CHAPTER 77: CHAPTER 63: RESENTMENT AND HARVEST_2

"All dead? But I remember the main gate by the shipyard should have been open, right?"

"The main gate to the core in the Space Arm wasn’t closed, but the gate from the maintenance factory to the shipyard was closed."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ming immediately recalled the structure over by Space Arm 1.

Space Arm 1 is essentially a shipyard, with a passageway directly leading inside the Space Station.

And this passageway, at the end of Space Arm 1, extends to both sides where the maintenance factories are located. Each side of the maintenance factory has a door that generally hasn’t been closed between the factory buildings and the passageway.

Never thought in an emergency, they’d shut by themselves.

Chen Ming sensed it must have been an automatic closure, to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the emergency to break into the maintenance factory and commit theft or the like.

Once these doors shut, the staff in the maintenance factory were naturally locked inside.

Originally, they could have left through the emergency passage, but the director stated the emergency passage doors were locked.

Now, here comes the problem.

"Who locked them?"

Facing Chen Ming’s question, the director’s face darkened even more, and through gritted teeth, he said, "The vice director."

Now Chen Ming was also puzzled.

Moreover, he saw the director had completely abandoned his previous composed and serious demeanor, looking like someone ready to devour, making Chen Ming hesitant to ask further.

He could only turn to Old Wu and ask, "What’s the vice director’s deal with doing that?"

Old Wu, wearing the same unpleasant expression, cursed directly, "That vice director is just that irritating, nitpicking at the slightest faults, using his bit of power to do atrocious things."

"Forcing everyone to arrive early for work daily, overtime, and even catching people who slightly rest on idle days to squeeze them, and then docking pay, finding ways to disgust everyone."

"The director specifically keeps the emergency passage door open on normal days so that everyone can take off gear and leave work earlier, but once the vice director returns, he locks it directly."

Chen Ming suddenly understood and said, "I bet when Dusk attacked, he ran away directly, without coming to unlock or notify anyone."

Old Wu did not speak, tacitly agreeing with Chen Ming’s statement.

However, seeing the director’s current mood and the vice director’s foolish move of locking the emergency passage door, it’s likely the vice director was parachuted in by the higher-ups.

The people who died in the maintenance factory probably died in vain.

Chen Ming wasn’t familiar with others in the maintenance factory either and didn’t have words to comfort them. Standing there idle also seemed a pure waste of time, so he said, "Just now, personnel department called me back, asking me to contact the other maintenance factories, there’s a task to do."

"No need to contact people now, but with so few of us left, what about the task?"

The director, now adjusting his emotions again, said to the few capable workers remaining in the maintenance factory, "Dusk was nearly wiped out this time, they probably won’t come again soon, we’ll take it slowly with the task."

"Originally, even if we had everyone, we could only take two engineering ships out. Now we’ll take one, and even if it’s slower, given the situation, the higher-ups won’t say anything."

Chen Ming suddenly realized this might be his opportunity, and volunteered, "How about I take one ship myself?"

The director was somewhat surprised, looking at Chen Ming and asking, "Can you? The scale of the engineering ship is close to a Destroyer. At least three or four experienced people are needed to barely handle it, and you alone?"

The engineering ships of Sinda Corporation, Chen Ming had indeed piloted before.

Moreover, if the director was referring to the so-called "experienced" individuals from the original Space Station, then Chen Ming could indeed operate one alone, completely unafraid of technical challenges.

Thus Chen Ming decisively replied, "Yes, I can."

The director thought for a moment before saying, "No rush. Today we can just activate the equipment in the shipyard. We’ll officially start handling tasks tomorrow."

"Tomorrow, first get familiar with what’s required on the ship, then we’ll see how it goes."

Since the director didn’t explicitly refuse, Chen Ming naturally didn’t bring it up again to avoid being a nuisance.

After all, he had the skills, and the director didn’t seem petty, so his skills would have their chance to shine sooner or later.

"Mu, you go and gear up first. Today we’re just starting the equipment, officially beginning tomorrow."

Watching Chen Ming walk towards the interior of the factory, the director addressed the few people around him, "Mu’s skills are the best. When shipyard equipment starts, one of us will stay on duty, and the rest will work outside."

Seeing that Xiao Wen seemed somewhat reluctant, the director suddenly said sternly, "Tian Jiwen."

He warned seriously, "In times like these, if it’s not helpful, don’t speak recklessly."

Tian Jiwen, also known as Xiao Wen, opened his mouth but couldn’t help saying, "But it was right after he arrived that Dusk came. If he’s not a jinx, who is?"

"Everyone else is dead, so why is this newcomer the only one perfectly fine?"

As Tian Jiwen spoke, he couldn’t help getting excited, his expression somewhat twisted.

The bald maintenance master flicked a cigarette butt onto his shoe, saying, "I’m still alive."

"And Old Wu’s still alive, the director’s still alive, you’re still alive. Only the four of us have had close contact with him, yet we’re the ones who survived. Why don’t you say he’s a lucky star instead?"

"I..."

Tian Jiwen got stuck, but everyone present could see that his thoughts hadn’t changed at all.

He was in this state because of the psychological trauma caused by the drastically changed environment around him, venting his frustration onto the wholly unfamiliar Chen Ming. All he needed was a psychologist to look him over later.