165: Chapter 164 Gobi Desert Infiltration! Disguised as a guide, exploring a secret cave, cleverly using a trick to defeat a powerful enemy (2)

He walked to the corner of the cell, carefully observing the walls and the door lock. This was a temporarily modified cell; the walls were of rough masonry structure, covered in cracks, with spiderwebs in the corners. The lock was a common padlock, looking old and crude, lacking even basic anti-theft functionality. Mu Li pulled a thin iron wire from his pocket, something he had specifically prepared before setting out. It was thin but tough, hidden in his sleeve and not easily discovered. He inserted the wire into the keyhole, his fingertips turning gently. With a focused and serious gaze, his fingers nimbly manipulated the wire. A few minutes later, with a soft "click," the padlock was successfully opened.

"Engineer Mu, you know how to do this too?" a team member said in surprise, still chewing on melon seeds, his eyes full of admiration. "Your skill set is just too comprehensive. You can manage a Nuclear Fusion Power Station and develop top-tier technology at the high end, and pick padlocks, pose as a guide, and even speak with a Northwestern accent at the low end. You're simply a versatile talent; we truly admire you."

"When I was exploring the Gobi Desert in my youth, I encountered all sorts of situations—getting lost, being trapped, being misunderstood. It's normal to learn a few tricks to save your life." Mu Li smiled, carefully putting the iron wire away. He pushed the door open, peeked out cautiously, and observed the corridor outside. The light in the corridor was dim, with several other empty cells on both sides. A surveillance camera in the distance was pointed right at the center of the hallway, its faint red light blinking. "Besides, having more skills is never a burden. We couldn't really expect a padlock on a cell to stop us. This lock is so crude; I bet the locks on my family's heirloom wooden chests are sturdier. It only takes a little effort to open."

Mu Li took a small signal jammer out of his backpack. This was specifically developed by the Technical Team for this mission; it was compact and easy to carry, capable of interfering with surveillance cameras and electronic device signals within a fifty-meter radius for a short time. He pressed the switch, and the jammer emitted a faint humming sound, so subtle that it was undetectable unless one listened closely. The surveillance camera in the corridor instantly lost its feed, its red light dimming as it fell into a dormant state.

"Move!" Mu Li whispered sharply. With sharp eyes, he led the group quickly through the corridor, their steps light as they tried to remain silent, heading towards the massive factory building they had seen earlier. According to the Technical Team's analysis, the core area pointed to by the code hidden in the chip was very likely inside that factory. It might be the secret base where the North American Global Energy Group was stealing and developing Nuclear Fusion Power Station technology.

The factory's main doors were tightly shut, made of thick steel plates. There was a small electronic keypad lock on the door, its screen glowing with a blue light and displaying numeric keys. Next to it was a fingerprint recognition device. It appeared to be specialized equipment from the North American Global Energy Group, with a high level of security. Mu Li had Old Yang and two team members stay on alert at the door, closely watching for any movement to prevent patrolling Mercenaries from approaching. He himself crouched before the keypad lock, studying it carefully, his fingers gently brushing the keys with a focused and serious expression.

The model of the keypad lock was very specific, a proprietary model of the North American Global Energy Group. Its encryption method shared similarities with the encryption system on Zhou Mingyuan's computer. Mu Li frowned and took a small decoder out of his backpack. The decoder was compact, its screen flickering with complex code. He connected the decoder's interface to the keypad lock, his fingertips flying across the decoder's keyboard at a dizzying speed. When he had previously cracked Zhou Mingyuan's computer, he had deeply researched the North American Global Energy Group's encryption system, gaining a certain understanding of their encoding methods and password patterns, which now facilitated his cracking of the keypad lock.

Ten minutes later, the decoder emitted a crisp "beep." The screen of the electronic keypad lock instantly lit up green, followed by a "click." The steel door slowly opened a crack, and a thick smell of machine oil and electronic components wafted out. Mu Li signaled everyone to keep their voices down, pushed the door open gently, and stepped inside cautiously. Old Yang and the two team members followed closely behind, weapons gripped tightly, alertly observing the movements within the factory.

The scene inside the factory made Mu Li's pupils contract, a wave of shock washing over him. In the center of the factory stood a massive piece of equipment. Its appearance was somewhat similar to the Core Reaction Module of a Nuclear Fusion Power Station, but its structure was even more complex, its surface covered in a dense network of wires and interfaces flickering with faint lights. Around the equipment, five technicians were busy at work. They were dressed in white protective suits, wearing masks and gloves, focused on operating computers. On the computer screens, encrypted code similar to that in the chip was flickering, along with the words "Core Data Parsing in Progress."

