Chapter 169 Interrogating the Doctor

Qin Li arranged for people to collect crystal ore veins, and then returned to the Northwest Base with Ruan Ning and the others.

Northwest Base, Deep Underground Interrogation Room.

The "doctor" was strapped to a specially designed restraint chair, with life monitoring and nerve inhibition devices attached to his body. His face was pale, but his eyes held a certain fanaticism.

Ruan Ning, Qin Li, and Shen Yan stood behind the one-way mirror. Zhou Min operated the mental fluctuation monitoring device next door.

“Let’s begin,” Ruan Ning said.

Qin Li pressed the communication button: "Name".

The "doctor" smirked: "Code name 'Doctor.' Your real name doesn't matter."

Who do you work for?

“I used to be an assistant researcher in the peripheral biological group of the ‘Origin’ project. After the project was sealed, I joined the ‘Revival Society’.” He spoke in a flat tone, as if reciting a memorized text, “We believe that the power of ‘Origin’ can reshape the world and correct the mistakes brought about by the ‘Black Tide’.”

What kind of organization is the Revival Society?

"A group of people who believe science can overcome the apocalypse. We search everywhere for 'primordial' relics—carriers, facilities, data…any missing piece." A glint flashed in the doctor's eyes. "We are closer to the truth than fools like the Shen family who only want to seize power."

Ruan Ning took the microphone: "Where is Carrier 01?"

The doctor paused for a few seconds: "The capital, the Xi family."

"How powerful is the Xi family?"

"The family has been entrenched in the capital for three generations, with roots in the military, politics, and business. The current head of the family, Yue, is the deputy chief of staff of the Capital Defense Command, with the rank of lieutenant general. His son, Xi Yuan, is a superhuman, the specifics of which are unknown, but he is very strong. The Xi family's guard team, the 'Shadow Guards,' is very famous and consists of elites."

The doctor paused, then continued, "It will be very difficult to get anything from the Xi family. Their defenses are extremely tight, and they take carrier 01 very seriously, never letting it leave the warehouse."

"What about other carriers?"

“Carrier 02 is in the ‘Holy Mountain’ tribe in southern Xinjiang. Carrier 03 is broken, and you have found some fragments. The exact location of Carrier 04 is unknown. Carrier 05 was last seen on the west coast.”

The doctor spoke faster, "There's very little information about the carrier after 08; it's likely hidden in more remote or dangerous ruins. The 'Origin' project had multiple secret bases and testing grounds around the world back then."

Shen Yan asked, "How do you determine if it's a carrier? What are its characteristics?"

“Resonate with the 'Primordial' energy field. The appearance may be any form, such as jade, metal, crystal, or even biological skeleton... but there must be unique energy patterns inside, which can be detected with a high-precision energy scanner.”

The doctor looked through the one-way glass, as if he could see Ruan Ning behind it, "It's like your necklace. Especially when multiple carriers are close together, they will resonate with each other."

Ruan Ning: "Where is the final ruin?"

The doctor shook his head: "No one knows the exact coordinates. But the ancient documents of the 'Revival Society' mention that at least three carriers need to be collected in order to open the 'door' to the final ruins at a specific time—the night of the 'double moon overlap'—at the top of the 'Spine of the World'. The ruins contain the ultimate results of the 'Origin' project, as well as the origin and end method of the 'Black Tide'."

When is the night when the two moons overlap?

"According to our calculations, there are seven months and three days left." The "doctor" gave the precise time. "'The backbone of the world' refers to a main peak in the Himalayas. The specific peak is not mentioned in the literature, and it may require a carrier to indicate it."

Qin Li: "'The Revival Society' still has many members? Where is its headquarters?"

The doctor smiled: "I won't say. This is my life-saving charm. But I can tell you that the Shen family doesn't just want your carriers. They have a secret collaboration with a radical faction within the 'Revival Society,' with the goal of collecting at least five carriers and forcibly opening the ruins during the next peak of the 'Black Tide' fluctuations using some kind of technology, instead of waiting for the 'double moon overlap.'"

When will the next Kuroshio Current peak occur?

"Four months later."

The interrogation lasted three hours.

Finally, he lowered his head, utterly exhausted.

Ruan Ning walked out of the listening room and said to the guard, "Inject him with nutrients and sedatives, and keep a close watch on him. Don't let him die."

Qin Li marked the locations mentioned by the "doctor" on the electronic map: the capital Xi family, the sacred mountain in southern Xinjiang, the suspected shipwreck area in the East China Sea, the Western Federation, the Himalayas...

“There’s a lot of information, but its authenticity needs to be verified.” Shen Yan sorted through the notes, “especially the parts about ‘double moon overlap’ and ‘forced activation’.”

"He was afraid of death and was dissatisfied with the Shen family and the radical faction of the 'Revival Society'. Most of the information should be true, but there may be some omissions or deviations."

Ruan Ning pondered, "We now have 06 and 07. We need to find at least one more carrier to sense the general direction of the final ruins. Carrier 01 is in the hands of the Xi family, and is currently the clearest target."

Zhou Min worried: "The Xi family has immense power in the capital and is heavily guarded. Robbery is impossible, and a trade... what can we use to trade?"

Lin Yan: "They may not know the true value of the carrier. Perhaps they could find a way to steal it, or replace it with a replica?"

"The risk is too high," Qin Li said. "Once discovered, we will immediately become mortal enemies with the Xi family. Our operations in the capital will be completely blocked."

"There is no other way but to steal."

"Brother Qin, do you still have any reliable old connections in the military in the capital?" Shen Yan asked.

Qin Li was silent for a moment: "Yes. But we need to be very careful. Xi Yue is not a simple person."

Ruan Ning made a decision: "Qin Li, you contact trusted contacts in the capital and gather detailed information about the Xi family and Carrier 01. Zhou Min and Lin Yan, you prepare the necessary identity disguises and contingency plans for infiltrating the capital."

"When do we set off?" Lin Yan asked.

“No rush.” Ruan Ning looked at the Himalayas on the map. “The ‘Double Moon Overlap’ will last seven months. But the Shen family is attempting to forcibly open the ruins in four months. We must obtain at least three carriers before then and gain the initiative to enter the ruins. Before going to the capital, we need to go to a place first.”

"where?"

Ruan Ning pointed to the Southern Frontier: "Holy Mountain Tribe. Carrier 02. It's far from the main sphere of influence, so there might be an opportunity to obtain it through negotiation or trade. Moreover, we need to verify 'The Doctor's' statement about carrier resonance. If we bring 06 and 07 close to 02 and they can indeed resonate, then his intelligence will be more credible."

Qin Li nodded: "Agreed. Let's go to the Southern Frontier first. I'll start laying the groundwork in the capital. But the situation in the Southern Frontier is complicated. The Holy Mountain Tribe is xenophobic and believes in their 'sacred objects,' so negotiations won't be easy."

“Let’s make contact first.” Ruan Ning stood up. “Make preparations, we’ll head to Southern Xinjiang in a week. Da Huo will go too, he can be of help in the wild.”