Chapter 74: The Cave

Why was the [Roar of Death] on Crimina, and when had it been transferred to her?

Zhao Kuo was somewhat puzzled. After all, he had personally watched the [Roar of Death] being packed into the box and loaded onto the vehicle. Could it have been swapped out by the doctor during the process?

Moreover, Crimina clearly wasn't carrying any large objects. Where had she hidden the [Roar of Death]?

With this question in mind, Zhao Kuo followed Crimina and Tang Yingying.

It was obvious that Tang Yingying had also noticed something unusual about Crimina, though she likely didn't know about the [Roar of Death]. Still, her instincts were sharp.

At this point, Crimina seemed completely unaware that she was being followed. She took a detour before arriving at an upward-bound elevator.

Was she planning to take the [Roar of Death] upstairs? Zhao Kuo frowned slightly.

If the negotiations between the doctor and the upper levels failed, Crimina, as someone close to Jon, would undoubtedly be among the first to be hunted down.

Instead of hiding, why was she going upstairs?

With this question lingering, Zhao Kuo and Luo Ping'an blended into the crowd and entered the elevator.

At that moment, Tang Yingying spotted the two of them. However, she didn't make a scene and simply greeted Luo Ping'an, whom she was meeting for the first time.

The elevator wasn't very spacious. To avoid being noticed by Crimina, who was glancing around, Zhao Kuo covered his face and stood at the back of the crowd.

He casually chatted with Luo Ping'an, asking, "How do you plan to use those 20,000 subway coins?"

Luo Ping'an seemed to have anticipated the question and replied directly, "I've divided them into five parts. Some will be used to stockpile basic supplies, some for daily necessities, and some for special items with unique effects but harsh side effects or usage conditions. The remaining funds will be used for guerrilla tactics."

"That is, to leverage market fluctuations when they occur. Don't worry, I'm good at this."

Listening to Luo Ping'an's explanation, Zhao Kuo nodded.

Luo Ping'an's market acumen was indeed impressive. When Zhao Kuo had been buying up subway coins, Luo Ping'an had immediately noticed and made a move, earning a significant amount.

Stockpiling basic and daily necessities was likely to ensure stability in the fundamentals.

As for the special items with harsh side effects or usage conditions, they could fetch a high price in the right hands.

Finally, the guerrilla tactics were where unexpected gains could be made.

Zhao Kuo had too much on his mind and didn't have the time or energy to constantly monitor the market.

The reason he had entrusted 20,000 subway coins to Luo Ping'an was partly to grow the money and partly because Luo Ping'an kept a close eye on the market. If any valuable items appeared, he could purchase them for Zhao Kuo immediately.

Of course, Zhao Kuo wouldn't mistreat him either.

The elevator soon reached the next level, and Crimina quickly exited, heading toward another upward-bound elevator.

It's worth noting that, apart from special elevators, the elevators leading to higher levels were never in the same location.

This was also why lower-level uprisings were always quickly suppressed.

Because the elevators were so scattered, when upper-level forces learned of a lower-level uprising, they could quickly deploy reinforcements via special elevators. The timing simply wasn't on the same level.

And so, Crimina continued her upward journey via elevators.

This self-important girl never noticed the three people following her. In a way, Jon's trust in his sister had made him somewhat lax.

Finally, Crimina arrived at the 13th level.

The 13th level was an industrial zone. Apart from a small residential area, the rest was densely packed with factory buildings.

Above these factories were numerous metal pipes, likely used to expel polluted gases, so the air on the 13th level wasn't as bad as one might expect.

Moreover, the residential areas here were clearly much better than those in the lower levels, even featuring some greenery.

Since the industrial zone had its own light sources, although not as bright as the upper levels' sun-like illumination, it was no longer the perpetually dark, torch-lit streets of the lower levels.

It seemed that even among the poor, there were disparities.

However, the residents of the middle eight levels didn't consider themselves poor. They generally referred to themselves as the middle class.

Crimina seemed very familiar with the layout of the 13th level. She navigated between factories, heading in a specific direction, her pace growing increasingly hurried.

Fortunately, her familiarity with the area allowed her to avoid the patrols.

It also helped that, being an industrial zone, there weren't many patrols to begin with.

Soon, Crimina entered an area filled with waste materials. These were byproducts of the factories, transported here because they couldn't be processed.

Over time, the waste had piled up into small hills, appearing particularly oppressive in the dim light.

Crimina walked into a narrow path between the waste hills and continued inward.

Surprisingly, this secluded path had many patrol points, but at the moment, they were all unmanned, eerily quiet.

Crimina took a deep breath, though the metallic smell made her uncomfortable.

She wondered how her brother and the doctor were doing. She needed to hurry. If she could complete the task the doctor had assigned, her brother and the others would be safe.

Biting her lip, Crimina quickened her pace.

Finally, after more than ten minutes of walking, she reached the end of the path and saw a dark cave.

Beside the cave, Zhou Xing was sitting on the ground, seemingly having waited for a long time.

Seeing Crimina, Zhou Xing stood up: "You're here."

"Are you okay?" Crimina noticed the wound on Zhou Xing's arm and asked, "Should I bandage it for you?"

Zhou Xing shook his head: "We'll deal with it after we're done. Fortunately, these patrols have been too accustomed to peace and aren't very vigilant. Brother Jon's prediction was spot on."

"Of course," Crimina said happily, hearing someone praise her brother.

Zhou Xing asked, "Do you have the item with you?"

Crimina nodded, but Zhou Xing sighed: "If it's as the doctor said, this trip will be dangerous. Crimina, stay focused!"

With that, he turned and walked into the cave.

Crimina looked at the dark entrance, feeling a bit of fear.

But remembering her brother's instructions, she mustered her courage and stepped inside.

Inside, there was a foul, stench.