120: Stable resources, optimized system

After the data isolation key was pressed, the kindling system interface quieted down.

Chen Wang withdrew his hand and turned to walk toward the laboratory corridor behind the cockpit.

Lin Wei had already opened the engineering module terminal, her fingers typing rapidly on the holographic keyboard.

"The frequency packet import is complete," she said, looking up. "The anti-gravity engine prototype is ready."

Amy stood beside the main control console, with three silver-gray crystals placed in front of her.

She inserted one of them into the reading slot.

"This is an energy core sample collected from the edge of the Stasis Zone; the resonance frequency is the same as the data we obtained earlier.

We only have one chance to start it; if we miss it, we'll have to recalibrate."

Chen Wang nodded.

"Cut off unnecessary power supplies and prioritize electricity for the laboratory."

After the order was given, the lights inside the vehicle dimmed by half.

The survival systems, weapon modules, and Shield arrays all entered standby mode.

On the kindling interface, energy flow was redistributed, with arrows pointing toward the anti-gravity array in the center of the chassis.

"Starting synchronization," Lin Wei said, pressing the confirm key.

Two waveform lines appeared on the holographic screen.

One was the energy spectrum from the imperial chip's reverse analysis, and the other was the frequency packet provided by Amy.

The two lines had different fluctuations, and they failed to align several times.

"It's off by 0.3 seconds," Amy said, staring at the numbers. "The pulse rhythm isn't right."

"Try again," Chen Wang said, leaning against the operating console. "Lower the input power and let the system adapt slowly."

The third simulation began.

The waveforms slowly approached each other and finally perfectly overlapped in a single instant.

"Now!" Lin Wei locked the parameters. "There's a 0.7-second synchronization window; we can activate it."

Amy lightly tapped the chip on the table.

"The success rate is 81.6%; it's worth a try."

Chen Wang reached out and pressed the main control button.

"Activate the anti-gravity module."

The chassis emitted a low hum.

The metal plates vibrated slightly, and things inside the vehicle floated up a few millimeters before falling back down.

A warning popped up on the kindling interface: [Space Folding Module Load Too High].

"Shut down power to the expansion pod," Chen Wang ordered.

Lin Wei operated the controls quickly.

The alarm disappeared, and the humming sound stabilized.

The front of the hope lifted slowly, and its tracks left the ground.

"Thirty centimeters off the ground," Su Ling reported, standing in front of the observation window. "The vehicle body is stable."

"Continue ascending," Chen Wang said, staring at the altimeter.

When the vehicle rose to half a meter, it suddenly shook violently.

Su Wan grabbed the door frame of the medical pod to keep from falling.

The holographic screen turned red: [External Gravity Gradient Anomaly].

"There's something underground," Amy said, pulling up the detection data. "There's a high-density mineral cluster fifteen meters beneath the ice, and it's interfering with the field's stability."

"Manual fine-tuning," Chen Wang said, pulling out the mechanical arm control lever and connecting it to the energy output port.

Lin Wei turned off the power to non-core sections and concentrated the remaining power into the chassis array.

Amy entered the compensation frequency, and after three adjustments, the fluctuation curve flattened out.

Three seconds later, the vehicle stopped shaking.

The holographic projection displayed: [Anti-gravity field operating normally, suspension height 0.8 meters].

"We did it," Lin Wei said, smiling as she bit her pen cap.

Chen Wang released the control lever.

"Record all parameters and prepare for landing."

The hope descended slowly, and its tracks made a dull thud when they touched the ground.

The vibrations traveled to a distant ridge, and the accumulated snow began to loosen.

"Avalanche!" Su Ling rushed toward the alarm button.

A piercing bell rang out.

Su Wan immediately checked the medical pod's securing devices to confirm that the equipment hadn't shifted.

Chen Wang did not have everyone evacuate; instead, he had Lin Wei activate the terrain scanner.

"Scanning range five hundred meters, depth thirty meters," Lin Wei said, activating the device.

The image slowly took shape.

A large cavity appeared beneath the avalanche impact zone, about forty meters in diameter, with smooth inner walls and regular markings.

"This wasn't formed naturally," Chen Wang said, zooming in on the image. "Look at these lines; they look artificial."

Amy pulled up historical maps for comparison.

"This was flat ground three years ago.

Satellite records show that the ice layer began to bulge a year and a half ago, at an abnormal rate."

"It might be an outpost of the Stasis Zone," Lin Wei said, pointing to the entrance location. "If there's residual energy inside, it might still be usable."