"Found it! This is their secret research and development base. They really are cracking the core technology in the chip!" Old Yang lowered his voice, a hint of excitement in his tone. His eyes were fixed on the technicians and the computer screens, ready to respond to any emergency.

Mu Li signaled everyone to hide behind the factory's support pillars. They pressed their bodies tightly against the cold pillars, trying not to make a sound. He himself crouched low and quietly approached the technicians, his steps as light as a nimble leopard. He noticed one technician sitting at the core control console, fingers flying across the keyboard. The screen displayed "Locating core system fragments," and a USB drive next to it was flashing red, clearly downloading the parsed data.

Just then, a technician suddenly turned around to grab a nearby water bottle. He accidentally caught sight of Mu Li's figure. His eyes instantly widened and his mouth opened slightly. Just as he was about to cry out in alarm, Mu Li had already stepped forward quickly. He covered the man's mouth tightly with his right hand and delivered a precise knife-hand strike to his neck with his left. The force was just right; the technician's eyes closed instantly as he passed out. Mu Li smoothly dragged him behind a pillar to hide him. The entire process was as fast as lightning, without making a single sound.

The other technicians sensed something was wrong and turned around, their faces full of terror and panic. Some wanted to shout, while others reached for the nearby alarm. "Don't move! Everyone down, hands behind your heads!" Old Yang and the two team members immediately rushed out, their guns pointed at the technicians. Their voices were cold and carried an unquestionable authority, instantly taking control of the situation.

Mu Li walked to the core control console, his eyes fixed on the code on the screen, a flash of excitement and solemnity in his gaze. He operated the computer rapidly, his fingers flying across the keyboard at a dizzying speed. The code on the screen scrolled continuously as he cracked the opponent's parsing program while simultaneously copying the core data within. One of the restrained technicians watched the speed at which Mu Li operated the computer, dumbfounded. He muttered, "This... this speed is faster than our lead programmer. Are you here to steal data or to steal our jobs? This technology is just too incredible!"

Just then, a sudden burst of rapid footsteps and shouting came from outside the factory. Locke rushed in with over a dozen Mercenaries, clearly having noticed something was wrong. "Not good! We've been spotted!" Old Yang barked, immediately leading the team members to hide behind the pillars to confront the Mercenaries. "Bang! Bang! Bang!" The Mercenaries immediately pulled their triggers, bullets whistling toward Mu Li and the others, striking the pillars and kicking up a spray of stone chips and sparks. Gunfire instantly erupted in the factory, the sounds of whistling bullets, whirring machinery, and shouting intertwining in a chaotic scene.

Mu Li was prepared. He pulled a technician behind the console for cover. Bullets hit the console, sparks flying, and a section of the screen was destroyed, emitting a "sizzling" electrical sound. "Engineer Mu, our backup is still five minutes away! We'll hold them off; you finish the operation as quickly as possible!" Old Yang shouted at Mu Li while firing. His tone was firm as his gun kept firing, accurately hitting two Mercenaries rushing at the front.

"Hold on! I'll be done soon!" Mu Li responded, his gaze still focused on the computer screen, his fingers never pausing. He discovered that this equipment was attempting to crack the core code in the chip. Once successful, the secrets of their Nuclear Fusion Power Station's core technology would be stolen by the opponent, with unimaginable consequences. He had to destroy the opponent's parsing program before backup arrived, while also gathering more valuable information to uncover their plot.

Mu Li's fingers flew across the keyboard, fine beads of cold sweat breaking out on his forehead and sliding down his cheeks, dripping onto the keyboard, but he was completely oblivious. Just then, a fragment of blurry code suddenly flashed through his mind, which was actually somewhat similar to the code on the screen—it was precisely the "core system" code that had appeared in his mind back at the Swiss Hotel when the chip glowed. That code had been blurry and fragmented, but he had kept it in his heart. He hadn't expected it to come in handy at this moment.

"Could it be... this code is the key to activating the core system?" Mu Li's heart stirred. Without time for much thought, he tried to input the code from his mind into the console bit by bit. A miracle happened! The previously chaotic and disordered code on the screen suddenly became organized. The words "Locating core system fragments" disappeared, replaced by the prompt "core system fragment identified successfully, downloading..." The progress bar began to jump slowly. With every tick, Mu Li's heart felt a bit more hope.

