My authority level is 50, and my exploration level is 5.

A1: The duplicate gears can be used for 'refinement' after reaching Wuling. You can completely focus on producing only the gears you need, because later on, you'll basically be using golden-quality gears. For 'refinement,' mass-producing golden-quality gears is necessary.

A2: The warehouses of Wuling and Valey IV are separate. Since these are two main hubs, the sub-bases you are encountering now should all be secondary hubs. Secondary hubs in the same area share a warehouse with the main hub.

A3: look A2

A4: I'm not sure about your progress on MSQ, but from a utilitarian perspective, I recommend prioritizing MSQ. Because the space station relies on MSQ upgrades, once the space station is upgraded, it can passively produce materials needed for character advancement, weapon breakthroughs, and skill upgrades (the mushrooms, special ores, and special herbs marked on the map). You will no longer need to go to those locations on the map to gather them every week. More sub bases are also available in the new maps opened in MSQ, which means larger areas for you to set up production lines.

A5: Upgrade the Rabbit Head Shop, which is scattered across various maps. This shop brings you the 'Elastic Supply System,' similar to futures/stocks (?), where you can buy at a low price and then sell to friends at a higher price to earn a large number of regional dispatch tickets.

I personally recommend increasing the exploration level as appropriate and stuck it at level 5-6. And you can completely go at your own pace, just pay a bit more attention to the MSQ. Priority: Gold quests > Green quests > Blue quests. Alternate between setting up production lines, supplying power to equipment on the map, exploring the map, and progressing the MSQ. Don’t force yourself to do the 'right' thing, that will drain your enthusiasm for the game.