Chapter 13 Emergency Evacuation
At 3:40 AM, Lin Mo stood below the dormitory building, the cool night breeze blowing across his face.
Fang Lin stood beside him, checked her watch, and whispered something into her earpiece. A few seconds later, two black sedans emerged from the darkness and pulled up silently in front of them.
"Get in," Fang Lin said as she pulled open the rear door.
Lin Mo looked back at the dormitory building where he had lived for four years. A light was still on in that sixth-floor window—it was his roommate, probably staying up late playing games again. He didn't know when he would return, or if he would be able to return at all.
"Dr. Lin," Fang Lin's voice carried a hint of urgency.
Lin Mo climbed into the car. The door closed, cutting off the outside world. Wang Zhenguo was sitting inside; his teacher nodded to him without saying a word. In the passenger seat sat an unfamiliar young man wearing a dark jacket, his eyes alertly scanning the surroundings.
The car started and drove out of the campus.
Through the car window, Lin Mo watched the familiar campus gates, familiar streets, and familiar shops pass by one by one. The streets were empty in the early hours of the morning, with only the occasional taxi passing by. The traffic lights flashed alternately, but their car didn't stop, moving forward without any obstacles.
"Everything has been arranged outside," Fang Lin's voice came from the front seat. "We are temporarily controlling all the traffic lights along this route."
Lin Mo didn't know what to say, so he just nodded.
The car entered the highway and sped up. Lin Mo looked back and saw the city lights growing distant and blurred, finally blocked by a mountain ridge and disappearing completely from sight.
He turned back, leaned against the seat, and closed his eyes.
Scenes flashed through his mind like a movie—the night he first synthesized the blue material, George's searching gaze in the laboratory, Wang Zhenguo's trembling hands as he looked at the test results, the silent figures of the three Academicians gathered around the table...
It had all happened so fast, too fast for him to process.
"Dr. Lin," Fang Lin's voice interrupted his thoughts, "what did you bring with you?"
Lin Mo opened his eyes and felt his pockets. Phone, wallet, keys, and—
He hesitated for a moment before pulling a small sealed bag from his inner pocket. Inside was the very first piece of blue material he had synthesized; he always carried it with him, like a sort of protective amulet.
"This," he said.
Fang Lin took it and held it up to the light outside the car. The material emitted a faint blue glow in the darkness, like a fragment fallen from outer space.
"Only this one piece?"
"There are more in the laboratory," Lin Mo said. "But this piece... was the first."
Fang Lin nodded and handed the sealed bag back to him. "Keep it safe."
Lin Mo put it back in his pocket, keeping it close to his chest.
The car continued on. The scenery outside had completely changed to mountains and fields, with only the occasional scattered light. Lin Mo didn't know where they were going, but he didn't ask. All he knew was that they were going further and deeper.
"Teacher Wang," he suddenly spoke up, "the things in my laboratory..."
"Someone will go and get them," Wang Zhenguo said. "Don't worry, not a single item will be missing."
Lin Mo nodded. He thought of that high-temperature furnace, those reagents, that stack of experimental records—those things he might never see again.
"The materials you made," Wang Zhenguo continued, "have all been moved to a safe place. Once you're settled, you can continue your research."
Lin Mo felt a bit more at ease.
The car drove for nearly two hours before finally turning into a side road. The road grew narrower, flanked by dense forests; in the beams of the headlights, small animals like wild rabbits occasionally darted across the road.
Finally, the car stopped in front of a massive iron gate.
Through the car window, Lin Mo saw high walls on both sides of the iron gate, topped with barbed wire. There was a guardhouse at the entrance with armed soldiers. A soldier approached, Fang Lin rolled down the window and handed over an ID. The soldier checked it, saluted, and the iron gate slowly opened.
The car drove in.
Lin Mo saw a complex of buildings inside—low-rise buildings, a wide plaza, and some equipment he couldn't name. The lighting was dim, and everything appeared quiet and mysterious. In the distance, a few buildings still had lights on, and figures could be seen moving around.
"Where is this?" Lin Mo finally couldn't help but ask.
"A scientific research base," Fang Lin said. "You might be staying here for a while."
The car stopped in front of a three-story building. Fang Lin got out, and Lin Mo and Wang Zhenguo followed. The night breeze blew, carrying the scent of the mountains and fields, completely different from the city.
Lin Mo looked up; the sky was full of stars, far more than could be seen in the city. The Milky Way stretched across the sky, so clear it seemed as if it could be touched by hand.
"Dr. Lin," Fang Lin's voice came, "your room is on the third floor. Rest tonight, and we'll talk in detail tomorrow."
Lin Mo nodded. He followed a staff member into the building, up the stairs, through a corridor, and finally stopped in front of a door. The staff member swiped a card to open the door and stepped aside.
"Your room. You can press the bedside bell if you need anything."
Lin Mo walked in. The room wasn't large but was very tidy—a bed, a desk, a chair, and a wardrobe. There was a computer on the desk, along with a folder.
The staff member left, and the door closed softly.
Lin Mo stood in the room, looking at this unfamiliar space. The window had curtains; he walked over and pulled back a corner to look out. Below was an open space, with a few buildings lit up in the distance. Further away were the dark silhouettes of mountains.
He let go of the curtain and sat on the bed.
His phone vibrated in his pocket. He took it out to see a text message from an unknown number: "Welcome to your new home. See you tomorrow. — Fang Lin"
Lin Mo stared at the message for a few seconds, then put down his phone.
He lay down and stared at the ceiling. There was nothing on the ceiling except for a ceiling light emitting a soft glow.
He wanted to call home and tell his parents he was fine. But he couldn't. He wanted to message his roommate to ask him to look after his things in the dorm. But he couldn't do that either.
From this moment on, his connection with his past world was temporarily severed.
Lin Mo closed his eyes. Fatigue washed over him like a tide, drowning out all his thoughts.
Outside, the sky began to pale. A new day was about to begin in this unfamiliar land.