Carl pushed the toolbox to the middle of the table, said, "Don't touch interface number three tonight," and turned to walk towards the duty station.
Chen Hao leaned against the doorframe, holding half a compressed biscuit in his hand. He took a bite and mumbled, "Starting tomorrow, we'll do the investigation ourselves."
Susan looked up: "Investigate what?"
“Investigate ourselves.” Chen Hao swallowed the dry rations. “Others implement their efficiency systems, we can’t just stand by and watch. Once our system is running smoothly, we also need to know which thread is loose and which wheel is stuck.”
Nana stood in front of the terminal, the screen having just finished receiving the feedback report from the Cultural Observation Week. She turned around: "I suggest initiating an internal operational assessment. The data should be traceable, and the problems categorized."
“That’s the gist of it.” Chen Hao walked to the whiteboard, picked up a pen, and wrote a line next to “Cultural Compatibility Test”: **Internal Hidden Danger Investigation Launched**.
No one spoke.
Carl stood with his arms crossed against the wall: "I've been submitting all my work on time lately, the water and electricity haven't been cut off, and I haven't skimped on the meals. What's there to check?"
"It's because it looked fine." Chen Hao pointed to the log screen. "Last month when we were repairing the drainage pipes, the three groups went back and forth asking who was in charge. By the time they confirmed it, the water had already flooded the planting area."
Susan nodded: "That day I applied for disinfectant, and the approval process took six hours. Later I found out that the person who signed it had been replaced, and there was no one to take his place."
“Processes are static,” Carl said. “People are dynamic. But dynamic people are always held back by static processes.”
Nana brought up the task log panel. Several sets of numbers popped up on the screen.
“Over the past thirty days, the average time taken to apply for supplies has increased by 40%. Cross-group collaboration response has been delayed by 27%. Three maintenance tasks have had to be reworked due to a lack of synchronized information.”
She paused for a moment: "The system is marked as 'slightly malfunctioning,' but it continues to worsen."
Chen Hao tapped the whiteboard: "It's not about assigning blame, it's about seeing where things are going wrong. We can cooperate now, but there are people watching us from the outside. If we mess things up again, it'll really make us a laughing stock."
Susan stood up: "I'll go talk to the water purification group. They've been complaining a lot lately about the slow filter replacement."
“I’ll go with the repair team.” Carl grabbed his toolbox. “They don’t like to talk about things, we have to force them out.”
“I’ll coordinate the information collection.” Nana opened a new interface. “All feedback will be entered anonymously, categorized and archived, anonymously, and without accountability.”
Chen Hao, with a pen cap dangling from his mouth, said, "That's it. Come back at this time tomorrow to report the results."
The next morning, Susan brought back a stack of handwritten notes.
"The water purification group applies for filter cartridges three times a month, and each time they have to fill out four forms and get three responsible persons to sign them. The most outrageous thing is that the approver doesn't know how much is left in stock; it all depends on the applicant reporting it themselves."
"This isn't an approval process, it's a guessing game," Chen Hao said, flipping through the pages. "Who can guarantee they'll remember to report it every time?"
Nana scanned the information into the system and generated a flowchart. From application to disbursement, it spans five stages and involves four positions.
"Theoretically, it should take twelve hours to complete, but in practice, it takes an average of thirty-eight hours."
"It's three times slower than the theoretical speed." Chen Hao chuckled. "Luckily, we didn't submit this for bidding, or we would have gone bankrupt long ago."
Carl was more direct. He showed a photo of a wrench stuck in the hood of a repair car, with a note next to it that read: **For emergency use only, please do not move—Li Qiang, Group B**.
"This wrench is special; there are only two in the entire base. Last week, Group A took it to repair the generator without saying anything. When we went to dismantle the pump, we couldn't find it, so we had to change our plan on the spot."
“It’s not that we don’t have enough tools,” Susan glanced at the photo. “It’s that we don’t have enough information.”
Nana quickly entered the case, and the system automatically generated a list of issues. There were seventeen issues in total, mainly falling into three categories: ambiguous responsibilities, information delays, and lengthy approval processes.
"For example, power line inspections are recorded as being conducted twice a day. However, during actual shift handovers, there is only verbal communication and no written record. If an accident occurs, it is impossible to trace the responsibility."
"There's also the fertilization of the planting area. They say it's done according to a cycle, but there's no one coordinating it. Last time, the excessive nitrogen fertilizer almost burned the entire field of seedlings."
As Chen Hao listened, he slowly flattened the pen cap with his teeth.
“We thought everyone was in charge of their own area, but in reality, it was all about personal relationships. Whoever was more diligent would make a few more trips; whoever had a better temper would be more tolerant. But people always make mistakes, and there are times when they feel down.”
