A bluish-gray light emanated from the edge of the fog. Chen Hao stared at the gradually fading white expanse and suddenly felt that the boat was rocking a bit strangely.
It wasn't the kind of swaying caused by wind and waves, but a heavier, more persistent swaying, like a thorn stuck in your bone, causing pain every two steps.
He looked down at the soles of his feet, then looked up at the instruments. The speed was normal, the oil pressure was stable, but the vibration frequency from the hull was different from before.
"Nana," he said, "is the way the boat is rocking right now normal?"
"The current navigation status is consistent with low-speed cruise parameters." Nana stood in front of the control panel, her voice flat. "No severe external disturbances were detected."
“But I remember it shook like that the day the engine broke down.” Chen Hao scratched the back of his head. “That was the time Karl said the rivets were loose.”
Nana's camera flickered slightly as she pulled up Chapter 621, the malfunction log. "There is indeed a record: On that day, two fixed points were found to have shifted at the connection of the third keel section on the port side, and temporary clamps have been installed."
"So, this ship has been falling apart for a while now?" Chen Hao grinned. "I thought everything would be fine once the machinery was fixed."
“Structural stability needs to be continuously monitored,” she said. “A comprehensive investigation is recommended.”
"Alright." Chen Hao turned around and patted the hatch. "Don't just sit around, get out and get to work!"
Susan stepped out of the cabin, still holding the plastic cup she'd been holding. She glanced at the sea; the fog had receded to the edge of visibility, and the shapes of the waves were visible in the distance. "Visibility's back, why the need for another check?"
“I feel something’s wrong with the ship.” Chen Hao pointed to the ground. “Can’t you feel it standing here? It’s heavier than before.”
Susan stopped and stood there for a few seconds. "Indeed... the swaying period is half a beat longer."
“I’m going to the bottom of the hold right now.” Carl came over from the other side carrying his tool bag. “I told you last time that the clamps were just for emergencies, but I didn’t expect them to last this long.”
“The fact that we can hold on means we’re tough,” Chen Hao shrugged. “But now we need to make it even tougher.”
The four split up. Carl went down to the lower deck with a rangefinder and felt his way forward along the main beam. Susan climbed up the outer support frame and gently scraped open the seams of the waterproofing layer with a knife to check the condition of the internal timber. Nana pulled up the original design drawings and compared the current stress distribution layer by layer on the screen.
Chen Hao knew nothing, so he paced back and forth in the driver's seat, occasionally stomping on the floor to listen for sounds.
"If this boat really breaks, do you think it will split in the middle or break off from the stern?" he asked.
“If it’s a fracture in the middle, the survival rate is less than 12 percent,” Nana replied.
“So we can’t let it break,” he said. “I haven’t lived enough yet.”
Half an hour later, the three returned to the deck one after another.
Karl spoke first: "The clearance at node number three in the midsection of the port side has widened to four millimeters, exceeding the standard value by two times. The timber has expanded and deformed, and the bolts have been pressed off-center."
Susan continued, "There are three micro-cracks in the waterproof layer, concentrated near the joint. If it continues to get damp, it will age faster."
Nana compiled the data. "The simulation results show that under extreme wave height conditions, the area's resilience decreases by 37%. If it encounters strong currents or sudden waves, there is a risk of cascading fractures."
"So that means if we hit another big wave, we'll have to swim back?" Chen Hao scratched his head.
“It’s theoretically feasible,” Nana said, “but the actual survival rate is less than twenty percent.”
"I don't want to try the theory." He waved his hand. "Get it fixed quickly."
“We don’t have enough materials.” Carl squatted on the ground and rummaged through his toolbox. “A complete replacement would require replacing the entire section of wood, and we didn’t bring that much. Welding is also impractical; we can’t operate at high temperatures at sea.”
“Then we’ll have to reinforce it,” Susan said. “At least until we reach the shore.”
Nana suddenly spoke up: "The knowledge base found a composite support solution—using high-strength filler glue injected into the gap, and then locking it laterally with a metal splint. The principle is similar to external fixation after a fracture."
