Chapter 170

Chapter 170

Seeing Feng Chen looking at the transfer machine, the soldier thought he was unfamiliar with what the four lights represented and explained, "This machine has four transmission cables, supplying power to two mines and the plantation. The extra line is just for precaution. Because of the research institute's importance, they added an extra line to this machine to ensure stable power supply to the institute."

Feng Chen walked behind the machine and saw four thick cables disappearing into the ground.

"When were these cables buried? Who was in charge then?" he asked.

The soldier replied, "That was a long time ago. By the time I joined the army, this place was already a mining site, and the engine room was built, so the cables were already buried. I guess they were laid when the central city was being constructed. This area was designated as an emergency refuge zone, so they buried these lines in advance when constructing the mine. As for who was responsible for burying the cables… It must have been the Eastern Alliance Army."

"Why?" Feng Chen asked.

The soldier pointed to the door, "You see the two dark red stripes painted on the door? That indicates it was built by the Eastern Alliance Army. If it were white stripes, it would mean the Western Alliance Army. It's like our uniforms, with red and white stripes on the cuffs."

Feng Chen followed the soldier's gesture and indeed saw two dark red paint stripes on the door. Due to age, the color had faded, which was why he hadn’t noticed them before. It seemed that in the covert rivalry between the Eastern and Western Alliances, even something as simple as constructing a power room was marked to indicate who built it, hence the dark red stripes.

Feng Chen kicked a section of cable exposed on the ground, "It’s been many years; hasn't anyone dug up and checked these cables?"

"There’s never been a problem with the cables, so why dig them up?" The soldier laughed, "These cables are made from the best military-grade materials. They won’t get damaged even after decades of use."

Feng Chen nodded and said nothing more. He put the data recorder back in its place and walked out of the Lishi generator room.

Closing the door behind him, the warmth on Feng Chen's face vanished, his expression immediately becoming somber. He turned and walked briskly towards the direction of the research institute.

The research institute, like the civilian area, was built in the center of the mining site. It was surrounded on three sides by railway tracks, with mining carts carrying Lishi ore moving back and forth.

Although there weren't many people outside in the camp, there were quite a few soldiers on duty around the research institute. On seeing Feng Chen, a soldier immediately stepped forward to block his path, "Pass, please."

Feng Chen replied calmly, "I am Lieutenant Feng Chen, here to inspect the electrical system. There have been frequent power outages lately; I've come to check the power supply situation at your research institute."

The soldier hesitated, "Lieutenant Feng, the research institute is a restricted area. Even for an inspection of the power room, you need a pass to enter."

Just as Feng Chen was about to respond, he heard someone behind him ask, "What’s going on?"

He and the two soldiers turned to see Kong Siyin standing not far away.

"Director Kong."

"Director Kong."

Although Kong Siyin is currently the dean of the Sentinel-Guide Academy, he was previously the director of the research institute. The current acting director of the institute is only a nominal position, with Kong Siyin still handling major affairs, hence the soldiers still referred to him as Director Kong.

The soldiers showed great respect towards Kong Siyin, and in response to his earlier question, they explained, "Lieutenant Feng Chen is here to inspect the power room in the research institute, but he doesn't have a pass with him."

Kong Siyin glanced at Feng Chen, who met his gaze with a calm expression.

"That's correct. He was in a meeting with us when the power went out. After the power was restored, I instructed him to check the power room, which was just a verbal order, so he doesn't have a pass," Kong Siyin explained.

"I see, we weren't aware of the situation. Please, Lieutenant Feng, go ahead," the soldiers quickly stepped aside to let Feng Chen pass.

Feng Chen gave a military salute to Kong Siyin and strode into the institute, while Kong Siyin turned and walked towards the Sentinel-Guide Academy.

Although the research institute was also made of prefab buildings, the construction materials used were different from other prefab structures, built from a military-grade material that was both sturdy and insulated.

Feng Chen followed the doorplate signs along the corridor to its end, where he reached the power room.

The power room of the research institute was just a small partition. Feng Chen locked the door behind him and began inspecting the cables connected to the machinery.

As the soldier in the generator room had said, there were two cables connected to the back of the machine, presumably linked to two transfer machines in the generator room. The continuously fluctuating numbers on the displays corresponding to these cables indicated they were currently powered.

Feng Chen observed the two data displays, silently noting their numerical changes. After about five minutes, he noticed that the data from one of the cables was repeating in a cycle.

