bioinnovel Chapter 403 Not on Earth!
Chapter 403 Not on Earth!
Zhang Yan leaned back in the SUV seat, his laptop pressed against his chest.
The icy touch seeped through the winter coat.
Eighty years.
This thin book has been lying in a safe for eighty years, waiting for someone with the key to come and get it.
He didn't rush to open it.
Xuanxie returned to his spatial storage; the fuel gauge still had three bars remaining.
Enough to open a relay point.
He turned the heater knob and set the temperature to the highest setting.
The frost on the windshield slowly melted away.
The phone lit up. Nie Qingcheng.
You said 57%.
"Yes. The collaborative model is more efficient than expected."
"Collaborative mode?"
"The locksmith used the lock to freeze the outside of the door from pushing and pressing, while I used the Heart of Heaven's Craftsmanship to infuse it with energy. The system performed a compatibility verification, and the result was 97.3%."
There was a moment of silence on the other end.
"You made another decision without consulting me."
Zhang Yan did not deny it.
Are there any risks involved in the verification process?
"The system detected and triggered it automatically; I only authorized it."
"Ask you if there are any risks."
"Yes. But it's very low, and the results are very good."
Nie Qingcheng didn't pursue the matter further. She knew it was pointless to dwell on what had already happened.
"The Seventh Gate".
How did you know?
"Qin Xiao's communication link has a delay backup. The signal was briefly restored for a few seconds while you were talking to the locksmith, and the clip was transmitted."
Zhang Yan remembered. In the spherical space, the phone did indeed flash a signal. It was when the locksmith said, "The seventh door isn't on Earth."
"How much did you hear?"
"Just that one sentence. That's enough."
Nie Qingcheng's voice was completely flat, without the slightest fluctuation. This calmness alerted Zhang Yan more than any outward display of emotion.
"I haven't fully digested this yet. I'll explain it to you in detail when I get back."
"Okay. Be careful on the road."
The call was disconnected.
Zhang Yan placed his phone on the passenger seat and stepped on the gas. The SUV bumped and jolted across the tundra. A grayish-white light appeared on the horizon—dawn was approaching.
He held the steering wheel with one hand and pressed the notebook against his chest with the other.
It wasn't translated.
It wasn't that he didn't want to. It was that he needed a safe environment where he could watch it together with Nie Qingcheng. This was a habit he had developed since returning from Yokosuka. All crucial information was processed together.
The system panel floated in the corner of his field of vision. He checked the network status.
First gate (Shennongjia): Shielding efficiency 68%. First fracture repaired. Second fracture awaiting repair.
Second gate (Mid-Atlantic Ridge): 43%.
The third gate (Sahara): 39%.
The fourth gate (Antarctic ice sheet): 41%.
Fifth door (location to be confirmed): 38%.
The sixth gate (Siberia): 57%. Just reinforced.
The seventh door: Data missing. Location data label: "Unlocking requires physical contact with the main control door core."
Zhang Yan stared at the last line for three seconds.
The main control gate. The system doesn't explicitly state which gate is the main control gate, but the one in Shennongjia was the first one he connected to, and it's also where he connected to the "higher-level protocol." It's most likely that's it.
This means he must return to Shennongjia. After completing the repair of the second fracture, he will obtain the coordinates of the seventh gate through the core.
Then go to a place that isn't on Earth.
All of his mechs—White Tiger, Black Scorpion, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, Xingtian, and Tyrannosaurus—were designed for Earth's environment. They are designed for atmospheric combat, underwater combat, and combat in extreme temperatures. Not a single one was designed for space.
Zhang Yan put the issue aside for the time being.
It's not on Earth. It could be the Moon, Mars, or somewhere even further away. Without the coordinates, all calculations are just empty talk.
Repair the second fracture first. That's the immediate priority.
