141: Chapter 141 In fact, we are a savior company

After the drivers left, the heavy outer iron door closed with a solid 'thud.' Two Clones stepped forward to take over, slowly driving the trucks deeper inside.

"Boss, am I going in too?" Zhou Hui asked, seeing that Lin Fang hadn't signaled for him to leave. He was eager to give it a try.

"Hmm."

Lin Fang responded indifferently and continued walking forward. Zhou Hui quickly followed close behind.

In fact, this was also Lin Fang's first time here.

As the vehicle approached, the metal rolling door sensed it and swiftly rolled upward with a low, smooth grinding sound, revealing the scene behind it.

It wasn't a warehouse inside, but a large grayish-white cubic mechanical device. Its entire body was composed of thick composite metal and riveted reinforced structures, exuding an overwhelming sense of power and the hardcore aesthetics of the industrial era.

About thirty-five meters in length, from the front, it resembled a dormant steel fortress. On top of the fortress, the logo of 'Third-Party Technology' was clearly imprinted.

The entire device was positioned atop a giant vertical shaft. The shaft walls were made of a dark red metal, with four massive guide rails embedded inside, running straight from the shaft opening deep into the ground, disappearing beyond sight.

At each of the four corners of the cubic machine, composite roller assemblies tightly engaged with the guide rails. Each assembly consisted of several huge rollers with diameters comparable to train wheels.

At first glance, it somewhat resembled the space elevator from 'the wandering earth 2,' except it didn't lead to space but descended vertically underground. The traction cables were replaced by guide rails more suited to the underground environment.

Zhou Hui couldn't help but ask, "Boss, where are we going?"

"The underground base."

Lin Fang smiled. "Have you heard of the Hive from the movie 'resident evil'? This is much bigger than that."

Zhou Hui answered honestly, "I haven't heard of it."

"'Venom'?"

"No."

"What about 'the wandering earth'?"

"No, I haven't."

After a moment of silence, Lin Fang asked with slight surprise, "Do you never watch movies?"

"Does 'Tunnel Warfare' count?"

Zhou Hui struggled to recall a name from his memory.

"...It counts," Lin Fang said, his mouth twitching slightly as he decided to end the topic.

By now, the truck carrying the 550W and the supercomputer had completely entered the interior of this steel fortress.

"Let's go in."

Lin Fang led Zhou Hui inside. The structure inside the cube was very spacious. Apart from the central area, multiple rows of seats were arranged in a ring around the perimeter.

*Clang!*

A heavy, dull thud came from behind as the airtight door automatically closed and locked, completely sealing off the outside world.

Through the porthole,

Zhou Hui saw another shaft under construction nearby. Several engineering machines, each about the size of a van, were moving along the shaft walls. With each step they took, they 'excreted' small sections of new shaft wall behind them, progressing at an astonishing speed.

Zhou Hui couldn't help but marvel. The sight before him completely overturned all his previous understanding of engineering construction.

[Attention, the shuttle is about to launch. All passengers, please take your seats immediately.]

Suddenly, an emotionless mechanical female voice sounded. This was the AI program managing the place, an artificial intelligence with a relatively low level of sophistication.

Lin Fang chose a seat near the door and sat down.

The seat featured a streamlined, wraparound design with a strong sense of unity and no unnecessary clutter. The base and sturdy frame were molded from a matte-black composite polymer, feeling cool and solid to the touch.

The parts in contact with the body—the seat cushion, backrest, and headrest—were covered with a dark gray, high-performance shock-absorbing gel material with fine breathable pores.

After Lin Fang fastened his safety harness, the shuttle began its countdown.

[10]

...

After the countdown ended.

*Hum—*

The machine emitted a deep, resonant sound. Powered by four sets of reverse thrust engines, the shuttle plummeted downward in a shower of sparks.

Outside the porthole, the shaft walls instantly transformed into blurry streaks of color.

[Arrived at the transfer station. Separation procedure in progress. Entering the tunnel in approximately 30 seconds.]

In just 22 seconds, the shuttle reached the underground transfer station at 2600 meters.

