radicalducati Chapter 135 You're not even human anymore?
Chapter 135 You're not even human anymore?
Chapter 135 You're not even human anymore?
A voice, not very clear but still recognizable, came from the walkie-talkie.
A thought popped into Xiao Lü's mind: "I have a complaint."
When I blew up the Left Bank Elevated Road, the commotion was so loud it even attracted the magical girls from the neighboring Longshan Mountain, yet no survivors called for help via radio.
So now, all that little explosion in the sewer has blown up something? What the hell?
Bai Shuyuan cut straight to the point: "Where are you?"
In such a sudden connection in the apocalypse, physical coordinates are far more valuable than identity, and she wouldn't ask pointless questions like "Who are you?"
A brief silence fell on the other end of the walkie-talkie.
A few seconds later, a man's voice finally rang out, this time with a kind of frenzied ecstasy in his words.
"Oh my god! There really are people here! That's great! That's great!"
However, Xiao Lü subconsciously frowned, sensing that something was amiss.
It's not that the relief was fake, but beneath this genuine emotion, there seemed to be a layer of carefully crafted pretense.
Bai Shuyuan didn't care at all whether the other person's emotions were genuine or not.
"Repeat it, where are you?"
She ignored the other person's previous, completely uninformed words, and repeated the question in her voice.
The other person seemed taken aback by the question. It was clear he was somewhat hesitant about it.
"I—I'm in an underground shelter!"
He didn't seem to have any intention of revealing the specific location immediately.
"An underground shelter? Why would you stay in an underground shelter under these circumstances?"
Bai Shuyuan went straight to the most crucial question.
In such continuous heavy rain, underground spaces are no different from coffins.
In such a devastating flood, it is common sense for people to seek higher ground for survival, and no one of sound mind would do the opposite.
"Because I was here in the early stages of the apocalypse. As you know, the water kept rising very high, and we couldn't get out."
The voice on the walkie-talkie sounded somewhat helpless.
Have they been underground since the beginning of the apocalypse? Until now?
Xiao Lü glanced at Bai Shuyuan subconsciously, only to find that Bai Shuyuan was also looking at her, as if she had also sensed that something was wrong.
However, Bai Shuyuan certainly wouldn't expose it directly.
"I don't think there will be such space in Xinmao City."
She changed her approach and continued to probe indirectly.
"As far as I know, none of the underground structures here are watertight enough to withstand this kind of long-term immersion."
"That's right! Public places are definitely not allowed!" The man's voice suddenly became urgent as he tried to defend himself.
"I secretly built this place before the apocalypse!"
He seemed afraid that others wouldn't believe him, so he began to explain at length.
He said he belongs to a group known as survivalists, whose hobby is preparing for disasters.
He hired a small construction crew to secretly excavate and build this perfect refuge in his own basement.
It turned out to be the case.
If it was privately built, that makes sense. However, a small construction team probably couldn't have dug out a very large space.
Moreover, Xiao Lü was somewhat puzzled. Why was this person speaking with such clenched teeth? Something was wrong.
"So," Bai Shuyuan's voice rang out again, "you just asked us to stop because you were worried that our explosion would threaten your shelter?"
She was about to explain that her explosion was meticulously calculated and would not cause any damage, but was abruptly interrupted by the other party.
"That's right! That's exactly it!" the man's voice came again.
"To be honest, the waterproofing in my area isn't perfect."
"But later, a barnacle-like monster appeared in the sewers."
"Using those things, I sealed up all the gaps, making it perfectly tight."
"However, the commotion you caused has destabilized their structure. While they won't collapse immediately, we must repair them as soon as possible."
The man sounded quite anxious.
Then, he changed the subject and posed a question.
"Speaking of which—how did you manage to detonate the bomb underwater?"
He was testing the waters. Little Green understood his intentions almost instantly.
Seeing Xiao Lü and Bai Shuyuan exchange a wary look, Xia Zhaozhao immediately realized that something was wrong.
She was prepared to improvise, chime in, and help make up a lie to get by.
"We used a remotely controlled underwater robot to deliver the bomb!"
"————" Xiao Lü was speechless. How could the other party possibly believe such an absurd lie?
Sure enough, a burst of laughter came from the other end of the walkie-talkie, filled with undisguised suspicion.
"Heh—an underwater robot? Kid, don't joke like that at a time like this."
His focus fell precisely on Xia Zhaozhao's voice.
