As Chen Hao lay on the ground, the sun shone directly through the hole in the broken iron door, hitting the back of his neck and making it feel as hot as if a piece of iron had been stuck to it.
He pushed himself up from the ground, his knees still aching, and the scraped area on his right leg was covered in dust and mud, burning with every movement. Nana stood beside him, the robotic arm retracted, a thin layer of dust settling on its shell.
"Can you still walk?" she asked.
"What do you think?" Chen Hao grinned. "I've already stuck myself in the crack in the ground as a pillar, and now you're asking if I can move?"
He leaned against the wall to stand up, swayed a couple of times, but didn't fall. His gaze swept over the ruins before him—half-collapsed factory buildings, crooked steel frames, and pipes lying haphazardly on the ground. A gust of wind carried the smell of rust, mixed with an indescribable chemical residue.
"Where is that board?" He patted his pants, but there was nothing to pat; his clothes were already filthy.
"Three hundred meters ahead, inside the ruins of the warehouse in Sector B." Nana raised her hand, and a beam of light was projected onto the ground, drawing a route. "It is recommended to detour to the east side, as the main passage is at risk of structural collapse."
"Alright then." Chen Hao sighed. "We're not here to collect materials, we're here to do archaeology."
They walked along the edge. The cement underfoot was cracked like a dry riverbed, and in some places it creaked when stepped on, making it unclear whether it was hollow underneath. Chen Hao held his breath with every step, afraid of sinking again.
After walking for more than ten minutes, Nana suddenly stopped.
“The signal is stronger,” she said. “The target is under those rows of supports up ahead.”
Chen Hao looked in the direction she pointed and saw a collapsed shelf, with concrete blocks that had fallen from the roof pressing down on it. A corner of metal, grayish-white, was visible in the middle, reflecting a faint light.
"That's it?" He leaned closer. "Aluminum alloy? It looks like it's been plastered with lime."
“There is a corrosion layer on the surface,” Nana said, moving closer to the scanner. “But the internal structure is intact and the strength meets the requirements. If the surface layer can be removed, it can be used directly for cutting and reconstruction.”
"Then what are we waiting for?" Chen Hao rolled up his sleeves. "Let's move it out."
He bent down to push the top piece of rubble. The stone wasn't big, but it was stuck firmly. With a forceful push, the whole pile of rubble shook, and dust fell down in a flurry.
Nana immediately grabbed his arm: "Don't pry it open. There are unknown wires connected to the bottom of the bracket, and there may be a sensor device there."
"Surely it can't be that bad?" Chen Hao looked up. "This place is in such a dilapidated state, how can it still have electricity?"
“Energy doesn’t necessarily come from the external power grid,” Nana said. “Some backup systems can rely on geothermal energy or vibration to power them.”
Chen Hao paused for two seconds, then laughed: "You mean, if we mess with it, it'll explode on its own?"
"There's a 37% chance."
"...Why didn't you say so earlier!"
He took a half step back, staring at the pile of scrap metal, and suddenly felt the heat from before cool down.
"What should we do then? We can't just let it retire here."
“I’ll clear the covering above.” Nana extended her robotic arm. “You’re in charge of watching for any abnormal electrical fluctuations.”
"How am I supposed to observe? I'm not a multimeter."
"Shout when you see a spark."
"Isn't this tantamount to sending me to my death?!"
Nana ignored him and started working. The robotic arm's tip was replaced with a shovel-shaped tool, which gently pried away the rubble and rebar. The movement was slow, moving only a small section at a time, and continuing only after confirming stability.
Chen Hao squatted to the side, his eyes wide open, afraid of missing the slightest movement.
Ten minutes passed, and nothing happened.
Twenty minutes later, most of the metal plate was exposed. It was about two meters long and its thickness looked usable.
"That's about it." Chen Hao breathed a sigh of relief. "There's only one anchor bolt left. I'll loosen it."
"Don't use brute force," Nana cautioned. "Apply pressure slowly."
"I know, I know." Chen Hao reached out to tighten the base screws. The thing was rusted to death, and he gritted his teeth and turned it for a long time until his palms were sweating.
"Press a little harder," Nana said. "The left sensor wire is broken, so there's no risk of triggering it."
Chen Hao took a deep breath and suddenly twisted the lever—
Click.
It wasn't the sound of loose screws.
It is a soft sound from the activation of some electronic component.
