Sunlight shone on the iron gate of the repair area, reflecting a bright white light. Chen Hao leaned against the wall, munching on an apple. He casually tossed the apple core into a waste bin two meters away.
"Good aim," he said.
Nana stood in front of the terminal, the screen scrolling through a list of supplies. She tapped her finger, and a red marker suddenly popped up.
"We're running low on puzzle wall adhesive," she said.
Chen Hao stopped biting into the apple.
"How many?"
"The current supply is 37 milliliters, and the demand is 120 milliliters."
"That's a huge difference?" He frowned. "Didn't we just restock last week?"
"The original plan was to use high-polymer synthetic adhesive, but warehouse records show that the amount was exceeded last month due to emergency repairs to seal the pipes." Nana pulled up the log, "The remaining amount has been diverted to the waterproofing project in Zone B."
Chen Hao spat the fruit pit on the ground and stomped on it, flattening it. "Can't we get something else?"
“Theoretically, it is possible,” Nana said, “but three conditions must be met: low-temperature curing, tensile strength must meet the standard, and it must be compatible with wood-based panels.”
"It sounds like a blind date," Chen Hao said. "We also have to see if our birth dates are compatible."
Susan walked over from next door, rolled her eyes when she heard this. "Stop joking around, what do we do now? Without glue, the puzzle wall won't hold up if people touch it."
"Then make a few fewer pieces?" Chen Hao asked tentatively.
“No way.” Susan shook her head. “The design is an overall load-bearing structure. Reducing the weight will cause uneven stress at the connection points, and it will fall apart at the slightest touch.”
"Then use double-sided tape?"
"It will fall."
"What about 502?"
"The curing is too fast, the operation window is only five seconds, and it is impossible to align the splicing surfaces."
"Hot glue gun?"
"It is not weather-resistant enough and becomes brittle when exposed to cold."
Chen Hao sighed: "So we can only use this specific glue, but it just happens to be out of stock."
"Yes," Nana nodded.
Footsteps echoed at the end of the corridor, and Carl approached, carrying his tablet. He glanced at the red warning on the screen, his brow immediately furrowing.
When was it discovered?
“Five minutes ago,” Nana said.
Are there any other projects that can be temporarily reassigned?
"The entire database has been searched." Nana switched to the interface. "Materials with similar performance have all been included in the schedule, and there is no redundancy available."
Carl looked down at the data, his fingers swiping across the tablet. After a moment, he looked up: "No alternative?"
"Searching," Nana said.
She switched to the database subsystem and entered the keyword: environmentally adaptable materials engineering. The interface refreshed, and thousands of results appeared.
“There are too many.” Susan leaned closer to examine them. “How do we sift them?”
“Narrow down the scope.” Nana continued, “Limited conditions: compatible with plant substrates, tensile strength not less than 3.5 MPa, and can be cured in an environment of minus 10 degrees Celsius.”
The screen flickered, and the list suddenly dwindled to seventeen items.
"What's left?" Chen Hao asked.
Nana reviewed each item one by one, eliminating options that required high-temperature refining or rare catalysts. Finally, one item remained in the center.
“Crystal Vine Liquid,” she read the name. “A natural resin produced from the Crystal Vine plant. After drying, it forms a transparent hard film with the necessary physical properties.”
"It sounds like some kind of juice," Chen Hao said.
“But where is it?” Carl asked.
"According to the database, wild distribution was once found near the abandoned greenhouse on the north side of the planet." Nana pulled up the map. "The last observation record was three years ago, and the coordinates were not marked as extinct."
"Three years ago?" Susan frowned. "Can it still be found now?"
“It’s possible,” Nana said. “This plant is highly adaptable, with roots that can penetrate deep into underground rock crevices, and it can still survive in extreme climates.”
“I’ve been there,” Karl said. “It’s on the edge of a wind-eroded canyon, the ground is loose, and the latest geological scan showed slight displacement.”
"Is there a risk?" Chen Hao asked.
“The path is unstable,” Carl said. “If it rains, there could be localized landslides.”
"As long as it doesn't rain, it's fine," Chen Hao said.
"The weather forecast shows a 60% chance of precipitation in the next 48 hours."
"Damn it," Chen Hao cursed under his breath.
Susan stared at the image of a plant on the screen, a slender vine wrapped around a stone pillar, its surface covered with a translucent gel.
"Can this stuff really be used as glue?"
Nana retrieved the simulated test data: Under three humidity conditions, the bonding strength curve of the crystal vine liquid remained stable within the qualified range.
“It’s feasible under laboratory conditions,” she said. “On-site curing tests are required after actual collection.”