Chen Wang looked at the 3D imaging.

"First, reinforce the flanks of the camp to prevent further collapse."

Su Ling climbed onto the roof of the vehicle to set up surveillance probes, aiming the lenses toward the edge of the snowfield.

Amy encrypted and archived the data, her fingers tapping incessantly on the chip on the table.

"This coordinate... shouldn't exist," she whispered.

Su Wan returned to the medical pod and opened the biochip storage interface.

At the moment of the avalanche, the chip had again emitted a weak 0.3-second resonance.

She noted the timestamp and marked it as "Abnormal Response."

In the laboratory, Lin Wei was recording the log for the anti-gravity engine.

A large amount of data scrolled across the screen.

She stopped writing and drew a new modification plan on the sketch—installing four sets of auxiliary stabilizers on the chassis for flight in complex terrain.

"Next time we test, we need to switch to a higher-power core," she said.

Chen Wang walked in.

"Don't be hasty.

We haven't figured out the nature of the underground structure yet; going in rashly is too dangerous."

"But this is an opportunity," Lin Wei insisted. "If we can find the equipment inside, we might be able to improve the space folding efficiency."

"Let's wait until the scan results are out," Chen Wang said, glancing at the kindling system. "For now, everyone keep your communications open and take turns on duty."

He turned and walked toward the command console.

On the holographic map, the safe zone coordinates remained locked.

A red marker had been added to the avalanche area, labeled "Suspected Outpost."

Amy walked over.

"I've analyzed the mineral composition; this kind of high-density material has only appeared in the core area of the Stasis Zone.

It shouldn't be here."

"That means someone transported it here," Chen Wang said, "or this place was a secret site to begin with."

"Regardless of the situation, the Empire must know," Amy said, typing the last line of code. "I've set up signal monitoring; if anyone approaches this area, we'll discover it immediately."

Chen Wang nodded.

"Tonight's duty will follow a new order.

Lin Wei is responsible for the night system patrol, Su Ling will keep a close eye on the outside situation, and Su Wan will be on standby for emergency medical support."

"Understood," the three of them replied in unison.

Night fell, and the wind and snow continued.

The hope remained in place, its external searchlights sweeping across the ice.

Snow still slid down the distant mountains, but it no longer formed large-scale avalanches.

Lin Wei finished her last equipment check and returned to the laboratory.

She took off her pen cap and noticed teeth marks on it.

She smiled and continued modifying the drawings.

Amy sat in front of the console, repeatedly comparing the mineral data with historical trajectories.

Each calculation pointed to the same conclusion: the structure beneath this ice layer had been artificially constructed within the past eighteen months.

Su Ling was on the roof of the vehicle replacing the probe batteries.

The lens swept across the snowfield and captured a faint trace of a heat source, which was quickly covered by the wind and snow.

She adjusted the focus, attempting to reconstruct the path.

The trace extended intermittently and finally disappeared in the northeast direction.

"Someone has been here," she whispered.

Chen Wang received the report and immediately pulled up the tracking records of the kindling system.

In the last twelve hours, apart from themselves, no vehicles or life signals had approached the camp.

"They didn't come just now," he said. "It was left behind in the past."

"Who would build an outpost in a place like this?" Su Ling asked.

"People who didn't want to be found," Chen Wang said, looking at the model of the underground cavity. "And they succeeded, until our test triggered something."

Amy suddenly looked up.

"Wait.

I just discovered something—the mineral distribution isn't random.

They are arranged in a ring, and the center point is aligned exactly with the position where the anti-gravity field is strongest."

"You mean..." Lin Wei stood up, "this test might have disturbed something?"

No one spoke.

The kindling system interface suddenly flickered, and a new prompt popped up: [Deep Energy Fluctuation Detected, Source Unknown].

Chen Wang immediately switched to the geological monitoring page.

The waveform chart showed that regular pulse signals were emanating from inside the cavity beneath the ice.

The frequency was completely consistent with the resonance of the biochip.

Su Wan flipped through the records, her finger stopping on the latest timestamp.

0.3 seconds, exactly the same as the previous two times.

"It's responding," she said.

Chen Wang walked to the main control console and placed his hand on the authorization confirmation key.

If he pressed it, he could initiate the deep detection protocol, but it would also expose their location.

Amy stared at the circular distribution map on the screen.

"This structure... it isn't meant to hide things."

"Then what is it?" Su Ling asked.

"It's meant to wake something up."