Warhammer: The Time Traveler

Chapter 32 Chen Yu's Entrustment

After a brief, suffocating silence, Chen Yu's voice returned to its previous calm, but with an unquestionable, almost absolute, sense of finality: "Details are not your concern. Forget about what we just had."

Mann immediately realized they might have stumbled into an extremely dangerous territory far beyond their comprehension. He grabbed Rebecca, who seemed about to ask more questions, shook his head forcefully, and his eyes were stern. The rest of the team instantly understood the change in atmosphere and fell silent, burying the few words they had overheard deep in their hearts, classifying them as absolutely forbidden territory belonging to this mysterious "boss."

"As for the upgrades you want," Chen Yu changed the subject, pointing to those coveted blueprints, "I happen to have a job that needs manpower. Using this job to exchange for it is very fair."

He pulled up the underground facility structure diagram that had been previously mapped from the servo skull. The complex 3D model marked "Seventh Outpost of the Little Beidou Project" slowly rotated and floated in front of everyone, casting a ghostly blue light.

“I have already explored the entrance area and several adjacent functional areas, and cleared the obstacles in the physical passageway,” Chen Yu continued, his voice steady and clear. “However, its internal structure is complex, and there must be security systems, encrypted data nodes, or other possible lingering threats in the deeper areas that I have not yet triggered.”

His optical lens swept across each member of Mann's team, the red light lingering briefly on each person's face.

"The task is clear: to thoroughly explore this underground laboratory. To draw a complete internal structure map, accurately identifying all high-value areas, including the main energy core, the central server room, large biological or physical experimental areas, and any sources of anomalous energy signals. At the same time, to recover all valuable physical materials, such as well-preserved research equipment, high-density data storage units, special alloys, or biochemical samples."

Chen Yu paused for a moment, allowing each word to sink into the hearts of the listeners.

"Most importantly, do everything you can to find and download any data logs related to the core research object of this project. This is no easy task; there may be automated defense systems that are not completely disabled, or other problems left over from the company's wartime. But the reward for completing it is some of the upgrade plans you just saw."

The holographic map slowly rotated before them, revealing the complex structure of the underground facility. Mann stepped forward, his brow furrowed as he studied the vast underground labyrinth. Dorio stood beside him, her expression equally grave. Falco had already taken out his portable terminal and begun scanning and downloading the data packet shared by Chen Yu.

After Chen Yu finished explaining the mission details and turned back to his workbench, Mann gestured for the team members to gather on the other side of the warehouse. A tense silence filled the air, broken only by the faint electronic sounds of Chen Yu operating his terminal in the distance.

“Everyone heard that,” Mann lowered his voice, his gaze sweeping across each team member’s face. “This job is no simple matter. ‘Project Little Beidou,’ ‘Seventh Outpost’… This smells all too familiar. It’s typical shady corporate work, and probably the dirtiest kind.”

Dorothy crossed her arms, her brow furrowed. "The company's wartime facilities smelled of trouble. This kind of work often hides more than it appears on the surface."

“The structure diagram shows multiple layers of isolation zones and high-security areas underneath,” Falco interjected, his terminal displaying detailed scan data he had just received. “The energy readings are weak but still present, meaning some systems may still be operating at low power. The environment has been sealed for over twenty years; who knows what ‘surprises’ have been brewing inside.”

Rebecca chuckled, but her voice betrayed a hint of nervousness: "Whatever the surprise, I just need to test my new gun on a target." She patted the massive shotgun at her waist. "Besides, can it be any worse than that drainage system teeming with mutant rats from last time?"

Pila nervously adjusted the focus of his prosthetic eye. "Don't make any promises, little sister. Corporate-grade security systems are no joke. I don't want to get sliced ​​to pieces by the laser net, or worse—trigger some self-destruct program." "Quiet," Mann's deep voice brought everyone to a halt. "Yes, it's dangerous. But we're not newbies. We've taken on much tougher tasks." His gaze swept over the team members. "Dorio's heavy firepower is enough to handle most physical threats, Falco's electronic warfare capabilities can crack most systems, Pila can handle mechanical locks and physical barriers, and Rebecca..." He glanced at the little girl checking ammunition, "...excels at creating chaos and close-range clearing. Sasha can provide support at the cyber level, and I can lead everyone out alive."

Dorothy nodded slowly. "We've just completed the upgrade and are in excellent condition. Moreover," she lowered her voice, "the value of those upgrade packages far exceeds ordinary rewards. If we can obtain them, our status in Night City will be completely different."

Falco added, "From a technical standpoint, the risks are manageable. The preliminary data provided by the boss can significantly reduce unexpected factors. Moreover, with his remote technical support, it's actually more secure than the jobs we usually take on."

Mann concluded, "So the consensus is: dangerous but feasible. We'll remain on high alert, but we'll take the job." Everyone nodded in agreement, their eyes reflecting both tension and the calm resolve characteristic of professional mercenaries.

“We’ll take this job, boss.” Mann turned to Chen Yu and said in a deep voice, his tone more resolute than ever before. “We need all the intelligence you have on the entrance area, as well as what you consider the safest initial infiltration route.”

“The relevant data packets have been encrypted and transmitted to your tactical receivers.” Chen Yu nodded in response. “I will send a skull-wielding soldier to guide you through the maintenance ventilation shaft on the southeast side, which is currently the least risky route according to calculations. Two fighter servants will go down with you.”

I will remain here to provide remote data decryption and technical support, and to monitor the internal situation in real time using the sensors you bring.

He emphasized, "Remember the primary principle: never venture into unknown territory. What I want is for this job to be completed successfully, without destroying important data."

Chen Yu handed Mann a replica skull, gesturing for him to wear it: "Find the physical access point to the lab's internal network and connect to it. This will allow me to gain deeper system access, providing more support for your work, and it can also transmit the data I need."

Mann took the Servo Skull. Although he felt a little disgusted by its shape, he still held it tightly in his hand, feeling its cold touch.

“Understood. We’ll do a great job.” He turned to face his team, his eyes sharpening. “Final check of equipment, replenish ammunition and medical supplies. We’ll begin in ten minutes.”

Chen Yu returned to the main workbench, where several screens lit up simultaneously, displaying the entrance monitoring screen of the underground laboratory, structural diagrams, and real-time biosignal monitoring data streams of Mann's team members.

His crimson optical lens watched the squad about to venture into the unknown shadows, while the servo skull silently hovered beside his shoulder, recording all the parameters and decisions at that moment.

(End of this chapter)