155: Chapter 155 A Silent Thunderous Strike, Awaiting Change

The opponent was only suspicious, not certain. His hiding spot was thirty meters from the entrance, and after a bend in the pipe, shielded by darkness and walls.

As long as he remained absolutely still, without leaking any body heat, sound, or even emotional fluctuations, the possibility of the opponent finding him with only naked eyes and basic senses, without using strong lights or conducting a deep search, was extremely low.

He was betting on the opponent's "routine vigilance" and the disciplinary constraint of "no unauthorized contact."

If the opponent really entered the pipe to investigate, he would then decide whether to launch a sudden attack or find another way (such as using the complex terrain of the pipe to maneuver). At this moment, stillness was better than movement. To turn himself into a part of this underground pipe—whether he lived or died depended on this single thought.

Ling Ye completely entered the "Turtle Breathing" state. His heartbeat almost stopped, his breathing was so faint it was nearly non-existent, and his body temperature rapidly aligned with the environment through the conduction of the cold pipe walls.

His mental will was highly concentrated, guarding internally within the "Star Visualization." That ancient star hung suspended in his Sea of Consciousness, emitting a constant, cold radiance. It not only cleansed the emotional ripples that might arise from his tension but also, to a certain extent, formed an extremely thin "barrier" that could isolate low-level life energy and mental detection.

He was like a lifeless rock in the darkness, a piece of cold metal, a silent shadow.

At the entrance of the cave, the man wearing camouflage combat gear that matched the environment, with greasepaint smeared on his face and eyes as sharp as a hawk, stood silently for nearly a minute.

One of his hands pressed against a palm-sized device at his waist, while the other held a compact pistol with a silencer, the muzzle slightly lowered but ready to be raised at any moment.

His gaze was like a searchlight, scanning the inside of the pipe inch by inch. The darkness could not hinder him for long; the night vision goggles on his helmet had long been activated. In the ghostly green field of vision, the internal structure of the pipe was clearly visible. Gravel, dust, cobwebs, and... that inconspicuous bend ten meters away, where there seemed to be traces of gravel rolling down.

When he returned just now, he had indeed felt a very slight tugging sensation under his feet, as well as the almost imperceptible sound of gravel rolling. Was it natural loosening? Or... someone?

As a duty officer for The Scavengers' seventh peripheral observation post, Keith never believed in coincidences. In this underground network marked as a "potential secondary contamination spread zone," any slight abnormality was worth being vigilant about. The higher-ups' search order for "the key" and "sensitives" had already been issued, the second phase of "Cleaning" might be advanced, and any oversight could lead to unpredictable consequences.

He did not immediately go deep into the pipe. According to procedure, when there was a suspected unknown intruder, he should first report it and wait for support or instructions. But reporting meant exposing that this observation point might have been discovered, and subsequent relocation and re-establishment would bring a series of troubles. Moreover, if it was just a false alarm...

He tilted his head slightly; the micro-communicator hidden in his ear emitted the rustling sound of electricity, but there were no new instructions. The superior's communication had just ended, and the channel was in a silent period.

He hesitated for a fraction of a second. In the end, the caution formed by long-term training and the discipline of "no unauthorized contact" prevailed. He decided to first conduct non-contact detection.

He removed the palm-sized device from his waist—a portable multi-spectral/life signal scanner. He aimed it at the depths of the pipe and pressed the scan button.

An invisible, low-frequency composite detection wave shot silently into the pipe, spreading forward like water ripples, scanning for heat, movement, vital signs, and even abnormal electromagnetic or energy fluctuations.

Under the dual states of "Turtle Breathing" and "Star Visualization," Ling Ye's vital signs were suppressed to the limit. But his body, after all, still had weak metabolism and heat. More importantly, would the extremely weak "Qi" running on its own within his body, as well as his "Spiritual Sense" itself, be captured by this detection wave?

He did not know. He could only bet—bet that the precision of the opponent's equipment was limited, and bet that his current hidden state was enough to deceive a non-targeted scan.

