American comic book: I, with my abundant martial virtue, love to do good to others.

The two continued their drone search and eventually found a suspicious mine tunnel entrance about a mile from the main entrance. The tunnel appeared to have been abandoned for many years, but the surrounding soil showed signs of renovation, indicating recent activity.

"It might be here," Lynn said, pointing to the screen. "Let's go in and take a look, but be careful."

After retrieving the drone, the two equipped themselves with portable tools and weapons and began their trek towards the mine tunnel. The mountain path was steep, and a slight misstep could send them tumbling into a deep ravine, but Lynn and Mark remained focused, carefully avoiding any potential traps.

As they approached the mine tunnel, Lynn carefully observed the surroundings through his binoculars, making sure there were no obvious guards or surveillance equipment before leading Mark closer. They cautiously inspected the tunnel entrance and found an iron gate half-open, secured by a complex electronic lock.

"Looks like this is a backup entrance," Mark said in a low voice. "They use it to transport equipment or for emergency evacuations."

"We need to try not to alert them." Lynn took out a portable decoder from his toolbox and carefully cracked the lock. A few minutes later, the latch made a soft "click," and the iron door slowly opened.

The mine tunnel was dark and damp, filled with the smells of mildew and rust. Lynn turned on his flashlight and carefully led Mark forward. The walls on both sides of the tunnel were lined with rusty tracks, suggesting they had once been used to transport ore.

"They might be using the old mine tunnels for transportation," Lynn said, "but we need to find the specific route to the base."

The two men proceeded along the mine tunnel, carefully avoiding any possible sensors or alarm devices. About half an hour later, they came to a fork in the road, at the end of which was a newly installed metal door with a fingerprint scanner mounted on the frame.

"Looks like we've arrived," Mark said in a low voice, "but we can't crack this lock."

Lynn frowned and thought for a moment, then said, "We need more intelligence to see if we can find an easier way to infiltrate. The security here is too tight; we can't risk alerting them."

The two decided to retreat first and bring back the intelligence they had discovered for further analysis. They carefully retraced their steps, making sure they left no trace.

Back at the temporary base, Lynn imported all the footage from the drone into his computer and began analyzing it frame by frame. He noticed that there seemed to be a hidden ventilation duct next to the mine tunnel, which could be another route they had taken to infiltrate.

"This is our breakthrough point," Lynn said, pointing to the screen. "The ventilation ducts are more well hidden than the main entrance and the mine tunnels. If we can find a way into the ducts, we'll have a chance to enter the base directly."

Mark nodded: "But we need to prepare more equipment. The defenses here are no joke; we can't afford to make any mistakes."

Lynn took a deep breath, his eyes filled with determination: "No matter how difficult it is, we must find the truth. This is not only for Allen's parents, but also for everyone who has been hurt by this organization."

After repacking their gear, Lynn and Mark decided to head to Blackrock Mountain again. This time, they planned to bypass the mine tunnels and enter the experimental base directly through the ventilation ducts. Although this route was more concealed, it also meant they would face more unknowns and greater dangers.

Night had fallen, the air was crisp and cold, and the mountain path remained rugged and uneven. Lynn and Mark, using drone footage and previously gathered intelligence, deduced the location of the ventilation duct. After a period of climbing, they finally reached their target location, hidden behind a massive rock.

"This place isn't one that ordinary people can find easily," Mark said in a low voice, placing his hands on the rocks and carefully examining his surroundings.

"Yes, indeed." Lynn gazed around, his eyes sharp. "This is one of their secret passages, and it should be heavily fortified with security measures. We can't let them find us."

The two began inspecting the ventilation duct entrance, and as Lynn had predicted, there was an iron door with a complex security system. Lynn took out a decoder from his bag and began slowly cracking the lock. The night outside deepened, and all was silent, as if everything awaited their decision.

A few minutes later, the lock clicked softly, and the iron gate opened silently. Lynn and Mark exchanged a glance, signaling to enter.

The ventilation ducts were very narrow, and the air was humid and stuffy. The two carefully squeezed into the ducts, keeping a low profile to avoid making too much noise. Due to the complex layout of the ducts, they tried to follow the route closest to the core area of ​​the base, using a pre-prepared map.

"Based on our previous intelligence, this pipe should lead directly to the central control room of the experimental base," Lynn said in a low voice. "We need to avoid attracting attention as much as possible; once exposed, it could lead to even bigger trouble."

Mark nodded. "We'll be careful to make sure we don't trigger any alarms. But I have to admit, this kind of place is really unsettling."

“Yes.” Lynn took a deep breath, his gaze resolute. “But we cannot back down. This concerns the fate of many people. We must find out the true face of ‘Daedalus’.”

After groping their way through the ventilation ducts for about half an hour, Lynn and Mark finally approached the core area of ​​the base. They stopped in front of a ventilation shaft and looked out through a small window, seeing some clear signs: several uniformed security personnel were patrolling, indicating that the security measures here were more stringent than they had expected.

"It seems we can't go in directly," Lynn said in a low voice. "There are definitely surveillance cameras around here. We need to find a way to go around them."

Just as the two were preparing to continue searching for a better entry point, they suddenly heard footsteps, followed by a bright searchlight sweeping across the entrance to the pipe. They immediately crouched down and remained concealed.

"They've spotted us," Mark whispered, gripping his weapon tightly. "We need to get out of here."

However, the organization's security was clearly much tighter, and soon Lynn and Mark found themselves completely surrounded. Several fully armed security personnel suddenly appeared in the surrounding corridors, seemingly having detected the intruders.

"Damn it, we didn't expect them to react so quickly," Lynn muttered, his brow furrowed. "We've been discovered."

Mark quickly drew his pistol, preparing for the impending conflict: "We have to break the encirclement and find a chance to escape."

