The screwdriver was still stuck on the terminal block. Chen Hao stared at the flickering light above him, as if waiting for it to decide whether or not to turn it off. He didn't move or speak, but simply placed the relay in his other hand gently on the table, making a soft "click" sound.
Nana stood in front of the terminal, the load curve on the screen still jumping. "The main circuit current continues to exceed the limit, it is recommended to disconnect the power immediately."
“I know we need to cut the power.” He looked down at the scattered power lines at his feet. “The problem is, without the power, we can’t get the work done; without the power, we have to assemble things in the dark. This isn’t production, it’s like cultivating immortality—the kind of secluded cultivation.”
He bent down, pulled out a thick cable, and brushed off the dust. "You know, in this crappy place, did the person who designed the circuit think we only needed to light candles?"
“According to the database records, the original base’s power supply system was designed to handle 1.3 times the current power consumption,” Nana said. “The wiring was not upgraded in sync with the later addition of equipment.”
"Good grief, they're even blaming me for historical issues." He smirked. "Fine, since nobody else cares, we'll fix it ourselves."
He pulled out a yellowed electrical wiring diagram, laid it on the workbench, pressing one corner down and using half a welding rod to hold the other corner in place. The edges of the diagram were curled, and some markings were blurred by water stains, but the main roads were still legible.
“Follow this route, we’ll branch off a separate circuit from the main unit, dedicated to the cutting machine and welding station.” He circled a location with a pen. “Lighting and other low-power circuits will run on a separate line. We don’t need it to be super bright, just not flickering like a ghost.”
Nana pulled up the simulated wiring plan: "The new circuit needs to be equipped with a 20-amp circuit breaker and the main line conduit diameter needs to be replaced with one of 4 square millimeters or more."
“There’s a piece of copper wire in the scrap heap, looks about right.” He got up and walked to the metal cabinet in the corner, opened the drawer and dumped it out with a clatter, parts rolling all over the floor. He squatted down, rummaged around for a bit, and pulled out a spool of blackened wire. “This will do. If not, we can just braid some hair into a conductor and make do.”
In less than ten minutes, the two had dismantled the old wiring channel in the corner of the wall. Chen Hao held the ladder with one hand and the pliers with the other, pulling out the old wire and threading in the new one. His movements weren't exactly nimble, but they were steady. He twisted the wire twice and then turned it back half a turn at each connection, muttering to himself, "I'd rather go slowly than have the electric sparks give me a chest-flame performance."
After finishing the last end, he jumped down the ladder and clapped his hands. "Come on, witness the moment of miracle—either the lights come on and the machine starts running, or the fuses explode like it's New Year's."
He pressed the main switch.
The light came on, and stayed on steadily.
The power indicator light on the cutting machine also lit up.
"Hey," he grinned, "I can't believe I actually lived to see this day."
Nana scans the circuit status: "Load shunting successful, voltage in each branch is stable. Continuous operation mode can be started."
"Then don't just stand there." He picked up a steel plate and put it on the workbench. "Three sets of plows, start working at the same time. Whoever finishes first goes home."
---
The first plowshare was cut halfway when the cutting machine suddenly stopped.
Chen Hao looked up: "Jumping again?"
“No tripping.” Nana checked the monitoring. “It’s that board you’re holding. It’s 0.8 millimeters too thick, so the equipment automatically shut down for protection.”
“This is the only thick plate left in the inventory.” He glanced at the list. “The materials for the other two sets are complete, but the third one… is missing a cutting edge plate.”
He walked to the storage shelf and opened the cabinet door; it was mostly empty. A batch had been used for the last test, and the new supplies hadn't arrived yet.
“It’s over.” He leaned against the shelf. “I was just about to become the factory manager, but the raw materials went on strike first.”
Nana pulled up the materials ledger: "Currently, there is only 1.6 square meters of wear-resistant steel left in stock, which is not enough to support the complete assembly of the third unit."
"So now, the machines can run, and people can endure, but we're just short of food?" He scratched his head. "This is even more painful than doing homework—we can do all the problems, but we don't have a notebook to write in."
He paused for two seconds, then turned around, opened his communication terminal, and dialed out the contact frequencies of three registered resource points.
