Who left their last words here?

Chapter 17 The Trolley and the Maserati
The following day, August 25, 2030, in the Eastern Federation.

"According to regulations, we need to follow the procedure."

We'll meet at 2 PM.

Section Chief Liu took out a flat, ruler-like strap from his pocket and gestured for Bai Zhou to expose his wrist.

"what is this?"

Bai Zhou stretched out his left hand and saw the other party tap the orange "ruler" on his hand and then flick it.

With a crisp "snap",
The taut "belt" suddenly bent like a startled snake, tightly encircling Bai Zhou's wrist.

The sudden feeling of coldness and constraint made Bai Zhou feel somewhat uncomfortable.

"This is called Huami Bracelet, and it's very convenient to wear."

"That's what Section Chief Liu said."

"Sometimes, we also call it a 'pat-pat bracelet' or a 'pat-pat ring'."

Immediately afterwards——

With a "ding-dong" sound, the small, semi-transparent screen on the flat bracelet lit up.

"Specialist ID F100000086, authentication successful."

"Huami Band Military Special Edition, it's a pleasure to serve you."

A gentle, mechanical female voice rang out.

"Voting for 'Employee of the Month' is now open—scan the QR code on your employee ID to participate."

Bai Zhou swiped a few times on the small screen in surprise and soon saw Section Chief Liu's familiar face.

A square-faced man with a buzz cut and a dark complexion, his smile stiff in his ID photo.

Bai Zhou had just cast his vote when Section Chief Liu's voice came over:

"It has many practical functions, but there's one thing I have to say upfront."

He pointed to the bracelet:
"According to regulations, it has two special functions that are only available to you."

"—One is to tighten the force field of the Void Realm pollution, which is used to prevent the Void Realm pollution on you from affecting ordinary people outside."

"There's one more, which is..."

Section Chief Liu paused.

His serious expression tinged with embarrassment, and it took him a long time to utter two words:

"position."

Location monitoring.

Forcibly removing it also has a self-destruct device.

In short, it's just a different form of shackles.

Without needing to say more, Bai Zhou already understood.

...In fact, it should be said that this is reasonable.

He was still wondering yesterday how it was so easy to get out.

In the eyes of the Special Administration, Bai Zhou was by no means an innocent and respectable person—

He grew up in the Blood Worship Cult's stronghold and was covered in corruption.

He is currently under observation by the Special Administrative Region Administration and has not yet completely shaken off suspicion of being an undercover agent for the Blood Worship Cult.

The reason he wasn't taken to jail for a few years was because he cheated on the test;
Secondly, it is thanks to the modern civilization's emphasis on human rights.

Therefore, in the short term, he actually regarded this base as a prison where he could move around freely and was provided with food and drink.

That's not bad either.

—The people in the neighboring city are still lying in the hospital receiving controlled treatment!
Now that he's been taken out, Bai Zhou himself wouldn't feel at ease without taking some restrictive measures.

They should even be terrified—

Why are you suddenly being so nice to him? Is he about to face execution?
This event is also recorded in the Black Robes of the Night City.

Whenever someone is about to be taken to the square for trial, they will have a good meal in jail the day before yesterday.

I heard that Sister Li wanted to eat some Original Recipe Chicken, but nobody understood what she was talking about.

Finally, I ate a bowl of egg fried rice.

"..."

Bai Zhou shook his wrist a few times, looked at the bracelet which showed no abnormalities, and blinked.

but……

Wearing this thing can be quite uncomfortable.

Nobody wants to be constantly "watched," and nobody likes carrying an uncontrollable bomb around.

Fortunately-

Last night, he asked Ya about going out.

The crow had mentioned the existence of the "bracelet" beforehand.

While telling Bai Zhou to wear it without worry, Ya drew several rituals on his back.

Some possess hidden spirituality, while others can block the bracelet's signal at crucial moments...

Therefore, Bai Zhou had actually anticipated everything that was happening, but he had to pretend to be shocked and frightened.