However, the alarm suddenly sounded, the experimental base's security system activated, and red warning lights began flashing all around. The guards acted swiftly, quickly surrounding Lynn and Mark's location.

Lynn quickly assessed the situation and decided to use smoke grenades to create chaos and buy time for his evacuation. He took a smoke grenade from his equipment bag and threw it violently to one side of the base. Thick smoke quickly spread, blurring the entire passageway in just a few seconds.

"Quick, now's the time!" Lynn shouted, pulling Mark along as they retreated to the other end of the ventilation duct.

They struggled through the smoke, the surrounding darkness making their movements even more difficult, but Lynn remained calm and accurately judged their direction. Meanwhile, the guards in the smoke lost their sight, and Lynn and Mark seized the opportunity to quickly retreat deeper into the smoke.

However, just when they thought they could escape smoothly, a loud explosion suddenly rang out, and the entire passage shook violently. The chaos created by the smoke grenades did not completely conceal them, and the base's traps and countermeasures began to activate, further exacerbating their predicament.

"Hurry up and get out of here!" Lynn shouted, leading Mark away from the blast area. The shockwave from the explosion caused the entire pipe to shake violently, and they practically relied on instinct and experience to get through this most dangerous section.

Fortunately, the smoke grenades and their prior preparations prevented Lynn and Mark from suffering fatal injuries. But when they finally reached a relatively safe place, exhaustion and tension almost made them unsteady on their feet.

"Are you alright?" Mark asked, panting, gripping his weapon tightly and keeping a watchful eye on his surroundings.

"I'm fine." Lynn was breathing heavily. He quickly checked his equipment to make sure nothing important was missing. "The retreat was rushed, but at least we brought back some things."

He took out several hard drives containing data and handwritten notes from his backpack, which were arguably their most valuable finds from the raid on the base. Despite encountering unexpected obstacles and fierce resistance, they still managed to obtain more valuable clues.

"This operation was somewhat chaotic, but at least we survived and brought back new clues." Lynn took a deep breath and looked at Mark. "We're not at the end yet, but we're getting closer and closer to the truth."

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Mark nodded, his face showing exhaustion, but his eyes still gleaming with determination: "Yes, we can't stop. The next step is to find out the truth behind these data and save them from this dark world."

After a short rest and reorganizing their gear, the two began their return journey to Manhattan.

Lynn and Mark finally returned to Manhattan, bringing with them the data and records they had successfully retrieved from the Black Rock Mountain base. Although they had escaped a dangerous situation, the physical and mental exhaustion remained. Lynn knew that while the raid had not yet resulted in fatal consequences, it was far from enough to uncover the truth. And in his heart, Kate remained a constant worry.

Kate's concern lingered in his mind, especially her words that night—she was always so warm and caring. Whenever he thought of her, his heart was filled with complex emotions. The pressure and tasks at work were important, but every time he talked to Kate, he could feel a comfort and dependence that was different from the focus and seriousness at work.

Lynn took out her phone and saw Kate's text message: "Are you okay? You haven't replied to my message today."

He hesitated for a moment, but finally decided to dial her number.

"Kate, I'm back." Kate's voice came through the phone, tinged with a hint of anxiety: "Lynn, it's so good to hear you! I just heard you went to the 'Black Rock Mountain' base. How did it go? Are you alright?"

Hearing Kate's anxious tone, Lynn relaxed slightly. He took a deep breath and tried to keep his voice steady: "I'm fine, Kate. It's just... a bit of an accident, we were almost ambushed, but luckily we managed to evacuate successfully."

Kate visibly relaxed, but then her expression turned worried: "We were almost ambushed? Are you alright? Where are you now?"

"I'm in the office, organizing some data." Lynn paused, his voice lowering slightly. "Kate, I don't want you to worry, really. I appreciate your concern, but you know, this job is never safe. You don't have to..."

“Don’t say ‘no need,’” Kate interrupted him, her tone firm yet tinged with anxiety. “Lynn, you always bear it all alone, whether it’s danger or your own emotions. I know you’ve done so much for those who are missing, but I also hope you can pay attention to yourself, especially to the people around you. If something really happens…”

"No, you won't," Lynn reassured her softly. "I've been very careful, Kate. I promise, even though this is an emergency, I'll do my best to keep you out of trouble."

Kate listened silently, paused for a moment, and then said softly, "Sometimes you really make me angry, Lynn. You always put so much pressure on yourself, but I know it's not that you don't care about others, it's just... you always blame yourself too much, taking all the responsibility on your own. You feel like you have to protect everyone, but I want you to know that you are not alone."

As Lynn listened to her voice, a complex mix of emotions welled up inside him. Kate's concern warmed his heart, but it also made him feel guilty, because he knew that sometimes he was too focused on his work and neglected those who cared about him, especially Kate.

"I..." Lynn paused, then said in a deep voice, "Kate, I don't want you to worry anymore. Really."

Kate sighed softly on the other end of the phone: "I just want you to understand, Lynn. You're a good person, but you can't always shoulder all the responsibility alone. Sometimes, I wish I could do something for you too."

Lynn stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the city lights outside through the glass. Countless thoughts swirled in his mind. He involuntarily closed his eyes, feeling a strange sense of oppression. Kate's words struck a soft spot deep within him, causing a slight tremor.

"Kate..." Lynn's voice was low and firm, "If you can do one thing for me, I hope you take care of yourself. Don't worry about me anymore, I know what I should do."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, then Kate said softly, "Okay, I will. But you have to promise me that if there's any more danger in the future, remember to tell me, and don't try to tough it out alone again."

Lynn smiled slightly. Although she couldn't see him, he knew her care and persistence. He whispered, "Thank you, Kate. You really make me feel less alone." (End of Chapter)