The off-road vehicle drove for four hours. It was fully light. The wind on the tundra had died down a bit, but the temperature hadn't risen. Zhang Yan finished the last rice ball in his insulated bag, folded the note Nie Qingcheng had written, and put it in his pocket.
When we arrived at the relay point, Zhao Hong was still there.
Zhang Yan parked the car and tossed him the SUV keys. "Low gas."
Zhao Hong caught it. "The return trip is all arranged. Old Liu is waiting for you in Vladivostok."
Zhang Yan nodded, changed to the car Qin Xiao had arranged in advance, and continued south.
He arrived in Vladivostok in the afternoon. Old Liu took him to the airport. It was a flight route coordinated by the military, bypassing civilian airlines and flying directly to Vladivostok.
On the plane, Zhang Yan sent the first encrypted message to the locksmith.
"Is there any record of the seventh gate in the gatekeeper's file? Not even a single word?"
The locksmith's reply arrived twenty minutes later.
"No. The coordinates, shielding data, and maintenance records for the six gates are all complete. The seventh gate—it has never appeared in the files. The key holder in 1943 is the only one who mentioned it."
"What else did he say besides that one sentence?"
"No. He left after saying that. Two months later we received news that he had died in South America. The cause of death was unknown."
Zhang Yan stared at the words "cause of death unknown".
The key holder in 1943. Knows the Seventh Gate isn't on Earth. Knows Zhang Huaichuan's name. Sends Zhang Huaichuan to Broken Cloud Valley.
His father went there, found the Wind-Breaking Jade, and then died.
This thread connects the following: Key Holder → Broken Cloud Valley → Wind Breath Jade → Sky-Gazing Anchor → Backup Insurance for the Seal.
Before they died, the predecessors paved the way for the next person.
Zhang Yan put away his phone, opened the system, and created a new folder. Labeled: The Seventh Door.
Three messages were sent in:
1. Not on Earth.
Second, the coordinates need to be unlocked through the Shennongjia main control gate core.
Third, the key holder in 1943 was aware of the situation but did not leave any specific details.
Then he closed the folder.
First, fix the door.
The plane landed in Jinghai at 1 a.m. Nie Qingcheng didn't come to the airport. It wasn't because she didn't want to come; Zhang Yan had sent a message before landing: "It's too late, don't come out. You'll be there when you get back."
She replied with only one word: "Quickly."
The taxi arrived at the villa's entrance, and the living room lights were on.
Zhang Yan pushed open the door and entered. Nie Qingcheng was sitting on the sofa, with a laptop and several stacks of paper documents spread out on the coffee table in front of her. She was wearing that silk nightgown, her hair casually gathered to one side. When she saw him come in, she glanced at him—from head to toe, making sure he was in good condition.
"sit."
Zhang Yan sat down next to her.
Nie Qingcheng stretched out her hand, palm facing up.
Zhang Yan took the old leather-covered notebook out of his inner pocket and placed it in her palm.
Nie Qingcheng turned to the first page.
The paper is yellowed and brittle, and the ink has faded but is still legible. The English handwriting is very small and densely packed.
Zhang Yan leaned over to watch together.
The first page shows the date: September 17, 1943.
The following line reads: The repair cycle of the Six Paths Gate is not compatible with my lifespan. I choose to entrust the remaining information to the next holder.
Turn the page.
The second page is a hand-drawn diagram of the gate network topology. Six points are distributed on a plane, forming an irregular hexagon. The seventh point is above the plane, and all six points are connected by dashed lines.
Next to the dotted line is a note that reads: "The seventh door is the anchor point. Without the anchor point, the shielding efficiency of the six doors is locked at a maximum of 72%."
Zhang Yan and Nie Qingcheng stopped at the same time.
72%.
He just finished repairing the first door to 68% completion and reinforced the sixth door to 57%. The remaining four doors are all below 45%.
But even if you upgrade everything to the maximum value—without the seventh door, the upper limit is 72%.
In 1943, the thing outside was just "knocking." Now it's "pushing."
