16: Chapter 6 The Uninvited Guest

The direction in which that mysterious figure on the summit of the scrap heap had vanished was like a silent riddle, branded into Lin Feng's mind. A powerful biological signal, a military background, an attitude that was neither hostile nor friendly, and that unsettlingly precise assistance... Everything about it reeked of something strange.

But Lin Feng had no time to ponder. " >> Lockdown Perimeter Stability: 85%. Patrol Density Increasing. " The warning from his ability reminded him that the official dragnet was tightening. He suppressed his churning thoughts and, without hesitation, rushed toward the shortcut entrance the figure had indicated—a maintenance shaft leading underground, half-hidden by giant plastic tarps and discarded tires.

The manhole cover had long since vanished, leaving behind only a black hole emitting a musty odor. Lin Feng quickly climbed down the rusty ladder, dropping into a narrow tunnel that could only accommodate one person at a time. The air here was foul, but at least it temporarily cut him off from the dangers on the surface.

He turned on his device, its faint screen light illuminating the path ahead. The map showed that by passing through this abandoned utility tunnel, he could bypass most of the ground checkpoints and arrive directly at the edge of the old water treatment area.

The tunnel was silent, with only his footsteps and panting echoing in the narrow space. His wounds continued to heal under the influence of the nanites, but the exhaustion of his spirit and physical strength could not be quickly replenished. He could only rely on willpower to force himself forward, moving mechanically along the map's guidance.

He didn't know how much time had passed before a faint glimmer of light and a larger space finally appeared ahead. The end of the tunnel was an abandoned pump station regulation pool, its bottom dried up and piled with sludge and trash. Above the pool wall was a rusted iron-barred window, letting in the eternal, dim daylight of The Nest's outskirts.

According to the map, the safehouse was in a hidden maintenance room above this regulation pool.

Lin Feng carefully observed his surroundings, confirming there were no obvious surveillance devices or traps, before cautiously climbing the metal ladder on the pool wall to reach the barred window. The bars had also been damaged, and he easily squeezed through.

Outside was a narrow corridor piled with discarded pipes. The air was thick with a heavy, fishy water smell and the scent of residual chemicals. It was terrifyingly quiet here, forming a stark contrast to the clamor in other areas of The Nest.

Following the final marker on the map, he arrived before an inconspicuous metal door painted the same color as the wall. There was no keyhole on the door, only a blurry handprint pattern almost entirely covered by rust.

" >> Access Point Identified. Biometric Lock (Residual Energy Pattern). Requires Specific Genetic Signature or Emergency Override Code. " A biometric lock? It required a specific genetic signature or an emergency override code? Ling Yue hadn't given him that!

Lin Feng's heart sank. He had gone through so much trouble to get here, only to be blocked by a door?

Unwilling to give up, he reached out and tried pressing his hand onto that palm print. There was no reaction.

Just as he was about to despair— " >> Detecting Residual "Ling Yue" Bio-Signature on Panel. Faint. " " >> Attempting Simulation via StealthNet Protocol... (Risk: High) " " >> Warning: May Trigger Silent Alarm. " The "Source" System had actually captured the faint residual bio-signature of Ling Yue and was attempting to simulate it! But the risk was extremely high; it might trigger a silent alarm!

He couldn't worry about that anymore! " >> Proceed! " Lin Feng issued the command. He felt a faint, strange energy fluctuation surge from his palm, covering the handprint on the door panel.

Click. A faint sound of a spring mechanism. The metal door slid inward, opening a crack; there was no alarm. He succeeded!

Lin Feng immediately slipped inside, and the door closed rapidly behind him. The safehouse was pitch black. He leaned his back against the door panel, panting heavily, his heart pounding wildly, and it took quite a while for his eyes to adjust to the darkness.

" >> Scanning... " " >> Environment: Approx. 20 sqm. Air: Stale but Filtered. Power: Low-Level Backup Only. " " >> Contents: Basic Cot, Storage Lockers (Empty), First-Aid Kit (Basic), Filtration Unit, Multi-Tool Workbench. No Active Monitoring Devices. " The scan results from his ability eased his mind slightly. The space was small, the furnishings simple, with only the most basic life-support facilities, and there were no active monitoring devices. This fit the characteristics of an emergency shelter: crude, but temporarily safe.

