The broken bolt rolled to the ground and stopped at Chen Hao's feet. He stared at it for two seconds, looked down at the jammed lever, and then touched his still bleeding left arm.
“It’s over,” he said.
Nana stood beside her, the robotic arm slightly turning towards the equipment panel: "The main system is powered off, and both the drip irrigation and milking devices have stopped operating."
“I know they’ve stopped.” Chen Hao sat down, plopping down on the cold floor. “I’m still alive, and I’m not deaf.”
“Based on the current energy consumption model, manual operation cannot last for more than four hours,” Nana continued. “Furthermore, the existing solar power supply is insufficient to support the startup of the backup electric pump.”
So we're completely paralyzed now?
"The conclusion is valid."
Chen Hao leaned back against the wall, closed his eyes for three seconds, then suddenly opened them: "Wait, where are those batteries in the ruins?"
"Chapter 362 records show that a sealed battery pack, consisting of twelve military-grade lithium batteries, was found in the underground power distribution room of the industrial area."
"You still remember?"
"All data is archived."
"Then why didn't you say so earlier!"
"Previously, electricity demand had not reached the critical level."
Chen Hao slapped his thigh and stood up: "Let's go, let's move it now."
He grabbed the tool bag from the corner of the wall and slung it over his shoulder, but the strap was too short and it slipped off his arm, hitting his foot. He jumped, hopping on one foot and cursing, "This piece of junk is fatter than me."
Nana had already reached the door when she turned back to look at him: "I suggest changing the length of the tool bag shoulder strap before you leave to fit your body type."
"Shut up."
The two walked through the base corridor and headed towards the outer ruins. Chen Hao was panting more heavily than usual, and stopped to lean against the wall after walking less than a hundred meters.
"Should I lose weight?" he asked.
“Your body fat percentage is 38 percent over the limit,” Nana said. “But the current problem isn’t your weight, it’s your lack of cardiovascular endurance.”
"Can't you say something nice?"
"I am stating the facts."
"Can't the truth be packaged a little?"
"unnecessary."
Chen Hao rolled his eyes and continued walking forward. The iron gate at the entrance to the ruins was hanging crookedly on its hinges. He reached out and pushed it, and the entire gate crashed to the ground with a bang.
"Ouch!" He jumped back. "You scared me!"
“The door is severely rusted, and structural failure is normal.” Nana stepped over the door frame. “Please follow me.”
The electrical room was on the basement level, and the staircase had collapsed halfway. Nana used a robotic arm to brace against the broken edge, creating a temporary passage. Chen Hao bumped his knee as he crawled across, wincing in pain but remaining silent.
The box was in the corner, with a silver-gray exterior and blast-proof textured surface. Nana used a cutter to open the latch and lift the lid.
The twelve batteries are neatly arranged, with slight oxidation on the casing, but are otherwise in good condition.
“Detecting the voltage,” Chen Hao said.
Nana connected the probe and scanned each battery one by one. The five batteries showed a weak current, but the values were within the recovery range.
“It can be repaired,” she said.
"Great!" Chen Hao reached out to grab it. "We're rich!"
"Please do not touch the electrode parts directly," Nana stopped him. "There is a risk of leakage in some areas."
She used insulating clips to remove five batteries, cleaned the oxide layer off each one, wrapped the exposed wires with resin, and finally connected them in series to form a module.
“Take it back to base,” she said.
Chen Hao walked ahead carrying his tool bag, this time with the straps replaced by a backpack. As he walked, he muttered to himself, "If this thing could be charged, wouldn't we be able to sleep in late instead of having to step on that broken lever every day?"
"With increased automation, the human resource input will be reduced by 62 percent."
"Can I work while lying down?"
"There is currently no protocol for reclining operation."
"Can't you develop one?"
"Insufficient priority".
Back at base, they placed the battery module in the center of the main equipment area. The control panel still emitted a faint burnt smell, and the traces of the previous short circuit were clearly visible.
"Let's try connecting the power first," Chen Hao said.
Nana connected the cable and pressed the test button. The indicator light flashed once and then went out.
“The voltage is unstable,” she said. “The standard electrolyte is missing, so ion conduction cannot be completed.”
"What should we do then? Buy one? Where can we buy one?"
"No procurement channels."
Chen Hao scratched his head and paced around the control panel. His gaze swept over the storage shelf in the corner and fell on a basket of bright yellow lemons.
