69: Successful rescue

The wuling divine vehicle moved slowly through the underground pipe network, its tracks grinding over sludge and gravel, causing the chassis to shake slightly. The infrared image inside the vehicle showed an increasing number of forks in the passage ahead, and the frequency of water seepage from the ceiling accelerated, with intermittent dripping sounds striking the steel roof plate.

Lin Wei secured the portable infusion pack onto a stand constructed by the Engineering Module. When the needle pierced Su Wan’s elbow vein, her arm muscles tightened slightly. Real-time data flashed across the life monitoring interface: blood pressure 86/54, heart rate 118, and blood oxygen saturation fluctuating continuously around 91%. Lin Wei accessed the kindling system’s Medical Sub-program, confirmed the rehydration rate, and lightly pressed the air release valve on the infusion tube.

“Venous pressure is still dropping,” she murmured. “We need to keep her position stable.”

Chen Wang switched the driving mode to “Low-Noise Crawl,” shutting off non-essential power output, which significantly reduced chassis resonance. He adjusted the infrared navigation focus, avoiding the pooled water area on the left—the water’s reflection showed irregular ripples, indicating loose structure underneath. The vehicle turned into the right branch path, the edge of the tracks scraping against rusted rebar, producing a brief screech.

Su Ling got up from the passenger seat and handed over an insulating blanket. When Su Wan took it, her fingers were still clutching the Silver Surgical Knife, knuckles white. She nodded her thanks, her voice weak: “Thank you.”

“We won’t leave anyone behind,” Lin Wei said, continuing to monitor the infusion rate.

Chen Wang glanced at the rearview mirror. Su Wan’s face was ashen, her lips cracked, but her pupils reacted normally. He did not speed up, maintaining a constant velocity. A T-junction appeared thirty-five meters ahead. The kindling system flagged cracks in the load-bearing wall on the right path, while the left path had a gentler slope but contained unknown sediment.

He chose the left path.

The wheels rolled over a slanted section of the road, and the angle of the vehicle’s forward tilt increased. Su Wan leaned back due to inertia, the vibration pulling at the nerves in her wound, causing her breathing to suddenly quicken. Lin Wei immediately paused her other tasks, stabilizing Su Wan’s position with one hand on her shoulder while checking the bandage for displacement with the other.

“Hold on,” Lin Wei said. “We’ll be out of this main pipe section in ten minutes.”

Su Wan closed her eyes and nodded, cold sweat beading on her forehead.

Chen Wang eased off the accelerator, keeping the track grip at the critical limit. The cabin was quiet, save for the low-frequency hum of the engine and the rhythmic drip of liquid in the infusion tube.

“Are you a doctor?” Chen Wang suddenly asked, his tone level. “Why did you come to a place like this alone?”

Su Wan was silent for a few seconds, her eyelashes trembling. “I’m looking for a medicine...” Her voice was hoarse. “An extract for Cold Erosion Syndrome. The disease attacks the nervous system. Patients eventually freeze solid in their sleep, like ice-sealed specimens.”

Lin Wei looked up at her but remained silent.

“I haven’t seen a case like that,” she said.

“Because the authorities sealed all records long ago,” Su Wan took a breath. “It started with miners on the border, then spread to refugee camps. The military gathered the infected and sent them to the Stasis Zone, claiming it was a climate experimental base.”

Chen Wang tapped the steering wheel twice, offering no comment.

“Did you find the medicine?” he asked.

“No. But I know where it might be hidden.” Su Wan opened her eyes, her gaze falling on the three of them. “Underneath the Old Town Seventh Substation. It used to be a branch storage facility for the Military Biological Laboratory. They have constant-temperature vacuum chambers there, suitable for preserving active samples.”

Lin Wei frowned. “How do you know the entrance location?”

“My husband was involved in that project.” Su Wan’s voice dropped. “He was one of the researchers. On the day of Doomsday, he sent me the last encrypted coordinates, with a note that read, ‘Don’t let them revive.’”

A brief silence fell over the vehicle.

Chen Wang stared at the navigation screen, calculating the remaining distance. At the current speed, it would take forty-seven minutes to reach the pipe network exit, followed by eight kilometers of wasteland to cross. The black tide warning had not been lifted, and the wind speed index was rising.

“The storage room you mentioned, does it have a defense system?” he asked.

“I don’t know. But there must be residual power around the substation, otherwise, the low-temperature environment couldn't be maintained.” Su Wan paused. “If you are willing to help me get inside, I can establish a complete medical support system for the team, including serum reserves and trauma emergency procedures.”

Lin Wei looked at Chen Wang.

“We can’t make a decision now,” he said. “First, we’ll get you to a Safe Zone.”

Su Wan did not argue, merely rubbing the handle of the surgical knife gently. The blade reflected the faint light inside the vehicle, casting a thin, bright streak.

Su Ling, who had been sitting in the passenger seat, paused her action of wiping the gun barrel for a few seconds. She looked up at the rearview mirror, then lowered her head to continue her work. Magazine disassembled, reset, reloaded—the motion was repeated three times.

“How long were you in the hospital before?” she suddenly asked.

“Six days,” Su Wan replied. “I walked here from the Southern Route. On the way, I encountered a small black tide and survived by hiding in an underground parking lot. The medicine was found in a derelict ambulance. The antibiotics are almost gone.”

