This time, only Chi Ying and Lu Yunfei went to Yuhu City. Lin Xun didn’t follow because he had to stay behind and wait for reinforcements from headquarters.
Chi Ying had originally planned to go alone, but Lu Yunfei insisted on accompanying her.
He argued that even if he only helped with finding the exact location, his presence would be useful for coordinating with headquarters. Reluctantly, she agreed.
Moreover, in terms of experience, Lu Yunfei was far more seasoned than she was.
“However, the sound shouldn’t be that loud, right? Yuhu City is huge. It won’t be easy to find the source of the noise just by sound alone,” Lu Yunfei said.
Chi Ying nodded, her expression focused. “When I was up there, I got a vague sense of the direction. The sound came from the west side of Yuhu City. Although I can’t pinpoint the exact location, we’ll definitely find it today.”
Lu Yunfei raised an eyebrow. “So sure?”
Chi Ying smiled faintly. “Among other things, my hearing is still quite sharp.”
She turned to him, her tone serious. “Remember to keep your distance from me.”
Lu Yunfei blinked in surprise but then grinned. “I know, three hundred meters.”
He couldn’t help but feel a little helpless. Here he was, a grown man, yet it was this small, seemingly delicate girl who was going into the heart of danger.
But that was the reality now—Chi Ying’s abilities far surpassed most others.
__
By the time they reached the west side of Yuhu City, Chi Ying had already decided to forgo the high-ground search. This time, she and Lu Yunfei moved on foot, staying low.
After several hours of walking, Chi Ying finally caught the faint sound once more.
She tensed, excitement building. It was close.
She followed the sound, every step bringing her closer to its source. When they reached the spot, Chi Ying stopped, frowning as she looked around. The sound was coming from all directions, and there were no buildings nearby that could create it.
She lowered her gaze, staring intently at the ground. The zombies here seemed to be no different from the others. But the sound…
It must be underground.
Chi Ying’s eyes narrowed in thought. She jumped to a higher vantage point, then raised her hand, calling on her fire abilities.
The flames spiraled downward, consuming the piles of corpses.
Thick black smoke rose into the air, and Chi Ying quickly leapt into a nearby building to shield herself from the smoke.
When the fire finally died down, she peered out from the building and caught sight of the true nature of the place hidden beneath the mass of burned bodies.
An underground parking lot.
The entrance had been completely blocked. All the usual markings had been removed, and the original vehicle access points were sealed off with a metallic barrier made from an unknown material.
Chi Ying tilted her head, her brow furrowing in thought.
This place felt oddly familiar.
[Yes, its design mirrors that of the No. 36 experimental base you encountered earlier.]
Chi Ying’s eyes widened slightly. “That’s right! The last experimental base was also hidden beneath a parking lot.”
She quickly considered the implications. “So, there might be a similar laboratory beneath here?”
[Likely.]
Chi Ying frowned deeper. “But the sub-base was supposedly shut down six months ago. Why is it still operational now?”
As the fire died down completely, the sound of machinery running below grew louder.
[The book doesn’t mention it, so the system isn’t certain.]
Chi Ying sighed. “I shouldn’t have expected you to have all the answers.”
[…QAQ]
She wasn’t in a hurry, though. Taking out her communicator, she contacted Lu Yunfei, who was still stationed some distance away, keeping watch.
“I found it,” Chi Ying whispered, her voice low. “Don’t come any closer for now.”
“I understand. Be careful,” Lu Yunfei replied, his gaze lingering on her from a distance.
Chi Ying nodded and ended the call, her expression resolute.
__
She stared at the metallic barrier, her mind racing for a way to break through. She tried pressing against it with her foot, but it was solid and unyielding.
[Try using wind blades.]
Chi Ying considered the suggestion, then summoned hundreds of wind blades to strike the barrier. The metal showed only faint scratches, but nothing more.
Chi Ying grimaced. This wasn’t going to be easy.
She turned to her soil abilities.
With a focused movement, she raised several tons of dirt and stone, dropping them heavily onto the cover. The impact sent a loud, resonating sound through the air.
Chi Ying covered her ears, wincing as the noise reverberated around her. As she prepared to strike again, she failed to notice the subtle shift beneath the ground.
Inside the lab, a man in a wheelchair froze, his eyes wide as he heard the noise above.
“Professor! Someone’s found our entrance!” he said urgently, his voice filled with panic.
“I heard it,” came the calm, distant response from an elderly man on a nearby screen. “Don’t worry, she won’t be able to get through.”
The man exhaled in relief but soon looked uneasy.
“Professor… do you feel that? The temperature seems to be rising.”
“What do you mean? Who doesn’t know how to turn up the air conditioning?” The professor’s voice remained nonchalant.
The man hesitated, his gaze flickering to the temperature gauge. “No, it’s coming from the other side of the passage.”
Meanwhile, Chi Ying continued her assault on the door with fire, frustration mounting as nothing seemed to give way.
[The metal conducts heat well. It should have affected the barrier.]
She paused, confused. The heat should have made an impact by now.
[They might have done something to cool it down.]
Chi Ying’s frown deepened. She wasn’t going to give up that easily. She gathered all the soil in the area, pressing it down to create immense pressure against the barrier. The metal groaned, but it didn’t break. Yet, the added weight and pressure had to be doing something.
Inside, the man in the wheelchair and the professor were nervously watching the screen. The professor’s calm demeanor was beginning to crack.
“I told you, the defense system is perfect,” the professor muttered, though his tone lacked conviction.
Suddenly, the base trembled violently, and the wheelchair slid. The man clung to the edge of his seat, panic rising.
“What was that?” he asked, his voice tinged with fear.
The professor sneered dismissively. “It’s nothing. The base is sturdy.”
Boom! A loud crash followed, and the ceiling above them began to crumble.
“Professor!” the man cried, his heart racing.
A massive iron plate plummeted from the ceiling, narrowly missing the professor. The man’s eyes went wide with terror.
“Is everything… alright?” he stammered.
The professor’s voice trembled, though he tried to mask his fear. “Get that ‘Song Shi’ idiot out there and stop whatever she’s doing!”
“Yes, yes!” The man scrambled to respond, fear creeping into his voice.
Author’s Note:
The tension rises, and Chi Ying’s persistence begins to unravel the layers of secrecy surrounding the underground base, as the situation escalates rapidly.
Lucien On ABRWF Chapter 34.1