Lu Zhaoming and his group used every ounce of their strength to run all the way, and finally retreated to a seemingly reliable underground hall.
To describe the feeling, it's like having just finished a marathon and then being held underwater until you can barely breathe, and now you can finally catch your breath.
The air was filled with the scent of someone who had survived a disaster, tinged with a faint weariness, making one want to lie down and not be disturbed by anyone.
"Phew... I finally survived." Su Li plopped down on the ground, looking completely unladylike.
Professor Lin wasn't in much better shape; leaning on his cane, his chest heaving violently, he was clearly exhausted.
Only Afu seemed to be in good spirits, probably because he exercises a lot.
Lu Zhaoming felt that something was not right.
He looked around and felt as if there were eyes watching them from the shadows, making him very uncomfortable.
"Su Li, don't you think..." Lu Zhaoming lowered his voice, wanting to chat with Su Li for a bit.
Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a sudden burst of laughter.
The laughter was sharp and piercing, like fingernails scraping against glass, or like someone playing a suona in your ear in the middle of the night. The jarring sound was enough to make your scalp tingle and your whole body break out in goosebumps.
"Who?" Su Li jumped up immediately, a dagger suddenly appearing in her hand, her eyes scanning her surroundings warily.
Professor Lin frowned, leaning on his cane, and slowly stood up.
Afu stood directly in front of Professor Lin, as if facing a formidable enemy.
Lu Zhaoming narrowed his eyes as well. He could sense a strong malice in the laughter, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, sending chills down one's spine.
The laughter gradually subsided, and the surroundings returned to a deathly silence, as if everything that had just happened was an illusion.
But Lu Zhaoming knew that this was definitely not an illusion.
"Looks like we're being watched." Lu Zhaoming stroked his chin, muttering to himself.
"Professor, what exactly is this place?" Lu Zhaoming looked at Professor Lin, feeling that the old professor must know something.
Professor Lin sighed, walked to the center of the hall, and tapped the ground with his cane, producing a dull sound.
"This place was once a research base before the nuclear war," Professor Lin said slowly, his voice carrying a hint of nostalgia and sorrow.
"Research base? What do they research?" Su Li asked curiously, as she was quite interested in these historical secrets.
"Human gene modification technology," Professor Lin said, emphasizing each word.
"Genetic modification?" Lu Zhaoming frowned. This thing didn't sound like a good thing.
“That’s right.” Professor Lin nodded. “Back then, in order to prepare for a possible war, the government secretly launched a program to try to create stronger and more adaptable warriors through genetic modification.”
"It sounds like something out of a science fiction movie," Su Li said, pursing her lips in disbelief.
"Reality is often crueler than movies." Professor Lin shook his head. "This project ultimately failed, but it left behind many unresolved issues."
"Legacy issues?" Lu Zhaoming pressed.
“If I’m not mistaken, the core device you found is part of the ‘Purification Project.’” Professor Lin pointed at Lu Zhaoming and uttered a word that sent chills down Lu Zhaoming’s spine.
"The purification plan?" Lu Zhaoming felt as if he had been drawn into a huge conspiracy.
“That’s right. The ‘Purification Project’ is a cleanup measure for the genetic modification project. Its purpose is to eliminate those failed experimental subjects and prevent them from harming society,” Professor Lin explained.
"So, those monsters were all the product of failed experiments?" Su Li's eyes widened in shock.
"You could say that," Professor Lin nodded.
"What should we do now?" Su Li was a little flustered; she didn't want to deal with those monsters.
"Let's find the exit first," Lu Zhaoming said in a deep voice. He just wanted to get out of this hellish place as soon as possible.
Just then, Afu suddenly walked over, holding a broken memory chip in his hand.
"Mr. Lu, these are the documents I rescued from deep within the ruins," Afu said, handing the postcard to Lu Zhaoming.
"What is this?" Lu Zhaoming asked curiously as he took the chip.
“This contains some information about the gene modification project, which may reveal more secrets,” Afu explained.
"But now that the chip is almost completely destroyed, I'm afraid it can't be read anymore, right?" Su Li pursed her lips, expressing her doubt.
“It requires specialized equipment to repair,” Afu said.
“It seems we need to find a place to fix this thing first.” Lu Zhaoming nodded. He felt that the data in this chip might help him unlock the secrets of the Doomsday Judgment System.
Just as Lu Zhaoming was about to lead the team off, Su Li suddenly tugged at his sleeve.
"Lu Zhaoming, I have a feeling something's not right," Su Li said in a low voice.
"What's wrong?" Lu Zhaoming asked.
“We might still have pursuers,” Su Li said.
"Pursuers?" Lu Zhaoming frowned; he didn't want to run into those guys again.
"Yes, when I was checking on the wounded just now, I noticed a faint smell of blood in the air, and there were also some unfamiliar footprints," Su Li explained.
"Looks like we've been targeted." Lu Zhaoming cursed inwardly, it was truly a case of misfortunes never coming singly.
Sure enough, not long after, the communicator on Lu Zhaoming's wrist rang.
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