Chapter 162

Chapter 162

The senior students quickly dispersed, and Shen Juanjuan and Lin Duozhi also entered a passage.

On both sides of the passage were people in white prisoner uniforms, who, upon seeing Shen Juanjuan and his companions, rushed to the glass walls, pounding on them and weeping in despair.

Shen Juanjuan had already seen photos of Meng Heguang and Jiang Xian on the way, so although none of these people were them, he still destroyed all the locks along the way.

"Move quickly, don't linger at White Castle. Find a safe place to hide after you get out," Shen Juanjuan shouted.

The prisoners flooded out of the glass rooms, thanking them as they rushed toward the stairwell.

The Teddy Bear and leopard cub led the way, and just as Shen Juanjuan and Lin Duozhi were about to clear the end of the passage, the elevator beside them dinged, indicating someone had arrived on this floor.

"Juanjuan, are they ours or theirs?" Lin Duozhi called out nervously.

"Whoever it is, restrain them first."

Both raised their guns toward the elevator, and the metal doors opened to reveal three Morning Star Army soldiers, their gun barrels pointed outward just like them.

Shen Juanjuan and Lin Duozhi's mental powers had been released as soon as the door opened, but the other side also had a guide. The three men in the elevator and the two of them were simultaneously immobilized.

Three quantum beasts leaped out of the elevator, intercepted by the Teddy Bear and leopard cub. The five people inside and outside the elevator stared at each other, their guns drooping, standing there panting heavily.

The standoff was very brief; the elevator door had not yet fully opened, but Shen Juanjuan felt as if half a century had passed, and a layer of sweat quickly formed on his forehead.

One second, two seconds...

The moment he felt his fingers could move, he immediately raised his gun. He saw the despair flash in the eyes of the soldier in front of him, but he did not hesitate, pulling the trigger forcefully.

As the gunshot rang out, Lin Duozhi also recovered and fired into the elevator with him.

The elevator doors slowly closed, the gunfire ceased, and the three quantum beasts disappeared into thin air. Shen Juanjuan lowered his gun, and Lin Duozhi breathed heavily, wheezing.

"Go, hurry, there are still a few rooms to search." Shen Juanjuan put an arm around Lin Duozhi's shoulder and turned to move forward.

"Juanjuan, we just killed people, so close, I, I saw his blood..." Lin Duozhi's voice trembled, unable to form a complete sentence.

Shen Juanjuan's lips were pale as he pressed them together. After searching the last few rooms, he hugged Lin Duozhi, rubbing his back vigorously. "It's okay, nothing to worry about. If we hadn't killed them, we would be dead now. They are from White Castle, having done so many bad things, they deserve what they got."

"Yes, they deserved it, yes, they are bad people, they should have died." Lin Duozhi looked at the prisoners fleeing toward the stairwell, his emotions gradually stabilizing.

"Shen Juanjuan, Lin Duozhi." Chu Ya's voice came through the earpiece.

"I'm here," Shen Juanjuan responded immediately.

"I'm here too," Lin Duozhi replied.

"You two come to the sixth floor."

"Okay."

Shen Juanjuan knew Chu Ya was worried about them, which was why he called them upstairs. Seeing that the fifth floor was almost cleared, the two headed up to the next floor via the nearest stairs.

"We've searched half of the first floor, haven't found the target."

"The second floor is complex, haven't found the target yet."

"The third and fourth floors haven't found anything either."

...

Gunfire and shouts echoed throughout the building, and reports from other floors kept coming through the earpieces. As the two reached the sixth floor, they ran down the right corridor according to Chu Ya's instructions.

Although this corridor also had glass walls, it was no longer a prison. Shen Juanjuan saw various instruments and bottles inside, clearly indicating this level was White Castle's laboratory. However, many instruments were deformed from being hit by hard objects, and broken bottles littered the ground.

"Be careful."

Seeing Shen Juanjuan about to step on a White Castle soldier's corpse, Lin Duozhi quickly pulled him back. They stepped over the scattered bodies and continued forward.

A silver wolf and a BlackandWhite Panther appeared ahead, running to meet them, and the Teddy Bear and leopard cub greeted them happily.

"Ao ao ao ao."

The Teddy Bear hurriedly recounted the recent events to the silver wolf, who remained vigilant, nodding continuously. The Teddy Bear then hugged the silver wolf's head, continuing its story.

