Chapter 649
After comforting everyone, Bai Ye walked out of the camp alone. It was late at night and the moonlight was thin, barely illuminating the way forward. His steps were firm and heavy, and every step seemed to carry invisible pressure. The hustle and bustle of the camp gradually faded away, replaced by the silent chirping of insects and the occasional roar of wild beasts in the distance, all of which made Bai Ye's mood more complicated.
He walked to the jeep parked on the side, and the door was suddenly opened by him, making a harsh metal collision sound. Bai Ye sat in the cab, started the engine, and the wheels rolled up a cloud of dust. The jeep rushed towards the ruins in the distance like a beast ready to go.
In the car, Bai Ye held the steering wheel tightly, his eyes like torches, penetrating the darkness ahead. His heart was full of doubts and uneasiness. Where did the unknown microorganism come from? Why did it suddenly appear here? He must find the answer, otherwise this fear and uneasiness will spread like a plague in the hearts of the soldiers.
The scenery outside the car window was rapidly receding, and the outline of the ruins looked even more eerie in the moonlight. Broken steel bars, broken bricks and tiles, and the ruins forgotten by time all tell of past disasters and vicissitudes. Bai Ye drove a jeep, shuttled through the ruins, looking for places where clues might be hidden.
Suddenly, a seemingly solid bunker came into view. It stood alone in the ruins, like an isolated island, waiting for brave explorers to come and uncover its secrets. Bai Ye's heart jumped suddenly, and he realized that this place might be the answer he had been looking for.
He stopped the car, turned off the engine, and pushed the door out. The night breeze blew on his face, bringing a hint of coolness, and also blew away some of the irritability in his heart. Bai Ye walked to the bunker and carefully observed the building. The door of the bunker was closed, covered with traces of time, but still looked very solid. He tried to push it, but the door did not move, obviously locked tightly by some force.
"It seems that I have to use some strength." Bai Ye muttered to himself. He took a deep breath, and the muscles of his whole body tensed up instantly, like a beast about to explode. Then, he pulled hard, and a huge force burst out instantly, and the whole bunker trembled. With a loud "bang", the door of the bunker was pulled open by him, revealing a dark passage inside.
Bai Ye did not hesitate, he turned on the flashlight and stepped into the bunker. The light of the flashlight drew a faint beam in the darkness, illuminating his way forward. The inside of the bunker looked more gloomy and terrifying than the outside, and the air was filled with a damp and moldy smell, which made people want to frown. But Bai Ye did not retreat, he continued to explore in depth.
Not long after walking, he came to a spacious basement. It was full of various sundries and abandoned equipment, and it was obvious that no one had been here for a long time. But Bai Ye's eyes were as sharp as a hawk, and he soon found an inconspicuous filing cabinet from a pile of sundries.
He walked quickly to the filing cabinet and pulled open the drawer. The drawer was filled with yellowed documents and notes, which were densely recorded with various data and experimental results. Bai Ye carefully flipped through the documents, trying to find clues about the unknown microorganism.
"These documents... seem to be records of some kind of biological experiments." Bai Ye muttered to himself. The more he read, the more frightened he felt, because these experiments seemed to be related to the microorganisms that could affect the human nervous system.
Just then, a burst of hurried footsteps came from the other end of the bunker. Bai Ye's heart tightened, he immediately turned off the flashlight and hid in a hidden corner. Not long after, several soldiers in protective clothing appeared in the basement. They were obviously attracted by the clues here and were searching for something.
"There are indeed clues here!" a soldier said excitedly, "It seems that we are not far from the truth!"
"But... these experimental records look very dangerous." Another soldier said worriedly, "Should we really continue to investigate?"
"No matter how dangerous it is, we must find the answer!" The first soldier said firmly, "Otherwise, how can we explain to those comrades who were harmed?"
Bai Ye hid in the dark, listening to the conversation of the soldiers, with mixed feelings in his heart. He realized that he was not the only one looking for the truth. These soldiers were also driven by the fear of the unknown, and they were willing to risk their lives to uncover the secret hidden in the darkness.
At this moment, a soldier suddenly found the place where Bai Ye was hiding. He suddenly raised his flashlight and shone it over, shouting: "Who is there? Come out!"
Bai Ye knew that he could no longer hide, so he had to bite the bullet and walked out of the corner. The soldiers immediately surrounded him and looked at him with vigilant eyes.
"Captain Bai Ye?" a soldier asked in surprise, "Why are you here?"
"I... I'm here to look for clues, too." Bai Ye said awkwardly, "I found some clues about that unknown microorganism."
The soldiers immediately became excited when they heard this, and they gathered in front of the file cabinet to check the experimental records. Bai Ye stood aside and observed them silently, but his heart was filled with complex emotions. He was moved by the bravery and perseverance of these soldiers; but he was also afraid and uneasy about the secret hidden in the darkness.
Bai Ye's face suddenly darkened, and a storm seemed to be brewing in his deep eyes. He turned around suddenly, staring at the soldiers gathered in front of the filing cabinet with a sharp gaze. His voice was low and powerful, with unquestionable majesty: "Enough! You are just wasting time here, and there is no substantial progress!"
The soldiers were stunned by Bai Ye's sudden roar, and they stopped their actions and looked at each other, their faces full of astonishment and confusion. They didn't expect that Captain Bai Ye, who was always calm and self-controlled and caring for his subordinates, would be so angry at this moment.
"We... We just want to help..." A soldier mustered up the courage and spoke carefully, with a hint of grievance in his voice.
"Help?" Bai Ye sneered, his tone full of sarcasm, "What you call help is to look for these outdated documents here aimlessly? Do you know that every second of delay may cause someone to die!"
