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Chapter 157 External Threats
Lu Zhao turned the terminal to low brightness and quickly adjusted it on the monitoring console with his hands.

He increased the sensitivity of the external monitoring signal unit by two levels, expanded the local network, and switched to the latest captured dynamics.

A set of coordinates popped up on the main screen. Lu Zhao glanced at the time markers, pulled up the mobile frequency data, and his expression became serious.

“An unusual movement has occurred on the outskirts of the main southern area—it is moving very fast and there are approximately more than twenty of them.”

Lu Zhao lowered his voice and flipped up a motion signal overlay diagram with his right hand. "The target is advancing in a ring, with intervals within the range of the tactical formation, unlike ordinary infected."

Su Wanqing gathered the data sheets in her hands, without looking up, but simply pulled Lu Zhao's terminal closer.

"Does this overlap with the timing of the virus fluctuations in the external air?"

Lu Zhao nodded and pushed the timeline forward. "Almost simultaneously. One group was 95 meters from the main south entrance, while another group was flanking from the side. Their signal jamming strength was higher than that of ordinary infected, indicating that they were a human team equipped with standard communication devices."

Xiao Ran leaned closer, lowering his voice, "They came in openly, are they from the rebel side? Their formation looks like a pursuit team, not like they're eliminating infected."

"They locked onto the approximate coordinates, which was likely revealed by the signal from the pendant."

Lin Che inspected the channel interface, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "The signal interference is distributed in a tree-like pattern, and it's all too neatly arranged."

Lu Zhao rubbed two fingers together and then said, "There are also three small mobile units distributed in various ventilation vents and blind spots of monitoring. They use shortwave frequency hopping signals, so they must have been specially tracked and deployed."

Xiao Ran straightened up and adjusted the straps. "At this rate, they'll have to search the entire enclosed area. We can't delay any longer. We need to consider moving them, otherwise we'll all be trapped inside."

Su Wanqing paused, her pen still. She subtly switched all the monitoring stations to the main channel, her gaze falling on the data group. "We can't be hasty. The other side is most likely after the core virus equipment and its components."

A hasty retreat, leaving all the important equipment and data behind, would have rendered all previous efforts futile.

Lu Zhao opened the underlying signal interface and backed up the remaining data to local storage.

"But once they break down the door, there simply won't be enough time to destroy all the secrets."

Su Wanqing pushed the terminal to Lin Che, paused for two seconds, and said, "Then we need to wait for a solution. We are short-handed and cannot afford to rush into conflict. Right now, the core equipment data must be destroyed as much as possible—but we need to set up a timed module and segmented self-destruct logic, so that we can't just leave a pile of charred remains."

Lin Che quickly dragged the signal jamming module to the device's analog port. "I'll use my special ability to create a magnetic field shield now, maximizing the interference with communication signals outside the experimental area. At least it will delay their positioning instruments for a while."

Su Wanqing hummed in agreement, then added, "The jamming frequency bands shouldn't damage our internal network. The rebels don't rely on ordinary frequencies for tracking; they can only stall them temporarily. Don't destroy our own operational channels."

Lin Che steadied himself at the back of the experimental table and released his supernatural power. A magnetic field appeared in his palm.

He dragged the two signal lines into the external frequency band and adjusted the amplitude little by little.

“I set it to hop frequencies every three minutes, with the signal high point directly corresponding to the external communication channel. As long as they want to use the positioning device, the interference value will surge in a specific direction.”

Xiao Ran took the magazine off his shoulder and tapped the table with his palm. "Should I sneak over to the electrical distribution shaft and completely block the outer air conditioning entrance and airtight door, so they can't get in?"

Su Wanqing didn't answer, but asked Lu Zhao first: "What blind spots are there in the outer surveillance? Where can they get in?"

Lu Zhao dragged the signal distributions of each group into the simulation diagram, and tapped along the passage leading to the experimental main control area with his left index finger. "There is a fault in the northeast wind duct and a maintenance well in the northwest - the rebels can easily probe into the deepest layer from these points. Adjust the escape air duct as a backup for evacuation."

Xiao Ran didn't wait any longer. He carried his equipment and walked to the rear passage. "I'm going to check the airway structure and make room for a route."

Su Wanqing nodded, picked up a pen from the lab bench, jotted down a set of numbers in the logbook, and said to Lin Che, "Upgrade the magnetic field setting, and automatically collect interference feedback every minute. I need to determine if it has the ability to automatically adapt to external signals."

Lin Che frowned and reached out to adjust the parameters again. He pulled a wire from the oracle module and connected the external interference converter to the power supply.

"The channel magnetic field can cover 120 meters, which theoretically can eliminate most of the functions of at least three positioning terminals."

A dull thud came from the other side of the passage. Xiao Ran ducked into the narrow, abandoned air passage and scanned the area with his tactical flashlight. He whispered into his earpiece to the person inside: "There's no one in here. Continue north for about thirty meters through the air passage, and there's a shaft that leads down to the logistics warehouse level—the exit is rather hidden, enough for a family to cover themselves."

