Chen Yu and Lin Lele sneaked into the office building of the third district and tiptoed to the door of the room with the lights on.

The bright lights inside the room contrasted sharply with the darkness outside.

Chen Yu pressed himself against the door, his ear close to the crack, trying to catch any conversation or noise inside.

"Xiao Yang, have you finished compiling yesterday's experimental data?" It was an old woman's voice.

"Teacher, I've placed the data on your desk," a clear female voice replied.

"Yes. We need to hurry, otherwise we'll be in big trouble if people from other resettlement areas find out," the old woman said.

"Don't worry, teacher. I'm in charge of the Third District. No one can spread the word about what happened here," the young woman said.

…………

"Very well, so they are indeed conducting some wicked experiment. Today, I will act on behalf of Heaven!" Chen Yu sneered inwardly.

However, he did not act immediately, but listened for a while longer and found that there were indeed only two women inside, one old and one young.

Without further hesitation, he gestured to Lin Lele and then kicked the door open.

"Don't move, or I'll beat you to death, you believe me?" Lin Lele pointed her pistol at the two women wearing white coats and masks and shouted sternly.

The two women were not too flustered when they saw the two "thugs" who suddenly rushed in. They immediately raised their hands above their heads to indicate that they were harmless.

However, Chen Yu and his companion did not let their guard down. Their guns remained firmly pointed at the two people inside the room, their eyes scanning every corner to ensure there were no hidden dangers.

Chen Yu discovered that this appeared to be a biological laboratory, filled with various sophisticated instruments. The liquids in the test tubes shimmered with an eerie light under the lamps, and complex chemical formulas and biological structural diagrams hung on the walls.

A faint, barely perceptible smell of disinfectant mixed with an unknown reagent filled the air.

"Tell me, what kind of evil experiments are you conducting?" Chen Yu's voice was deep and powerful. "You were the ones who put those people into a deep sleep, weren't you?"

"Young man, don't be impulsive." The old woman's voice was gentle and steady. "I think you have some misunderstanding about us. Everything we do is for the sake of humanity!"

"For the sake of humanity?" Chen Yu sneered. "If that's really the case, why would we need to do it secretly? I heard your conversation clearly just now."

“Sneaking around? That’s an exaggeration. We just have different opinions from the managers of other resettlement areas,” the old woman explained. “To tell you the truth, we are actually researching ‘low-temperature hibernation’ technology to minimize resource consumption.”

"Pah! You still dare to argue at a time like this? I may not be very well-educated, but I've seen plenty of movies. 'Cryogenic hibernation' freezes organisms to extremely low temperatures in a very short time, thereby slowing down or stopping cell activity to extend lifespan or facilitate long-term preservation. You call putting people into a deep sleep 'cryogenic hibernation' technology? You're kidding me!" Lin Lele questioned.

Chen Yu also stared intently at the two of them, clearly not entirely convinced by their story either.

Seeing this, the old woman sighed softly, seemingly helpless at the misunderstanding between the two. She slowly removed her mask, revealing a face etched with the marks of time but with a determined gaze, and continued, "The 'low-temperature hibernation' technology you understand is indeed an extreme method of cryopreservation, but that's only one application. What we're researching here is a gentler hibernation technology, suitable for the extreme cold weather we're currently experiencing, a gentler hibernation technology suitable for emergency human evacuation situations."

"This technology aims to induce a deep state of hibernation in humans without causing permanent damage by regulating their physiological functions, thereby significantly reducing their need for food, water, and oxygen, while also slowing down the aging process. Such technology is of great significance in addressing the current resource shortages facing humanity, and if successful, it will enable more people to survive this extreme cold disaster."

Chen Yu frowned upon hearing this. Based on what he had seen in this resettlement area, everything done here was indeed prioritizing resource conservation. They even called on everyone to reduce unnecessary exercise in order to reduce consumption.

"Then what about those two people who disappeared from our dormitory a few days ago, before we arrived?" Chen Yu said coldly. "Did they discover your conspiracy and you silenced them?"

"So you two are the newcomers," the young woman said with a surprised expression.

However, she quickly regained her composure and explained to Chen Yu, "Yes, the father and son did discover our secret of putting everyone to sleep, but we did not harm them. Instead, after consulting with them, we sent them to the First District."

"Why should I believe you?" Chen Yu said calmly.

"Anyway, that's the truth. If you don't believe me, you can go to the first district and find those two to verify it," said the young woman, Xiao Yang.

Then, changing the subject, he said in a deep voice, "I'd like to ask you, why did you fill in a fake address when you registered?"

"What do you mean by fake address? What makes you so sure we filled in a fake address?" Lin Lele retorted.

"Hehe, you guys are just unlucky. Of all the places to fill in, you had to choose 'No. 23, Wanjun Huating'," Xiao Yang said jokingly. "Do you even know that 'No. 23, Wanjun Huating' is my home!"

Chen Yu frowned upon hearing this.

Lin Lele was also stunned for a moment. She scratched her head, then suddenly widened her eyes and tentatively called out, "Yueyue?"

Upon hearing Lin Lele's address, Xiao Yang's expression froze instantly, followed by a flash of disbelief and surprise in his eyes.

She suddenly took off her mask, revealing a delicate face.

"Lele, is that you?" Xiao Yang's voice carried a hint of uncertainty.

Lin Lele was overjoyed to see this. The young Yang in front of her was none other than her best friend from college, Yang Yue.

Yang Yue

She then ripped off her mask and exclaimed excitedly, "It's me! I was thinking you wouldn't live this long. I'm so glad you're still alive!"

"Ahem~" Yang Yue coughed lightly and said irritably, "Thanks to you, I've been lucky enough to survive until now."

This unexpected turn of events left Chen Yu somewhat bewildered, both amused and exasperated.

When they first arrived in Nandu, their plan was to find Yang Yue and then use her connections to inquire about the Nandu Grain Depot from Yang Tiejun, the director of the Nandu Police Bureau.

However, after entering the third resettlement area, the plan was shelved. Unexpectedly, Lin Lele would reunite with Yang Yue here in such a dramatic way.

But this is good, as it can resolve many of his questions at once.