Chapter 123 Exposure
The lights in the laboratory were still on, shining on Lu Zhao's furrowed brows.
His fingers danced on the keyboard, and complex codes kept jumping on the screen.
Time passed by minute by minute, and the air was filled with tension.
"What's wrong, Lu Zhao?" Su Wanqing's voice trembled slightly.
Lu Zhao did not answer immediately. He stared at the screen intently, trying to break through the layers of protection and enter the server of the leader of the survivors, a man named Zhao Quan who used tough measures to integrate resources and establish a relatively stable camp in the early days of the apocalypse.
Zhao Quan, a tall and burly man, always has a serious expression on his face, giving people a very intimidating feeling.
Since the establishment of the base, Zhao Quan has been in charge of external liaison and material allocation, but Su Wanqing always feels that this man is a hidden talent.
"Initial breakthrough in defense." Lu Zhao's voice broke the silence.
"His server has a high level of encryption. It seems Zhao Quan has always had some secrets."
Su Wanqing's heartbeat quickened. She always felt that Zhao Quan knew more about the zombie virus than anyone else.
After all, there was a kind of cold rationality in the way he established the order of the camp and distributed supplies.
Suddenly, a real-time surveillance video appeared on the screen. The video was blurry, but with Lu Zhao's adjustment, it gradually became clear.
The screen showed the sample area, but it was completely different from what they had seen before.
The zombies imprisoned there are not ordinary zombies, but some modified mutated zombies whose bodies are covered with black shells.
The zombies were fixed on the experimental table, with various tubes connected to their bodies, and seemed to be undergoing some kind of experiment.
"This is..." Su Wanqing exclaimed and her face turned pale.
"There is such an experiment in the sample area?"
Lu Zhao continued to scroll down the data, frowning even more. "It mentions a project called 'Protocol Zero'.
Zhao Quanli used the samples to develop an irritating gas to study the behavioral patterns of zombies.
He tried to find a way to control the zombies by stimulating their nervous systems."
"Control zombies?" Su Wanqing couldn't believe it. "He wants to control zombies?"
"The data also shows," Lu Zhao's voice was very low. "Some of the experimenters have been contaminated by the samples and have entered a state similar to infection, but Zhao Quan concealed the relevant situation from the outside. Not only did he not take any isolation measures, but he used them as experimental subjects to further study the mutation of the virus."
Su Wanqing felt sick. Zhao Quan's behavior had exceeded the moral bottom line. In order to obtain the secret of controlling zombies, he was willing to sacrifice the lives of others.
"Why did he hide it? What is the condition of these infected experimenters?" Su Wanqing asked.
Lu Zhao shook his head. "The data is incomplete, so we can only assume that their condition is very bad. Zhao Quan seems to be trying to cover up the truth to avoid causing panic."
"This Zhao Quan..." Su Wanqing clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging deeply into her palms.
"He's a lunatic!"
Lu Zhao quickly copied the relevant data to the encrypted hard drive. "I have recorded all the data, but we cannot directly confront Zhao Quan now. He has too much resources and power. If we act rashly, we may be wiped out."
"Then what should we do?" Su Wanqing asked.
"We need to use a stealth strategy to deal with this." Lu Zhao said. "We need more time to analyze this data and find out the weaknesses in Zhao Quan's plan. At the same time, we need to keep a close eye on his movements to prevent him from doing something even crazier."
At this moment, the door of the laboratory was gently pushed open. Lin Che walked in, emitting a faint purple light, with a calm and profound expression on his face.
“Su Wanqing, Lu Zhao, what are you doing?” Lin Che asked, his voice sounding a little ethereal.
"We are analyzing some data." Su Wanqing replied and quickly turned off the screen.
"What data?" Lin Che's eyes fell on Lu Zhao. "It looks very important."
Lu Zhao hesitated for a moment, but still handed the encrypted hard drive with the copied data to Lin Che.
"This is some information about Zhao Quan's experiments in the sample area. It mentions a project called 'Protocol Zero'. Take a look."
Lin Che took the hard drive and quickly scanned the contents. His expression gradually became serious.
"'Protocol Zero'..." Lin Che muttered to himself. "I seem to have heard this name somewhere before."