Lu Zhao quickly noted down the route and marked the waste gas duct entrance on the distribution map. "The evacuation route is in place. If we really can't stop them, deploy the equipment damage code in advance. Avoid all original test records, and focus on blowing up the data module and main control storage to avoid future problems."

Su Wanqing kept her eyes open but didn't look at him. She paused for a moment and said, "Make a separate list of items to be destroyed, prioritizing the key and core parts. The accessories cannot fall into their hands, even if they are completely cut off."

Lu Zhao nodded, "I wrote a self-destruct sequence to isolate all the components in advance. I kept a backdoor so that it can be completely destroyed with a single command, and not even a trace of the remaining signal can be found."

Lin Che meticulously examined the interference zone, concluding, "As long as they don't receive complete feedback on the signal channel, they won't be able to pinpoint the exact location in a short time. The outward extension of the magnetic field will affect the diffusion of some active factors, and infected individuals closer to the main equipment may also become less sensitive."

Su Wanqing then located the secondary database and exported the last set of core files to another device.

The numbers on the terminal screen were still slowly ticking away. She frowned and said to Lu Zhao, "Besides the data and equipment, all the remaining documents must be incinerated with high-flammable agents. They must not be decrypted."

Xiao Ran climbed out of the airway and wiped the water from his forehead. "Outside the logistics warehouse is an old-fashioned electrified well. I went around it and checked it all. There was no one lying in ambush. The main rebel force's movement was also blocked by the magnetic field. We have five to seven minutes to prepare."

The girl with the childlike voice sat on a small stool under the lab table, her face pale, her hands gripping the corner of the blanket tightly.

Loud footsteps and the clatter of tools echoed from the passageway outside. The girl glared at Su Wanqing, her voice hoarse, "Is someone about to come in?"

Su Wanqing didn't say anything, but gently pressed her shoulder with her hand, "We will make arrangements. No one will touch you, and you will not be allowed to touch the pendant again."

The girl was breathing rapidly, shrank back, and moved step by step closer to Su Wanqing.

"Could we... please stop letting them get any closer?"

Su Wanqing gently wrapped the blanket around her, her voice extremely low, "I won't let them touch you. You can stay by my side and don't worry, you won't be alone."

The girl nodded, her fingernails digging into the blanket, trembling slightly.

Just as Lu Zhao entered the self-destruct code, a prompt appeared: "The self-destruct logic is complete. The backend is now just waiting for the command. All remaining data has also been split."

Lin Che re-identified the magnetic field interference on the main control panel. "Signal monitoring and alerts can hold out for two more times. If they have additional methods, we'll have to switch channels to deal with it."

Xiao Ran returned to the main gate of the experimental area and added in a low voice, "Two teams have already approached the airtight door. I just left some interference signals in the air duct. Once anyone gets close, they will be guided to the abandoned well. As long as we can stabilize the time, we can retreat without alerting the main team."

Su Wanqing organized all the logic into a table, assigning all possible retreat steps one by one. Her voice was low and quick: "During the retreat, Lin Che will hold the rear, Lu Zhao will take the equipment and data, and I will take the girl. Xiao Ran will be responsible for the rearguard and sabotage. Leave behind any materials you have for destruction as you leave; do not linger."

Lu Zhao unconsciously squeezed the edge of the communicator. "The rebels are using rotating microwave scanning. In three minutes, the airtight door will be soft-cracked."

Lin Che prepared all the remaining water-based energy storage blocks, "Once the magnetic field boundary is breached, I will proactively disconnect the main energy line to cut off the power when the other party enters."

Footsteps were heavy outside the main door, and low voices and the clanging of metal could be heard through the walls.

Xiao Ran pulled out a spare magazine, quickly organized his weapons, and tapped them to a corner of the experimental area. He observed the rebel squad's advance pattern. "Their front line usually uses jamming batons to sweep away animals and abnormal heat sources, while the rear guard takes care of the lead. We just need to wait until they're halfway inside—then we can use the airway to run away."

Su Wanqing pondered for a moment, then turned back and instructed: "After retreating to the airway, destroy the entrance signal module immediately. Don't linger in the battle. Take as much data as you can, but if you really can't, just take the accessories and the most crucial data."

As Lin Che conducted his final magnetic field inspection, he glanced at the trembling girl as he passed the lab bench. "Don't be afraid. You'll be coming out with us. We won't leave you lying around."

The girl didn't dare to look up. She bit her lip twice and spoke in a voice so soft that it could only be heard if you were very close, "They... are terrifying. Last time I saw them beat someone, it hurt, and there was a lot of blood."

Lu Zhao didn't interrupt. He opened the back panel of the device, inserted the last manual high-temperature destruction chip into the main chip, cleared the terminal trajectory record, stuffed the debris into the incineration bag, and checked for any risk of leakage of residual data.

Xiao Ran walked through the back door of the experimental area and scanned the internal structure of the airway. "There is a sealed manhole cover at the end of this airway. It needs to be pried open physically. There are no traces of electricity, so it can prevent tracking. I left an extra layer of debris at the exit as a retreat marker. As long as the team has no more than five people, they can all leave according to the original plan."

Su Wanqing nodded, saying nothing more. The only sounds were the static from the equipment and the approaching movements of the rebels outside.