The soldiers' faces became paler, they lowered their heads, and dared not look directly into Bai Ye's eyes. They knew that Bai Ye's words were harsh, but every word made sense. They really didn't find any valuable clues, they were just busy here blindly.
"Now, I order you to leave here immediately!" Bai Ye's voice was even colder, like the cold wind in winter, which made people shudder. "I don't want to see you waste time here anymore. Find something meaningful to do, such as strengthening the defense of the camp and ensuring the safety of everyone."
The soldiers did not dare to disobey the order. They packed up their things silently, lowered their heads one by one, and left the basement quickly and orderly. The door slammed shut behind them, isolating all the noise and anxiety outside.
Bai Ye stood there, looking at the backs of the soldiers leaving, with mixed feelings in his heart. He knew that his actions just now might be a bit extreme, but he really couldn't stand the feeling of powerlessness. He must find the secret hidden in the darkness, no matter how much it costs.
He took a deep breath, calmed down, and then refocused his attention on the documents. He squatted down and carefully flipped through each document, not missing any details. The light of the flashlight flickered in the dim basement, reflecting his resolute and focused face.
As time passed, Bai Ye seemed to be in another world, isolated from everything in the outside world. In his mind, there were only the data and experimental results on the documents, and he kept deducing various possibilities in his mind.
Finally, after several hours of hard work, Bai Ye found a key experimental report. This report records in detail the discovery process, characteristics and preliminary experimental results of the unknown microorganism. More importantly, it also mentions a possible inhibition method-a compound called "X-13".
Bai Ye's eyes suddenly lit up, and he felt as if he had grabbed a life-saving straw. He immediately put the report away carefully, then stood up and prepared to leave the basement. However, just as he was about to step out of the basement, he suddenly stopped.
He looked back at this place full of secrets and dangers, and a complex emotion surged in his heart. He knew that he might never come back here again, but this experience would be forever engraved in his memory.
He took a deep breath, and then resolutely stepped out of the basement door. The door slowly closed behind him, making a dull sound. Bai Ye did not look back, but walked forward silently, his heart filled with unprecedented firmness and determination.
He knew that he still had a long way to go. But he also believed that as long as he did not give up, he would one day uncover the secret hidden in the darkness and seek justice for those innocent victims.
The night was still dark, but the flame of hope had been ignited in Bai Ye's heart. He took firm steps and headed towards the unknown future. Behind him, the bunker full of secrets and dangers gradually disappeared into the darkness...
Bai Ye's hands were shaking, and the moonlight shone through the narrow window gap on the pile of scraps in his hand, reflecting his astonished and angry face. He suddenly realized that all his efforts and expectations just now were based on an absurd misunderstanding-this "experimental report" that he regarded as a life-saving straw was actually just an ordinary dessert seasoning list, recording how to prepare a retro-flavored marshmallow sauce.
"This... How is this possible?!" Bai Ye's voice trembled with anger. He stared at the fragments in disbelief, as if he wanted to stare a hole in them. The silence around him was broken by his anger at this moment, leaving only his heavy breathing and the subtle sound of the paper shattering.
The emotions of anger and disappointment came like a tide, almost drowning him. Bai Ye turned around suddenly and rushed back to the bunker with big strides. Every step seemed to step on his heart, painful and burning. He needed to vent, and needed a way to vent this sudden despair and anger.
Stepping into the bunker again, Bai Ye ignored the darkness and coldness around him. There was only a burning anger in his heart. He reached into his pocket and fumbled out a piece of marshmallow that he had stuffed into his pocket at some point. It was prepared by him to comfort the children when he was in the camp. At this moment, this small piece of marshmallow became his only comfort and outlet.
Bai Ye searched around and finally found some dry wood and a flint in the corner. He squatted down and skillfully rubbed the flint, sparks flew, and finally ignited the dry wood. The fire jumped in the darkness, illuminating Bai Ye's gloomy face and warming his cold heart.
He put the marshmallow on a slender branch and approached the flame. The marshmallow gradually expanded under the licking of the flame, and the surface showed a golden luster, exuding an attractive sweet smell. Bai Ye did not enjoy this simple delicacy immediately, but watched it quietly, as if he was having a silent dialogue with his inner anger and despair through this fire and this candy.
"Oh, what a irony." Bai Ye sneered, and his voice echoed in the empty bunker, "What am I running for? What am I angry for? It turned out to be just an empty joy..." His words were full of self-mockery and helplessness, but more of anger and unwillingness to the fickleness of fate.
However, as the marshmallow slowly melted in the flames, emitting an increasingly rich and sweet aroma, Bai Ye's mood seemed to have changed subtly. He suddenly realized that even in the face of great despair and frustration, life always has reasons and motivation to continue. Just like this piece of marshmallow, even in the darkest moments, you can find a hint of sweetness and warmth.
He took a bite of the marshmallow gently, and the soft and sweet taste instantly spread in his mouth, as if a spring of water poured into his dry heart. Bai Ye closed his eyes and enjoyed this rare tranquility and beauty, as if all the anger and despair disappeared at this moment.
When he opened his eyes again, the anger in his eyes had disappeared, replaced by a clear and firm. He knew that he couldn't give up just like that. No matter how many difficulties and challenges were waiting for him ahead, he had to stick to it. Because only in this way can he find the real answer and seek justice for those innocent victims.
Bai Ye stood up and threw the marshmallow stick in his hand into the fire, letting it turn into a wisp of green smoke and dissipate in the night sky. He turned and left the bunker, his steps more determined and powerful than when he came. He knew that he still had a long way to go, but he believed that as long as there was light and hope in his heart, he would be able to illuminate the way forward.
The night wind blew away the last trace of fire and warmth in the bunker. But an inextinguishable flame had already ignited in Bai Ye's heart, which was the love of life, the persistence of justice, and the infinite longing for the future.