The sun is about to set. Ruan Xian looked up at the building in front of him, and for the first time truly felt the sense of doom.

Before Brother Chi and Xiao Ding were unconscious, Tang Yibu moved them to a nearby cave. After waking up, the two did not look for Lao Zhang, but directly dragged three floating motorcycle-like machines from the bushes beside the cave, and returned directly to the shelter - one of the two was deeply cut on the back, and the other had a foot cut. Wrist fracture, exploration can not continue at all.

The airbike was extremely fast, and even so, it took them two or three hours to reach their destination deep in the woods.

The appearance of the shelter was so shocking that Ruan Xian didn't even have time to investigate Tang Yibu's tying himself and the sack to the back seat of the car.

"Brother Ruan, I saw you shoot a cockroach. You know how to shoot?" Ding Zepeng's ankle was so swollen that he jumped on one foot with a grin, his heartless smile returning to his face.

"It's a hobby." Ruan Xian let Tang Yibu untangle the leash, and was still looking at the shelter in front of him, "Let's not talk about this, Xiao Ding, this is...?"

What was in front of him was not so much a shelter, but closer to a low and abandoned building penetrated by a giant tree.

The giant tree is born in the building, the thick trunk runs through the whole building, and the canopy covers the roof. The abandoned building looked crumbling, and the glassless windows were pitch black, like the eye sockets of a skeleton, not like a human being. The humble houses built with strings of insulation boards on the sides of the strong tree roots, nestled in the shadows like mushrooms.

"Spectacular!" Ding Zepeng began to unload the sack in the back seat of his car. "Hey, Sister Qiu, why did you come out?"

Ruan Xian finally took his eyes back and looked at the only exit of the cement-colored building.

The three stepped over the calf-high roots and drilled out of the doorway. The head is a woman with short hair, wearing a straight white lab coat, about thirty or forty years old.

"Isn't this here to pick you up, your physical data is not normal."

As she said that, she bent her eyes, and faint fine lines gathered at the end of her eyes: "You bastard, did you fall again?"

"Hey, I was too careless." Ding Zepeng wiped his nose. "Sister Qiu, look at Brother Chi, he's bleeding a lot—"

The woman tapped the metal ring on her wrist, and several light screens appeared in front of her: "Chi Lei's condition is fine, 231 should have bandaged him. As for you... Did you inject a soothing agent?"

"I was dragging this leg and I was almost dizzy. 231 gave me a shot."

"The dose is a bit high, and the 231's medical order has to be adjusted. It's still difficult to handle the model that doesn't fit. It's good if Lao Zhang can get two more medical machines and come back. Speaking of Lao Zhang, he has to come back every two days?"

"We didn't contact Zhang Yazhe. I have to tell the boss that the range of activities of the cockroach has increased, and they would not have come to the southwest area." Chi Lei interjected, his face still pale. "Old Zhang went to pick up survivors near the wild graveyard, but there was no news for nearly a day. We asked 231 to explore, but only brought back this kid."

Seeing Sister Qiu's gaze swept over, Ruan Xian immediately stood up straight and subconsciously adjusted a suitable smile. He habitually waited for a polite surprise, or disgust hidden behind a frown.

But Sister Qiu laughed: "Oh, I haven't seen such a handsome young man for a long time. Qiu Yue, in charge of the medical care here, just call me Sister Qiu."

She stretched out a hand generously and shook hands with Ruan Xian who was a little stunned. "Which shelter did you come out of?"

"My name is Ruan Lijie." Ruan Xian shook his head and leaned on the car, barely keeping his balance. "Sanctuary...I don't remember. Sorry, I've been in a bad mood these two days."

"Memory loss caused by mental stimulation." Tang Yibu added punctually.

"It's okay, you can arrange a quieter room for Xiao Ruan." Qiu Yue directed the two men behind him to help Brother Chi and Xiao Ding, and smiled reassuringly at Ruan Xian. "Now I have to look at those seriously ill patients. 231, put away the car and bags, and reserve a room for Xiao Ruan to take care of. Remember to complete the registration procedures before dinner."

After that, she tapped a few times on the light screen floating above her forearm, and walked back to the building quickly.

This time Tang Yibu didn't plan to use his power, he honestly pushed the three cars into the ruined building one by one. Several high-stool-like four-legged robots emerged from the corners and went straight to carry sacks full of parts.

The first floor of the shelter still looked like ruins—dusty, dark and dirty, with vines and weeds crawling across the cracked floor. There were no lights on the entire floor, and half of the people were missing. Ruan Xian glanced around for a week, and finally looked at the dark elevator shaft rumbling in the depths.

Tang Yibu picked up Ruan Xian who was looking around: "How is your leg?"

"I'm used to it, but it's still a little overwhelming."

