The whole nation: You're put to survive on a desolate planet, you'll be running an alien b

The windshield wipers swung rhythmically, peeling away layers of mist from the windshield to reveal the distant, faintly visible buildings.

A black sedan drove away from the bustling city center, heading north along the winding mountain road. This is a well-known affluent suburb, also known as the cleanest lung in the city, called "Yunqi Valley". At the deepest part of Yunqi Valley, a magnificent building surrounded by ancient green trees stands silently, which is the public identity of Tianqi Biotechnology - Songtaoyuan High-end Sanatorium.

"Is this the headquarters of 'Apocalypse' that eats people alive?" Qin Yue glanced at the back seat through the rearview mirror, a sarcastic smile curving her lips. "The decoration is quite convincing; anyone who didn't know better would think it was some philanthropist's retirement home."

Li Haotian sat in the back row, wearing a well-tailored dark gray suit, his hair was neatly combed, and he wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. He had completely shed his previous stern aura and now looked like a shrewd and capable executive of a medical device company.

He was fiddling with a gold-embossed business card in his hand, which read "Director of Zhiyuan Medical Inspection Team".

"The bloodiest places often appear the most pristine," Li Haotian said calmly, his gaze sweeping through the car window as he surveyed the manor, which appeared exceptionally tranquil in the rain and mist. "That's their camouflage."

The car slowly came to a stop in front of the ornate wrought iron gate. Two security personnel in black uniforms, whose earpieces were faintly visible, immediately stepped forward and scanned the car's undercarriage and license plate with their scanners.

"Zhiyuan Medical, appointment made, to discuss the introduction of high-end rehabilitation equipment." Su Wan, in the driver's seat, rolled down half of the car window, a professional smile on her face, and handed over three perfectly forged electronic invitations.

The security personnel took the invitation, checked the information on their handheld terminals, and scanned the vehicle with wary eyes. Li Haotian remained calm, even slightly turning his head to look at a specially made flight case beside him.

It was an extremely luxurious pet carrier, with silver metal frames around its sides and intricate openwork ventilation holes. However, a series of muffled "thump, thump" sounds came from inside the carrier, the sound of something heavy hitting the sides.

"This is..." The security guard frowned and placed his hand on the baton at his waist.

"Oh, this is our mascot, a very valuable Bengal cat," Qin Yue quickly explained, patting the top of the box reassuringly. "It gets carsick a bit and has a bad temper, so just let us in."

A low growl came from inside the crate, sounding more like an enraged small wild animal than a cat. The security personnel frowned even more, and the red beam of the scanner lingered on the flight case for a few seconds.

Li Haotian spoke up at the opportune moment, his voice refined yet tinged with impatience: "The pedigree certificate for this cat is more expensive than the entire building. If you don't let us in, I think your CEO Chen will receive a call from the board of directors tomorrow."

This air of superiority seemed to dispel the security personnel's suspicions. In this strictly hierarchical affluent neighborhood, arrogance is often another form of proof of status.

"Excuse me, sir. Routine check, please come in."

The railing slowly rose, and the black sedan slid into the manor.

As the car entered the park, the first thing that caught the eye was a large expanse of neatly manicured lawns, dotted with several antique-style pavilions, and a misty lake—the environment was breathtakingly beautiful. However, Li Haotian's gaze grew increasingly cold.

"Su Wan, overlay the thermal image and the structural diagram," he ordered in a low voice.

Su Wan's fingers flew across the car's invisible keypad, and a pair of semi-transparent holographic glasses unfolded before her eyes.

"Boss, something's not right about this place." Su Wan said in a low voice as she parked the car in the most conspicuous VIP parking space. "Although it looks like it's nestled against the mountains and by the water, if you look closely at the location of these main buildings and the direction of the underground drainage system... this is not some kind of feng shui for health preservation at all."

Li Haotian pushed open the car door, his leather shoes stepping onto the damp marble floor without a speck of dirt. He looked around, his gaze sharp as a knife: "This is the 'Trapped Dragon Formation.' The main building is backed by a solitary peak, with water flowing in a reverse bow shape in front, and the two auxiliary buildings on the left and right are like two chains, tightly locking the energy in the middle. This kind of layout was used to imprison serious criminals in ancient times, but in modern times..."

