A long silence followed. Zhao Qiang put the barbecue back in his backpack and stopped chewing. The two held hands, facing each other, and quietly let their bodies float. Finally, Yang Shiyun gave the command: "Push me!" Zhao Qiang pushed forward with all his might, and Yang Shiyun's body shot out. At the same time, Zhao Qiang was also bounced backward, and the two separated.
Volume 2 [743] Power Supply
Weightlessness wasn't unusual for Zhao Qiang; he experienced it almost daily. However, that kind of weightlessness was different from the current one. When the anti-gravity device activated, the propulsion system also started, and the propulsion system had a balancing function, so Zhao Qiang couldn't experience that floating feeling at all. Now, he couldn't tell up or down at all. His hands and feet felt light and he couldn't find any foothold. After pushing Yang Shiyun out, the reaction force caused Zhao Qiang to quickly retreat until he slammed into the wall with a thud and his body bounced back. However, the space in front of him was too large, and Zhao Qiang didn't know where his body floated before he stopped due to exhaustion.
Zhao Qiang swung his arms and legs a few times, but couldn't grab anything. He tried to drift forward, but it was no use. Zhao Qiang could only smile bitterly. If he couldn't change this situation, he was afraid he would really be trapped here to die.
"Shiyun, Shiyun, what's going on?" Zhao Qiang initially didn't dare to disturb Yang Shiyun's sensing of that location, but after waiting for a while, he couldn't help but wonder if the push had done something to Yang Shiyun.
"I'm fine," Yang Shiyun replied loudly. "There's something here, I'm exploring it, and I haven't figured it out yet."
Zhao Qiang said, "That's good. I was afraid you would also be suspended in the void."
Yang Shiyun asked, "What about you?"
Zhao Qiang said, "I'm in the air and can't move anymore. Now everything depends on you."
Yang Shiyun said, "Don't worry, I will try my best. I'm sure this is my destination. Let me explore it thoroughly in a little while."
Zhao Qiang stopped disturbing Yang Shiyun and the two quietly went about their own business in the darkness. Zhao Qiang couldn't go anywhere, so he could only think wildly and strain his ears to try to find where Yang Shiyun was.
A snap sounded in the darkness. Zhao Qiang asked, "What happened?"
Yang Shiyun said, "It's nothing, I just found a button."
Zhao Qiang asked with some concern, "Are you sure that button can be pressed at will?"
Yang Shiyun giggled: "Brother, do you think we still have a choice in this situation? We'll just have to take whatever we can get our hands on. There's no worse situation than we are now. I'm not just talking about inside, the situation outside is the same."
Zhao Qiang laughed and said, "Yes, it's really bad that we're trapped underground. I just wanted to remind you to be careful."
Yang Shiyun said, "Okay, brother, I know." Then she made a few more clicks, clearly indicating that Yang Shiyun had found a few more buttons. She pressed them without thinking twice, but the darkness did not change, and the surroundings were quiet without the strange noises of the machine starting up. It seemed that the buttons were not working. Perhaps the spaceship had already lost all its functions when it landed.
Yang Shiyun's curses could be heard in the distance. It must be Xiao Wei hogging the control system. She had risked pressing so many buttons but received no response. Even Zhao Qiang would lose his temper. Was this damned flying saucer really useless? If so, there was no chance of using it to return to the ground.
"Xiao Wei, don't rush," Zhao Qiang finally spoke up to remind her, "This reckless behavior can't go on."
Yang Shiyun said, "Brother, I didn't mess around, but it didn't respond at all. Maybe the energy has already run out? Think about it, we didn't hear a sound. If the energy supply system was still working, there should be some sound or vibration."
Zhao Qiang said, "That's not necessarily true. Since they can create a weightless environment, it's not difficult for them to achieve complete silence and balance here. Listen to me, don't be impatient, tell me about the situation where you are."
Yang Shiyun said, "I've touched it all. It looks like a hemisphere floating in the air. The bottom is curved and smooth like a peeled egg. There should be a control panel on top with a comfortable chair. The control panel isn't big, no more than three meters. There's nothing else. I didn't even touch anything like a screen."
Zhao Qiang said, "I see. I think it should be the center of this spaceship. If this is really a spaceship, just think how advanced alien technology must be. Don't underestimate this small control panel; it might be able to control the entire spaceship. You were just touching a button on the control panel. Let's compare it and see how our Earthling spaceship would be designed."
Yang Shiyun said, "Naturally, it will have control over most of the switch functions and monitor all parts. It will definitely be a large server room with rows of screens."
Zhao Qiang said, "The idea is correct, but the aliens' screens may not need to be physical objects. Haven't you seen any science fiction movies?"
Yang Shiyun said, "I can understand this projection technology, and we can even make it ourselves if we study it, but it's not normal that so many switches don't respond when pressed."
Zhao Qiang said, "What if the switch you pressed malfunctioned because there was no power supply?"
Yang Shiyun said, "That's possible, but how do we know where the switch to control the main energy is? Maybe there's a machine room here. Or we can try to find it in another location. Once the energy system is turned on, everything will be fine."