"Well." Tang Yibu nodded, "There will be a registration check-up later, I suggest you take a bath. There is a bathtub in the room, I can help if it is inconvenient."

"……no need."

Tang Yibu blinked: "Do you mind my shape? Then I can apply for a nursing robot for you. They look like human women."

"It's really not necessary, thank you. I'll do it myself." Ruan Xian waved his hands weakly.

Tang Yibu looked a little confused, but he still obediently helped Ruan Xian forward until he reached a clearing with particularly lush vines. Stopping, he stretched out his hand to draw a series of complicated trajectories in the air, and the vines on the ground flickered for a few seconds before disappearing directly into the air.

Cracks in the floor slid open silently, and smoke filled the air, revealing a downward tunnel.

"You're nervous." Tang Yibu pointed out that Ruan Xian's body was tense.

Ruan Xian, who was busy observing the environment, didn't have time to answer him.

Beneath the ruins is a clean and tidy underground fortress. The two went all the way down, the dilapidated ruins were thrown above, and the vision was filled by the smooth corridor walls. The corridor extends in all directions like a labyrinth, with square windows at the top that project simulated sunlight, and neat doors on both sides.

Tang Yibu didn't lead Ruan Xian further, he quickly stopped in front of one of the doors and covered the unlocked door with his palm.

"Str-y Type 307a231, Registration Room 1306."

The door opened slowly.

Inside the door is a bedroom of about 20 square meters, equipped with a simple table and chairs. The ceiling is embedded with square windows similar to the corridor, and artificial sunlight pours down, and a false blue sky can be seen.

"So much space?" Ruan Xian carefully stepped into the door.

"No, these rooms are used for isolation monitoring and special hospitality." Tang Yibu opened the small door in the room and made a "please" gesture to the bathroom with the loud sound of water. "Most humans live near the deep halls."

Fortunately, the bathroom has a partition curtain. After Ruan Xian got to the shower curtain first, he was relieved to find that clothes and bath towels were on the nearby shelf.

This situation was a bit new to him.

Before, due to skin lesions, taking a normal bath was a luxury for him - he had to prepare a suitable medicinal solution for half a day before taking a bath. In order to ensure the efficacy of the medicine, the water temperature must be kept at room temperature, so as not to aggravate the bad condition of the skin.

This is the first time.

Ruan Xian stretched his hand into the bathtub in front of him, and the warm water did not cover his hand. Now that the water was full, he threw off his clothes and dipped in tentatively.

"...It's almost time for dinner, we have to go to the basement to complete the registration."

An hour and a half later, Tang Yibu said relatively euphemistically.

Ruan folded her wet black hair, and finally managed to pull herself out of the hot water. After a series of stimulation, comfortable relaxation is especially rare, and he almost fell asleep in the bathtub.

"These waters..."

"There will be housekeeping robots to clean up."

Drying his hair, Ruan Xian first changed into the clothes prepared by the shelter, and then opened the shower curtain. Tang Yibu stretched out a hand, held him politely, and wrapped a bandage on his neck again.

"You are in the observation period. In theory, you will live here for a week. The arrangement of the shelter can be manipulated to view the mirror. In the shelter, you don't need to move with me all the time."

No repeated warnings, Ruan Xian thought. Tang Yibu didn't seem to be worried about him leaking secrets at all, which was not a good sign - it meant that Tang Yibu was very confident in his control of the situation.

But the facilities here seem safe and complete, and people should have lived here for a long time. If he can get enough support, he still has the opportunity to get rid of Tang Yibu and settle down here temporarily.

"I see." Ruan Xian put on his pocket with cans and lanterns, and glanced at the mirror casually.

Then he froze.

Over the past two decades, Ruan Xian has occasionally guessed his face. His face had been covered in rashes and hyperpigmentation brought on by the disease, and at best he wanted to be a normal person rather than pursue the extravagant concept of "beauty."

Even if he was able to get acquainted with everyone in the institute by virtue of his observation and reflexes, he would occasionally hear something like a "wheelchair monster".

"They are not malicious, young people are always curious about geniuses of the same age." Fan Linsong once persuaded him. "No way, Xiao Ruan, don't take it to heart. Would you like to try artificial skin? The effect is average, but in your current state, the possibility of recovery... ah."

At the time he refused.

The artificial skin can indeed make him more like a normal person, but the artificial face can't connect too many nerves, and he will lose most of his expressions, even a natural smile.

like machinery.

Now Ruan Xian supported the washstand with his left hand, stretched out his right hand, and held down the cold mirror. There was no longer the horrific patient in the mirror, but a strange young man in a dark gray uniform.

Ruan Xian saw his real face for the first time.