Bai Zhou was surprised by Section Chief Liu's honesty.

He even had to comfort the embarrassed Section Chief Liu!

"It's okay, I understand! We're just following the rules."

But Bai Zhou's "sensible" behavior only made Section Chief Liu feel more ashamed.

"After spending a few days with you, I know what kind of person you are."

"But this is a sensitive time, and rules are rules..."

His voice trailed off as he spoke, and Section Chief Liu's dark face turned a deep, dark red.

For someone with his personality, the most painful thing is to betray a colleague who trusts him.

"It's alright, it's alright... Section Chief, you really understand."

Bai Zhou continued to comfort him, without batting an eye.
"The 'observation period' will be over in the future."

“Actually…” At this point, Section Chief Liu said again:
"If you don't consider these two functions, the PatPat smart bracelet is really a rare gem."

"Generally, only P2 level specialists can be equipped with this gear, and it is absolutely forbidden to wear it unless they are on field duty!"

"nice one?"

Bai Zhou looked down at the flat bracelet tightly fastened to his wrist.

Take it on field missions...

Are you planning to become a human bomb?

It's quite remarkable that the Blood Worship Cult has managed to hold out until now, given the extreme nature of the Special Administration Bureau.

"Because it was originally developed to enhance the ability of specialists to survive and fight in various situations."

As he spoke, Section Chief Liu also pulled out a similar flat, straight strap and snapped it around his hand.

The two are identical in shape, except that the white boat is a vibrant orange, while his is green.

"Specialist Number..."

A similar mechanical sound rang out.

Under Bai Zhou's watchful gaze, Section Chief Liu first calmly voted for himself on the Best Employee page.

Then, he tapped the surface of the bracelet twice.

With a buzzing sound—

Under Bai Zhou's incredulous gaze,

A beam of pale blue light shot upwards, instantly unfolding a suspended, semi-transparent 3D holographic projection.

As Section Chief Liu captured, swiped, pinched, and rotated the image,

The projection also changes shape, displaying different pages.

"Retrieving nearby holographic maps, satellite communications, and recording scanned documents are just basic functions."

Section Chief Liu clicked on an icon in the menu.

Next second,
Section Chief Liu disappeared right in front of Bai Zhou!

Just as Bai Zhou was feeling surprised, Section Chief Liu reappeared "slowly" in the same spot.

As if emerging from underwater, normal colors gradually appeared on his body.

Like a chameleon.

"This is called optical camouflage, the latest technique developed by the Special Administration Research Institute."

"Unfortunately, it can only be used in areas with strong light, so it is quite selective about the environment."

Section Chief Liu introduced the bracelet.

"In addition to these, it also has an energy shield and electromagnetic interference functions, etc... You can try it yourself."

Even without him saying it, Bai Zhou had long been unable to contain himself.

It's amazing.

It's truly amazing!

The extraordinary skills that the crows showed him were marvels in different ways.

The key is that you don't need to learn anything. Even a child can become a mysterious agent with countless tricks up their sleeve by getting such a bracelet!
—In fact, this situation does exist in reality.

"Once upon a time, there was a senior commissioner who brought the bracelet home, but it was stolen by a playful child, almost causing a great disaster."

"That's why the Special Management Agency strictly controls it, prohibiting its use unless absolutely necessary, and even more so, forbidding it from being taken out of the base."

As he spoke, Section Chief Liu took off the bracelet from his wrist.

"But occasionally, it can also serve other purposes."

Section Chief Liu pointed to Bai Zhou's wrist.
"Like now."

"You'll have to hand it back when we get back to base."

“Tsk…” Bai Zhou shook his head regretfully.

He suddenly felt—

Electronic shackles may not be entirely unacceptable.

He actually obtained special equipment that only P2 specialists could have ahead of time, despite being a P1 newbie.

—Although this equipment is "added" to the mix.

...Not long after, all the department specialists arrived.

There were about ten people, and apart from a few newcomers, most of them were P2 specialists.

"Let's go."

