Chapter 131 Both teams entered the ruins of the restricted area.

This man was none other than Ning Jinli's uncle, Ning Hai.

After the factory murder, Ning Hai's conspiracy fell apart. As the mastermind behind it all, he fled to the United States across the ocean overnight without any preparation.

The reason Ning Hai fled to the United States was not only because the United States is the world's number one superpower in terms of comprehensive national strength, but also because Ning Hai studied physics in his youth and had studied in the United States for many years.

The Professor Bruce he mentioned was his mentor during his studies abroad, and the two had a very good relationship.

After landing in Country M, Ning Hai immediately sought help from Professor Bruce.

Professor Bruce is no longer employed at the university; instead, he has joined a science and technology exploration department in Country M and is conducting a secret research project.

After learning about Ning Hai's situation, Bruce knew that he had nowhere else to go. Moreover, Ning Hai had been one of his most capable students, and Bruce had felt great regret years ago that Ning Hai had not entered the field of physics research.

Therefore, Bruce considered that he had made a new discovery in his secret research project that needed to be verified, and that Ning Hai would be of good use, so he assigned Ning Hai a task.

Professor Bruce promised Ning Hai that as long as the mission was successfully completed, he would apply for special asylum for Ning Hai in the United States. In the future, Ning Hai would not only have citizenship in the United States, but also be able to work in a research department.

This was a very tempting offer for Ning Hai, and besides, he had no other choice.

So Ning Hai agreed, and together with the mercenary team that Professor Bruce had found, they traveled all the way from North America to the Kurtenberg nuclear power plant site in Eastern Europe.

Ning Hai smoked a cigarette, his mind replaying past events, his feelings a jumbled mess.

If it weren't for that incident, he wouldn't have ended up in this situation. He would never be able to go back to China, and he doesn't know when he'll be able to see his wife and daughter again.

There are so many businesses in the Ning family; I wonder if his wife and daughter can handle the heavy burden of commerce.

The more he thought about it, the stronger his hatred for Ning Jinli became.

It's all that little bastard's fault. If we had just honestly sold the factory to him in the first place, things would have been much better.

"Damn it..." Ning Hai stubbed out his half-smoked cigarette on the ground.

Suddenly, he noticed that the mercenary captain in front of him had somehow drawn his military dagger and was staring intently at him.

“You…” Ning Hai froze.

The mercenary captain suddenly swung his knife.

Whoosh!

Before Ning Hai could react, the tip of the knife pierced a section of broken wall behind his shoulder, and then it was forcefully flicked away.

Whoosh—

From the twisted vines, a venomous snake thicker than an arm flew out.

The venomous snake had its belly pierced by the dagger and fell to the ground, twisted into a pretzel shape.

The mercenary captain swung his knife a few more times, cutting the snake into pieces before finally stopping.

Ning Hai was startled twice in just a few seconds. His face turned pale and his whole body trembled. His pupils shrank to the size of pinpoints as he stared intently at the venomous snake.

“Mr. Ning, no one has come here for a very long time,” the mercenary captain said, wiping his dagger. “This place is off-limits to humans, but it’s now a paradise for animals. You must be careful.”

Ning Hai stood up shakily, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. "I understand, let's continue."

At that moment, a vibration came from my waist.

Ning Hai fumbled around for a moment, then pulled out a cell phone and answered, "Professor, we are about to enter the town of Kutcherberg."

An elderly voice came from the phone, speaking fluent Chinese, "Luckily I called in time, otherwise there would have been no signal once you went inside."

"Is there anything you need to tell me?" Ning Hai asked.

The other party said, "I just received news that there is another group of people inside the nuclear power plant site."

Ning Hai frowned. "Who is it?"

"It seems to be a few experts invited from your country. They went in a few days ago and haven't come out yet."

"Huh? Do they know about that thing too?"

"No, that thing is only known to my project team members and you. As far as I know, they were there to help with the survey and research. Be careful to avoid them."

"Yes, Professor."

After making the call, Ning Hai told the mercenaries about the situation.

The mercenaries frowned. They were already on an unauthorized infiltration mission, requiring extra caution. Now, they also had to avoid other teams, which would likely prolong the mission significantly.

