Chapter 96 Abnormal
"We only have one hour." Xie Tu checked the time on his communicator.
4:26 PM.
There are still seven and a half hours until midnight.
When the Otherworld arrives, you can only choose between going to the Sichuan Provincial Opera House or Qi Ling's secret base.
However, it's advisable to scout out the location before anything changes.
Song Liang and Duan Xi walked over and reported, "Captain, there are no finished face masks in the storage room."
There were only a few books introducing the relevant culture. In the box that Yun Zhao was just looking through, there was a book on facial makeup, which depicted various types of facial makeup.
“We found a lot of USB drives in the specimen box, but there’s no power now…” Duan Xi hadn’t finished speaking when he realized, “We have power in the car, and Song Liang’s computer is in the car!”
Everyone looked at Xie Tu, waiting for him to make arrangements.
Qi Ling, however, couldn't understand what his superiors were saying at all.
He stood there, stunned, in front of the wooden frame.
car?
Oh right, with a car you can leave here and return to the capital to reunite with your family.
Xie Tu didn't respond, but calmly glanced at him and suddenly asked an unrelated question, "What time do you usually go to sleep at night?"
Qi Ling didn't know why her superior was asking this.
He realized what was happening and answered truthfully, "There are no recreational activities in the shelter, and I usually go to bed around 10 p.m.
At first, I wasn't used to it. No matter what time it was, it was noisy everywhere. But as long as the people didn't cause trouble, the military didn't restrict them.
He gradually adapted and was able to sleep soundly even in noisy environments.
Not only him, but all the survivors of underground life were like this.
Xie Tu nodded slightly, then turned to Duan Xi, "Take those USB drives with you. Let's go out first and see where all the robots are."
There's no point in leaving it in the reserves.
According to General Qin, most of the robots are in the eastern tunnel, which will open up new land for future planting.
A small number remained on the ground to search for supplies.
But when they came in, they were certain they didn't see a single robot, not even a broken one.
The group emerged from the storage warehouse.
Xie Tu subconsciously grabbed Yun Zhao's backpack strap. She seemed to be lost in thought, her feet moving unconsciously with his guidance.
After spending several days together.
Xie Tu understood that this was the expression on her face when she was thinking.
The lights in the corridor outside flickered, casting shimmering shadows on the floor in a dim, yellowish glow.
The worn-out platform sign stands alone in a conspicuous position.
——Fuqin Station.
"Do you know where the eastern expansion area is?" Tao Haohao asked Qi Ling.
Qi Ling said, "I know, it's in the subway tunnel on the east side of this floor."
As he spoke, he took the initiative to lead the way.
As the officers passed by, the soldiers on duty along the way stood ramrod straight and saluted them.
The rabbit lagged two steps behind Yun Zhao, keeping its head down and trying not to look at the soldiers.
Team Zero followed Qi Ling through a slightly gloomy corridor and walked for a long time until they arrived at a metal door.
This door is quite different from the other doors around it.
The door handles were gleaming, as if they had never been touched.
"Behind the door was the original subway tunnel entrance. After the shelter was established, the military sealed off all the exits and passages in the entire city."
Qi Ling said, "Recently, the military planned to expand a planting area, which is why they opened up the original Line 5 passage."
Xie Tu stepped forward, reached out and grasped the doorknob, easily opening the door a crack.
He peeked through the crack for a moment, then closed the door again. Turning back to Qi Ling, he said calmly, "Yes, thank you. We need to inspect the planting site. You go back and eat first, and we'll come back to find you later."
Qi Ling still doesn't know what her superiors are doing.
He wisely refrained from asking, saying, "Yes, sir. Please call me anytime if you need any help. I'll be waiting for you in the dormitory."
Once everyone left.
The members of Team Zero gathered around.
"Captain, inside..."
Everyone has already realized that something is wrong.
Xie Tu said nothing, and after making sure Qi Ling was far away, he opened the metal door in front of everyone.
The tunnel was dark and filled with a damp and stale smell. As the door was opened, the smell rushed out, carrying the earthy stench and a faint odor of decay, making one involuntarily frown.
Xie Tu was about to take out his flashlight when he saw countless greenish-blue fluorescent lights flash, gather together and fly towards the door, quickly illuminating a large area.
The use of mental threads consumes the guide's mental energy.
In the past, the guides at the base never used their mental power lightly.
She seemed completely unconcerned.
Xie Tu turned around unintentionally and met her gaze.
A hint of doubt flashed in Yun Zhao's clear black and white eyes.
Why are you looking at her?
Look inside!
Something was clearly wrong inside the tunnel.
The green light illuminated a range large enough for them to see the scene nearby.
Dark matter filled the air, and the rails were corroded and rusted, resembling two endless parallel lines leading into the pitch-black, unknown depths.
The cold air blew in, cutting into the skin like ice blades, carrying a musty, rotten smell.
A deathly silence.
The tunnel remains exactly as it was before; there are no robots and no farmland to be seen.
Holy crap!
Tao Haohao exclaimed in surprise, "What happened?"
Didn't they say that the survivors work here during the day, and the robots are here too?
Why is the scene before us so different from what they described?
No wonder the captain wanted to send Qi Ling away.
"They live in their own fantasy world."
Xie Tu withdrew his gaze, surveyed the dark tunnel, and said in a low, solemn voice, "It is believed that the robots are still searching for supplies on the ground, and the planting area inside the tunnel is being developed."
Or perhaps this was part of their original plan.
But before it could be implemented, a contaminated area was created, and Shelter No. 28 fell.
"This is absolutely outrageous!"
Duan Xi thought about the situation outside the door and couldn't help but complain, "Doesn't anyone go check on the soldiers at the two outer gates? They're on shifts and don't even care about what's outside?"
Song Liang echoed, "That Major General Qin came out of the door earlier, which means they could actually come out, but they chose to ignore the situation outside."
When Major General Qin came out to shake hands with the captain, he was so engrossed in his own world that he ignored the dust in the passageway and all the inconsistencies.
And that kind-hearted soldier who disappeared.
Surprisingly, not a single person remembers.
Are all people who undergo mutations selectively filtered out by 'people' immersed in fantasy worlds?
Looking back on these details, I realized that these seemingly normal people were actually not normal at all.
Yun Zhao suddenly spoke up at this moment: "Do you think those people with gray-black flames are lacking any emotions?"
"No."
Duan Xi continued, "Anyway, the people I've dealt with can cry and laugh, and can have normal conversations. I don't feel like they're lacking anything."
He only realized after he finished speaking, "Right, logically speaking, every time an emotion is removed, the color of the flame should decrease, so they should all be gray-black will-o'-the-wisps. Why are they still the same as normal people?"
Could their guess be wrong?
Xie Tu stood in front of the door, staring at the dark tunnel. After a moment, he reached out and closed the metal door, keeping the darkness outside.
"The gatekeeper collects emotions, perhaps to keep these people inside alive."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
