The click from below the control panel froze Chen Hao's finger in mid-air. He didn't press it, but turned to look at Nana.

Did you hear that?

Nana had already brought up the audio monitoring interface, her finger sliding across the virtual panel. "The sound source is from the old circuit relay box. There is no current fluctuation or short circuit risk. It is determined to be caused by metal deformation due to thermal expansion and contraction." She looked up. "Non-threatening incident."

Carl crouched down to inspect the interface, then stood up and clapped his hands. "Old ship's old problem, it's over once it stops making noise." He finished speaking and casually hung his toolbox back on the wall hook.

The cabin fell silent again. The alarms didn't sound, and the indicator lights didn't turn red. The propulsion system continued to operate stably, and the green progress bar crawled forward smoothly.

Chen Hao finally pressed the start button. The shift handover was complete. The spacecraft continued its journey.

Seven hours later, Nana suddenly stopped during her routine inspection.

"The target galaxy has come into optical visibility," she said.

Chen Hao, who was dozing off in his chair, sat bolt upright upon hearing this. "Which target?"

"The current azimuth angle coincides with the reference coordinates of the third segment of the Milky Way's arm spiral by 98.7%." Nana walked to the observation window. "Structure matching confirmation in progress... Completed. It's our home galaxy."

Chen Hao rushed over and wiped away the remaining anti-fog coating on the glass with his hand. In the distance, a blurry halo slowly rotated, and the blue and white interwoven nebula resembled an unfolded map.

“It’s it.” His voice trembled slightly. “It really is it.”

Carl walked over and stood on the other side, his hands resting on the support frame. He didn't speak, but just stared at the increasingly clear outline.

Susan was woken up and rushed over, throwing on her coat. Standing between the three of them, she looked out the window and whispered, "Are we... really going home?"

No one answered. The four of them just stood there, not moving.

After a long while, Chen Hao suddenly chuckled, then quickly covered his mouth, as if afraid of startling something.

He turned around, grabbed Nana's shoulder, and shook her a couple of times: "Do you think we can be considered heroes now?"

Nana blinked. "According to historical documents, those who survived and completed the expedition can be called homecoming travelers."

"Even more awesome than a hero!" Chen Hao slammed his hand on the window frame. "I'll put 'I once piloted a wrecked ship across thirty-seven star systems and brought back the secret recipe for grilling alien monsters' on my resume. Who would dare not believe me?"

Carl took a sealed bottle of beverage from his private locker; the bottle had a pale yellow sheen. "I was planning to save it until we landed, but now... I think it's worth it now." He poured four small glasses and handed one to each person.

Susan held the cup, watching the reflection of her home planet gradually brighten. "Do you think they'll remember us?"

"Who?" Chen Hao asked.

“Everyone,” she said. “Those who are waiting for us to come back, or…those who have forgotten us.”

Chen Hao paused for a moment, then grinned. "If you've forgotten, we'll tell you again," he said. "Let's start from planting the first sweet potato—'Look, this is the first sweet potato in the universe that we cultivated using alien excrement.'"

Carl chuckled. "I thought you were going to start by talking about which violation you were going to mention."

"That's too embarrassing." Chen Hao took a sip of his drink. "This stuff tastes like dishwater, why are you still hiding it?"

“Because it’s only once,” Carl said. “Once it’s used, it’s gone.”

The air went still for a moment. All four of them simultaneously looked down at the cups in their hands.

“Everyone, say one thing you most want to do,” Chen Hao suddenly suggested. “Let’s agree beforehand that no one is allowed to say things like ‘repairing the ship’ or ‘replacing parts,’ which are such unpleasant things.”

Susan thought for a moment. "I want to sleep in a real bed," she said. "Without having to listen to alarms or sleep in a protective suit."

“That makes sense.” Chen Hao nodded. “Next.”

“Build a lab,” Carl said. “To compile our findings on the uninhabited planet. Including that bioluminescent moss and the metal-eating worms.”

"Doing scientific research?" Chen Hao raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you planning to open a chain of repair shops and make a fortune?"

“Enough money is enough.” Carl shook his head. “I want more people to know that we didn’t come for nothing.”

“My turn.” Chen Hao cleared his throat. “I’m going to open a barbecue stand, specializing in grilling alien monster meat. The signature dish is called ‘Interstellar Oily Sizzles,’ five yuan a skewer with beer, no bargaining.”

Nana said, "I request access to the global education network and the public access to all recorded cultural development data."

"You're still thinking about this?" Chen Hao laughed. "Can't you take a break?"

“My database needs updating,” she said. “And human understanding of the unknown is still biased.”

“Then you need to add a disclaimer.” Chen Hao raised his glass. “For example, ‘This content is provided by a robot that has been forced to take care of academic underachievers for a long time, and is for reference only.’”

"I can consider it." Nana picked up her glass and gently clinked it against hers.

"Then it's settled." Chen Hao waved his hand. "Sleep first, then work, and finally make a fortune."

Laughter filled the cabin. It was more relaxed than ever before.

The spacecraft continued its journey. The outline of the galaxy became increasingly clear, and the reflection from the parent star could now shine into the observation window.

Chen Hao leaned back on the sofa, feigning sleep, a smile playing on his lips. Susan gently stroked her abdomen, her eyes closed in rest. Carl pulled out an old notebook, flipping through the hand-drawn circuit diagrams page by page.

Nana stood in the corner waiting, the faint light from the screen reflecting on her face.

She did not leave.

Half an hour later, the navigation system automatically completed calibration and locked the route.

The main control room was dimly lit, and the engine hummed softly.

Susan suddenly opened her eyes and looked out the window.

“Look over there,” she said, pointing to a dark area at the edge of the nebula. “Isn’t there a point moving?”

Chen Hao looked up.

The spot of light was so small that it was almost invisible.

But it is indeed moving.

The direction was directly facing them.