Massive robotic arms precisely grasped the shuttle's four corners. Accompanied by the slight hiss of hydraulic systems, the four sets of arms accurately placed the shuttle onto the chassis of the transfer platform. A series of precise engagement sounds came from below as sixteen electromagnetic locks simultaneously closed, perfectly integrating the shuttle's cabin with the new propulsion system.

The shuttle moved forward, preparing to enter the undersea tunnel between Ruang Island and Yote Island. The lowest point of this tunnel was a full three kilometers from the seabed.

The curved gate ahead slowly opened, revealing the circular tunnel entrance fully capable of accommodating the shuttle.

[Vacuum tunnel docking procedure initiated. Please remain seated.]

Accompanied by a hiss of depressurization, the second gate ahead opened. Once the shuttle entered, it began to accelerate.

The shuttle's initial speed wasn't fast, but as the hum of the synchronous linear motor propulsion system gradually increased, the scenery outside the window stretched into streams of light.

[Current cruising speed: 2000 km/h]

At this moment, the shuttle was traveling underground at a speed surpassing that of most airplanes. The distance between the two islands was 96 kilometers, which would take less than three minutes at this speed.

The experience was also much better than the straight plummet earlier.

"Want some music?" Lin Fang swiped on the control screen on the seat armrest, which contained some small games and various playlists to pass the time. He couldn't help but think Little Black's design was too considerate.

Zhou Hui shook his head, his gaze still fixed outside the porthole.

Seeing his puzzled expression, Lin Fang, who had casually started playing a popular song, explained, "Mature vacuum maglev navigation technology. 99.9% of the air has been evacuated from this tunnel. The top speed can reach 3500 km/h."

Time passed quickly. Just as the song reached its climax, both men felt the shuttle gradually slowing down.

After leaving the tunnel, the shuttle entered an underground hub. On the broad steel platform, several tracks extended side by side.

Above, there were also two huge vertical shafts.

The geocentric shuttle was one of the means of transportation into the underground base. There were two routes: one led directly to the surface of Yote Island from here, and the other required traversing the undersea tunnel.

The second mode of transportation was the underwater port under construction, planned to be excavated from inside the base all the way through to the rock wall on the west side of Yote Island, facing the Indo-Pacific Ocean.

There, a large underwater hub would be built for the secret entry and exit of large submersibles.

[Separation procedure in progress.]

Accompanied by a series of reassuring sounds of metal engagement and pneumatic locking, the shuttle was steadily lifted by the four robotic arms. Carrying the shuttle, the arms moved laterally, delivering it into a large sliding door that had just opened to the side.

[Docking complete. Welcome to Black Watch Base.]

Lin Fang had his own reasons for naming the base this. Wasn't the Schwarzschild Channel black? Naming it Black Watch seemed very fitting. He wasn't plagiarizing content from a game under Activision's umbrella.

Even if he was, he wouldn't admit it.

As the AI finished speaking, the two men reached their destination. When the airtight door ahead opened, Zhou Hui caught a faint, fishy stench accompanied by strange hissing sounds.

Stepping out, Zhou Hui was stunned by the sight before him.

He stood on a vast platform five hundred meters high. Below his feet was a multi-layered transportation network stretching beyond sight, with countless rail cars and transport platforms of varying sizes speeding along tracks on different levels.

In the distance stood a towering metal structure as majestic as Mount Tai, awe-inspiring no matter how you looked at it. From the center of that structure, a massive black beam of light shot straight upward, with a dazzling array of monsters chaotically flying around it.

Cannons roared, tongues of orange-red fire spreading everywhere.

Construction and destruction were happening simultaneously.

Zhou Hui stood rooted to the spot. Any words of astonishment were suppressed by this unimaginable spectacle.

A monster shaped like a prehistoric pterosaur spotted the two men. It abruptly adjusted its direction and swooped toward them with a roar. Seen up close, its wingspan reached nearly ten meters wide.

"Look out!"

In the blink of an eye, Zhou Hui drew the pistol from his waist, only to see the monster's head seemingly twisted by a powerful force. It let out a shriek and plummeted downward.

Lin Fang retracted his hand and said with a slight sigh:

"As you can see, we are fighting against disasters from another world. On the surface, our company sells weight-loss pills and produces short dramas, but actually, we are a salvation company."

——

*Hiss—*

Missed two updates. Will make up for them tomorrow.