The two armored vehicles had originally been taken by the mutants from the warehouse of upper-level security personnel at the lab. They weren’t tank-like combat vehicles but rather smaller armored personnel carriers.
The vehicles featured a truck-like front, an elongated body, narrow, shatter-resistant windows, and six wheels. Apart from the two doors in the driver’s cabin, there were additional doors on the right side of the body and at the rear. However, to protect against acid rain, the rear door had been sealed off, and the dual-layered sunroof was coated with an acid-resistant finish.
Inside, the driver’s cabin connected directly to the cargo area, with enough space to carry up to twelve people. These vehicles were incredibly practical, with their only downside being high fuel consumption. The spacious interiors allowed people to spread out mats or even set up folding cots to sleep at night.
Yu Xi sighed to herself. Her own transportation options were already full: her RV was practical, and her three-story yacht was even more spacious and versatile. Compared to those, the armored vehicle’s safety features made it appealing, but its overlapping functions with the RV—and its lack of water, electricity, kitchen, and bathing facilities—made it less practical. She could only admire it wistfully.
The wheels of the armored vehicles were also treated with an acid-resistant coating. However, spare tires were scarce, and no one knew how to apply the coating themselves. If the spares ran out, ordinary tires would struggle against the corrosive acid soil.
On the journey from Fancheng’s official shelter to the suburban lab, the two vehicles moved slowly and carefully. The villa district was no longer livable, and with no retreat left, the armored vehicles had become their sole refuge until the lab could be cleaned and made habitable.
The ten or so people accompanying Yu Xi and Lin Wu to the lab were extremely cautious. In one vehicle, everyone had assigned roles: monitoring road conditions, taking turns driving, planning post-arrival actions, and organizing repair tools in their backpacks to ensure they could contribute.
In contrast, the atmosphere in the second armored vehicle, following behind, was far more relaxed.
Yu Xi took out a chilled fruit bowl she had prepared earlier at the villa. A thin layer of crushed ice lined the bottom, topped with diced watermelon, pineapple, and cantaloupe, finished with a drizzle of condensed milk. She placed several small plastic forks on top and set the bowl between the two front seats, making it easy for Lin Wu to snack while driving.
She even opened her wrist-mounted device and randomly played a music playlist.
The music in this world had a heavier, more intense tone, giving it a unique charm.
After eating a few pieces of the icy, sweet fruit, Lin Wu almost forgot he was in a mission world—let alone an SS-level apocalyptic one. At that moment, he felt as if he was on a casual spring outing.
By evening, the two vehicles arrived safely at the exhibition hall outside the suburban pharmaceutical factory. The lab entrance was located beneath it.
Two months of acid rain had corroded much of the hall’s structure. However, since half of it was made of glass, some sections still stood, despite broken and scattered fragments.
The vehicles descended into the parking lot via the hall’s entrance, their wheels rolling through sticky debris, until they reached a hidden wall-mounted door. This concealed entrance led to the former security personnel’s quarters.
Inside was a large space resembling a repair garage and warehouse. According to the mutants, this was where they had found the firearms and armored vehicles. It was also the only area in the underground facility not littered with corpses.
However, after the mutants drove off, the hidden door had been left open, allowing the area to be contaminated by acidic air. Although Lin Wu’s group had closed the door during their previous trip to retrieve medicine, they hadn’t been able to purify the polluted air.
Beyond this space lay the security personnel’s living quarters, which included an elevator leading directly to the underground lab.
After sealing the external garage doors, the group parked the vehicles and donned full protective gear before stepping out to work.
Opening the sealed garage and activity area doors revealed several corpses nearby. These individuals had succumbed to the highly corrosive acidic mist without protective equipment, later being finished off by the lab’s experiment subjects.
The bodies, exposed to high temperatures and acidic air for nearly a month, were in a horrifying state.
Lin Wu didn’t let Yu Xi handle the grim task of corpse cleanup. Instead, he led a group to deal with the mess himself. Grateful for his thoughtfulness, Yu Xi took two others and headed down the emergency staircase to inspect the lab.
The people accompanying them were quiet but efficient. The day’s tasks included checking the lab’s power and air filtration systems, assessing the damage to the sealed lab doors, and clearing out the security area.
Their work had just begun, but the challenges ahead loomed even larger.
The laboratory below was even more horrifying. In addition to the corpses of researchers and security personnel, there were many bodies of test subjects, all shaved bald regardless of gender. Most had undergone numerous experiments and injections, leaving their bodies in poor condition.