“Acting alone means a small target,” Su Ling said. “But you can’t last too long.”

“I know,” Su Wan gave a wry smile. “I just don’t want to die on the road.”

Lin Wei adjusted the height of the infusion stand, ensuring the needle wouldn't slip out due to bumps. She opened the Expansion Compartment and took out a sealed box of Nutritional Paste, handing it to Su Wan: “Eat some. Protein helps tissue repair.”

Su Wan took it, tore open the packaging, and ate slowly. Her Adam’s apple moved up and down as she swallowed, clearly struggling.

Chen Wang noticed her left hand was constantly shielding her abdomen, like an instinctive defensive posture. He didn't ask but mentally noted the detail.

The vehicle drove into an arc-shaped bend. Water dripped more densely from the ceiling, the droplets running down the ventilation pipes and tracing thin wet lines along the edges of the headlights. The kindling system warned of a metal obstruction fifty meters ahead, identified as a collapsed maintenance ladder.

“Prepare to bypass,” Chen Wang said.

Lin Wei brought up the 3D route map and found a narrow auxiliary path on the right, barely wide enough for the tracks to pass. However, the thickness of the bottom sediment layer was unknown, posing a risk of getting stuck.

“Let’s try it,” she said. “The main path is completely blocked.”

Chen Wang shifted into low gear and made minor adjustments to the steering wheel, slowly cutting the vehicle into the auxiliary path. The edge of the tracks scraped against the concrete wall, producing a grating friction sound. One side of the vehicle sank, and the warning light flashed yellow.

“The front left track is suspended,” Lin Wei warned.

Chen Wang immediately cut the power to the right side, concentrating torque output to the left track, while simultaneously activating the bottom jet auxiliary device, spraying high-pressure gas onto the ground to increase buoyancy. The vehicle slowly righted itself and continued forward.

Su Wan frowned again due to the tilt but made no sound.

Ten minutes later, the obstacle zone was cleared. The passage widened again, and air circulation improved slightly. The kindling system detected an upward slope three hundred meters ahead, leading to a derelict drainage exit on the ground level.

“We’re almost out,” Lin Wei said.

Su Wan leaned against the medical pad; her thermometer reading had risen back to 35.7°C. Her eyes were closed, and her breathing was steadier than before. The hand gripping the knife was still tense, but her fingertips were no longer trembling.

Chen Wang glanced in the rearview mirror. “How do you feel?”

“Much better,” she said. “Thank you for saving me.”

No one responded. It wasn't indifference, but the task chain had not yet been broken.

Lin Wei put away the empty infusion bag and replaced it with a new antimicrobial gel dressing. As she tore open the packaging, she heard Su Wan whisper: “That storage room... it’s not just about medicine.”

She stopped moving.

“What?” Lin Wei asked.

“There’s something inside.” Su Wan opened her eyes. “It’s not a corpse, nor equipment. It’s a signal source, periodically emitting pulses. My husband mentioned it; he said it might be an ‘Awakening Device.’”

Chen Wang’s finger paused above the navigation screen.

“What kind of signal?” he asked.

“The frequency is very low, close to the brain’s Alpha Waveband,” Su Wan said. “But it can penetrate the permafrost and continuously transmit outward. I don’t know who it’s calling... or what.”

The atmosphere in the vehicle shifted.

Su Ling put down her gun and turned around.

“Why didn’t you say so earlier?” she asked.

“Because I couldn’t be sure you weren’t one of them.” Su Wan looked her straight in the eye. “The Leader’s subordinates wear uniforms, but they also disguise themselves as survivors. I once saw a ‘refugee’ carrying a child, begging for help; once they got close to the camp, they detonated a Freezing Mine hidden in their chest cavity.”

Lin Wei retracted the dressing pack and slowly sat up straight.

“So you’ve been testing us?”

“I’m just surviving,” Su Wan said. “The way I’ve survived until now is by not talking much and not trusting easily.”

Chen Wang looked at the gradually brightening outline of the exit ahead, the light seeping in from cracks above, gray and cold.

“You’ve told us now,” he said. “Is it because you think we can help you?”

“It’s because I think you might live until tomorrow,” Su Wan’s voice was very soft. “And I want to live past tonight.”

The vehicle climbed the final section of the slope, the tracks gripping the solid ground. The exit was close, a rusty iron fence barring the way, but not completely sealed.

Chen Wang stepped on the gas.

The front shovel slammed into the fence, the metal twisting and deforming, widening the gap. The wuling divine vehicle slowly drove out of the pipe and entered a desolate factory area. The snowstorm hadn't arrived, but the sky was leaden and gloomy.

Su Ling set up her sniper rifle again, scanning the surroundings.

Lin Wei checked Su Wan’s bandaging, confirming there was no blood seepage.

Chen Wang gripped the steering wheel. The kindling system automatically updated the map coordinates. He input the route plan for the next stage, and the screen marked three optional paths leading to the Temporary Camp.

Su Wan leaned back in the seat, her eyes half-closed, the Silver Surgical Knife still pressed against her palm.

Her lips moved, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she just took a quiet breath.

The headlights came on, illuminating the broken road ahead.