Chapter 58, "Eighth Underground Level..."
"Eight underground floors? This research institute should only have seven floors in total, right?"
Lina pushed up her glasses and said awkwardly, taking a sip of water as if to cover her embarrassment. Only a very few people should know about the events on the eighth floor. How did these two know?
“Yes, it’s the eighth basement level. We detected another companion’s mental energy fluctuations on the eighth basement level.” Feng Qi, unaware of Lina’s thoughts, said with a serious expression.
“It’s normal that you don’t know about this; it’s possible that Linka is intentionally hiding it. But I believe that after being by her side for so many years, you must know some information. Our companion’s fate is unknown, and I have to go and save her.”
"Okay, I'll find an opportunity to investigate the information about the eighth underground level, and then I'll contact you as soon as possible."
After Lina finished speaking, she got up, opened the door, and saw the two of them out.
"Then I'll leave it to you."
"Don't worry, I'll let you know as soon as I have any news." Lina's smile was forced, but fortunately Feng Qi didn't notice.
After sending the two away under the pretext of measuring experimental data, Lina returned to her office with a heavy heart, her fingers unconsciously tapping on the table.
The eighth basement level—if she remembered correctly, that experimental subject was imprisoned on the eighth basement level. Feng Qi's companion was also there. Could it be that her sister restarted the experiment from back then?
My sister is too stubborn; no one can stop her from doing what she wants. But perhaps some things should come to an end.
The sound of Lina tapping on the table gradually subsided. The new transport team was already on its way and would arrive soon. She didn't have much time left.
She looked at the file folder hidden deep in the drawer, her eyes darkening.
The next morning, Lina summoned the two to the lab again, this time citing the need to collect test data.
"Yesterday I looked through some materials on the construction history of the research institute and found some clues. The eight underground floors should indeed exist. However, they were destroyed for some unknown reason later on. Since they had lost their practical function, they are not shown in most of the materials."
Lina handed a file folder to Feng Qi.
Feng Qi took it and quickly flipped through it, reading the contents: "Due to experimental research, the laboratory has been forced to close... The eighth floor has now been sealed off..."
"It's been destroyed and sealed off, so how did Pei Qing get down there? There must be a way to get to the eighth underground level from the top. Lina, do you think you can look for it again?"
Hearing what she said, Lina's eyes darted around, and after a moment's hesitation, she finally nodded.
"Okay, actually... I found the structural diagram of the eighth underground level yesterday while I was gathering information. Although most of the area was destroyed, there is still a passage leading down, but it has been in disrepair for many years, and we don't know the specific conditions down there, so it might be a bit dangerous..."
"Great, then I'll leave it to you!"
"Okay, then let's go investigate tonight."
Linka has been extremely busy lately, and a few days ago she handed over most of the research institute's affairs to Lina. This included core data that she had never seen before and the keys to the core laboratory—she gave them all away in one go.
Lina felt a sense of bewilderment, as if she had suddenly found a treasure, along with a nameless sense of panic.
She didn't understand why Linka did that, but she was helpless. In the past few days, she had only seen Linka twice, and each time she was in a hurry and left after saying only a few words.
However, this is also a good thing. Lina has more power, so Feng Qi and others can move around more easily and no longer be restricted by others.
Once the transport team arrives in a few days, the plan can proceed smoothly, and she should be happy.
Lina tried to comfort herself, but for some reason, she still felt a sense of emptiness inside, which made her feel very uncomfortable.
Around 10 p.m., the three of them gathered together to discuss how to get to the eighth basement level.
Lina held up a tattered paper map. "This is all I found. It's the original paper map from when the building was constructed, and it's kept in the deepest part of the safe. I looked at it, and besides the regular passages, there are two emergency exits that should be usable."
"But we don't know which pathway is working properly right now. It's also possible that neither pathway is working. If that's the case, there might not be much we can do."
“It’s alright, we’ll try them one by one. We have to give it a shot. If we can’t get down there, we’ll try to contact Pei Qing and see if she can find some other way underground.” Feng Qi clenched his fist.
"Okay, let's go this way first."
Following the map's directions, the three of them arrived at a secluded entrance. The indicator lights had completely stopped working, and it was pitch black everywhere.
There stood a spiral escalator, seemingly hiding an invisible beast in the depths of darkness.
"We've reached the first emergency access route. Let's go down and take a look."