The group worked late into the night, eventually sealing the doors to the maintenance garage and activity area.
The enclosed garage had its own independent water purification system, originally designed for washing vehicles. After the onset of acid rain, an alkaline dispenser had been added to the system, automatically injecting large quantities of alkali into the water. This made the water perfect for disinfecting protective suits and masks. The group cleaned themselves thoroughly in turn, then returned to the armored vehicles in their protective gear.
Once inside, they started the vehicles, activated the air filtration systems, and cleared the interior air of contaminants. They removed their masks, ate a simple meal, put their masks back on, turned off the engines, and lay down to rest.
This approach not only conserved fuel but also prevented excessive exhaust emissions in the enclosed space.
With no restroom facilities in the armored vehicles, they had to endure for the night. If absolutely necessary, they would start the vehicles to filter the air again and use bags or buckets to relieve themselves.
Knowing Yu Xi was well-equipped and could manage alone in her vehicle, Lin Wu chose to spend the night squeezed in with the others in the second vehicle.
…
The discomfort of the night motivated everyone to rise early the next day, determined to clean out the security personnel’s activity space and restore power. Without electricity, the air filtration systems wouldn’t work, forcing them to endure another cramped night in the vehicles. For the sake of a more livable environment, everyone worked with renewed vigor.
They advanced methodically, clearing and maintaining one space at a time, like expanding territory. Two days later, they began rehabilitating the underground laboratory itself.
…
Ten Days Later
The laboratory’s sealed doors had been repaired, 70% of the facility was cleaned, and both water and electricity systems were operational.
Initially, the group relied on Yu Xi and Lin Wu’s fast food supplies and military rations. Then Lin Wu discovered from the lab’s computer records that there was a hidden lower level—two floors below the main laboratory. This hidden space was the true core of the lab and housed a warehouse rumored to contain substantial resources.
Once again, the group donned protective gear and opened the concealed sealed door leading to the lowest level, aiming to locate the warehouse.
The space at the bottom was much smaller, only about a quarter the size of the floors above. After descending a staircase, they entered a straight corridor. As they stepped onto the corridor, motion-sensor lights flickered on, suggesting an independent power system.
Carefully surveying the layout, they found a sealed laboratory at the end of the corridor. The lab was secured by several layers of doors made from special materials, impossible for ordinary people to breach.
Yu Xi considered using her high-temperature perfume to attempt opening the doors, but she and Lin Wu felt uneasy about what might lie within. Intuition told them this was the lab’s most secretive and critical area, and it was unclear what it contained.
Sticking to their principle of surviving cautiously for three months, they decided to leave the sealed lab untouched.
…
The warehouse, located in the front section of the corridor, was much easier to access. Initially, the group remained on high alert, but the process was unexpectedly smooth. When they opened the warehouse, they discovered stacks of sealed crates filled with supplies. The sheer quantity of food and water exceeded their expectations, filling everyone with relief.
There were even clean clothes and everyday necessities, all treated with acid-resistant coatings for long-term storage.
Yu Xi was just as pleased. With this stockpile, they wouldn’t need to worry about food for a long time. After staying here for another couple of weeks, Yu Xi and Lin Wu planned to leave, leaving behind “Yu Xi” and “Lin Wu” as placeholders in the base’s development, ensuring that the remaining group could thrive and gradually rebuild the laboratory into a sustainable refuge.
A week later, news arrived from the official shelters: significant progress had been made in the research of anti-acid agents. However, the side effects were still severe, and the agents were not yet safe for human use.
“We need a more advanced facility for further research. We’ve heard that you’re operating out of the laboratory, and we hope you can cooperate by accommodating a team of researchers here. This is for the future of humanity, and we hope you understand.”
This was the polite standard message from the various official shelters, but Yu Xi and Lin Wu understood the underlying implication: this “hope for cooperation” left little room for refusal. Even if they declined, the other party would find a way to occupy the lab regardless.
With just over ten days left in their timeline, Yu Xi and Lin Wu acknowledged that the lab, while a decent refuge, would inevitably begin receiving other survivors as well. After some discussion, they agreed to the request outright.
Neither of them realized at the time that this seemingly minor decision would lead to significant upheaval in the future.
Author’s Note:
There’s roughly one more chapter left to wrap up this world before returning to upgrade the Star House.
The upcoming upgrade will completely transform the Star House!
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