Chapter 20

The air on the middle floors seemed cleaner than on the lower floors, lacking the strong odor of sweat and mildew, replaced by a cold, recirculated air that smelled of metal and disinfectant. The lights were pale, illuminating the whitewashed walls and polished metal floor. The sound of footsteps echoed through the empty corridor, remarkably clear and oppressive.

Unlike the honeycomb-like chaos of the lower floors, the middle floors seemed orderly, even... empty. The corridors were flanked by tightly closed metal doors, marked only with numbers and incomprehensible abbreviations. No one was to be seen wandering around. The occasional uniformed personnel hurried by, their gaze fixed squarely on the ground floor, their expressions impassive.

The monitoring ring on Chen Mengzhou's hand occasionally flashed a faint blue light, reminding her that she was under close surveillance. The stretcher carrying Niuniu was closely guarded by the team wearing protective suits with the Thunder logo as they walked deeper into the corridor.

She didn't attempt to look around, simply following with her brows lowered, her gaze concealed beneath her drooping lashes. Her spatial perception was compressed to its limit, carefully scanning only the few meters around her, like the most cautious of tentacles.

The spatial structure here was unusually solid, and the walls and floors seemed embedded with some material that interfered with energy sensing, significantly suppressing her perception. Even so, she could still vaguely sense, from behind certain closed doors, the agonizing energy fluctuations—some violent, some steady, and still others eerie and incomprehensible.

The research in Area A is indeed extremely in-depth.

The group did not stay on the middle floor for too long, but went straight to a large elevator at the end of the corridor that required permission to open.

The leading technician scanned it with his watch and performed an iris verification before the heavy metal door slid open silently.

The elevator car was spacious enough to accommodate the entire team and the stretcher. The doors closed, and a feeling of weightlessness came over me. The elevator was not going up, but down!

Chen Mengzhou felt a chill in his heart. Area A wasn't on the upper floor, but deeper underground?

The elevator traveled for a full minute before slowly coming to a stop. The doors opened again, and an even stronger gust of air, a mixture of ozone, some kind of chemical reagent, and the cold smell of machinery, hit us in the face.

Before him lay an even wider, surprisingly high circular main corridor. Its walls were made of some silver-grey alloy, emitting a cold metallic sheen. Overhead, dense pipes and shadowless lights illuminated the entire space as brightly as day, yet without any warmth.

The main passage connected countless branching passages, like a vast underground anthill. Here, there were fewer people, but each one moved in a more hurried manner. Wearing white coats or full protective suits, their faces betrayed either the concentration or exhaustion of being immersed in research. Various automated transport carts glided silently along pre-set magnetic tracks on the ground, transporting supplies and equipment.

The atmosphere here is even colder and more rigorous than that of the middle level, filled with an inhuman sense of efficiency.

This is the real core of the fortress - Area A Laboratory.

"This way." The technician's voice came through the mask, dull and emotionless.

They turned into a branch passage marked "Quarantine Area 7" and finally stopped in front of a heavy airtight door.

The door also requires complex authorization verification. After the door opens, there are independent transparent isolation rooms.

Niuniu was carefully transferred to one of the isolation rooms and placed on a seemingly intricate medical bed. Various sensors automatically attached to her body. Her real-time vital signs and energy readings were displayed on the transparent walls.

Chen Mengzhou was taken to another smaller isolation room next door. Inside was only a simple bed and a washbasin.

"Take off all outer clothing and undergo full body disinfection and testing. Sterile clothing is prepared inside. You are not allowed to leave this room until further notice." After the technician gave the instructions coldly, he locked the airtight door from the outside.

Icy spray gushed from holes in the ceiling and walls, carrying a strong smell of disinfectant. Chen Mengzhou impassively obeyed, removing his grimy outer garments to reveal a slender yet sleek, explosively powerful body. He rinsed with cold water, dried with cold air, and then changed into his sterile, off-white suit.

The entire process is carried out under ubiquitous surveillance cameras.

She sat on the cold edge of the bed, looking through the transparent partition wall at Niuniu next door. The little girl was still unconscious, and various instruments were working quietly beside her.

Time slipped by little by little. There were no windows here, no way to tell whether it was day or night, only the shadowless lamp overhead, which remained constant.

After an unknown amount of time, the airtight door opened again.

The person who came in was no longer the technicians in full protective gear, but a man in his forties wearing a white coat, gold-rimmed glasses, and meticulously combed hair. He was holding an electronic tablet in his hand, and followed by a young man who looked like an assistant.

The man's eyes were sharp, with a scholar's unique scrutiny and inquiry, as he looked Shen Mengzhou up and down, and finally his gaze fell on the monitoring ring on her wrist.