Section Chief Liu threw his cigarette butt on the ground, turned on his stainless steel thermos, took a sip of tea, and then spat out some tea leaves on the ground.

"It's been a long time since we've had a team-building activity—it's time to go!"

……

The base was brightly lit, and the loud hum of machinery echoed in the sky.

Against the patrol, the group strolled leisurely past gray buildings, as if on a picnic, and arrived at the base entrance.

Surveillance cameras, sentry posts, and roadblocks are all in place here, with a dozen fully armed soldiers guarding a huge...

cave?

Or rather, the tunnel entrance.

Each staff member filled out a form and registered before leaving the premises.

As soon as you step into the tunnel, a cool sensation washes over you.

The rock face was uneven, with only a few dim miners' lamps hanging on either side.

The long tunnel track winds upwards, pitch black, leading straight into an unknown, deep darkness.

This was Bai Zhou's first time arriving at the exit of the underground base.

He followed silently behind the crowd, observing without making a sound.

At the same time, a thought began to rise in my mind:
The ground was full of potholes, and the road ahead was pitch black... I'm not going to just walk up like this, am I?

How come going out is more difficult than a mountain climbing expedition?

"We need transportation."

Section Chief Liu said calmly:
"Landmines, electromagnetic barriers, pulse guns, machine gun barrages..."

"This tunnel is riddled with traps designed to defend against foreign enemies."

"—Only those using specific modes of transportation can be spared!"

Bai Zhou felt a chill run down his spine.

Looking at this deep, seemingly man-eating tunnel, a chill ran down his spine.

Fortunately, he never considered running away...

Taking a few steps further in by the dim light of a miner's lamp, I indeed saw a winding steel track.

It stands quietly, spiraling upwards.

At the starting point of the track, a "convertible" mine cart resembling a small trolley appeared before everyone.

The small, dusty mining cart, its four wheels clinging to the rails and stained with rust, had an out-of-place, oversized industrial fan that looked like it had been salvaged from a garbage dump.

Several fan blades were bent and deformed, and the mesh cover was nowhere to be found, making it look extremely wild.

Several iron pipes with highly questionable purposes were attached to both ends of the fan blades.

"This is?"

As Bai Zhou was looking at it, Section Chief Liu handed him a heavy yellow miner's hat.

"Safety first!"

After saying that, Section Chief Liu swiftly organized everyone:
"Let's go in batches, Bai Zhou, you come with me."

With a "click," Bai Zhou turned on the miner's lamp, nicknamed "Little Yellow Hat."

A bright beam of light immediately shot out from his forehead, piercing through the darkness.

"..."

He didn't feel like he was going out to experience freedom.

It's more like they were kidnapped and sent to mine in a dark well.

After putting on his safety helmet, he approached the "open-top" mine car on the rails and carefully stepped onto it.

Even so, some dust still got on my pants.

"Sit down!"

Section Chief Liu, also wearing a miner's hat, sat down on it, swiped his card to unlock it, and pressed a button.

"I'm about to depart!"

"...Clang! Clang!"

With a jolt underfoot, the "open-top" minecart slowly started moving, its cheerful clanging echoing rhythmically in the silent tunnel.

The miner's lamp on the helmet illuminated the darkness ahead, and a hidden underground world slowly unfolded before Bai Zhou.

Water droplets slid down, covering the tunnel walls with wet, dark rocks, creating a colorful spectacle reminiscent of a frozen, magnificent starry night.

As the white boat turned its head, the beam of the miner's lamp swept across, occasionally revealing tiny, glittering specks—small fragments of mineral embedded in the stone.

There's a simple yet wonderful novelty here, as if you're listening to the heartbeat of this planet up close.

The minecart traveled along what seemed like a secret path from the earth's core, reminding Bai Zhou of the underground adventure stories he had read in Wancheng—

Adventurers exploring dungeon treasures swung their swords at the slimes blocking their path.

The slime didn't dodge; its body stuck to the sword.

Then the slime reported this to the black robes—because Night City does not allow the possession of sharpened weapons.

