In the No. 1 District Cockpit, 20 people stood in two rows.
Some looked bright-eyed and energetic, clearly having slept well the night before.
Others had huge dark circles under their eyes. No need to ask—they'd spent the past three days staying up late to work on the puzzle.
There was no need for an announcement. Just by looking at their faces, one could already guess how things had gone.
However, Zero's announcement took everyone by surprise.
"Sixteen passed, and four failed."
"Due to a change in plans, the Hope spacecraft will remain in High Earth Orbit around Mars for another day. Everyone should adjust their schedules and get enough rest, so you'll be ready to manually pilot the Hope spacecraft."
With that, Zero disappeared.
Strangely, Zero hadn't named anyone who failed.
Chen Yifeng, who had been confident of passing, wondered why the original schedule had suddenly been pushed back by a day.
Unfortunately, Zero hadn't explained anything.
The red sun rose, and the temperature on the Martian surface climbed rapidly.
Without a Spacesuit, they'd be cooked through in no time.
After going through disinfection and boarding the Space Shuttle, everyone took their seats.
Only after confirming three times that everyone was aboard did the cabin doors slowly close.
"Space Shuttle One is preparing for takeoff. All passengers, please remain seated."
The same scene was unfolding aboard another Space Shuttle four kilometers away.
The difference was that Space Shuttle Two would carry the other half of the expert team directly back to the Hope spacecraft in High Earth Orbit around Mars.
Space Shuttle One, meanwhile, would take its team of experts to a Meteor Crater 168 kilometers away.
The sun sank in the west, leaving a fiery red glow along the horizon. Its light fell across the flowing river, glittering