"Chen Meng?" He spoke in a steady voice, with a condescending tone. "I'm Dr. Adrian, the head of the Bioenergetic Research Department in Area A. I have some information to verify with you regarding your daughter."

Chen Mengzhou immediately stood up, his face showing just the right amount of anxiety and worry: "Doctor, how is my daughter? What happened to her?"

Dr. Adrian didn't answer directly. Instead, he operated the tablet and pulled up Niuniu's data. "According to our tests, your daughter has a rare energy residue in her body. Its characteristics are similar to those of the 'corrosion energy pollution' we know about, but not identical. Even more peculiar, her vital signs, in this energy environment, not only didn't collapse, but instead showed... unusual stability, and were even slowly repairing themselves."

He raised his eyes, his gaze behind his lenses sharp as a knife. "What exactly happened to you before entering the fortress? I need every detail. This is related to whether your daughter can receive proper treatment, and it also concerns the safety of the entire fortress."

His tone held unquestionable authority and a hint of menace.

Chen Mengzhou sneered in his heart, but his face became even more panicked. He repeated the words he had said to Lao Zhou before in a more detailed and "emotional" way, focusing on describing the weirdness of the Weeping Canyon and the "glowing black mud", and attributed Niu Niu's "illness" to unfortunate contamination.

"...We really don't know anything... Doctor, please, you must save her... She is my only relative..." She even forced out a few tears, her acting was perfect.

Dr. Adrian listened quietly, his fingers quickly recording on the tablet. It was unclear whether he believed it or not.

"Glowing black mud... Weeping Canyon..." He pondered. "The spatial stability in that area is indeed very poor, so the presence of abnormal energy aggregates is not surprising... But this energy signature..."

He seemed to be lost in thought. After a moment, he suddenly changed the subject, "According to records, you didn't mention any abnormalities when you registered. But our preliminary scans show that your physical condition is... surprisingly good. For an ordinary woman suffering from chronic malnutrition and struggling to survive in the apocalypse, your cell activity, muscle density, and even nerve reaction speed are far above normal."

His gaze was like a scalpel, as if to cut through Chen Mengzhou's disguise: "Do you have any explanation for this?"

Here she comes! As expected, she will be tested!

Chen Mengzhou's heart sank slightly, but her face showed confusion and a hint of grievance of being questioned: "I... I don't know... Maybe it's just... I'm forced to do this because I've been running for my life. Sometimes I have to run a long way in a day just to find food... And, seeing the child like that, I..." She spoke incoherently, vividly portraying the image of a mother whose potential was unleashed because of her child.

Dr. Adrian stared at her for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled, a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "The power of maternal love? That's an interesting topic, too."

He didn't ask any further questions, as if he accepted the explanation, or... didn't intend to delve into it for the time being.

He operated the tablet and pulled up another report. "Due to the unique nature of your daughter's condition and your status as a direct contact, you will be placed on the 'observation cycle.' You will need to cooperate with us in some routine physical examinations and inquiries. This will help us determine the impact of the residual energy on you and formulate a follow-up plan."

What he said sounded very high-sounding, but Chen Mengzhou knew that the so-called "observation sequence" was actually a synonym for mice.

"How long... do we need to stay here?" Chen Mengzhou asked timidly.

"Until we confirm your complete safety and fully understand the impact of the energy in your body." Dr. Adrian said calmly, "Don't worry, the fortress will guarantee your basic living needs."

Protection? Or imprisonment?

Chen Mengzhou lowered his head to hide the cold light in his eyes: "Thank you, Doctor..."

Dr. Adrian nodded, seemingly satisfied with her "cooperation." He turned and left with his assistant, and the airtight door was locked again.

Silence returned to the isolation room.

Chen Mengzhou slowly raised his head, and the panic-stricken and helpless expression on his face disappeared without a trace in an instant, leaving only cold calmness.

Dr. Adrian didn't completely believe her, but he became very interested in the "strange" energy signature in Niuniu's body. This was her chance.

She needs to gain a foothold here, gain trust, and access deeper information.

The first step is to act as a harmless, cooperative, and somewhat useful "observation sample."

Over the next few days, Chen Mengzhou's life became incredibly routine. Every day, personnel in protective gear delivered bland but nutritionally balanced liquid meals and performed a series of tests, including blood draws, physical exams, and energy scans. She was incredibly obedient, even proactively asking if she needed any further assistance.

During a physical fitness test, she deliberately "performed beyond her normal capabilities," demonstrating endurance and reaction speed that was slightly above average, but not outrageous. This perfectly matched her characterization as a mother whose potential was driven to its full potential by her environment. A flicker of surprise flashed in the eyes of the tester as he recorded the data, but he didn't say much.

She also gathered information through occasional snippets of information from delivery people and testers.

