17: Chapter 7 Shadows of the Past

"Wrench sent me."

The deep, raspy male voice penetrated the metal door like a stone cast into stagnant water, sending violent ripples across Lin Feng's taut nerves.

Wrench? Could it be that mysterious veteran from the top of the junk car pile, who used a Wrench to scare off the scavengers and pointed him in the right direction?

The person he sent?

Lin Feng's heart was still pounding wildly, but his grip on the screwdriver loosened slightly. The person outside hadn't forced the door open, but had chosen to knock and state their purpose (though the truth of that purpose was hard to verify), which in itself signaled a lack of immediate aggression.

＞ ＞ Analysis: Vocal Stress Patterns Indicate Fatigue, Possible Minor Injury. No Detectable Deception in Core Statement (Based on Available Data).

＞ ＞ Bio-Signature (Through Door): Still Obfuscated, But Aggression Levels Low.

＞ ＞ Risk Assessment: High Uncertainty. "Wrench" Association: Tentative Positive.

The ability's analysis results leaned toward cautious optimism. The person outside seemed exhausted and injured, no signs of deception were detected in the core statement, and aggression levels were low. However, the risk remained high, as everything was based on the extremely limited trust he had in "Wrench".

Lin Feng took a deep breath and lowered his voice, ensuring only the person outside could hear: "Who is 'Wrench'? How does he know I'm here?"

Silence reigned outside for a few seconds as the person seemed to evaluate the response. Then, the voice spoke again, still steady but carrying a hint of imperceptible helplessness:

"He said you would ask that. His exact words were: 'Tell that frightened rabbit inside, if he doesn't want to be turned into a specimen by "Razor", or dragged off to a lab for vivisection by the authorities, he should open the door first. My patience, just like the safety window outside, is running thin.'"

This message, delivered in the rough, blunt style of a veteran, strangely made Lin Feng trust him a little more. It was very much the style of that silent figure.

＞ ＞ External Sensor Check: No Additional Hostiles Detected in Immediate Vicinity.

＞ ＞ "Razor" Signature: Still Not Acquired. Official Patrols: Focused on Core Lockdown Zone (Distance: Increasing).

External sensors detected no other enemies. "Razor" remained missing, and the official patrols seemed focused on the core lockdown zone, with the distance between them increasing.

Temporarily safe.

Lin Feng gritted his teeth. Gamble! He quickly disengaged the bolt and pulled the heavy metal door open just enough for one person to slip through, then retreated vigilantly to the workbench, his screwdriver still gripped tightly.

The light from outside filtered in, outlining a tall, upright, yet slightly hunched figure.

A man slipped inside. He looked to be in his forties, with sharp, weathered features and dark stubble on his chin. His eyes were like rocks tempered by time—calm and sharp, carrying a weariness and vigilance that Lin Feng had only seen on retired veterans in documentaries. He wore a faded olive tactical jacket over a dark undershirt, sturdy cargo pants, and a pair of worn-out but seemingly reliable military boots.

Most noticeably, near his left temple was a grotesque, old scar that had long since healed, extending into his hairline. Although his movements were steady, there was a subtle, unnatural stiffness in the way he moved his left arm.

He entered the room, his gaze sweeping over the entire safe house like the most precise scanner, before finally settling on Lin Feng, lingering for a moment on the ridiculous screwdriver in his hand and the bandaged wound on his back.

"Lei Kun." He stated his name concisely. His voice was even raspier than it had sounded through the door, carrying the scent of smoke and dust. He didn't reach out a hand, nor did he move any closer, simply standing by the door while maintaining a distance that allowed him to advance or retreat as needed.

"Lin Feng." Lin Feng also stated his name, relaxing his posture slightly but remaining vigilant. "Who is 'Wrench'? Why is he helping me? And why did you come here?"

Lei Kun didn't answer directly, but instead asked: "Where is Ling Yue? Isn't she with you?" His gaze swept over the empty safe house and the device that was charging.

Lin Feng's heart skipped a beat. He knows Ling Yue? "We split up. She... got a bit injured and went to take care of it." He answered cautiously, not revealing any further details.

Lei Kun's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly; he didn't seem surprised by the answer, but he looked worried. "She's still as reckless as ever." He muttered, sounding like an old friend complaining.

Then he looked at Lin Feng, answering the previous question: " 'Wrench' isn't his name, it's a nickname. An old buddy I used to carry a rifle with. Now... he's an independent information broker who likes to meddle in other people's business, occasionally moonlighting as a bodyguard. He's been tracking 'Razor' for a while, and today he just happened to run into you being surrounded and decided to help out. As for me..."

He paused, gesturing to the unnatural stiffness of his left arm. "I owe him a favor. He got word that 'Razor' might have tracked you to this area, and with the official lockdown so tight, he was afraid that a 'little fish' like you would get caught in the net or eaten by another fish before reaching the shore, so he sent me to check it out and lend a hand if necessary."

His explanation was concise and direct, and logically, it seemed to hold up. An information broker (Wrench) tracking "Razor", and a retired veteran (Lei Kun) who owed a favor.