Zhao Qiang said, "I don't think aliens' technology is that backward. Their energy systems might not need to be in a server room; they might be right there on your control panel, you just haven't found it yet."
Yang Shiyun emphasized, "I pressed all the buttons on the stage."
Zhao Qiang said, "No, the main switch definitely won't be in an obvious place. I think aliens are also intelligent beings. It would be a bad thing if they accidentally shut down the entire spaceship's energy supply. So the location should be very remote, like some corner."
Yang Shiyun said, "That makes sense. Let me look again."
Zhao Qiang stopped offering any reminders and could only lie there and wait. He didn't know how much time had passed, but after Yang Shiyun had probably fumbled with the control panel twice more, he finally heard her voice, "This is probably it."
Zhao Qiang perked up, and Yang Shiyun said, "I'm so dizzy. It's in a small space under the chair. Who would notice it? And it's just a protrusion. I don't know if it's the one, and I don't know how to open it."
Zhao Qiang asked, "Can't you press it?"
Yang Shiyun said, "I've tried it, but there's no sign of it loosening."
Zhao Qiang said, "Then pull it upwards."
Yang Shiyun said, "It's too slippery and too short; I can't hold it at all."
Zhao Qiang said, "Then look for other locations; there might be other mechanisms there."
Yang Shiyun said, "I touched everything except the chairs."
Zhao Qiang said, "Look, there are still chairs we haven't touched yet. Touch them all."
Yang Shiyun exclaimed, "No way! This chair doesn't even have armrests. I really don't know what aliens were thinking. How can it be comfortable to sit like this? Hey, there are a few protrusions on the chair legs. These can be pressed!"
Zhao Qiang reminded Yang Shiyun, "Don't rush to press it. Think carefully first, whether there are any requirements regarding the order or anything like that."
Yang Shiyun said, "Yes, there are three in total, and there are several ways to arrange them, but which one is the correct one."
Zhao Qiang said, "I don't know either. We haven't received any hints before."
Yang Shiyun said, "So, what you said is the same as not saying anything at all."
Zhao Qiang said, "You can't say that. At least you have a better understanding now. Of course, it's possible that the three switches on the chair leg are the main switch and have nothing to do with the protrusion below. Anyway, just calm down and let your intuition guide you."
Yang Shiyun hesitated: "Will this work?" It felt a bit too frivolous.
Zhao Qiang said, "Trust me, you can do it." You have to understand that getting to this point was entirely based on intuition, so now you can only continue to follow your instincts.
Yang Shiyun said, "Okay, I'll give it a try."
Yang Shiyun just pressed whatever came to mind, which was completely a matter of luck. But trying it under these circumstances wouldn't hurt, it was better than doing nothing and getting stuck here.
With a click, Zhao Qiang heard Yang Shiyun press a button. Another click followed, indicating the second button had been pressed. Because of the darkness, Zhao Qiang couldn't see the order in which Yang Shiyun pressed the buttons. With a final click, Yang Shiyun pressed the third button. Silence remained. Yang Shiyun whispered, "Why isn't there any response? Did I press the wrong button? I really pressed it based on my intuition."
Zhao Qiang said, "Feel the protrusion under the chair; it's movable."
Yang Shiyun said, "Right, right, I almost forgot. Let me touch it... God, it really moved! I didn't hear any strange noises. Let me open it too..." As Yang Shiyun spoke, she pressed the protrusion down. Zhao Qiang felt a flash of bright light in front of his eyes, which startled him. He was in a defensive posture in mid-air, but he immediately relaxed his hands and feet because everything was bright. The sudden light from the lights was too much for his eyes to handle.
Yang Shiyun exclaimed in surprise, "I'm amazing! I found the power source!"
Zhao Qiang had no time to respond to Yang Shiyun's cheers. After a brief period of blindness, his eyes widened immediately as he looked around the space. It wasn't the high-tech scene he had imagined. On the contrary, it was empty except for the semi-circular egg not far above Zhao Qiang's head, where Yang Shiyun was fiddling with things.
"No way, there's nothing there?" Yang Shiyun also observed the situation inside the UFO. It was an incredibly huge empty hall, with nothing except for the lighting sources embedded in the walls.
Zhao Qiang made a tough decision: "Press all the buttons on the control panel in order."
Yang Shiyun was a little worried. "Oh, what if I press something wrong? The power is on now, and it might activate equipment that could be harmful to us." Yang Shiyun was actually more cautious than Zhao Qiang now.
Zhao Qiang said, "We have to give it a try. Why don't you find a way to pull me up, and I'll take a look before pressing it?"
Yang Shiyun checked the distance; there were at least twenty meters between her and Zhao Qiang. Perhaps she could use a jump to get to Zhao Qiang's side, but how could the two of them get back to that floating control panel?
Volume 2 [744] begins
Zhao Qiang observed their positions and said, "You jump over here, give me a push, and then we'll both go back to the wall, find the location of the control panel in the middle, and then jump over."
Yang Shiyun said, "That's a good idea." She had gotten through it this way before.
Zhao Qiang said, "But you have to be careful. We only have one chance, and we must succeed."
Yang Shiyun said, "Don't worry, my brain isn't ordinary either; I guarantee it will calculate accurately."