The detection wave swept over his body.

In that instant, Ling Ye felt the fine hairs on the surface of his skin seem to bristle slightly, and a slight sense of abnormality of being "penetrated" by an invisible object came over him. But he forcibly suppressed any physiological and psychological fluctuations, even his "Spiritual Sense" was completely internalized, not daring to release even the slightest bit.

On the scanner screen, data refreshed rapidly. Thermal imaging showed only the ambient temperature inside the pipe, with no concentrated heat source. Vital signal detection showed only extremely weak, scattered background biological signals (possibly small insects or microorganisms deep in the pipe). Energy fluctuation detection... near Ling Ye's location, there seemed to be an extremely brief, weak, and almost negligible reading similar to "static interference" that flashed by, then disappeared immediately, failing to form an effective signal.

Keith stared at the screen, his brows slightly furrowed. That momentary "static interference"... was it equipment failure? Or damage to the old insulation layer in the pipe? Or... some individual with weak energy shielding or interference capabilities?

Not enough information; he could not judge. The overall scan results showed "no obvious threat." But the anomalous reading that flashed by, as well as the gravel he had tripped earlier, still left him with doubts.

He looked up again, toward the depths of the pipe. Should he continue to explore deeper to confirm the source of that anomalous reading? Or should he follow procedure, mark this place as a "re-inspection point," then temporarily withdraw, and wait for further instructions after reporting?

He remembered the "maintain concealment" and "no unauthorized contact" in the orders. If there really was something in the pipe, the risk of him going deep alone was unknown. If it was just a false alarm, deep exploration might instead leave more traces and expose the observation point.

Weighing the pros and cons, Keith made his decision. He retracted the scanner, took one last look at the deep, dark pipe, and then slowly retreated back into the cave.

He did not leave the cave immediately but quickly walked to the corner, shouldered the metal box again (the box had straps), and packed up his spear and water storage container. He decided to temporarily evacuate this observation point. Regardless of whether there was something in the pipe, the security of this place was already in doubt. He needed to move to the nearest alternate transfer point and briefly report via an encrypted channel: "Suspected unauthorized activity detected around the observation point; have evacuated according to the contingency plan; requesting instructions."

After packing up, Keith did not return to the pipe the way he came, but walked to the other side of the cave, where there was a narrow rock crevice half-covered by glowing gel. He turned sideways and squeezed in, his figure quickly disappearing into the darkness.

Not until that vital sign in his "Spiritual Sense" had completely moved away and disappeared deep into the rock crevice, and another full five minutes had passed, did Ling Ye slowly and extremely slightly exhale a breath of turbid air.

Cold sweat had already soaked his back.

That was close!

The opponent was indeed well-equipped and well-trained. When that detection wave swept over, he almost thought he was going to be exposed. Fortunately, his state was special, and his concealment was thorough enough.

Now, the opponent had temporarily withdrawn. But this observation point was no longer safe; the opponent would very likely report it and might even bring people back to re-inspect.

He must leave here immediately, and he could not return the way he came (the opponent might have set an ambush or surveillance at that pipe exit).

He looked toward the other side of the cave, at the rock crevice where the man had disappeared.

That seemed to be another exit, and the fact that the man left calmly while carrying equipment indicated that the path should be clear, likely a passage leading to his "alternate transfer point" or connecting to other underground networks.

Follow him? The risk was huge. The opponent was a professional and might already be on guard. But... this might be the only opportunity to penetrate the opponent's network and obtain more information about the "Cleaning" operation and "the key."

Or, return from the pipe he had entered through, but he would need to be extremely careful, guarding against possible ambushes.

Or perhaps, explore other possible crevices or passages in the cave to find a third way?

Ling Ye slowly stood up from the hollow where he had been hiding, stretching his stiff and cold limbs. His gaze was cast once again toward that deep, narrow rock crevice that had swallowed the observer.