206: Chapter 206 The Final Strawberry Must-Have! The Calm Before the Storm

10:20 PM.

The lights in the Cockpit were adjusted to their dimmest setting.

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

He leaned back in his chair and opened today's logbook.

Day sixty-one.

Total registered residents: 9,085.

The second batch of the Relocation Team, 604 people, arrived and were settled.

Compost cycle passed its first test.

Hydroponic Rack Group 7 was injected with 3% Compost Liquid; no stress response from the roots.

Welding for ZM08 Farrowing Room station completed; successfully transferred at 3:00 PM, status stable.

Milk production today was 57 liters; full production of 60 liters expected the day after tomorrow.

Flour production reached 1,030 kilograms, distributed to 1,832 people.

Welding of the second and third frame partitions in the Storage Area is finished; wire mesh and insulation pads will be laid tomorrow, housing to be delivered the day after tomorrow.

Spring steel bars arrived this evening; Han Zhengqing assigned six people to coil springs overnight to be delivered by 9:00 AM tomorrow; installation of the Shock-absorbing Layer begins in the morning.

The fifth signal did not appear all day; a total of 144 scans were completed, all normal.

He put down his pen and stared at the last line for three seconds.

144 times.

All normal.

In the lower-right corner of the panel, four dark red records were still pulsing.

The fifth one still hadn't come.

The communicator chimed at the appropriate moment.

"City Lord."

"I'm here."

"What time are you sleeping today?" Lin Wan's voice was tinged with fatigue.

"Soon."

"What kind of answer is that?"

"Before eleven."

"Good." There was a second's pause on the other end of the communicator before she continued, "About the Strawberry."

Lu Chen shifted his gaze away from the logbook.

"What about it?"

"I went to check on your last Strawberry today. It's been sitting for two days; under refrigeration, it has three days left of peak flavor."

"Three days left."

"Yes, it must be eaten before the sixty-third day, otherwise the taste will deteriorate." Lin Wan emphasized each word heavily. "You cannot forget."

"I won't forget."

"You said you wouldn't forget yesterday, too."

"I really didn't forget yesterday; I just didn't go to get it."

"Why?"

Lu Chen didn't follow the prompt.

He looked at the clock on the panel.

10:29 PM.

"I didn't think of a suitable time."

"What's suitable or unsuitable about eating a Strawberry?" Lin Wan's speaking speed picked up. "You're making the act of eating a Strawberry far too serious."

"I'm not being serious about it."

"Then I'll bring it up at six tomorrow morning, and you can eat it as a side dish with your milk, okay?"

Lu Chen paused for a moment.

"Okay."

"Good." Lin Wan's breathing slowed over the communicator. "You solved the material issue for the shock-absorbing layer today. Han Zhengqing has six people coiling springs over there; I expect they'll be busy until 2:00 AM. You don't need to worry about it."

"I know."

"The wire mesh for the Storage Area partitions is being laid tomorrow; you don't need to leave the Cockpit."

"I know."

"ZM08's transfer to the Farrowing Room went smoothly, and Liao Dacheng is keeping watch tonight. You don't need to worry about that either."

Lu Chen closed the logbook and placed it on the console.

"Lin Wan, you're telling me there's nothing I need to keep an eye on tonight."

"Yes."

"So you're urging me to sleep."

"I'm just stating facts."

Lu Chen pursed his lips and said nothing.

"City Lord."

"I'm here."

"Today the compost test passed, flour production was 1,030 kilograms, ZM08 transferred to the Farrowing Room, the spring material issue was solved, and 604 people were relocated." Lin Wan recited the numbers slowly. "Today was a good day."

"Mm."

"Did you notice it today?"

"Notice what?"

Lin Wan paused for two seconds on the other end.

"That feeling of things moving forward."

Lu Chen leaned back against his chair.

He watched the Radar scan line on the panel rotate at a steady speed, circle after circle.

The sound of hushed voices drifted in from the corridor.

The words were indistinguishable, but they carried the warmth of human presence.

The wheaty aroma of flour could be smelled outside the Cockpit today; it wasn't strong, but it was tangibly there.

"Mm," Lu Chen replied in a low voice. "I felt it."

"That's good then." Lin Wan slowed her speech. "Sleep. Before eleven."

"Okay."

"No lying to me."

"When have I ever lied to you?"

The communicator disconnected.

Lu Chen reclined the seat and closed his eyes.

The blue light from the panel reflected on his face.

In the Signal log column, the four dark red records continued to pulse.

The Strawberry would be eaten tomorrow morning.

The fifth signal was still nowhere to be seen.

Han Zhengqing's six men were in the workshop coiling springs, one by one, 1,600 in total.

The hushed voices in the corridor remained; this was the pulsing heartbeat deep within the giant ship, operating slowly and steadily.

Ten minutes later, he fell into a deep sleep.