As dawn broke and the windmill tower was just beginning to rise, Chen Hao was still leaning against the steel frame, motionless. He stared at the green text on the terminal screen that read "System connected to the grid, power supply normal" for a full ten seconds, then slumped to the ground with a thud, his oil-stained gloves flying a considerable distance before hitting the metal toolbox with a dull thud.
"Finally... I'm alive." He gasped for breath, his arms resting on his knees, his head hanging low. "I feel like the work I've done in the past two weeks is enough to qualify me for the title of model worker of the year."
Standing outside the control cabin, Nana lightly tapped the aerial projection with her finger, and the data stream refreshed in succession. "The current output power is stable at 91.3% of the rated value, and the charging rate of the energy storage battery has increased by 187%. Compared with yesterday's power outage, all seven core modules of the base have resumed operation."
"You're reciting numbers like you're reading a will." Chen Hao raised his hand to shield his eyes from the glare and squinted at him. "Can't you speak like a normal person? Like—did we succeed?"
"The system is still in the observation period and has not yet reached the stability confirmation threshold."
"Oh, you really don't hold back at all." He stood up, brushing the dust off his pants. "So tell me, what does this count as? A partial victory, surely?"
Nana didn't answer, but instead switched the screen to the energy consumption comparison chart in the main control room. On the left was the curve before the repair last night, crooked and twisted like the last tremor before an electrocardiogram stops beating; on the right was the real-time load at this moment, rising steadily, as stable as the mentality of a retired cadre.
Chen Hao stared at it for a while, then suddenly grinned and said, "Hey, it really is different."
He turned and rushed into the control room, snapping the main lighting switch. The row of lights at the end of the corridor, which had previously only been half-lit, were now all bright, the white light shining all the way to the entrance of the innermost supply warehouse.
“See this!” he pointed to the ceiling. “This light used to flash like it was from a disco, but now it can even illuminate a mosquito’s foot hair.”
He then turned on the cold storage's refrigeration system, and the compressor started running smoothly with a hum, unlike before when it would cough twice and then stop.
"The ecological circulation pump is up too!" he shouted, turning around. "The water treatment module is running at the target speed! The air humidity is starting to recover! This isn't just generating electricity, it's giving the base artificial respiration and saving its life!"
Nana remained standing, her gaze sweeping over the various parameters. "The efficiency improvement is real, but it needs to run continuously for more than 72 hours to be considered reliable. Only thirty-seven minutes have passed so far."
"Can't you let me be happy for a moment?" Chen Hao rolled his eyes. "I haven't been able to lie down for two days. I'm even dreaming about tightening screws."
“Dreams do not affect the system inspection cycle,” she said. “I suggest immediately carrying out the first round of routine four-hour checks.”
"Wait a minute." He suddenly stopped, as if remembering something. "Our windmill is fixed and the electricity is back on, does that mean—I can use the microwave to heat up food now?"
"Theoretically feasible."
"Don't just say 'theoretically'!" He slammed his hand on the control panel. "Last time you said the washing machine could theoretically be used, but it tripped halfway through the wash, and now I have one black sock and one white sock, and I still haven't found them all!"
“The power supply redundancy is sufficient this time.” She pulled up the power distribution diagram. “A single peak load is allowed not to exceed three kilowatts. The microwave oven’s rated power is 1,200 watts, which is within the safe range.”
Chen Hao immediately pulled a bag of freeze-dried rice from his pocket, his movements as practiced as if he had been preparing for this for a long time. "Then you keep an eye on the system, I'm going to test how tough it is."
Five minutes later, the "ding" sound indicating that heating was complete was particularly crisp in the silent control cabin.
He came out carrying a steaming lunchbox, his face filled with a sense of reverence. "Brothers," he said, holding the lunchbox up to the air, "today is a good day."
Nana glanced at his lunchbox: "The food temperature has reached over 70 degrees Celsius, which is sufficient for sterilization. However, please note that the packaging is still within the risk range of combustion."
"Why do you care so much?" He took a bite, hissing as it was scalding hot. "Delicious! So delicious! A hundred times better than an energy bar! Do you know what a civilized society is? It's being able to eat something hot!"
She didn't reply, but simply projected the inspection route onto the ground: starting from the base, spiraling upwards along the tower, covering six sets of cables, three main beam joints, the generator nacelle, and the rectifier module.
“The first round of checks will begin now,” she said.
Chen Hao swallowed a mouthful of rice, his face contorted in a grimace: "Couldn't you wait until I finished eating?"
"The earlier the system turbulence window is investigated, the better."
"You're treating me like a dog on duty." He muttered, putting down his lunchbox and grabbing the detector. "Fine, fine, what can I do? I'm the only creature that can climb high and isn't afraid of falling."
He slowly walked under the windmill, fastening his seatbelt as he complained, "If this thing had a soul, and knew it had been repaired three times, would it still be willing to turn?"
