Underwater Operations

Lu Xin did not raise the alarm at once. Instead, he calmly walked over to the lake and slowly crouched down. From the perspective of the others, it looked as though he had merely come to the lakeside and was gazing thoughtfully into the water. In reality, he was quietly speaking with Sister.

"What's inside?"

Lu Xin asked softly as he looked toward the lake.

Under the Crimson Moon, the lake appeared eerie and silent.

"I don't know, but it feels like something we could play with for a long time..."

Sister continued staring into the lake. She licked her lips and spoke with barely contained excitement.

"Then we've found it..."

Lu Xin thought this as he glanced toward the three members of the Information Analysis Team.

At that moment, the three members of the Information Analysis Team, led by Cheng Hui, had already begun inspecting the area based on their usual experience. Starting from the lakeside, they were all very familiar with this kind of work. Cheng Hui arranged everything efficiently, and this basic inspection was something he and his team members could handle on their own. There was no need to drag Lu Xin along to do it.

In fact, they had always been somewhat wary of Lu Xin.

After all, he was one of "those people" from the legends!

So subconsciously, they felt that it would be best if they could manage without Lu Xin's help.

Lu Xin was in no hurry to warn them, either. Instead, he waited until they had finished inspecting the path and its surroundings.

Since the first three locations had already been inspected, the final location was now the most likely one. The members of the Information Analysis Team were therefore extremely cautious and meticulous. They strictly used the instrument to scan every inch of ground around this narrow path.

"There's no mental residue on the road."

After the two team members finished their inspection, they returned to the Jeep. Their voices sounded somewhat heavy.

"I understand."

The eyes beneath Cheng Hui's glass mask were clearly worried as he glanced toward the lake. If nothing had been detected along the roadside or in the surrounding weeds, then the lake—the last area they had yet to search—had the highest possibility of containing the Pollution Source.

At that moment, Lu Xin was quietly asking Sister, "Can you use your ability underwater?"

Sister was barely able to contain her excitement. "I've never tried, but I want to..."

"Sister is very brave..."

Lu Xin patted Sister on the head, then stood up and returned to the members of the Information Analysis Team. "Are you done with the inspection up there?"

The three members of the Information Analysis Team instinctively straightened up and nodded.

Lu Xin nodded as well. "Can your instruments be used underwater?"

As he spoke, he glanced at the instruments. Although Chen Jing had briefly explained them to him earlier, he still found it difficult to fully understand how they worked. What puzzled him now was that Sister was crouching by the lake just four or five meters away, yet the instruments had not reacted at all. Did Sister not belong to the kind of mental force these instruments could detect?

Could Sister really have been split off from him?

Hearing Lu Xin's question, Cheng Hui, the bearded team leader, hesitated briefly before answering honestly, "If we're only going into the water for a short time, the instruments might work. But the problem is that our protective suits... aren't waterproof."

Lu Xin nodded, understanding what they meant.

Land inspections and underwater inspections were two completely different concepts.

What they were worried about now was not whether the instruments could detect things underwater, but the prospect of going into the water itself.

Going into the water while wearing protective suits would be extremely inconvenient. But without their protective suits, they would not dare approach the Pollution Source at all.

Even so, they clearly had an extremely strong sense of discipline. It was obvious that no matter how dangerous it was, if Chen Jing gave the order over the channel, the three of them would still enter the water to conduct the inspection. To them, shouldering risks seemed to be part of their responsibility.

After thinking for a moment, Lu Xin smiled. "Then I'll go down and take a look first. You can wait here."

"What?"

The members of the Information Analysis Team looked at him in surprise.

Although they were currently inside the high city walls, this was an abandoned industrial zone that looked no different from the wilderness. Everything around them was shrouded in darkness, with only the Jeep's headlights illuminating a narrow patch of light. As for the bottom of the lake, it might very well be hiding something strange and terrifying. If they encountered it on land, they would at least have some room to maneuver. But if they met it underwater...

This seemingly slender man had unexpectedly tremendous courage.

Especially since he seemed to have noticed that the three of them were afraid and had taken the risk upon himself?

"Someone has to go, right?"

Lu Xin smiled at them, then stretched his arms and legs, warming up a little.

He had always taken his work seriously.

Nominally, he was the squad leader for this mission and the one leading the investigation. Even Chen Jing had only taken charge in his place because he lacked experience, and she was using this opportunity to train him. But in reality, after coming out here, he had mostly been watching while the three soldiers from the Information Analysis Team handled all the actual work.

Now, seeing that these three tireless little soldiers had clearly begun to lose their nerve, and that the underwater search was obviously extremely difficult for them, it was naturally time for the true core worker—himself—to step forward.

He had not earned those company pennants for nothing. Lu Xin understood the principle very well.

If he wanted a promotion and a raise, he had to take his work seriously!

Of course, he did not quite understand why, back at that commercial company, he had nearly been fired despite receiving a pennant...

"Have the other locations been confirmed clear?"

Just as Lu Xin had made up his mind and was preparing to put on a good performance, Chen Jing's voice suddenly sounded over the channel.

"Yes."

The three members of the Information Analysis Team immediately assumed attention. The team leader said, "Only this lake remains."

Chen Jing asked again, "Are you sure this is the last suspicious location?"

Han Bing's voice from the Information Analysis Team also sounded over the channel. "Confirmed."

Chen Jing paused briefly before saying, "Then the possibility that the Pollution Source is in this lake is extremely high."

Lu Xin said, "Then I'll go into the water and take a look. Underwater operations are a little dangerous."

The three members of the Information Analysis Team looked at Lu Xin with clear emotion in their eyes.

They would never have taken the initiative to ask Lu Xin to go underwater for them. But the fact that Lu Xin had considered it on their behalf was different.

Even Chen Jing and Han Bing fell silent for a moment over the channel.

"Underwater operations are indeed very dangerous..."

After a moment, Chen Jing's voice finally sounded again.

Lu Xin nodded and was about to take off his coat and enter the lake when Chen Jing spoke again. "Then why are you risking yourself by going into the lake?"

Lu Xin froze. "Huh?"

Chen Jing's reply was forceful and domineering: "Call the Special Support Team immediately. Have them arrive at the site within half an hour!"

"Pump the lake dry and inspect it directly!"