189: Chapter 189 The Second Strawberry is So Sweet! The Fifth Signal from the Iron Hoof Has Not Yet Arrived

Exactly 6:00 AM.

The lights in the Cockpit were still at their dimmest setting.

The blue light from the console reflected off Lu Chen's face.

The radar scanning line rotated at a constant speed; the eight-kilometer radius was clear.

Four dark red records pulsed quietly in the signal log column.

There was no fifth entry.

The communicator chimed once.

Lu Chen's eyes snapped open.

He sat up from the back of the pilot's seat, his gaze immediately sweeping toward the signal log in the bottom right corner of the console.

Four entries.

He looked away and pressed the communicator button.

"City Lord, the milk is on the workstation."

It was Lin Wan's voice.

Lu Chen turned to look at the left side of the workstation.

A glass of warm fresh milk sat there, with a Strawberry beside it.

It was deep red with vibrant green leaves at the stem. It was half a centimeter smaller than yesterday's, but plump and round.

"This is the second of your three," Lin Wan's voice came through the communicator.

"I told you there was no need to save them for me."

"And I said that since we agreed on three, it's three."

Lu Chen looked at the Strawberry and didn't respond.

"Drink the milk before eating the Strawberry. Eating strawberries on an empty stomach causes acid reflux."

"Since when did you start knowing about that?"

"Sun Ke told me. I asked him."

Lu Chen picked up the milk and took a sip.

The temperature was perfect—neither too hot nor too cold.

"What time did you get up?"

"Five o'clock."

"Five again."

"There's work in the Greenhouse. After adjusting the sowing area for the third crop to ninety percent, the nutrient solution ratio needs to be recalculated. That was the tenth task you wrote down last night."

Lu Chen flipped open the logbook on his lap and glanced at the tenth item.

Confirm whether the ninety percent sowing area for the third crop requires additional nutrient solution ratio adjustments; confirm with Lin Wan.

"Does it need adjusting?"

"Yes, but not by much. When it was eighty-five percent, the N-P-K ratio was 4:2:3. Now that it's at ninety percent, the phosphorus concentration needs to increase by 0.3 percentage points. I've already calculated it and will adjust it directly when adding the solution this morning."

"Good."

"There's one more thing."

"Go on."

"Threshing was completed at 3:00 PM yesterday. At 9:00 AM today, we'll switch the Synthesizer to grinding mode. If everything goes smoothly, the first batch of flour will be produced between 2:00 PM and 3:00 PM."

"Nine hundred kilograms."

"Correct."

Lu Chen finished the milk and set the glass down.

He picked up the Strawberry and examined it.

"Eat it," Lin Wan urged over the communicator.

Lu Chen put the Strawberry into his mouth.

Sweet.

It was just as sweet as yesterday's, with slightly softer flesh and more juice.

"Is it sweet?"

"Sweet."

"That's good," Lin Wan's voice came through. "You have one last one left. I've put it in the Greenhouse's cold storage area. Let me know whenever you want to eat it."

"What about yourself?"

"I ate the first one yesterday. I have two left."

"When are you going to eat those two?"

"I'll wait until the second batch ripens and eat them all together. There will be thirty to forty of them then, enough for me to eat to my heart's content."

The line of Lu Chen's lips softened slightly.

"What's your schedule for today?"

"Adjusting the nutrient solution in the morning, switching the Synthesizer to grind flour at nine, meeting with Liao Dacheng at the Livestock Farm before noon to coordinate the composting cycle, and overseeing the flour production in the afternoon."

"Have you coordinated with Han Zhengqing?"

"We coordinated yesterday. He said work on the storage area partitions starts at seven today, and he needs a Welder to go to the Livestock Farm this afternoon to help Liao Dacheng weld the support columns for the birthing room."

"Keep an eye on that for me."

"Will do."

"Lin Wan."

"Yes?"

"What time did you go to sleep last night?"

"Eleven o'clock."

"Earlier than me."

"You didn't sleep until 11:53 PM. I know."

Lu Chen fell silent for a beat.

"How do you know the exact time?"

"I guessed. You said you'd sleep after finishing two entries. Your speed is seven to eight minutes per task, plus time for a review—so between 11:50 and 11:55 PM."

Lu Chen looked at the communicator.

"Your guess is very accurate."

"Mm."

The communicator was silent for two seconds.

"City Lord, is there anything else I need to pay extra attention to today?"

"You have full authority over the flour grinding. Notify me of the quantity and quality as soon as the flour is out. The Relocation Team arrives at seven. When Lin Xiao's people come in, have them head to the first floor. Zhao Tiezhu will arrange to receive them; you don't need to worry about it."

"Understood."

"Regarding the composting cycle, today is the fourth day. Can we open the valves?"

"I'll check at noon. Liao Dacheng said we can try once the fermentation temperature reaches above forty-five degrees."

"Good, let me know the result after the trial."

"Understood."

"Go get to work."

"Mm."

The communicator disconnected.

Lu Chen pushed the empty glass on the workstation aside and picked up his logbook.

He flipped to the ten-task list he had written last night and placed a checkmark next to the tenth item.

Nutrient solution ratio adjustment confirmed.

Then he looked at the first item.

First batch of nine hundred kilograms of flour produced; distribution plan confirmed.

He had already set the framework for the distribution plan yesterday.

Nine hundred kilograms, at a standard of three bowls per person, was enough for three thousand people for one day.

Three thousand people.

There were 8,095 registered residents.

The first day could only cover less than half.

But the flour grinding was continuous.

A full round of coverage would be completed in three days.

He added a line under the first item.

Distribution order: Engineering Team first. Then by registration number. City Lord last.

The tip of his pen hovered over the paper for a second before he wrote a second line.

The standard of three bowls of dry noodles per person remains unchanged.

He closed the logbook, stood up, and walked to the console.

The clock on the panel showed 6:17 AM.

Forty-three minutes until Lin Xiao's first Relocation Team arrived.

Forty-three minutes until Han Zhengqing's storage area partition work began.

Two hours and forty-three minutes until the Synthesizer switched to grinding mode.

Eight to nine hours until the flour was produced.

He glanced at the signal log.

Four dark red entries.

No fifth entry.

Not today.

Not yet.

Lu Chen pressed the communicator.

"Chen Li."

Three seconds later, Chen Li's voice came through.

"City Lord, good morning."

"When did today's signal monitoring begin?"

"Every ten minutes since midnight. Thirty-six scans have been completed so far; all are normal."

"The fifth signal?"

"Has not appeared."

"Good. Continue."

Lu Chen hung up the communicator.

He stood before the console, watching the radar scanning line rotate circle after circle.

Within the eight-kilometer range, there was nothing.

But he knew that in some direction beyond the radar's reach, a steel legion was deciding whether or not to set out.

The sweetness of the Strawberry still lingered in his mouth.

It was very faint now, but it was still there.