Chapter 114 Missing
"Snap~"
As soon as Luo Yin stepped through the stone gate, her gaze was immediately drawn to the scene inside.
What she saw was that the blue stone door was also made of stone.
She subconsciously moved closer and found that the surrounding area consisted of intact bluestone bricks, and then she understood what was going on.
Following the guide, we soon arrived at the first level of the underground palace.
Yes, according to Captain Feng, the "underground palace" base is calculated from top to bottom, with the sixth level being the lowest.
As the group stepped inside, the long-abandoned underground palace was finally brought back to light.
Everyone was cautious, looking around with a mixture of curiosity and nervousness.
Even though there are many traces of human activity in front of us, the thick layer of dust on them is enough to imagine the reasons behind it.
"How long has this place been abandoned? Have these floors been deserted?"
Team Leader Feng walked silently toward the stairwell, then offered a brief explanation.
"The top floor is just a transit point; follow me down to the bottom, that's the key."
Mr. Chen and several other seniors were helped down one by one. Fortunately, there were emergency lights around, so it wasn't too difficult for them to move around.
The sound of footsteps echoed clearly from the stairwell.
The tremor made everyone's every step feel extra heavy.
We've reached the second floor!
They only glanced around briefly and noticed that everything around them was covered in black cloth before being led by Captain Feng to continue downwards.
"The materials are stored over there, everyone follow along."
They finally stopped on the third and fourth floors.
According to him, a large part of these two floors are formal office areas, also known as research labs.
Currently, you can still see many large pieces of equipment and instruments piled up inside.
Several lunchbox-shaped items were still left in the corridor next door.
Luo Yin watched the whole thing, her mind filled with even more questions.
The others nearby were equally puzzled, but everyone knew they couldn't just ask, and even if they did, no one would tell them.
"These are things we didn't have time to take away back then. By the way, the core laboratory we're going to later is on the fifth floor, and the excavation area on the sixth floor."
Before that, the three seniors actually stopped them.
"Wait, we can't go down yet."
"The timing is wrong; it's very unlucky."
"Captain Feng, this is absolutely not the right time!"
Three consecutive pessimistic voices rang out, startling all six people present, who all looked surprised and astonished.
Some people even subconsciously speculated that there might really be something underground.
By the way, the Earth 10 series—
Seeing the tense atmosphere, everyone's faces turned extremely dark.
There is both fear of the unknown underground and anger at the current inability to do anything about it.
Team Leader Feng was initially distracted, but quickly recovered after hearing what they said.
"It's getting late, so we need to rest up. As for going down, we'll naturally discuss that first."
This explanation and approach were very reasonable, and everyone nodded in agreement.
"Yes, yes, it's at least past midnight now. Let's go upstairs and find a place to rest."
"Yes, go to the third floor. I just saw a lounge."
It was at this moment that Captain Feng left the team and tinkered with something somewhere. Soon after, they discovered that the power was on.
They quickly returned the way they came and found several rest rooms.
After a flurry of activity, we arrived at the dedicated water supply room, turned on the tap, and found that the water was working.
The water was initially very murky, but it became clear after a while.
Liu Cheng, who was initially carrying a basin to fetch water, glanced at Captain Feng.
Then Captain Feng said, "First, find a room for the three veteran comrades and clean it up. Although we don't care much when we're on a mission, we still need to clean up the dust and cobwebs inside."
"Don't wait until you go to sleep and end up getting a face full of embarrassment!"
"Alright, Captain Feng, I'll take care of this."
"But I really didn't expect that this place would still have water and electricity after all this time."
Team Leader Feng didn't explain this, and by the time everyone had finished packing up, another half hour had passed.
Because there are many rooms here, but for safety reasons, Luo Yin and Team Leader Mu will share a room; Team Leader Feng, Old Du, and Old Meng will share a room; and the remaining four will share a room!
With a pull of the electric cord, the four-person room immediately went dark.
After a long day's work, the group immediately began to snore intermittently.
"Snoring~"
"Lulu lulu~"
Luo Yin fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, having previously warned herself to be careful.
But sometimes these physiological conditions are really hard to overcome.
Just as she fell asleep, the wooden team next to her discovered her.
