Gong Yiding's brows were tightly furrowed, a sense of inexplicable irritation washing over him.
Mechanical devices, though seemingly simple, were in reality incredibly complex, far beyond the grasp of anyone not professionally trained.
Although Guanghan Station boasted many talented individuals, they were primarily specialists in fields like mining, astronomy, and biochemistry. Expertise in mechanics was virtually nonexistent, compounded by a lack of objective conditions for mechanical research.
The more he thought about it, the more stifled he felt. If not for the live broadcast, Station Chief Gong would have cursed aloud.
Ou Zhanpeng, however, harbored entirely different thoughts. Mechanical devices were excellent; they could be submerged in disinfectant and sent back to Earth. If there were concerns about terrestrial disinfectants being ineffective against extraterrestrial microbes, high-temperature baking was also an excellent option.
In any case, there would be no more worries about microbial contamination.
The technician operating the cutting machine hesitated, "Station Chief, is it okay to continue dismantling? Isn't it fine to send it back to Earth as is?"
Others remained silent, but most of them displayed agreement in their eyes, including Ou Zhanpeng.
A complete robot, versus a disassembled one – naturally, the former held greater research value.
"Dismantle it!" Gong Yiding declared decisively. "What if this thing is an alien mecha?"
Damn, he was right. How could they have forgotten that possibility?
The group, trapped in their flawed reasoning, immediately regained clarity, their mindsets rapidly reversing, all siding with Gong Yiding.
Technological advancement had no direct correlation with physical size. Who knew if these aliens were a race of tiny beings no bigger than a flea?
Ou Zhanpeng quickly chimed in, "Be careful, if the machine is damaged, the aliens might still be alive!"
Xie Yu also offered his suggestion, "Let's break it down first, then dismantle it slowly!"
"Yes, that's the plan!" Gong Yiding agreed.
The second round of dismantling commenced. Several people gathered, meticulously searching for the robot's connecting structures. While striving to minimize damage to the mechanical integrity, they proceeded with disassembly.
The entire process was recorded, leaving no detail uncaptured.
Everyone had assumed that robots from outer space would be incredibly sophisticated. However, upon actually handling them, they discovered it was nothing of the sort. In just over ten minutes, two researchers with no prior experience managed to remove an arm.
Next came half a leg, another arm, and most importantly, the head.
Fearing that aliens might be hidden within the cranial casing, Gong Yiding paid exceptional attention to this head. However, after dismantling it, they found its internal structure to be excessively simple – just a hollow shell with a few sensor arrays.
That's it? The technology embodied by these alien robots was too rudimentary, wasn't it? Excluding the material itself, human technology could fully replicate it.
Ou Zhanpeng's initial fervent expectations were now replaced by profound disappointment.
A while later, with a sudden *snap*, a section of the chest armor lifted up.
Ou Zhanpeng no longer held any hope, but the moment Gong Yiding personally lifted the chest armor, everyone let out a collective gasp.
Beneath the chest plate was no longer a rigid metal structure, but a transparent fish tank, the size of a human head.
The tank was cracked, with only a small amount of liquid remaining. A peculiar fish, with a large head, small body, and short, thick limbs, lay sprawled in the tank, its engorged eyes vacant and lifeless.
"Is this an alien?" a voice exclaimed in surprise.
"Is this thing alive or dead?"
"Should we add some water to see if we can save it?"
Not only were those present in the cabin chattering, but the onlookers outside the cabin were in an uproar, each voice adding to the cacophony of speculation.
Even the dignitaries watching the live broadcast from the ground were stunned by this turn of events.
Ou Zhanpeng stared at the dead fish in the tank, his mind reeling. How could it be an aquatic intelligent being?
It wasn't that he was prejudiced against their species; it was just that nature operated according to objective laws. The reason humans had risen above so many other Earth creatures wasn't primarily their ability to create and use tools, but their mastery of fire!
It was no exaggeration to say that fire played a decisive role in human evolution. Without fire, humanity would not be where it is today.
Conversely, fire could not exist in water. Even if a transcendent species of fish learned to use tools and eventually evolved intelligence, without fire, they couldn't smelt metals, couldn't climb the technological tree, let alone break free from the oceans and venture into space.
Ling Xiao's voice suddenly piped up, "Ou Fei, Ou Fei, is that a fish? Is that a fish?"
"It should be," Ou Zhanpeng replied.
"No way?" Ling Xiao was utterly dismayed. "So, we were bullied by a bunch of fish?"
His exaggerated tone, combined with his contorted expression, made it seem as if he had just been violated by a school of alien fish.
Ou Zhanpeng grinned wryly. This fellow certainly had a peculiar and unconventional perspective.
Gong Yiding finally snapped out of his shock. He carefully examined the fish tank and discovered that it had no physical connection to the machinery surrounding it. Reaching in with both hands, he gently lifted the fish tank out of the chest cavity.
Immediately, a researcher brought a box. Gong Yiding carefully placed the fish tank inside and personally closed the lid. "Take this for research immediately. Notify me as soon as there are any results!"
"Understood!" the researcher replied, turning to leave.
Glancing at the remaining mechanical body, Gong Yiding waved his hand. "No need to dismantle the rest. Sterilize and package them, prepare them for return to Earth!"
Several researchers moved in unison, placing the disassembled parts into separate boxes, as if afraid they might spontaneously reassemble en route.
Gong Yiding designated a few individuals for the cleanup and then led everyone to another laboratory, where the motionless Iron Toad was already fixed on the dissection table.
Ou Zhanpeng and Xie Yu took the lead once more. They proceeded with direct laser cutting, quickly removing the outer armor. As expected, the results revealed precisely engineered mechanical structures.
With the previous experience, everyone directly opened the chest cavity. They also found a fish tank within the chest cavity. However, this one contained not a fish, but a creature that was one-third jellyfish, seven-tenths brain, yet possessed multiple tentacles.
It was semi-transparent.
This creature was far luckier than the dead fish. The fish tank was intact and filled with a watery liquid. It floated and bobbed in the water, twisting its body sluggishly.
Gong Yiding immediately assumed a defensive posture, dispatching a specialist to take the fish tank away. However, on second thought, he changed his mind, leaving the dissection of the Iron Toad midway and pushing the cart to transport the fish tank himself.
The dead alien could be studied however they pleased, but the living alien required utmost caution; accidents could happen all too easily.
The contents of the two fish tanks were entirely different, showing no resemblance whatsoever.
Ou Zhanpeng could no longer remain calm, uncertain whether these two bizarre creatures were of the same species.
Could they be male and female? But their appearances differed too greatly.
However, thinking about the vastness of the world and the endless wonders it held, Ou Zhanpeng vaguely recalled that on Earth, there was a species of octopus where the female could be two meters long, while the male was only a few centimeters, a difference of 40,000 times.
What was the disparity between these two aliens compared to that?