From Robinson Crusoe

"The building structures on the first and second basement levels are relatively well preserved, but because they are adjacent to Chernobyl, the radiation levels far exceed safety standards."

The ventilation and drainage pipes there appeared normal, leading us to believe that the third basement level and the last floor were in the same condition.

But we were wrong, terribly wrong.

"After entering the third basement level through the elevator shaft, what we saw was an isolation room that looked like it had been attacked by a brown bear, human remains, and deep claw marks on the walls of the passageway."

I immediately realized that biological experiments were also conducted in addition to human experimentation during the modification experiment.

The terrifying thing is that, after all these years, those modified creatures still haven't died. They lurk in the third basement level and deeper, waiting for time to destroy them, or for their prey to come to them.

"In fact, why the renovation base was discontinued remains a mystery to me."

Whether the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Chernobyl nuclear disaster halted the modification program, or whether a major accident occurred during the process, resulting in the mass attack on the researchers, is perhaps only known to the survivors who experienced it firsthand.

"All I know is that after entering the third level, the warriors who followed me began to experience hallucinations, as if they were being subjected to mental interference."

They quickly opened fire on the empty wall, and someone detonated a grenade.

A pair of twin brothers I watched grow up were blown to pieces on the spot.

Then, the smell of blood attracted the real threat—

A type of rat, larger than a rabbit, with long, brownish fur, swarmed together and launched a frenzied attack on us.

"We ran out of bullets quickly, and we fought and retreated, trying to get back into the elevator shaft."

However, the basement's third basement level, which had been in disrepair for many years, collapsed, blocking the elevator shaft entrance and preventing us from escaping the base for the time being.

In a moment of desperation, we grabbed various tools available throughout the base and used them as melee weapons to defend against the rats. People accustomed to using firearms find it difficult to switch mindsets quickly and conserve energy.

Before long, several exhausted soldiers were surrounded by a swarm of rats. Their protective suits could no longer protect them, and we watched helplessly as they were devoured by the rats…

"But we have no choice; all will die and a few will live. Someone is destined to make a sacrifice."

Under the cover of the soldiers at the front, we successfully moved the cement block blocking the elevator shaft and evacuated to the second basement level via steel cables.

But the base's 'curse' still hasn't let us go.

My closest subordinate, Victor, cut his hand while using equipment to fight off the rats, and the residual toxins from the equipment were injected into his bloodstream.

While we were resting, he silently dissolved into his protective suit, like a puddle of mud.

"At this point, only 5 of the 20-person team that entered the base with me remain, including myself."

After making such a huge sacrifice, all I got was a batch of documents that had been left in the third basement level.

The other four survivors also developed severe aftereffects shortly after returning to Moscow. Some suffered from mental illness, others were infected with an unknown pathogen, and even those who did not die were like walking corpses…

Thinking of the fate of his old comrades, Ivan's tone grew increasingly somber.

He seemed to have forgotten his purpose in finding Chen Zhou, and only kept talking about how dangerous the interior of the modification base was.

It wasn't until Chen Zhou impatiently interrupted that Ivan got back to the main topic.

For a time, he seemed to have transformed back into the calm and deep-thinking oligarch he once was.

He explained to Chen Zhou.

Because of the high radiation levels on the third basement level and the presence of an unknown force interfering with mental activity, ordinary people cannot stay there for very long.

Even if wearing a special protective suit allows one to stay on the third basement level, the heavy and cumbersome suit can still interfere with combat.

Unless a tank or infantry fighting vehicle can be squeezed into the narrow elevator shaft, ordinary people would simply be throwing their lives away in the face of the frenzied rat swarms and the unknown dangers deeper inside.

However, based on his own physical condition, Ivan judged that the "enhanced humans" who had undergone the modifications would definitely be able to resist the radiation in the base, and that the lighter and thinner protective suits would improve their flexibility and indirectly enhance their ability to resist danger.

Meanwhile, the mental interference within the base has a negligible effect on the "enhanced humans." As long as they are careful not to be poisoned, they will not develop mental problems after leaving the base.