Xiao Luo's breathing was so deep that she must have been sleeping soundly, but she was very awake and her mind was unusually active.
I stubbornly endured the pain for over two hours with my eyes wide open.
She tried closing her eyes, but soon heard her teammates calling her name.
Tell her to hurry up and go back!
Leave this place, don't linger.
Mu Chen bit his palm so hard that blood was drawn from some places, but he didn't stop.
Time seemed unchanged to her. Before she knew it, she saw Mu Dui sit up, glance at Luo Yin, and then close the door and leave.
On the other hand, it's naturally unclear who the acquaintances are.
Mu Chen didn't turn on the light. His figure stood outside the door for a moment before walking downstairs.
Following the path I came from, I kept thinking about going up to the fourth, fifth, and sixth floors.
The sound of light footsteps rang out.
The commotion didn't alert the others, but the same thing happened in the next room.
As if they had planned it, a few minutes later a tall figure emerged from another place and went downstairs along the same path they had come from.
Judging from the way that person walked and his gait, it was actually Captain Feng!
What are those two, Captain Feng and Captain Mu, doing in the middle of the night?
Drip, drip, drip—that's the sound of water still leaking from the sink in the water room.
Apart from the basic dust being wiped away, the structure here is almost exactly the same as before, and the base remains as deathly silent and dull as ever.
"Wake up, get up, it's time!"
Old Meng, who was half asleep, suddenly remembered something, got up, and went to push Old Du.
Mr. Du is a light sleeper, and even when he is physically exhausted, he wakes up quickly.
"Oh, what time is it?"
"Isn't the flashlight with you? I reckon it's about time, hurry up and check if you've seen it?"
Old Du wanted to say something to him, but then he thought that the other person meant well. He rubbed his hands together, took out a flashlight, and turned it on. It was 3:12 a.m.
"3:12, thankfully we made it in time."
"Captain Feng, we need to hurry and call the others."
The two elders thought it would be easier for the younger generation to get things done than for them; but to their surprise, no one responded when they called out the elders' names several times.
Realizing something was wrong, the two shone their flashlights on the bed, only to find no one there.
"No, where are the others?"
"Oh no, the bed is cold. He was sleeping there yesterday."
Old Meng was stunned for a moment, and then when he tried to pull the light cord, he found that it didn't work either.
"The power's out again!"
"His shoes and clothes are gone, and his backpack is missing too. Could it be that the kid went down there by himself?" Old Meng and Old Du discussed it and realized it was quite possible. "Oh no, something's happened!"
The two hurriedly grabbed their things and headed out towards the two places.
"Bang bang bang~"
"Wake up, everyone! Something's happened!"
A burst of noise quickly stirred up everyone.
Even without electricity, the flashlight beam shining through the small window was enough to wake Luo Yin up.
"Hmm, it's dawn?"
Luo Yin felt as if she were being directly exposed to the sun; her eyelids kept twitching, which woke her up.
Struggling to open my eyes halfway, I finally managed to open them and saw someone leaning against the small window.
At that moment, in that second, Luo Yin felt like she was greeting her great-grandmother.
"Aaaaaaahhhhh~"
Suddenly, the soprano voice came out of her mouth easily.
"What the hell is this?"
A pale figure, peeking out and classic pose, shining a flashlight down to his chin, appeared before her!
After screaming, Luo Yin called for Captain Mu, but found that she was not in the room.
Startled, she quickly shrank back, wanting to hide under the covers, but hearing the thumping sounds outside, she frantically searched for a flashlight and tools, feeling safer with something in her hands.
"What's going on? Why are you making that noise?"
"I don't know, but it seems like someone inside has woken up." Old Du opened his eyes wide, trying to see more clearly.
The result was still unclear, but the scream didn't sound too good.
Oh no, could something have happened?
Just then, a number of people came out of the house next door, and seeing that there was still no movement here, they immediately attracted attention.
"What's going on? They haven't come out yet?"
Hosen, with a serious expression, stepped forward and asked.
"Hey Xiao Huo, I've been knocking for ages and there's a sound inside, but I can't see clearly. Why don't you take a look?"
Old Du made way for him, and Huo Sen looked out at the dimly lit small window.
They stood there, stunned, and didn't go up ahead.
