a brown and green hue and a natural texture on the surface. A thin wire is embedded in the inner circle for reinforcement. It is not smooth overall, but the structure is intact, without cracks or deformation.

"It looks like a bracelet." Chen Hao picked it up and looked at it.

“It’s a bracelet,” Susan said, taking it. “I made it.”

"Can I wear it?"

She reached in and slowly slipped the ring on. The ring remained stable as she rotated her wrist, showing no signs of loosening.

"It's done." Chen Hao laughed. "We finally have something presentable."

Nana took photos for record-keeping and uploaded them to a public channel. The caption read: "We tried turning old vines from the wasteland into wearable items. If you're interested, you can bring some scrap materials from your area next week and try it out together?"

She deliberately removed technical jargon, omitted parameters, and didn't mention the difficulties in the process, only showing pictures and a sentence.

"Just send it like that?" Chen Hao leaned closer to look at the screen.

“That’s enough,” she said. “The message is clear, the tone is casual, and it follows the rules of social communication.”

"You know about this?"

"The database contains basic communication models."

"Alright." He sat down. "Just wait for a reply."

They didn't have to wait long.

Two hours later, the information screen lit up. Section B replied: "Send two people to participate, and while we're at it, let's discuss the parts-sharing mechanism."

Immediately afterwards, a message came from area C: "We have a batch of scrap circuit boards with a unique shape. Can we use them for fun?"

District D was even more direct: "Do you accept students for craft classes? I want to learn how to turn scrap metal into decorations."

Chen Hao read through the messages one by one without saying a word, and then transferred all the messages to the big screen.

The room was quiet for a few seconds.

"Are they really coming?" Carl asked, looking at Sector D.

"It seems so." Chen Hao grinned. "It seems that as long as something can be made, people will show up."

“It’s not just about things.” Susan took off her bracelet and placed it on the display stand. “It’s about people starting to feel that they can do something too.”

Nana updated the project log, marking "Cross-team collaboration intention achieved." She also pulled up the next phase's task list: material preparation, teaching grouping, and safety regulations.

"We expect to receive eight to twelve people next week," she said. "We need to prepare the necessary tools and protective equipment."

“The tools are readily available.” Carl inspected the carding machine. “We just need to repair two more as spares.”

"Protection is simple too." Chen Hao pointed to the corner of the wall, "We have gloves and goggles, and if we need more, we can go to the warehouse to get more."

“I can design an introductory course.” Susan opened the pattern and said, “Starting with the most basic knitting, we’ll complete a small piece within thirty minutes.”

"Don't make it too difficult," Chen Hao cautioned. "They need to feel that they can do it."

“I know.” She nodded. “The goal of the first lesson isn’t to create a masterpiece, but to make people want to stay.”

They continued discussing the details. Chen Hao was in charge of coordinating the schedule, Nana supplemented the contingency plan, Carl outlined the equipment maintenance plan, and Susan adjusted the teaching pace.

As dusk approached, the first handicraft was officially placed in the display case.

It was placed on the central display stand, with a gray cloth underneath and lights shining above it. The lights shone on the fiber texture, reflecting a faint star pattern.

Chen Hao engraved the words "Star Mark Project - First Co-creation Sample" on the bottom.

"Will every item be labeled like this from now on?" Susan asked.

“Of course,” he said. “Otherwise, how would we know which day it started?”

Nana started time-lapse photography to record the entire production process. The footage begins with the collection of raw materials, goes through processing, weaving, pressing and shaping, and finally freezes on the finished product display.

The projection is shown on the wall and plays in a loop.

"Like a short film," Chen Hao said, leaning back in his chair. "Although it's only three minutes long."

“The information density is sufficient,” Nana said. “It can be reused as training material.”

“That’s good.” He closed his eyes. “Starting tomorrow, we’ll be a formal cultural project.”

No one responded.

But none of them left.

The next morning, before the workshop doors were even opened, Chen Hao heard noises outside.

He went out and opened the door, finding a small box on the ground by the door.

The box was not sealed. When I opened it, I found several polished metal pieces inside. They were irregularly shaped with smooth edges, as if they had been handled by someone for a long time.

There was a note underneath: "These are old buttons my mom left behind. She said she didn't want to throw them away, but she doesn't know what to do with them. Can you use them?"

Chen Hao picked up a piece of metal and examined it in the light. It reflected a faint silver light, and although there were some scratches on its surface, it was clear that it had been carefully polished.

He turned and walked back to the workshop, placing the box next to the display stand.

“Another one,” he said.

Susan came over and took a look. "Just put it there."

"Aren't you going to ask who sent it?"

"No need." She lowered her head to organize the drawings. "Anyway, the person already believes it."

Carl inspected the new batch of fiber materials and, after confirming there was no risk of breakage, stacked them in bundles against the wall.

Nana updated the guest list, adding three more people who had signed up. One of them had a note that read, "I can solder small parts; could I teach a child to make something that moves?"

Chen Hao smiled when he saw this.

“Looks like we’re not just collecting junk anymore,” he said. “We’ve started collecting crafts.”

Susan printed labels and stuck them on the display case. The labels were simple, with only one line: "Different stories from different people."

They stood around the booth for a while.

A gust of wind blew outside, and the door shook slightly; it wasn't closed properly.

Chen Hao walked over and was about to close the door when he saw two people in repair uniforms walking towards him from the distance down the corridor.

He glanced back at the display stand inside the room; the lights were still on.

The bracelet lay there quietly.