Chapter 54 Patrick’s Rock House

Chapter 54: Patrick Star’s Rock House

His mood, which had brightened slightly from this interlude, shifted once more...

Lin Xue had mentioned on the plane that this base was converted from a prison, so when they learned that a special area had been designated for criminals, the group wasn’t particularly surprised.

Bai Suizhi asked, "Are Zones C and D very close?"

The driver gave an awkward laugh, "Uh... you’ll find out when you get there."

Bai Suizhi frowned, his voice tinged with concern, "Are there any safety measures in place? They wouldn't just casually let criminals and residents coexist without restrictions, would they?"

The driver replied, "Oh, don’t worry about that. Those prisoners have to wear handcuffs or shackles whenever they leave their rooms, and they’re guarded by armed personnel. It’s very safe; nothing will happen."

Bai Suizhi felt slightly reassured but still carefully advised Kahn and Oliver, "No matter what happens, stay alert and don’t trust others too easily."

Chen Yi also chimed in with concern, "Fight if you can, run if you can’t. Since we’re not together, make sure you don’t get taken advantage of."

Gu Ze clicked his tongue at Chen Yi, "Don’t listen to him. Brains are more useful than fists."

Oliver blinked, fighting back stinging tears, and nodded vigorously.

Kahn felt a warmth spread through his chest, his eyes sparkling with a faint smile, "Got it. You all need to protect yourselves too."

Soon, the shuttle bus stopped in front of a curved building. The driver announced loudly, "Zone C passengers, you can get off here."

The group gasped in awe at the uniquely shaped building, "Wow... so strange... yet so familiar..."

The architectural style felt eerily familiar, as if they had seen it somewhere before...

Chen Yi slapped his forehead, "Isn’t this Patrick Star’s house?!"

Memories triggered, everyone wore puzzled expressions, "Can this place really accommodate two zones?"

There was no time for further discussion. The driver urged them, "Hurry up, lads. I'm in a rush to finish my shift."

Oliver and Kahn quickly waved goodbye, "We’ll get off now."

The other three followed them to the door but were stopped and reluctantly returned to the bus.

After seeing off their two friends, Chen Yi thoughtfully stroked his chin, turned around, and leaned over the seat to speak to Bai Suizhi and Gu Ze behind him, "Did you see? There’s nothing inside."

They had only glanced inside the door, expecting it to be crowded, but to their surprise, it was about the same size as the registration hall, with only a few machines and some staff moving around.

Gu Ze directly called out to the driver, "Sir..."

The driver had been eavesdropping and eagerly cut in before Gu Ze could finish his question, "There’s more to it than meets the eye."

Bai Suizhi chimed in, sounding uncertain, "Are they living... underground?"

He thought for a moment and added, "That place used to be the prison for criminals, right?"

The driver joked, "Kid, you could be a detective~"

Bai Suizhi’s heart sank. Since it was a prison, the space, conditions, and environment inside were likely poor. Coupled with a group of vicious wolves and tigers, his earlier reassurance vanished, and worry crept back in.

Gu Ze, noticing his concern for Kahn and Oliver, said softly, "We’ll go find them early."

Bai Suizhi sensed the comfort in his words and nodded, "Yeah, it’s fine."

Chen Yi, being rather thick-skinned, clasped his hands excitedly, "I wonder if our place will be underground too?" He gestured with his hands, "Maybe with high-tech tunnels, like secret passages, that can transport us to other areas with a click. Wow, like an underground kingdom in the movies. Cool!" He got carried away with his own imagination.

Gu Ze rolled his eyes, and Bai Suizhi couldn’t help but laugh wryly. Only the kind-hearted driver responded enthusiastically to Chen with his wild imagination, "If they really invent something like that, us ground transporters can retire early."

Chen Yi finally realized how unrealistic his idea was and chuckled awkwardly, "Hehe, who knows, maybe it’ll happen one day."

The vehicle continued straight for a few hundred meters before the driver suddenly turned a corner. A building hidden behind a high wall suddenly came into view.

Exquisite, model-like houses stood in neat rows, each with a small, beautifully designed fountain garden in front. A few leisurely households sat in their courtyards, basking in the gentle sunlight and leisurely enjoying afternoon tea.

It was a picturesque scene, but in this context, it felt strangely like dark humor.

Bai Suizhi took in the sight and thought to himself self-deprecatingly: Even on the Ark, humans insist on dividing themselves into first class and economy class. As someone who benefits from the system, he had no right to judge any of it.

The security screening process to enter this area was far more tedious and complex than the one at Zone C. First, a machine on the roof scanned the vehicle thoroughly to confirm no anomalies. Then, several armed staff approached to carefully question the driver and the residents. Finally, the residents had to use their newly assigned ID cards to verify their identities on a black scanner. Only after successful verification was the vehicle allowed to proceed.

After the whole ordeal, Chen Yi said wearily, "This is way too troublesome."

The driver, who had the most experience with it, said, "This place always takes the longest. So if you don’t have anything urgent, just stay put. Crossing zones involves a lot of procedures."

Chen Yi sat up straight, "No way, we have friends in Zone C." He then asked the driver hopefully, "Do we have to go through that process every time we leave the zone?"