……

Alcohol, a drug that drives most people mad, is like a tranquilizer to Ivan, producing the opposite effect.

His emotions stabilized with the help of alcohol, and his speech became increasingly clear.

After explaining the dangers within the base, his gaze no longer lingered on Chen Zhou's young face, as if he found it somewhat difficult to speak.

"I know that to you I am just a stranger with whom you have a slight acquaintance, but I can't even be called a friend."

You have no reason to risk your life on this adventure, after all, I am the one suffering, and I am the one about to die.

However, I can offer the highest possible price; you can listen if you're interested, and then decide whether to decline.

“I know you’re not short of money, but for someone like you, this country has too many restrictions. If your secret is ever exposed, it would be best to have a way out.”

I believe you have learned a little about the rise of our family from my father's secret letters.

But that is far from the full extent of our family's power.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia has experienced several major upheavals. Thanks to the wealth left by my father and the remaining influence of the 10003rd Regiment in the military and political circles, we have been allocated several crucial resources.

Natural gas company, oil company, Siberian coal energy company, Udokan copper, Norilsk nickel...

Our family holds shares in almost every resource company you can find.

In the real estate sector, we also hold a significant share, with these assets combined exceeding the total output of most small countries.

With these, you and your descendants will never have to worry about money again. Moreover, because you control a portion of resource exports, you might even become a guest of honor in some countries, enjoying privileges unimaginable to ordinary people.

"These are things that no amount of money can buy. Even if you don't want to live a luxurious life, you should still think about your future."

I'm not exaggerating. Your health is perfectly normal now, but when you get as old as I am, you might suffer even more than I have.

If you start building a private research institute now and begin your research, you might be able to find a solution when the problem arises.

Instead of being like me, pitifully waiting for death and begging young people for help..."

The further he talked, the less confident Ivan became.

With those stakes, enough to tempt countless people to take risks, laid out before him, Chen Zhou's face remained completely expressionless.

Ivan could sense that he genuinely had no interest in these things.

But how could that be? Is there anyone in the world who doesn't love money, especially so much money? Let alone an ordinary person with some assets, even the world's richest man would find it hard not to be tempted by such a sum.

Ivan tried to persuade him further by offering an even higher price.

However, he grew increasingly pessimistic. Chen Zhou was, after all, very young, and had never revealed the source of his physical abnormalities.

Ivan guessed that Chen Zhou was not on the same path as him at all, so he didn't need to find a way to deal with the aftereffects, let alone risk his life.

Therefore, seeing that Chen Zhou did not reply, he immediately shut his mouth, poured a full glass of vodka and drank it in one gulp, then forced himself to stand up, picked up the hat next to him, and prepared to leave.

……

As I stood up, the heavy wooden chair was pushed backward, screeching as it rubbed against the smooth floor.

Ivan tightened the buttons of his coat, making his body appear even more hunched and thin. Just as he turned around, he heard Chen Zhou ask.

"I don't care what you give me, I just want to ask you."

Is it really dangerous there?

Turning around, Ivan saw a pair of eyes burning with a flame of excitement.

In a daze, he felt that this young man had become even crazier than him in the past two years.

"Yes."

Ivan answered.

"Alright, when shall we set off?"
I can't wait!

Chen Zhou took out his phone, strode to the bar counter to pay the bill, then yanked open the door and dragged Ivan into the howling northwest wind.

……

In June 2029, spring was just beginning to sprout in the North.

A group of unfamiliar visitors arrived in the distant city of Pripyat.

This city, built in connection with Chernobyl, was abandoned immediately after the nuclear accident, and nature swallowed up the remaining buildings.

Hospitals, clinics, schools, cultural centers, stadiums, shooting ranges, shopping malls, restaurants, parks, and train stations have either collapsed or been surrounded by vegetation.

Inside the abandoned classroom, you can still see chairs placed on desks and books scattered about.

As the morning light filters through the dense forest and shines on the deserted streets, bright red triangular signs and bright yellow radiation markers come into view, reminding people just how dangerous this place is.