"Do you know about this project?" Su Wanqing asked.
Lin Che nodded. "When I was a kid, I once studied a special spice in France. The composition of this spice is very similar to a certain irritating gas mentioned in 'Protocol Zero'. At that time, my mentor told me that this gas can disrupt the human nervous system and even control human behavior."
"Your mentor?" Su Wanqing asked. "What other information does he have?"
Lin Che shook her head. "My mentor didn't tell me much at the time, he just said that this gas is very dangerous and shouldn't be abused."
Su Wanqing noticed that when Lin Che mentioned "Protocol Zero", his expression became a little complicated.
There was an elusive gleam in his eyes, as if he had a deeper understanding of the project.
"Ye, how come you are so familiar with this project?" Su Wanqing asked.
Lin Che did not answer immediately. He was silent for a moment before he slowly said, “This is just a remnant of my memory. Protocol Zero has another connection in my memory.”
Su Wanqing felt the subtle changes in Lin Che's expression and tone, and she realized that Lin Che's identity and past were far more complicated than she had imagined.
But she knew that now was not the time to ask further questions.
"No matter what, we have to be careful." Su Wanqing said.
"Zhao Quan is very dangerous. We can't take it lightly."
Lin Che nodded and handed the hard drive back to Lu Zhao. "I need more time to study this data. Perhaps I can find a way to crack 'Protocol Zero' based on the composition of the gas."
Lu Zhao took the hard drive, his mind full of doubts. He looked at Lin Che, always feeling that he was hiding some secrets.
But now, he didn't have time to pursue these things. He had to analyze the data as soon as possible and find out the weaknesses of Zhao Quan's plan.
"Okay." Lu Zhao said. "I'll sort out the data as soon as possible and provide it to you."
Su Wanqing looked at Lin Che, her heart full of worry. She didn't know what Lin Che's true identity was, nor did she know whether he was trustworthy.
But she knew that in this end times, no one could be absolutely trusted.
They must remain vigilant at all times to survive in a world full of dangers.
"Zhao Quan, what do you want?" Su Wanqing's voice was particularly clear in the simple conference room.
She sat at one end of the table, opposite the survivor leader, Zhao Quan, who was burly and always had a cold expression on his face.
Zhao Quan crossed his hands on the table and looked at Su Wanqing calmly.
"I need your help to remove the seal of 'Protocol Zero'. I need to know how to stably control those mutants."
"Remove the seal?" Su Wanqing raised her eyebrows. "This is not just a simple favor. You hold many secrets in your hands. Why should we take this risk?"
"Risk?" Zhao Quan sneered. "What do you want? Supplies? Weapons? Or safety?"
"We want to prove it." Su Wanqing's tone was calm, but her eyes were full of determination.
“We want to make the test samples public so we can verify the safety and feasibility of Protocol Zero.”
Zhao Quan's facial muscles twitched. He obviously did not expect Su Wanqing to make such a request.
He was silent for a moment, then slowly said: "Public test? Are you crazy? Do you know how much panic this will cause?"
"Panic is always better than the disaster caused by ignorance." Su Wanqing looked straight at Zhao Quan.
"Only by being open and transparent can we win trust. Moreover, we must ensure that 'Protocol Zero' does not pose a greater threat to humanity."
Zhao Quan's eyes became sharp, and he squinted at Su Wanqing, as if he wanted to see through her heart.
"What do you want to do?"
"I want to protect more people," Su Wanqing replied. "And this requires us to have enough information and the ability to control the situation."
Su Wanqing could sense Zhao Quan's wariness towards her proposal, but she knew that this was the only way.
Only through public testing can they obtain enough data to understand the true risks of 'Protocol Zero' and get rid of Zhao Quan's control over them.
After leaving the meeting room, Su Wanqing immediately found Lu Zhao. "Prepare for the test."
She said to Lu Zhao, "We need to establish a complete testing process as soon as possible."
Lu Zhao nodded. "What kind of venue do you need?"
"Build a temporary isolation testing device near the sample area."
Su Wanqing said. "The test site is divided into three areas: the sample observation area, which is used to observe the characteristics of the samples; the zombie reaction area, which is used to test the impact of the samples on zombies; and the sample evacuation area, in case of accidents."
