Finally, a metal door with a keypad appeared on the side of the dark tunnel. Sima let out a sigh of relief, his pace quickening.
He habitually reached out to input the code but noticed Mo Wen watching his fingers intently. His hand paused, switching to the door handle, which didn't budge, mocking his poor acting skills.
Mo Wen's hand held a small knife, its blade gleaming coldly in the dark. He raised an eyebrow, his tone eerily calm.
Sima forced a weak smile,"We need a code... what now?"
"Do you want to keep acting or wait until the zombies catch up to figure out the code?" Mo Wen's voice was calm, but his eyes were dangerously sharp.
Sima shrugged and sighed, as if accepting his fate, his fingers quickly tapping the code. The metal door slowly opened with a series of beeps.
Mo Wen didn't rush in. He gripped the door handle and turned back to Sima,"What's behind this door?"
"If you want out, this is the way." Sima responded without hesitation,"Young man, if you don't want to leave, I certainly do! I've had enough of this place!"
However, the door didn't lead to the outside but to a long hallway. Emergency red lights flickered, casting a bloody glow, as if the walls had just witnessed a massacre.
Mo Wen frowned,"You go first."
Sima chuckled, his lips curling into a slight smirk,"Relax, young man."
"How do you know this place?" Mo Wen followed closely.
"I used to volunteer here."
"What is this place?"
"Of course, it's the camp. The safe camp is inside. There are many zones, like research and living areas… though I haven't explored it all."
Mo Wen narrowed his eyes,"Didn't you say this was the exit?"
Sima patted his shoulder, voice low,"Things aren't always as simple as they seem." He silently turned, blending into the dim hallway.
They continued until they reached another door. Sima glanced back, raising an eyebrow at Mo Wen, silently asking if he should push it open.
The door slowly opened, revealing yet another long hallway. This one was lined with humming machines, filling the air with a mix of rust and disinfectant.
Sima shrugged,"These are the cleaning and disinfecting equipment for living supplies."
They held their breath, carefully maneuvering around the operating machines, reaching the next intersection within seconds. This time, both sides were lined with closed metal doors, the scale immense and intimidating.
Before they could take a few steps, they encountered two guards holding stun batons.
The air seemed to freeze.
"Who are you?"
Mo Wen swallowed, trying to remain calm, looking to Sima.
Sima's face held a practiced, harmless smile. He casually handed over two cigarettes, speaking lightly,"Oh, we're here on orders from Senior Researcher John."
The cigarettes seemed more valuable than any pass, as the guards glanced at them, then at each other, their initially stern expressions softening slightly.
They nodded,"Follow us."
Sima signaled to Mo Wen that they were safe, though Mo Wen was still suspicious.
The guards remained cautious, keeping their distance, one in front, one behind, like they were escorting prisoners, leading them to a laboratory door.
"Wait here," the lead guard ordered, walking inside.
Mo Wen knew they had to escape, now was the time. He eyed the remaining guard.
The man was nearly six foot three, muscular, standing at the exit with a stun baton in hand, ready to act. Taking him down head-on? Impossible.
What now? Just wait and do nothing?
As he anxiously thought, the lab door suddenly opened, and a middle-aged man in a white coat stepped out.
He scanned Mo Wen and Sima for a moment, a faint, almost imperceptible smile on his lips.
Mo Wen's heart pounded again, wondering what would happen next—
"Why are you so late? Didn't I tell you the right tunnel to take?"
A sudden twist?!
Mo Wen was momentarily stunned, while Sima quickly adapted,"Sorry, sir, we ran into some trouble."
The man, around forty, with a flat top, glasses, and a faint burn scar on his cheek, waved at the guard, his tone calm,"It's fine. Leave them to me."
The guard nodded, stepping aside.
The man turned to Mo Wen and Sima, smiling slightly,"Follow me."
Mo Wen and Sima exchanged a glance, filled with doubts, but they followed the man into what could be better described as a massive rectangular chamber.