The group carefully made their way down the old staircase, holding onto the handrail. Due to years of disrepair, the staircase's power supply had failed, forcing them to use the most basic method to reach the bottom.
"Snap!"
The sound of the handrail breaking came, and Turansen lost her footing. She was about to fall down the stairs, and she wanted to scream, but she was too frightened to speak.
"Watch out!" Feng Qi reacted quickly, grabbing her collar and pulling her up.
Turansen was pale, covered in cold sweat, and stood there in shock for a long time before he recovered.
"Everyone be careful not to fall. The stairs are very rotten, so walk slowly," Feng Qi instructed again.
After a scary little incident, the three of them made it downstairs safely.
"Ha, that scared me to death! I'm finally down! I almost thought I was going to fall to my death!"
Turansen clutched her chest, panting, as she said that she dared not breathe too loudly as she went downstairs, for fear of tripping and falling again.
"Just stay behind us and don't wander off on your own. We don't know what dangers might be around here."
"Okay, don't worry, I will definitely cherish my life."
Feng Qi carried the lantern and walked at the front, Tulansen walked in the middle, and Lina walked at the back, pointing out directions from time to time.
After walking for about ten minutes, a pile of collapsed ruins and rubble blocked their way.
Turansen sighed, plopped down on the ground, and said dejectedly, "Seriously, it's been a complete waste of time. So much time has passed, the lab has been destroyed, what use are the emergency exits now?"
Feng Qi stepped forward and pushed the rubble. The collapsed stones and waste materials had fused together, making them extremely solid and impossible to move by human power alone.
"Isn't there another emergency exit? Let's go check it out. If that one is the same, we'll think of another solution."
The three returned the way they came, the atmosphere heavy as they went, their half-hope shattered.
Soon, the group found a second emergency passage. The good news was that this time there were no loose rocks blocking their way, but the bad news was that there was a door.
The worse news is that the door is made of one of the hardest materials in the world today.
The worst news is that a poison gas system is installed inside the door. If it is forcibly activated or blown up, the poison gas will be released instantly, killing everyone.
"What are we going to do now? There's a landslide in front and poisonous gas behind, there's really no way out!" Turansen said pessimistically.
Both emergency access routes are unusable. After all, nine years have passed, and they were destroyed by bombing back then. It's already quite good that we were able to find a way out. There's really nothing we can do about the current situation.
“Let’s go back to the first road.” Feng Qi suddenly stood up, as if he had thought of a solution.
The three of them came to the rubble again. Feng Qi tapped here and there, occasionally frowning as he pondered something.
After a moment, she spoke, "I think the thickness of these rubble stones might be enough to try using a bomb to blast them open. It should be able to break through without causing the tunnel to collapse."
“I’ve observed that the materials used for the surrounding walls are similar to those used for the door, so they must have been built beforehand. Unless something unusual happened, there should be another door here as well.”
"Now there's only rubble here, so the circumstances back then meant they didn't have time to activate that door, including the poison gas device. If we blow this place up, there might still be a glimmer of hope to rescue Pei Qing."
“But,” Lina stroked the surrounding walls, “the bombs wouldn’t damage the passageway as far as the walls are made of, but you can’t be sure they won’t harm the people inside, can you?”
Turanson weakly raised his hand in agreement, "Yes, yes, how about we think of another way?"
Lina continued, "What if that person happens to be behind these rubble piles?"
At this very moment, on the other side of the rubble, Pei Qing was sitting there grilling mutated rat skewers.
As she turned the roasted rat over, she didn't forget to scold the snake-man who was sneaking around beside her.
"Little Black! How many times have I told you? Don't secretly touch that thing over there with your tail, okay? You'll get burned again, and I won't be responsible for that."
Little Black silently retracted its tail, curled up, and looked at the fragrant roasted rats with a pitiful expression, its mouth watering.
"Haha, don't worry, it'll be ready soon, just a little while longer." Pei Qing found it amusing and reached out to pat his head. Xiao Hei kept rubbing against his hand, like a dog begging for food.
"Alright, here you go. You can eat now, but be careful, it's hot." Pei Qing took the roasted rat down, her ears suddenly twitching. "Wait a minute, Xiao Hei, did you hear anything strange?"
Logically speaking, there should only be the two of them here, right? Oh no, to be precise, it's one person and one snake, but why did she hear voices?