Knowing that there were two women inside, he felt it wasn't right to do this, but he was also genuinely worried about the sound he had just heard. After thinking for a moment, he knocked on the door a few more times, explaining his identity and where he was.
Once Luo Yin was dressed and kept far away, she finally caught up with what was happening.
It's them! But what time is it?
Could it be that Team Wood left because of this?
"Wait, Captain Huo, I'll be right out."
Without thinking too much, Luo Yin rubbed her face and smoothed her hair, and that was it.
With a crisp sound, the door opened!
The flashlight beam shining from the next room onto the group created a rather desolate atmosphere.
"You're all alone."
Old Du then realized that there was only one person.
"Yeah, that's what I was just saying. Where did Team Leader Mu go? I didn't see him when I got up."
Du Xiangrong slapped his forehead, realizing he was in trouble.
Having lost two at once, he hurriedly went into the house, checked something, and then quickly went to find Old Meng.
Luo Yin looked at his actions with a puzzled expression and then turned to the newcomer.
"Captain Huo!"
After assessing whether she was seriously injured, Hossen felt somewhat relieved.
Seeing her looking at him like that, he understood.
"Get dressed, pack your things, we should get ready to go down."
"Ah, okay, I understand."
Knowing that she was being reminded, Luo Yin said earnestly.
Huo Sen was silent for a moment, then thought for a moment, "Go and stay by Old Chen's side. If something goes wrong, you'll have to handle it yourself, okay?"
Thinking that if they couldn't all get out, she would probably have a hard time getting back by herself.
At this moment, his heart was heavy.
Whether Luo Yin understood or not, a momentary look of seriousness crossed her face before she quickly rejoined the group.
At 3:32 a.m., the remaining seven people caught up with them by following their footprints.
Ta-da-da~
Da da da da~
The familiar location and familiar scene only amplified the somber mood of the group.
Fortunately, they moved faster and arrived at the scene in more than half the time they had before.
The underground palace had five floors, but this place was only a quarter the size of the first floor. They quickly discovered that there were no two people there.
The only possible place was the locked door leading to the sixth floor.
But when they looked at the thick iron gate, they were stumped by the two keyholes on it.
Do we need a key for these two holes? Does anyone have a key?
The group looked at each other, none of them having a key.
Surely it's not just Captain Feng and Captain Mu who have it, so what about the others?
None of us have this, so it seems this is their trump card. But how were they able to isolate them at the last step?
Hosen thought for a moment, then moved closer to observe carefully, hoping to find a solution.
The keyhole looked simple, but upon closer inspection, it was discovered to be specially made.
Upon closer inspection, the outer locking mechanism was much more complex than the others, and it was clear that it couldn't be opened using simple methods.
"We're right here now. Everyone, go and search the surrounding area for any clues."
Seeing that this wouldn't work, Team Leader Qin thought for a moment and said...
"Yes, there are several research labs nearby. Let's keep a low profile and see if they've left anything behind."
The scene quickly sprang into action; they were quite efficient at finding what they were looking for.
Luo Yin wanted to go with him, but Old Master Chen held her back and told her to stay here with him.
"It's pitch black all around, don't go."
"You can see it again now?"
Chen Dong gave a haughty snort, "Otherwise what? My eyesight is pretty sharp."
"It's no use making a scene; the item is still missing."
Hearing his resolute words, Luo Yin had some guesses in her mind.
Before she could ask any further questions, she discovered that the others had returned looking utterly defeated.
"No."
There's nothing there.
"What can we do? This won't do. They have to find someone quickly."
This put them in a complete stalemate. Since they couldn't find the key, they were essentially trapped on the fifth floor.
Right now, the only options are to stay here and go back.
But this doesn't meet the targets they set when they came. What should we do?
Old Du, Old Meng, and the others all looked worried, their eyes flashing with a fierce light as they stared at the keyhole.
It looked so bad I wanted to find something to blow it up.
"Right, blow it up?" Liu Cheng exclaimed upon realizing this. "Captain Qin, don't we have that? Why don't we just blow it up?"
Those who had been listening intently all shuddered upon hearing this.
Are you the King of Hell? What kind of place is this, and what time is it? Why would you use explosives?
Do they not want to live anymore?
