Chapter 34
The night was as dark as ink. Two black vans, like ghosts, slid silently to a stop at the edge of a dense forest one kilometer away from the Qin family's ancestral home.
The engine was turned off and everything was silent except for the rustling of the treetops in the night wind and the silent shadow of the huge ancient mansion in the distance, cast in the darkness like a dormant giant.
Inside the car, the subtle sound of the final equipment check stopped.
All eyes turned to Qin Yu.
Qin Yu's face was painted black, revealing only a pair of eyes that shone startlingly brightly in the night. There was no emotion in them, only a cold, almost nihilistic calm. He nodded slightly.
The action begins.
Seven dark shadows, like drops of melted ink, silently crept into the dense forest. Taking advantage of the terrain, they quickly and accurately approached the gap in the wall on the northwest side of the ancestral home - that was the entrance to a drainage system mentioned in the "Nightingale" data package, which was little known and had been in disrepair for a long time.
The process went unexpectedly smoothly.
There were no patrols, no sensors, not even any lights. The entire ancestral house was eerily silent, as if it were just a huge, forgotten tomb.
The calmer it is, the more uneasy it makes people feel.
Qin Yu made a gesture, and the team slowed down and became more vigilant.
Finding the entrance half-hidden by vines and debris, 739 stepped forward and quickly pried open the rusted iron fence with tools. A stale, damp air with a strong musty smell hit him.
The passage was narrow, only wide enough for one person to pass through by bending over. It was pitch black inside, and you couldn't see your hand in front of you.
Qin Yu was the first to squeeze in sideways, followed closely by Gu Jing, and the others followed in turn.
The pipe's interior was slippery and sticky, and underfoot was thick mud and unknown filth, making every step extremely difficult. The air was thin and filled with a nauseating odor.
In the darkness, there was only the green light in the low-light night vision goggles and the suppressed breathing of each other.
Following the structural diagram in their memory, they moved forward silently and swiftly. Qin Yu's sense of direction was amazing. Even in such a complex and harsh environment, he could still accurately determine the direction.
After walking for about ten minutes, an upward iron ladder appeared in front of us.
Qin Yu stopped, listened carefully for a moment, made a "safe" gesture, and climbed up first.
There was a heavy cast iron manhole cover on top. He pushed it open a crack, revealing a dark, deserted underground corridor. The air was still murky, but much better than in the pipes.
This is already the underground area of the ancestral home.
According to the fragmentary information of "Nightingale", the entrance to "Archive Zero" is hidden deep in this maze-like underground area.
The team came out one by one and quickly dispersed to be on guard.
The corridor was old and dilapidated, its walls made of rough stone, covered in damp water droplets, and overhead was a low, cobweb-covered vault. Only a few low-powered wall lamps, which seemed to be about to go out at any moment, provided a faint light source.
The atmosphere was so oppressive that it was suffocating.
Qin Yu looked at the crude map on his wrist computer that was restored based on the fragmented information and made a gesture to indicate the direction.
The team advanced forward silently like a civet cat in the dark night.
The corridors were intricate and complex, with numerous forks and branches, like a gigantic maze. Many areas had collapsed and were flooded. Without a general sense of direction, it would have been easy to get lost.
The further in we went, the musty smell in the air gradually gave way to a more peculiar smell, a mixture of chemicals and dust. Old, long-discontinued pipes and line markings gradually appeared on the walls.
This was clearly once an area with complex functions.
Suddenly, Qin Yu, who was walking in front, stopped abruptly and raised his fist!
Everyone stopped instantly and held their breath!
At the corner of the corridor ahead, there was a faint sound of metal rubbing against the ground! And... extremely slow and dragging footsteps!
It wasn't the regular pace of a patrol, more like something was... dragging?
Qin Yu's eyes sharpened and he silently made a gesture to encircle them.
739 and Saker Falcon immediately and quietly moved towards the walls on both sides of the corner, with their guns slightly raised.
Qin Yu and Gu Jing slowly retreated, looking for cover.
The shuffling footsteps were getting closer, accompanied by a suppressed, intermittent breathing sound like a broken bellows.
Suddenly, a hunched, twisted figure suddenly staggered out from the corner!
It was an old man wearing tattered, filthy servant's clothes! One of his legs seemed severely injured, bent at a strange angle, dragging on the ground with a grinding sound that made one's teeth ache. His face was covered with deep wrinkles and dirt, his eyes were dull and empty, saliva was oozing from the corners of his mouth, and a strange hoarse sound came from his throat.
He seemed to be completely unaware of the intruder so close to him, and just dragged himself forward blankly and mechanically.
A poor man who has lost his mind? Or...
Just when everyone relaxed a little!
The old man's originally vacant eyes suddenly focused! He accurately locked onto Qin Yu behind the cover! Instantly, a ray of extremely resentful madness erupted from his eyes!
