Seeing the situation, Old Zhou hurriedly placed his big hand on Captain Tim's shoulder, signaling him to control his emotions to avoid attracting the attention of others on the ship and leaking the news. Then he said, "My friend's idea is indeed correct. But you must understand that even though our Vis people's technological and industrial level has reached an unprecedented height, it is still a task that requires an astonishing cost to build a spaceship with the super tonnage of the Express Vanguard, which can engage in ultra-long distance space navigation. Therefore, according to the 'Space Long-Distance Navigation Emergency Situation Disposal Regulations', we must do our best to protect the Express Vanguard when encountering danger. After all, all the spaceships of our Broadsword Expeditionary Force combined are not as valuable as this one."
Old Zhou sighed and continued in an awkward tone, "In addition, there are two important reasons. Our Broadsword Expeditionary Force was temporarily assigned to Planet E to carry out long-distance pioneering missions. Not only did our team members start working without adequate rest, but our spaceships were also put into use again in a rush after only basic maintenance. So, after we traveled thousands of miles to Planet E, our spaceships were already in a state of overloading. This means that our spaceships must undergo meticulous maintenance to ensure safe navigation in the future."
"You can't be saying that your spaceships haven't been maintained yet? How long have you been here? Why haven't you completed the maintenance on these spaceships yet?!" Grace asked indignantly.
"Well, it's not because the higher-ups forcibly reassigned us to the mission and tacitly allowed us to slow down our pioneering progress on Planet E? Moreover, we didn't find any abnormalities in the crust here before, so naturally, we weren't in such a hurry to complete the maintenance of the spaceships!" Old Zhou replied sheepishly.
Yungo was also stunned by the lax work attitude of the Broadsword Expeditionary Force and didn't know what to say. After all, the Broadsword Expeditionary Force is responsible for exploring unknown planets in space on behalf of the Vis people! These people can be considered the elite among the Vis people! But how could such an elite group become so lazy in actual work? Yungo really couldn't figure out the reason.
Seeing the two young people staring at Old Zhou with an expression of anger and disappointment, Captain Tim hurriedly came to the rescue and said, "Alright, alright! You two little guys don't worry! Let's listen to the second important reason! Because I think this reason is the most critical issue."
"What's the problem?" Grace asked irritably.
Old Zhou pretended to cough twice, trying to ease his own embarrassing situation, and then replied, "Well, it's like this. Since we didn't put all our efforts into building the dock after we arrived on Planet E, we only made sure that this dock has the capability to take off and land all tonnage spaceships, including the super-sized Express Vanguard. Moreover, it's just one dock that has this capability, which is the one we are in now."
"What? You mean to say that the other docks currently do not have the capability to take off and land spaceships?" Grace asked incredulously.
Old Zhou stammered, "Well, yes. Mainly because the electromagnetic rail supports of the other docks have not been completed and cannot assist the spaceships in having enough propulsion during takeoff, allowing the spaceships to enter the preset ultra-navigational orbit after takeoff, thereby ensuring that the spaceships can complete ultra-long distance space navigation in a safe state and return to the Vis Planet Alliance smoothly."
"In fact, our engineering ship originally carried a set of simple electromagnetic rail supports that could be used to guide the takeoff and landing of large spaceships. But the problem is that we didn't have time to maintain this equipment before putting it into this pioneering mission. As a result, when we arrived on Planet E and used this equipment to guide our two large spaceships to land, the equipment predictably malfunctioned. Although our two large spaceships finally landed on Planet E, the electromagnetic rail supports were also completely destroyed and could not be repaired."
After listening to Old Zhou's narration, Yungo scratched his head in dismay and pointed to the ground with his index finger, asking, "So you're saying that only the electromagnetic rail supports in this dock can now send the spaceship to the preset ultra-navigational orbit?"
Old Zhou helplessly spread his hands and replied, "That's right. In fact, the materials you delivered this time include important components for building the electromagnetic rail supports in other docks. But compared to completing the other electromagnetic rail supports, it takes less time to repair this set of electromagnetic rail supports. Moreover, even if we repair this set of electromagnetic rail supports now, we need to move the Express Vanguard first before we can use it. So the best choice now is to repair this dock and the Express Vanguard at the same time, and then let all of us evacuate from Planet E on this spaceship."
"And according to our precise calculations, as long as there are no other accidents later, we can basically repair this dock and the spaceship at the same time. So the only thing we have to do now is to desperately repair them as soon as possible. Besides, we don't have any better options!"
After learning about the potential great danger on Planet E, Yungo and Grace also let go of their previous doubts and speculations and quietly returned to the town. They tried to calm their increasingly anxious emotions and waited quietly for the spaceship and dock to be repaired. Of course, the calm that Yungo and Grace tried to show on the surface was just to better control their emotions to avoid inadvertently leaking the information about the potential great crisis on Planet E and causing mass panic among the people.
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For this reason, after returning to the town on Planet E, Yungo and Grace deliberately stayed away from the crowd even more. Even when participating in the town's food tasting events, they would always choose to sit alone in places far away from the crowd, avoiding being noticed by others that their emotions were off when communicating with others. Old Zhou, who knew the truth, understood the pressure in Yungo and Grace's hearts and the reasons for their actions. Therefore, he would naturally cover for the two people both openly and covertly, eliminating many people's doubts about their sudden unsociable behavior, thinking that the two were in a love relationship, which was why they always wanted to be alone.
