Marvel: Starting with Iron Man in the Apocalypse

After resolving the water crisis and unexpectedly creating "energy water," the living conditions at the Armory base improved significantly. The faint energy emanating from the void crystal not only enhanced the water's purification effect but also seemed to subtly influence those who drank it. Chen Haotian and Tony both felt their fatigue from the past few days dissipate considerably, their spirits were higher, and even their mental sharpness seemed to have improved slightly. This was undoubtedly a positive sign, but it also made Chen Haotian more cautious about the unknown void energy.

"The water problem is temporarily solved, but our understanding of this world is still far from complete." Chen Haotian stood at the lookout point on the second floor of the armory, looking at the desolate city skyline outside, and said to Tony, "Communications are key. If we can repair the military's communication equipment, we might be able to obtain more information about this disaster, or even... find other survivors."

Tony, sipping a glass of "energy water" that glowed with a pale blue light, nodded upon hearing this. His scientist and inventor instincts intrigued him, fueling his interest in challenging technical problems. "The communication equipment is in the communications room on the east side of the ground floor. I had a quick look at it yesterday; the main body of the equipment seems relatively intact, but the power supply and external antennas are a problem. Besides, nobody knows if any signal towers are still operational."

"We have to give it a try." Chen Haotian turned around, his gaze falling on the incredibly efficient water purification equipment that Tony had modified in the corner. "Just like this, how will we know it won't work if we don't try? Maybe we can create some surprises."

The two got right to work. Upon returning to the communications room, it was even more disorganized than during their previous exploration, with various devices and cables scattered everywhere, covered in a thick layer of dust. The main control console was a rather old-fashioned but robustly constructed military-grade radio communication system, encompassing multiple frequency bands including shortwave and VHF.

Tony blew away the dust from the control panel, revealing a complex array of buttons and indicator lights. "Old-fashioned, but solidly built. Military equipment like this has a high degree of design redundancy; as long as the core components aren't damaged, it's highly likely to be repairable." As he spoke, he skillfully opened the side access panel to inspect the internal circuit boards and components.

"I'll handle the power system," Chen Haotian replied. He walked to the corner of the room, where there was a separate backup battery pack, clearly designed specifically for the communication equipment. He checked the batteries; fortunately, they were well-sealed and the electrolyte hadn't dried out, but the power was almost depleted. "They need charging. We can temporarily connect the power line we previously drew from the generator. Using the power stabilized by the Void Crystal should charge them faster and more stably."

Tony didn't look up, focused on the multimeter in his hand, testing each component. "Good idea. I've checked the antenna system. The main antenna is on the roof, the feed line is partially damaged, but the main structure is intact. I need some coaxial cable and connectors to repair it; the armory should have some replacements."

Over the next few hours, the two worked together, immersed in the highly technical repair work. Tony demonstrated his top-notch electronic engineering skills, skillfully repairing several burnt-out modules and faulty circuits inside the main control panel using extremely limited materials—even disassembling parts from other discarded equipment—despite the lack of specialized tools and replacement components. His movements were precise and swift, as if he had a state-of-the-art repair manual built into his brain.

Chen Haotian was in charge of energy and external connections. He connected the temporary power line to the battery pack and used a virtual crystal to "filter" and "enhance" the current, resulting in a charging efficiency that far exceeded expectations. Meanwhile, based on Tony's list, he found usable coaxial cables and connectors in the warehouse and risked climbing onto the armory roof to replace the damaged feeder and clear debris from the main antenna.

Sweat soaked their clothes, and dust covered their faces, but neither of them cared. A strange tacit understanding was established silently. One was a "theorist" relying on extraordinary knowledge and runic perception, and the other was a "practitioner" relying on top scientific literacy and hands-on skills. Their cooperation was surprisingly smooth.

"Alright, the internal wiring is fixed. How's the power?" Tony asked, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"The battery level has reached the starting threshold; we can try at any time." Chen Haotian checked the instrument panel and nodded.