"What are you thinking? Don't you even look where we are? If we use that stuff, will we even survive?" Captain Qin slapped him on the head. This kid must be out of his mind.
Sure enough, the familiar sound of pain satisfied everyone's desires.
I'm telling you, Captain Qin isn't the type to mess around, so this method definitely won't work.
Liu Cheng seemed to have figured it out, and an embarrassed look appeared on his face. He had been in a hurry and hadn't thought that much about it.
"I'm sorry, I forgot for a moment!"
"But what can we do? Are we really out of options?"
"Wait~"
Just then, Old Chen, who hadn't spoken until now, suddenly spoke.
"wait?"
"Hiss~ Old Chen, are you up to something?" If anyone knows this old man well, it's definitely Du Xiangrong.
He glanced at Lao Meng and saw that he also looked deep in thought.
The two locked eyes for a moment, as if they understood each other's words, and then nodded.
"I can't do anything about it. It's better to wait for them to come back than to go through all this trouble."
But then he added another sentence.
Originally, Du Lao had sparked a lot of divergent thinking among the people, but his words had disrupted it all.
But at the same time, it also planted a seed in everyone's hearts. They all saw it clearly along the way: Old Chen usually doesn't speak easily, but when he does, it's always very useful.
So maybe they could actually give it a try?
After he finished speaking, the room fell silent.
Everyone found a spot, leaned against the wall, and began to doze off.
The remaining three automatically divided the tasks, with Hosen being the first to keep watch.
Team Leader Qin was still a bit weak, so he tried his best to share the burden. Xiao Liu needed to take care of him, and since he wasn't as quick-witted, Huo Sen automatically stepped in.
Hearing the gradually becoming softer breathing around him, he knew they had fallen asleep.
His gaze swept over the group of people, pausing for a moment in the corner.
Then it landed on that door!
Is that lock really impossible to open?
This question came to Hossen's mind.
He began to recall the behavior and changes of Captain Feng and Captain Mu along the way. Everything seemed so normal and formal, so how could they have suddenly disappeared into the night?
And none of them mentioned the keyhole issue?
There must be something being hidden about this. Hosen was concealed in the darkness of the night, surrounded by complete darkness.
But his eyes were full of wisdom and contemplation, shining brightly in the darkness of the night.
The host family is clearly in the midst of a deep brainstorming session.
Fortunately, Luo Yin closed her eyes and fell asleep.
Otherwise, given her luck, she would definitely have been frightened again.
She didn't know why, but ever since she left the grasslands, she had lost count of how many times she had been frightened.
But every time, I get startled by this or that.
Luo Yin mumbled a few words in her sleep, then quickly curled up and fell asleep again.
Old Chen, who was not far away, gently moved the beaded string in his hand.
The sound of rubbing the wooden beads made a soft popping sound.
It was as if it hadn't happened, yet it also seemed like it had.
But Hossen still overheard this.
His sharp eyes swept across the area, looking at the source of the sound.
It's him!
Even without opening his eyes, Old Chen could feel that gaze fixed on him. The old man looked helpless but not afraid at all.
He simply rolled over, deliberately making some noise.
Seeing that the boy was calm and collected, they didn't immediately come up to ask him anything, so they simply didn't say anything either.
After the two had been waiting for more than ten minutes, Old Chen yawned.
"Hey kid, come here."
Chen Dong waved to him, signaling him to come over.
Hosen paused for a moment, then walked towards him.
It was at this moment that Old Master Chen whispered something in his ear.
The voice was very low and soft.
"Keep this safe."
Then a familiar object was slipped onto his hand, followed by another identical one handed to him.
When Hossen touched it, he guessed what it was. Remembering his words, he quietly pushed the other one onto her wrist.
After a brief touch, the man immediately got up and moved away.
Thanks to the pitch-black surroundings, no one saw the tips of his ears turn red.
But this couldn't escape the old man's gaze.
The old man chuckled in a low voice, which sent chills down Hossen's spine.
Because he always sensed a hint of guilt in that voice.
Time passed little by little, and perhaps no one knows how much time has gone by.
Time seemed to pass both slowly and quickly in the darkness, and it was five hours later when the handover was completed to Team Leader Qin.
It's 9 a.m.
They found the nearby power switch, and the fifth floor was already brightly lit.
