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Chapter 204 Clues to the Underground Base

As Su Wanqing left the medical area, the jade bracelet on her wrist was still slowly changing light.

Without delay, she went straight back to the control room and uploaded the retrieved data backup.

Lu Zhao and the others were in front of the main control unit, staring intently at the series of fluctuating parameters on the screen.

He fiddled with the keyboard and said in a low voice, "The data backed up by the jade bracelet is encrypted at a very high level. Only the highest level of administrative privileges can completely decrypt it."

He pointed to the main control interface, "The route that Xiaoling just drew doesn't correspond to the numbers in the dream before, which are not part of the regular base hierarchy. I suspect there are hidden areas here."

Su Wanqing wasn't surprised. She directly entered the highest-level access code to retrieve all the blueprints for the fortress.

Lu Zhao then input the coordinates on the small bell paper into the database to verify their match with the three-dimensional structure.

He pushed his chair away and muttered, "Normally, a water storage area wouldn't be this deep. This area is marked as a 'deep water storage area' on the blueprint, but the data volume far exceeds the capacity of a regular water body."

The database quickly listed a series of hidden structure data. Lu Zhao clicked the "Extended Query" function to integrate Xiaoling's code, dream numbers, and the location 500 meters underground into the module analysis.

A moment later, a building cross-section popped up on the screen, revealing a spiderweb-like underground cavity. The exterior was covered with regular building layers, and the interior was densely packed with details, making it impossible to discern its specific purpose at a glance.

Su Wanqing pressed down on the edge of the table and held the paper and circuit diagram close to the screen. She said to Lu Zhao, "There is clearly a large area outside the underground blueprint here; the water storage area is just a decoy."

Lu Zhao cracked his knuckles. "The information can't be found on the surface; we need to dig deeper."

He crouched under the control panel and connected to an encrypted external hard drive, scraping out more database remnants.

The screen popped up another permission verification, and after several attempts, a gray hidden folder icon flashed on the system screen.

Lu Zhao took a set of special symbols from the small bell paper and entered them one by one. "This code looks a lot like an encryption trigger word."

The folder finally opened. Inside were not regular documents, but scattered images, incomplete protocols, technical terms, and several discarded video frames.

Su Wanqing flipped through one of the files, “'Project Orion,' marked S-7, this name is not in the official historical records.”

Lu Zhao glanced at several entries: "Gene lock, evolutionary catalysis, deep experimental body, virus precursor system..." He couldn't continue. He clicked on the technical report and saw many date tags—all of them predating the outbreak of the epidemic.

Su Wanqing closed the file window, her thoughts becoming even more intense. "This base has been tampered with by research institutions; storing water is just a cover."

Lu Zhao projected the coordinates onto the fortress's cross-section, "All the roads point to this core experimental area."

Xiao Ran strode in and closed the door. The tablet in his hand was still lit up. "Three sets of Class A protective suits were found in the main control material list. The previous responsible persons only had two repair records. One set was invalid, and the other two sets were barely up to standard."

Su Wanqing moved her chair forward. "The oxygen level is low, and the temperature is too high. We definitely can't get out without specialized equipment."

Xiao Ran tapped the screen: "Besides the protective suit, the rest of the breathing masks are basic versions and can't withstand the temperature difference in the vertical shaft."

Lu Zhao patted the folder. "This shaft was originally a maintenance passage, but now the main passages are all sealed off. It's marked as abandoned on the blueprints, and there are no maintenance records."

He pulled out a structural diagram of the bottom of the shaft. "This is a vertical shaft that leads directly to the 'deep water storage area,' but it is only a little over a meter wide. The surrounding temperature is alarming, and the oxygen level is below the physiological threshold."

Su Wanqing pursed her lips. "The line is too long; only two people can go down. The rest must use backup communication on the ground."

Xiao Ran lowered his voice, "I'll stay behind to monitor the situation and can also allocate supplies as needed."

Lu Zhao stood up and listed the damage to the three sets of protective suits one by one.

"The top-of-the-line helmet has cracked at the seams and can't withstand high temperatures."

The other two sets can last three to four hours. He pulled up the parameters of the protective equipment. "The air pump and internal circulation system can be temporarily repaired, but a third set can't be made on short notice."

Xiao Ran confirmed again, "I checked it myself, and only these two sets are usable."

He paused for a moment. "We have to leave in 24 hours. We can still look for some more clues now, in case there are any unexpected passages in the shaft."