He fumbled to find the switch on the wall and pressed it. Click. A low-power emergency light turned on, emitting a dim yellow glow that barely illuminated the cramped space. The walls were rough concrete, the floor was covered with a moisture-proof mat, and the air held a faint scent of disinfectant. A simple cot, a few empty storage lockers, a basic first-aid kit, a multi-tool workbench, and an air filter running weakly. That was everything.

Although primitive, compared to the pursuit and crises outside, this place was like heaven. Lin Feng's tightly coiled nerves finally relaxed a little, and an immense sense of exhaustion instantly engulfed him like a tidal wave. He collapsed onto the simple cot, almost ready to fall into a deep sleep the very next second.

But he forced himself to stay awake. He took out the device Ling Yue had given him and connected it to the safehouse's only backup power port to charge. Then, he opened the first-aid kit and performed simple wound cleaning and bandaging on the new abrasions on his body and the still-stinging skin on his back.

After finishing all this, he finally allowed himself to lie down. His body was extremely exhausted, but his brain was unusually active due to the previous thrills and the appearance of that mysterious veteran. Ling Yue... The Engineer... the evaluation mission... project legacy... Razor and the official pursuit... And that powerful, silent veteran who used Wrench as a weapon... Countless clues and fragments of information swirled in his mind, yet he couldn't piece together a complete picture. He felt like a chess piece, pushed around by various forces, struggling to move across a massive, invisible chessboard.

" >> System Diagnostic: Nanite Integrational Trauma Healing Adequately. Cognitive Fatigue Severe. Recommend Rest. " His ability advised him to rest. He knew this was right. He needed to recover his strength to face the unknown that lay ahead. He closed his eyes, striving to clear away distracting thoughts, and let himself drift into a light sleep. The silence and relative sense of safety in the safehouse quickly allowed him to drift into a hazy, half-awake state.

He didn't know how much time had passed... Beep— beep— An extremely faint, yet continuous electronic alert sound jolted him awake from his light sleep! The sound came from the device that was charging! Lin Feng sat up instantly, his heart tightening again. He grabbed the device, the screen lit up automatically, and it displayed a flashing red warning icon!

" >> Alert: Perimeter Sensor Triggered. Location: Access Tunnel (50m From Safehouse Door). " " >> Intruder: Single Entity. Stealth Rating: High. Bio-Signature: Obfuscated. Movement: Deliberate, Direct. " Someone had triggered the few simple vibration sensors he had cautiously set up on his way here using the device's remaining energy! And they were in the access tunnel just fifty meters away! The intruder's stealth level was high, their bio-signature was obfuscated, and they were coming directly toward the safehouse!

Was it Razor? How could he have found this place so quickly?! Was it someone from the authorities? Or... that mysterious veteran? Lin Feng's sleepiness vanished instantly, cold sweat soaking his back. He jumped off the bed, his gaze sweeping rapidly across the safehouse. There was nowhere to hide! This was a dead end!

He rushed to the door, trying to reinforce the latch from the inside, but the door was designed primarily for external defense, and the internal locking mechanism was very simple. " >> Intruder ETA: < 2 Minutes. " " >> Options: 1. Ambush (Low Success Probability). 2. Attempt to Hide (Limited Efficacy). 3...? " The analysis from his ability was despairing. Whether it was ambushing or hiding, the success rate was extremely low!

Footsteps! Extremely faint, yet steady and persistent footsteps could already be heard vaguely from the corridor outside! They were getting closer! Lin Feng leaned his back against the cold metal door, able to feel the slight vibration caused by the footsteps. He could almost imagine the figure outside approaching unhurriedly, filled with an oppressive aura.

Subconsciously, he grabbed the only thing on the workbench that could serve as a weapon—a heavy screwdriver—and gripped it in his hand, his knuckles turning white from the force. Although he knew it was meaningless, this was his final struggle.

The footsteps stopped outside the door. Dead silence. Lin Feng held his breath, his heart threatening to jump out of his chest. He could feel that the person outside... was just standing there, motionless. Were they scanning? Confirming? Or... waiting? Time seemed to have frozen. Every second felt as long as a century.

Suddenly— Thump. Thump-thump. It wasn't the rough pounding of a door, but two short, one slightly longer, rhythmic knocks that clearly resonated through the metal door. This sound... it seemed to carry a certain... tentative, non-aggressive implication?

Lin Feng was stunned. Immediately after, a low, hoarse, and clearly exhausted, yet unusually steady male voice came through the door panel. The voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear: "Friend inside." "I have no malicious intent." "Wrench sent me."