"Wind-powered propulsion does not depend on subjective will."
"But what if it holds a grudge? After all, we dismantled its solder joints like we were dismantling Lego."
“Metals don’t hold grudges,” she said. “But humans are forgetful.”
"That's a bit harsh to hear."
They climbed up the maintenance ladder. Chen Hao moved slowly, each step he took on the steel grating making a clanging sound, as if the entire tower was reminding him that he was overweight.
During a break, he leaned on the railing, catching his breath: "I was saying, what was that little red dot that flashed by on the monitor screen just now?"
Nana glanced at the data stream: "The filter circuit has a slight voltage fluctuation, with an amplitude of 0.4 volts, which is within the limit."
"Then why highlight it in red?"
"Highlights potential aging risks."
"It's already aging after only a short time since it was restarted?" He frowned. "This equipment is way too fragile."
“All electronic systems wear down over time,” she said. “Just like how you become sluggish after staying up all night.”
"Hey, that's not a very friendly analogy."
"State the facts."
Upon reaching the generator compartment, Chen Hao opened the outer casing to inspect the wiring. The solder joints were neat, the seals were intact, and the waterproof layer showed no signs of bubbling.
“Looks pretty reliable.” He closed the lid. “I think it can last at least a month.”
Nana brought up the historical log interface: "Before the three previous system crashes, there was a 'false stability' period of three to five days. This was characterized by stable output, no alarms, and a good user experience."
"So you're saying... the quieter it is now, the more likely it is to explode later?"
"It's not 'possible,' it's a probability as high as 83.6%."
Why don't you say something auspicious?
"I am not responsible for providing psychological comfort."
Chen Hao sighed and sat down against the cabin wall: "I just wanted to have a hot meal, get a good night's sleep, and see if this windmill could last a few more days. Why does it feel like we're playing a countdown game?"
"The essence of operations and maintenance is to combat decay," she said. "If you don't fix it, it will break down; if you stop, it will collapse."
"So I'm destined to never experience the word 'easy' in this lifetime?"
"You can choose to relinquish management."
“Then the base will have to go back to the days of eating cold food in the dark.” He shook his head. “Forget it, I’ll choose to be tired.”
He stood up again, picked up the detector, and walked towards the next node. "Let's go, keep checking. Although I know everything you're saying now is just to scare me into getting to work faster."
"I don't have any scare program modules."
"Then your tone is more effective than scare tactics."
After a round of inspections, the sun was already high in the sky. The data showed everything was normal: no loose parts, no overheating, and no electrical leakage.
Chen Hao returned to the base and wiped his sweat: "How about it? Can I rest for a bit now?"
Nana looked at the terminal: "Initial inspection complete, no structural hazards found. However, the filter circuit continues to fluctuate, so we recommend installing a secondary voltage regulator module."
"Again?" he glared. "Wasn't it just finished being repaired?"
“Repairs address visible problems,” she said. “Hidden degradation requires long-term monitoring.”
"So, after treating the acute illness, now we have to prevent chronic diseases?"
"The analogy is appropriate."
"Does that mean I'll have to become a part-time electrician and a full-time nanny?"
"The scope of responsibilities is determined by actual needs."
He looked up at the windmill that stood quietly, its blades turning slowly in the breeze, emitting a low whistling sound.
"How many kilowatt-hours of electricity do you think it can generate in a day?"
"On average, it is about 210 kilowatt-hours per day."
"Enough for me to sleep with the air conditioning on for three days." He smiled. "It's worth it."
Nana suddenly pointed to the terminal: "Note that the tension value of the third cable on the left has decreased by 0.7%."
"How long has it been?" He leaned closer to look. "Wasn't it just adjusted?"
"Due to the difference in the coefficients of thermal expansion and contraction of the materials."
"So it changes on its own?"
Yes. For every degree the temperature rises, the change is 0.15%.
"Wouldn't that mean we'd have to make ten trips at noon?"
"It is expected that four adjustments will be needed."
"You're forcing me to live in the tower."
"It is recommended to develop a regular inspection schedule."
"Alright then." He rubbed his sore shoulders. "I can't sleep well anyway, so I might as well keep an eye on it."
As he was speaking, a new notification suddenly popped up on the terminal: **The input current of the rectifier module is slightly off, with a deviation of 0.3 amps.**
Nana immediately zoomed in on the waveform: "A harmonic interference source has appeared, located near the secondary distribution box."
"No way?" Chen Hao stared at the screen. "It's only been a little over an hour, and they're already causing trouble?"
“The system has never truly been calm,” she said. “You just haven’t seen it before.”
He took a deep breath, grabbed his toolbox, and said, "Let's go see who's up to this."
They hurried toward the power distribution room, Chen Hao muttering as he ran, "So all that hard work building this tower only to find the key won't fit in the lock?"
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