"The old rule, barter." He typed on the keyboard, "We take our old bearings and scrap motor housings that we don't use and exchange them for the scrap steel they have. We rotate weekly, the amount is not large, but we have to keep supplying them."
Nana added to the agreement template: "It is recommended to specify the material specifications and delivery cycle to avoid subsequent errors."
“If it’s too formal, people won’t reply.” He revised a few sentences, “and said, ‘Brother urgently needs sheet metal to save his life. If you have any in stock, just let me know. I’ll give you a free return gift.’”
“Sent.” Nana confirmed that the signal had been sent. “All three nodes have received it.”
"Whether it works or not depends on fate." He stretched. "Anyway, we're not exactly a desirable place to live. We'd be lucky if anyone came back."
As soon as he finished speaking, the terminal beeped.
The first reply popped up: "There is half a sheet of 3mm manganese steel in section B-7, which can be exchanged for two AA batteries and a multimeter."
Chen Hao's eyes widened: "So fast? They usually wait in front of the screen for me to send messages?"
“They might be short of energy,” Nana analyzed. “Your quote just happens to match their needs.”
The second follow-up: "Provide one set of L-shaped angle iron in zone c-3, and replace it with a small fan."
The third clause is even more straightforward: "Area D-5 can be supplied with 2 square meters of wear-resistant boards per week, on the condition that their water purification modules are maintained once a month."
“That’s a good deal.” He nodded. “It’s something we can do easily, but it’ll give them a headache for half a year.”
He quickly confirmed the exchange terms, and three minutes later, the agreement was fully in effect.
"You're something else." He looked at Nana. "Not only are robots smart, but they're also better at business than I am."
“I was just following the logic of supply and demand,” she said. “But you used an emotionally charged word like ‘free shipping.’”
“That’s called being down-to-earth.” He laughed, then slammed his hand on the table. “The materials are secured, let’s get back to work!”
---
Two hours later, the main components of the three plows were placed side by side on the workbench, with only the welding finishing touches remaining.
Chen Hao wiped his sweat and realized that progress was still slow. He had to stop after welding each section to adjust the fixture, change the welding rod, and clean the slag. The entire process took up a lot of time on repetitive actions.
“At this rate, we won’t be able to produce five units in ten days.” He sat down to catch his breath. “We need to find a way to speed things up.”
Nana has already silently run the process analysis program.
“In the current production process, 68% of the time is spent on non-core operations,” she said, pulling up the data. “These include material handling, fixture adjustment, cooling and waiting, and edge polishing.”
"So, you mean I spend most of my time doing odd jobs?"
"To be precise, it's a lack of process planning."
She rearranged the processing sequence: first, cut all the plowshares together, then process the connecting frames uniformly, and finally add the fasteners in batches. She utilized a dual-machine linkage system, with one machine cutting while the other preheated and welded.
"You can do it like this?" He looked at the new schedule. "It's a bit like getting food in a cafeteria—get all the dishes first, then eat them one by one, so you don't have to run back and forth."
“The analogy is apt,” Nana said. “Modular prefabrication can reduce equipment vacancy rates.”
They immediately adjusted their pace. The cutting machine kept running, feeding in steel plates one after another; the welding station was preheated, and Chen Hao welded them one by one in sequence, his movements becoming smoother and smoother.
In the evening, the fourth set of materials arrived.
He took the new steel plate, placed it on the table, and it made a dull thud.
"We won't have to worry about food this time." He stretched his wrists. "Starting tomorrow, three machines a day, no exceptions."
Nana updated the production capacity statistics in real time: "The current daily output has increased from 1 unit to 3 units, with an efficiency increase of 200%. It is expected that the first batch of ten units can be prepared within 48 hours."
He didn't respond, but instead picked up a marker and wrote on the back of the latest plow frame: **Electric Assisted Plow, Mass Production Version, No. 3**.
After finishing writing, he took a step back, glanced at the neatly arranged semi-finished product, and then looked up at the lamp.
This time, the light stayed on.
The machine is still running.
The cutting machine pushed the steel plate forward slowly, and sparks rose along the saw kerf, like a small, unquenchable river.
Chen Hao unscrewed a bottle of water, took a sip, and was about to speak—
Nana suddenly reminded, "The right-side clamp is loose; I suggest you stop feeding immediately."
He turned around abruptly, his hand already reaching for the emergency stop button.
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