He suddenly opened his mouth, revealing his broken black teeth, and let out a sharp howl that was not like a human voice!
At the same time, his intact hand suddenly pulled out something from behind his back - it was not a weapon, but an old, radio-like device with a strange red indicator light on it!
"For... the Master!!!"
He roared and pressed the button on the device with all his strength!
"Oh no! It's a human bomb alarm!" 739 shouted!
"Bang!!"
Qin Yu's reaction was incredibly fast! Almost as soon as the old man pressed the button, the gun in his hand was already emitting flames! The bullet accurately pierced the old man's forehead!
The howling stopped abruptly! The old man fell to the ground with a thud!
but--
“Beep—beep—beep—!!!”
A sharp, piercing, highest-level intrusion alarm instantly resounded throughout the underground corridor! Red warning lights flashed wildly at the top of the corridor!
Completely exposed!
"Let's go!" Qin Yu growled, and without any hesitation, he pulled Gu Jing up and rushed towards the originally determined direction!
Others followed closely behind!
No more hiding! Speed is everything!
Deep in the corridor behind him, there were already dense and rapid footsteps and roars! The guards were alarmed!
"This way!" Qin Yu relied on his deep memory of the map and chose the direction without hesitation at the complicated fork in the road!
Gunshots rang out behind me! Bullets struck the ancient stone wall, sending up a shower of sparks and debris!
"Cover!" Haidongqing and another team member stopped suddenly, turned around and relied on the cover to suppress fire!
"Don't fight any longer! Follow me!" Qin Yu shouted without looking back, pulling Gu Jing into a narrow spiral staircase leading downwards!
739 followed closely behind, continuously throwing small smoke bombs and stun bombs backwards to temporarily hinder the pursuers!
The sounds of fierce gunfire and explosions echoed behind him, getting farther and farther away!
At the end of the spiral staircase was a heavy, ancient-looking metal door! There was no modern lock on the door, only a complex, compass-like mechanical combination lock, engraved with obscure symbols.
"It's here! 'Archives No. 0'!" Qin Yu's eyes flashed, and he quickly stepped forward to check the door lock.
"I need a password!" 739 said urgently. The sound of gunfire and footsteps behind him was approaching!
Qin Yu stared at the complicated compass lock, and the scattered and seemingly useless records and symbols in the family tree flashed through his mind!
"The family key...begins at Zero..." he muttered to himself, his fingers moving quickly and precisely across the symbols on the compass. "...not a date, not a name...it's..."
His finger suddenly stopped on an extremely ancient Qin family emblem symbol representing "origin"!
Then, turn it counterclockwise three times and press down an inconspicuous bump!
“Click.”
An extremely slight mechanical sound!
The heavy metal door slowly and silently slid inwards, opening a gap!
An even colder air, carrying the smell of old paper and some special preservative, rushed out!
"Come in!" Qin Yu shouted softly, and took the lead to move sideways and move in!
Gu Jing and 739 followed immediately!
Just when the door was about to close again!
"call out!"
An extremely slight and sharp sound, different from any previous gunshot!
A tiny needle-like object with a faint blue sheen slipped through the crack in the door at a speed that was difficult for the naked eye to capture, and shot accurately towards Gu Jing's back!
The speed is so fast that there is no time to react!
"Be careful!" Qin Yu's pupils suddenly contracted! Without a second thought, he violently pulled Gu Jing into his arms and used his back to face the poison needle!
"puff!"
A slight, muffled sound as if something sharp entered the flesh!
Qin Yu's body trembled violently! He groaned and his face turned pale instantly!
"Qin Yu!" Gu Jing looked at him in horror!
"It's okay..." Qin Yu gritted his teeth and shoved the door shut with his backhand! The heavy bolt fell with a dull thud, temporarily isolating all the noise and danger outside!
He staggered a step and leaned against the cold metal door. Cold sweat instantly broke out on his forehead and his breathing became a little rapid.
"You've been hit by a needle!" Gu Jing supported him, his voice trembling, and wanted to check his back.
"Don't move!" Qin Yu grabbed his hand, still holding it tightly. He scanned the situation inside the door with sharp eyes. "The needle is poisonous... but it's not immediately fatal... First... find something first..."
His voice began to waver, and it was obvious that the poison was taking effect quickly.
Gu Jing's heart felt like it was being gripped tightly by an icy hand! He forced himself to calm down and quickly looked around.
Behind the door lies a vast, unimaginable space. It doesn't resemble a traditional archive, but more like... a gigantic laboratory-cum-library imbued with a futuristic sense of technology?
Beneath the high dome, rows of massive server cabinets towered to the ground, emitting a faint blue glow. Countless indicator lights twinkled like stars. Beyond, densely packed archive shelves, housing ancient files and modern data hard drives, stretched as far as the eye could see. The low hum of instruments and a chilling chill filled the air.
