Chapter Forty-One: Undercurrents and Glimmers

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Warehouse No. 7. The air remained acrid, thick with the pungent stench of oxidized metal and degraded machine oil.

"Damn it, this hellhole is even worse than the scrap processing plant," Duan Peng muttered, shaking a superconducting energy guide ring that emitted a faint, ghostly blue glow. Dust cascaded from it as he moved.

Xu Yan did not respond. His fingertips lightly brushed against a high-purity energy coupling matrix he had just unearthed from a pile of discarded equipment.

On the cold metal surface, complex energy circuits flickered in the dim light. Only he could perceive the faint, pure resonance of energy emanating from it.

Deep within his consciousness, "Covet" emitted a subtle fluctuation that felt almost like satisfaction.

"Inefficient, yet the core matrix purity is astonishing. These early experimental prototypes from Blue Star are sometimes closer to the essence than the later mass-produced versions," Covet’s thoughts flowed, assessing the object with cold detachment.

"Is everything gathered?" Ouyang Nan’s voice came from behind a stack of sensor equipment. She was carefully connecting two reinforced spatial scanning probes to a portable detector, the data streams on the screen jumping rapidly.

"Guide ring, coupling matrix, scanning probes… it should be enough to get the old man moving."

Duan Peng leaned the guide ring against the wall and looked around at the mountains of junk, grinning. "Captain Jing’s 'treasure trove' is no joke, though it’s buried deep."

Wu Mingjie silently gathered a few usable old-model interface converters into his toolkit, beads of sweat forming on his temples.

Xu Yan finally looked up, his gaze sweeping over the tired yet excited faces of his team.

"Time is short. We head back to 'Stardust' immediately. We still have plenty of work ahead!"

Just as they began to pack up their "spoils," a chill suddenly crawled up Xu Yan’s spine.

The sensation was infinitesimal, like the gaze of a viper in the dark, filled with cold scrutiny and a deeply hidden malice. It was an intuition born from the constant state of tension he had been living in lately.

Without warning, he jerked his head up, his eyes lashing out like lightning toward a dark corner obscured by massive shelves and discarded parts!

At almost the same moment, Duan Peng, as if sensing a predator, tensed his muscles. His hand instinctively went to the sidearm at his waist as he growled, "Who’s there?!"

In the shadows, something seemed to move ever so slightly, like a blurred silhouette retreating rapidly.

The metal grate of the ventilation shaft emitted a barely audible "click," followed by complete, deathly silence.

The feeling of being watched receded like a tide, leaving behind only an empty, unsettling quiet. Inside the warehouse, the dim, yellow pools of light cast by the emergency lamps continued to sway, stretching and distorting the team's shadows.

"Damn it!" Duan Peng’s expression darkened. He took a few strides toward the shelves, prepared to climb up and investigate.

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"Don't chase them," Xu Yan commanded. "They’re alert; they’ve already run."

"Hell, we just got here and we’re already being tailed by a rat?" Duan Peng spat, pulling back reluctantly, his eyes scanning the surroundings sharply. "Was it Shen Shanli’s men? Or the vermin from 'Redeem'?"

Ouyang Nan walked quickly to Xu Yan’s side, lowering her voice. "Could they be after what we just found?"

Xu Yan gripped the metal key in his hand—the one Jing Zhimin had given him, which still held a trace of warmth. He knew that if this were exposed, the key would be a death warrant for Jing Zhimin.

He shook his head slowly, his eyes cold. "Not sure. Move fast. Before we’re completely pinned down, we need to get 'Explorer 7' moving."

...

Within the core experimental zone of the "Stardust" laboratory, time lost its meaning.

There was only the low hum of instruments, the subtle hiss of energy flowing through wires, and the rapid clatter of fingers striking keyboards.

On the massive central platform, the old engine core of "Explorer 7" had been partially dismantled. Duan Peng was using crude force to jam the superconducting energy guide ring retrieved from the warehouse into the main power conduit.

