Chen Hao stuffed the terminal into his pocket and tapped his fingers twice on the outside of the pocket. He had just come out of the control room and hadn't even gotten his footing when Nana's voice came through his earpiece.
"The inventory process has been initiated. Everyone, please go to the warehouse to confirm the task module."
"What time is it?" He looked up at the corridor ceiling light. "I haven't even had breakfast yet."
“You didn’t eat a full meal last night,” Nana said. “Insufficient calorie intake will affect your energy distribution efficiency today.”
"I'm saving energy, not starving myself," he muttered as he turned into the warehouse.
Susan had already opened her checklist at the table, pen poised on paper, waiting for everyone to arrive. Carl came in carrying his toolbox, casually pushing the pile of metal shelves by the door further in. In the center of the open space were four label boxes, each labeled with a printed tag: Medical, Engineering, Daily Necessities, Emergency.
"According to the groups we were assigned last night," Chen Hao clapped his hands. "You all know who's in charge of what, right?"
“Medical care is handled by Nana and me.” Susan turned the page. “She checks the data, and I inspect the physical samples.”
“I’ll be in charge of overseeing the project,” Carl nodded. “She’ll assist with proofreading.”
"Then I'll take care of the daily necessities?" Chen Hao pointed to himself.
“There’s also an emergency kit,” Nana added. “The ones you separated last time need to be reassembled and tested for airtightness.”
"Didn't I hand over the system to record this?"
"The system only stores the serial number. You have to check yourself to make sure the zipper can be zipped all the way up."
He sighed, squatted down in front of the supply box, and opened the lid. Rows of compressed biscuits were neatly stacked, next to which were a thermos, a soft mat, and a charging cable. He picked up a cup and shook it; it was full of water.
“This cup was filled with water from the air conditioner vent yesterday,” Nana said. “The temperature control function is working properly, maintaining a temperature of 42 degrees Celsius.”
"You remember such details?"
"The activation time, charging status, and usage frequency of all devices are under monitoring."
"So you know I even take a sip of water?"
"I know but I won't comment," she said, "unless you drink less than the recommended amount of water for three consecutive days."
Susan had already started checking the medicine bottles. She unscrewed the caps one by one, smelled them, and then checked their color against the light. Suddenly, she stopped.
"This folic acid... has a crack at the bottle opening."
Nana immediately moved closer to the scanner. "Microcracks, 61% risk of excessive humidity. Replacement recommended."
"What about the backup?"
"There is an unopened vial of the synthetic agent in the third shelf of the medical cabinet."
"I'll go get it." Chen Hao stood up. "And I'll check if there are any other problems while I'm at it."
He walked down the corridor and pushed open the medical cabinet door. The synthetic nutrients were indeed still there, the labels clearly visible. He casually rummaged through a small drawer next to it and found a bottle of disinfectant spray almost empty.
"Nana, how much hypoallergenic disinfectant do you have left?"
"We currently have two bottles in stock, one of which has 30% capacity remaining."
"It's not enough."
"It can be synthesized on-site. All the raw materials are available, and it takes eighteen minutes."
“Then let’s synthesize a new one,” he said. “Don’t wait until the last minute to find out it’s gone.”
Back in the warehouse, he handed the new solution to Susan. She put it on, resealed the bag, and ticked it.
Carl was bending over, inspecting the cable bundles. He tugged at the knot and shook his head.
"It's loose. It's easy for it to fall apart during transport."
He took out cable ties from his toolbox and re-secured them one by one. His movements were quick and precise, and he finished processing the entire bundle in just a few minutes.
"With that speed, did you ever do packaging before?"
"In battlefield repairs, supplies are often airdropped." Karl said without looking up, "They're considered合格 (qualified) if they don't fall apart upon landing."
Chen Hao didn't reply, and continued rummaging through the utility box. He touched a pile of folded fabric, unfolded it, and saw that it was a memory foam seat cushion.
"Shouldn't we install spaceship seats on this?"
“I’ve fixed the manual adjustment lever,” Carl said. “Even if the automatic adjustment fails, the angle can still be adjusted.”
"You actually did it?"
"I said I'd do it." He frowned. "I don't talk nonsense."
Chen Hao chuckled twice and put the mat back in its place. He then took out his terminal and checked off the completed items one by one against the list.
It stopped suddenly.
"What about the stroller parts? I remember they said they would assemble it using spare metal frames?"
“The prototype is not assembled,” Nana said. “The design drawings have been uploaded, and the materials are on the corner shelf.”
He turned his head and saw several small packages of parts piled up there. The label read "Special Load-Bearing Components".
"Nobody's making a move?"
“The task has not been assigned to a specific person to carry it out,” Nana said.
"Okay, I'll do it." He walked over and unpacked it. "Anyway, I'm free."
Metal rods, connecting shafts, wheels… He assembled them according to the diagram, his hands trembling slightly as he tightened the screws. He assembled them backwards the first time, and they wouldn't lock. He got it right the second time.