As everyone gradually woke up, they looked at the familiar surroundings and soon began to inquire about the situation.
When they learned that there were still no clues about the two of them, everyone's hearts sank.
We've been waiting and waiting, but there's still no news. What should we do?
"Old Chen, how long are we going to have to wait?"
"Yes, it's been several hours already, and they still don't know what's going on. Are they alright?"
Seeing that Old Du and Old Meng had started talking, the people around them also joined in the discussion.
Everyone looked at Old Master Chen, hoping he could reveal more information.
Chen Dong shook his head.
Silence speaks louder than words!
Seeing that no news was coming out, everyone thought about what would happen next and decided to wait and see, at least to eat breakfast before thinking about anything else.
Everyone finished eating quickly, and another hour passed after they had filled their stomachs.
By this point, the environment on the fifth floor had been thoroughly cleaned up by everyone.
After walking through several places, a question soon appeared on everyone's mind.
"I found that the internal structure of this base is very different from what we usually see."
"Right, right? I noticed it too. Didn't you all notice that the space gets much narrower on each subsequent floor?"
"That's right, especially compared to the first three floors, the space below is pitifully small."
Hearing him say that, many people were moved, as if it really was true.
Is there some other reason for doing this?
"Hey, do you guys think there's something to say about this?"
Since we're just staring at each other and nothing's going on, we might as well talk it out and come up with a solution together.
"Mr. Du, Mr. Meng, Mr. Chen, do you know about this?"
Upon seeing this, Liu Cheng quickly inquired about the three of them.
The three senior figures were taken aback upon hearing this, and then exchanged strange glances.
Luo Yin also looked towards them, wanting to hear what they had to say.
But then Du Xiangrong waved his hand, signaling Meng Junxia to say that since he was more skilled in this area, he wouldn't try to teach him anything.
"Ahem, this is indeed a bit different. You can probably tell from what I just said. The base has a very special structure."
Meng Junxia paused for a moment after saying this, then looked at everyone.
Seeing the curious and expectant looks on everyone's faces, he smiled and continued, "I wonder if any of you have ever seen a pagoda?"
"Yes, I've seen it. There's a very famous temple near my home. I even visited it with my elders before."
Meng Junxia nodded and then began to explain: "Yes, this is indeed very common, both in terms of architectural style and cultural heritage. But the site we are standing on adopts the construction method of a pagoda."
Seeing the growing doubt in everyone's eyes, he said, "Of course, some of the internal structures must have been altered or reduced. Otherwise, no matter what materials were used to build such a six-story inverted pagoda, it certainly wouldn't be able to support itself."
"However, that's not the point. What I want to say is that this pagoda wasn't built casually in ancient times."
Upon hearing this, a hint of anticipation flashed in everyone's eyes.
Old Du, standing nearby, suddenly had his eyes light up. "I understand now, this is for suppression."
"Considering the circumstances before and after, and our current position, I think that suppression alone is not appropriate. Perhaps it should also serve as a deterrent and regulatory intermediary."
"However, these are just speculations and need to be confirmed by insiders." He then looked at Captain Qin and Comrade Xiao Liu.
"Captain Qin, Xiao Liu, do you know anything about this?"
"Ah, Elder Meng, I didn't know that. I always follow the captain."
Liu Cheng genuinely didn't know the situation, since most people acted according to orders.
Qin Chuan realized that after Xiao Liu finished speaking, everyone's eyes were on him again.
He felt a pang of bitterness in his heart; this wave was coming for him.
But he didn't know much either, especially after these things happened one after another.
Thinking about it only gave him a headache. Director You, you didn't mention beforehand that Captain Feng and Captain Mu had any classified missions. Why were you excluding him? Now he's in this situation, pleasing no one!
"Hehehe, I'm actually not much better than you guys."
Upon hearing this, Du Xiangrong quickly interjected, "What you're saying means you know something about it. Tell me quickly."
Qin Chuan's face stiffened, and his conflicted expression deepened.
Just as he was wondering what to do, Liu Cheng came over and spoke.
"Captain Qin, what time is it? Just say what's wrong, or we might miss the best time for rescue."
Qin Chuan sighed deeply as he thought of the two captains.
"Okay, I'll confess!"
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