Yang Shiyun stood on the control panel, aimed at the position, and then jumped off the control panel towards Zhao Qiang. Zhao Qiang opened his arms to welcome Yang Shiyun. Their bodies touched lightly, and Zhao Qiang was carried backward by Yang Shiyun. However, the momentum was almost exhausted at this point, and the two moved slowly. Finally, they stopped when they were less than four meters away from the wall.
Yang Shiyun smiled wryly: "You're too heavy. I've already jumped with all my might."
Zhao Qiang said, "Don't worry, we have another way." As he spoke, Zhao Qiang activated his energy to decompose the wall, and a large hole immediately appeared in the wall. It was still pitch black outside, but the light inside could not escape. It was a strange design.
Zhao Qiang took off his pants and then said to Yang Shiyun, "Take off your pants too."
Yang Shiyun was startled: "What do you want to do? Do you want to try that kind of thing in a weightless environment...?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Of course I'm just borrowing your pants. What else could I be doing at a time like this? Thinking nonsense."
Yang Shiyun blushed and said, "I don't have any other clothes underneath."
Zhao Qiang said, "What are you afraid of when it's just the two of us?"
Yang Shiyun awkwardly took off her pants, revealing that she was only wearing underwear underneath. She bent over, covering her private parts, her face burning red. Zhao Qiang didn't look at her much, took the pants and tied one of his own pant legs together, then tied his clothes as well. He held one end himself and handed the other end to Yang Shiyun, saying, "Here you go. In a bit, you can kick me so I can go back to the cave entrance."
At this moment, Yang Shiyun naturally understood Zhao Qiang's intention. She pushed Zhao Qiang hard, and the two quickly separated. Zhao Qiang moved outward and Yang Shiyun moved inward. The drawstring connecting the two was quickly tightened, and the two opposing forces canceled each other out, finally pulling them closer to the middle. However, Zhao Qiang was already close to the cave entrance. He stretched out his foot and hooked it on the cave wall, using the force to pull Yang Shiyun in this direction. The two finally escaped the weightless space.
Back in the outside space, the two felt somewhat unwell, as if returning from water to land, swaying and staggering. Looking back at the space behind the wall, they could see nothing but darkness. Were the lights off? Peeking their heads into the hole, they discovered everything was normal, except that the light hadn't escaped beyond the wall's boundaries, and of course, outside light couldn't get in either. How strange! This technology couldn't possibly exist on Earth.
Yang Shiyun said, "We're out now. What's next? Jump back in?"
Zhao Qiang considered for a moment: "Let's be fully prepared before going in. Anyway, the power is already on inside, so we won't be afraid of the dark when we go in."
Yang Shiyun said, "Okay, there is text on the console, but we can't decipher it."
Zhao Qiang said, "Give us time, and we'll figure it out eventually."
Yang Shiyun said, "Why is there nothing here? Even if we figure it out, what's the use?"
Zhao Qiang said, "It's not like there's nothing at all. After all, we haven't searched the whole place yet. The area we just went into only occupies one-third of the UFO's height, which means there's still space below that hall. It's just that we haven't activated it yet. Of course, maybe there's a power system underneath, but we'll have to check it out to be sure."
The two returned along the same route, exited the UFO, met up with Yang Shiqi, rested for a while, and then headed back. This place was desolate, and even if they wanted to make preparations, it wasn't here. Zhao Qiang needed a long rope, but there was no nylon rope here. Zhao Qiang planned to go back and twist a bark rope, as long as it could support the weight of the two of them.
Donna, all alone guarding the cave, was overjoyed to see Zhao Qiang and the other two return. Dragging her injured foot, she came out to greet them, "How was it? Did you find anything this time?"
Yang Shiyun said, "Yes, we've entered the UFO, but it's completely empty inside, and it's a weightless environment. We almost got trapped inside, but thankfully, we've found the power switch for the lights inside the UFO."
Yang Shiyun didn't take the button seriously; in her eyes, it was just a light switch because it didn't do anything other than turn on the light.
Donna reassured everyone, "Take it one step at a time, there's no rush."
Zhao Qiang said, "Let's rest for a bit first, and then continue with the preparations."
After walking for four hours, Yang Shiyun and Yang Shiqi were really tired, with blisters on their feet. So the three of them lay down in the haystack to rest. It wasn't until half a day later that Zhao Qiang woke up. At this time, the two Yang sisters were still asleep, and Donna was sitting next to Zhao Qiang watching him.
“I’ve grilled the rest of the meat,” Donna said.
Zhao Qiang said, "Thank you for your hard work."
Donna said, "It's not hard work, but we don't have much wood left."
Zhao Qiang said, "I'll go out and look for it right away."
Donna said, "Okay, I'll guard the cave entrance."
Without disturbing the two sisters who were still fast asleep, Zhao Qiang left the cave. This time, he needed to make preparations with a purpose, so while searching for dry wood, he mainly paid attention to the vines between the trees. However, there didn't seem to be any such vine plants that could be used to make ropes in this underground world. In the end, Zhao Qiang decided to peel the bark and twist it into ropes. It would be slower, but that was the only way.