The light flashed once, and then the main screen went black for two seconds.

Chen Hao's hand trembled, and he almost slipped off the chair. He looked up at the ceiling and muttered, "Again? This ship is even less reliable than my old refrigerator."

Nana's voice immediately rang out: "Backup power activated, system restarting." Her optical lens flashed rapidly a few times, "The lighting module experienced a brief power outage; the cause is under investigation."

Carl was already standing in front of the control panel, his fingers rapidly pressing several buttons. "It's not a wiring problem," he said. "There's an external source of interference."

"Don't tell me that pile of junk in front of me can generate electricity." Chen Hao rubbed his neck.

“The possibility exists.” Nana pulled up the image ahead. “The target’s outline has become clearer, confirming it as an XT-7 cargo barge, about 120 meters long, with severe hull damage and no power response.”

"An older model?" Chen Hao leaned closer to the screen. "Didn't these ships used to roam all over the universe? Maybe there are still some left in stock."

“It’s also possible that all that’s left is a pile of rusty frames.” Carl didn’t turn around. “Most of these ships are scrapped after they are decommissioned. The fact that they’ve survived to this day means either good luck or there’s something wrong with them.”

"A problem is better than no parts at all." Chen Hao patted the handrail. "Turn off the main thrusters and use attitude propulsion to slowly move closer."

The spaceship slowly adjusted its direction, like a fish afraid of startling its prey.

When they got within 500 meters, Nana reported: "A weak signal pulse has been detected. The frequency is the same as the one we received before. The source is located in the spacecraft's control room area."

"Did you hear that?" Chen Hao grinned. "It's saying hello."

“It could be a trap.” Carl stared at the sensors. “Some older transport ships have self-destruct mechanisms to prevent theft. If we rashly connect to the system, it might just blow up.”

"So you mean we should take a detour?" Chen Hao tilted his head. "And continue wrapping the parts with tape?"

“I’m not against exploration,” Karl said firmly, “but we need to figure out the situation first.”

"Okay, I'll do as you say." Chen Hao nodded. "Let's not touch the internal system for now."

Nana began remotely scanning the external interfaces. Three minutes later she said, "There are dockable ports in the maintenance channel on the right. The structural integrity rate is 67%. We can try a physical connection."

"Not bad," Karl breathed a sigh of relief. "At least the door didn't collapse."

"I knew this ship looked promising." Chen Hao stood up and stretched. "Get ready to board."

"Wait a minute." Carl stopped him. "Protective suits, communication equipment, emergency kits—we can't leave any of them out."

“I know, I know, it’s not like it’s my first time in ruins.” Chen Hao walked toward the locker. “Last time, at that abandoned space station on the edge of Mars, I even swiped half a bottle of expired coffee.”

“You were almost blown into space by the pressure difference that time,” Carl said as he put on his protective suit.

"So I came back alive?" Chen Hao put on his helmet. "And the coffee tasted pretty good."

Nana has completed the communication test. She handed a small repeater beacon to Chen Hao: "Once activated, it can establish a temporary network inside, with an effective range of fifty meters."

"This little thing is quite expensive." Chen Hao looked at it. "I can't afford to pay for it if it breaks."

"It won't break," Nana said. "The outer shell meets the impact resistance standards."

"You two are both so cold." Chen Hao stuffed the beacon into his waist bag.

The ship entered silent standby mode, automatic cruise was turned off, and only basic life support was maintained. The three stood at the airlock door, the lights shining down from above, casting long shadows.

"Send a distress signal if there's no news within two hours," Chen Hao said into the recorder. "If you really die, remember to split the game currency in my account."

“Nobody wants your broken account.” Carl pressed the door open button.

The outer hatch slid open, leading to the docking bridge. The metal bridge was somewhat deformed, but still walkable. The three of them moved over step by step, their footsteps echoing in the empty passageway.

When they arrived at the side hatch of the abandoned spaceship, the door had already been smashed once, its edges were twisted, and it was locked.

"Looks like someone's been here." Chen Hao felt the crack in the door.

“Not necessarily.” Carl took out a hydraulic pry bar. “It could also be from an accidental impact.”

He inserted the crowbar into the gap and pressed down hard. The metal screeched, and dust fell in a flurry. A few seconds later, with a click, the door opened.

A gust of cold wind rushed out, carrying the smell of iron filings and dust.

Nana immediately activated the infrared scan. A simplified 3D model quickly appeared on the screen. "The corridor leads directly to the maintenance area, the cargo hold is on the left, the living quarters are on the right, and the cockpit is at the far end."