Su Wanqing asked Xiaoling, "You said you need a mechanism box. What should we be especially careful about when going underground?" Xiaoling looked at the diagram Su Wanqing handed her and filled in the structure of the mechanism box on the paper: "When entering the door, align the mechanism box with the blue light on the lower left of the door, and it will open by itself. Don't push the door directly."

Time passed by, and Lu Zhao printed out a copy of all the analysis, routes, and current equipment information, and gave it to Su Wanqing and Xiao Ran.

He pointed to the map with his hand: "Go down the shaft, first a 300-meter descent, the temperature will rise to 40 degrees, then the oxygen will be low, and at 500 meters is the entrance to the Orion core."

Without waiting for anyone to urge her, Su Wanqing packed the instruments, breathing filters, first aid kits, and other items into bags.

After scanning the list, she stored the excess supplies in the medical area for future use.

Xiao Ran noted down the key and the encrypted radio frequency, saying, "If you don't come up within eight hours, it will be too late to send a message."

Xiaoling sat quietly, staring at the paper drawing. Lu Zhao asked her in a low voice if she still remembered the details of her dream.

Xiaoling repeated the process of the door, the mechanism, and the flashing blue light from the dream.

Su Wanqing wrote down what Lu Zhao said and reminded him, "Don't tamper with the structure once you get to the door. All the controls are on the mechanism box."

The three continued to simulate various scenarios in the control room, checking the reserve oxygen cylinders, power supply, and emergency sensors one by one.

Lu Zhao turned his head and said, "The congested area of ​​the passage may collapse at any time, so we must use wide-mouth cold light devices and disposable expansion adhesive."

Su Wanqing handed him the last battery, "Everyone should carry a spare signal flare. If the power goes out in the shaft, the sensors are easily lost."

The signal lights on the wall suddenly switched. Xiao Ran raised his wrist and quietly reported, "The military situation outside has changed."

Su Wanqing opened the surveillance screen and found that a large number of devices on the east side were being moved, but the number of guards had obviously decreased.

Lu Zhao connected to the database and checked the external wireless data packets. "The military has withdrawn most of its main force, and more than twenty signal detectors have been piled up on the east side."

Su Wanqing blinked and sifted through the list of energy cores again.

After a moment's thought, Lu Zhao analyzed, "These devices are scanning high-frequency energy signals. The military is probably looking for the core. If they have detected the activated fluctuations, then they have similar missions as well as us."

Xiao Ran tapped the table lightly with his finger, saying no more. "All personnel management must be encrypted, and the entrance to the shaft must not be leaked."

He checked whether the high-frequency electromagnetic shielding device could be temporarily activated. Su Wanqing turned the jade bracelet over and assembled the two core and auxiliary communication modules. "Using the jade bracelet to interfere with the signal half an hour in advance can buy a few minutes of safety."

Xiaoling pulled over an empty chair and redraw the symbol for the underground door on the paper.

"When you get to the entrance, make sure you align each engraving with the correct one; otherwise, you won't be able to get in."

Su Wanqing looked at the additional images she had provided and scanned them all into the jade bracelet.

Lu Zhao packaged the data and uploaded it to the only two local private terminals he had, setting a self-destruct countdown.

The supplies team came in to take over the boxed first aid kits and added two small signal repeaters.

Xiao Ran used a data table to record the quantity taken, and finally took a photo and stamped it.

Su Wanqing handed back the key and gave Xiao Ran the channel encryption scheme to check one by one.

With preparations complete, only a few people remained in the control room. Lu Zhao pasted the detailed route of the shaft below the control panel and pointed to the two newly marked danger zones at the bend in the passageway: "Blast-proof door No. 1 and narrow section No. 3 are difficult to pass; you need to follow the route Xiaoling gave you."

Xiao Ran didn't say anything more, only telling everyone to rest as soon as possible. He packed up all the spare equipment and handed a spare breathing valve into Su Wanqing's bag.

Su Wanqing nodded to Lu Zhao, "Check the forms tonight, final inspection tomorrow morning, and go down the shaft at 3 a.m. sharp tomorrow night."

Xiaoling put the puzzle box into her pocket, saying only briefly, "Remember to align the symbols, or you'll get trapped."

A low beeping sound came from the distant outside, indicating that preparations were still underway.

The atmosphere in the control room was very tense; no one dared to relax.