Is 72% enough?
do not know.
Nie Qingcheng turned to the last page. There were only three lines of text.
"The location of the seventh gate is beyond my comprehension. The Heart of Heaven holds the answer. Go to the core of the first gate and ask it."
If a man named Zhang Huaichuan comes looking for you, tell him to go to Duanyun Valley. The materials for making the Sky-Gazing Anchor are there. He'll need them.
"I can't help you with the rest of the journey."
Nie Qingcheng closed her notebook.
She turned her head to look at Zhang Yan. Under the light, the beauty mark at the corner of her eye made her gaze appear particularly deep.
When are you planning to go to Shennongjia?
"After the second fracture is repaired, unlock the coordinates directly in the core area."
"The Seventh Gate isn't on Earth. What about your mech?"
"Let's get the coordinates first."
Nie Qingcheng handed the notebook back to him.
"Keep that notebook safe."
Zhang Yan took it and put it back into the underwear pocket.
"There's porridge in the kitchen." Nie Qingcheng stood up. "Come up after you finish eating and tell me everything that happened in Siberia from beginning to end. Don't omit a single word."
Zhang Yan went to the kitchen. The clay pot was warming on the stove. He lifted the lid and found millet porridge inside. Next to it was a dish of neatly chopped pickles.
He ladled out the porridge and sat down at the table to eat.
My phone is vibrating.
Qin Xiao.
"Brother Yan, have we landed?"
"I'm home."
"The locksmith's communication channel is set up. The encryption protocol uses their standard, and I've added a military-grade shell for double encryption."
"Okay. One more thing."
Zhang Yan put down his spoon.
"The locksmith said they found traces three days ago when they reached the surface of the sixth gate. Someone else had been there before them."
There was a moment of silence on Qin Xiao's end.
"What marks?"
"A footprint. Barefoot. A barefoot footprint on frozen ground at minus fifty degrees Celsius. The frozen ground around the footprint is warm."
Qin Xiao remained silent for three seconds.
"I'll adjust the satellite."
"Set it up now. Use 24-hour thermal tracking of that area with the highest precision."
"receive."
Zhang Yan hung up the phone and finished his porridge.
She put the dishes in the dishwasher and went upstairs. Nie Qingcheng leaned against the headboard and waited for him.
Zhang Yan sat on the edge of the bed and began to recount the events from the beginning. The gatekeeper, the locksmith, the silver sphere, the collaborative mode, the forty-minute locking protocol, and the shielding efficiency increased from 26% to 57%.
Then there's the notebook. 1943. The Seventh Gate isn't on Earth. 72% cap.
Finally, there are footprints.
After listening, Nie Qingcheng did not speak immediately.
About ten seconds passed.
"How did you determine the nature of that footprint?"
"We'll wait for Qin Xiao's satellite data tomorrow."
Nie Qingcheng nodded. She reached out and turned off the bedside lamp.
Her voice came through the darkness, very softly.
"Zhang Yan".
"Um."
"72% is not enough."
"I know."
"Therefore, the seventh gate must be built."
"Know how to repair."
She didn't say anything more. She reached out and took his hand.
Zhang Yan gripped it tightly.
At four in the morning, my phone lit up on the bedside table.
Qin Xiao.
Zhang Yan quietly touched the phone and went to the study to answer it.
"Brother Yan, the satellite data is in."
"explain."
"We performed reverse thermal tracing on the location of that barefoot footprint. The footprint is indeed there, a single, right foot. But the thermal trajectory shows that it didn't come from a distance—it appeared directly at that location. There's no trace of its origin."
Zhang Yan leaned against the desk.
"Then what."
"From that location, it moved 170 kilometers south. The speed was uneven, sometimes very fast, sometimes very slow. Then—"
Qin Xiao paused for a moment.
"It disappeared. Not that the signal was lost. The thermal signature instantly dropped to zero. As if it had never existed."