Immediately afterward, his feet shook, and a ball of orange-red fire erupted from the base of the support structure, exploding with a crack. The shockwave knocked him to the ground, his back slamming against a steel plate, and he groaned.
A pungent, acidic smell instantly filled the air, like burning plastic mixed with battery fluid.
Nana reacted extremely quickly. She braced herself with her mechanical arm and lunged forward to shield him. A thin metal shield popped out from her back, blocking the flying debris.
The flames died down in just a few seconds, leaving behind charred marks and several melted wires.
Chen Hao lay on the ground, feeling a tightness in his chest and a burning sensation in his right arm. Looking down, he saw a hole burned in his sleeve and a large red patch on his skin.
"Holy crap..." he gasped, "It really exploded?"
"Localized gas accumulation caused a deflagration." Nana retracted the protective shield, turned around and collected air samples. "Residual hydrogen chloride and sulfuric acid mist were detected, which are highly corrosive."
"So, the treasure we just found is about to be eaten away by acid?"
"If left untreated, the material will begin to deteriorate within 24 hours."
Chen Hao sat up and rubbed his head: "So now we not only have to pick up things, but also save things?"
"correct."
"We're not repairmen, we're emergency doctors."
Nana didn't reply, but quickly searched the knowledge base interface. A few seconds later, she looked up: "The sedimentary minerals in the nearby drainage ditch contain carbonate components, which can be made into a weak alkaline solution for neutralization and rinsing."
"where?"
"Fifteen meters due north, an open ditch."
"Then you wait here." Chen Hao stood up despite the pain. "I'll go dig some soil."
He limped to the edge of the ditch, took a wrench, smashed a few pieces of weathered rock, and put them into a resin bag he carried with him. Back at the ditch, he poured the contents into the bucket Nana had prepared, added water, and stirred.
The grayish-white mud slowly settled, and the liquid on top became slightly transparent.
"Did it work?" he asked.
"It's usable initially." Nana took the bucket and slowly sprayed the liquid onto the metal plate using the nozzle device.
laugh--
Tiny bubbles emerged, and white smoke rose. The corroded layer began to peel away like snow, revealing a silvery-gray sheen underneath.
Chen Hao stared at it, then couldn't resist reaching out and touching it.
“It’s cold,” he said. “It’s really alive.”
"The neutralization reaction is 86% complete." Nana continued spraying. "The remaining part requires secondary treatment."
"That's enough," Chen Hao grinned. "At least we don't have to use a hoe to dig through rocks anymore."
They spent half an hour cleaning all three boards. Nana secured them with a robotic arm, and Chen Hao carried one of the boards on his back. It was heavy and weighed down his shoulders, but he felt at ease.
"Let's go?" he asked.
“The route has been replanned,” Nana said. “Avoiding the area where the explosion just occurred, we expect to reach the exit in forty minutes.”
They started walking back. Chen Hao walked slowly; the wound on his right leg hurt at the slightest touch, and the heavy metal plate on his back made each step feel like dragging a sandbag.
We took two breaks along the way.
When he sat down for the second time, he leaned against a broken pillar, catching his breath, and looked up at the sky. The sun was setting, the light wasn't so harsh, and the wind was a bit chilly.
"What did these factories do before?" he asked.
“Industrial production support facilities,” Nana said, standing beside her. “They are mainly used for warehousing and equipment maintenance.”
"Then why leave such a trap? To deter thieves?"
"More likely, it's to prevent unauthorized dismantling and recycling."
"In the end, it's all for our benefit." Chen Hao laughed out loud, "Not only did we transmigrate here to farm, but we also have to work part-time as scrap yard owners."
Nana didn't say anything, but simply raised her hand to check the seal of the shoulder joint.
They continued walking.
The last stretch was the most difficult. The ground was full of potholes, and some cracks had loose edges. Chen Hao took each step carefully, afraid of collapsing again.
Finally, the half-collapsed iron gate came into view.
"We're out." He breathed a sigh of relief. "At least I didn't lose my life here."
Nana walked ahead to scout the way. She had just stepped over the threshold when she suddenly stopped.
"What?" Chen Hao asked.
She didn't answer, but instead squatted down, pointing the camera at a small protrusion at the bottom of the door frame.
It was a button. Black, flat, almost completely covered in rust.
"What is this?" Chen Hao leaned closer.
“Pressure-triggered marking device,” Nana said. “Someone has been here.”
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com