Chapter 146

Chapter 146

Above Linya City, a fierce battle was raging, with new black spots constantly appearing on the light membrane, especially over the planting area, where the outermost layer of the light membrane was almost losing its function, and the second layer had also developed mottled black patches.

"What do we do? If they take down the outer layer, the second one won't last long either."

A Cloud Peak aircraft, trailing thick smoke, plummeted downward. Chu Ya immediately switched targets, dodging bullets to approach a craft on the right. He heard a pilot's panicked voice through his earpiece but only replied in a deep tone, "Their aircraft keep getting damaged; their firepower will weaken. And a storm is coming. We just need to hold out for a bit longer."

"Understood."

"Got it."

"Unit 01 and 12 have left the textile factory airspace and are now under artillery attack while returning. Request assistance."

Chu Ya said, "Units 05 and 07, assist Unit 12 in returning."

"05 acknowledged."

"07 acknowledged."

Chu Ya added, "Don't pursue those enemy aircraft that have fled. We must stay close to them and never give them a chance to fire their cannons."

"Understood."

The battle was both intense and perilous, with Cloud Peak aircraft continuously bombing the planting area, making it the defensive focus of Linya City. The sky was filled with crisscrossing aircraft and artillery shells, and from time to time, pilots would eject from damaged cockpits, deploying parachutes to descend slowly.

No one noticed a Cloud Peak aircraft turning to escape into the distance, nor did they see it drop a large container from its underside while flying low, passing through a black spot in a single-layer light membrane, landing in a ruin outside Jiuyao District.

The container hit the ground with a loud thud, and several zombies quickly gathered around, looking around bewilderedly in the dust.

As the dust settled, the container suddenly opened, and an inflatable bag popped out. The gas inside the bag quickly dissipated, and the surrounding zombies, roaring again, were immediately killed by mental force.

Several figures emerged from the bag, all holding submachine guns and wearing black combat uniforms and bulletproof vests. One of them had pale skin and a delicate appearance; he lifted his wrist to check the time, and a black snake appeared on his shoulder.

"Their attention is fully focused on the planting area. We have 40 minutes. Move quickly," Gu Lin said, looking toward Jiuyao District, his voice and gaze equally cold.

"Understood."

The sound of car engines started inside the container, and two off-road vehicles drove out. After these dozen people climbed aboard, the vehicles headed toward Jiuyao District.

In the information storage hut, Shen Juanjuan and others were dismantling the air exchanger. There were no tools in the room, and the walls were made of steel, so the quantum beasts used their sharp claws to unscrew each bolt.

"Now we can remove the fan blade."

Explosions echoed in the sky, and although everyone was anxious, they didn't panic. Once the fan blade and the entire machine were removed by the quantum beasts, a circular hole large enough for a person to pass through appeared above the high wall.

Shen Juanjuan went up first, with Chen Hongliang's whale calf lifting him into the air, allowing him to grab the edge of the hole.

From this vantage point, he could see the Bi Tao Tower Research Institute, and he felt a sense of surprise when he saw the dark steel building. He knew that because the institute was so important, the military had placed a small light membrane generator here, which would activate a protective light membrane during battles to prevent falling shells from hitting the building. But now, the building wasn't emitting the usual faint orange glow, clearly lacking protection.

Shen Juanjuan's gaze shifted to the courtyard, and his body stiffened, feeling a chill run down his spine. He saw soldiers lying haphazardly in the yard, and the gate was wide open, revealing more bodies outside. When he looked back at the Bi Tao Tower, he noticed that the door, which should have been tightly closed, was slightly ajar.

"Shen Juanjuan, why aren't you moving?" someone below urged.

Shen Juanjuan snapped back to reality, saying only that something was wrong at the institute before quickly crawling through the hole. Ignoring the distance to the ground, he jumped down.

The ground below was soft soil, and after falling, he quickly got up and rushed toward the courtyard, followed by the sounds of others landing behind him.

Teddy Bear ran alongside Shen Juanjuan through the woods. Shen Juanjuan bent down to help a fallen soldier but found him already dead, with a tiny black dot on his temple.