"In the end times, distrust is the norm, which I can understand."
"However—it seems you guys aren't having an easy time either, bringing a child along on these kinds of missions?"
—It turned out to be a lucky accident.
This guy seemed to think that the forces here were insufficient, and he was the type who needed to keep his child with him to protect him when going on missions. This seemed to give him some strange confidence.
"However, hehe—I still hope we can speak frankly and openly. After all, this concerns the survival of all of us."
Xiao Lü clearly sensed that Xia Zhaozhao was very unhappy; her fists were clenched, as if she wanted to beat the guy up.
"The reason you're blowing these things up is because the water on the ground can't drain away, right?" the man's voice rang out again.
"right."
"Heh, I guessed so." The man chuckled again. "To be honest, explosions alone won't solve the problem."
"These barnacles are everywhere underwater. No matter how you place the bombs, you can't destroy them all."
He paused for a moment, then threw out his chips.
"If you're willing to tell the truth, we can make a deal."
"I can offer you an easier and more thorough way to get rid of these things."
Bai Shuyuan raised her hand and gestured to everyone to calm down.
Then, in a slightly more serious tone, she spoke into the walkie-talkie: "What I said is the truth."
"I work for the municipal police department, handling some special cases. And I've survived until now."
"Believe me, we are far more professional in underwater operations than you think."
She paused for a moment, then steered the conversation back on track.
"Since you were able to build such a shelter before the apocalypse, you must have stayed in Xinmao for a long time."
"In that case, you should have heard of the case a few years ago where a body was dumped in an iron cage."
"The deceased was placed in an iron cage and sunk to the bottom of the reservoir, which is nearly 100 meters deep, making the retrieval extremely difficult."
"And what we used was the special underwater robot that was responsible for the salvage operation back then."
As she spoke, she took the notebook and pen from Sasha's hand and quickly scribbled something on it.
"City Bureau, Major Crimes Unit One, badge number 07712, my surname is Bai."
She gave a seemingly convincing identity.
Of course, she had just made up the badge number and department.
, "6
Xiao Lü and Xia Zhaozhao were speechless. How could she possibly pull off such a clumsy lie?
She didn't care about the reactions of the others, but simply handed the notebook to Xiao Lü and gestured for her to sign in as well.
The notebook had already prepared a brand new identity and position for her.
Xiao Lü took the notebook and glanced at it.
She was just about to start reading aloud when she saw Bai Shuyuan in front of her making exaggerated, clumsy winks and gestures at her.
----ah?
Half a second later, she realized that she was still in magical girl form.
If she were to announce the alarm in her clear, childlike voice, all of Bai Shuyuan's painstaking efforts to fabricate the alarm would be wasted.
—The light faded, and Zhao Jia's form appeared.
"Municipal Public Security Bureau, Technical Support Section, Zhao Jia, Badge Number 0————"
Zhao Jia tried his best to keep his voice low and delivered his identity in a monotone voice.
After saying that, he transformed back into his small green form in a burst of light.
Xia Zhaozhao stood to the side, covering her mouth tightly, afraid that she would laugh out loud.
Silence fell again on the other end of the walkie-talkie. This time, the silence lasted even longer.
Then, the group could vaguely hear a deliberately vicious muttering coming from the walkie-talkie: "—Why didn't you come sooner? Why did you have to come now!"
—It seems the other side really believed it.
Finally, the voice rang out again, and this time, the doubt in the tone was gone.
"Okay, let's continue our discussion."
"I used these barnacle monsters as building materials, and in the process, I also learned about their habits."
"Once the deal is done, I will tell you how to control and utilize them."
"What are the details of the transaction?" Bai Shuyuan asked.
"Biomass." A chuckle came from the other end of the walkie-talkie, sounding somewhat malicious.
"I need enough biomass to feed and repair the barnacle walls on my side."
"Of course, it would be too extravagant for you to provide food directly; I'm not that greedy."
"Ideally—a monster that you've crippled."
"Since you have the capability to perform underwater demolitions, capturing a few monsters alive shouldn't be a problem, right?"
"By the way, just a friendly reminder," he added, "after the monster is completely killed, it will turn into a puddle of rotten mud with no nutrients."
"Therefore, I hope you can grasp this balance."
Xiao Lü sighed silently. Did this guy really not realize how many loopholes were in his story?
However, she would never point it out.
Ten.
The man gave a specific number.
