CHAPTER 218: CHAPTER 216: DISMANTLING DATA STORAGE

"Thank you so much!" In the vehicle, the astronauts who had taken off their helmets and heavy space suits held the hot water poured by Chen Xin, expressing their gratitude to him.

"No need to thank me, it was a small gesture, anyone else would have saved you too," Chen Xin didn’t mind their gratitude much, he just smiled.

He remembered these three astronauts; when Flame Country sent people into space intending to change the trajectory of the meteor, there was extensive coverage on them back then. Chen Xin watched the live broadcast and saw the interviews with them before they set off.

Looking at the protective suits piled on the table, Chen Xin saw that the three seemed to have recovered quite a bit, so he asked them, "How are you feeling now? My resources here are limited, so I can’t perform any check-ups. If you feel uncomfortable, please let me know promptly."

"We’re all fine, except for maybe a bit of calcium deficiency from being in space too long," one of the astronauts responded to Chen Xin’s question. Chen Xin recalled his name was Zhang something Guang, but after half a year, he was a bit unsure.

In just half a year, past events seemed like a distant memory. Thinking about this, Chen Xin said to the astronauts, "Since you’re all okay, rest in my vehicle. I’ll pass by the three towns of E province later and take you to the official refuge where you should get help."

"Thank you so much! But a refuge? Has the country started the refuge plan?" Another astronaut with a last name Zhao asked, though Chen Xin had completely forgotten his first name.

In response, Chen Xin nodded confidently, "The refuge plan started long ago. When you went up to save the world, most people were evacuated to refuges in advance. The disasters from the meteor impact didn’t cause large casualties. At least most people in my city survived."

"That’s great news!" The astronauts showed a mix of relief and remorse on their faces.

Chen Xin looked at them, not knowing what to say.

He could understand the astronauts’ remorse; in their view, if their mission had succeeded, the meteor wouldn’t have impacted Blue Star, preventing this apocalyptic disaster.

But it wasn’t fair to blame the astronauts. Chen Xin watched the live broadcast at the time and remembered how the astronauts bravely installed thrusters on the meteor. Their actions were undoubtedly the best they could do.

No one had the right or authority to reproach them or make them accountable for Blue Star’s disaster.

Chen Xin, about to offer some comforting words, suddenly heard the radar alarm in the cockpit.

The three astronauts, still immersed in their feelings, instantly became tense, all looking at Chen Xin without knowing what was happening.

"The radar is alerting, I’ll go check," Chen Xin said, running towards the cockpit.

Sitting in the driver’s seat, Chen Xin manually launched the drone while watching the radar display. On the display, four bright spots appeared on the radar’s scanning range, approaching Chen Xin and the return capsule.

"What’s happening? Is there anything we can do to help?" The three astronauts came to the cockpit, seemingly wanting to assist.

"Others are coming, likely seeing you fall from the sky," Chen Xin explained, simultaneously operating the drone to fly towards the direction of the bright spots. The infrared camera’s footage was relayed to the console’s screen in real time.

The astronauts were highly trained professionals and naturally could understand the radar screen and the infrared camera’s footage. They saw that the bright spots on the radar screen were four vehicles.

Watching the drone footage, Chen Xin frowned and turned to the astronauts, "They’re likely coming for you and the return capsule, but I’m not sure if their intentions are good. In this environment, who knows what might happen, so you should stay in my vehicle, and come with me to the three towns."

Faced with the situation, the astronauts quickly made a judgment.

Although they had just returned to the ground, they had predicted what the situation might be like before deciding to return. Even with the brief exchange with Chen Xin, they could deduce the current state of Flame Country from the refuge plan’s implementation.

Chen Xin’s prompt rescue fostered initial trust in him among the astronauts, and his vehicle provided them with significant security. In this situation, they were willing to trust Chen Xin’s judgment.

Regarding the approaching four vehicles, the astronauts maintained a certain level of vigilance. This wasn’t before the disaster; one couldn’t guarantee these vehicles were merely here to "help."

Maintaining a degree of caution was prudent.

However, as the team leader of the astronauts, Zhang Chengguang, mistaken by Chen Xin as Zhang something Guang, quietly exchanged whispers with his two colleagues before asking Chen Xin, "May we make contact with them?"

"Make contact? I wouldn’t recommend that. If they have any ulterior motives, I’m one, you’re three, and without weapons, if they have ill intentions, that could be trouble," Chen Xin frowned, not too supportive of Zhang Chengguang’s idea.

Although four vehicles were merely targets for the mounted machine gun on his vehicle, Chen Xin preferred not to reveal such a killing weapon lightly.

"Your vehicle can’t transport the return capsule, right? If those people can help transport it, we’d prefer to retrieve it, as it holds vital data we cannot abandon," the last astronaut who hadn’t spoken much explained.

Hearing this, Chen Xin wasn’t moved, but after thinking, he asked, "There’s a data storage unit, right? Can you disassemble it? These people might not be good; I’m unsure what they might do."

"Um..." Chen Xin’s words made two astronauts look at Zhang Chengguang.

"If I have tools, I can disassemble it, but it’ll take time," Zhang Chengguang nodded, indicating he could disassemble the data storage unit.

From Zhang Chengguang’s perspective, if those in the four vehicles were indeed ill-intentioned, avoiding rash contact was the best choice. But they also couldn’t abandon the return capsule, so taking the retrieved data became the optimal choice.

Hearing Zhang Chengguang, Chen Xin immediately took him to the living cabin, found the toolbox, handed it to him, and asked, "It’s cold outside; need help?"

"The return capsule is small; I can work faster alone, but I need time. Give me ten minutes," Zhang Chengguang took the toolbox and prepared to get off the vehicle, but Chen Xin threw his protective suit to him.

Facing Zhang Chengguang’s gaze, Chen Xin casually said, "Wear it; it’s only minus forty outside, you won’t last ten minutes."

With that, Chen Xin returned to the cockpit, watched the radar’s display, and shouted to Zhang Chengguang, "They’re eight kilometers away, hurry up, and we can leave before they arrive."

Zhang Chengguang responded, donned Chen Xin’s protective suit, and ran towards the return capsule with the toolbox.

Chen Xin could see the exterior from inside the vehicle, watching Zhang Chengguang’s actions with the other two astronauts. His gaze drifted to the machine gun’s control switch on the console but resisted using the machine gun impulsively.

"Can you bring the drone closer?" The astronaut surnamed Zhao edged next to Chen Xin, observing the somewhat blurry drone footage on the console, asked him.

Chen Xin nodded, swiped on the console’s touch screen, bringing the lens closer quickly.

Through the infrared camera, they saw the situation inside the four vehicles clearly.

These were ordinary civilian cars, each with three to four people, most wielding sticks, shovels, and similar weapons, with three people in one car briefly flashing guns.

"These people don’t look friendly!" The sight astonished the astronauts.

They hadn’t expected circumstances to truly align with Chen Xin’s description, as those from the approaching vehicles appeared unfriendly.

Watching the vehicles close in, Chen Xin picked up the intercom hanging on the console, switched to the vehicle’s speakers, and announced, "All people in the approaching vehicles are armed, some have guns. Hurry, you don’t have much time. They’re seven kilometers away."

In the return capsule, dismantling the data storage unit, Zhang Chengguang heard Chen Xin’s voice, paused momentarily, and upon understanding, accelerated his dismantling speed. He retrieved from beneath the return capsule’s seat a box, opened it and took out a handgun and a signal gun, placing them nearby for contingencies.