Tang Yuanyuan and others also rushed over, panting as they looked at the bodies on the ground. Shen Juanjuan let go of the soldier, his face pale as he looked up, "They were killed by a Sentinel's mental power."

"These soldiers had Sentinel guides. For them to be killed so quickly, it means either they were ambushed or the attacker was very strong," Liu Sijin said.

No one spoke, all eyes fixed on the half-open door of the building.

Inside the warehouse on the fifth floor of the institute, a row of terrified researchers stood against the wall, pointed at by several black gun barrels, not daring to breathe.

Gu Lin paced slowly in front of a row of instruments, the sound of his boots cold and hard on the floor, with the black snake coiled around his arm. Dr. Xu sat in a swivel chair, Jin Gao standing beside him, a gun pressed to his temple.

"Dr. Xu, the half-minute is almost up. Have you figured out where the chip is yet?" Gu Lin asked calmly, stopping.

Dr. Xu remained silent, his lips tightly closed, but sweat trickled down his forehead.

Gu Lin glanced at the wall clock and said regretfully, "Time's up."

It sounded like he was stating something ordinary, but the black snake on his arm suddenly raised its head, its cold little eyes full of excitement.

Gu Lin suddenly raised his hand and fired to the right without turning his head. Dr. Xu trembled, grabbing the armrests of the swivel chair, while the researchers screamed in terror.

A researcher slowly collapsed, his eyes wide with anger, a black hole in his forehead oozing blood.

"Gu Lin, you beast!" Dr. Xu lunged forward, but Jin Gao punched him in the chest, sending him sprawling back onto the wheelchair, curling up in pain.

"Dr. Xu, I don't have time to waste on you." Gu Lin raised his gun again, aiming at the researchers, his eyes on Dr. Xu, "One! Two! Three!"

As he said "three," a gunshot rang out, and another researcher fell silently to the ground.

Most of these researchers had lived in the institute all their lives and had never seen such a scene. Some trembled with fear, some cried, and others called out for help to Dr. Xu.

Dr. Xu's face was deathly pale, and he looked at the terrified researchers, only to turn away, breathing heavily and closing his eyes resolutely.

"It seems you want them all to die here." Gu Lin still held the gun, counting down coldly, "Three, two—"

"Wait, I know where the chip is hidden." The researcher he was pointing at suddenly shouted hoarsely.

Dr. Xu's eyes snapped open, and he, along with the others, looked over.

"Do you know?" Gu Lin put down his gun.

The researcher nodded hastily, his voice trembling, "I am Dr. Xu's assistant; I know where the chip is and how to retrieve it."

"Liu Sicheng, you can't hand over the chip!" Xu Wangduo shouted suddenly.

The researcher didn't move, and one of the men pushed him with the butt of his gun. He shuddered all over, and the fear of death ultimately took over. He lowered his head and walked to the left side of the room.

Xu Wangduo sprang up but was struck on the head by Jin Gao with the butt of his gun, causing two red streaks to flow down from his temple. He lunged forward again but was held back by two men, struggling in vain, his eyes wide with rage as he shouted at the researcher, "Liu Sicheng, you know what he intends to do with the chip! He wants to create an army of zombies, he will destroy humanity! Liu Sicheng, if you dare to take out the chip, I will still kill you!"

Liu Sicheng walked to a blank wall, raised his hand, and pressed a spot. The wall sank inward, revealing a hidden cabinet below, inside which was a silver metal box.

When Xu Wangduo saw the box, he somehow found the strength to break free and lunge forward. Jin Gao aimed his gun at the back of his head, while Gu Lin used a mental force to strike his neck, knocking him unconscious.

"Don't act yet, we haven't verified if the chip is genuine," Gu Lin said.

"Understood."

Liu Sicheng took out the box and then squatted beside Xu Wangduo, parting his eyelids and aligning the box with his pupil.

A beep sounded, and the lid of the box popped open, revealing a chip inside.

Gu Lin took the box and handed it to Jin Gao. Jin Gao immediately opened a leather case by his leg, took out a small device, and carefully placed the chip from the box onto the tray of the device.