Ning Hai then checked the radiation monitoring instrument. The radiation level where he was was still within a safe range, but after taking just a few steps forward, the value began to rise significantly.

He put on a heavy mask and helmet, carefully checked all his equipment to make sure nothing was missing, and then continued with the mercenary squad toward the center of the nuclear power plant explosion site.

Boom...

Thunder rumbled through the dark clouds, and lightning flashed intermittently within them.

A thick fog then spread out, slowly engulfing the group of people...

...

A few hours later, Ning Jinli arrived at a temporary airstrip outside the town of Kutcherburg.

As soon as she got off the plane, she saw Shangguan Ying waiting for her there.

Several fully armed men stood behind her.

"Jinli, I'm sorry to have brought you here in such a hurry," Shangguan Ying said solemnly. "Please get in the car with me first."

"good."

After Ning Jinli and Shangguan Ying got into the car next to them, they saw that the interior had been modified.

There were not only several computers and some unfamiliar equipment, but also several technicians.

The technician nodded in acknowledgment and then got out of the car.

Shangguan Ying closed the car door and handed Ning Jinli a set of clothes.

"This is a specially made combat uniform for easy movement. You should change into it quickly."

Ning Jinli did as instructed without hesitation.

While she was changing clothes, Shangguan Ying explained, "Not long ago, several nuclear physics scholars and experts from our country were invited by the local authorities to help them survey the situation at the Kutcherberg Nuclear Power Plant and conduct a professional assessment to see the overall restoration status of this exclusion zone."

"There shouldn't have been any danger, but we didn't expect to encounter a collapse after entering the nuclear power plant ruins."

“Our experts are all trapped inside, so we invited you here to assist in the rescue.”

Hearing this, Ning Jinli was puzzled.

"Sister Ying, I just saw you brought several people with you. They must all be special forces level, right? Isn't it enough to let the most professional ones handle rescue operations?"

“Not enough,” Shangguan Ying shook her head. “The key is that the trapped people are located in the center of the nuclear power plant ruins, where there is still a possibility of nuclear material leakage or even explosion. I know that the Heavenly Profound Heart Technique you practice can convert nuclear radiation into the energy you need for your practice. Nuclear radiation that would endanger the lives of ordinary people cannot harm you at all. Therefore, with your assistance, we can be more secure. It’s like having an extra layer of insurance.”

"I see. So, what exactly do I need to do?"

"Just stick with the rescue team. Your role is just in case." Shangguan Ying's expression was extremely serious. "If, and I mean if, a serious situation like a nuclear leak or even an explosion really occurs, don't worry about the rescue team. Use everything you can to bring our trapped experts out, understand?"

Ning Jinli was startled and turned to look out the car window.

Those special forces soldiers, standing ready for battle, all had Chinese faces just like her.

Moreover, the local country is not equipped with those kinds of equipment.

Clearly, they were all people dispatched from within China.

It seems they've even risked their lives for this rescue operation.

"Jinli," Shangguan Ying emphasized again, "have you remembered everything I said?"

Ning Jinli snapped out of her daze. "Hmm... I've got it."

Not long after, she changed her clothes and boots.

The specially made combat uniform fit her perfectly, making her, who was already tall, look even more heroic and dashing.

Because she doesn't need radiation protection, she doesn't have to wear a protective suit like the rescue team members, which allows her to move around more freely.

"Alright, let's go!" the rescue team leader ordered.

Ning Jinli then got into another mountain jeep with them and quickly left the airport.

Shangguan Ying watched the taillights disappear into the night, then turned and got into the car she had just been in. Staring at the moving satellite tracking signal cursor on the screen, she murmured to herself, "You all must... you absolutely must come back safely."

Midnight.

The mountain jeep followed a route built by local officials for surveying purposes and arrived at the site of the nuclear power plant ruins.

It was pitch black all around.

Occasionally, lightning would flash across the sky, illuminating the vast ruins in an instant. The lush vegetation growing rampantly within the ruins resembled ghostly shadows flickering in the night.

The occasional sounds of wild animals in the distance added to the eeriness and terror of this forbidden area.

