Chapter 63

Before this, the tallest buildings Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong had seen were a few "chimneys" in the ruins of the steel plant, which clearly couldn't compare to the skyscrapers they were seeing now.

This wasn't to say that those "chimneys" were much shorter, but rather in terms of visual impact:

In both height and width, these skyscrapers clearly surpassed the "chimneys" of the steel plant. Therefore, in every aspect, they could be described as colossal structures.

What most shocked Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong was that these colossal structures weren't just one or two; their numbers were so vast that it was hard to count them all at once.

They were neatly arranged according to certain patterns, extending to the left, right, and front, with no end in sight.

At this moment, Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong felt as if they had turned into mice, seeing the human world for the first time, only able to look up in awe.

Under the setting sun, the facades of the skyscrapers sparkled with thousands of glass windows, some like gold, others as if being consumed by "flames."

Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong squinted slightly to shield their eyes from the slightly blinding reflections.

The speed of the jeep quickly slowed down. Jiang Baimian, either equally shocked or instinctively cautious, drove cautiously.

As the vehicle moved forward, the sun also set, and the golden and orange hues on the surfaces of the skyscrapers gradually faded.

Before long, the buildings that had been dazzling moments ago fell into darkness and gloom, like old photographs that had lost their color.

The entire city's tone darkened once again.

Long Yuehong opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found it impossible to express his feelings in words.

Actually, he had seen more magnificent and miraculous structures before, like the underground building of "Pangu Bio" which was over two kilometers tall. If it were on the surface, it would have collapsed long ago due to the inability of the materials to support it.

But since Long Yuehong lived inside the underground building, he had no chance to see it from the outside, and thus couldn't appreciate its grandeur.

Therefore, the densely packed skyscrapers before him left an indelible impression.

"Is this the old world?" Shang Jianyao's voice was inexplicably gentle, as if asking himself.

"Yes. Haven't you seen the corresponding pictures in your textbooks?" Jiang Baimian, sitting in the driver's seat, replied.

The "Comprehensive Early Warning System" of the military exoskeleton device, which helped her with her hearing impairment, allowed her to clearly hear what Shang Jianyao said.

"The feeling from photos and reality is completely different..." Long Yuehong glanced at Qiao Chu's side face and muttered softly.

Only now, as their emotions calmed and the vehicle approached, did he and Shang Jianyao notice more details.

The skyscrapers were of various colors—some black, some deep blue, some dark yellow, and some with bright colors intermingling, each with its own unique features.

However, their glass facades and ordinary walls were either very dirty, looking foggy with many stains, or already weathered, even with missing parts.

Some green plants grew from their crevices, stubbornly expanding their territory; various birds circled in the last rays of the sunset, returning to their nests on some floors.

On both sides of the road, the leaves of the trees were mostly withered, and when the wind blew, they fell like rain.

On the ground, the leaves piled up, some even showing signs of decay.

Signs on the street were either smashed on the ground, hanging crookedly at the entrance, or missing several characters.

At a glance, Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong saw remnants of signs like "Foot Bath, Hair Salon, Supermarket, Stir-fry, Barbecue, Hot Pot, Second Sister, Pets, Convenience," but the shops they corresponded to were either in ruins or covered in dust, empty and lifeless.

Vehicles were parked haphazardly on the road, severely obstructing traffic, their shells and glass surfaces covered in stains from rain and re-solidified marks...

Everything was so quiet, with only the wind gently blowing.

This city was long dead.

"Something's not right..." Jiang Baimian, looking straight ahead, used the "Comprehensive Early Warning System" of the exoskeleton device to gather various details around her.

Before Bai Chen could ask, Qiao Chu, looking at the distant view and the sunset between the skyscrapers, spoke in a low voice:

"It's getting dark.

"Try not to talk before entering a safe building.

"If you must, keep your voice down."

He then lowered his voice and pointed to the left:

"Turn into that gate."

It was a large gate wide enough for two cars to pass side by side, with a guard post in the middle, seemingly dividing it into an entrance and an exit.

However, the metal barriers that blocked vehicles had been lying on the ground for many years, rusted over.

Long Yuehong subconsciously looked at the gate and saw that its shape was more like a traditional archway, made of brownish-yellow stone.

In the middle of the archway, most of the golden characters had faded, leaving only two barely recognizable:

"...Yang...Yuan"

The jeep quickly passed through the archway and entered the area inside the gate.