Is this stuff sour?
"The mutant lemon has a pH of 2.1 and is a highly acidic fruit."
"Can it be used as an electrolyte?"
Nana retrieved information from her knowledge base: "Theoretically feasible. Acidic liquids can provide free hydrogen ions, supporting basic electrochemical reactions."
"Then let's juice it!"
He picked up two lemons, sliced them open with a snap, and squeezed out the liquid using a manual juicer. The yellow juice dripped into the beaker, bubbling slightly.
"Inject it into the battery chamber." Nana handed over the syringe.
Chen Hao carefully poured the juice into the first battery. Then the second, and the third. After each battery was filled, he connected it to the testing device.
The first one didn't react.
The second voltage jumped to 1.8 volts, then quickly dropped again.
The third one stabilized at 3.2 volts.
"It works!" Chen Hao shouted. "This damn fruit works even better than electricity!"
After the fourth injection, the voltage rose to 4.1 volts. Just as he was about to celebrate, the control panel suddenly sounded an alarm.
"Warning: Short circuit, local temperature rise."
A wisp of blue smoke rose from the edge of the motherboard.
"It's leaking!" Chen Hao shouted. "The juice is seeping out!"
Corrosion marks are spreading along the copper wire; a spark flashes, and the area is blackened.
“We’ve run out of insulation materials,” Nana said. “Our stock of regular tape is empty.”
Chen Hao looked around and saw a half-empty jar of honey on the worktable—a byproduct left over from separating goat milk a few days ago.
He grabbed the jar, opened the lid, and smeared a large amount directly onto the burned area.
The sticky honey covered the exposed wires and dried quickly when heated, forming a dark brown film.
"Let's see if it still has power," he said.
Nana reconnected the cable. The indicator light slowly turned green.
“Voltage is stable,” she said. “The short circuit has ended, and the system is back to normal.”
"Hey, this honey is pretty effective."
"Preliminary analysis shows that the sugar carbonizes at high temperatures, forming a dense protective layer that isolates air and moisture."
"So, in the future, we can use honey to repair electrical circuits?"
"This is recommended as a temporary emergency plan."
“I think it can be sold as a new product,” Chen Hao grinned. “Bio-insulating adhesive, all-natural, zero pollution.”
Nana began recording the parameters, the optical mirror flashing incessantly: "Naming suggestion: 'Glycosyl Insulation Barrier'."
"Sounds like some kind of diet pill."
"This is an accurate description."
"Why do you have to be so serious?"
"Logic does not allow for vague expressions."
They continued testing the remaining batteries, injecting lemon juice into each one and coating the external circuitry with a thin layer of honey. Once the entire module was assembled, it was connected to the power grid.
The green light on the main control panel remains constantly on.
"The energy storage system is online," Nana said.
"Wouldn't you call this an energy revolution?" Chen Hao leaned against the wall, his face covered in grease and his clothes torn. "Waste turns into electricity, and waste turns into treasure."
"From a technical perspective, it belongs to low-level reuse."
"Can you please stop undermining me?"
"I'm just stating the facts."
"Can't the facts make me happy for a moment?"
"You can regulate your emotions on your own."
Chen Hao ignored her and squatted down to check if the bottom of the battery pack was secure. He reached out and touched the connection point, discovering that a piece of the honey coating had cracked.
“I need to replenish it,” he said, opening the honey jar again.
Nana is entering the maintenance manual and adding a new entry: "External circuits must be pre-coated with a natural sugar-based protective layer, with a recommended thickness of 0.3 mm."
“Who can remember all that writing?” Chen Hao finished wiping the last spot and put the jar back on the table. “To keep it simple, just say ‘Apply honey before fixing the circuit.’”
The wording is not precise enough.
"As long as it's practical, that's fine."
He stood up, dusted off his pants, looked at the system that was running again, and smiled.
"At least the work wasn't in vain."
Nana closed the data interface: "Grid connection testing can be conducted tomorrow."
"So you can finally get a good night's sleep tonight, right?"
"The premise is that no more human error will occur."
"Hello!"
Just then, the battery closest to the ground vibrated slightly. A thin crack appeared at the edge of the honey coating, and a trickle of yellowish-green liquid slowly seeped out, flowing down the metal casing.
Chen Hao was bending down to tie his shoelaces when his fingers accidentally touched the drop of liquid.
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