“It looks like a bench,” Susan said as she walked over and took a look.
“This is foldable.” He pressed down hard, and the structure stabilized. “You can also add padding.”
Where should I put it?
"Corner of the crew cabin. Locked during takeoff and landing."
"Where's the seatbelt?"
“Yes.” He pulled one out of his bag. “Double buckle, non-slip.”
"You're quite thoughtful," she said, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm mainly afraid you'll accuse me of slacking off," he grinned. "Besides... we can't let the kid get away with this."
Susan smiled, turned around and went back to check the medicines. Chen Hao took a picture of the finished product and uploaded it to the system.
“It’s been entered,” Nana said. “I suggest changing the name to ‘Infant and Toddler Fixation Device’.”
“Just call for a stroller,” he insisted. “I’m not writing a thesis.”
“The naming doesn’t affect the functionality,” she said, “but it makes it easier to search.”
"You were the one who searched, right? Just remember me."
She didn't say anything more, and an update notification popped up on the screen. Chen Hao stretched and found that Carl had already reorganized the toolbox.
"The welding torch was kept separately?"
“Flammable materials are isolated,” Carl said. “The power cords have also been fitted with new sheaths.”
"Where's the cable?"
“Reinforce them all.” He pointed to the bundles on the ground. “Double-layered cable ties, three fixing points per meter.”
"Sturdy enough."
"Strength is not as important as reliability." Carl closed the lid of the box. "If one part is missing, the whole thing could fall apart."
Susan then closed her notebook. "Medical supplies confirmed. Insulated containers are properly sealed, emergency delivery kits are intact, and medications are not expired or damaged."
“The engineering work is complete.” Carl nodded. “Spare parts are distributed reasonably, maintenance consumables are sufficient, and welding equipment is in standby mode.”
"The daily necessities all match up." Chen Hao patted the box. "Everything we eat, drink, and use is listed."
"One last scan." Nana started the system.
A blue light flashed from the sensor on the top of the warehouse, slowly scanning every corner. A few seconds later, her terminal vibrated.
"The test report has been generated," she said. "Of the 473 items, 389 have passed the green label test, and the remaining 84 have been processed in a closed loop."
"Have all the problems been resolved?"
"Yes. All three anomalies have been corrected: folic acid replacement, cable reinforcement, and stroller assembly completed and archived."
Chen Hao let out a long sigh and sat down against the wall. "At least... nothing was missed."
“There’s one more thing,” Nana said.
"What?"
"Your handheld device has less than 20% battery and is not included in the charging plan."
He looked down at the screen and sure enough, the red bar was flashing.
"I'll charge it now." He pulled out the cord and plugged it in. "See how cooperative I am?"
"Cooperation has improved by 35 percent compared to last week," she said. "The progress is significant."
"Hey, doesn't that sound like sarcasm?"
“State the facts.” She paused. “However, in terms of teamwork, you’re currently ranked first.”
"real?"
"Statistics show that you proactively handled three unassigned tasks during the final inventory phase, including assembling key equipment."
"Of course." He smirked smugly. "He may be fat, but he won't let us down when it matters."
Susan put the list away and placed it in her travel document bag. She gently pressed her abdomen, a slight smile playing on her lips.
Carl walked around to the cargo hold door and looked up at the hoisting rails on the ceiling. He reached out and pressed a switch; the rails clicked softly and entered standby mode.
"The supplies can be loaded onto the ship," he said.
"Wait a minute." Nana brought up the interface. "We haven't received the unsealing command yet."
“I know,” Carl said. “I’m just confirming that the orbit is functioning correctly.”
Chen Hao stood up and walked to the middle row of boxes. He looked at them one by one; the labels were clear and the seals were intact. He reached out and touched one of them; its surface was slightly cool.
"How long can these things last?"
“At the current rate of consumption, basic supplies will last for 127 days,” Nana said. “Specialized nutrition and medical support will be extended to 150 days.”
“That’s enough,” Susan said, “as long as nothing goes wrong along the way.”
“Nothing will happen,” Carl said. “The boat is repaired, the route is clear, and everything is ready.”
"Just don't have too bad luck," Chen Hao muttered.
“Luck isn’t part of the equation,” Nana said, “but we were well-prepared.”
He smiled and said nothing more. The warehouse fell silent, broken only by the occasional beep from the terminal.
Susan picked up her thermos and took a sip of water. Carl crouched down to check the lock on the last toolbox. Chen Hao plugged the terminal into the charging dock and watched the battery level slowly climb.
Nana's screen suddenly flickered.
“The final verification report has been archived,” she said. “The navigation log has also been completed.”
Chen Hao looked up at her.
What's next?
"We are awaiting instructions for the vessel's performance inspection," she said. "It is expected to begin in two hours."
He nodded and walked to the control panel, where he sat down. The screen displayed a list of all the supplies, each marked with a green checkmark.
He stared at it for a long time.
Then I reached out and clicked the "Print" button.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com