224: Chapter 224 The Lost Land 1

Just as everyone was feeling puzzled, Chu Ge's communication device indicated an incoming call from the aerospace carrier.

Chu Ge walked to the side and answered the call.

"General Chu, it's me. How are things over there?"

The speaker was Commander Wang, who sounded very relaxed, completely unaware that Chu Ge and his team had just been nervous to the point of death.

"It's alright. We found something."

"Oh, I'm just reminding you all. You've been out for over a day now; it's time to return to the Lunar Base. Just breathing oxygen and consuming nutrient solution out there won't keep you full."

Chu Ge and his team had been so focused on the drilling, combined with the illusion caused by the lunar polar day, that they had completely forgotten about hunger.

Perhaps thanks to the nutrient solution supplements, everyone still had plenty of energy.

After being reminded by Commander Wang, Chu Ge suddenly felt hungry.

"Alright. It just so happens I have something to discuss with you when I get back."

"Mhm, I'll be waiting for you."

Commander Wang hung up. After standing there in a daze for a moment, Chu Ge turned and walked toward Captain Wang and the others.

"Alright, that's all for today. Engineer Yu, save this video segment. Leave the reconnaissance platform there for now."

"Everyone else, get ready. We're heading back to the Lunar Base."

After speaking, Chu Ge turned around to summon Soul Blade. Before long, Soul Blade's massive frame descended from the sky.

"Academician Chu, are we... are we just going back like this?"

Engineer Yu seemed a bit reluctant to leave.

"Otherwise what? Stare at it forever? Or go down and stare at it? It's been a whole day; the team members are exhausted."

After hearing this, Engineer Yu checked the time. Everyone was the same; they had completely lost the concept of time.

"Leave the exploration equipment here for now. We'll go back to rest for a bit and discuss how to proceed."

Chu Ge gave everyone some peace of mind. He knew the team members wanted to press on and explore what was down there in one go.

However, as the Commander-in-Chief, he had to consider everyone's safety. There had to be a plan, and they might even need to request instructions from higher-ups.

Fortunately, they were the only ones on the moon right now. Even if there was something down there, it wouldn't be going anywhere for a while.

"Alright, let's pack up briefly. Exploration team members will ride in those exploration crawler vehicles, and everyone else will return in their original vehicles."

"Yes!"

After Chu Ge gave the order, everyone responded in unison and began to pack up and organize the equipment at the exploration site.

Engineer Yu was saving the data, while Captain Wang led the exploration team to check the status of the equipment that needed to be left on-site temporarily.

Chu Ge walked toward Soul Blade.

"Soul Blade, the team members need to return to the Lunar Base to rest. We can't arrange for anyone to stay here, so I'm afraid you'll have to stay behind to guard this place."

[Yes, General Chu.]

"Mhm, keep an eye on this equipment. Don't let anyone steal it. If it goes missing, I'll have to make you pay for it."

[...]

Chu Ge cracked a joke and then turned to leave.

The exploration team members were ready, standing in two neat rows, waiting for Chu Ge.

Chu Ge walked up to them and waved his hand.

"Let's go. Back to the Lunar Base to eat. I'm starving."

"Yes!" the team members replied loudly and began to line up to board the vehicles.

On the way back to the Lunar Base, Chu Ge began to review the day's findings.

After drilling for a whole day, they ended up unearthing a mysterious light signal. This forced Chu Ge to start considering the follow-up action plan.

They would definitely continue; at the very least, they needed to figure out what that was.

The first thing to do upon returning to the Lunar Base was to convene relevant experts. They first needed to determine the nature of that light source.

If it was truly as Chu Ge suspected, that it was some kind of stroboscopic signal source...

Then it could basically be concluded that this thing did not belong to humanity.

Then this matter would be quite serious, and Chu Ge needed to go back and discuss it with Commander Wang.

This matter might ultimately require the bigwigs in the military to make a decision.

When people suddenly relax after high-intensity work, they feel exceptionally exhausted.