He stood up and drew a circle on the whiteboard.
"Now that the cooperation has started, the project needs to be launched, and people need to be brought in. If things are still in such a mess, forget about development; it would be good enough if nothing goes wrong."
"So this rectification is for no other reason than to avoid tripping up myself," he stared at the three of them.
The meeting resumed.
Nana listed five issues to prioritize:
1. There is no fixed communication mechanism for cross-group collaboration;
Second, the emergency supplies application process is too lengthy;
Third, there is a lack of clearly designated mentors for new employees;
IV. Access to basic operational data is restricted;
5. Maintenance and dispatch information are not synchronized.
"If these problems are not solved, we will not be able to handle the other side's technology, no matter how advanced it is."
Susan raised her hand: "I suggest we hold a ten-minute coordination meeting every day. Each group should send one person to attend and only talk about three things: the current bottleneck, the urgent need for support, and tomorrow's plan."
“Short, accurate, and fast,” Carl nodded. “More practical than writing a report.”
“Okay.” Chen Hao wrote it down. “Place it before the early shift, without fail.”
The second point, concerning emergency supplies, is the most controversial.
“Now all important tools and consumables require approval before they can be used,” Carl said. “But by the time we’re doing emergency repairs and wait for the approval, it’s too late.”
“But if we loosen restrictions, we’re afraid of misuse.” Susan frowned. “Someone took two bottles of sealant for personal use before, and we investigated for several days afterward.”
Nana proposed a compromise: "Establish an emergency direct access channel. Specific materials will be marked with red labels, and the name and time of access must be registered. The system will automatically record this, and a brief explanation of the purpose must be submitted within 24 hours."
“Accountability for abuse, no restrictions for urgent needs.” Chen Hao smiled. “Okay, it’s settled then.”
The third point is mentoring new employees.
“Now that new people have arrived, whoever has time is given a few pointers,” Susan said. “The result is that those who already know it get better and better, while those who don’t know it remain unskilled.”
“A responsible person must be designated,” Chen Hao said. “Each newcomer will be assigned a mentor and sign a three-month responsibility agreement. There will be rewards for good teaching and deductions for neglecting the task.”
"Deduct points?" Carl raised an eyebrow. "You've started working on KPIs?"
“I don’t understand KPI,” Chen Hao grinned. “All I know is that whoever’s people get into trouble, they have to share the blame.”
The fourth item is data permissions.
Currently, only core members can view key data such as energy, water resources, and structural safety.
“Ordinary members only know their own job,” Nana said, “but many problems arise precisely in the overlapping areas.”
"For example, the power company doesn't know when the water purifier will start, resulting in a sudden increase in load and a power outage."
"Then open it up." Chen Hao waved his hand. "All non-classified data is open. For those who don't understand, we'll arrange a popular science class once a week, with Nana as the main speaker."
“I have prepared the basic tutorial module,” Nana said calmly, “which includes chart interpretation and early warning identification.”
The last item is the synchronization of maintenance information.
Carl pulled out a hand-drawn logbook: "We currently rely on paper records, which often leads to omissions. I suggest we switch to an electronic dashboard, where all tasks are updated in real time, with status colors indicating progress—green for in progress, yellow for pending, and red for delayed."
“You can also set reminders,” Susan added, “which will automatically notify the person in charge when the timeout period expires.”
“Okay.” Chen Hao made the decision. “First, we’ll pilot the simplified application process in the water purification group and see how it goes in three days. At the same time, we’ll launch an electronic task board that covers all maintenance tasks.”
He turned to Nana: "Make an improvement tracking chart, mark the progress of each task, and manage it with red, yellow and green colors."
"Internal Security Assessment Report V1.0 has been generated." Nana clicked to confirm. "Uploaded to the public knowledge base, accessible to all."
Susan began organizing the feedback records, preparing to hand them over to the next shift for follow-up.
After checking the logs of the last piece of equipment, Carl put the toolbox back in its place. He casually opened the side pocket, took out an old notepad, looked at it, and then stuffed it back in.
Chen Hao stood in front of the whiteboard, picked up a green marker, and put a checkmark in the "Hazard Investigation" column.
"Finally, I've swept up my own foundation," he said.
The communicator suddenly rang.
Nana glanced at it: "External signal access request."
"At this time?" Chen Hao frowned. "Bring them in."
The screen lit up, but there was no sound.
On the screen was a figure standing outside the door, wearing an unfamiliar uniform and carrying a metal box.
The man raised his hand and tapped on the virtual window.
Carl reached for the toolbox.
Susan stood up.
Nana has started recording access logs.
Chen Hao took a step forward and pressed his finger on the call button.
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