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Chapter178
After three seconds, both Zhou You and Shao Qi opened fire simultaneously, their opponents barely having time to react before being hit.
From a distance, Li Hang heard screams and the thud of bodies falling. He thought, "Such incredible marksmanship. The glare ahead makes it impossible to spot the enemy, but these two seem to possess an uncanny ability, hitting their mark every time."
Little did he know, Zhou You and Shao Qi could target without seeing, using their spiritual energy. Any weak point, no matter how minor, could be exploited for a fatal blow.
"Move!" At Shao Qi's command, Zhou You and Li Hang, flanking him, advanced forward.
"This wave of guards has been wiped out," said Shao Qi, kicking aside a corpse in the path and tapping the wall lightly. "I thought there would be some sort of mechanism here, but it seems there isn't."
"That previous laser array was deadly enough. They probably never expected anyone to make it through alive."
Alarm bells rang incessantly. Shao Qi forcefully kicked open the door of a laboratory, finding it devoid of people but for a large surgery table stained with dried blood. It left him wondering who had been operated on there.
The only equipment in the lab was powered down, making the space look like an abandoned laboratory.
Stepping out, Shao Qi commented, "This lab doesn't seem to be the main one. Either the people inside just escaped, or it was abandoned a while ago."
Zhou You nodded, "Let's split up and search. Li Hang, stay with me."
"Alright." Shao Qi headed to the next room, while Zhou You and Li Hang forced open the door of the opposite lab.
Several consecutive labs were empty, containing only equipment and materials. Not a single person, nor any guards, could be seen.
"What's going on? Did they all evacuate?" Zhou You remarked as he exited a lab. Cameras caught a clear shot of his face, causing a heated debate among several men in the control room.
"If we don’t release those things now, when will we? You've seen their capabilities. Our guards can't hold them back!"
"No way! Those things aren't stable. If they go rogue, they might end up killing us. I've already contacted Commander Ren; he will send reinforcements shortly."
"The elevator has limited capacity. Even if an entire battalion arrives, they can't all descend at once. Do I need to remind you of the volatile chemicals in the labs below? A confrontation could destroy our life's work."
"And releasing those creatures won't damage the labs? Our top priority should be evacuating the research staff. We can rebuild lost equipment, but not lost lives. We have all the research data backed up."
"Enough! They're about to enter Lab 3. You don’t need me to remind you what’s inside, do you?"
Shao Qi shot the door lock and kicked the door open, releasing a strong metallic scent. Zhou You was quick to join him.
"What is this?" Before Zhou You stood a massive tank, not filled with water or chemicals but brimming with blood.
"Where did they get so much blood? A person's blood volume is limited; even if you drained an entire team, it wouldn’t amount to this."
Frowning, Shao Qi speculated, "This might be synthetic blood. The technology was only recently unveiled, but it seems those in charge here have their connections."
"Is there something inside?" Zhou You questioned, trying to ascertain the purpose of such a massive blood vat.
"I don't think so." Just as Shao Qi finished his sentence, Li Hang let out a gasp. Rushing over, they discovered a series of test subjects behind the blood vat.
Each subject was immersed in a barrel of blood, sealed and barely discernible, but they appeared to be beasts.
Shao Qi moved closer, noticing labels on each cylindrical glass container detailing the specimen’s data. After scanning them all, he sighed in relief. "Mutated beasts. I wonder what they're planning with them."
The intense smell of blood in the lab was nauseating, even for Shao Qi and Zhou You. The trio left, standing outside to assess the layout of the sub-basement.
An interminable corridor lay ahead, lined with spacious labs on both sides, presumably to accommodate the large sizes of the mutated creatures.
"There must be another entry or exit point. It would be impossible to bring these large beasts down via the elevator," remarked Zhou You.
"Indeed, if I were them, I'd have the lab entrance near the Yunlan Mountains. It would be discreet and facilitate the easy capture and transport of mutated beasts."
"Isn't this lab extraordinarily vast and sprawling?"
"I suspect they don't have many people, and they probably live here most of the time. Apart from the lab, there might also be their dormitories."
"Do they always live in this sun-deprived place?" However, thinking about the other exits they might have, Zhou You wasn't doubtful anymore. It'd be easy for them to step out for some fresh air, especially since the wilderness is scarcely populated. They'd just have to avoid main roads to stay safe.
"It looks like they've retreated to a safe location. What should we do now?" Zhou You wasn't sure what lay ahead, but if these people managed to escape, their mission would be a failure.
Moving forward, Shao Qi commented, "I can't believe they would abandon everything here. If they're so afraid, I would like to get a good look at them."
In the next laboratory, Zhou You and his companions came across a dissected human corpse.
After inspecting, Shao Qi noted, "It's a recent death. The wounds were caused by a sharp blade, likely a scalpel."
Li Hang turned pale, almost throwing up. Covering his mouth and nose, he asked, "Why would they dissect a person like this?"