"54, 47, 36, 28," he quietly read out the numbers from one of the displays.

As he recited this sequence, the constantly changing numbers on that display also began to show 54, 47, 36, 28.

Feng Chen watched the display coldly and without hesitation, he unplugged the cable connected to it. However, the numbers on the screen continued to fluctuate.

He placed the cable in his hand onto a voltage tester. The tester showed no change, indicating that the cable had no electrical current running through it.

Although Feng Chen had anticipated this outcome, he still couldn't hide his excitement. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths to steady his hand, which was trembling so much that he struggled to align the cable with the connector.

The generator room had two cables leading to the research institute, but one of them didn’t actually reach the institute; it was just an illusion.

That cable must connect to a secret location unknown to others, providing it with power.

This secret location was covertly using power from the generator because owning a Lishi generator isn’t difficult, but generating power continuously emits a black, harmful gas that can only be processed with specialized equipment.

The equipment to filter this harmful gas is large and easily exposes its location. The secret site’s reluctance to generate its own power indicates that it must be located nearby.

This was a secret location constructed by Chen Sizhe, where his father was being held captive.

He just didn’t know whether his mother was there too.

Feng Chen reconnected the cable and left the power room calmly.

He nodded at the researchers he met in the corridor, smiled at the soldiers guarding the door, appearing gentle and polite.

However, his mind was continuously working.

When he was in the generator room, he had reviewed past power outage data and discovered that even when the entire camp was without power, electricity was still being transmitted externally.

The data proved that the separate cable was unaffected by the automatic protection system. Even though it appeared to be cut off from the power supply, it was still transmitting electricity from the generator room.

The recent power outage might not have been caused by the camp’s inability to handle the load. Instead, his father might have been trying to communicate something through this method.

His father, both a soldier and a genius, was tasked with researching the original virus. Since he had opened that software in Haiyun City, his father must have made some changes to it.

When the software, accessible only to father and son, was activated again, it caused a momentary surge in power usage, triggering the generator's automatic protection system, resulting in a camp-wide power outage.

But the secret location still had power, and the software, as programmed, automatically changed the message from unread to read. Since the military headquarters' computer could capture textual information, Feng Chen dared not leave even a single word.

If that was the case, then his father must have modified the software only after Feng Chen arrived at the camp. If he had seen the 'read' message elsewhere, he wouldn't have been able to deduce his father's approximate location. Only while in the camp, could the power outage provide him with a clue.

Without any explicit words, father and son seemed to understand each other at that moment. Feng Chen felt as if he could see his father silently telling him - Feng Chen, I'm alive! I'm here in the camp!

In the quiet camp, Feng Chen walked towards the generator room. His expression was calm, but tears streamed down continuously, blurring his vision and turning the streetlights into indistinct orbs of light.

A short while later, Feng Chen stopped near the generator room.

He knew the cables ran through the room, extending to various locations. Digging up the ground along one of the cables would lead him to his father. But the Eastern Alliance Army soldiers' dormitory camp was right opposite, and digging up the cables would immediately be noticed by the soldiers at the dormitory gate.

Feng Chen stood in the darkness, out of reach of the light.

He knew he must not act rashly now. He needed to restrain himself and find the right opportunity to act.

He didn’t know how long he had been standing there when suddenly a familiar voice came from behind: "Feng Chen."

Chen Sizhe...

Feng Chen's body stiffened, his hands hanging by his sides slowly clenched, so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and blue veins stood out on the back of his hands.

But when he turned around, his expression was as usual.

Chen Sizhe stood not far away, followed by several soldiers. He asked with concern, "Feng Chen, weren’t you feeling unwell? Why haven't you returned to the dormitory?"

Feng Chen replied with a hoarse voice, "I felt too stuffy inside, so I came out for a walk. I'm feeling better now."

Chen Sizhe stepped closer, "You should still see a military doctor for a thorough check-up. I’ll be at ease only then."

Feng Chen didn’t respond. Chen Sizhe glanced at the generator room and said, "Don’t stand here any longer. It’s chilly at night. Go back, you have tasks tomorrow and need to rest early."

Feng Chen nodded and turned to walk towards the Sentinel-Guide double room dormitory. After taking a few steps, he heard Chen Sizhe calling him again: "Feng Chen."