Since everyone actively gave Yungo and Grace a reason to stay away from everyone, the two naturally accepted this setting without refusing. However, because this setting was very sensitive and would make the two feel a bit embarrassed while pretending, Grace didn't give Yungo a good face for playing the role of a lover. However, even though she was angry, Grace was very cooperative with Yungo's acting, even taking the initiative to hold Yungo's hand or arm in some occasions to prove to everyone that the two had a close relationship.
Yungo was made very shy by Grace's boldness from time to time, and even started to think about the possibility of pretending to be true? At the same time, Yungo also made a decision in his heart, that is, after they successfully left Planet E, he must get in touch with this beautiful woman beside him and see if there is a possibility for further development between the two.
In the following days, Yungo was still anxiously waiting for the news that the spaceship and dock were repaired. Fortunately, the emotional transformation towards Grace due to pretending to be lovers also helped Yungo relieve the pressure in his heart. Moreover, it also made Yungo gradually enjoy the daily life state of being with Grace during the long waiting process. However, good times are always short-lived. Especially on this planet with great potential dangers, the happiness that Yungo felt when being with Grace every day did not last long and was soon overwhelmed by a new round of disasters.
On this day, a new round of food festival began in the town on Planet E. Except for the personnel who were changing shifts, all the remaining members of the Broadsword Expeditionary Force and the crew of the Express Vanguard gathered in Old Zhou's restaurant, enjoying the various new foods developed by Aileen's chef team while singing and dancing. Yungo and Grace sat at a table outside the restaurant as usual, quietly enjoying today's first meal. However, because the two learned about the great crisis hidden on Planet E, their appetite has been greatly reduced since they returned to the town from the dock last time. Even though the table was full of rich foods, the two just casually picked some light food to taste a little, and then both looked at the dock in the distance with their water cups.
"Hey! Old Zhou, don't bring us any more food! You know we eat very little, isn't it a waste to bring us so much food?" Grace saw Old Zhou coming towards her table with a plate of fragrant grilled meat and immediately refused.
"Well, I don't want to! But Aileen said this is the fruit wood grilled meat newly developed by their chef team, and the taste is very delicious. Every table of guests must provide one, so I can only do it. It doesn't matter, if you can't eat, just leave the food here. I'll plate it up again later and bring it to those guys in the house." Old Zhou put down the food and replied.
After getting along with everyone for a while, Yungo and Grace already knew that although Old Zhou had a rough face, he was actually a very enthusiastic old good man and a henpecked husband who absolutely obeyed his wife's orders. Therefore, when Old Zhou explained that it was his wife Aileen who ordered him to continue serving, the two no longer complained about him, but each took a symbolic piece of grilled meat and chewed it carefully in their mouths.
It has to be said that the delicious food cooked by Aileen's chef team is indeed very delicious. Even in the world of Vis people, their cooking skills are definitely at the top level. But now, Yungo and Grace really have no appetite for delicious food. So, the two just politely expressed that the plate of grilled meat tastes great, and then they put their gaze on the dock in the distance again.
"Ah! I don't know when the spaceship and dock will be repaired?" Grace sighed first.
Knowing the worries of Yungo and Grace, Old Zhou naturally wouldn't be angry because of the two's perfunctory praise for this plate of grilled meat. He first forked a large piece of grilled meat into his mouth, and then said, "Well! Don't worry, according to the news I got this morning from the maintenance personnel who came back from the shift, the circuit system problems of the dock and spaceship have basically been checked. Next, the maintenance personnel just need to install all the parts, and then do a safety test to ensure that all systems can run normally, and we can start preparing for evacuation!"
Hearing this news, the expressions of Yungo and Grace obviously became more spirited. After all, this is the news they have been waiting for. So Yungo immediately asked excitedly, "Oh? That's great! So how long do they need to test before they can ensure the spaceship can take off smoothly?"
"It's hard to say. The electromagnetic rail support of the dock is relatively easy to test, and the complete power propulsion system on the left rear side of the spaceship is also easy to test. But your spaceship is too heavy, so it is estimated that it will take a lot of time to ensure that the lines and various systems of the entire spaceship can run well. Anyway, our maintenance work has entered the final stage. So, we just need to wait a little longer, and then we can evacuate!" Old Zhou replied.
"Yes! Anyway, we have been waiting for a long time, and it doesn't matter to wait a few more days. I just hope that no accidents will happen before that!" Although Grace's anxious mood improved after hearing Old Zhou's words, she still looked at the distant blue-purple sky worriedly and said.
In fact, Grace didn't want to pour cold water at this time, but after she and Yungo understood the real situation of Planet E, they heard from Old Zhou many times about the news of strong earthquakes happening in many places on Planet E. And during this period, there were two very strong earthquakes in a place more than twenty kilometers away from the town on Planet E.
Although for the Broadsword Expeditionary Force and the crew of the Express Vanguard who often transport materials to various expeditionary forces in space, encountering geological disasters on newly developed planets is not a strange thing, and everyone is used to it. However, after knowing the danger of Planet E and being unable to leave this planet in a short time, it is impossible for Yungo and Grace's mood to be like other people who are unaware of the situation, and they can still enjoy life here without any worries after the surrounding earthquakes.