Chapter 234: Mysterious Container

"Didn't I say to get the medical pod back first?"

"Lin Xian, come quick, there's something amazing here!" Kiki's voice sounded urgent.

Hearing this, Lin Xian frowned, gripped his black rifle, and called out to Ding Junyi: "Let's go check the ninth floor."

Ding Junyi clutched a stack of documents, reluctant to leave, but Lin Xian grabbed her arm and pulled her along without hesitation.

They followed the corridor to the elevator area; Lin Xian pressed the button and took Ding Junyi down to the ninth floor.

This was the area Hua Xiaoling had brought him to before; Lin Xian remembered its layout well. The floor was exceptionally spacious, vastly different from others—its ceiling height alone equaled three standard floors. The ceiling was made of a material resembling a sky dome, projecting real-time images of blue skies and white clouds.

Some fake windows along the corridor displayed high-rise buildings and dense forests, clearly designed to relieve stress and prevent foundation members working underground from becoming too depressed.

Lin Xian led Ding Junyi through several large office zones, walking straight down a long corridor until they saw the building waiting at a doorway.

"Boss."

"What's going on?" Lin Xian asked.

He glanced at the nameplate on the room: "Hua Xiaoling." He immediately realized this was her office.

The Building rubbed its head. "I'm not sure. Go take a look."

Without hesitation, Lin Xian pushed the door open. Inside was a large semi-circular room. Beyond the massive panoramic window lay the grand research square he and Kiki had seen earlier—now completely empty.

Glass cultivation pods were shattered and hollow; maintenance platforms for mechanical suits stood vacant. Only a few seemingly unimportant research devices remained in place.

"Captain Lin."

Shu Qin's voice came from behind. Lin Xian turned to see Kiki standing before an open mechanical wall, arms crossed, eyes bright with excitement and curiosity. She pointed to a nearby explosion-proof metal password door, two meters in diameter, and said: "Guess how I found it?"

Lin Xian walked over and examined it: "This can't be Hua Xiaoling's safe, but it's way too big."

"Whatever's inside is definitely a secret," Kiki said. She used her telekinesis to rotate a nearby decorative statue, and the mechanical wall behind her sealed shut again.

"See? Pretty cool, right?"

"Open it," Lin Xian said, eyes gleaming. When Kiki reopened the mechanical wall, he stepped forward, placed his hand on the explosion-proof metal door, and activated his Mechanical Heart to overlay it.

After a moment, he frowned. "It's complicated. There's a large space behind this. Everyone be careful."

Hearing this, The Building and Shu Qin immediately drew their weapons and took up a triangular formation, watching the door.

Clank~

A metallic latch clicked open as Lin Xian slowly unlocked the door. The instant it opened, a chilling electric current surged out, making their skin crawl.

"Watch out!"

Whoo~

Kiki took over, using telekinesis to fully open the door. Everyone stepped back, peering inside. Inside was a dark corridor. Lights flickered on along the floor, stretching toward a distant room emitting a faint crimson glow.

Without hesitation, Lin Xian stepped inside. Kiki followed.

As soon as they crossed the threshold, an intense silence enveloped them. The floor was spotless; even their footsteps vanished instantly. The room and corridor seemed lined with ultra-high-end sound-absorbing material.

Lin Xian and Kiki exchanged glances, then turned forward. A few steps later, they reached the room glowing with eerie red light. The moment they faced it, both froze.

"What is this thing?"

Kiki exclaimed.

In the spacious chamber stood a circular metal base, surrounded by rows of diamond-shaped pillars all pointing upward. Suspended above the base by a slender metal arm was a bizarre device, its surrounding pillars glowing faintly red.

Lin Xian's brow tightened. The device resembled a small solidification pod, about one meter tall, its cylindrical core filled with red liquid—unknown contents.

"Looks like a specialized containment unit. But I don't know what's inside the tube," Lin Xian said.

"Who cares what it is—let's take a look."

Kiki wrinkled her nose, reached out, and used telekinesis to snatch the device midair.

But as she drew it closer to examine it, her face paled instantly. Her eyes widened, her telekinesis flickered, and the device slipped from her grasp, tumbling toward the floor.

Lin Xian reacted instantly, lunging forward to catch it.

Thud~ A heavy force slammed into his hands. His powered armor's spinal actuators sensed instability and automatically generated torque; the hydraulic power units hummed loudly, finally stabilizing the load.

"Oh my!" Kiki stumbled back two steps, breathing heavily, staring at the containment device in Lin Xian's hands. "Strange… why did my ability suddenly feel unstable?"

Lin Xian's forehead glistened with sweat. His shock matched Kiki's—he felt it too.

This sensation was identical to when he faced Ding Qing at the Yuzhen Chemical Plant.

If not for his powered armor, he wouldn't have been able to catch it at all.

"Be careful," Lin Xian said, eyes fixed on the red liquid inside the cylinder. "This might contain the same substance as the pseudo-beast louse's mist."

Kiki frowned and stepped back. "So it's meant to suppress psychics?"

"This… doesn't seem to be."

Lin Xian leaned closer. The red liquid seemed to contain something—but no matter how he stared, he couldn't make it out.