It seemed to be nearby. The voices were sometimes loud and sometimes soft. Pei Qing turned off the heater and pressed her ear to the ground to listen carefully.
"...This...explode!...It's possible..."
"...Wait...really?...&*_..."
She lifted her head from the ground, her face full of confusion.
If Pei Qing wasn't mistaken, she should have heard the word "explode".
Could it be researchers from some research institute coming to cover up the crime? That shouldn't be the case; she hasn't completed her mission yet. Surely that heartless Linka wouldn't send someone to blow her up, would she?
Besides, even if she dies, it's not a big deal. But what about Kolinka's experimental subjects? Weren't they supposed to be her best creation? Would she really be willing to blow them up too?
If she wasn't a lab technician, does that mean she might be saved?!
Pei Qing jumped up and quickly lay down on the pile of rubble, kicking with her hands and feet, trying to make some noise to attract the attention of the people over there.
The sound on the other end suddenly paused for a moment, then grew louder, "...Pei &**!"
She thought she heard her own name called!
Could it be Feng Qi and the others? They've come looking for her! That's great, she's finally going to be rescued! If she's rescued, Feng Qi will be her best friend for life!
Pei Qing excitedly hugged Xiao Hei next to her and tried to pick him up and spin him around, but unfortunately the snake's tail was too long and half of it drooped on the ground.
Xiao Hei looked at her in confusion, not understanding why this person's emotions were so changeable.
Pei Qian heard the sound of rubble being smashed, and the shouts from the other side grew more urgent. She responded again and again. At one point, a particular word was repeated over and over. Pei Qian closed her mouth and listened carefully.
It seems to be... a communication device?
Oh right, she completely forgot she had a communicator!
Thanks to her habit of hoarding things, it came in very handy this time! Pei Qing released her tentacles and quickly searched around, finally finding the small communicator. She turned it on and waited anxiously for the indicator light to light up.
The indicator light flashed twice, flickering on and off, and Pei Qing's heart was like a small boat on a vast ocean, rising and falling with it.
Finally, the indicator light turned green, meaning there was still power.
Across from him, Turansen proudly displayed his portable signal base station, hands on his hips, brimming with arrogance. "Hehe, thank goodness! Thank goodness I brought this with me!"
"You're a treasure trove! That's great! We'll contact her right now!"
Feng Qi had already given up hope and only planned to bring over a few portable bombs to blast the rubble apart.
But even so, Pei Qing's safety was still not guaranteed, since they hadn't been able to make contact. Their shouts across the pile of stones were like talking to a brick wall; they couldn't hear a word.
Just when things were getting drowsy, a perfect opportunity presented itself – Pei Qing was indeed right behind that pile of rubble! How incredibly lucky!
The signal base station kept emitting signals, and soon Pei Qing's small communicator was connected. Feng Qi's somewhat distorted voice came through, and Pei Qing excitedly spun around several times.
She's finally going to be able to go out! That's great!
"Pei Qing, is Pei Qing there? Is she there? Can you hear me? The signal is still a bit weak..."
"Yes, yes! Feng Qi, you're such a good sister! You actually came to save me! I want to be your best sister for life!" Pei Qing exclaimed, so moved that she couldn't hear what the other person was saying.
Feng Qi smiled helplessly and waited patiently for Pei Qing to calm down before continuing, "Listen to me now, time is of the essence. The new transport team will arrive here in 32 hours, and we must seize this last opportunity to leave."
"You are now trapped on the eighth underground level. We need to blow up the rubble to clear a passage so we can rescue you."
"It will take us about ten hours to make the portable bomb, and we also need to determine the location, test the amount of bomb, and ensure your safety."
"Okay, okay! I'll do whatever you say. You can arrange it. I'll stay far away. Don't worry!" Pei Qing quickly replied.
"Okay, we'll come find you at this time tomorrow. Remember to keep in touch."
The noise outside gradually subsided, indicating that Feng Qi and the others had left.
Pei Qing was deeply moved and couldn't calm down for a long time. After so many days, she was actually going to be rescued.
This is unbelievable! How did Feng Qi and the others find me? This is so wonderful!
This is truly a wonderful thing, because Pei Qing's mental state is precarious, and she herself is unsure whether she will really go crazy if she stays any longer.
Thankfully, thankfully, she was found.
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