Chapter 555 - 168: The Laboratory Hidden by the Canal (2)

Yang Zhao’s harmless appearance adds lots of points; the two majors didn’t think much of it—it was too normal.

Su Xiaocai updated Ji Li about the recent experiments, asking if he had any new findings in the past two days.

"No, the only new development is that your sensitive fruit seedlings not only survived but exploded when the seeds matured, scattering into the soil. Should we keep some?"

Su Xiaocai: "Yes, thanks, Brother Ji."

"It’s quite late; I’m going to sleep now."

"Okay, I’ll reach out to you if I have questions next time."

Su Xiaocai can only ask for psychological counseling and fun, Ji Li sighed: "Please, Xiao Cai, choose a suitable time to reach out next time."

"Okay, okay." Su Xiaocai agreed, but whether or not to follow through is a matter for next time.

Friends, it’s normal to banter with each other.

Yang Zhao insisted on finishing the farm work and put away the tools. He looked towards Su Xiaocai’s place—this position was too far from where Su Xiaocai lived. He smiled at the drone overhead, the smile gradually deepening.

It seemed he did the work in vain.

He displayed no signs of anger and, after tidying up, left calmly and at ease, as if being seen through was no embarrassment.

Su Xiaocai admired this person’s composure; it didn’t seem like an act—much more authentic than before.

Two intelligence agents coincidentally sent a message at this time, saying they found the entrance mechanism to the laboratory.

They hadn’t gone in yet and were waiting for Su Xiaocai.

Su Xiaocai dressed up; the leopard-print cat by chance ran over to watch her pick up Huahua and fly away, its ears pressed low, becoming airplane ears.

Its gaze revealed vigilance and a sense of loss.

Xiao Wanzi knocked the bowl, "Little Bao, come on, eat."

The leopard-print cat didn’t move, squatting there, its gaze fixed far away, seemingly waiting for Huahua to return.

Xiao Wanzi squatted too, watching it.

Not sure how long they waited, the leopard-print cat couldn’t resist hunger, walking gracefully to the place where Su Xiaocai put the cat food.

After eating, with no humans around, it lay beside Xiao Wanzi.

The scene of a robot and cat together was very warm and harmonious.

Su Xiaocai spent ten minutes reaching the previous laboratory entrance.

The intelligence agents explained to Su Xiaocai why it took several days, "Initially, we thought a power outage caused it to be inaccessible, but actually the initial mechanism enters from elsewhere."

The two of them led Su Xiaocai around in a circle, entering the lab from the residential area.

In the middle, an investigator pushed open a door, the mechanism hidden in a spot often overlooked.

"When powered, it’s tightly shut, so there’s no worry about accidental intrusion. With power gone, a simple push lets you in."

Upon entering, Su Xiaocai frowned, "An underground channel?"

"Yes. The lab also uses the channel for transport."

Blue Star has no homeless people, and few venture into smelly channels to live.

Even if there are one or two, they’d be at the water outlet, not deep within the city.

The manhole cover can’t be opened; children are unlikely to unintentionally play their way into the channel.

Its concealment is top-notch.

Road repairs happen annually, but the channel’s path isn’t casually altered.

If not for the Insect Man attack combined with internal response loss of control, the lab wouldn’t be exposed.

The lab is in a relatively deep place. After walking a slope, the intelligence agents counted drainage outlets, reaching a plain spot where together they pushed the wall.

Behind the wall appeared a narrow passage.

The two majors felt the entrance abstract; above them, about five meters, is the hospital side door, always closed, minimizing the chance of passersby noticing, "How did you find this place?"

It’s not just tightly sealed, but no traces are visible on the ground.

Slippery, giving a nauseating feel when stepped on.

"It’s partly the lighting issue; there’s paint and glue here, making it look indistinguishable from other areas." It’s akin to creating a disguised image, blending fake with real.

The major stepped lightly, sensing the difference—the area was much cleaner, and only the slime on their soles made it hard to notice.

"Simple eye trick."

"Yes, a very simple eye trick. We found it by calculating distance and direction, slowly exploring to find this spot." In that lab, most work pertains to drug testing and research; discovering violations merely counts as illegal treatment.

Throw the blame on the hospital director, and the Min Family easily shirks responsibility.

The intelligence agents turned on their flashlight, "Ready? It’s our first time inside too."

Su Xiaocai brought out a lightweight exoskeleton, "Wear it; if there’s danger, it can provide some defense. It helps increase speed too."