"Damn it… the interface doesn't fit… these antiques are nothing but trouble!" Duan Peng cursed, veins bulging on his forehead. He used a specialized tool to pry open a protective cover with unnecessary force, sweat dripping from his chin onto the searing metal with a soft hiss.

"Left-side interface number three, reduce energy output by 15%, reroute through the backup circuit," Xu Yan commanded from the main control screen without looking up.

On the screen, the complex energy flow diagram was being replanned with the assistance of Covet.

"Duan Peng’s operational redundancy exceeds safety thresholds by 37%. Forced correction advised," Covet prompted coldly.

"Maintain current rhythm," Xu Yan responded internally, his fingers flying to input a string of compensation code, temporarily stabilizing the energy field that was fluctuating due to Duan Peng’s brute force.

He needed speed, and he needed the reckless, relentless drive Duan Peng provided.

On the other side, Ouyang Nan and Wu Mingjie were docking the spatial scanning probes. Wu Mingjie supported a heavy base with one hand, his face turning pale from the exertion, his injured arm trembling slightly.

"Mingjie, let go, I’ve got it!" Ouyang Nan said, rushing over to take over.

"No, Nan, I can do it…" Wu Mingjie gritted his teeth, determined to persist.

Suddenly, Xu Yan’s voice cut in, carrying an unquestionable tone of command: "Ouyang, increase the priority of data interface number three and run a bandwidth test immediately. Wu Mingjie, go check the backup coolant pump; I need real-time pressure data."

His gaze remained locked on the screen; he didn't even look back at them.

Within the vast computational model provided by Covet, the efficiency of every link was squeezed to the absolute limit, and the state of each individual was simplified into a mere variable in a stream of data.

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Wu Mingjie froze for a moment, then silently let go and walked toward the cooling system console in the corner, his bandaged arm hanging listlessly.

Ouyang Nan looked at Wu Mingjie’s retreating back, then at Xu Yan, who was completely immersed in his work. A nameless fire surged within her.

She marched up to the main console, her voice suppressed with anger. "Xu Yan! Didn't you see Mingjie’s hand? I can check the pressure data for the coolant pump!"

Xu Yan finally lifted his eyes from the screen, looking at Ouyang Nan with a flicker of confusion. He frowned slightly. "Your task is the calibration of the scanning probe; that is a critical node. The coolant pump data is secondary, but it requires manpower. He is the current optimal solution for efficiency."

This cold, rational, and near-cruel efficiency analysis left Ouyang Nan speechless. She felt as if she were seeing that same look he had once used to assess equipment performance at "Storm Tower."

"Optimal solution for efficiency?" she squeezed the words through her teeth. "He is our comrade! Not a spare part!"

The atmosphere in the control room dropped to freezing. Duan Peng stopped his work as well, looking over with concern.

Xu Yan looked at the clear fire in Ouyang Nan’s eyes, then at Wu Mingjie, who was standing expressionless in the corner, silently recording data. Deep within his consciousness, Covet’s indifferent whispers collided violently with Ouyang Nan’s accusation.

"Emotional redundancy consumes resources, reducing overall efficiency by 14.8%."

"He is our comrade!"

For a fleeting moment, Xu Yan was dazed. Then, he realized what was happening.

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing Covet’s purely rational voice.

"…I apologize." Xu Yan’s voice was dry. He rubbed his brow and turned to Wu Mingjie. "Mingjie, the coolant pump data isn't urgent. Take a ten-minute break. Ouyang, once the scanning probe calibration is finished, please handle the cooling system check."

He paused, then added, "Ensure safety first."

This stiff, slightly belated display of concern allowed the stagnant air to flow once more.

Ouyang Nan looked deeply at Xu Yan but said nothing more, turning back to her work, though the tension in her shoulders eased slightly.

Duan Peng gave Xu Yan a "mission accomplished" look, but Xu Yan broke into a cold sweat.

He realized that wielding the knowledge of the Ram Star within his mind was like walking a tightrope; a moment of carelessness, and he would fall into an inhuman, icy abyss. After all, he was not yet Covet; he could not view everything as mere data.

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