bioinnovel Chapter 215 He Zhengde!
Chapter 215 He Zhengde!
During his few days back in Jinghai, Zhang Yan enjoyed a rare period of leisure.
He applied for a long leave from school, and the academic affairs office approved it without hesitation when they heard that it was Nie Qingcheng who personally made the request, only requiring him to attend the final exams on time.
Normally, Zhang Yan spends most of his time in the underground base of Tianji Security.
With the new technologies brought back from the East China Sea relics, and with more top-tier materials specially approved by Qin Changfeng, the base's production line was upgraded once again.
In addition to the previously mass-produced "Wolf Gaze" reconnaissance robot, a new mech model has also been put on the agenda.
"Mo Family Mechanical Beast - Tiger" is a simplified version of the White Tiger, only one-third the size of the White Tiger. It has removed powerful weapons such as the electromagnetic railgun, but retained the high-frequency vibration claws and basic energy shield, making it more suitable for small-scale urban warfare and surprise attacks.
"Mo Family Mechanical Beast - Wolf" is a comprehensive upgrade of the "Wolf Gaze" robot. It is larger in size and equipped with light laser weapons and smoke grenade launchers. It can form an effective fire suppression force when operating in squads.
Qin Xiao has become the "security captain" of this underground kingdom. Every day, he leads a group of retired special forces soldiers to test new mechs, practice new tactics, and have a great time.
On this day, Zhang Yan was optimizing the energy core of the "Tiger" mech in the laboratory when Qin Xiao called.
"Brother Yan, we have a job!" Qin Xiao's voice was excited on the other end of the phone.
"What kind of work?"
"A major client! From the next province, surnamed He, a very influential figure! He's heard about our Tianji Security's reputation from somewhere and specifically wants to see you!"
"He said he was introduced by Qian Duoduo."
Money Flows?
Zhang Yan thought for a moment before remembering the coal mine owner who had been terrified by the mine monster.
It seems that the last "ghost-hunting" operation has already spread within a certain circle.
"I'll be right there."
Zhang Yan hung up the phone, changed into clean clothes, and went to the Tianji Security Bureau's meeting room.
In the reception room, a man around fifty years old sat upright, dressed in a well-tailored Chinese long gown. He had a refined appearance, but his brows were furrowed with an unyielding sorrow.
Upon seeing Zhang Yan enter, the man stood up and extended his hand, saying, "You must be Mr. Zhang Yan? I've long admired your name. I am He Zhengde."
Zhang Yan shook hands with him and gestured for him to sit down.
"Mr. He, I heard from Qin Xiao that you've run into some trouble?"
He Zhengde sighed and said with a wry smile, "Trouble? It's more than just trouble, it's... bizarre."
He took a stack of photos from his briefcase and handed them to Zhang Yan.
The photo shows a vast Chinese manor with pavilions, towers, bridges, and flowing water, in a tranquil environment.
However, some of the photos are quite chilling.
In one photograph, a huge claw mark, as if it had been forcibly scratched out by something, appears on the white wall of the manor.
In another photo, the water in the pond has turned an eerie dark green, and all the valuable koi carp in it have floated belly up.
There's another one, taken by a nighttime surveillance camera. The image is blurry, and you can only see a distorted, shapeless black shadow that flashes by.
"These... all happened within the last month." He Zhengde's voice was a little hoarse. "I hired the best security teams from home and abroad and installed the most advanced surveillance equipment, but we can't find anything."
"That thing seemed to appear out of thin air and then disappear just as suddenly."
"My people told me that the magnetic field around the manor has also become very unstable, and many electronic devices are malfunctioning for no reason."
"I initially thought someone was pulling the strings behind the scenes, but a few days ago, Qian Duoduo was drinking with me and talking about his mine, and that's when I realized... what I encountered might not be a human being."
He Zhengde looked at Zhang Yan with a pleading look in his eyes: "Mr. Zhang, I know my request is abrupt, but I really have no other choice. I heard that your company has... a special solution."
Zhang Yan did not answer immediately; his fingers lightly traced over the photos.
The claw mark and the twisted shadow both felt strangely familiar to him.
Just then, a system notification sounded in his mind.
[Warning! Abnormal residual energy detected, with a 37% similarity to the energy frequency of 'Ruins'.]
[Preliminary assessment indicates the target is either a former subordinate of "Ruins" or a mutant corrupted by them.]
Zhang Yan's eyes instantly sharpened.
Ruins' former subordinates?
Could they be those monsters that invaded Earth with the Ruins 30,000 years ago, but were ultimately suppressed by the Mohists?
He raised his head, looked at He Zhengde who was full of expectation, and slowly spoke.
"Mr. He, I'll take this order."
When He Zhengde heard Zhang Yan agree, the tense lines on his face relaxed noticeably, as if he had grasped a lifeline.
"Mr. Zhang, thank you so much! As for the price..."
"We'll talk about the money after we resolve this issue," Zhang Yan waved his hand, interrupting him. "I need to know more details."
He pushed the photos back in front of He Zhengde.
"Besides these, are there any other unusual occurrences?"
He Zhengde frowned and thought carefully for a moment.
"Something's wrong... Oh, right, there's one more!" He slapped his thigh. "In my manor, I keep several mastiffs that I brought back from the Western Regions. They're all purebred beasts, and they're not even afraid of tigers. But for the past month, these dogs have been acting like they've gone mad every night, barking wildly at the air. Sometimes they even tuck their tails between their legs and let out mournful howls, as if they've seen something extremely terrifying."
"Furthermore, the feng shui master I consulted said that the earth's energy in my manor... seems to have been sucked away by something, and the entire manor exudes a deathly aura."
Earth energy?
Zhang Yan didn't know much about feng shui or metaphysics, but in his opinion, the so-called "earth energy" likely refers to the life energy field of this area.
If even a mastiff, an animal with an extremely keen sense of danger, shows fear, it means that the intimidating presence emanating from the lurking creature is definitely not to be underestimated.
"Mr. He, you should go back first. I will bring people to your manor in three days," Zhang Yan made the arrangements.
"Three days?" He Zhengde hesitated. "Mr. Zhang, could you hurry? I'm afraid..."
"I need time to make some preparations," Zhang Yan said firmly. "Besides, I also want to see what that thing is trying to do."
After seeing He Zhengde off, Qin Xiao immediately rushed out of the monitoring room next door.
"Brother Yan, how was it? That old man's story sounded so real, with claw marks and shadows. Could it really be a ghost?" Qin Xiao asked excitedly, showing no fear whatsoever, like a child who had found a new toy.
"More troublesome than ghosts." Zhang Yan put away the photos and handed them to Qin Xiao. "Send the digital versions of these photos to my computer. Also, check the original topographical map and historical records of He Zhengde's manor over the past hundred years."
"Why are you checking these things?" Qin Xiao asked, puzzled.
"Know yourself and know your enemy." Zhang Yan didn't explain further and turned to walk towards the core laboratory of the underground base.