Embers Ad Infinitum

Blackmoor Wilds, somewhere near the ice fields.

As the snow melted and the road became muddy, Long Yuehong felt like she was growing on the edge of a swamp.

"Do you have a sense of déjà vu?" Shang Jianyao, who was on the right side of the back row, leaned forward and asked with interest Long Yuehong and Bai Chen in front.

Long Yuehong recalled:

"The time you met the Black Marsh Iron Snake?"

That time, the swamp expanded and nearly swallowed up the corresponding road.

Shang Jianyao nodded with satisfaction:

"Yeah, I still remember that you were so nervous at that time that you didn't even know how to use the gun, and you seemed to have peed."

"Nothing!" Long Yuehong immediately retorted, "That was the first time I encountered danger. I was very impressed. It was definitely not what you said."

Shang Jianyao tried to persuade:

"Maybe it's just that the memory was too unbearable, and you subconsciously chose to forget it."

"I believe you are the only one who has ghosts!" Long Yuehong glanced at Bai Chen in the passenger seat and sighed, "At that time, aberrant creatures like the Black Swamp Iron Snake could chase us all over the place. , and now, even if there are two more, we can easily solve them."

Whether it is lasers or electromagnetic projectiles, they are enough to penetrate the scales of the Black Swamp Iron Snake.

"Yes." Shang Jianyao agreed, "If we really encounter it, we will throw the nuclear bomb over and detonate it directly, and it will vaporize."

"Hey, think about whether this will accidentally hurt one of your own!" Long Yuehong realized what Jiang Baimian often said, "both angry and funny."

Shang Jianyao didn't pick up the topic, but started "tsk-tsk":

"What you just said is wrong!

"Didn't we deal with the Black Marsh Iron Snake easily at that time? Da Bai hit the 'Thunder Spear' and Xiao Bai shot the 'Eye-Breaking Blow', and the Black Marsh Iron Snake lay down. Are you questioning what they did? Not good enough?”

Long Yuehong hurriedly defended:

"No, I was most impressed by the part where the Black Marsh Iron Snake chased us."

Jiang Baimian finally couldn't stand it anymore and stopped drinking Shang Jianyao:

"Stop playing games, what about 'Thunder Spear', what about 'Eye-Breaking Blow'..."

"Is there any movement in Xiao Chong's gap?"

Shang Jianyao showed a sad expression:

"No, I played so well."

After speaking, he turned his head and looked at Gnawa:

"Lao Ge, what do you think the problem is?"

Gnawa began to analyze:

"Maybe Xiao Chong has been playing games and is so addicted to them that he didn't pay attention to what happened in your 'Sea of ​​Origin'."

"Then what should I do..." Shang Jianyao fell into deep thought.

While he was deep in thought, the jeep of the "Old Tune Team" entered a mountain forest along the winding mountain road.

"Go left..." Jiang Baimian switched to the passenger seat and pointed the way.

There was nothing that could be done about it, because she was the only one in the group who knew where to go next.

Shang Jianyao recovered from his contemplation and shouted to Bai Chen who was driving:

"Right, right, Baymax has eliminated a wrong answer."

Bai Chen responded to him calmly:

"There is no way to go to the right, so I will rush out and fall down the mountain."

"What about moving forward?" Shang Jianyao quickly changed his words.

Bai Chen used his excellent eyesight to take a look:

"Dead end road."

Shang Jianyao suddenly looked at Jiang Baimian in shock:

"You were not wrong this time!

"This unscientific……"

Jiang Baimian gritted his teeth and smiled:

"I'm not blind!"

Shang Jianyao said "oh" twice:

"A fool who worries a lot will always gain something."

Jiang Baimian raised his left hand, and the car seemed a little brighter.

Jian Shang Jian Yao finally calmed down and asked with satisfaction:

"What did you gain from the dream in room '506' last night?"

Since being "waited" last time, the owner of room "506" seemed to have completely given up struggling, and his work and rest began to become regular and normal.

Shang Jianyao thought back and said:

"Two things were confirmed:

"First, it is true that Zhi Sui secretly 'cannibalized' people more than once. The owner of the room knew about it four or five times, but the previous few times did not cause much impact. It seems that the people who were 'eaten' were not If there are too many, they are likely to be limited to a certain laboratory;

"The second is that the result of 'cannibalism' is that the corresponding person dies, but the body is intact. This is very similar to the situation in Taicheng and Linhe Village in Dajiang City."

These are all speculations made by the "old tune team" before, and they have been confirmed recently.

Jiang Baimian said "hmm":

"You may have to hurry up in the future. The longer the delay, the greater the variables. For example, the owner of the room finds an effective way to fight against the 'nightmare', or because he leaks too many secrets, he finally attracts the attention of the correspondent and dies."

