Chapter 5

Thanks to Chu Ci and others, after ten minutes, the Stars team had not yet reached the bottom level, but they did encounter obstacles. The fire escape only went down to the negative 10th floor, and the last two floors required passing through various experimental and office areas, which were already flooded.

Several tempered glass panels had been shot through with bullets, creating leaks. It was evident that the people inside had failed in their attempts to save themselves. The water seeped out and pooled on the ground, reaching up to their shoe tops, giving an idea of how deep the water must be in the deeper parts of the office area.

"Sir, to reach Red Queen, we must pass through these laboratories. Now they are all flooded, and I don't think we can get in," JD reported after observing the situation.

James nodded and said, "Raine, JD, you two check how bad the flooding is. Kaplan, find another way."

Chu Ci and the others walked down the stairs and found that the corridor on both sides was lined with tempered glass walls, dividing the space into individual rooms. From the equipment, it was clear that these were offices and laboratories. In addition to some high-end, stylish office supplies, there were also strange, high-tech instruments with unknown purposes. However, since the rooms were filled with water, the scene resembled an underwater tunnel designed for viewing marine life.

The only difference was that while underwater tunnels showcase colorful fish, algae, and coral, inside the glass walls were floating books, test tubes, and even corpses!

Chu Ci didn't look closely, eager to keep up with the main group. He stepped into the accumulated water, and the cold immediately sent goosebumps up his legs!

"Damn, where is the water leaking from!" Seeing the Stars team standing still, Chu Ci jumped back and squatted on the stairs to avoid the water.

"This is the internal emergency defense system of the Hive base. It cuts off the passages, seals the spaces, and uses toxic gas and flooding to suffocate and kill the base personnel," Kaplan said, his head down as he operated the tactical computer and rearranged the route.

"Ugh... ugh~~" Chu Ci was speechless, only able to look around aimlessly. He suddenly saw the water-bloated, pale corpses inside the glass walls, and a wave of nausea washed over him.

The others didn't fare much better. The high school student and Zhong Ziyuan vomited, their stomach contents spewing out like waterfalls.

Movies are just movies. Even if you can watch bloody and terrifying scenes on screen with interest, it doesn't mean you can remain calm when facing them in real life. Just like in clinical medicine, no matter how many textbooks and video demonstrations you watch, when you first pick up a scalpel to face a bloody corpse, you will still vomit or faint.

Although the glass walls were well-sealed, under the psychological effect, Chu Ci felt as if he could smell the persistent stench of the corpses.

"This is too disgusting, it's beyond the tolerance of a normal person," Shang Manxue covered her mouth, forcing herself to look but quickly lowering her head after a few seconds.

The handsome man couldn't maintain his composure either, his hands and feet cold and weak. Apart from Chu Ci, the other new members clearly understood that once Red Queen was shut down, the demons locked in the cells would be released to hunt the living in the Hive, causing them to tremble against the opposite wall.

Alice looked at the floating corpses inside the glass and felt a sense of sinister danger. Goosebumps appeared on her bare arms, and she instinctively wrapped her arms around herself.

"Hey, are you okay?" Spence, noticing her, took off his leather jacket and handed it to her.

"No, I'm fine."

"It's cold here!" Spence insisted, handing it over.

"Thank you." Alice took the jacket, and as her fingers touched it, fragments of memory seemed to swirl in her mind—a naked couple entangled in passionate, intense, and climactic moments...

Chu Ci forced himself to face the corpses in the office area, enduring their grotesque, twisted, and deformed appearances to adapt as quickly as possible. After a while, he rubbed his chin and studied the scene. When a plump, beautiful female corpse floated by, he suddenly flicked his finger against the glass.

"Bang~~"

This flick didn't cause much of a reaction, but the force, after being reduced layer by layer, rippled through the water inside the glass.

Then... the female corpse's eyes suddenly opened, revealing a pair of lifeless, terrifying eyes with blurred pupils and whites, staring straight ahead.

"Whoa~~" Chu Ci drew a sharp breath and took a step back. This scene was far more terrifying than the ordinary floating corpses.

"There's nothing to worry about. Fresh corpses still have some living cells. Sometimes, under the influence of bioelectricity, they can exhibit some minor muscle movements," James observed the situation and concluded, seeing no further action from the female corpse after her eyes opened.

Chu Ci opened his mouth but made no sound, seemingly accepting James's explanation.

James was not surprised by the poor performance of the new members and urged Kaplan, "Hurry up! We don't have much time left."

