The Same Scar

[Explorer Assessment—Abandoned Factory Basement]

"Come on! This way!"

The little girl tugged at Chen Kong's hem and skipped toward a hidden entrance at the back of the factory.

The area around the entrance was tangled in dense vines, their leaves smeared with black oil. Several broken bricks were piled nearby. Without a careful look, no one would have noticed the passage leading underground.

Clearly, this was a "secret base" the children had used for a long time.

Chen Kong followed the little girl down. The stairs were covered in thick dust, and every step sent tiny particles drifting into the air.

The murky air carried the dampness unique to coastal cities, along with the sour, rotten smell of expired canned food, making Chen Kong frown.

The farther down they went, the darker the passage became, until the little girl pulled a tiny flashlight from her pocket, its casing battered and dented from countless falls.

By the flashlight's dim yellow glow, they finally reached the iron door to the basement.

"We're here!"

The little girl stopped and laboriously pushed open the creaking iron door before her.

Only after Chen Kong stepped inside did he realize this was an abandoned canned goods warehouse.

Several rows of iron shelves stood around them, piled high with empty cans.

Some of the lids had rusted and warped, while others bore dried brown stains. Clearly, they had been opened and eaten from.

Besides that, several old newspapers lay scattered across the floor, their edges yellowed and curled.

The dates on them were too blurred to read, but they appeared to be newspapers from around half a year ago.

"Um... how long have you been hiding here?"

Chen Kong crouched down and picked up an empty can.

Hearing that, the little girl raised her head.

Her eyes