There was another identical chip on the tray. Jin Gao activated the device, and after several beeps, a smile appeared on his face as he nodded at Gu Lin, "After identification, the two chips are basically the same, with only slight differences."

Gu Lin breathed a sigh of relief. Jin Gao placed each chip into separate boxes and handed one to Gu Lin, "For safety, don't keep the two chips together. Take this newly obtained chip with you."

Gu Lin took the box and tucked it into his inner pocket. Jin Gao closed the other box and put it in the leather case.

"Let's go." Since they had obtained the chip, the group did not linger. Gu Lin strode towards the door and smiled at Liu Sicheng as he passed by.

Liu Sicheng hurriedly returned the smile. Gu Lin continued walking but suddenly turned around at the door, raised his arm, and pulled the trigger.

A gunshot echoed, and a black hole appeared on Liu Sicheng's forehead, blood gushing out. He fell forward, his face still bearing that previous smile, looking both terrifying and bizarre.

Gu Lin stepped out of the door, his gaze cold as he looked ahead, muttering, "I hate traitors the most; such people deserve to die."

One of the men who followed asked, "President, what about the remaining people?"

"Don't leave them for Linya City, deal with them," Gu Lin replied lightly.

Inside the room, the researcher watched the group leave, thinking he had escaped a disaster, but just as the last man was closing the door, he suddenly threw in a fire bomb.

The fire bomb shattered on the ground, and the liquid splashed, igniting a fierce blaze instantly.

Gu Lin's group hurriedly descended, reaching the fourth floor when they heard someone running up, the footsteps rapid and numerous, more than one person.

Jin Gao immediately raised his gun, but Gu Lin stopped him, "Don't waste time." Then he walked into a side passage, opened a door, and went in, with the others quickly following.

When the footsteps reached the fifth floor, they emerged from the room and rushed downstairs.

Shen Juanjuan and the others charged to the fifth floor without seeing anyone, but smoke was billowing from the cracks in the warehouse door. Shen Juanjuan tried the door handle and found a claw nail securing the door to the adjacent wall. She stepped back and said to the quantum beasts, "Break it down!"

The quantum beasts exerted their strength together, and the three sentinels joined in, "One, two, three!"

The claw nail broke off, and the door burst open, a wave of flames rushing out. The quantum beasts pushed the sentinels aside, but they were all scorched. When they retreated, only the whale calf retained its original appearance, while the others were completely bald.

"Ha ha ha ha." The parrot, though now featherless, laughed heartily at the sight of the teddy bear and the leopard cub.

Tang Yuanyuan had already brought a fire extinguisher and sprayed it into the room, while the others quickly fetched more extinguishers and stood at the door.

The fire quickly diminished, and once the flames were out, the quantum beasts rushed into the smoky room.

"Ha ha ha ha." The parrot laughed joyfully, flapping its bare wings and running on the ground.

"Open the windows, get some air in," Tang Yuanyuan shouted inside.

The windows were opened, allowing fresh air to circulate. Everyone covered their mouths and noses with their sleeves and stepped over the white foam on the ground to enter the room. The smoke was thick, visibility extremely low, but Shen Juanjuan, using the faint light, saw the quantum beasts opening a large metal cabinet against the wall.

The cabinet door opened, and anguished coughing came from inside, along with someone falling out and collapsing on the floor. They quickly helped everyone out of the cabinet, carrying those who were unconscious over their shoulders.

"Hurry, move them to the stairwell, it's well-ventilated there."

"This one is still unconscious, give him CPR."

"I'll fetch water to cool them down."

...

The battle raged overhead, the sound of gunfire making the entire building tremble. A Cloud Peak flyer crashed into the light membrane above them, emitting thick black smoke. Shen Juanjuan was anxious, worried about Chu Ya, the planting area, and the unconscious researchers.

"Dr. Xu, Dr. Xu." Shen Juanjuan noticed Dr. Xu among the unconscious, his face blackened and with traces of dried blood. She quickly wiped his mouth and nose with a damp towel.

"He's fine, he fainted. When the fire started, we dragged him into the cabinet..." a relatively conscious researcher panted, "Quick, the chip, the chip was taken by Cloud Peak, Gu Lin... the communication and alarm systems are destroyed, go to the military headquarters and report..."

