Chen Hao was squatting in front of the control panel, munching on a cold pancake, when Nana suddenly said, "There are people outside."
He nearly choked. "Who?"
“Three people, standing at the base entrance, unarmed, and in poor condition.” Nana pulled up the surveillance footage. “Their body temperature was low, and their gait was unsteady; they should be homeless.”
Chen Hao swallowed the last bite and wiped his mouth. "Let them in. What's the point of blocking the doorway in this freezing weather?"
"Are you sure?" Susan walked over from the side. "We just established a rationing system. If we add more people now, the resource pressure will increase."
"We can't just watch people freeze to death." Chen Hao stood up, patted his pants, and said, "Besides, didn't we just get some extra jam? Sharing a bite of rice won't make us lose a piece of meat."
Carl, carrying his toolbox, walked by and glanced up at the screen. "What if they're trying to steal something?"
"Then let them move ten bags of ore as payment," Chen Hao grinned. "Want some jam? Get some work done first. Didn't you make this rule?"
“I’m talking about you.” Karl frowned.
“Yes, I’ll lead by example and follow the rules.” Chen Hao patted his stomach. “I only eat two cans a day now, I’m very disciplined.”
Susan shook her head and smiled. "Alright, I'll go prepare some hot water and dry food."
The three men brought in were trembling, their faces covered in the marks of wind and sand. The oldest stared at the water purifier in the corner for a long time before whispering, "That thing... can it really produce clean water?"
"Take a sip if you don't believe me." Chen Hao handed over a glass.
The man took it, took a small sip, and his eyes suddenly lit up. "It has no taste...and it won't give me diarrhea?"
"Everything we have here can withstand scrutiny." Chen Hao turned around and waved his hand. "Come on, take a look and see if it's worth keeping."
Susan led them into the storeroom. Neatly arranged on the shelves were jars of jam, dried meat strips, woven hemp rope, and waterproof cloth. In the most prominent position sat several newly forged tools, their blades gleaming.
"Did you do all this?" The younger homeless man reached out to touch it, then pulled his hand back.
“I made it myself.” Karl stood in the doorway. “Want to use it? You’ll have to learn how to build it first.”
Then he led his men to the workshop. The furnace was blazing, and an experienced member was forging an iron bar with practiced skill. Sparks flew, but the rhythm was steady.
“We used to change tools three times a day,” Carl said, pointing to an old chisel hanging on the wall. “Now one chisel can last for three days.”
Nana played a navigation log in the control area. The footage showed a ship in a storm, bioluminescent creatures in the deep sea, and them navigating among the reefs.
"You... really went that far?" The older voice trembled slightly.
“He went, and he came back.” Chen Hao leaned against the door frame. “He relied on his brains, not luck.”
That afternoon, the three officially registered to join. As Nana entered her information, a notification popped up on the screen: [New Population: 3].
The next morning, seven people arrived.
On the third day, fifteen.
Chen Hao sat at the control panel, flipping through the lists, his pen scratching rapidly on the paper. "These people can't just watch videos all day, can they? They need to do some work."
“It’s all arranged.” Susan handed over a form. “We’ve divided into four groups: one group to clean up the surrounding garbage, one group to move materials, one group to learn water purification operations, and the last group to go to the workshop for rotational training.”
"A workshop? Aren't you afraid of the furnace exploding?" Chen Hao looked up.
“I’m scared.” Carl stood behind, holding a newly made protective mask. “So the first lesson I taught them was ‘Don’t put your hands in the fire.’”
Among the newcomers was a man named Li Qiang who forgot to turn off the air valve while operating the furnace. The temperature suddenly spiked, the furnace wall turned red, and everyone around panicked.
"Turn off the fire!" someone shouted.
Karl rushed over and cut off the oxygen supply, and the furnace temperature slowly dropped. No one was injured, but the atmosphere froze.
"We've wasted our time recruiting these people," muttered one of the veteran members. "They don't even know the basics."
Chen Hao walked over and stood in front of Li Qiang. The young man had his head down, and his fingers were trembling.
"Do you know what I did on my first day?" Chen Hao asked.
Li Qiang shook his head.
