Reborn in 2011, I am the chief designer of aerospace.

Song Xingye paused, glanced at the outline again, and then calmly said:

"Since this is Mars, liquid water is likely a scarce resource. To survive, we don't need to be too particular—we'll just use urine as the raw material for electrolysis."

He raised the first finger:

"The first step is to manufacture the reaction vessel. Usually, you can find the hydraulic system pipelines by flipping over the chassis of the rover. It is best to remove one made of titanium alloy, which is corrosion-resistant and has high strength."

"The second step is to solve the temperature control problem. Find a polished aluminum plate, or simply remove the metal cover of the electronics box, and make a simple solar concentrator. Focus the sunlight onto the titanium alloy tube, using the high temperature to prevent the urine from freezing instantly inside the tube and stopping the reaction..."

"The third step is the electrode system. The anode needs to be oxidation-resistant, and the gold-plated pins in the rover's communication module are an excellent material; the cathode is more flexible, you can just remove a stainless steel bolt from the chassis and make do."

"Insert the two electrodes into the tube, and use a plastic sheet or something similar as a separator to prevent short circuits and damage..."

Mr. Liang listened attentively, nodding as he spoke, his smile deepening. "Your thinking is very clear. Now, how do we handle the circuit connections?"

Song Xingye replied without hesitation:

"For the circuit connection, you can select a relatively intact solar cell fragment, and then remove a section of heating resistance wire from the temperature control system and connect it in series for current limiting protection..."

"The final step, final assembly."

Song Xingye gestured with his hands in the air, mimicking the famous assembly motion.

"Connect the urine collection bag to the bottom of the titanium alloy tube, and seal the top with strong adhesive tape. Make a hole at the cathode position and insert a thin tube as an vent..."

"Then, using a hollow wire with the copper core stripped off, connect it from the anode to the helmet's emergency air intake, or simply insert it into the gap under the mask. This completes a simple oxygen generator..."

He explained the manufacturing process of the electrolysis device in a clear and logical manner, even analyzing which screw on the rover could be used and which board could be disassembled in great detail.

The four senior experts listened intently, as if they could really see an astronaut in dire straits kneeling in the red Martian dust, piecing together an oxygen generator from a pile of scrap metal.

Only after explaining the last step did Liang Jianping clapp his hands, seemingly still wanting to say more.

"Excellent, excellent! Your thinking is very rigorous, and the plan has basic feasibility. I think if there were ever a wilderness survival challenge held on Mars, you would definitely win a prize!"

Song Xingye smiled and asked at the opportune moment, "So, Mr. Liang, do I consider myself to have passed the test?"

Mr. Liang nodded. "Alright, you can go now. Go and call the next student in."

"Goodbye, Mr. Liang, Engineer Lei, Engineer Lin, and Engineer Chen."

Song Xingye walked out of the conference room and let out a long sigh of relief.

Although I benefited from the success of "The Martian," this intense mental exertion and improvisational performance was quite taxing, and I'm feeling completely exhausted now.

Furthermore, how can the foresight of a reborn person not be considered a form of strength?

Outside in the corridor, Guo Yanyang, who was ranked second, became nervous when he saw him come out: "Why did it take you so long to go in? Didn't Instructor Li say that everyone had 30 minutes? Were you being harassed by the old men?"

"How long have I been inside?" Song Xingye asked.

Guo Yanyang glanced at his watch. "It's at least 15 minutes overdue."

"Maybe the old men are just trying to make things difficult for me. Oh well, it's your turn now. Good luck."

Song Xingye smiled and patted him on the shoulder, then hummed a little tune happily as he returned to the multi-functional conference hall.

Seeing that he looked normal and even a little smug, Li Ang knew that the result must have been pretty good, so he walked over and said:

"Go back and rest. Since you were the first one to go in for the assessment, you deserve some preferential treatment. There are a lot of people taking this assessment; it'll probably take two and a half days to finish..."

As he spoke, he calculated the time, "So, we'll meet at 8:00 AM on August 5th. I'll pass the notification on to the others later."

In other words, Song Xingye can relax for the next two and a half days.

He grinned, said he had received it, winked at Chang Jian who was looking anxious not far away, and then happily slipped away.

……

In August, Jingzhou was scorching hot, and the air was filled with a dry, white light.

As Song Xingye walked out of the Dongyu Building, he felt somewhat at a loss.

He doesn't know many people here. He does have a few high school classmates studying here... but he's lost contact with them a long time ago.

So he could only wander aimlessly.

