The engine roared, and the Swordfish slowly accelerated, gradually overtaking Expedition Two.
Ou Zhanpeng couldn't articulate his feelings. While there was a lingering reluctance of parting with his loved ones, the greater sense of duty for his nation weighed heavily upon him, fueling his resolve.
At this moment, he could only bury his worries and his reluctance in his heart, empty his mind, and prevent himself from thinking too much.
Expedition Two was gradually left behind by the Swordfish. Seeing that the timing was right, Ou Zhanpeng contacted the warship: "Bridge, I am ready to accelerate. Ten-second countdown... Nine... Eight... Three... Two... One, ignite!"
Pressing the ignition button, four heavy missiles simultaneously spewed powerful tail streams, and the Swordfish's speed increased at a visually discernible rate.
Each heavy missile was akin to a heavy rocket, possessing extremely potent acceleration capabilities, able to increase its speed to tens of kilometers per second in an extremely short period.
At first glance, it didn't seem like much, and with the considerable burden of the Swordfish, the four missiles working in unison couldn't add that much speed; three to five kilometers per second was the limit.
However, never underestimate those three to five kilometers. As the saying goes, many small amounts add up, and many fine points make a whole.
Three kilometers per second meant thirty in ten seconds, 180 in a minute, 10,800 kilometers in an hour, and a staggering 259,000 kilometers in a day, totaling nearly 8 million kilometers in a month!
And this was the significance of adding the four missiles.
Not long after the missiles ceased their operation, the Swordfish had already left Expedition Two far behind, visibly receding into the distance.
Ou Zhanpeng took a deep breath and let out a long, wistful sigh, thinking, "It's just me again!"
The Swordfish did not have a dedicated cockpit. The designers, referencing RV designs, integrated the living quarters with the control console.
Though small, it was complete with all necessary amenities, but it couldn't be described as comfortable or spacious.
Next, he would have to face a journey of several months alone in this cramped cabin, which felt like a kennel.
In the past, when he was alone, he never felt lonely or isolated. But this time was different. Having grown accustomed to someone caring for his well-being, suddenly being alone, he actually experienced what it meant to be lonely and empty!
"How utterly strange!" Ou Zhanpeng adamantly refused to admit his true feelings and began to ponder how to endure the coming months.
The simplest solution: sleep!
So he climbed into the long-absent sleep pod, using this method to escape his yearning.
However, waking up three times a day was too bothersome. Ou Zhanpeng felt he could sleep even longer.
Therefore, he adjusted the time to four days, then increased it to five days, and finally to seven days.
But seven days was the limit!
His body could still endure it, but the food in his stomach didn't allow for further extension. The first time he went into hibernation for seven days, he woke up with severe gastrointestinal discomfort and had diarrhea for half the day, requiring medication to resolve the issue.
Extending it further was possible, but the problem of food spoilage had to be addressed!
In fact, Ou Zhanpeng's situation was quite good because his body temperature dropped significantly during hibernation. Enduring seven days at 9 degrees Celsius; how many days could he last at 16 degrees?
As the old saying goes, nothing is impossible for a willing heart. After a period of careful consideration, Ou Zhanpeng actually came up with a solution that wasn't really a solution.
Food spoilage, you say? Just add more preservatives!
Another method was to wait until the ingested food was digested before entering the sleep pod. Food treated with stomach acid was less prone to spoilage.
However, this brought about another problem: the accumulation of too much food in the intestines could lead to bloating and gas.
While it might seem trivial, for Ou Zhanpeng in hibernation, it was a critical issue!
When awake, this problem was negligible; it was just a matter of passing gas.
But when in the sleep pod, especially in ultra-low temperatures of 9 degrees Celsius, bodily functions were greatly reduced, and the brain couldn't process bodily changes.
In other words, the gas in his abdomen had no way to be expelled and could only accumulate in his intestines.
The result was that each time he woke up, he felt an urgent pressure as if his stomach was about to burst.
In response, Ou Zhanpeng was also in despair and could only try to eat as little fiber-rich food as possible, depriving the intestinal bacteria of material to reduce gas production.
It was effective, but each awakening still brought intense bloating.
No wonder low-temperature hibernation could only last for 72 hours. It turned out it wasn't a technical limitation but a physiological one that prevented further extension!
The drawbacks of this technology were too apparent!
It wasn't that it couldn't be solved; eradicating all the bacteria in the intestines and setting off for space with a clean slate would be the solution.
But then again, intestinal flora is crucial for human health. Simply eliminating them might not solve the problem, but it would certainly cause bodily issues.
Unwilling to give up, Ou Zhanpeng soon devised a new method: not eating, but injecting high-energy nutrient solutions.
After contacting the ground via the second ship and confirming that high-energy nutrient solutions could coexist with hibernation agents, he simply mixed the two together and injected them during low-temperature sleep, finally breaking the seven-day barrier.
However, nutrient solutions couldn't replace eating. Ou Zhanpeng had to eat first each time he woke up, and only after digestion was nearly complete would he enter the sleep pod.
Since mastering this method, Ou Zhanpeng's hibernation time generally started from half a month. Each awakening brought him closer to Jupiter, giving him a sense of the world shrinking.
Another nap later, Jupiter was now clearly visible in the distance, and more importantly, the first ship was not far ahead!
This was an unexpected surprise. No one had imagined that the Swordfish would fly faster than expected; the first ship hadn't even reached Jupiter yet when Ou Zhanpeng caught up.
A mischievous grin spread across Ou Zhanpeng's face as he activated the communication system: "Swordfish calling Expedition One, please respond if received, please respond if received!"
"Expedition One, please respond if received!"
There was no response over the radio, but Ou Zhanpeng wasn't in a hurry.
The Swordfish had limited space and no room for high-power communication equipment. After leaving the second ship, it could only receive messages and couldn't actively communicate.
The lack of response at this moment was likely due to the great distance.
Also, Jupiter was now close, and its magnetic field was incredibly strong; perhaps it was also related to magnetic interference.
He called again, a second time, but still no reply.
This time, he started to feel uneasy.
On the third day, they were very close, but no matter how much Ou Zhanpeng called, the first ship remained silent.
Now Ou Zhanpeng couldn't contain himself, and a profound fear suddenly arose in his heart: what had happened to the first ship? Had he arrived too late?