In the very center of the space was a massive circular area, isolated by multiple layers of bulletproof glass. Inside, several extremely sophisticated, never-before-seen instruments and several cryogenic storage cabinets emitting a chilling chill were placed.
"The antibodies... and the data... must be there..." Qin Yu pointed at the circular area, his breathing becoming increasingly rapid, his body beginning to sway slightly. "I need... permission..."
Gu Jing looked in the direction he pointed, and saw that the entrance to the quarantine area was an alloy gate that required triple verification of pupils, fingerprints, and genes!
"Your authority..." Gu Jing looked at Qin Yu anxiously.
Qin Yu shook his head with difficulty, sweat already soaking his temples: "...No...He must have...abolished my...He needs to use...higher authority...or...brute force..."
Higher authority? Only Qin Zhengfeng himself!
Break it in by force? No way! That gate looks indestructible!
Just as the two of them were feeling depressed—
"Buzz..."
The lights in the entire "Archive No. 0" suddenly flashed!
Then, all the indicator lights on the server cabinets began flashing frantically! A cold, emotionless electronic synthesized voice echoed throughout the space:
Unauthorized intrusion detected. Highest defense protocol activated. Self-destruct sequence initiated. Countdown: ten minutes.
[Repeat. Self-destruct sequence initiated. Countdown: 9 minutes and 59 seconds…]
Self-destruct program!
Qin Zhengfeng actually set up a self-destruct program here!
Obviously, this outcome was doomed from the moment they triggered the alarm!
"Madman...this madman..." Qin Yu gritted his teeth and tried to stand up straight, but because of the poison and anger, he shook violently again.
Gu Jing held him tightly, looking at the decreasing red countdown, then looking at the isolation area in the distance, his brain working frantically!
We must get the antibodies and data! Otherwise, everything will be over!
But how to get it?!
There is simply not enough time to force a crack!
Higher authority...
etc!
An extremely bold and almost absurd idea suddenly flashed through Gu Jing's mind!
He remembered the final, incomplete warning from Nightingale: […Be careful…Shadow…He is not…]
shadow……
Could it be that Qin Zhengfeng...isn't he...at all...
He suddenly looked at the server cabinets that were emitting a faint blue light!
A "shadow" existing on the internet? An... artificial intelligence?! Or... had Qin Zhengfeng uploaded part of his consciousness?!
That's why the "Nirvana" plan is so crazy! That's why he can control everything so precisely!
That higher authority...
Gu Jing's eyes instantly became resolute!
He suddenly helped Qin Yu to a relatively safe corner and sat down: "Hold on! Wait for me!"
"What are you going to do?!" Qin Yu grabbed his wrist, his eyes anxious.
"Let's take a gamble!" Gu Jing broke free from his hand, his eyes gleaming with frightening brightness. "Let's bet on how much that old monster really wants 'eternal life'!"
He quickly rushed to the nearest server interface, took out the ultra-high-configuration microcomputer that Qin Yu had modified, and quickly connected it!
Fingers pounded furiously on the keyboard, and code scrolled across the screen like a waterfall!
He was trying to directly hack into the core system of "Archive Zero"! Looking for that possible "shadow" interface!
This is dancing on the edge of a knife! If you fail, or trigger a higher level of defense, you will be instantly counterattacked by the system or even directly eliminated!
Cold sweat slid down his forehead.
The countdown behind me was like a death spell, decreasing by the second.
Qin Yu leaned against the wall, looking at Gu Jing's focused and frantic profile, watching his fingers fly across the keyboard, watching the terrifying firewall breach warnings that kept popping up on the screen...
My heart feels like it's being roasted on fire.
For the first time, he hated his own powerlessness and injury so much.
Time passes by every second.
Seven minutes...six minutes...
Gu Jing's breathing became more and more rapid. The offensive and defensive battle on the screen had reached a fever pitch! Firewalls were breached layer by layer, but even more powerful defense mechanisms were activated!
Five minutes!
Suddenly, the screen went black, and a huge, blood-red skull logo popped up!
[Warning! Highest level intrusion attempt detected! Execute clearing instructions! ]
A strong current suddenly rushed out from the interface! It rushed straight to Gu Jing's computer and arm along the data cable!
"Ugh!" Gu Jing groaned, his entire arm instantly going numb! Black smoke billowed from the computer screen, completely ruined!
Failed?!
A huge despair seized him in an instant!
Right now!
The blood-red skull symbol suddenly flickered violently! It became extremely unstable! As if it was being disturbed by something!
Then, the screen suddenly jumped!
It turned into a deep blue background like the starry sky in the universe.
A blurry, constantly distorted and changing outline of a human face, composed of countless 0s and 1s, slowly emerged.
There are no facial features, no expression, yet it gives people an extremely strange feeling of being watched.
A cold, neither male nor female electronic synthesized voice sounded from all directions of the archives, carrying a hint of... extremely subtle, human... curiosity?
[…Interesting…little bugs…]
[You...are looking for...the 'key'?]
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