Tony took a deep breath and pressed the main power switch on the control panel. A low hum of electricity filled the air, and several indicator lights on the control panel blinked stubbornly a few times before illuminating steadily with a green light.

"Power's on!" Tony perked up, his hands flying across the control panel, adjusting the various frequencies and power outputs. "Let's try the shortwave band first, it has the longest transmission distance, hopefully we can pick up something."

Chen Haotian listened intently to the sounds coming from the speakers. At first, there was only crackling white noise and occasional electrical static, as if the whole world consisted only of the two of them and this meaningless noise.

Tony patiently adjusted the knob, scanning different frequencies. Time ticked by, and all he heard was noise. Hope seemed to be slowly fading away with the static of the radio waves.

"Looks like we're really all alone?" Tony muttered somewhat resentfully, his fingers still scanning.

Just then, as the frequency pointer passed through a specific band, the noise inside the speaker suddenly underwent a very subtle change.

"...Buzz...Any...Received...Please respond...Buzz...We...Insist...No..."

The sound was intermittent and so faint that it seemed it could be swallowed up by the noise at any moment, but it was definitely a human voice! And it sounded like a cry for help!

Tony and Chen Haotian both perked up. Tony immediately stabilized the frequency and tried to make fine adjustments to improve the signal clarity. Chen Haotian quickly adjusted the power output, injecting more energy into the transmitting unit.

"...SOS... Repeat... This is... Delta Research Station... We are under siege by... a large number of infected... Supplies are scarce... Heavy casualties... Location... West of the city... Underground of the old biotechnology park... Anyone who receives this signal... please help us... Zzz..."

The signal was still very unstable, with a lot of interference, but the key information could be barely made out—a team calling themselves the "Delta Research Station" was located underground in the old biotechnology park in the west of the city, and was being besieged by a large number of zombies. They were in a critical situation and were calling for help.

"Delta Research Station? Biotechnology Park?" Tony looked at Chen Haotian, his eyes questioning. He wasn't familiar with the geography and organizational names of this world.

Chen Haotian frowned slightly, quickly searching through the memories of the original owner that had been integrated into his mind, as well as the scattered information he had collected since entering this world. "The old biotechnology park... I remember it being marked on the map, on the other side of the city, more than twenty kilometers away from here as the crow flies, separated by most of the occupied zone. As for the Delta Research Station... I've never heard of it, but it sounds like a professional research institution."

"Research institutions..." Tony caught the key phrase, his eyes sharpening. "In a time like this, a research institution that can still send out distress signals likely possesses far more information than ordinary survivors. Information about the virus, about the origin of this disaster..."

Chen Haotian nodded, a shrewd smile playing on his lips. "That's right. Moreover, they call themselves a 'research station,' so they likely possess professional research equipment and personnel. This could be extremely valuable for our understanding of viruses in this world, and even for analyzing the samples we bring back."

Risk and opportunity coexist. The more than twenty kilometers of occupied territory meant unknown dangers and a difficult journey. But the knowledge and potential value possessed by a professional research team were equally immense.

"What do you think?" Tony asked, his tone carrying a hint that he himself was unaware of, that he regarded Chen Haotian as an equal decision-making partner.

Chen Haotian didn't answer immediately. He walked to the control panel, looking at the still faint but persistent distress signal, and lightly tapped his fingers on the table. His highly intelligent brain worked at lightning speed, weighing the pros and cons and calculating various possibilities.

"Save them." After a moment, he said decisively, his eyes flashing with a calm and resolute light. "But we need a plan. We need to know more specifics: how many of them are left, their specific defensive weaknesses, and... just how valuable they are to be rescued."

He looked at Tony, a roguish, slightly cynical yet confident smile on his face. "After all, we don't have many 'chips' left, and we can't waste them on worthless investments, can we? Let's try to establish stable communications and gather more information first. Then... we'll decide how to proceed with this rescue operation."