Seeing this, Locke's expression changed drastically. His fat face instantly twisted into a heap, like a piece of dough that had been stepped on, his eyes full of terror and rage. He personally picked up an assault rifle and fired at Mu Li, roaring, "No! What are you doing? Stop! That's our property, don't touch it!" Unfortunately, his marksmanship was ridiculously bad. The bullets grazed Mu Li's shoulder and hit the console, sparks flying. Half the screen instantly went black, yet the download progress bar continued to tick slowly. Mu Li took a moment to glance at him, mentally complaining: This marksmanship... he probably learned it at a street stall in a wet market. He couldn't even hit a bird, yet he dares to fire personally. He's simply seeking his own death.

The bullet whistled past Mu Li's shoulder, the sharp pain instantly piercing his flesh with a searing burn, as if countless fine needles were repeatedly stabbing his shoulder socket. Warm blood gushed from the wound, instantly soaking his blue work clothes and spreading into a startling dark red on the fabric, slowly dripping from the hem and splashing onto the ground, kicking up tiny grains of sand. Mu Li's body stiffened abruptly, his brows furrowing tightly, the veins on his temples bulging slightly. He subconsciously clenched his teeth, a very soft grunt escaping his throat, which he forced himself to swallow back down. He did not pause for a second, not even looking down at the wound—his gaze remained locked on the download progress bar on the computer screen. The movement of his fingertips did not slow down at all; instead, due to the sense of urgency, his keystrokes became even more steady and forceful. Blood slid down his arm and dipped onto the keyboard, forming small blood spots that made the keys sticky. He would then press down with a bit more force, his fingertips brushing over the bloodstains as he continued to type with precision, every movement carrying the restraint of enduring intense pain. The pain in his shoulder grew more intense, the burning sensation gradually spreading to his entire arm, a mixture of numbness and sharp stabs. Sweat mixed with blood slid down his cheeks, but he was completely unaware, relying only on a sense of tenacity as his fingertips flew across the keys. He knew clearly that every second delayed now meant more danger for the core data. Even if the tearing pain in his wound made his whole body tense, even if blood had soaked his clothes and stained his fingertips red, he had to hold on until the download was complete. He had to protect this key evidence concerning technological sovereignty. This resilience was already etched into his bones, having nothing to do with life or death, only with his mission.

"Go! We're breaking out!" Mu Li pulled Old Yang and the others, running toward the ventilation duct at the top of the factory. The ventilation duct was the only breakout route they had scouted in advance, and also the most hidden one. "Thinking of running? It's not that easy!" Locke roared, his eyes red as he led the Mercenaries in hot pursuit. Bullets kept flying toward them, striking the ground and leaving a dense pattern of bullet holes.

Mu Li and the others dodged all the way, quickly reaching the area below the ventilation duct. The duct was located at the top of the factory, about three meters above the ground. The vent cover was made of metal and covered in dust. Old Yang took a deep breath, bent his legs slightly, and jumped hard, grabbing the edge of the duct. His face turned red and veins bulged as he barely managed to open the vent cover. He turned and shouted to Mu Li, "Engineer Mu, you go up first! This duct opening is designed like a dog hole—it's narrow and small. Only someone with your build can get in easily. With my physique, I'll have to squeeze to get in."

Mu Li did not hesitate. Stepping on Old Yang's shoulders, he grabbed the edge of the vent and nimbly crawled into the ventilation duct. The duct was narrow and dark, only allowing one person to crawl at a time. It was filled with dust and spiderwebs; every move kicked up a cloud of dust, making Mu Li cough repeatedly until tears almost came to his eyes. He took out his flashlight, pressed the switch, and the faint light illuminated the path ahead. He crawled forward quickly, his knees and elbows rubbing against the cold duct walls, sending bursts of sharp pain. He sighed inwardly: This isn't a breakout; it's clearly entering a dust factory. By the time I get out, I'll probably be covered in dust from head to toe, so much so that even my own mother wouldn't recognize me.

Old Yang and the two team members also crawled into the ventilation duct one after another. The team member behind was crawling too fast and accidentally bumped into Old Yang's foot in front. Old Yang hissed in pain and cursed under his breath through clenched teeth, "Slow down! What's the rush? Do you want to use my foot as a brake? Keep it down, don't let the Mercenaries below find us, or we're all dead!" The team member quickly apologized and slowed down, following cautiously. In the ventilation duct, only the sound of their breathing and the friction of their crawling could be heard, along with the gunfire and Locke's roars coming from outside. The life-and-death struggle was still ongoing.