"In other words, we need to get our hands on it first, and then test whether it works," Chen Hao summarized.
"yes."
"What if we can't collect them?"
"The backup plan is to adjust the event flow," Nana said. "We'll change the jigsaw puzzle wall into a static exhibition and restrict touch access."
"What's the point then?" Chen Hao shook his head. "If the cultural festival becomes a 'look but don't touch' event, who's going to participate?"
“Nobody’s here,” Susan said. “Everyone turn around and leave.”
“Then we have no choice but to take a gamble.” Chen Hao looked at Karl. “Do you think this route is feasible?”
Carl stared at the map, his finger tracing several marked points. "The main passage is fairly stable, but the last section involves crossing a scree slope. If we move quickly, we can make a round trip within two hours."
Is two hours enough?
“It depends on the number and density of the vines,” Nana said. “It is recommended to bring a sampling kit and prioritize obtaining active secretions.”
"I'm going to make bags." Susan turned to leave.
"Wait a minute," Carl called after her. "We also need to prepare safety measures. Non-slip boots, securing ropes, and communication devices—we can't leave any of them out."
"You're really planning to go?" Chen Hao looked at him.
“Not going would be more troublesome,” Carl said. “If the puzzle collapses on the day of the festival, the problem will be even bigger.”
“That’s true.” Chen Hao grinned. “Since we’re just killing time anyway, we might as well go and collect some of nature’s gifts.”
“This isn’t picking up,” Nana corrected, “it’s collecting legally existing natural resources.”
"Yes, yes, we are civilized people. We don't steal or rob. We only pick up good things that are free."
Susan had returned to her workbench and was pulling open a drawer to rummage through her tools. Scissors, a knife, resealable bags, cotton swabs, a thermos—she put them all in one by one.
“Bring two bottles,” Nana reminded, “one for the stock solution and one for the diluted sample, for later testing.”
"I've noted it down."
Carl began checking the communication channels and dialed the base's central control. "This is Carl, requesting access to the G7 area. Departure is expected in two hours."
"Approved," came the broadcast. "A weather warning has been issued; please be aware of the risk of precipitation."
"receive."
Chen Hao went into the equipment room, rummaged through his backpack and stuffed things inside. A flashlight, energy bars, a first-aid kit, and finally, a pack of wet wipes.
"Why are you bringing wet wipes?" Susan asked.
"What if I touch something sticky? Shouldn't I wipe it off?" he said. "I don't want to keep rubbing myself all the way back."
“You can always come up with the laziest excuse.” Susan shook her head.
Nana stood up, and the terminal screen locked onto the navigation route. The blue line extended from the base, crossed the maintenance area's outer road, and turned northwest into the wasteland.
“The route has been planned,” she said. “It avoids known subsidence areas and is 1.8 kilometers long.”
"It's pretty close." Chen Hao slung his bag over his shoulder. "It's not much farther than going to the cafeteria for meals."
“But he might come back carrying someone on his back,” Carl said.
"Who wants to carry you?" Chen Hao laughed. "I can only carry some vines at most."
"Don't be careless." Carl glanced at him. "Follow instructions on the road."
"Okay, okay, you're the captain."
Susan zipped up her toolbox, walked to the door, and looked at the sky. The clouds hung low, and the wind rattled the corrugated iron sheets in the corridor.
"It really looks like it's going to rain."
“Then run faster,” Chen Hao said. “Anyway, I’m not fat, so I can run fast.”
“You said you could run fast last time, but you were out of breath in ten minutes,” Susan sneered.
"That time it was uphill! This time it's flat!"
Nana walked to the door, holding the terminal to calibrate the signal. Blue light shone on her face, her expression calm.
“Navigation synchronization is complete,” she said. “The location is updated every thirty seconds after departure.”
Carl did one last check of the equipment list, making sure the communicator had enough power. He pressed the channel button: "Everyone, check your equipment."
Susan held up her toolbox as a gesture.
Chen Hao patted his backpack.
Nana nodded.
“We can go now,” Carl said.
The four walked toward the exit. The iron gate slowly opened, revealing a sloping path leading to the wilderness. The wind picked up, stirring up dust from the ground.
Chen Hao stood inside the door, turned to Karl and said, "If it really rains, let's retreat. Don't force it."
Nana held a terminal in her hand, calibrating the navigation route to the abandoned greenhouse, blue light reflecting on her serene face.
After checking the zipper of her tool bag, Susan looked up at the gray sky and let out a soft breath.
Carl confirmed that the communication channel was working and nodded, indicating, "We can set off now."
They took their first step, their feet making a slight scraping sound as they stepped on the loose gravel.
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