On the way back, the team members didn't communicate much; the excitement and curiosity they had on the way there had also vanished...

With the road signs as indicators, the time it took for Chu Ge and his team to return was much faster. It only took them one hour to get back to the Lunar Base.

After the crawler vehicles were parked, Chu Ge stepped out of the vehicle.

Not far away, two straight flagpoles stood there. One bore the vibrant Five-Star Red Flag, and the other bore the military flag of the Interstellar Fleet.

Chu Ge stopped and looked for a long time.

Although the red flag was not fluttering in the air, Chu Ge knew that at this moment, it was doing so in the hearts of the crew members.

The military flag had already been planted there; this was a symbol.

Wherever the military flag is, that is where the position lies. This meant that this area would henceforth be incorporated into the jurisdiction of China.

Chu Ge's heart was instantly stirred. He withdrew his gaze and turned to look; the team members were all currently paying their respects to the two flags.

The security guards were solemnly saluting them!

After a good while, Chu Ge and the others regained their focus and walked toward the connecting hub.

They took the suspended ladder up. When the door opened, Commander Wang was already standing there.

Everyone saluted one after another. After returning the salute, Commander Wang led Chu Ge toward the cafeteria.

"I specifically had the chefs prepare a sumptuous nutrient meal. I wanted to call you earlier, but I was worried about interrupting your plan."

"With Soul Blade there, I felt much more at ease. Otherwise, I would have contacted you earlier."

"Did you see the military flag outside? Haha, seeing it standing here on the moon really feels a bit surreal."

"..."

"Huh? General Chu, why does it feel like you've become so silent after going out for a round..."

Commander Wang had been talking the entire way. It was only after sitting down on the dining chair that he noticed Chu Ge hadn't said a single word from the beginning to the end.

"Um, I was thinking about how to tell you. Commander Wang, wait a moment, let me eat something first."

Chu Ge was starving. After speaking to Commander Wang, he started devouring his food.

Commander Wang just watched. When Chu Ge finished eating, he hurriedly handed him a napkin and then gave him a look.

"Speak. Did you find something good?"

"I don't know how to evaluate it. It's hard to say right now whether it's beneficial or harmful to us."

"Hmm?" Commander Wang became serious. Hearing Chu Ge say this, he also started to feel nervous.

"To make a long story short, we discovered something inexplicable 1,100 meters underground in that area."

"1,100 meters? You dug that fast?"

"The rock layers were all fractured, and there wasn't anything hard. It was basically smooth sailing."

"Speaking of which, you reminded me. Tomorrow when we go, we need to reinforce that passage first. The rock layer structure is truly worrisome."

"What's the main point?" Commander Wang was getting a bit impatient.

"1,100 meters down, it's hollow, with a height of about 1,000 meters. The main point is that there is actually a light source there that resembles a stroboscopic signal."

"..."

Commander Wang's mouth hung open, and he didn't speak for a long time. He knew what the information Chu Ge mentioned represented.

"Are you sure? Could it be a light formed by some kind of chemical reaction, like will-o'-the-wisps?"

"Will-o'-the-wisps wouldn't flash on and off with such rhythm, would they? The interval is constant, which is very similar to a stroboscopic signal."

"There's no point in talking more. I suggest we hold an emergency meeting immediately. Relevant high-level experts from the aerospace carrier should participate. We need to confirm the nature of the light source as soon as possible and then report it to the military."

"In addition, issue a warning to the team members who went today. Today's matter must be kept confidential and not spread around, so as not to disrupt others' normal work order."

"Commander Wang, you handle the second matter. I'll be responsible for notifying everyone, and we'll meet in the conference room."

Chu Ge stood up and quickly sorted out what needed to be done next. Commander Wang nodded in agreement, and the two of them hurried off in different directions.

Outside the aerospace carrier, construction of the Lunar Base continued. Looking down from above, the circular foundation of the gravity system had already expanded into the distance...