"I poured the whole barrel of oil into the stove and then lit it," Chen Hao gestured. "With a whoosh, the fire shot up to the roof and almost burned down half of the house."
Someone burst out laughing.
“I’m not a genius, and neither is Karl.” Chen Hao patted him on the shoulder. “He’s teaching you now because he knows that making a mistake once can lead to a lifetime of regret. Just don’t do it again next time.”
Li Qiang raised his head, his eyes shining.
That evening, Susan produced a document: "Draft of the 'Newcomer Adaptation Plan.' Two hours of training daily, combining practical skills and theory; only those who pass the rotational testing will be officially hired."
“The name is too formal,” Chen Hao said. “Let’s call it ‘Survival Guide’ instead; it sounds more practical.”
"Whatever you want," Susan laughed. "The content is the same anyway."
Nana entered the course into the database, labeling it "Basic Survival Skills v1.0". She also added a module: common accident cases and response procedures.
Two days later, a group of people gathered outside the base. There were no fewer than twenty of them, standing outside the fence looking around, but not coming in.
"I heard you found underwater treasure?" a man in a tattered jacket asked.
"No." Chen Hao shook his head.
"Then why are so many people coming here?"
“Because we have food to eat, work to do, and someone to take care of us if we get sick.” Chen Hao pointed to the house behind him. “You can go inside and see for yourself if you don’t believe me.”
"Let us in?"
"Today is an open day for newcomers," Chen Hao announced loudly. "Work four hours, and you'll get a hot meal and a change of clothes. If you don't want to stay, you can leave without paying. If you want to stay, register."
The crowd fell silent for a few seconds.
Then someone stepped in.
At the end of the day, nine people chose to stay. The rest took their food and left quietly.
When counting heads up that evening, Nana reported: "New registrations today: 17. Cumulative integration rate of outsiders: 82%."
"Not bad." Chen Hao wrote a summary while lying on the table. "From now on, we'll hold an experience day once a week so that outsiders know that we don't hide things, we only hide methods."
“Methods are more expensive than things,” Susan said.
"So we have to teach." Chen Hao looked up. "Everyone makes mistakes, but someone has to be willing to give them a chance."
Carl posted a new shift schedule at the workshop entrance, which included three unfamiliar names. He also drew a small table to indicate each person's learning progress.
"You've become a master now," Chen Hao said, leaning closer to look.
“I’ve broken five hammers before anyone taught me,” Carl said, tightening a screw. “Now it’s my turn to watch out so others don’t fall on their own feet.”
The lights at the base stayed on until late at night. Some people were organizing the warehouse, some were practicing knot tying, and several new recruits were disassembling and reassembling a water purifier.
Chen Hao stood in the center of the square, holding a freshly printed list in his hand. The wind rustled the pages as he squinted to check them.
“Two of these people know how to do electrical work,” Nana said as she walked over. “And the other one knows basic medical care.”
"I've struck gold!" Chen Hao laughed.
“I didn’t find it,” Nana said. “It started attracting you the moment you decided to open the door.”
He didn't speak, and continued looking down at the list.
Laughter drifted from afar. A group of people were helping wash vegetables in the kitchen, the pot lids bobbing up and down from the steam. Susan stood in front of the stove, directing them, her hair neatly tied back.
The workshop was still making noise. The sound of hammers striking metal was intermittent, but much more consistent than a few days ago.
Chen Hao rubbed his temples. "What if there are even more people later?"
“Then let’s build another workshop and open another production line,” Nana said. “Knowledge bases can be copied, and experience can be passed on. The only thing that can’t be mass-produced is people who are willing to start.”
He nodded, folded the list, and stuffed it into his pocket.
The next morning, people came to the base gate again.
This time it wasn't just a few, it was a whole team.
They stood outside the iron gate; some carried bags, some helped elderly people, and a child hid behind his mother.
The veteran member on duty asked, "What are you doing here?"
The middle-aged woman at the head of the group stepped forward, her voice not loud but clear: "I've heard that this place... can make life a little better."
Inside the room, Chen Hao was stirring jam with a spoon.
Nana glanced at the monitor, then turned and said, "It's about to start again."
He scooped up a spoonful and tasted it. The sweetness was just right.
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