We are being restricted by the God! Chu Ci realized. He had intended to warn James about the corpses but was silenced. It seemed the God did not want them to spoil or alter the plot.

"Sir, we found another way, but it will take more time. We need to go back and then take a shortcut through the B Restaurant. This route will take twice as long," Kaplan pointed at the tactical computer on his arm and said to James.

At this moment, Raine and JD returned. Raine said, "Sir, we can't get through that way. This floor is completely flooded."

"Alright, we are already behind schedule. Move quickly," James, who had a clear plan in mind, was not overly anxious despite the safety buffer being consumed by unexpected events.

Reluctantly, Chu Ci and the others followed the group back. Fortunately, they didn't have to run this time. After turning a few intersections, they stopped at an iron door. Kaplan used his computer to hijack the access and opened the door. The front members cautiously entered with their guns drawn.

This was a vast hall filled with countless small containers, each about a few cubic meters. The containers exuded a cold, chilling aura. Chu Ci noticed that while the Stars team members were merely puzzled, those familiar with the plot looked at the containers with caution and fear. Chu Ci immediately understood that the containers likely contained something far more dangerous than zombies.

"Kaplan?" James's tone was filled with barely concealed anger and confusion. He would not tolerate another mistake.

"Sir, the map shows that this is indeed the B Restaurant," Kaplan said, displaying the map on his computer, looking innocent.

"Maybe you're mistaken," JD scanned the area, whistling at Kaplan's mistake. This place clearly looked like a cold storage warehouse.

Matt, showing no remorse as a prisoner, said, "Maybe the company left some secrets here, things you shouldn't see..."

James glanced at Matt and said, "JD, Raine, you two watch the prisoner and guard the entrance."

The team medic, holding a detection device, circled the B Restaurant and reported in surprise, "Sir, the toxic gas index here is zero. I think the defense system has malfunctioned."

"The first good news. Maybe there are survivors," James nodded and ordered, "Form a search formation. Survivors, stay in the center and keep close. Move out!"

The new members knew there were no survivors here, but there were plenty of moving zombies.

The team's progress was slow, and Chu Ci even had a chance to peek through the observation holes of the containers, but the dim internal lighting and weak fluorescent lights in the B Restaurant made it impossible to see clearly.

Alice's reaction was more intense. Infected with the T-virus, she could faintly sense the chaotic, violent life force inside the containers, a mental disturbance that made her even more uneasy. She had a vague feeling of either consuming the life inside the containers or being consumed by it.

This strange sensation compelled Alice to walk toward the nearest container, her white, tender fingertips slowly reaching for the observation hole!

Just as Alice was about to touch the container, she was startled by a black shadow reflected in the observation hole glass. Turning around, she found Chu Ci standing beside her.

"Be careful, don't stray from the group," Chu Ci, looking at the observation hole, kindly reminded her.

"Thank you," Alice smiled and nodded, then added, somewhat disappointed, "I'm not sure if I can recall what happened here."

"Neither am I," Chu Ci rubbed his chin and replied, "If it weren't for seeing my name on Kaplan's computer, I wouldn't know my name is Chu Ci."

After passing through the B Restaurant, Kaplan led the group through various iron doors and finally arrived at a central computer control room. Of course, the central computer, Red Queen, was now out of control, and this room could no longer directly operate the entire laboratory.

Kaplan, responsible for electronic warfare, connected his tactical computer to the central control panel. The central computer, originally operated by three people, was now controlled by Kaplan alone, his hands flying over three keyboards, attempting to breach Red Queen's firewall with his own programs.

However, after several minutes, the door to the central computer room remained tightly closed.

"How long is this going to take?" The team medic, sitting idly on a workbench, urged.

"This is Red Queen, the world's top artificial intelligence system," Kaplan complained, "Her defenses are robust, and she is strengthening them against my attempts to breach them."

Unlike the others, who found a place to sit, Chu Ci stood behind Kaplan, silently watching his electronic skills.

"Beep~~" A soft sound, and the first layer of the tightly sealed defense door finally began to open slowly!

James nodded and said, "Secure it!" Two unnamed Stars team members immediately retrieved a pulse breaker from a corner of the control room and wrapped it up.

All of this was captured by the cameras in the control room, and without anyone's knowledge, Red Queen's internal chip began to prioritize.

"First priority: Prevent T-virus leakage!

Second priority: Protect Hive secrets, protect the central computer!

Third priority: Prevent harm to human life!

Evaluating available options... Prioritizing first and second priorities, initiating self-protection mechanism, circumventing third priority."

Unbeknownst to everyone, Red Queen had already bared its dangerous fangs!