There is no cover of the sickness, the slightly raised eyes are exposed, and the pupils are as deep as ancient wells, very like the mother-the mother was a famous beauty in her hometown when she was young, and the most famous thing is a pair of very attractive eyes.

Although he is similar to his mother, the part with his father adds a lot of heroic spirit. From the point of view of public aesthetics, this seems to be a face that cannot be faulted, but Ruan Xian does not feel the slightest joy. Being stared at by those familiar and unfamiliar eyes, sour and bitter emotions slowly filled my heart.

He stared at the face in the mirror that looked like his mother, the happy smile brought by the hot water completely disappeared, and for a while, the expression was the same as that of Tang Yibu beside him.

"Let's go." Ruan Xian retracted his hand on the mirror and looked away.

There were obviously not many people who needed to be "isolated and monitored and treated specially", and Ruan Xian didn't meet anyone else along the way. A larger room opens at the end of the hallway, which is the same clean white as the hallway. The entire room was divided by a half-person-height partition, folded into a maze-like structure, and the width of the road only allowed two people to run side by side.

The staff at the entrance knocked on the table, their faces covered by thick mechanical masks, and Ruan Xian did not dare to judge whether it was a human or a machine for a while.

"Stretch out your arms."

The voice behind the mask was a little dull, and there was a lot of impatience. Through the thick gloves, he pulled out a needleless syringe with a tone like an endorsement. "This is the rule, please understand."

It seems that 80% of them are human.

Ruan Xian slowly rolled up his sleeves and glanced at Tang Yibu. This guy didn't know when he put on a billboard smile again, his eyes looked straight ahead, and his face was innocent.

"May I ask this?"

"Auxiliary chip." The man responded angrily, "Haven't you hit the sanctuary before?"

"I..." Before Ruan's gossip could come out, he was interrupted by a loud cry

"Old Zhang?!" The staff member who also wore a mask not far away stood up abruptly.

Ruan Xian stopped rolling his sleeves and looked a few meters away.

At the entrance of another passage, a middle-aged man was embarrassedly grabbing his hair. He looked a little haggard, and his whole body was dirty and covered with dirt and grass.

"Old Chi also said that he didn't find you. You have to contact the boss immediately. The boss probably has to prepare a search and rescue plan for tomorrow." The staff's voice was full of joy.

"Don't mention it, didn't I come quickly, I didn't dare to take a shower." Lao Zhang coughed twice, "How are they in Lao Chi? Damn, I met a belly two miles away from the cemetery. You cockroach, you broke the communicator."

"They also encountered cockroach. Chi Lei hurt his back, and Xiao Ding broke his foot. Fortunately, it wasn't a serious injury." The staff took out a syringe identical to the one here.

"It's fine if it's not a serious injury." The middle-aged man stretched out his arms in cooperation without frowning.

"What about you, are you uncomfortable? Is there any abnormality in memory?"

"Nothing. 231 wasn't around when the cockroach attacked. I thought I was dead, so I detonated the energy tank and threw it away." Lao Zhang patted his chest pocket.

The staff breathed loudly behind the mask.

"...Then it was blown away by the blast and knocked into a tree trunk." Lao Zhang shrugged his shoulders. "It was light when I woke up again. But I felt fine, I didn't seem to be hurt anywhere. Speaking of which, I'll have to apply for another can."

"Ouch, did you open yours?"

"Well, I'm weak, so let's celebrate if I don't die. I just ate it for a day. After opening this thing, it will be stored for a while, and the rest can be sent to the kitchen for further processing."

"Understood. The unique number of the can is 09274, the holder Zhang Yazhe, please confirm." The staff swiped the light screen in front of him. "There is still stock. I will change the number of the ration can to 09335. Remember to go to the warehouse to pick it up."

"Confirmed."

"Old rule, full body scan. You can go to the scan room."

"Where are Lao Chi and Xiao Ding? I'll report to be safe later." Lao Zhang rubbed his hands and breathed a sigh of relief.

"No. 2 medical room, the boss is over there..."

"Enough of the excitement?" The staff in front of Ruan Xian finally couldn't help but say, "Don't wait, I'm in a hurry."

Ruan Xian stretched out his arm and received the injection in silence.

"Enhanced primary perception? It's okay. I can see that your previous shelter was not very good. This type of nano-robot has been eliminated for nearly ten years." The staff looked at the panel in front of him with crazy data and snorted. "Go to the scan room now."

Ruan Xian withdrew his arm silently, allowing Tang Yibu to hold him, and moved to the scanning room four or five meters away. While Tang Yibu looked away, he opened his pocket and glanced at the can of Smiley.

Whether it was the number or name just mentioned, he had a vague feeling of deja vu, and now he found the source of that feeling.

There is a slightly faded label on the side of the can - [No. 09274-Zhang Yazhe]

It has not been opened by anyone.