She learned that the researcher who was contaminated by energy was no longer in danger of death after rescue, but his right arm was completely disabled and he is currently under isolation and observation.

She also heard them whispering about fragments of words like "Relic No. 7," "energy extraction efficiency," and "stabilizer side effects."

All signs indicate that the core of Area A lies in those deeper laboratories.

During this period, Dr. Adrian came again and asked her some detailed questions about crossing the Weeping Canyon. Chen Mengzhou answered fluently, with a mixture of truth and lies.

The doctor seemed very interested in her performance in the physical test and asked a few indirect questions, but Chen Mengzhou rejected them all with the excuse that "I just want the child to survive."

When the doctor left, the look in his eyes became even more inquisitive.

The turning point occurred during a routine energy resonance scan.

This scan seemed to be detecting any residual abnormal energy fluctuations within their bodies. As the scanning beam enveloped Shen Mengzhou, she keenly sensed that the two "Gene Enhancement Potions (Standard)" hidden in the metal box close to her body seemed to resonate faintly with the scanning beam!

The monitoring ring on her wrist also vibrated very slightly!

The technician operating the scanning equipment frowned at the sudden appearance of an unusual interference ripple on the screen, adjusting the parameters a few times. The interference ripple disappeared (Chen Mengzhou instantly restrained all energy sensing and used his spatial ability to slightly distort the scanning beam).

The technician muttered "equipment noise" and recorded the result "The residual energy of sample S-07 (Chen Mengzhou) has been cleared."

But Chen Mengzhou knew that the abnormality at that moment was likely recorded by the system.

Sure enough, that night, Dr. Adrian came to her isolation room again. This time, his face showed an excitement and desire to explore that was hard to conceal.

"Ms. Shen," he said, his tone even holding a rare hint of enthusiasm. "When we reviewed the scan data, we found an interesting tiny fluctuation. Although it disappeared quickly, its frequency... is very unique."

He stared closely into Chen Mengzhou's eyes. "Are you sure you haven't come into contact with any...special items in the wild? For example, some strange crystals? Or...some kind of container?"

Chen Mengzhou's heartbeat quickened slightly, but his face showed a blank expression as he tried hard to recall something: "Special items? No... I only picked up some junk... Ah!"

She suddenly seemed to remember something and said uncertainly, "I think... I found a heavy iron box. The lock was broken and I couldn't open it, so I used it to store some small things... The guard took it away when I came in... Does that... count?"

Dr. Adrian's eyes lit up instantly! His breathing quickened!

"Iron box? What kind of iron box?! Is there any pattern on it?!" he asked urgently, his body leaning forward involuntarily.

"It's just... an old box... It seems... there seems to be a scratch like lightning?" Chen Mengzhou tried hard to recall, but his description was vague.

But that was enough for Dr. Adrian!

"The Thunder Mark! That's it! Sure enough, there are still some scattered around!" He almost lost his composure and whispered, then suddenly realized his loss of composure and quickly restrained his expression, but the excitement in his eyes could not be completely concealed.

He took a deep breath and tried to calm his tone: "Ms. Shen, the information you provided is very important. That box is likely to be a dangerous 'relic' and must be handled professionally by us. Thank you for your cooperation."

He looked at Chen Mengzhou deeply. His eyes were no longer looking at a simple sample, but as if he was looking at an...unexpected treasure.

"Your physical exam data is excellent, far exceeding that of an average survivor. It's a waste of you staying in the isolation room all this time. Are you interested in participating in some... simple auxiliary work? For example, data recording or preliminary sample sorting? This will help you integrate into the fortress faster and also earn you extra contribution points."

Chen Mengzhou lowered his head to hide the gleam that flashed in his eyes.

The fish is hooked.

When she raised her head again, her face was filled with gratitude and a hint of anticipation: "Really? Doctor, I do! As long as it's good for Niuniu, I'm willing to do anything!"

"Very good." Dr. Adrian nodded with satisfaction. "Someone will take you there tomorrow. Remember, everything you see here is top secret and must not be leaked to anyone."

"I understand! I will keep my mouth shut!" Chen Mengzhou promised quickly.

After Dr. Adrian left, the isolation room returned to silence.

Chen Mengzhou walked to the transparent wall and looked at Niuniu who was still unconscious next door.

The plan went smoothly. She used Niuniu's special features and the information about the metal box to successfully attract Dr. Adrian's great interest and gain a certain degree of "trust", which gave her the opportunity to leave the isolation room and get to know the inner workings of Area A.

Although it is only marginal auxiliary work, it is already a huge breakthrough.

Next, we will use this opportunity to gradually understand the structure of Area A and find the deepest hidden secret.

And, find out the truth about the power in Niu Niu.

She gently stroked the cold monitoring ring on her wrist.

The hunt begins.