I live in the Martian wilderness!

Just as he was overwhelmed with emotion at this weighty mission, Xuanjian's voice rang out:

"Captain, there is also a high-priority encrypted file in the data packet. File type: Rank Conferment Order."

"A decree of conferment of ranks?"

Before Gu Yu could react, a solemn and ceremonial video automatically covered his entire HUD screen.

He saw it; it was the familiar Auditorium No. 1.

I saw Zhang Jianguo's face, which was covered with wrinkles but still as majestic as a mountain.

I heard it, that command that struck like a thunderclap:

"—Republic, Space Force, Lieutenant Colonel!"

He saw Zhang Jianguo and dozens of officers behind him give him a solemn military salute, facing the screen and towards him.

Gu Yu's mind went blank.

He was startled awake when the video ended, and instinctively put his feet together and straightened his spine!

He gave the already finished video a firm military salute.

"Yes, Lieutenant Colonel Gu Yu! Obeying orders!"

This conferment order is not a simple reward.

While assigning him the unprecedented and arduous task of building a Mars airport, the motherland also bestowed upon him the power and honor commensurate with it!

The title "Lieutenant Colonel" signifies that he is officially recognized as a theater commander with independent decision-making authority in this "Mars Base Construction" war!

After the video finished playing, Gu Yu remained unsettled for a long time.

But then, another encrypted text message from the Fire Seed Squad was opened by Xuan.

Sender: Qin Manying.

The content is extremely concise, yet full of her unique domineering style.

"I'll give you 160 days."

"Fix the airport."

"We've come to take you home."

"Also... be careful, don't die."

Gu Yu couldn't help but chuckle as he looked at the slightly clumsy expression of concern in the last sentence.

Even though they were 60 million kilometers apart, he could imagine Qin Manying's furrowed brows as she wrote those words.

"Xuan," he said, closing the communication interface and trying to calm his overly agitated emotions, "If you were to use a few keywords to describe Colonel Qin Manying, what would you use?"

[Searching character files and related mission reports...]

Xuanjian's reply was as quick as reciting a dictionary: "Serious, decisive, swift and efficient, extremely self-disciplined, high-pressure commander..."

"According to the psychological model assessment, she is a typical 'Alpha' personality type, who pursues absolute control and victory."

Gu Yu nodded; all the words were correct.

In his memory, the name Qin Manying was always associated with the cold sweat on the training field, the inhuman harshness before missions, and that heroic face.

and also……

That day flashed uncontrollably through his mind.

In the centrifuge room, amidst the suffocating feeling of impending death, the moment those exceptionally soft lips covered mine...

"Captain... no, Lieutenant Colonel." Xuan Jian's voice suddenly rang out, interrupting his recollection. His tone was flat, but the content was chilling.

"Warning! Your heart rate has abnormally spiked from 75 BPM to 110 BPM in the past 10 seconds, and your cortisol and adrenaline levels have also increased significantly."

"Based on physiological model analysis, you are experiencing intense emotional fluctuations, accompanied by... a strong physiological stress response."

Gu Yu blushed and immediately sat up straight, forcibly banishing the erotic images from his mind.

"I suggest you adjust your mindset immediately, Lieutenant Colonel," Xuanjian continued, uttering the most lethal words in her clear, girlish voice.

"If you are unable to control yourself, according to the 'Regulations on the Protection of Astronauts' Mental Health,' you can take one benzodiazepine sedative to calm unnecessary physiological impulses."

Gu Yu's lips twitched... He had absolutely no secrets from Ai.

"Wow! I'm a professional astronaut! I can handle this physiological problem on my own; I don't need medication!"

"There are so many things to do, I don't have time to think about those trivial matters!"

To prove his professionalism, he immediately changed the subject, his voice regaining its usual calm and authoritative tone.

"Report on the latest progress of Project Shennong. Also, draw up a detailed workflow for the airport construction plan. Immediately!"

"Understood, Lieutenant Colonel."

On the holographic screen, it instantly switched back to the cold engineering blueprints.

"Report: The first inoculation of spirulina has been completed and it is currently in the logarithmic growth phase. The first harvest is expected to be carried out in 6 days."

The preliminary process for the "Panshi Airport" construction plan is as follows...

"Step 1: Site exploration and clearing. Estimated time: 3 Martian days."

"Ground-penetrating radar was used to conduct a detailed geological scan of the pre-selected area, and a flat site with a diameter of 60 meters was cleared using a 'land reclamation' bulldozer."

"Step 2: In-situ compaction and microwave sintering. Estimated time: 30 Martian days."

"Using the weight of the Tianshuo itself to repeatedly crush the surface, and activating the Shengong module, the 40m x 40m surface is microwave-sintered into a 20cm thick ceramic crust."

"Step 3: Beacon deployment and testing. Expected time: 1 Martian day."

"We will deploy and activate the microwave landing guidance beacon and perform signal calibration."

Xuanjian concluded, "The total construction period is approximately 20 Martian days. There is plenty of time, Lieutenant Colonel."

Looking at the meticulously planned engineering schedule, Gu Yu took a deep breath and banished all distracting thoughts.

"Very good. Let's start work tomorrow! The sooner it's finished, the sooner we can put our minds at ease."

"I do not recommend that you do that, Lieutenant Colonel."

"I strongly recommend that the start date of the [Rock Airport] construction project be postponed to 120 Martian days later."

Gu Yu was stunned: "Postponed? Why? We have plenty of time now."

"It is precisely because we have ample time that we should optimize our time management." Xuanjian projected two comparison images onto the screen.

One is a heat map of global dust activity on Mars.

"Based on historical weather models, there is a 73% chance that the Utopia Plain, where we are located, will experience at least one moderate dust storm in the next three months."

"If you build the airport now, the entire landing pad will be covered by 20-50 centimeters of quicksand."

"You will have to expend additional energy and time to perform a secondary cleanup."

The other one is a stress analysis diagram of material fatigue.

"At the same time, subjecting a huge ceramic structure to 100 cycles of high-intensity day-night temperature difference may cause thermal stress microcracks on its surface, affecting landing safety."

"The best approach would be to restart the project 30 days before the Long March 9 rocket is expected to arrive, ensuring the airport is ready for immediate use and in perfect condition."

"So, what else can we do in these 120 days?"

Xuanjian immediately switched the interface, displaying another equally grand blueprint, titled—[Shennong Project: Phase II Expansion].

"During these 120 days, our core task is not to build roads for others, but to first build our own 'granary' and 'city'."

"We can build partition walls for the 'Phase I Ecological Zone' and deploy large 'racetrack-style' cultivation ponds to increase the production of spirulina to a level sufficient to support the survival of 6 people."

"Or perhaps we could conduct a more in-depth exploration of the lava conduits to search for rare minerals..."

Looking at those promising construction plans, Gu Yu smiled.

Yes, he almost forgot that he wasn't an airport ground staff member, but a farmer.

"Alright, Xuan. I'll do as you say. We'll farm first, then build roads."