The driver steered the vehicle deeper in, "Yep. Crossing zones requires three security checks: one when leaving here, one when entering here, and one when entering Zone C. Exiting Zone C doesn’t require one. So even though people from Zones A and B can move between zones, no one likes to leave. It’s much more comfortable here."

Bai Suizhi asked, "Is Zone B here too?"

The driver, keeping an eye on the house numbers along the road, replied, "Zone B is a bit farther away, but you enter through the same gate. Oh, and as I mentioned earlier, Zone B houses scientists, special forces personnel, etc. They usually don’t come back here much—too much hassle going in and out. Most of them live directly at their workplaces, so you probably won’t run into them." Lowering his voice, he added, "I heard they’re currently cracking down on people conducting experiments. If you encounter them, be careful."

He then laughed self-deprecatingly, "Ah, why am I telling you this? If anyone’s getting caught, it’ll be us first. Forget it, just pretend you didn’t hear anything. I spoke out of turn." The driver, clearly not used to having people to talk to, couldn't keep his mouth shut, blurted everything out, even rumors he’d heard from who knows where.

The group didn’t take his words too seriously, likely because Shi Yunzheng’s earlier remarks and Lin Xue’s demeanor had given them a sense of security. They still trusted the place’s security situation.

Gu Ze suddenly spoke up, hesitantly asking Bai Suizhi, "Do you want to come with me to see Mom later?"

The main reason the three of them were assigned to Zone A was their parents—key suppliers of essential resources like food, medicine, and energy equipment. Their parents had seized the opportunity to collaborate with the government early on, trading these valuable assets for a high quality of life and security. As their children, they naturally enjoyed the protection and privileges their parents had secured.

In other words, their presence here indirectly confirmed that those who had earned these privileges for them were also in this area.

Bai Suizhi felt inexplicably suffocated. He tugged at his collar and said, "No."

Gu Ze lowered his eyes and replied softly, "Okay."

Chen Yi said carefreely, "We’ll see each other when we go find Oliver and Kahn anyway. No rush." He smirked mischievously and teased, "What, Gu Ze, can’t you bear to be apart from your brother for even a moment?"

Gu Ze, provoked, retorted, "Damn it, what nonsense are you spouting?"

Chen Yi, as if catching him red-handed, exclaimed dramatically to Bai Suizhi, "Hey, hey, Sui-ge, did you hear that? Gu Ze cursed! So uncivilized. You should teach him a lesson."

Gu Ze hurriedly tried to cover Chen Yi’s mouth, but Chen Yi dodged and added fuel to the fire, "Trying to shut me up? Feeling guilty, huh..." He was finally slapped into silence by Gu Ze.

Bai Suizhi’s lips curled into a slight smile. His mood, which had shifted from light rain to cloudy because of this banter, plunged back into a raging storm when he spotted the figures ahead.

The driver called out, "A27, we’re here."

Gu Ze immediately saw his parents waiting eagerly at the door. He covered the distance in quick strides, eagerly rushing over and throwing his arms around them. After all, he was still a minor. No matter how calm and indifferent he usually acted, deep down, he was filled with fear and helplessness.

At the sight of his parents, the emotions Gu Ze had suppressed for so long burst forth uncontrollably.

Despite the short distance, Jiang Wan hurried forward to meet him, holding her son tightly, her heart aching. Her eyes reddened as she said, "I told you to stay put and wait for me to send a helicopter for you. Were you hurt out there? Did you have enough to eat? Look how thin you've gotten..."

Gu Ze quickly looked up and interrupted, "Mom, I lost my phone at the time and lost contact with the group, so I had to find a mall to hide in first."

Jiang Wan gently patted his shoulder and said with a tone of complaint, "Do you know how worried I was when I couldn’t reach you? I couldn’t eat or sleep every day, terrified that something might happen to you out there. Those monsters are so frightening—you must have been so scared. Without Mom and Dad by your side, you’re still just a kid…" By the end, Jiang Wan was on the verge of tears again.

Gu Ye put an arm around Jiang Wan’s shoulder and said, "Alright, don’t cry. Our son is back now, isn’t he? He’s so clever and capable—he managed to escape from a nest of monsters all on his own."

Suddenly remembering something, Gu Ze hastily wiped his eyes and turned around, raising his hand to point not far away, "Oh, right, Mom, my brother—"

The shuttle bus had already driven ahead and disappeared around a corner.

Jiang Wan asked curiously, "What is it, son?"

Gu Ze withdrew his gaze dejectedly, "My brother came too. It was me, my brother, Chen Yi, Kahn, and Oliver—we all came together."

Jiang Wan smoothing her hair uncomfortably and said, "Ah, your brother came too? Why didn’t he get off with you?" She paused as if suddenly realizing something, "Oh right, he must have gone to his father’s place."

Unaware of her discomfort, Gu Ze continued, "My brother is amazing. He…" Gu Ze began telling Jiang Wan and Gu Ye about their journey, though his story focused almost entirely on his brother’s heroic deeds, with everyone else’s roles reduced to just three sentences total.