Bai Zhou remembered that the full name of this adventure story was something like "A Popular Science on the Ban on Swords in the Evening City," and it was said that the compiler was an elder in black robes.

There are no slimes here, but it is a genuine underground world.

So, Bai Zhou was the adventurer riding the minecart.

But there are no treasures from a pre-civilization here.
All that remained were countless traps dug up underground by the Special Administration...

Bai Zhou had already spotted many machine gun bunkers and electric fences out of the corner of his eye.

In places unseen, who knows how many more lurking crises are brewing.

This tunnel, carved out of the ground, is the only access route in and out of the base, and also the security zone that the Special Administration has built for itself.

Under these circumstances, how dare the Blood Worship Cult even set its sights on the Special Administration Bureau...?

As Bai Zhou was pondering this in his heart, he suddenly heard Section Chief Liu's deep voice in his ear:

"Did you know that this tunnel is very long? Normally it can take up to twenty minutes to pass through, which is very inconvenient."

"In the end, it was those lunatics at the research institute who solved the problem."

As he spoke, Section Chief Liu suddenly pulled out a strap from the side and fastened it to the slot from left to right, securing himself safely.

"Sit tight, Bai Zhou!"

"what?"

Bai Zhou immediately followed suit, but he was very puzzled.

Section Chief Liu's expression was profound: "You've heard of..."

"Propeller-driven jet acceleration?"

"what?"

Bai Zhou could no longer understand what he was saying.

"I'll say it one last time—"

Section Chief Liu's voice came again.

"I'm going to speed up!"

Then, under Bai Zhou's gaze, which seemed to turn as if he had seen a ghost:
The broken fan blades, whose purpose was unclear, began to spin at an accelerated speed, and in the blink of an eye, they emitted a huge roar like a propeller.

The crooked "water pipes" inserted next to it suddenly sprayed out translucent gas.

then,

got windy.

With a loud bang,
The translucent gas behind the "water pipe" was ignited, shooting out a long, dark blue tail flame.

A sudden surge of pressure hit me.

“Ahhhhh——!”

With Bai Zhou's exclamation, the open-top minecart roared and accelerated through the endless dark tunnel.

"Boom boom boom!"

Speeding like lightning, leaving everyone else in the dust!
A group of bats resting upside down on the cave ceiling were startled and took flight in a large swarm, like a moving velvet cloak, only to be left far behind in the darkness behind the mine cart in the blink of an eye.

Bai Zhou stayed close behind, trembling with fear!
Blue Star, they're racing cars inside the belly of this planet!
Speeding through the underground world in a modified minecart that looks like a handcart...

Although this is even more fantastical than a fairy tale, Shiraishu is indeed experiencing this absurd adventure.

In a blink of an eye,
The mine cart then traveled over mountains and valleys to reach its end.

At the end of the track was a tightly closed, sealed gate.

"Clang, clang..."

The dilapidated minecart finally slowed down.

The propeller stopped spinning.

The jet nozzle no longer emits exhaust flames.

"Here we are."

Section Chief Liu writhed in the cramped mine cart, unbuckled his seatbelt, and prepared to get off.

—White Boat, an underground being from the depths,
He was about to arrive on an unfamiliar surface of land.

"drop--"

Section Chief Liu swiped his card to authenticate at the door.

The dark and heavy door slowly opened.

What is the outside world like?
Bai Zhou's mind wandered as a result.

But he also knew that the first thing he would see was definitely not Tinghai City.

Given the sheer size of the underground base, it's clear that there couldn't possibly be an inhabited city overhead.

—It goes without saying that the base is located in the suburbs.

So he would probably first see the flowers, trees and plants of Earth, and the boundless, uninhabited wilderness.

Then we went into the city together.

So, did he have a chance to go to Dongxing Road in the meantime to see the Dead Sea Scrolls...?

It seems difficult.

Bai Zhou pondered this possibility.

The rock face trembled, and dust fell in a rustling sound.

The outside world gradually came into view.

