Qiongzhou Island, Wenchang Temporary Center.

“Oh right, how could I forget that!” Director Liao Changtian slapped his forehead. “Mars Valley was a popular area for Mars exploration in the 1920s and 30s. NASA launched the Opportunity and Spirit rovers to that place.”

"So, Mars Boy has found a 'power bank' now?" Xiao Yimin asked.

"It's hard to say." Liao Changtian shook his head. "Even the newest one, Opportunity, is 20 years old and stopped working more than 10 years ago. I don't think the condition of these two probes will be good."

...

Battery level: 0%.

Zhang Fan knew he only had a few minutes left.

The arm monitor had automatically shut down, and the oxygen circulation system had stopped working. The only oxygen Zhang Fan had left was preserved in the small space inside the spacesuit helmet.

The normal concentration of carbon dioxide in the air is 0.04%. When the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air exceeds 5%, people will feel difficulty breathing, and when the concentration is 10%, they will suffocate and die.

Zhang Fan began to feel short of breath, a warning sign of oxygen deficiency in his body. The process of digging sand also accelerated the consumption of oxygen.

He didn't dare linger for a moment and immediately began checking the status of Opportunity and Courage.

The Spirit rover landed on Mars earlier and suffered more damage, with its solar panels cracked. Opportunity, Spirit's successor, is in much better condition; at least its solar panels are still relatively intact.

Zhang Fan opened the solar panels on the "Opportunity" rover, which were in relatively good condition, and searched for the interfaces inside.

Sand got into the interface, and it has become deformed and damaged under years of erosion and pressure.

Zhang Fan felt dizzy and weak all over; this was because his muscles were secreting lactic acid due to lack of oxygen.

It's okay...

Zhang Fan bit his tongue to clear his mind through the pain, then flipped open the solar panels of the "Courage" and looked inside.

Great, although the solar panel is broken, the interface status is still intact.

The two probes were developed at the same time, and many of their parts are interchangeable.

Zhang Fan unscrewed one of the antennas from the "Spirit" rover, used it as a screwdriver, removed the connector of the "Spirit" solar panel, and installed it on the "Opportunity" rover.

When Zhang Fan plugged the external power cable from his spacesuit into the Opportunity rover's port, he fainted.

The whole sky was spinning, his eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and Zhang Fan fell asleep...

...

Beep beep, beep beep, beep beep—

"Damn it, isn't today the weekend?!"

In a daze, Zhang Fan was awakened by the alarm clock next to his ear. He reached out to touch it, but found nothing but a round helmet.

"Oh? So I'm still on Mars."

Zhang Fan sat up and looked at Opportunity and Courage quietly keeping him company. The arm monitor showed that the battery level was 2%, and the oxygen circulation system had already resumed operation.

The spacesuit's safety system detected that the astronaut's body had been in an abnormally still state for an extended period, and thus continuously issued warnings. After Zhang Fan woke up, he turned off the alarm.

Judging from the charging status, he probably only slept for a few minutes, but it felt like he slept for an eternity.

It would take another hour for the power to be fully charged. During that hour, Zhang Fan couldn't go anywhere; the length of the spacesuit's power cord limited his range of movement.

Although the other party was just cold metal, Zhang Fan felt a warmth in his heart. This was perhaps the sense of familiarity one feels when encountering a product of human civilization on an alien planet.

Meeting an old friend in a foreign land.

At this moment, Opportunity and Courage seem more like two friends from Earth.

These two devices are products from 20 or 30 years ago, and their main functions have ceased to operate, as can be seen from the extent of damage to their fuel cell stacks.

Fuel cells are the most vulnerable component on a Mars rover. Once damaged, they cannot be replaced by themselves, and the entire rover will be rendered unusable.

Although it has ceased operations, some components remain intact; for example, the solar panels of Opportunity, after being wiped clean of dust, are still functioning well. After all, Opportunity cost $300 million to build, and that was 30 years ago, not to mention the additional $2 billion it cost to send it to Mars.

Compared to this, being offered only 3 million RMB to live on Mars for six months is practically a bargain.

Since waiting was boring anyway, Zhang Fan tried to see if he could repair the numbers, but soon found it was futile.

The metal parts of these two rover companions are in relatively good condition, but the other non-durable parts are severely aged. The plastic parts crumble at the slightest touch, and the delicate components are severely corroded; for example, sand got into the cameras, and the glass is cracked. The Opportunity rover's solar panels are still usable, which is considered lucky.

Both of these parts are severely damaged and cannot be repaired.

Wait... half?

Half plus half equals one, right? I have two probe vehicles here!

Zhang Fan immediately became interested and began modifying his two friends.

Keep the "Opportunity" in good condition, disassemble the "Courage" into parts, and then replace the damaged parts of the "Opportunity" with the intact parts.

There have also been instances where the same part was damaged on both the Opportunity and Courage rover.

But it doesn't matter. Zhang Fan doesn't plan to completely repair it. He just wants to repair it to the point that the probe can move.

For example, components like cameras, sensors, satellite antennas, and signal transmitters are all eliminated, leaving only the chassis, solar panels, and drive motor. These unnecessary components can then be used to repair other parts.

An hour later, the Opportunity and Spirit combined Mars rover made its grand debut.

It looks like... well, how should I put it... Zhang Fan scratched his head. It looks like a Mars rover?

Having discarded many unnecessary components, the new rover looks like an eight-legged dragonfly with its solar panels deployed.

The fuel cell is no longer usable, and the CPU is also old and damaged. As a Mars rover, it is missing the two most critical components.

But it doesn't matter.

Zhang Fan connected the other power output cable of the spacesuit to the rover's motor. The rover's solar panels charged the spacesuit's battery pack, which in turn powered the rover's motor.

Perfect!

The arm display on the spacesuit controls the movement of the rover via connecting cables, much like a vehicle's computer.

Perfect!

It's noon, time for another Mars live stream.

"Holy crap, Mars Boy, this guy actually built a Mars rover."

At the temporary center in Wenchang, Qiongzhou, the technicians were dumbfounded.

"I say, is Mars Boy walking his dog?"

"He really has the leisure to do this, making us worry for nothing."

The wires on Zhang Fan's body are connected to the probe vehicle, which follows him under the control of the arm monitor, making it look just like walking a dog.

"Shouldn't we give Mars Boy's new partner a name? That way, we'll have something to refer to at work," one researcher suggested.

"That's simple. Since it's a combination of Opportunity and Courage, let's combine the two names and call it 'Opportunity and Courage'."

A person and a car travel across the vast red wasteland; Mars, humans, and machines create a breathtakingly beautiful scene.

Zhang Fan looked at his companion beside him, patted its head, and then looked at the camera.

"You saved my life, after all, and I don't know how to thank you enough. I'll give you a new name."

Zhang Fan thought for a moment.

"Since you're a combination of Opportunity and Courage, let's combine the two names and call you—"

"Thief Machine, Brave Number!"

Perfect!