Rows upon rows of capsule-like transparent containers lined the sides, with dim lighting casting eerie reflections of their contents. Mo Wen frowned, eyeing the equipment warily. Each transparent pod contained grotesque biological remnants, some resembling human bodies infested by black fungal spores, with muscles and fungal threads intertwined in a disturbing and twisted manner. Some pods even had eyeballs that still moved, as if they possessed some form of intelligence, quietly observing them.
The man in the white coat walked ahead and chuckled softly,"Do you think... these machines are making monsters?"
Mo Wen's brow furrowed, his tone low,"Aren't they?"
But Sima suddenly chuckled, his expression meaningful,"No, they're not making monsters..."
He slowly reached out and gently patted one of the machines. Inside the pod, the previously motionless"corpse" twitched slightly, as if awakened from a nightmare.
"They're separating spores."
Mo Wen's heart tightened.
The man in the white coat looked at them and spoke slowly,"You might have heard about 'black spores'? Ordinary people infected become mindless monsters."
He paused, a strange smile playing on his lips,"But some... don't."
Mo Wen's breathing quickened,"What do you mean?"
"These machines separate the black spores from their hosts," Sima explained, tapping his temple,"but the process... is extremely painful."
Mo Wen's pupils contracted.
He suddenly noticed that Sima's skin was paler than usual, with faint black streaks around his nails—the initial signs of black spore infection. Yet strangely, he hadn't become one of the crazed monsters...
A chill ran down Mo Wen's spine, his voice hoarse,"You... you're a host too?"
Sima smiled faintly, his gaze deep and inscrutable,"What do you think?"
Suddenly, an alarm blared from the metal door at the end of the hallway, red warning lights flashing. Armed personnel in white protective suits rushed in, their weapons trained precisely on Mo Wen and Sima.
"Experiment number 533 and the target sample have arrived in the lab!" one of them reported coldly.
"Number 533? Target sample?" Mo Wen's heart jolted, confusion filling his mind.
Sima was not surprised, his smile full of meaning, eyes glinting with a hint of mockery,"Young man, the 'target sample'—is you."
"What?!" Mo Wen's heart sank, turning to the scientists, his pulse racing uncontrollably.
Sima slowly walked over, patting his shoulder,"Don't you get it? Your presence here isn't by chance."
Mo Wen's breathing quickened, his eyes filled with shock and anger,"Why... why are you doing this to me? I'm just a delivery guy."
"Don't misunderstand," Sima maintained his calm smile,"I didn't want to bring you here, but you've already become a piece of meat to some. You'll become their ultimate experimental subject."
Mo Wen realized the gravity of the situation, his fingers trembling slightly,"What do you want then?"
Sima's gaze was profound, as if trying to see through his soul,"Help me, and I'll help you survive."
The air grew tense, the atmosphere ready to erupt.
A squad of mercenaries swiftly entered, their movements agile and practiced, taking positions at all fire points.
The leader removed his mask, revealing a familiar face—it was Dr. Tanaka!
But his demeanor was entirely different from before. He appeared slightly surprised, but there was a hint of pride in his eyes, like a wealthy person seeing an old friend from humble beginnings.
"Mo Wen, Sima, is that you?" Dr. Tanaka glanced at the mercenaries, who nodded in confirmation.
Mo Wen's heart raced, unable to believe it,"You... how..."
Dr. Tanaka shrugged, his tone mixed with helplessness but with ambition gleaming in his eyes,"Don't blame me; I had no choice." He waved his hand, coldly instructing,"Take them away."
Two guards quickly approached Mo Wen and Sima.
Sima narrowed his eyes, a cold smile playing on his lips,"Dr Tanaka, you don't have to stoop to this. Being a respected doctor for life isn't enough? Why the rush to climb higher?"
Tanaka laughed lightly, his tone disdainful,"You don't get it."
He even raised his gun, the muzzle pointed at Sima, his voice low and icy,"My father was a good doctor all his life, yet he had to cater to others? But I'm different. I don't want to cater to others anymore; I want them to cater to me!"
The air seemed to freeze instantly.
Mo Wen gasped, realizing the conspiracy was far more complex than he had imagined...