Chapter 5: The Deadly Exploration

"Check your gear," Wang Wei whispered. The group inspected their supplies: high-powered flashlights scavenged from the security office, several metal pipes, and a couple of fire axes. They had split into two teams: one to retrieve medical supplies from the infirmary, and the other to collect emergency lighting equipment from the parking garage.

"If you encounter any infected, shine the flashlights directly into their eyes," Wang Wei instructed.

From the glass-enclosed control booth, Li Yi monitored their progress via the surveillance system. The screens glowed vividly in the darkness, offering clear views of every corridor and corner. "Corridor B-7 is clear. You can use that route to reach the infirmary," he said over the intercom.

Wang Wei led his team, consisting of two security guards and a maintenance worker, down the dim corridor. The red glow of the emergency lights cast flickering shadows on the walls, while their footsteps echoed ominously in the emptiness. The infirmary was located at the far eastern end of Basement Level 1, requiring them to traverse a long hallway.

"Wait!" one of the guards suddenly stopped, holding up a hand. "Did you hear that?"

The group froze, straining their ears. Around the corner, a strange sound echoed—metal scraping combined with the unsettling squelch of liquid movement.

"Slowly turn on your flashlight," Wang Wei whispered.

A beam of light pierced the darkness, revealing a chilling sight. An infected figure crouched in the corner, its translucent skin revealing an intricate network of glowing blue circuits underneath. Its outer layer was shedding in flakes, exposing a metallic sheen beneath. It appeared to be undergoing some kind of evolution.

Hearing their footsteps, the infected rose abruptly, ready to lunge.

Wang Wei quickly aimed his flashlight at its eyes.

The infected recoiled, emitting a high-pitched screech as the intense light caused its pupils to contract violently. Its movements slowed, and its entire body convulsed under the beam.

"Run!" Wang Wei shouted, leading the group as they dashed past the creature and down the hallway.

Meanwhile, the second team tasked with retrieving the lighting equipment faced their own challenges. The parking garage echoed with the steady drip of water, each drop reverberating like a hammer on their nerves. Zhang Lei, a former soldier now working as a security guard, led the team of three as they approached the emergency lights.

"These screws are completely rusted," one young man muttered in frustration as they struggled to dismantle the heavy-duty fixtures from the wall.

Suddenly, Li Yi's voice crackled urgently over the radio. "There's movement in Zone B-3! Get out of there now!"

Before they could react, a metallic clanging resounded from the far end of the garage. In the dim light, several pairs of glowing blue eyes appeared, moving in unnervingly coordinated formations, as if executing a tactical maneuver.

"Shine your lights in their eyes!" Zhang Lei barked while frantically working on the screws. The others turned on their flashlights, aiming the beams at the approaching infected.

At first, the bright light slowed the infected's movements, proving effective. But as their numbers grew, the lights became insufficient. Worse, the infected seemed to adapt, their initial sluggishness gradually diminishing as they pressed forward.

"Hurry up!" a young man's voice trembled. Just as the final light was detached, the infected had nearly encircled them.

In a desperate moment, Zhang Lei noticed a large pool of oil leaking from an overturned car nearby. He swiftly pulled out a lighter and threw it onto the slick surface. Flames erupted, momentarily disorienting the infected.

"Move! Now!" Zhang Lei shouted.

Carrying the light, the team fled, skirting the fiery barrier. But not all were lucky. One young man stumbled during the retreat, and his screams echoed through the garage as he was overrun.

At the infirmary, Wang Wei's team faced its own obstacles. Though they had successfully gathered the necessary medical supplies, their return route was cut off. The evolving infected they had encountered earlier had vanished, but a strange blue mist now filled the corridor.

"What is that?" the maintenance worker asked nervously.

"No idea. Let's move before it gets worse," Wang Wei urged.

Li Yi's voice came through the radio. "Everyone, evacuate immediately! The surveillance shows multiple infected converging on Zone B!"

Both teams eventually returned to the makeshift shelter, shaken but alive. As they tallied their numbers, the name of the fallen young man was quietly added to the casualty list.

In the lobby, Li Yi directed the group to set up the emergency lighting equipment.

"These things are adapting," Zhang Lei warned. "The flashlights barely worked by the time we got out."

"Adapting? How can these monsters evolve like that?" Li Yi muttered, trying to make sense of the situation.

"And now there's this mist," Wang Wei added. "It made the hallways impossible to see."

The evidence pointed to a chilling conclusion: the infected were undergoing a form of collective evolution. They were not only adapting to light but also generating some form of signaling mist, further complicating the survivors' efforts.

"We might not make it out of here," Wang Wei muttered, staring at the ceiling as gunfire and explosions continued to echo from above.

Frustrated, he kicked open a vending machine, grabbed a bottle of water, and began drinking deeply. He handed another bottle to Qi Shan, who gratefully took it.

Others began to gather around the vending machine, scavenging water and snacks.

"What's our plan?" someone asked. "We're running out of food, and it looks like we'll be stuck here for a while."

"We need to stabilize the injured first," Li Yi replied, "but then we'll need to find more food. There's a storage room near the underground hall exit."

The storage room was in an open corridor with multiple entrances. It connected to the parking garage and the main hall upstairs. Surveillance showed heavy infected activity in the area.

"I have an idea," said Xu Peng, a maintenance worker in blue overalls. "We could use the ventilation ducts."

"Xu Peng, you're here?" Li Yi said, surprised.

Xu Peng was the sports center's lead repairman, responsible for maintenance. During such high-profile events, he and his team were always on site.

"What about your team? Did anyone get out?" Li Yi asked.

"No idea. It was chaos when everything went down," Xu Peng replied. "I was in this lobby when people started pouring in. We locked all the doors to stay safe."

"Are you sure the ventilation ducts will work?" Wang Wei asked.

"Yes. We inspected them last week. They bypass the hallways and lead directly to the storage room."

Xu Peng grabbed a flyer from the security desk and sketched the underground layout on the back with a ballpoint pen.

"Here's the main vent," he said, pointing to a thick line on the diagram. "It's about 1.2 meters in diameter, made of stainless steel for large-scale cooling. Inside, every 50 meters there's a maintenance hatch. With enough light, you can see about 30 meters ahead."

Li Yi examined the diagram. "What about weight limits on the branches?"

"The main duct can hold us," Xu Peng said confidently, tapping key points on the map. "These H-beam supports are rated for over 500 kilograms. But be cautious at the 90-degree bends. The connections might creak."

Wang Wei noticed red crosses marked on the map. "What are these?"

"Temperature sensors and airflow monitors," Xu Peng explained. "They emit a small electric current. We need to avoid them, or we could get shocked."

Tracing a route with his pen, Xu Peng said, "We'll enter here, follow the C-7 branch eastward, and pass two right-angle bends. That'll put us above the dining area. The storage room's exhaust vent is in the ceiling. We can drop in easily."

"How far is it?" Wang Wei asked.

"About 160 meters. Forty of that is a 45-degree incline," Xu Peng calculated. "If we stay quiet, it'll take around 15 minutes. The key is absolute silence—sound carries far in these ducts."

Li Yi frowned at the diagram. "What about the louvered vents near the machine room?"

"That's a risk," Xu Peng admitted. "The cooling equipment causes vibrations that echo through the ducts. We'll need to move fast and avoid lingering there."

The sketched lines formed a complex web. Each turn offered either salvation or danger.