“This is…” Bai Zhou blinked.

What came into view was completely different from the boundless, desolate countryside I had imagined.

But it's not exactly a city.

—Just a bare… storage room?

The main gate is embedded in one of the walls.

Following Section Chief Liu out of the storage room, we entered a dimly lit room filled with shelves, the roller shutter door tightly closed.

"clatter……"

Section Chief Liu stepped forward slowly and lifted the roller shutter door little by little.

Light burst in.

A torrent of pure, natural light, and golden rays of light that were completely unfamiliar to Bai Zhou, surged forth one after another from the crack in the open door.

"clatter……"

The white boat slowly approached the entrance. The towering, unfamiliar building, composed of countless huge panes of glass and gleaming metal, shimmered with dazzling light under its dome.

Neon lights flashed alternately, accompanied by the honking of horns, the friction of tires against the ground, and the indistinct laughter of the crowd, all converging into a surging tide.

In the distance, the "iron boxes" that Bai Zhou had recently learned were called cars formed moving ribbons of light, and the crowd flowed like a river.

And there was a strange, clear blue sky.

With the golden sun.

Everything, both unfamiliar and extremely prosperous, was vividly presented to Bai Zhou.

—Just across the street, there is a skyscraper that is the tallest and most eye-catching among all the buildings.

A huge electronic sign hangs on the roof of this impressive building.

The lights above flashed brightly even during the day, displaying the words—

"Welcome to Tinghai!"

This huge sign can probably be seen throughout the entire Tinghai area.

Bai Zhou stared blankly at everything before him, then belatedly turned around to look behind him.

The truly wise live in seclusion in the city!
It turns out the underground base wasn't in the suburbs, but right beneath the center of Tinghai City.

...Bai Zhou looked up at the sky.

This dilapidated little house, located in the city center and closed year-round, has a sign that is almost completely peeling off.

—"A General Store of All Kinds of Curiosities"!
The entrance to the underground base of the Special Administrative Region's 36th branch is hidden within.

At this time,

With a loud "boom"—

A sudden, deep roar of an engine brought Bai Zhou back to his senses.
Bai Zhou then realized that while he was in a daze, Section Chief Liu had disappeared without him noticing.

"Where did you go...?"

"Drip!"

The horn blared twice, followed by Section Chief Liu's shout:

"Bai Zhou! Here I am!"

Bai Zhou hurriedly looked in the direction of the sound, then blinked, almost unable to believe his eyes.

"Section Chief Liu?!"

A car is parked on the side of the road in a bustling street.

The pale yellow Maserati MC20 is as elegant as a swan with its neck outstretched.

In the driver's seat, a cool and handsome middle-aged man with a square, dark face, dressed in a striking white suit, was waving vigorously at Bai Zhou.

He wore the same sunglasses as the major, a gold chain around his neck, and a bright red rose ostentatiously tucked into the breast pocket of his suit.

If it weren't for that familiar thermos cup with the words "Thanksgiving and Limited Edition Gift" printed on it still visible in the car...

Even if the other party called him, Bai Zhou would never dare to recognize him as Section Chief Liu!
—Let's not even talk about where this car came from.

This person even changed into a different set of clothes from somewhere!

What about that reliable and simple-living older brother?

Bai Zhou stood there blankly.

"Now that we're in the city, we should act like city people!"

Section Chief Liu calmly stepped out of the car, his gleaming custom-made leather shoes clicking as he walked straight toward Bai Zhou.

An enormous cigar, its embers flickering, sat protruding from his open mouth.

"Never embarrass the organization, you'll get used to it eventually."

He gently patted Bai Zhou's shoulder, took off his heavy gold chain, and put it on Bai Zhou without saying a word.

Amidst the admiring glances and envious stares of passersby, Section Chief Liu, dressed in formal attire, opened the convertible butterfly door for Bai Zhou.

A smile appeared on the cool face behind the sunglasses:
"Welcome to Tinghai City, young man!"

Or should I say—

"Welcome home!"

(End of this chapter)