166: You are safe.

On the surface, the temporarily deployed large-scale construction facilities had already begun to operate frantically, while underground, the squad led by Chelsea finally walked out of that long corridor.

Thanks to the two drone operators in the middle of the squad, every heretic crouching in a corner, whether on guard or in ambush, received a melta grenade full of love and warmth, and as a result, they instantly became friendly acquaintances, yielding the path without a word.

At the end of the path was a massive cavern.

A gigantic geometric structure sat quietly in the center, its shell emitting a faint blue light that illuminated the surroundings slightly, casting ripples of light across the rippling water surface below.

"There is water below."

After confirming it was safe, Chelsea turned on its night-vision goggles and glanced down.

"Is this an underground aquifer? That's not scientific."

Chelsea felt puzzled—Baghdad was located on a plain, and the surrounding area had no high mountains, no snow, and not even many rivers, so how could this underground aquifer have formed?

No wonder Chelsea had heard that guide believer talking all the way about how the "lord of the sand sea" bestowed water upon them.

At first, Chelsea thought it was just feudal superstition, but when Chelsea actually saw this unscientific scene with its own eyes, Chelsea wavered for a moment and began to contemplate things like supernatural powers.

But only for a moment; Chelsea shook its head and cast those bizarre thoughts aside—if Chelsea wavered just like that, how would Chelsea be any different from those primitives who used faith to summarize things they couldn't explain?

Re-checking the map and coordinates, the position of the two research officers they were meant to rescue was also within that large structure.

Thus, Chelsea switched its communication channel to the squadron direct and said: "First target located, repeat, first target located."

"The coordinate information for the second target almost overlaps with the first; we will continue the search mission."

"Over."

After speaking, Chelsea didn't wait for a reply and switched the channel to internal squad command:

"Attention everyone! Fire grappling hooks!"

"Head to the second target's location!"

...

It must be said, the luck of Baili Ying and White Shark was truly good.

Above the dome, there was a hanging platform, and the two of them happened to land right on it.

But even so, Baili Ying, who was used as a cushion, was almost smashed into meeting her great-grandmother.

After finally recovering, she first forced herself to crawl up and check if White Shark's wounds had opened, then forcibly woke up the drowsy guy, and immediately after, used White Shark's communicator to send another plea for help to the Commander.

After everything was done, she sat down leaning against White Shark, enduring the pain all over her body, and chatted with him intermittently, up until now—

"Senior, do you remember when we first met?"

"I remember. At that time, you pulled strings for your academic project and spent more than half your money just to find me, saying you wanted to go to a secret little outpost to do some archaeology."

As he spoke, White Shark even chuckled, "You were so naive back then; who tells a mercenary all their intelligence like that?"

"I was just marveling at how you managed to live this long; it really wasn't easy."

Baili Ying tilted her head and leaned on White Shark's shoulder, "Wasn't it because the agency said you were also a senior from the United University archaeology department?"

"That's called trust, you know?"

"Besides, how was I naive! You trash!"

White Shark sighed, "Yeah, you really weren't that naive—of course, I'm referring to your studies."

"It's just that your family protected you too well, which made you seem adorably naive back then."

"By the way—do you know what I thought of you back then?"

Baili Ying looked at White Shark curiously, "What did you think?"

White Shark smiled and turned his head to meet Baili Ying's gaze, "Back then I thought, if my motives weren't pure, I could trick this girl into having a whole litter with me."

Baili Ying's expression stiffened, and then her face suddenly flushed red. She turned her head away, and after a long time, she managed to squeeze out:

"Actually... if you want to... I'm okay with it..."

White Shark heard Baili Ying muttering something but couldn't clearly hear what it was, so in his dazed state, he simply chose to ask whatever came to mind.

"Didn't hear that,"

"What did you say?"

Baili Ying turned her head directly to White Shark, her face bright red, and raised her voice slightly to explain loudly.

"Nothing! I said you overconfident trash! You want to trick me into having a litter?"

"Do you even have the ability! Huh?"

Then, before White Shark could react, she immediately changed the subject.

"However—"

"I was really grateful to you back when my parents just passed away."

"If you hadn't been willing to take me in, and if it weren't for the salary you paid..."

"Do you know? When I first transferred energy currency to my sister Baili He's card,"

"She thought I had sold myself—in the physical sense."

"When I got home that night, she dragged me into a check-up, and only when she discovered that every organ and every part of me was still original did she seem to breathe a sigh of relief."

White Shark shook his head gently, "No,"

"At the time, your professional ability was indeed very useful. Except for being bad at everything in certain specific fields, you were a rare technical talent among us."

"You should thank yourself for your efforts."

The two were silent for a few seconds, and Baili Ying blushed again—

"Senior... I feel like we won't be able to wait for rescue."

"You know? This kind of Clones, I have never seen before,"

"Among the Clones I've seen, consciousness archiving is the most like this—"

"And if the memory of the consciousness archive hasn't begun to be recorded, then your brain will forget everything before the archive."

"I don't know if the one the Commander gave us operates on the same principle,"

"But..."

"I think I like you."

As the last sentence came out, Baili Ying felt White Shark's body jolt beside her, but she didn't pause and continued, "Do you know why I was so determined to save you?"

"On the plaza in front of the White Tower, facing those diving planes, your first reaction was to protect me,"

"At that moment, the question I had been curious about for several years finally had an answer."

"I was afraid that you were really gone, afraid that you would forget what happened here..."

"I was also afraid that waking up from the Hibernation Pod, the relationship between us that had finally moved forward would revert to the past—and we wouldn't even remember what had happened."

As she spoke, Baili Ying's voice grew weaker and weaker. The previously drowsy White Shark was suddenly startled and immediately perked up, watching Baili Ying who, while speaking, suddenly became even more unsteady than himself.

"Hey? Hey! Stay awake! You can't sleep!"

White Shark hurriedly slapped her twice with force, and she finally woke up a little bit.

Two trails of blood were already flowing from the corners of Baili Ying's mouth,

"Senior, I'm really sleepy... and it hurts so much... I can't breathe more and more..."

She said weakly,

"Tell me, what if we don't remember this time..."

White Shark tilted his head back and said,

"Then we just won't remember this planet—and I don't know how long ago I started liking you either."

"Even if we forget everything... I believe I will fall in love with you again the moment I see you..."

"Let's form an archaeology team for a lifetime."

Upon hearing this, Baili Ying closed her eyes in satisfaction, looking resigned to fate,

"Okay... remember... I agreed in advance..."

"First... go first..."

"Bang! Bang!"

Suddenly, before Baili Ying could finish, two steel cables struck above their heads. Then, the violent sound of plasma thrusters arrived, and White Shark watched as a huge red guy charged straight up, and then—landed heavily in front of them—

"Guardian Angel Legion, Ninth Mobile Fleet, a certain Marine Battalion, Third Squadron, ** Combat Squad Leader, Chelsea—reporting for support!"

"Looks like there are critically injured personnel here in need of emergency medical care!"

"Medic! Bring your portable medical pod up here immediately!"

After speaking, Chelsea took off its helmet and looked at White Shark and Baili Ying, who had collapsed together,

"Although I don't know what you two have been through, you are safe now."

White Shark stared blankly at the red and white painted powered armor; he had a feeling that he had truly seen an angel.