"But she sleeps at night now, and I can't force her to sleep during the day, and she can't fall asleep even if she sleeps." Shang Jianyao showed a troubled expression.

At this point, Jiang Baimian couldn't think of any good suggestions and could only continue to give Bai Chen guidance.

When it was almost dark, the "Old Tune Team" finally arrived at their destination.

Their destination was a relatively independent peak on the opposite side of the mountain stream.

If you want to get there, you can only use the road bridge across the mountain stream.

"Over there is Cliff Village, a human settlement protected by the company, and the one closest to the ice field. No matter what team goes to the ice field to perform tasks from this route, they will choose this place as the last supply station." Jiang Baimian relaxed quietly. He took a breath, pointed at the various buildings on the other side of the bridge that were about to be swallowed up by the darkness, and gave a brief introduction.

She was really afraid that she wouldn't be able to arrive before dark, so she would have to find a place to camp and try again tomorrow morning.

Bai Chen nodded and asked thoughtfully:

"Most of the project teams that go to the ice sheet to conduct experiments will also resupply here?"

"This is why I have to come here." Jiang Baimian laughed, "I came here twice before when I was in the security department team. Well, some villagers here have been volunteers for some experimental projects."

Long Yuehong suddenly understood.

At this time, the watcher on the other side of the bridge had already spotted the jeep of the "Old Tune Team". A man carrying a "Berserker" assault rifle picked up the loudspeaker and asked:

"Where are you from and what are you doing here?"

"People from 'Pangu Biology'!" Shang Jianyao took out his loudspeaker happily without any need for Jiang Baimian's instructions.

Jiang Baimian started "popularizing science" for Bai Chen, Long Yuehong and Gnawa:

"There are a lot of explosives placed on this bridge. If a strong enemy attacks, the villagers will blow up the bridge directly. And there were no roads built on that mountain peak in the old world. Except for a few people who are good at special operations and wild survival, the others There’s no way to get up there, so we have to rely on helicopters.”

In addition to explosives, there are several railing-type roadblocks on the bridge.

Shang Jianyao, who was communicating with the other party through a loudspeaker, took time out of his busy schedule to interrupt:

"Their defense system is of no use. If they still ask us who we are and where we come from, then what do I mean?"

"Do you think there are many people like you?" Jiang Baimian scolded angrily and amusingly.

At this time, knowing that it was the "Pangu creature", the bridge guards signaled the jeep to drive to the entrance of the bridge to confirm the identity.

There was an electronic device placed there, and the line extended to the cliff village opposite the mountain stream.

Jiang Baimian pushed the door open and got out of the car, and swiped his electronic card on the device.

There was a beeping sound, and several railings across the highway bridge lifted up on their own.

"Can I swipe my card here?" Long Yuehong was shocked.

Doesn't this mean that Cliff Village has the entire "Pangu Creature" employee data, or the data of the employees dispatched from the Security Department?

After Jiang Baimian got in the car, he said casually:

“After all, this is a relatively important settlement for the company.

"And what we give is a closed data package, which only verifies the authenticity of the electronic card and whether the employee's photo matches."

"What if the equipment breaks down?" When the vehicle slowly passed the bridge, Shang Jianyao thought of a question.

Jiang Baimian looked ahead and said:

"Initially, employees from the security department were stationed here, and later the company trained several villagers who were skilled in equipment maintenance and program maintenance."

Soon, the jeep arrived on the other side of the mountain stream. Jiang Baimian pressed down the window and greeted several bridge guards with a smile:

"Thank you for your hard work. Are we the first group after spring starts?"

The first people to come here, seeking supplies and heading to the ice fields.

The slightly dark and thin bridge guard who asked the question just now replied without thinking there was any problem at all:

"No, a group of scientific researchers came here just last week."

"Oh." Jiang Baimian restrained himself and did not ask further questions to avoid appearing too eager.

The dark and thin bridge guard looked at Jiang Baimian under the light of the street lamp:

"Have you been here before?"

He has never seen such a beautiful woman in his life.

"I've been here twice." Jiang Baimian replied calmly, "Where is the village chief?"

The bridge guard pointed sideways at a building with lights coming out:

"In the office."

Jiang Baimian, who knew that the village chief lived in the government office from time to time, nodded and motioned for Bai Chen to drive into the village.

Because "Pangu Creatures" have provided many materials, Cliff Village has enough generators and oil. In addition to the offices and bridges, many houses also have lights on. In the increasingly dark evening, this gives people a sense of stability and peace. Warm feeling.

"I wonder what the project team that came last week does..." Shang Jianyao muttered to himself.