"Let's go to the repair area first," Chen Hao said. "The parts compartments for those old ships are usually located there."

He turned on his headlamp and led the way inside. A thick layer of dust covered the floor, leaving clear footprints. Exposed pipes on the walls were broken in some places, with cables dangling like withered vines.

"The power system is completely down." Nana scanned the area. "There's no sign of any active energy source."

"So, it won't suddenly explode?" Chen Hao asked.

"It's currently assessed as safe," she said, "but it's advisable to avoid touching the control panel."

Upon reaching the first fork in the road, the sign on the left was blurry, while the sign on the right read "Mechanical Maintenance".

“Go to the right,” Carl said.

At the end of the passage was a double iron gate with a faded warning label on it. Chen Hao reached out and pushed it, but it didn't budge.

“It’s rusted to death,” he said.

Carl stepped forward to help, and together they managed to pry the door open just a crack—enough for one person to squeeze through sideways.

Inside was a large warehouse with rows of metal shelves. Some boxes were on the shelves, some were overturned, some were broken, and most were empty.

Chen Hao shone his flashlight around. "Take a look." He walked over and rummaged through a box. "The seals are the wrong model."

The other box contained screws and washers, all mixed up haphazardly.

“Let’s look further in,” he said.

The innermost shelf hasn't fallen over yet. There are several numbered drawers on it.

Nana walked over and scanned the side nameplate with the scanner. "Number matching rate 89%, most likely containing a generic replacement component."

"God has finally opened his eyes today." Chen Hao opened the first drawer.

Empty.

The second one is also empty.

The third drawer was stuck. He pulled hard, and the drawer came out, but inside there was only a yellowed note.

He picked it up, looked at it, and read: "The spare valve body has been transferred to station B3 - left by the administrator."

"Where is B3?" he asked, looking up.

“Unknown,” Nana replied. “The database does not contain the location corresponding to this number.”

“What a disappointment.” Carl leaned against the wall. “We’ve searched the entire ship, and all we found was an expired note.”

"Wait a minute." Chen Hao suddenly turned around and looked at the corner. "There's another door over there."

There was indeed a small door in the corner, almost completely blocked by collapsed shelves. The door was narrow, and it seemed to lead to an equipment room.

He walked over and pushed open the shelf; there was a manual turntable on the door. He gripped the turntable, turned it half a turn, and it locked.

“Give me a hand,” he said to Carl.

The two of them worked together, and the wheel creaked as it spun to the end.

The door opened.

The space inside was small, containing only a workbench and a safe. Several blueprints hung on the wall, and tools were scattered on the table.

The safe door was closed, but not locked.

Chen Hao squatted down and opened the cabinet door.

There are two metal boxes inside.

He picked one up and opened it.

Inside the box was a black metal block with a number engraved on its surface.

He stared at her for two seconds, then looked up at Nana.

"Check this number."

Nana took the metal block and scanned it. A few seconds later she said, "Pressure feedback component, compatible with various propulsion systems, including the model used on our ship."

"Really?" Karl's voice changed.

“There’s more than one.” Chen Hao opened the second box. “Both are here.”

He picked one up; it was heavy. "How long will this thing last?"

“The design life is ten years,” Nana said. “Current testing shows no structural damage, and the functional integrity rate is estimated to be over 92 percent.”

"We don't have to rely on duct tape to make a living anymore," Chen Hao laughed.

"Don't celebrate yet." Carl was still frowning. "Why are these things locked up here separately? All the other parts are gone, but two spare parts were left?"

“Maybe they didn’t find the people from the last ship,” Chen Hao said. “Or maybe they don’t need them.”

“It could be a trap.” Carl stared at the inside of the safe. “The safe is too clean; it doesn’t look like no one has ever touched it.”

"Everything looks like a trap to you now." Chen Hao closed the box. "Let's take it back and change into it, then we'll know if it's real or fake."

“I suggest doing an offline test first,” Nana said, “to confirm there are no hidden viruses or tracking devices.”

"Okay." Chen Hao nodded. "Take them back to the ship first."

Just as the three were about to leave, Nana suddenly stopped.

"The scan just now showed that the floor of this room has an abnormal load-bearing capacity."

"What do you mean?" Chen Hao asked.

“There might be a mezzanine below,” she said. “It’s about 1.2 meters deep and roughly the size of the room.”

Carl immediately crouched down and tapped the ground. The sound was muffled and solid.

“It’s an artificial slab,” he said. “There’s space underneath.”

Chen Hao glanced at the box in his hand, then at the floor.

“I thought I’d struck gold,” he said in a low voice, “but it turns out there’s something else hidden here.”