Chapter 16: Bunker Disaster (Part 2)

"I can't see, I can't see! Boss Lu!" Jianxiong almost couldn't hold onto the steering wheel as the windshield became a blur. He had to turn on the wipers to scrape off the frost.

Zhao Xiweng opened her mouth, a hurt expression on her face: "I got even more confused," while Ye Lei's pig-face with long, narrow eyes filled with scorn swept past Lu Chen, his gaze briefly filled with hatred.

Su Mo's keen sixth sense told her that this female soldier beside her harbored special feelings for Lu Chen.

She glanced at the man reflected in the rearview mirror, his face cold and handsome, and thought to herself, it's no wonder he's so good-looking.

But what's with this inexplicable annoyance?

Her eyes shifted as she thought, her small hand reaching forward from between the seats, her voice soft, "Lu Chen, I'm hungry."

A bottle of milk and a piece of bread were shoved back into her hand by the man; she chuckled, tearing open the packaging and biting into the bread with satisfaction.

Zhao Xiweng's eyes dimmed next to her, staring bitterly at the bread in Su Mo's hand.

The scent of milk filled the entire compartment, Jianxiong staring eagerly through the rearview mirror at the bread in Su Mo's hands, until Lu Chen finally tossed him a piece to settle the matter.

A small ripple passed just like that.

Along the way, they didn't see a single living person, only occasionally did someone poke their head out of a few houses, then swiftly retreat back.

The Jiang Residence was located near the city center but also covered a large area.

After passing a sign that read "Military Area, No Trespassing," they officially entered the military zone.

But the situation in front of them... was not good. The road entrance, which was originally barricaded with barbed wire, was smashed to pieces, and some flesh hung on the wires, with a faint smell of blood pervading the air.

Logically, as a military stronghold, it should have had the best defense measures; how could it be so desolate?

A bad premonition rose simultaneously in the hearts of the five in the vehicle.

The roads on both sides were expansive training grounds; a few scattered zombies in military uniforms roamed outside. The car slowly stopped in front of a classically decorated mansion, its signboard proudly displaying the words "Jiang Residence," with two stone lions at the front, their surfaces stained with dark red blood.

"You stay on guard in the car," Lu Chen turned back and instructed the injured Zhao Xiweng, his gaze flickering to Su Mo, who immediately opened the car door and got out assertively.

"I'm coming with you."

After yesterday's incident, Lu Chen tacitly agreed.

The group took their weapons and alighted from the car, Su Mo holding the Tang Blade as she accessed her panel. Her progress had now reached 40/100, not far from an upgrade.

The mansion's main gate was wide open. As they stepped into the lobby, they were greeted by a bright hall. Unlike the exterior, the interior furnishings were very modern, with escalators on both sides leading directly to the upper floors and a large elevator in the middle.

"How far can your spiritual power reach?" Lu Chen walked to the elevator, pulled open the covered keypad on the wall, and entered a series of commands, "Go down and see what's below."

"I can only see to the first floor," Ye Lei's mind could only sense living beings or heat sources, and that was limited to a small area beneath his feet, "I don't see any humans, and only a few zombies."

"If one comes, I'll take down one," Jianxiong waved his big fists, his shoulder muscles bulging.

"Get ready, we're going down." The elevator door opened with a "ding" just as Lu Chen finished speaking, he led Su Mo in first, "No matter what happens later, stay behind me."

Her expression serious, she nodded: "I understand."

The door closed, and the elevator was very clean, with only two levels below. After Lu Chen pressed for the first sub-level, the machine began its descent with a rumbling sound.

There was only a second sub-level, yet the elevator moved much slower than usual. About two or three minutes passed before it finally stabilized, and with a "ding," several people simultaneously tensed their bodies and assumed combat stances.

The doors slowly opened, and a cold wind carrying a stench blew in from outside.

It was very cold here, and the huge difference in temperature inside and outside made Su Mo shiver. She rubbed her arms, which were covered in goosebumps, and followed behind Lu Chen as she walked out of the elevator.

"It's really damn cold here," Jianxiong said, wrapping his arms around himself as he sneezed loudly.

"Maybe the air conditioning system is broken," Lu Chen said, feeling no discomfort but actually finding the temperature quite comfortable.

Laid out before them was a long corridor with embedded LED lights on the walls. There might have been an issue with the electrical circuit, as the lights were flickering, causing their vision to also flicker between light and dark. The corridor was wide enough for two people to walk side by side.

Lu Chen and Jianxiong led the way with Su Mo following, and just as Ye Lei stepped onto the corridor, he halted, his legs began to tremble, and his somewhat elongated eyes dilated with fear showing on his swollen face.

As the footsteps behind him failed to follow, Su Mo stopped, turned around, and looked at him puzzled, "What's wrong with you?"

The two people in front also stopped and looked back.

Seeing all eyes on him, Ye Lei forced an ugly smile on his face swollen like a pig's head, the pain at the corner of his mouth causing him to tighten his lips again, "It's nothing, just using my superpower to sense if the place is safe." He stepped forward to catch up with the others, his tone casual, "Just like before, this place is very spacious."

Su Mo eyed him from head to toe, feeling suspicious.

After walking about 340 meters, another password-protected door appeared in front of them. Beyond the door was a huge military office space.

True to Ye Lei's words, there were only sporadically scattered zombies on this floor, most of them clerical staff, dressed in skirts and ties.

As fresh flesh entered, they all began to stagger towards it, hissing.

Jianxiong smashed one zombie's skull and casually picked up a notebook from an office desk to flip through it.

"The first sub-level usually handles confidential matters, where the old ladies work. The end leads to a passage down to the second sub-level which is a small training ground. The area should be about the size of a football field,"

He had trained on the second sub-level before and was very familiar with the layout here.

Their current location was the office area.

"I'm going to scout the area near the entrance to the second sub-level," Ye Lei informed them, taking the lead and chopping down any approaching zombie as he headed towards the end.

"I'll go with you. Who knows what kind of trouble you might stir up," Jianxiong said as he put down the notebook to follow him.

Ye Lei, looking panicked, quickly shook his head and pointed to his head calmly, "I'm just going to use my superpower to scout nearby. I won't cause any trouble."

After his repeated assurances, Jianxiong finally agreed, "Be careful, you brat."

Su Mo always felt there was something off about this person, but couldn't quite put her finger on it. She tugged gently at Lu Chen's sleeve and whispered,

"Lu Chen, I think there's something wrong with him."

"Let's look around first," Lu Chen said, frowning, his sharp gaze fixed on Ye Lei's retreating figure until he disappeared around the corner.

The feeling of a thorn in his back made Ye Lei shiver as he walked, until that piercing gaze was blocked by the wall. He exhaled, his facial expression gradually distorting, and he stomped his foot on the ground, muttering, "What a damn admiral, daring to provoke me. Go to hell, all of you."