"Miss Ning, do you feel unwell anywhere?" the rescue team leader asked in a low voice, holding his gun.

Ning Jinli shook her head. "No, I'm not afraid of nuclear radiation."

The captain smiled and said, "We all know that. General Shangguan has already told us. I really envy you for having such a special physique. But I want to ask you, do you have any psychological burden or pressure? The environment here might not be so good."

"No, not at all," Ning Jinli said with a relaxed smile. "Don't worry about me."

The captain gave a thumbs up. "Not bad, then we're going in. Stay close."

"yes!"

Then, the captain made a hand gesture.

The other rescue team members formed a professional formation, protecting Ning Jinli at the rear of the team, and carefully walked into a dilapidated iron gate that was four or five meters high...

Not long after they went in.

Lightning in the sky became more frequent.

Lightning even struck down from the dark clouds at the bottom, tearing through the night and thick fog, striking the metal wreckage in the ruins and stirring up a series of eerie flashes.

Meanwhile, at the deepest point underground in the nuclear power plant ruins.

After searching for more than ten hours, Ning Hai and the mercenaries ventured deep into a basement and finally arrived at a small, tightly closed iron door.

The iron gate is round, about one meter in diameter, like a sewer cover stuck to a concrete wall.

Ning Hai took out a blueprint to compare, then searched the round iron gate, using his entrenching tool to dig through the mud and rust, and finally found a small mechanical switch.

"Tsk, the level of heavy industry here was really impressive back then. Decades later, this mechanical switch is still working. Unlike now, this country can't even make a decent motorcycle."

Ning Hai couldn't help but sigh, and then started fiddling with the switch.

Several mercenaries surrounded them, vigilantly observing the surroundings.

In this pitch-black basement, only the lights on their helmets and guns provided illumination; outside the light's reach, all was darkness, making them feel as if they were in some kind of isolated abyss.

Even they felt an unprecedented psychological pressure.

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from afar.

A mercenary immediately raised his gun and fired a burst of bullets, which startled Ning Hai so much that he quickly crouched down and covered his head.

The other mercenaries quickly pointed their guns in that direction, and several lights shone in, only to find that they were just a few rats, which had been turned into mincemeat by the bullets.

"You're too tense, relax," the mercenary captain comforted him.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a cracking sound came from the spot where the rat had been killed.

Ning quickly shone the flashlight to the side.

Tiny cracks appeared around the round iron gate, like tentacles, and then with a few cracking sounds, the round iron gate slightly deformed.

"Damn it..." Ning Hai cursed, clutching his chest. "Don't shoot randomly! Although this is the deepest basement, the internal structure was damaged because of that explosion! We could all be buried alive if we're not careful! You idiot!"

The mercenary who fired the shot was scolded, and raised his rifle butt to hit Ning Hai.

Ning Hai also lost his temper, pointing to his own head and saying, "Come on! Smash it here, or we'll see how you get your commissions!"

"Stop!" the mercenary captain shouted.

Then he said politely to Ning Haike, "Mr. Ning, please don't be angry. I promise they won't bother you again."

Ning Hai then stood up and continued working on the mechanical switch.

After several attempts, the round iron gate still wouldn't open.

"What's wrong, Mr. Ning?" the mercenary captain asked.

Ning Hai was so angry that he raised his fist to smash the iron door, but he quickly restrained himself and roared, "I could have opened it just now, but who knew that your idiot subordinate fired a shot, breaking the already fragile balance of forces here, which damaged the mechanical switch! Now it can't be opened!"

"Is what Professor Bruce is looking for definitely inside?" the mercenary captain asked.

Ning Hai said irritably, "Otherwise what? Do you think I would bring you all all the way here for team building?"

The mercenary captain waved his hand and ordered the others to try to pry open the iron gate.

Ning Hai said with a trembling heart, "Be very careful, pry slowly... Don't get close to those cracks, or you'll fucking collapse this place..."

The group took out their tools and embedded them around the round iron gate, then exerted force simultaneously.

As a result, no matter how hard they tried, the iron gate remained unmoved.

The mercenary captain thought for a moment, then asked, "Mr. Ning, will that thing inside explode?"