As mentioned before, the technology of the Earth Federation is not very advanced, particularly in the field of surveillance technology, which lags far behind that of real Earth.
The high cost of surveillance equipment means that, apart from a few special places, most locations have very few cameras, and photo studios remain popular.
The Earth Federation lacks the conveniences of modern Earth in many aspects, but this might actually be beneficial for superhumans.
At least, when it comes to stealing things, there's no worry about omnipresent cameras.
Wen Wen climbed up to the second floor with ease but found that the windows here were boarded up, clearly indicating they were not meant to be reopened.
However, this wasn't a problem for Wen Wen. He located the nails, used a small knife to pry them out silently, and removed a few boards, allowing the window to open.
Well, he really is a detective…
"This room doesn't smell like disinfectant; it seems it hasn't been used for a long time."
As he stepped into the hospital, Wen Wen took a deep breath, using his sense of smell to locate the blood bank. For him, finding it by scent was easier than consulting the hospital's map.
It was a huge room, overrun with overgrown potted plants, and he could easily trip over the thick layer of dust on the floor. It looked like no one had been here for a long time.
Even in the darkness, he could see everything clearly.
He kicked a vine aside and remarked, "It's overgrown here. If this goes on, it'll turn into a botanical garden."
"The equipment looks fine; it should still be usable. Why would the hospital abandon such a large space?"
After inspecting the surroundings, Wen Wen noticed that all the entrances to the side of the annex building, like the outside windows, were sealed with boards. However, this half of the annex had a staircase leading up.
"There must be something suspicious, but I'm not concerned about that. I just want to steal some blood."
After searching around, Wen Wen didn't find any normal exits. If he didn't want to draw attention by forcibly breaking a door, he had to leave the same way he came in.
Moreover, Wen Wen was eager to leave the room. He hadn't detected any immediate danger, but he felt uneasy.
Suddenly, he heard the sound of a lock being opened outside a sealed iron door.
"Someone's coming in? Maybe I can sneak out while they're distracted."
He hid behind some equipment, watching as the iron door was opened and warm light flooded in.
A small cart with a long handle appeared in Wen Wen's view. He took a deep breath. The cart carried a faint smell of blood; it was carrying blood bags!
The long handle lifted the cart, and the items on it fell out—simple bundles of blood bags, around a dozen or so.
Then the long handle retracted, the cart moved away, and the iron door was sealed again.
"This is interesting."
Wen Wen scanned the room, noting that apart from the overgrown plants, there was nothing else.
He moved forward, smiling at the sight of the blood bags. It was as if someone had delivered a pillow to a sleepy person. All he had to do was take the blood.
"But why are they storing blood here? Never mind, it feels strange. I should just grab the blood and leave quickly."
Wen Wen took out a woven bag and filled it with the blood bags. Just as he was about to head back the way he came, he felt a sudden warmth in his chest.
He looked down to see that the Calamity Containment Zone badge was glowing!
A flow of warmth from the badge spread through his body, as if something inside him was being activated. Scenes around him quickly shifted, and Wen Wen began to sweat profusely.
The room around him was now covered in blood-red vines! These vines had sealed off all his exits, and he had been completely unaware of them before the badge began to glow!
"D*mn it, I was just here to steal some stuff. The cost of doing something wrong is too high."
The vines exuded an eerie aura, and Wen Wen couldn't afford to be careless. He drew two short knives from beneath his trench coat and watched the shrinking red vines warily.
"Why didn't I notice these obvious vines before…"
Wen Wen squinted, and now he could faintly see a red mist in the room. Realizing this, he understood that the mist had created an illusion, making it impossible for him to notice the abnormality here.
The first thing he did upon entering was take a deep breath of the problematic air!
After the badge started glowing, he became aware of the oddity. It seemed that the Calamity Containment Zone badge had more functions than he initially thought, beyond just decoration and symbolism.
So, why did it only warn him now?
Wen Wen looked at the woven bag in his hand and realized that the vines must feed on blood. By taking their food, he had provoked a strong hostility from them!
Behind Wen Wen, a vine silently attacked, but he instinctively turned and slashed at it.
In such an eerie situation, how could he not pay attention to what was behind him?
The steel knife clashed with the vine, making a crisp sound. The vine was pushed back but not severed!
Wen Wen's expression darkened. He knew the situation was serious.
There was more than one vine; they had blocked all his escape routes and were continually tightening.
Just like the ghost Qin Shuang he had previously captured, he now felt like a bird trapped in a cage, unable to escape!
"It would have been better if I hadn't let that woman starve. I might have been able to cut through these vines."
Wen Wen spat in frustration. It was useless to lament now; he needed to find a way to escape.
After a tense moment, the vines increased their speed, attacking Wen Wen like a swarm of venomous snakes.
Wen Wen continuously slashed and blocked, but he could only delay for a while. He knew he couldn't escape on his own.
The vines seemed slow to Wen Wen, but with no place to dodge, it was only a matter of time before he would be overwhelmed.
So, Wen Wen gritted his teeth, grabbed a bag of blood, and suddenly disappeared. All the vines lost their target.
The vines explored the space but found nothing. The prey was supposed to be here; why did it suddenly vanish?
Wen Wen crouched in the corridor, breathing heavily. After fighting off the vines for a short while, he was already exhausted.
It turned out that at the critical moment, he had entered the Calamity Containment Zone!