Chen Zhou and his group arrived in Slavtic, not far from Pripyat, by car. After a short rest, they bypassed the heavily irradiated area and headed to the conversion base as instructed by Ivan.

During his journey, he discovered that although this place had become a no-go zone for humans, it was an undisturbed paradise for some animals.

Lynxes, badgers, beavers, wild boars, elk, foxes, otters, grouse, and many other animals whose names are not known often roam the dense forests.

They are not particularly afraid of humans. When the accompanying warriors clear obstacles from the road, the foxes will even boldly approach the vehicles to look for something to use.

However, the people who went to the transformation base were all in a complicated and heavy mood. No one wanted to deal with these animals. Some particularly irritable people even raised their guns and shot the foxes in the head.

……

Ivan's vehicle was a Hummer H1, equipped with a heavy machine gun and two boxes of TNT, which led the way.

Following closely behind the Hummer were two Toyota Land Cruisers and two Wranglers.

However, even these vehicles with excellent off-road capabilities had a lot of trouble driving through the primeval forest, and the team had to stop and rest frequently.

The war seemed unable to reach this sparsely populated area. Sitting in the passenger seat, Chen Zhou could only hear the roar of the engine and the steady beeping of the Geiger counter.

The driver's name was Afanasy Vladimirovich, which means "peace-loving" in Russian.

However, Vladimirovich was an absolute executioner. Before taking on this job, he and his accomplices were active on the Russian-Ukrainian battlefield, using drones to take enemy lives.

It is said that he also participated in the Middle East wars, and the number of people killed on his hands is at least several dozen, if not a hundred, which forms a unique dark humor with his name.

This man, who was as big as a brown bear, always kept a large bottle of strong liquor next to him when he drove, and would chug it down while talking wildly to the person next to him.

He said he hadn't been drunk since he was 5 years old, and often boasted to Chen Zhou about the women he had been with and how many kinds of "weapons" he knew how to use.

In fact, Chen Zhou wasn't interested in Vladimirovich's past at all; he just wanted to know how to shut this guy, who was even more annoying than a Geiger counter, up.

……

Just a few months later, nature erased all traces of Ivan's previous visit to the base.

The snow has not completely melted, and the howling of wolves can always be heard in the forest. Sometimes, missiles can even be seen flying overhead in the distance.

When the convoy passed through Pripyat, at Ivan's insistence, everyone put on heavy protective suits and explored the remaining buildings in the town, trying to find documents related to the renovation plan or Unit 10003.

However, they ultimately returned empty-handed.

After resting once more in the dense forest, the drones finally located the ruins of the collapsed factory.

Upon hearing the operator's excited growl, Vladimirovich spat and called him a fool.

Chen Zhou knew why he was cursing—

Ivan brought a total of 38 people with him on this trip. Only 8 of them were loyal members of the Ivan family. The other 30 were two mercenary groups, one led by Vladimirovich and the other by a Frenchman named Alexander.

They were unaware of the details of the mission, only knowing that they were to escort their employer to a location not far from Chernobyl to retrieve a lost document.

Ivan told Chen Zhou that in addition to the base salary of $1000 million, these people were also paid $100 million per day for their time.

In other words, the longer it takes, the more they earn. No wonder Vladimirovich cursed. If they had found it a day earlier, their legion would have lost 100 million. There is no more disgusting deal in the world.

However, Chen Zhou felt that once the base was truly transformed, this chatterbox would definitely want the conversation to be shorter.

Of course, Vladimirovich also had a high probability of losing all opportunities to complain and dying directly in the cruel dangers of the third basement level.

If that were the case, his ears would be much quieter.

……

The Hummer's large tires crushed the snow, revealing withered branches buried beneath it.

At the end of a dilapidated road that is barely visible, a faded wall stands prominently.

The large white characters painted on the walls have long since weathered away, and only the ruins offer a glimpse into the factory's past.

The convoy stopped at the factory entrance. Looking at the building constructed in the last century, everyone instinctively felt a sense of danger. Even the usually talkative Vladimirovich was unusually silent.

Only the Geiger counter beeped frantically. (End of Chapter)