Feng Chen stopped in his tracks but didn’t turn around. Chen Sizhe then said from behind him, "Tomorrow, you'll take two squads to inspect the damage in the central city and prepare a detailed report for the meeting between the Eastern and Western Alliances the day after tomorrow."

Chen Sizhe had mentioned this to him earlier in the day.

This task was not particularly dangerous or difficult, mainly dealing with zombies. Although Feng Chen was not particularly interested in this assignment, he understood it was Chen Sizhe's way of training his leadership skills, so he agreed to it.

At that time, he thought of Chen Sizhe as a father figure, caring for his safety while also wanting to train him, a genuine effort that touched him. But now, he felt a chill run down his spine, as if a venomous snake was lurking behind him, hissing in bright red.

His father must have known he was in the camp because Chen Sizhe told him, maybe even threatening him with Feng Chen's safety.

Feng Chen could imagine how Chen Sizhe would describe his situation to his father, using this torment of being close yet unable to meet.

He remembered the day he received his commendation from Chen Sizhe, who leaned in and whispered, "Keep up the good work. Feng Zai would be proud of you."

At the time, he took it as a word of encouragement, but now looking back, the irony of those words filled him with a rage that almost burst from his chest.

Feng Chen turned to face Chen Sizhe, his expression as usual, "Thank you for your concern, Uncle Chen."

Chen Sizhe smiled kindly, "It's chilly at night, and dew is about to fall. Go back soon."

"Okay, you should also rest early, don’t overexert yourself."

"I know."

Feng Chen headed again towards the Sentinel-Guide double room dormitory but, upon entering the courtyard, didn’t go to his room. Instead, he walked straight to the corner, turned on a faucet, and plunged his head under the stream of water.

The night air was cold, and the icy water poured over his head, streaming down his cheeks. He stood there, letting the water wash over him for a long time before finally straightening up and turning off the faucet.

He leaned against the wall opposite, gasping for air, staring at the person in the mirror drenched in water, his eyes bloodshot with fury and hatred.

He watched himself for a long time, then turned his head to look at the double room dormitory in front of him.

The windows of the entire row of houses glowed with light. He stared fixedly at one of them, his inner turmoil and pain gradually subsiding, his demeanor slowly returning to calm.

Yan Bubu, as usual, was on the bed with the two quantum beasts, chatting in a low murmur.

Feng Chen stopped walking but did not turn around. Behind him, Chen Sizhe said, "Tomorrow, you’ll lead two squads to inspect the damage in the central city and produce a detailed report for the meeting between the Eastern and Western Alliances the day after."

Chen Sizhe had mentioned this during the day.

The task posed no real danger or difficulty; the worst they would encounter were zombies. Although Feng Chen wasn’t particularly interested in this task, he understood it was Chen Sizhe’s way of training his leadership skills, so he had accepted it.

At the time, he viewed Chen Sizhe as a father figure, concerned for his safety while also training him, and felt genuinely moved. Now, however, he felt a chilling sensation, as if a venomous snake was hissing behind him.

His father must have known he was in the camp because Chen Sizhe told him, perhaps even using Feng Chen’s safety as a threat.

Feng Chen could imagine how Chen Sizhe would describe his situation to his father, using their proximity to torment him.

He remembered the day he was awarded a commendation from Chen Sizhe, who had leaned in and whispered, “Keep up the good work. Feng Zai would be proud of you.”

Back then, he took it as an encouraging word. But now, in retrospect, that sentence seemed laden with immense irony, filling him with anger.

Feng Chen turned to face Chen Sizhe, maintaining his usual expression, “Thank you for your concern, Uncle Chen.”

Chen Sizhe smiled kindly, “It’s chilly at night, and dew is about to fall. Go back soon.”

“Alright, you should also rest early and take care of your health.”

“I will.”

Feng Chen headed again towards the Sentinel-Guide double room dormitory, but upon entering the courtyard, instead of going to his room, he walked straight to the faucet in the corner and plunged his head under the water.

The night air was cold, and the icy water poured over his head, streaming down his face. He stood there, letting the water wash over him for a long time before finally straightening up and turning off the faucet.

Leaning against the wall with his hands, he gasped for breath, looking at the person in the mirror soaked in water, his eyes bloodshot with rage and hatred.

He stared at himself for a long time, then turned to look at the double room dormitory.

The windows of the entire row of houses glowed with light. He stared intently at one of them, his inner turmoil and pain gradually subsiding, his demeanor slowly returning to calm.