Chapter 110: Prop Team

Ding Mo's back was pressed tight against the concrete wall, the rough surface rubbing against his combat suit and emitting a faint rustling sound.

The night wind swept across the base, whipping up sandy leaves, while insects danced in the beams of the searchlights.

Ding Mo lowered his head slightly, letting the shadow of his cap brim cover his eyes, his sharp gaze constantly scanning the layout ahead.

In the distance, the windows of the barracks revealed dim yellow light, and the whispers of soldiers drifted over occasionally.

The radar station's antenna rotated slowly in the night sky. Outside the command center, two sentries stood with rifles, like two frozen statues.

Ding Mo recalled Lu Yue's account in his mind, comparing it point by point.

He narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the parking lot—several armored vehicles were parked there, their thick steel plates gleaming with a cold light.

"Ordinary soldiers wouldn't know the location of the 'Hotel'... but if it were the commander, or..."

His gaze suddenly paused.

Among the neatly arranged military-green armored vehicles, a pure black small truck looked completely out of place.

After pondering for a moment, Ding Mo merged into the darkness and crept toward that vehicle.

There was no one in the parking lot; the night wind whipped up dust, and the searchlight beams swept across the lot. Ding Mo seized the blind spot of the lights and silently pressed against the truck.

A moment later, he crouched halfway at the rear of the vehicle, pulled a metal wire as thin as a hair from his tactical belt, and inserted it into the gap of the electronic lock. His fingertips moved slightly, the lock cylinder emitted a faint "click," and the compartment door quietly slid open a crack.

The interior of the compartment was pitch black, with only the faint light from the distant searchlights occasionally sweeping over, revealing the blurry outlines of things stacked inside.

Ding Mo slipped inside, gently closed the compartment door, took out a micro-flashlight, and illuminated the compartment.

Inside, several sets of familiar costumes were hung neatly—the comical outfit of a "Dwarf," the lace dress of a "Princess," and so on.

There were also wooden apples, silver-plated dinner knives, antique-style candlesticks... each item was eerily exquisite, as if it had just been moved out of some Tonghua Juchang.

Looking at this scene, Ding Mo was stunned for a long time.

So, the 'Prop Team' were people from the military!

Otherwise, how could the various props on the vehicle be explained?

"Our Task at that time, it turns out, was being monitored the whole time, but those Guaishou, they shouldn't be able to control them."

But why would they do this? As Ding Mo wondered, he couldn't help but recall the Terror Mission in the Hotel a month or so ago.

According to the notes obtained in the underground room at the end, everything seemed to be some kind of Ritual. And the purpose of the Ritual itself was to obtain the strange power within the Different Space.

But the initial Ritual failed, and after that, it seemed that every once in a while, the Ritual would restart,

and there were signs of interference by external forces.

It was likely these military people who were interfering; clearly, they were preventing the Ritual from succeeding.

As for why they didn't just let the Ritual disappear from the world instead of letting it constantly restart, it was likely because they couldn't do so for some reason.

In such a dangerous place, the reason why there were still residential towns nearby might also be for the same reason...

As for what that reason was, Ding Mo didn't really want to care.

"Since this is the vehicle the 'Prop Team' uses to deliver props, then I just need to follow the vehicle when it goes to deliver them."

Having made up his mind, Ding Mo exited the compartment without a sound.

Next was the other matter...

In a windowless steel room.

The narrow walls seemed to press against human nerves.

The middle-aged woman closed her notebook and let out a soft breath, the crow's feet at the corners of her eyes smoothing out slightly.

At the same time, a trace of relief appeared in her eyes.

"This way, it's over."

Her voice was a bit hoarse, as if she hadn't drunk water for a long time. The electronic clock at the corner of the table displayed 03:27.

Since the military found her, more than three days had passed.

It was now the second half of the night, and based on the Script completed by the "Actors" in the first half of the night, she had written the general plot for what was to come.

Of course, the plot wasn't written randomly; there were some rules.

There were quite a few rules, but in short, it amounted to writing the Script into a horror movie named after a fairy tale, trying as much as possible to let moral people survive to the end.

The middle-aged woman didn't know what this meant either, but since the military said so, she did it.

But she could feel that since the military was so solemn and had set up such a large formation, her Script probably had a significant impact; it might even truly determine the fate of certain people.

But she didn't care anymore.

The middle-aged woman leaned back in her chair, her eyes unfocused.

After the military finished everything, they would kill her; according to them, this was a "helpless move that had to be carried out."

But they would guarantee her daughter's future life, ensuring she would have no worries about food or clothing, and even guaranteed admission to world-renowned universities.

She could consider herself to have died without regrets... maybe.

Meanwhile, several kilometers away.

Far from this building, Ding Mo hid in the shadows, gazing at the main gate.

On the road leading to the gate, patrols were exceptionally dense, almost one post every step and one sentry every three steps.

This level of defense was simply not something the current Ding Mo could break through.

"... Lu Yue's mother, it seems she isn't simple." Ding Mo thought for a moment, then retreated.

Not long after, in the tea house restroom.

"Sorry." Ding Mo informed Lu Yue of this matter.

Lu Yue was completely stunned at this moment, and she said in disbelief:

"My mother, did she... kill someone?"

"?" Ding Mo looked at her.

Ding Mo did not think so; what kind of hopeless bad people could parents who raised such a child be?

"Otherwise, why would she be locked up in a place like this?" Lu Yue's eyes turned a bit red.

"..." Ding Mo sighed and thought for a moment.

"How about this: once my business is finished, I will think of a way for you."

Lu Yue had helped him sneak into the military camp after all, so he would help if he could.

Forcing his way in was not impossible; Ding Mo was confident that as long as these people did not use heavy firepower, they could do nothing to him.

It was just that, given the security level of the detention site, Lu Yue's mother was likely a high-priority detainee.

Even if they escaped, she would likely be permanently wanted with a bounty, and the military would mobilize countless manpower and resources to hunt her down...

If Ding Mo truly wanted to save her, he could only try to use the "Curtain" to take them away from this world—the risk was too high, and he might end up killing them directly.

"Mm." Lu Yue felt somewhat disheartened.

She leaned against the smooth wall of the restroom, her face blank.

Was the bond between mother and daughter that strong... Seeing this, Ding Mo couldn't help but pat her head, then said under her stunned gaze:

"I have my business, and you have your business."

"?"

"While I am in action, you must find a way to meet with your mother, and then after I return, tell me the terrain of the detention site."

"This is to make full preparations for rescuing your mother." Ding Mo nodded at her.

Mm... he had to try at least a little.

Lu Yue looked up in surprise.

After a long while, her back straightened slightly.

Vroom-vroom—!

The ignition sound was like the roar of a waking beast; the headlights turned on, and the beams pierced through the night like lasers.

On the small black truck, the vibration of the engine traveled through the metal floor, causing the stacked prop boxes to sway slightly, and wooden apples rolled around in their basket.

Ding Mo hid among the pile of miscellaneous items and props, feeling the vibration beneath him, and finally opened his eyes, stopping his feigned sleep.

A flash of light passed through his eyes.

Finally, the time had come!