Two minutes later, Shen Juanjuan and the group, accompanied by the quantum beasts, rushed downstairs, Shen Juanjuan holding the car keys given by the researcher.

"We need to split up. We must report to the military and chase after Gu Lin; we can't let them escape with the chip." Shen Juanjuan slid down the stairs, and the others followed.

Wang Xiaoxi said, "I'm fast, I won the long-distance race in my grade. I can report to the military alone, and you can chase Gu Lin."

"Do you want Yu Datou to accompany you?" Shen Juanjuan knew Wang Xiaoxi was timid.

"No, the more people you have, the better."

"Alright." Shen Juanjuan leaped to the next level, "Who can drive?"

Chen Hongliang immediately responded, "I can!"

Tang Yuanyuan was taken aback: "When did you learn?"

"Last month," Chen Hongliang replied.

The institute's vehicle, a military jeep, was parked outside the courtyard. The street was deserted. The single-layer light membrane had been breached in many places, and some of the factories were already emitting thick smoke. The ground troops that had been stationed on every street had rushed to various bombing sites.

Wang Xiaoxi ran toward the military headquarters amidst the artillery fire, with Yu Datou shouting after him: "Don't be afraid."

"I know, you be careful too," Wang Xiaoxi said as he ran.

"Okay."

The group got into the car, with Liu Sijin sitting in the front passenger seat, and Shen Juanjuan, Yu Datou, Tang Yuanyuan, and Lin Duozhi squeezing into the back. The quantum beasts also tried to squeeze in, but there was no room. Shen Juanjuan held up Teddy Bear, whose bottom was about to sink: "Chubao Long, either run alongside the car or return to the mental domain, you choose."

"Ao!" Teddy Bear refused to make a choice and plopped down on Shen Juanjuan's lap.

Seeing this, the other quantum beasts also jumped onto their owners' laps, sitting upright. Only the whale calf, being too large, had to return to Chen Hongliang's mental domain.

"Which direction should we chase them?" Lin Duozhi asked, holding the leopard cub.

Tang Yuanyuan pondered: "The researcher said they just left when we arrived, but we haven't heard any car sounds, which means they're walking."

"They've been walking for about ten minutes, but regardless of how they came, to leave Linya City now, they can only go by sea," Liu Sijin added.

"Hurry up," Tang Yuanyuan urged Chen Hongliang, "Let's go to the high wall now."

"Alright, right away," Chen Hongliang responded, but the car didn't start immediately. The others couldn't help but urge him: "Hurry up."

"I know, I'm looking for the ignition key."

"Here!" Liu Sijin pressed a button on the dashboard, and the car immediately roared to life.

Chen Hongliang explained: "In the rush, I didn't see it."

"Chen Hongliang, do you even know how to drive?" Shen Juanjuan asked suspiciously.

Chen Hongliang quickly defended himself: "Of course I do. Last month, Zhao Xiaozhuang practiced driving on the empty road in front of the orphanage. I sat in the backseat and listened to the instructor."

"What?"

"You just sat in the backseat and listened?!"

"Don't worry, I remember it very well." As soon as Chen Hongliang finished speaking, the jeep lurched forward, roaring out of the alley.

"Aaaaaah!"

"Slow down, slow down!"

Screech!!

The jeep screeched to a halt, throwing everyone forward. Teddy Bear and the leopard cub collided with the front seats, and the parrot flew through the gap between the seats, smashing into the windshield.

"Sorry, I still need to get used to the throttle and brakes."

As soon as Chen Hongliang finished speaking, the jeep accelerated again, heading straight for a shop across the street.

"Aaaaaah!!"

Screech—

The jeep braked again, correcting its direction, and swerved uncertainly toward the high wall, amid the group's screams.

Teddy Bear, angry, reached out to hit Chen Hongliang, but Shen Juanjuan quickly held him back. Teddy Bear struggled to continue, but the jeep swerved sharply again, nearly hitting a street lamp. It then clung to Shen Juanjuan's arm in panic.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" The parrot, picked up by Tang Yuanyuan, continued to curse.