He tried studying the device's structure for switches or controls, but found nothing.

He sighed, then activated his Mechanical Heart, attempting to scan it and understand its nature.

【Scan complete. Unknown Device 03 (blueprint) acquired.】

Surprisingly, the scan succeeded easily—but not with a useful blueprint. Instead, Lin Xian realized it was an automated containment vessel, requiring a password to unlock.

Lin Xian's heart tightened. A spark of electricity shot from his palm. Instantly, a bright light flashed above the red containment device, revealing a holographic display.

【Enter matrix password: ————】 Kiki and Lin Xian stared at each other.

"Needs a password? Can't your mechanical ability open it?"

Lin Xian frowned, sank his Mechanical Heart into the device, located the unlock mechanism, and gently activated it.

In the next instant, the holographic display flickered violently and emitted a piercing alarm.

【ALERT: Forced opening will cause Re-suspension Fluid to undergo internal collapse, destroying the contained object.】

Lin Xian was baffled. "Re-suspension Fluid? What the hell is that?"

"How would I know?" Kiki retreated several meters. Only then did she feel her body relax. She stared at the massive device in Lin Xian's hands, expression complex. "Weird. This Foundation's got nothing but weird stuff."

Lin Xian looked at the password screen—it was an eleven-digit numeric format. His head spun. How the hell was he supposed to guess that?

Squeak, squeak~

Lin Xian stood up. Though his body felt slightly weak, he wasn't completely drained. Apparently, the container's shielding reduced the device's direct impact on them.

"You can't open it either?" Kiki asked.

!

Lin Xian shook his head, gently placing the containment device on the floor. "It's too precise, with anti-theft systems. Forcing it open could cause trouble."

"Then what do we do?"

"Dump it." Lin Xian clapped his hands.

"Dump it?" Kiki stared, bewildered. "Hey, this thing was hidden this well—it's gotta be top secret. Why throw it away?"

Lin Xian shrugged. "The whole research base evacuated—why didn't they take this 'top secret'? Besides, we don't even know what it is, it suppresses bodily functions, can't be opened, and might be dangerous. What's the point of keeping it?"

"Uh…" Lin Xian's logic left Kiki speechless. She sighed. "Fine, whatever you say."

Lin Xian exhaled. He gestured to Kiki. "Let's go."

He glanced at the containment device on the floor, then followed Kiki toward the exit.

But as soon as Lin Xian reached the corridor entrance, his Mechanical Heart suddenly went into uncontrollable overdrive.

【Mechanical Heart, activate!】

【Mechanical Heart, activate!】

【Mechanical Heart, activate!】

Boom! Boom!

"What's happening?" Lin Xian thought in alarm. Why was his Mechanical Heart activating on its own?

Whooooo!!!!!!

A massive engine roar erupted inside Lin Xian's mind!

【Lin Xian!】

A deep, mechanical roar shattered his ear. His entire body stiffened; every hair stood on end. He whipped around—only to see the massive containment device emitting an extremely faint red glow.

"Lin Xian?!!"

"Lin Xian!!"

The buzzing faded. Kiki's voice drew nearer, pulling him out of his daze.

Huh!

Lin Xian was drenched in sweat. He turned to Kiki, who looked equally startled. "Did you hear that?"

Kiki glanced around, confused. "Hear what? I walked out, noticed you weren't following, turned back, and found you frozen here. I thought something was wrong with you."

"That loud noise—you didn't hear it?" Lin Xian frowned.

"Hear what?"

Lin Xian froze. He turned sharply toward the red container on the floor, his eyes filled with complexity.

What the hell? Why did my Mechanical Heart activate uncontrollably?

Where did that engine sound come from?

Who called my name?

In that instant, Lin Xian felt as if he'd just woken from a nightmare—he had no idea what was happening.

His racing heartbeat slowed. A sharp gleam flashed in his eyes. He walked over, raised his hand, and constructed a thick, precision-engineered metal case. He placed the containment device inside and sealed it shut.

Instantly, the suppressing force on his body lessened.

"Lin Xian, changed your mind?" Kiki asked, watching his actions.

"Take it back. We'll study it later." Lin Xian's expression was grave. The previous events were too strange. A strange intuition stirred in his subconscious: this device might be crucial to his future. He'd changed his mind—he'd take it aboard the Infinite.

Shu Qin and Da Lou watched as Lin Xian and Kiki carried out a large iron chest from the secret room, both momentarily puzzled.

At the same time, they both sensed that faint suppressing force.

"Big Guy, you carry it."

Kiki used her ability to pass the iron chest to Da Lou, who expected to lift it easily—but the moment he grasped it, his body weakened, nearly dropping it; he bent low, planted a stable stance, grunted deeply, and finally managed to hoist the chest.

"Huh? It's this heavy?"

"It's not the object that's heavy—it's your strength that's weakened," Lin Xian said directly. "Let's go, first take that medical pod back."

The entire research facility was vast; it was impossible to search it all at once. Since the place was abandoned, Lin Xian took the opportunity to claim its leftovers—this underground research center, designed to house thousands, must have contained countless everyday supplies. Though many vital items had already been removed, plenty of research instruments here were perfect for him to devour.

(End of Chapter)