Chu Ya, Wang Chengcai, Zhao Xiaozhuang, Liu Zhen, and two senior student technicians emerged from a lab ahead, guns in hand. As Shen Juanjuan and Lin Duozhi ran up, they saw Thunder still in one of the rooms, smashing instruments with an iron bar.

"Thunder, let's go, are you still not satisfied after smashing everything along the way?" Zhao Xiaozhuang shouted.

Thunder carried the iron bar out but, passing a still-operating instrument, swung the bar without looking. With a bang, the instrument was deformed, emitting a puff of white smoke.

"The first and second floors have been thoroughly searched, no target found."

"The third and fourth floors, no target found."

"The fifth floor has been searched, no trace of the two leaders."

...

Chu Ya stopped, responding in his earpiece while grabbing Shen Juanjuan, spinning him around to inspect him.

"No injuries," Shen Juanjuan mouthed.

Wang Chengcai pulled Lin Duozhi behind him: "Don't run around, stay with me."

"Okay," Lin Duozhi replied.

"Meow, we can't find Meng Heguang and Jiang Xian. Could it be that Gu Lin never kept them in White Castle?" Shen Juanjuan asked.

Chu Ya shook his head: "Gu Lin is extremely suspicious and only trusts his guide, Jin Gao. Meng Heguang and the other person are too important; he definitely wouldn't feel safe keeping them anywhere else but where he can see them."

"But we've searched the entire building and haven't seen anyone."

"Not the entire building." Chu Ya looked towards the end of the corridor: "There's still one door there."

They approached and found it was a password-protected door made of special metal. A technician immediately stepped forward, took out a device from his backpack, and installed it on the lock.

"This must be an extremely important place; otherwise, they wouldn't have set up such a door here," Shen Juanjuan said, somewhat excitedly.

Chu Ya said: "This floor is the White Castle laboratory, but we haven't found where they extract the beacon energy. It should be behind this door."

"Are Meng Heguang and the other person locked inside?" Liu Zhen asked.

Chu Ya nodded: "Very likely."

Gunfire still echoed through the building, but it was much less intense than before. Quantum beasts occasionally rushed to the sixth floor to search, then turned back downstairs when they saw the group.

Everyone waited quietly for the technician to open the door, but the kangaroo couldn't stand still for a minute and ran into the adjacent lab to smash equipment. The Teddy Bear and the leopard cub followed in, each picking up an iron bar and smashing the bottles and jars to pieces.

Five minutes later, gunfire suddenly erupted downstairs, and someone shouted in their earpieces: "The Morning Star Army is returning to White Castle, and there are quite a few of them."

Shen Juanjuan and the others immediately looked at Chu Ya.

Chu Ya pressed his earpiece and gave a stern order: "Everyone to the entrance. We just need to hold the main gate for ten minutes."

"Yes, sir."

He released the earpiece and said to Shen Juanjuan and the others: "Other units of the Morning Star Army will also receive the message and will arrive soon. We must find Meng Heguang and the other person within ten minutes."

The technician's hands flew over the computer keyboard, and rows of data scrolled across the screen. Everyone waited amidst the deafening gunfire, while the Teddy Bear, the kangaroo, and the leopard cub left the lab and joined the silver wolf at the stairwell.

Two minutes later, the technician shouted: "Got it!"

He hit the Enter key, and the lock in front of him beeped, the door opening a crack.

The quantum beasts heard the noise and returned, rushing into the room, with the others following closely behind.

As Shen Juanjuan stepped through the door, he felt the Teddy Bear return to his mental domain and heard Lin Duozhi let out a soft "ah."

Before Shen Juanjuan could ask, he saw a large hall filled with various instruments and about a dozen researchers working frantically. They all had pale faces and frightened expressions, looking up in unison when they heard the door open. They raised their hands without a word or resistance.

"Don't move! All of you go to the corner and squat down!"

Two technicians herded all the researchers into the corner, while the others quickly searched the entire hall with their guns.

"My little fox has returned to my mental domain," Liu Zhen whispered into her earpiece.

Lin Duozhi: "Spot has also returned."

Zhao Xiaozhuang darted behind an instrument, aimed his gun, then put it down, muttering: "I didn't call you back to the mental domain, so why are you smashing eggs in a frenzy?"

