Chapter 44 Post-Apocalyptic Wasteland 7

Zhou Jue's voice, processed by a voice changer, sounded exceptionally cold, yet it struck the hearts of every survivor like a heavy hammer.

New home?

Everyone looked in the direction she was pointing, their gazes landing on the heavy alloy door with its industrial metallic feel. The blood-red biohazard symbol on the door, like a ferocious eye, silently stared at them.

This is a B4 level biosafety zone.

Even before the apocalypse, ordinary people knew what such a place meant: the highest level of danger, the most terrifying virus, and the strictest lockdown.

Calling this place home? What a joke!

"Boss... Boss..." A young survivor wearing glasses trembled like a leaf, "Is... is it more dangerous in here than outside?"

His words echoed the sentiments of everyone.

In the underground parking lot, although there were hundreds of zombies, they were, after all, a visible threat. But behind this tightly closed door lay a completely unknown terror.

"Danger?" Zhou Jue slowly turned around, his gaze sweeping over everyone beneath his helmet. "Outside, there's a horde of tens of thousands of zombies. Once the zombie blood on your bodies fades, your chances of survival here are zero. Come in with me, and at least you'll have a chance to live."

Her words contained no comfort, no encouragement, only the stark reality.

Wang Yong took a deep breath. He had witnessed too many miracles created by Zhou Jue and had developed an almost blind trust in her judgment.

He was the first to step forward, walked to Zhou Jue's side, and said in a deep voice, "The boss is right! Dying outside is a certainty, but going in at least offers a glimmer of hope! I'll go in with the boss!"

With Wang Yong's statement, the remaining people, though still filled with fear, were overcome by their will to survive. They watched as the zombies, drawn by the alarm clock, began to disperse and wander over, and dared not hesitate any longer.

"We...we'll go too!"

"We'll do as the boss says!"

Zhou Jue was satisfied with their reaction. What she needed was obedience, not questioning.

She walked to the massive alloy door and began to examine it closely. The door was made of an unknown composite metal, its surface smooth and seamless, without even a trace of rivets. Beside the door was an embedded electronic keypad lock and an iris scanner, the screen of which was currently black, clearly indicating that the power was off.

"Brother Tongzi, analyze this door."

[Scanning... The door is made of 'shape memory titanium alloy' mixed with high-strength ceramic fiber; conventional physical breaching methods are ineffective. The electronic lock system is connected to an independent internal power supply; the external power grid is disabled.]

Shape memory metal!

Zhou Jue's heart skipped a beat. He had actually encountered the target material for side quest 3 here. Moreover, judging from the size and thickness of this door, it probably weighed more than a ton.

It came to me without any effort at all.

"Can it be cracked?" she asked.

The access control system has a security level of A+. Cracking it using a 'data thief' method is estimated to take 17 hours, and there is a 73% probability of triggering its internal physical defense mechanisms.

Seventeen hours? The daylily buds would be cold by then.

Zhou Jue frowned.

She tried to take out a tactical crowbar from the Starry Box and pry at the crack in the door, but only a faint white mark was left, without even a spark.

"Boss, what do we do? The zombies are coming!" A survivor behind us whispered in terror.

In the distance, a dozen or so zombies, attracted by the commotion, were staggering over.

Although it's disguised as "zombie perfume," over time, with close contact with zombies, no one can guarantee that nothing will go wrong.

Time is passing by, second by second.

Just as Zhou Jue was about to use her last trump card and try to fight back with the Breaking Boundary Shovel, the system notification sounded in her mind without warning.

[Ding! Congratulations, host, for completing side quest 1: Collect samples of the original 'T-virus' strain and at least three variants.]

[Task Completion: Exceeded (Samples of the 'original strain', 'rapid-acting', 'sonic-lured', and 'corrosive' variants have been collected).]

[Task settlement in progress... Host detected exceeding task requirements, hidden benefit level upgraded!]

[Congratulations, host, you have received a hidden bonus: a universal interface key!]

[Item Description: 'Universal Interface Key', internally encapsulated with an ultra-miniature quantum computer, capable of forcibly cracking and gaining access to any electronic access control system with privileges below S level. Usage: Simply insert it into any data interface.]

Zhou Jue's eyes lit up instantly, and he scored a huge point!

This is like a pillow delivered just when you're about to fall asleep!

Without the slightest hesitation, a "key" that looked just like an ordinary USB flash drive but had light blue patterns flowing across its surface appeared in her hand.

She walked to the access control panel, found an inconspicuous maintenance data interface, and inserted the "universal interface key".

Buzz—

A brilliant blue light flashed at the tip of the key, instantly illuminating the previously dark access control screen.

Lines of complex code that ordinary people simply cannot understand are rapidly refreshing on the screen like a waterfall.

Connecting...

[An A+ level encrypted firewall was detected...]

[Initiating quantum algorithm injection...]

[Cracking progress: 10%...30%...70%...]

Every jump of the progress bar tugged at everyone's heartstrings.

The few zombies that had been wandering over were now almost within reach. Their empty eye sockets "looked" at the group of people who had exhaled the scent of their own kind, and they made confused "hoarse" sounds in their throats as they circled around them. One of them even pressed its rotting cheek against the back of a female survivor.

The female survivor's body was as stiff as a stone, tears welling up in her eyes, but she bit her lip tightly, not daring to make a sound.

[Cracking progress: 99%...]

[Ding! Permissions granted successfully!]

[B4-LEVEL BIOLOGICAL ISOLATION ZONE, welcome to use, highest privilege holder: Zhou Jue.]

"laugh--"

A slight pressure release sound was heard.

The heavy alloy door, seemingly capable of withstanding the apocalypse, slowly slid open to the side with a low, mechanical hum.

Behind the door, it wasn't the gloomy and terrifying place they had imagined.

Instead, it was a spotless white corridor, illuminated by soft white light as bright as day. A faint smell of disinfectant filled the air, so refreshing it almost brought tears to one's eyes.

It formed a completely different world from the dirty, stinking, and dark parking lot outside the door.

All the survivors were stunned.

"What are you waiting for? Go inside!"

Zhou Jue's low shout startled everyone. She grabbed the female survivor next to her who was almost paralyzed with fear and rushed inside first.

Wang Yong followed closely behind, leading the remaining men to scramble and crawl through the gate.

"Close the door!" Zhou Jue stood in front of the control panel inside the door and pressed the red emergency closure button without hesitation.

"Boom—"

The alloy gate activated again, slamming shut before the zombies outside could react, completely shutting out the darkness and despair.

The world is now peaceful.

"Huff... huff..."

The survivors collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. Overjoyed at surviving the ordeal, some of them even broke down in tears.

Wang Yong leaned against the cold wall, looking at the still upright black figure. The awe in his eyes had completely turned into fanatical worship.

Zhou Jue ignored their emotional outbursts. She was quickly scanning the information on the control panel, familiarizing herself with the basic situation of the shelter.

Power system, air circulation system, water purification system, defense system...

Each icon represents a modern, fully-equipped underground fortress. This place is practically the perfect paradise in the apocalypse!

However, at that moment, the lights in the entire shelter suddenly flickered.

Immediately afterwards, a glaring red warning window popped up on the main console screen.

[WARNING: The backup diesel generator is running out of fuel, with only 2% of its internal energy reserves remaining. A complete power outage is expected in 10 minutes.]