＞ ＞ Cross-Referencing: "Wrench" - No Match in Known DarkNet Databases. "Lei Kun" - No Match.

＞ ＞ Physical Assessment: Military Bearing Confirmed. Minor Injury (Left Shoulder, Old Wound Strained). Combat Proficiency: Estimated High.

＞ ＞ Statement Consistency: Plausible.

The ability's cross-verification yielded no results, but the physical assessment and consistency of the statement indicated a high level of credibility.

"How did you find this place?" Lin Feng asked the final crucial question. This safe house was supposed to be Ling Yue's secret base.

Lei Kun pulled a very old, even slightly damaged metal cigarette case from his jacket pocket, but then seemed to remember something and stuffed it back. " 'Wrench' has his channels. And..." He glanced at the device Lin Feng was charging on the workbench. "You made quite a commotion on your way here. Energy bursts, structural collapses—the official alarms were blaring like crazy. Tracing the energy residue and following basic evacuation logic made it easy to find."

The explanation was reasonable. Their escape earlier could hardly be called subtle.

Just then, the screen of Lin Feng's device suddenly lit up, and an encrypted message popped up—the sender was identified by a simple Wrench icon!

**[Probability of safe house exposure: High. "Razor" is highly adaptable and may have recovered from the energy impact and started counter-tracking. Official secondary scans are about to begin, with an expanded range. Recommend immediate relocation to Point B. Coordinates attached. Lei is trustworthy. — Wrench]**

The message was short and urgent, yet carried an unquestionable sense of judgment.

Almost simultaneously, the ability also issued a warning! ＞ ＞ Warning: Faint Energy Resonance Detected (Matching "Razor's" Weapon Signature). Approximate Distance: 800m. Direction: South-East. Moving Erratically. "Razor's" energy weapon signature was captured again; although it was 800 meters away and moving erratically, it was definitely active!

Lin Feng and Lei Kun's expressions changed simultaneously.

"Looks like we're out of time for chatting," Lei Kun said in a deep voice, his eyes instantly becoming like unsheathed blades. " 'Wrench's' intel is always accurate. Do you know where Point B is?"

Lin Feng immediately pulled up the map on his device and found the new coordinates sent by "Wrench"—located deeper in the old water treatment plant, in the control room of a large, abandoned sedimentation tank.

"I know it. But the route is more complicated; we have to pass through a pipe half-flooded with water," Lin Feng said quickly.

"Still better than staying here and being a target," Lei Kun said without hesitation. "You lead the way, I'll cover the rear. Move fast!"

Without a hint of hesitation, an alliance was formed in an instant, based on their shared threat.

Lin Feng quickly unplugged the charging device and stuffed it into his backpack. Lei Kun had already reopened the safe house door, cautiously observed the outside, and then gave an "all clear" signal.

The two of them, one after the other, quickly slipped into the shadows of the corridor.

With Lin Feng leading, they moved quickly along the planned evacuation route. Although Lei Kun seemed to have an old injury in his left arm, his movements remained silent and his steps steady. He was always able to utilize cover points precisely, his gaze constantly sweeping the front, back, sides, and above—his professional tactical proficiency was undeniable. He even raised his hand to signal a pause several times, relying on hearing and intuition far superior to Lin Feng's to avoid the sounds of suspected patrol teams.

During a brief pause, crouched behind a pile of discarded filter cartridges, Lei Kun's gaze swept over Lin Feng's still slightly pale face and his brow, which furrowed from time to time as his wound was aggravated. He suddenly spoke in a low voice, asking as if it were a casual question:

"Kid, what did you do before? You don't look like one of those old hands who's been grinding it out in The Nest."

Lin Feng was stunned; he hadn't expected the other man to ask that at a time like this. "...I delivered food," he answered honestly.

Lei Kun was clearly surprised by the answer. A flash of astonishment crossed his sharp eyes, which then transformed into a deeper, indescribable, complex emotion—like pity, or perhaps some kind of... shared helplessness.

"Delivered food..." He repeated it in a low voice, shaking his head. His voice carried a hint of raspy mockery—whether mocking Lin Feng or this damned world, it was unclear. "This hellhole... it really drags anyone in."

He stopped speaking, simply signaling for Lin Feng to continue moving forward.

But in that moment, Lin Feng felt as if he saw something in his eyes that was similar to his own—they were both ordinary people swept into the vortex by this cruel world for no reason, just wearing different shells.

In silence, their pace quickened.

Finally, they reached the most difficult part of the route—a section of old sewage pipe, about 1.2 meters in diameter, more than half-submerged in murky, foul-smelling water. This was the only way to reach Point B.

"I'll go in first to scout the path." Lei Kun stopped Lin Feng and, without further discussion, was the first to bend down and crawl into the pitch-black, foul-smelling water. His movements remained steady, as if the filth and danger before him were just a daily occurrence.

Lin Feng watched his tall figure disappear into the darkness of the pipe opening, and the taut string in his heart loosened slightly.

Perhaps... this temporary alliance wasn't entirely fragile.

He took a deep breath, followed close behind, and crawled into that cold darkness.