Chu Ya explained: "This is the White Castle research institute. To prevent energy interference with the instruments, mental powers cannot be used here."

Just as Chu Ya finished speaking, several members of the White Castle Morning Star Army burst out from the opposite corridor. He instantly stepped in front of Shen Juanjuan and fired, hitting the chest of the leading soldier, who fell to the ground.

More people continued to rush out of the corridor, firing into the hall. Everyone scattered behind the instruments, and Chu Ya ordered in a low voice: "Charge in!"

He charged towards the corridor, firing, with Wang Chengcai, Liu Zhen, and Zhao Xiaozhuang following. Shen Juanjuan and Lin Duozhi emerged from their hiding spots and noticed a small door on the left side of the hall opening, revealing three soldiers inside.

They decisively fired into the room until all three fell, then ran towards the corridor.

"Aren't you afraid anymore?" Shen Juanjuan asked briefly.

"Not afraid anymore," Lin Duozhi replied.

The gunfire in the corridor soon stopped, with several bodies of White Castle soldiers lying on the ground. Shen Juanjuan aimed his gun left and right, seeing three rooms on each side of the corridor, similar to the cells downstairs, with glass walls.

In the first room sat a middle-aged man in the uniform of a Sunburnt Army officer. Upon seeing them, he immediately rushed forward, pounding on the glass wall.

Shen Juanjuan recognized him immediately as Jiang Xian, the president of the Sunburn Club. However, compared to the photos, he now looked disheveled, with messy hair, no longer the imposing general he once appeared to be.

Wang Chengcai shot at the door lock, but the lock was unusually sturdy, and the bullets only left shallow dents.

Zhao Xiaozhuang immediately rushed back to the hall, shouting at the two senior technicians: "Yu Le, Kong Abao, we have work to do."

The two senior technicians carried their instrument cases into the corridor, examined the lock, and told Chu Ya: "This isn't a password lock; the lock body is also made of special metal, which we can't open. To force it open, we would need a sentinel's mental power, but the restriction device here prevents the use of mental powers."

"Where is the restriction device? Can we just find it and smash it?" Wang Chengcai asked.

The technician replied: "I already asked the researchers. They know it's installed in the walls but don't know the exact location. Finding it would take a day."

"How can we open the lock then?"

The technician said: "We can only use a key."

"I'll ask those researchers," Wang Chengcai said.

"No need to ask. They definitely won't know where the key is. There are still some of Gu Lin's subordinates inside; we'll capture one and ask them." Chu Ya then said to the two technicians: "It's getting tight downstairs; you two go help them."

"Okay."

Chu Ya and the others continued forward. Zhao Xiaozhuang glanced at the researchers huddled in the corner like quails and herded them into a small room, locking them inside.

In the third room ahead, they found Meng Heguang. Meng Heguang rushed to the glass wall, his face full of excitement, shouting at Chu Ya. Chu Ya looked at him calmly, but the door to the adjacent staff room suddenly opened.

Everyone quickly turned their guns, but a trembling voice came from inside: "Don't kill me. I'm just a researcher. I want to tell you something. I don't want to stay here; I was forced. I want to leave—"

"Where are the keys to these cells?" Wang Chengcai interrupted, and Liu Zhen shouted: "Come out!"

The room fell silent, and Shen Juanjuan poked his head in to call out, "It's fine if you don't come out, but hurry up and tell me what's important. Once you're done, go and keep your colleagues company."

"Don't kill me, I don't want to be with them..." The voice inside was tinged with sobs.

"They're not dead; they're all in the hall. I didn't say it to send you on your way."

There was silence for two seconds before the voice spoke again, "The zombie serum has been made, last night. The key is on Gu Lin, inside his military uniform. He, he hasn't left at all."

Though the sentence was disjointed, everyone heard clearly about the creation of the zombie serum. Wang Chengcai and Liu Zhen exchanged glances, their eyes showing tension. Shen Juanjuan was pondering the meaning of the words when he saw Chu Ya's face change drastically, and he suddenly rushed forward down the corridor.

Shen Juanjuan and the others also understood and immediately followed.

"The zombie serum was made last night. Gu Lin did not personally go to capture Meng Heguang and Jiang Xian today; he only sent people. He stayed in White Castle the whole time, and he wasn't in that car just now." Chu Ya's voice was as cold as ice.

