Zhuo Hao pushed him aside, singled out another person, and then locked the rest in the kitchen. Every answer he got was the same; it seemed difficult to obtain any useful information.

Chapter 143: Orphanage (Part Two)

"Zhuo Hao, check on Miao Miao's situation and bring the girl over," instructed Shao Qi.

Now, the only people left in the orphanage are these few. Perhaps only the injured girl might have some information.

Miao Miao arrived holding the girl, fuming with anger, "If I catch that beast, I'll chemically castrate him!"

Zhou You took the girl's hand, feeling her resistance and the shivers racking her body wrapped in sheets. He comforted, "Don't be afraid; let me help you first."

Miao Miao also consoled her gently, "Don't be scared; there are no bad men here, no one will harm you."

After a moment, Zhou You withdrew his hand and stepped back, letting Miao Miao speak.

Miao Miao set the girl on a chair, crouched before her, and whispered, "My name is Miao Miao. What's yours?"

"Lin... Linda."

"Alright, Linda, do you know where everyone has gone? Are there children your age here?"

The girl hugged her knees in silence, a pained look on her face. Zhou You offered her a water bottle and softly asked, "Do you want revenge?"

Her eyes widened in shock as she looked at Zhou You, who nodded at her, "Rest assured. Tell us what you know, including about those who wronged you, and we will avenge you. We'll also ensure your future is safe."

Seeing her disbelief, Zhou You brought over Shao Qi, introducing, "Do you know who this is? No matter who your enemy is, even if it's the emperor, he can handle it. Don't worry; by the way, he's already taken care of the entire Zhu family."

Hearing about the Zhu family, her eyes lit up, finally asking weakly, "Can... can you really stand up against the Zhu family?"

"Of course," Shao Qi responded coolly.

His aura was assuring, and the girl clutched the hem of his clothing, crying, "Please... go and save them. They must be at Beast Mountain now. They... they'll die!"

"Beast Mountain? What's that?" Zhou You thought back to the maps he remembered but couldn't recall such a place near the Yang City base.

Crying, the girl shook her head, "Beast Mountain isn't a real mountain. It's an enclosure for mutated beasts. I know there's a tunnel under this orphanage leading out of the city, but we're always blindfolded when taken there. I don't know the entrance."

"The Zhu family breeds mutated beasts?" Everyone present was shocked; taming mutated beasts wasn't an easy task. Zhou You's white tiger would never have followed him had he not found it as a cub.

However, forcibly confining mutated beasts in a place was possible.

"It's not surprising. The military sometimes encloses areas for combat training. The Da Gu base is also a semi-enclosure. But it's rare for private forces to be capable of confining mutated beasts," Shao Qi said, then turned to the girl, "Why do they send you there? Surely not as food?"

The girl shook her head, "They make us fight the mutated beasts. Only those who survive are of use to them. Many die every time. I... I was injured last night and couldn't go, so they left me behind..."

"Is this why the Zhu family adopts orphans?" Zhou You clenched his fists. In the peaceful world before, such cruelty was unheard of, but it seems the end times brought out the worst in humanity.

"Do you have any idea where the tunnel might be?" Shao Qi took out a map of the orphanage. Any tunnel would need excavation and be discreet yet accessible. He marked several possible locations, instructing Zhuo Hao and his team to investigate.

The girl shook her head despondently, saying, "I truly don't know. I only recall the sound of metal clashing and chains rattling when the switch was turned on. Then there was a long spiral staircase, exactly 1,001 steps, leading to a transporting vehicle."

Zhou You approached and studied the map. Pointing at a spot, he inquired, "What is this place?"

Shao Qi zoomed in on that location, and they both saw it clearly. It was the backyard's scenic area with a man-made hill and a fountain. Within the fountain was a statue secured by chains.

"Let's go check it out," Shao Qi suggested, asking Miao Miao to take the girl to the hospital. He and Zhou You headed towards the backyard. The fountain was beautiful, surrounded by the artificial hill on one side. Given its vast size, it wasn't implausible for an underground entrance to be located here.

Zhou You stomped on the ground. The top layer was ceramic tile which shattered under his foot, but beneath was indeed a steel plate. Using his psychic ability, he could only perceive a pitch-black abyss below.

"Let's find the switch," Shao Qi's gaze settled on the statue in the middle of the pool. If the entrance was triggered by the chains, it must be somewhere inside the pool.

Shao Qi climbed onto the statue and tugged at the chain. Following it, he found a ring on the statue's chest. Pulling it, there was a distinct "click" as the statue began to ascend. The chains rustled, pulling apart the steel plates beneath the pool. Water drained away, revealing an entrance.

Watching as the dark passage suddenly lit up, revealing a spiral staircase, Zhou You remarked, "Why does everyone fancy digging tunnels nowadays? It seems living in bases has become tedious. The outside wilderness, once often visited, is now an abandoned wasteland, becoming a playground for those consumed by their desires."

"Of course. The world outside is vast with abundant resources. Both wealth and fame are within easy reach. How many in power can resist such temptations?"