He paused, looking at the imposing main building: "Only when something is used to cover up something shady would it be necessary to use this kind of sinister energy to suppress it."

"There's something even more outrageous." Su Wan followed behind him, holding the flight case that was still protesting in her arms. Her eyes seemed to be looking at the scenery, but in fact, the data stream in her iris was frantically scrolling. "The total power of all the facilities on the ground is less than 15 percent of the total energy consumption of this park."

"What about the remaining 85%?" Qin Yue carried an ordinary-looking briefcase, inside which were hidden dismantling tools. She calmly observed the blind spots of the surrounding cameras.

"They're all underground." Su Wan's voice was so soft that only the three of them could hear it. "There are at least five layers underground, and the heat source reactions are unusually dense. When I was scanning just now, I captured an extremely high frequency band, like some kind of large particle accelerator, or... a gene sequencing array."

The little black creature inside the flight case seemed to sense something, and it pounded on the sides of the case even more violently. Its head, covered in black spots, was faintly visible through the air vent, and its golden pupils revealed a violent rage.

"It seems it smells its own kind, or perhaps the scent of an enemy." Li Haotian tapped the box lightly and whispered, "Quiet down."

Surprisingly, upon hearing this sound, the restlessness inside the box immediately subsided considerably, leaving only a few dissatisfied snores.

The three walked into the main lobby. The revolving doors slowly opened, and a warm, dry, cool breeze wafted out, carrying a faint scent of aromatherapy. The lobby was decorated with extreme luxury; crystal chandeliers cast a soft glow, and thick wool carpets covered the floor, making it feel completely silent as one walked on them.

"Welcome to the Zhiyuan Medical delegation."

A young woman in a white, fitted uniform with a name tag on her chest walked towards us, her smile impeccably gentle. "I'm the marketing manager here, just call me Aria. General Manager Chen is already waiting for you in the conference room."

"Lead the way." Li Haotian nodded slightly, his tone indifferent.

In the corridor leading to the conference room, Li Haotian's gaze seemingly casually swept over the decorative paintings on the walls. The paintings were all abstract diagrams of biological structures, with cells, DNA double helixes, and human skeletons intertwined. Although they were called art, they exuded an unsettling sense of distortion.

"The security here is more than ten times higher than in those abandoned buildings," Qin Yue's voice rang in Li Haotian's ears through bone conduction headphones. "There are microwave detectors in the corridors, and voiceprint collectors at every corner. That cat... I mean, Xiao Hei, its heart rate is a bit high. Could it be detected?"

"Su Wan, interrupt for a moment." Li Haotian didn't stop walking; he was even chatting with Aria about the market prospects of rehabilitation therapy.

"Injecting noise to simulate the heartbeat frequency of a flock of pigeons," Su Wan replied quickly. "This cat's heartbeat is so fast, it's like a mouse that just finished a marathon."

The group walked through a long corridor and arrived at an elevator. Aria didn't press the floor button, but instead gently pressed her palm on the sensor area.

"Identity confirmed." A soft, electronic female voice came from inside the elevator. "Please proceed to level B3."

Li Haotian's pupils contracted slightly. B3? Why would a so-called "high-end sanatorium" go directly to the third basement level?

Aria seemed to sense their confusion and explained with a smile, "Our core rehabilitation equipment and simulation chambers are all underground, where the temperature and humidity are constant, which is more beneficial for the guests' physical conditioning."

"I see." Li Haotian smiled, but there was no smile in his eyes.

The elevator doors slowly closed, reflecting the four figures on the mirrored stainless steel interior. The flight case lay quietly at Qin Yue's feet, the tip of Xiao Hei's tail protruding from the vent, like a nimble black snake's tongue, trembling slightly in the air, seemingly probing for unknown danger.

As the elevator descended, the feeling of gravity made Li Haotian's heart tighten slightly. He knew he was walking step by step toward the heart of the abyss, but he felt no fear.

Because true hunters are often better at lurking in the dark than their prey.

With a "ding," the elevator doors opened again.

A distinct odor, carrying a faint smell of disinfectant and metallic rust, instantly filled everyone's nostrils. Although the surroundings were still decorated like a five-star hotel, the oppressive atmosphere weighed heavily on everyone's hearts.

Welcome to the true Apocalypse Creatures.