Chu Ya kicked open the door to the innermost room, and the seven or eight researchers standing nervously in the center of the room immediately raised their hands and crouched against the wall.

Several instruments were placed in the room, and in the center was a large surveillance screen displaying only one operating table. Someone lay motionless on the bed, connected to several tubes.

The surveillance image was very clear, and Shen Juanjuan immediately recognized the person lying on the bed as Gu Lin.

"Where is he?" Chu Ya turned and shouted.

His gaze was as cold as a blade, and a researcher, frightened, quickly pointed to the left. Wang Chengcai, Liu Zhen, and Zhao Xiaozhuang immediately rushed forward. Shen Juanjuan and Lin Duozhi also wanted to follow, but Chu Ya barked, "You two stay here!"

Chu Ya's tone was stern, and his expression was so cold that it was somewhat frightening. Shen Juanjuan didn't dare to defy him as usual and stood still with Lin Duozhi, watching them rush down the left corridor.

"Juanjuan," Lin Duozhi tugged at Shen Juanjuan.

"Look there, at the surveillance." Shen Juanjuan gestured for Lin Duozhi to look at the surveillance, then noticed a researcher on the ground shifting slightly and immediately shouted coldly, "If any of you move, I'll shoot you dead."

The researchers immediately stopped moving, hugging their heads and crouching on the ground.

Shen Juanjuan took a deep breath and whispered to Lin Duozhi, "Now we're Thunder. Let's destroy those samples."

"Okay."

Lin Duozhi and Shen Juanjuan fired at the bottles and jars, the sound of gunfire mingling with the shattering of glass. Shen Juanjuan then rushed to the corner, pointing the gun at a researcher's head and shouting, "Where are the documents for the zombie serum?"

The researcher trembled and pointed to one of the instruments.

"Go delete them, including all backups, completely!"

As the researcher approached, he pointed the gun at another researcher's head, his voice dark, "Hand over the chip, I give you three seconds, three, two—"

"The chip isn't here." The researcher cried out in fear.

"Not being honest, this is your last chance, three, two—"

The researcher trembled all over, his eyes fixed on the gun barrel, "I'm telling the truth, the chip is with Chairman Gu, and the data inside has already been extracted. Taking the chip won't do much good. Actually, deleting these files now won't help either. Chairman Gu has backups, and you need to eliminate him and thoroughly delete all the data in his private database."

Shen Juanjuan was silent for two seconds, "Why are you so detailed? Are you one of his men?"

"But I don't want to create zombies." The researcher's lips quivered, "If I lie, may I never be able to synthesize the cinnabar ice crystal."

Shen Juanjuan turned to Lin Duozhi, "He seems sincere, probably telling the truth."

Chu Ya and the others had already rushed through the narrow corridor and burst into the closed room. Wang Chengcai and Liu Zhen led the charge, firing at the single bed in the center of the room. The bulge under the blanket was riddled with bullet holes.

"Stop!" Liu Zhen suddenly sensed something wrong and shouted, "There's no one on the bed."

Wang Chengcai also realized there was no one on the bed and immediately stopped shooting to check under the bed.

The laboratory was quite spacious, filled with various large instruments, but there was no sign of anyone. A set of Morning Star Army high-ranking officer's uniform hung on a coat rack by the wall.

They entered the room, guns aimed in different directions, wary of anyone hiding behind the instruments. Chu Ya quickly walked towards the coat rack to retrieve the key from the uniform. But after taking two steps, his gaze fell on a shadow cast by a light on the floor in front of the rack, and he suddenly stopped.

Chu Ya lifted his head and saw a man in a white hospital gown looking down at him, his arms and legs twisted backward as if his joints had been forcibly turned, in a position no normal person could achieve, stuck to the ceiling.

A soft tube dangled from the side of his face, the other end connected to the back of his neck, presumably pulled out hastily upon hearing footsteps. The pale skin where the tube was attached was covered with deep black spider-web-like veins, and his pitch-black eyes stared intently at Chu Ya.

Wang Chengcai and the others sensed the abnormality and looked up at the coat rack, then froze, their mouths agape.

"Xiaoya, long time no see." The man on the ceiling slowly spoke, his voice raspy as if rusted. A smile appeared on his face, covered with dark veins, revealing a row of sharp white teeth, both terrifying and bizarre.

"Gu Lin!" Chu Ya spat out the name through gritted teeth.