"I only need ten monsters, each about the size of an adult, to complete the repairs. Then, I will tell you everything I know."
Xiao Lü picked up Sasha's notebook, wrote a line on it, and showed it to Bai Shuyuan.
"Don't finish it in one day."
Bai Shuyuan's gaze swept over the line of words, and she nodded slightly.
"This is difficult for us."
She spoke into the walkie-talkie, deliberately mimicking a troubled tone, clearly indicating she wasn't very skilled at it.
"As you know, although we are police officers, we are still ordinary people at heart. In this kind of environment, capturing ten monsters in one day is too risky."
"Don't you also want to unclog the sewers quickly?" The man's voice sounded somewhat anxious.
"Of course we'd like to. But we won't risk our lives to rush the project just for this request. Safety comes first."
"So, could you grant us a few more days? We can deliver the ten monsters to you over three days."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the walkie-talkie, as if they were weighing the pros and cons.
In the end, he relented.
"—Okay, installment payments are fine too. Repairing the wall will take time anyway."
"Three or four a day is barely acceptable. But today, I have to get the first batch."
"As soon as you finish delivering the goods, I'll tell you the secret."
How will the goods be delivered?
"I'll give you the coordinates. Just throw the monster into that manhole at the agreed time."
"The water flow there is fixed, and they will drift down with the current, so I naturally have a way to intercept them."
After agreeing on a time and place, the call was abruptly ended.
Bai Shuyuan turned off the walkie-talkie and checked it again to make sure it was off.
"There's a big problem."
She turned around, looked at everyone, and gave an obvious conclusion.
"His description of building his own shelter is very realistic; this part of the experience may not be fabricated."
"But," Little Green immediately chimed in.
"Being underground for nearly a month without fresh air, the oxygen problem alone cannot be solved."
"That's right." Bai Shuyuan nodded.
"Survivalists are not a minority in cities, but when they design shelters, they usually prioritize things like nuclear war, social disorder, or even a zombie crisis."
"In other words, very few people would consider a disaster of the magnitude of a global flood."
She paused for a moment, then provided more precise data.
"Based on the standard oxygen consumption of an adult male, to sustain life in a completely enclosed space for a month, a space with a volume of more than 300 cubic meters would be required."
"To secretly construct such a massive project underground within the residential complex, without being discovered—"
"Before that, the ever-accumulating carbon dioxide concentration might have already killed him," Xiao Lü added.
"Yeah, right!" Xia Zhaozhao realized as well. "With such a massive amount of work, even if he manages to keep it from the neighbors, I reckon he'll have dug up the entire building's foundation!"
"And—" Little Green put herself in the other person's shoes and continued her analysis: "If I were trapped underground and finally managed to contact the outside world, my first reaction would definitely be to come and rescue me," not "to repair the shelter."
"Furthermore, even if he has some kind of mental illness that makes him extremely attached to that underground space—"
"The water acidification trend I detected earlier also indicated that living there long-term is tantamount to suicide."
Bai Shuyuan added.
"So, from any perspective, his claim that living people are trapped in shelters" is a complete lie," Xiao Lü added.
"Putting all that aside," Xiao Lü added what she considered the most crucial point of contention: "He was so wary of us, yet he proactively offered to use his barnacle-controlling technique as a bargaining chip."
"Isn't he afraid that once we learn this technology, we can use it to break through his defenses?"
"So!" Xia Zhaozhao clapped her hands, summarizing, "Either the technology he talks about is fake, or he never intended to teach us the technology in the first place, or—he's not even a human being!"
"That's why I requested delivery over three days."
Bai Shuyuan's voice brought everyone back to their senses.
"Delaying time is to pinpoint his exact location."
"I see." Little Green nodded. "In that case, let's play along until he reveals his location."
She turned to Xia Zhaozhao: "Go find a few of the weakest aggregates nearby. Remember, just beat them half to death, don't actually kill them."
"No problem!" Xia Zhaozhao gave an "OK" sign.
"—Child. What the hell is a child! When I find him, I'll beat the shit out of him!" she gritted her teeth.
"Also," Bai Shuyuan added, "before handing the monster over to him, let Sasha complete the parasitism first."
"We need to know exactly how he handled these biomass."
"That's right," Little Green agreed.
"In any case, I don't think he would simply dismantle the monster into nutrients as he claims."
Sasha, standing to the side, looked down at her notebook filled with messy notes and sighed.