Xiang Yang snorted and patted her chest. She said smugly, "What have I not seen before? Don't underestimate me."
Lu Ren did not say anything, or rather, he did not want to talk to Xiang Yang at all. The other party's thoughts were no different from that of the young lady he had saved previously.
Seeing this, Xiang Yang said shyly, "What was up there should have been destroyed."
Lu Ren was expressionless. "In other words, we can't get out of this passageway for the time being?"
"Er, I remember my father had said that there are still emergency exits down there, and there are also several passageways for delivery transport. This concealed elevator is only for the researchers to enter the underground research center quickly after they have clocked in."
Alright, these people still needed to clock in.
Lu Ren exhaled. "Let's go down and see what had become of it."
The path above had been destroyed, and there was a giant bull guarding it. In such an environment, Lu Ren could only find a new way out. As for staying here until the time was up, this place might not be safe. In an unknown area, Lu Ren was more inclined to check out the surrounding environment first and then find the safest area to wait.
Moreover, Lu Ren did not know what else Xiang Yang could be hiding. He would only know after he had slowly stripped the other party bare.
After a pause, Lu Ren asked, "Who is your father? How did he know so much?"
Xiang Yang did not hide it anymore and said quickly, "He used to be Professor Chen Guohua's assistant, so he knew a lot. He also knew how to close the mystic realm passageway."
"How old was he, then?"
"When he found me, he was already 71."
Upon hearing this, Lu Ren could not help but look at Xiang Yang, who had a calm expression and a hint of gratitude. It was obvious that the other party had valued this very much, or rather, she was extremely grateful to him for raising her up although he was not her biological father.
"Your father wouldn't want you to come here, would he?"
"Yes, when he was seriously injured beyond treatment, he had repeatedly reminded me that he hoped I would live well and also search for the human survival base instead of lingering in Haizhou City."
Repeatedly…
Lu Ren had a strange expression on his face. With Xiang Yang's temper, such repeated reminders would have given her the intent to give it a try instead.
Xiang Yang took out a notebook from her backpack. "My father was afraid that his memory would fade, so he recorded everything here in this notebook. I've read it repeatedly for the past three years, and I even know it by heart."
Lu Ren's fingers twitched unconsciously. He asked casually, "Has everything been recorded in it?"
"Of course not. My father said that some especially critical things could not be written in the notebook."
Lu Ren lowered his hand. "Alright."
"What happened then?"
"The moment the mystic realm opened, the contaminated energy spread directly throughout the entire research center base. All the researchers, security, and so on were invaded by this energy and then turned into monsters. My father happened to be testing the escape device at that time. After the contamination alarm sounded in the base, he immediately activated the escape device to escape from the impact of the first wave tide of contamination energy. Thereafter, he successfully survived."
Lu Ren's expression changed when he heard this.
"Does this mean that the place we're going down to is where the contaminated energy is the densest?"
Xiang Yang nodded and said, "Of course, but don't worry. Since you have not been contaminated by the energy since you were born, it means that you have not been infected by the mutation. Therefore, even if the special energy is dense, you should not be affected."
"Should?"
Lu Ren's expression became even uglier. He could not accept such a gamble at all. Letting others decide his fate was being completely irresponsible to his life.
This feeling was very unpleasant. He still needed to make the most of his time to increase his strength.
Xiang Yang was also a little nervous. She said with a serious look, "Don't worry, if you suddenly mutate, I'll definitely be the first to attack."
Lu Ren said expressionlessly, "I'll kill you first even if I have to mutate."
Xiang Yang: "You're so ruthless!"
"There's no need to say anything to someone like you who has dragged others down."
"I…"
Xiang Yang was speechless.
To be honest, if it had really been someone from this world, after understanding that Xiang Yang might be the only hope to save this world, they might definitely join her without hesitation and even use their lives to pave the way for Xiang Yang.
Unfortunately, Lu Ren was not. He only wanted to live well for seven days and then leave this world, which was on the verge of extinction. However, for some reason, he did not know if this entire journey had been a coincidence or if it had been arranged by fate.
He had wanted to survive, but he had come all the way here.
Back then, he should not have come into contact with Xiang Yang. It was his fault for encountering a human from another world for the first time. It was really novel.
He was still too young!
After a full three minutes, the slide-rail elevator slowly stopped. From the speed at which it was descending, Lu Ren felt that the research center was at least a kilometer away from the ground.
"We're here."
Xiang Yang's spirits were lifted. Then, she took out her dagger and looked warily at the elevator door which was about to open.
Lu Ren also held his two swords tightly, not daring to be careless at all.
Who knew what kind of monsters would be in the research center which had not been opened for decades.
When the elevator door slowly opened, what greeted Lu Ren's eyes was a silver metal corridor leading directly to the alloy door. There were still functioning white lights on the ceiling of the corridor.
Apart from a long black mark on the ground where something seemed to have been dragged out, the metal corridor was still spotless.
This scene was familiar!
"There is a laser array?'
"Is this research center still operating?" Lu Ren was a little surprised.
Xiang Yang nodded slightly. "My father had told me before that the energy source of this research center is a cold nuclear power furnace. Even if no one maintains it, it can still operate for at least 200 years. Moreover, there is a backup energy installation, a miniature fusion reactor. It can support at least the full power operation of the entire base for a hundred years.
"Moreover, the entire research center has almost stopped. If it was just to maintain the electrical system like the lights, it might be an extremely long period of time."
When Lu Ren heard this, he could not help but fall into deep thought. If what Xiang Yang had said was true, that the energy source of this world had been liberated, then there should be a great drive to explore space.
Perhaps, they might have already given up on this planet.
"Where should we go first? Let me take a look."
She paused and opened the notebook in her hand. She kept flipping through it, mumbling.
"The entire research base has a total of five levels. The first level is the office area. The second level is the scientific research project area. The third level is where a high-energy particle accelerator, which is 100 kilometers long, has been laid out. The mystic realm is located there. The fourth level is the supplies store, and the fifth level is the power assembly installation for the various systems.
"Right now, we don't have to go far. We have to go to the surveillance center on the first level. From there, we can see the entire research center area, as long as the surveillance system is still working."
Lu Ren could not help but look sideways. "Your thinking is very clear!"
Xiang Yang said a little embarrassedly, "My father had nagged at me every day, and then he gradually formed the plan."
"Absorbing the strengths of foreign things for your own use. I understand."
"What do you mean by 'absorbing strengths of foreign things'? I'm inheriting my father's business. Let's go!"
Xiang Yang replied and was about to walk forward when Lu Ren grabbed her and said solemnly, "Could this corridor be filled with all kinds of mechanical traps?"
Xiang Yang rolled her eyes. "You've watched too many old movies… but there is indeed security equipment."
Lu Ren :"…"
Should he stay here? Would he be killed by the laser if he stayed here?
She pointed at the heavy-looking alloy door.
"If the password is entered wrongly three times, the alarm device here will be activated. However, it's hard to say. It has been almost 50 years since this place was activated. It might have already rusted inside."