This was a region surrounded by seven or eight skyscrapers, with overgrown lawns, dirty pools filled with trash, rain shelters, and trees that seemed to bear fruit.

"Turn right, the first building." Qiao Chu seemed very familiar with the place.

Following his instructions, Jiang Baimian drove through a narrow path between two abandoned cars and stopped outside the first building with a brownish-yellow facade.

"Take some food, enter Unit 1." Qiao Chu got out of the car first.

Shang Jianyao and Bai Chen followed without hesitation, each carrying a pile of food from the trunk.

Long Yuehong was a step slower and didn't get to carry the food, so he followed Qiao Chu and Jiang Baimian into the entrance on the far right.

The floor was covered with brown tiles, and weeds dominated the gaps, seemingly neglected for a long time.

After passing through the lobby, Long Yuehong took the lead and headed straight for the three silver-black elevators.

He instinctively pressed the button for the upper floor and then stepped aside to let Qiao Chu in first.

However, the button didn't react at all, with no light coming on.

Long Yuehong was stunned for a moment before realizing:

"There's no power..."

Jiang Baimian looked at the rather old elevators and the buttons with little rust and said again:

"This isn't right..."

This time, without needing much explanation, Shang Jianyao and the others also noticed the problem:

The state of the elevators, buttons, and tiles, as well as the spread of weeds, didn't seem like they had been neglected for several decades. It was more like they had been abandoned for less than a year.

"Could it be that some nomads from the wilderness lived here before?" Bai Chen suggested a possibility.

The next second, she negated her own judgment:

"No, nomads from the wilderness wouldn't maintain useless things.

"Besides, wasn't this a newly discovered city ruin?"

"It's not just that." Jiang Baimian, seeing that Qiao Chu didn't stop her, added, "The accumulation of leaves on the streets and the damage to the buildings all seem to suggest one thing: someone recently 'maintained' this city."

She paused and then stated her guess:

"Perhaps, some people are regularly 'maintaining' this city?"

"Intelligent robots? After humans are gone, intelligent robots are still坚守着他们的职责？" Long Yuehong immediately countered.

Jiang Baimian shook her head:

"Unlikely.

"According to my knowledge, before the old world's destruction, true intelligent robot technology was just beginning to develop, and such products were still quite luxurious, unlikely to be used for this purpose, unless in a place like 'Mechanical Paradise.'

"Yes, this place might be special."

Qiao Chu listened to their discussion for a while without speaking, then turned and entered the stairwell.

He climbed all the way to the sixth floor, stopped, turned into the right corridor, and entered the room at the far end.

The deep red door of this room was half-open, unlocked, with the paint peeling off and obvious rust.

After passing through the door, Qiao Chu, carrying a silver rifle and wearing a "United 202" badge, turned to look at Shang Jianyao and the others as they entered one by one.

He had a habitual smile on his face, but his eyes were very cold:

"Rest here.

"When sleeping, one person will monitor the tunnel exit from the floor-to-ceiling window, and another will patrol the room, paying attention to everyone's condition. If anything unusual happens, wake everyone up immediately."

Jiang Baimian listened with curiosity:

"You know about the real nightmares?

"How did this happen?"

"A special mutant creature called a Nightmare Horse. If your dream is influenced by it, dying in the dream is the same as dying in reality." Qiao Chu answered indifferently, "I was chased by it for over a hundred kilometers."

"Why?" Bai Chen had never seen a monster with such patience and perseverance.

Qiao Chu didn't answer, preparing to leave the door and walk into the room.

At this moment, Shang Jianyao couldn't hide his smile:

"I know the reason!

"It wants to get him!"

There was a moment of silence, and no sound came from Long Yuehong and the others.

Qiao Chu frowned slightly and looked at Shang Jianyao:

"Are you using your brain or your mind exchange ability in the 'Hall of Stars'?

"Don't think it's not a big problem now, but once we enter the 'Sea of Origin,' your symptoms will worsen. Forget it, you won't have the chance to enter."

"You know so much... You're really impressive." After hearing Qiao Chu's words, Jiang Baimian sincerely praised him, "Where are you from?"

Qiao Chu thought for a few seconds, straightened his black coat, and bowed slightly:

"Let me introduce myself again:

"Special Agent of the Eighth Research Institute, Qiao Chu."

PS: Please give me a recommendation!