Lu Zhao quickly drew a schematic diagram of the isolation device on the computer.
"What supplies are needed?"
"Full protective clothing, ventilation equipment, data recorders, and a large number of samples."
Su Wanqing said. "Also, contact Xiao Ran. I want him to bring back some coordinate information."
"What coordinate point information?" Lu Zhao asked.
"Those places where mutants are active frequently." Su Wanqing explained.
"I would like to include some special environmental samples in the test to directly observe the experimental stability of 'Protocol Zero'."
Soon, Xiao Ran brought back some coordinate information. These locations were distributed in various corners of the city. They had been abandoned for many years and the environment was harsh.
At the same time, Su Wanqing also began to use the materials generated by the ancestral jade bracelet to build testing equipment in advance.
The storage space of the jade bracelet was larger than she had imagined, and could even accommodate some large equipment.
She assembled the equipment carefully and conducted experiments on the space conditions of the jade bracelet. She wanted to understand all the functions of the jade bracelet as much as possible.
On the other side, Lin Che sat alone in a corner, frowning. He expressed his different opinions on Su Wanqing's public testing plan.
"Su Wanqing," he walked to Su Wanqing and said softly.
"I don't think it's a good idea to just go public with the test."
"Why?" Su Wanqing asked.
"We will reveal our position and attract Zhao Quan's attention."
Lin Che said, "Especially when facing his unknown behavior, we must be more cautious."
"I know your concerns," Su Wanqing said. "But I think this is necessary. Only in this way can we obtain enough information to control the situation."
Lin Che shook his head. "I think we should adopt a more covert strategy, secretly investigate and gradually infiltrate, rather than directly confront Zhao Quan."
"Time is running out, we don't have enough time to wait." Su Wanqing said.
"Besides, I always feel that Zhao Quan is hiding something. Only through public testing can his secrets be exposed."
Lin Che was silent for a moment before slowly saying, "Okay, I understand your decision. But I'm worried that the test will bring danger to the team."
"We will do our best to prepare." Su Wanqing said. "I need your help, Lin Che."
“I’ll try my best.” Lin Che nodded.
Ye's voice rang in Lin Che's mind. "Stupid decision, do you really trust her? She just treats you as a tool."
Lin Che covered his head tightly, trying to suppress Ye's voice. Ye's interference became more and more intense, and he felt that his consciousness was gradually being devoured.
He endured the severe pain in his body and walked to Lu Zhao. "I want to take some preventive measures for the team members."
"What preventive measures?" Lu Zhao asked.
"Some healing abilities to assist them." Lin Che said. "It can alleviate the side effects of the sample that they may suffer."
Lu Zhao nodded. "Okay, just do your best."
Lin Che began to activate his special abilities, trying to strengthen the physical defenses of his team members, but the night's interference made it difficult for him to concentrate.
Cold sweat broke out on his forehead and his face turned pale.
“Ye, what exactly do you want to do?” Lin Che roared in his mind.
"I want you to surrender and give up resistance." Ye's voice was cold and ruthless.
"You belong to me, and your power belongs to me."
Lin Che gritted his teeth and fought desperately against Ye. He knew that if he was controlled by Ye, the entire team would be in great danger.
He must hold on to his will and protect everything he holds dear.
Lu Zhao's fingers tapped rapidly on the keyboard, and the data stream on the screen poured down like a waterfall.
He stared at the monitoring interface of the isolation test device with a frown.
"Su Wanqing, I found that the signal source of the device's power supply system is a bit abnormal. It seems that it is very likely to be remotely controlled by someone."
Su Wanqing put down the protective suit in her hand and walked to Lu Zhao. "Remote control? Who?"
"It is currently unknown, but the characteristics of the signal source are somewhat similar to the communication protocol used by Zhao Quan."
Lu Zhao's voice was solemn. "I am trying to track the source of the signal and strengthen the firewall of the device to prevent further intrusion."
"Be careful." Su Wanqing's eyes became sharp. "If it was really Zhao Quan who did it, then he definitely has bad intentions. Be careful to check the security of all equipment and don't leave any loopholes."
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