Not far away is Yuyuantan Park, where a group of young people are playing basketball in shorts and shirtless on the scorching hot court.

These young men in their early twenties ran tirelessly on the court under the scorching sun, vying for the basketball, occasionally letting out excited screams, or pushing and arguing over whether an action was a foul or whether a shot was valid.

Looking at the group of people's energetic appearance, a smile gradually appeared on Song Xingye's lips. He thought to himself, "Young people are just so energetic."

But then I thought...aren't I a young person myself? Why am I acting all old-fashioned?

What makes him different from these carefree, easygoing guys?

Song Xingye couldn't help but raise his palms, look at his hands, and recall.

Back in high school, I was a key player on the school basketball team and received love letters from a bunch of female fans. How come I'm so listless now?

I can't even remember the last time I touched a basketball.

The person has been reborn, but their heart doesn't seem to have fully recovered from that weary middle-aged body.

Song Xingye shook his head self-deprecatingly and strolled along the edge of the court, his gaze wandering aimlessly.

When I see a beautiful three-pointer, I can't help but clap and cheer.

My gaze fell on a tall, thin boy dribbling the ball alone in the corner of the basketball court.

His solitary figure formed a stark contrast to the energetic boys around him.

The boy stood at the free-throw line, raised his hand, and the basketball arced through the air before landing precisely in the hoop.

He repeated this process over and over again: dribbling, raising his hand, shooting, retrieving the ball, returning to the free-throw line...

Until the other player noticed a gaze, his shooting motion faltered slightly. The basketball flew out but didn't hit the rim; instead, it hit the hoop and bounced back.

The boy caught the ball steadily, turned around, and asked, "Is something wrong?"

His face was flushed from the strenuous exercise, fine beads of sweat dotted his nose, his thick eyebrows were furrowed in dissatisfaction, and his eyes—

Aloof, weary, yet ambitious, as if it could pierce through the scorching afternoon sun and penetrate the heart.

A very familiar face.

A friend I lost contact with for ten years in a previous life.

I never expected to run into you here.

Song Xingye was caught off guard. Just as he was about to greet them, he suddenly realized that he had not prepared a suitable opening line for their first meeting.

He suppressed the shock in his heart, awkwardly cleared his throat, and tried to make his voice sound more natural:

"Uh... hello, I'm here at Dongyu Group to attend their summer camp..."

He casually pointed to the other person's T-shirt and made a slightly awkward joke, "We... should be considered half-colleagues..."

The logo on the other person's T-shirt is 'CLTC'.

Space Force.

Although the opening remarks were a bit far-fetched, the other party didn't seem to find it inappropriate.

After putting down the basketball, the boy walked to a bench, took out a pack of tissues to wipe his sweat, and then took out his glasses and put them on.

His movements were slow and deliberate, exuding a scholarly air.

"Hello, my name is Wang Han, and I'm from the military aerospace force... what you outsiders commonly call the Space Force."

The other person extended their hand, and Song Xingye quickly shook it.

"Song Xingye, an intern in Dongyu Group's Star Project, is still under evaluation."

He introduced himself, then chatted casually, "Your shooting is pretty good. Why are you playing alone?"

"I was transferred to the Jingzhou headquarters to deliver a confidential document; I'm not actually working here. I don't have many friends, so I just borrowed a ball to play with."

Wang Han's answer was concise, without mentioning his transfer destination at all, demonstrating a strong sense of confidentiality.

Then, Wang Han added, "I've heard of Project Star; the elimination rate is quite high. Those who get in are all top-performing students!"

While the other person was speaking, Song Xingye observed them discreetly.

At this moment, Wang Han's eyes were clear and his smile was open and honest, showing no sign of the mad and terrified appearance he would later become.

"You flatter me. It's nothing special. It's just a platform to showcase my abilities. How well I do in the future depends on my hard work."

Song Xingye smiled, then took out his phone: "How about we add each other on QQ? We're both in this industry anyway, having more friends means more opportunities, and we might end up interacting frequently in the future?"

Wang Han did not refuse and readily gave Song Xingye a string of numbers, which Song Xingye then searched and added as a friend.

After exchanging a few brief pleasantries, they parted ways.

Watching Wang Han's retreating figure carrying the basketball, Song Xingye stood rooted to the spot. In a daze, that figure seemed to overlap with the terrified voice from his past life's memories:

"...I've found the secret the Russians hid in 'Salyut 7,' I'll send it to you right away, I want to deliver it to you personally..."