"That sounds like a life-saving plan," Chen Hao said. "How exactly does it work?"
“Ore powder mixed with resin,” she said. “The black ore we brought back from the island contains silicon aluminum oxide, which, after being ground, reacts with sealing resin to form a ceramic-like structure with compressive strength close to that of steel.”
"So, we're going to use stones to build the boat?" Chen Hao's eyes widened.
"To be precise, it's structural reinforcement," she said. "After the construction is completed, the load-bearing capacity is expected to recover to more than 92% of the standard value."
"Sounds better than duct tape," he said. "Let's do it."
They got right to work. Carl was in charge of mixing the filler, grinding the ore into a fine powder, and mixing it into the resin tank in the correct proportions. Susan was on the side controlling the temperature, using a heating pad to keep the working temperature around thirty degrees Celsius to prevent it from solidifying too quickly.
Chen Hao and Karl teamed up to work on the outside of the deck. The two secured themselves with safety ropes, lay on the swaying support, and slowly pried open the loose connecting plate.
“With your weight on top of me, I’m afraid the frame will collapse first,” Carl said while tightening screws.
“That’s my advantage,” Chen Hao said, panting. “I can keep the situation under control.”
As the colloid was poured in, tiny bubbles rose, slowly filling every crevice. Once a film formed on the surface, they fastened the metal clamps and secured them with new bolts.
The two climbed back and forth three times to reach the six key points. Chen Hao's clothes were covered in dust, and there was a resin mark on his face that looked like a crooked mustache.
“You look like a miner who’s just finished digging coal.” Carl handed him a wrench.
“I call this a work injury,” Chen Hao wiped his face. “I’ll have to get extra pay later.”
Susan stayed by the side to keep track of the entire process, reminding everyone of the curing progress every ten minutes. She noticed that the temperature at the third application point was slightly low, so she immediately increased the power of the heating pad to prevent uneven curing.
After the last piece of the splint was installed, Nana started the second scan.
On the screen, the red warning zone gradually turned yellow, and finally became a stable green line.
“Structural integrity has been confirmed,” she said. “The current load distribution meets safety standards, and the risks for the remaining voyage are manageable.”
"Finally, I feel relieved." Chen Hao plopped down on the deck. "I thought we were going to have to rock back like this."
"You're quite optimistic." Susan handed her a bottle of water. "Your legs were shaking when you climbed out just now."
“That’s the wind,” he said. “Because I’m fat, I have a large surface area exposed to the wind.”
After checking the securing of all the planks, Carl squatted down at the edge and tapped the hull again. "The sound is more solid than before."
"Does that mean it won't fall apart so quickly?" Chen Hao asked.
“That means it can last a few more days,” Carl said, standing up. “But don’t expect it to participate in the sailing races.”
Nana continued updating the log, the optical lens flashing as it recorded data. Susan carried her notebook into the cabin, preparing to archive the details of this maintenance.
The ship continued moving forward, and the waves were not large. Finally, the sun broke through the clouds and shone on the wet deck.
Chen Hao stood leaning against the driver's seat, looking at the sea ahead. There was nothing in the distance, only the water and sky merging into one.
He took a sip of water, then suddenly remembered something.
"Nana".
"exist."
"Do you think we could get a new ship before our next voyage?"
“Based on the budget assessment, replacing the entire ship would be too costly,” she said. “Regular maintenance and optimization of load distribution are recommended.”
“I knew it would turn out like this,” he sighed. “Looks like I’ll have to keep riding this old ship.”
"It has been performing consistently well," she said.
"It's quite stable, so stable that it's ready to fall apart at any moment."
No one answered. Susan was writing in her notes, Carl tightened the last toolbox latch, and Nana's screen was still scrolling through data.
Chen Hao looked at the sea horizon; the sun had risen, making the water surface shine.
He raised his hand to shield his eyes from the light, squinting.
Suddenly, he lowered his hand.
In the distance, on the sea, there was a thin line-like thing floating on the water.
It is neither cloud nor fog.
It was a piece of driftwood.
It was very small, bobbing with the waves, and drifting towards the boat.
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