Space Planting Unit Deployment

Landing on the moon was only the first step.

For the researchers who had sent the astronauts to the moon, what truly mattered was what came after they got there.

After loading part of the lunar module's supplies onto the rover, Nie Han, seated in the driver's seat, skillfully started the engine and drove Liu Zhengwen, who sat beside her, toward the nearest crater from the landing site.

Gazing at the overlapping craters in the distance, then looking back at that azure planet, Liu Zhengwen could not help sighing softly.

"This moon really is desolate."

"Yeah."

The two did not speak much more along the way.

It was not until the rover stopped beside a crater and Liu Zhengwen got out that he looked around and spotted a pole of some unknown material standing conspicuously in an open patch near the crater.

"That is..."

"Probably an American flagpole. I heard their early flags were woven from nylon, and most of them were damaged by cosmic radiation. Only the poles are probably left... Turn on the activity recorder."

Understanding dawned on Liu Zhengwen's face.

Of course, he understood the damage cosmic radiation could inflict on untreated nylon. After all, his academic qualifications were probably the highest among the three astronauts. And it was likely not only the nylon that had been eroded—under the solar wind's radiation, even that pole had probably become brittle by now.

"It's already on. I turned it on when we left the lander."

Nie Han nodded as she pulled out a flag from the rover, her back turned to him.

"Is that so? Good."

Watching Nie Han carry the flagpole on her shoulder and slowly walk toward the center of the crater, Liu Zhengwen spoke.

"What about ours?"

"Of course we learned from their mistakes. As long