Ground

Beep~

After a short beep, the elevator doors opened automatically.

The screen next to the elevator buttons clearly displays the number 404.

Through the open elevator doors, one can glimpse a portion of the view from the 404th floor.

The interior is clean and bright, with the corridor walls featuring a high-tech blue, white, and silver color scheme.

The staff member, whose thinking was distorted, stood at the elevator entrance with a dazed look on his face, seemingly wondering how he got there.

Lu Bai stepped out of the elevator first. Even with a large number of cameras strategically placed to create a comprehensive surveillance system, they couldn't detect him while he was in stealth mode.

You won't get lost.

Because there is actually only one route on this floor.

At the end of the road lies the entrance to the secluded elevator that leads to the ground.

After walking straight along the road for a short while, he saw a silver, unidentified alloy door blocking his way.

"Upon exiting the elevator and heading towards the entrance, you will encounter three isolation doors. Each door requires an ID card, a verification code, and biometric identification to open. If any of these doors malfunctions, an alarm will sound immediately and the power supply to that floor will be cut off. Therefore, even if you manage to force your way in, you will not be able to use that secluded elevator..."

Recalling what Vice President Zheng had said, Lu Bai did not slow down his pace and arrived at the isolation door.

"How long does it take from the verification failure to the power being cut off?" he asked at the time.

"Upon receiving the alarm signal, the AI in the control room will first determine what happened on the 404th floor. Only after determining it to be an illegal intrusion will it immediately cut off the power supply. This process will take no more than fifteen seconds."

The secluded elevator was built too long ago and does not require identity verification to use. Therefore, theoretically, as long as one can break through the three heavy isolation doors within fifteen seconds and cross the middle distance to enter the secluded elevator, the elevator can be activated to ascend to the ground.

Lu Bai reached out and touched the isolation door in front of him. He could clearly feel the door's weight; even bullets from anti-materiel sniper rifles probably couldn't leave a mark on it.

"Although the information provided by that Vice President Zheng is not guaranteed to be accurate, there will most likely be some unexpected situations..."

He muttered to himself, took out a panda mask he had bought in advance from his pocket, and put it on his face. "But for me, it shouldn't be a big problem."

Before the words were even finished, the ability in the [Restore] section switched from stealth to [Needle Woman Spirit Control].

[Iron Fist Breaks Wind] and [Needle Woman Spirit Control] are activated simultaneously.

Boom!!!

The deafening roar caused a violent tremor that affected the entire building; even the isolation door, which was over two meters thick, turned into countless metal powders in an instant.

Lu Bai showed no interest in appreciating this masterpiece. He switched from [Needle Woman Spirit Control] to [Wind Riding] and shot out like an arrow.

To save as much time as possible, he even used [Flash Time].

In the blink of an eye, he arrived at the second isolation door. He used the same trick again, switching abilities and punching out.

Almost at the same second, the terrifying roar occurred once again.

After both isolation doors were breached, the piercing alarm finally sounded.

It was an unauthorized intrusion, and the control room confirmed this fact in just half a second. The authorization notification that popped up on the screen was quickly approved.

It must be said that the AI's reaction was incredibly fast, but unfortunately, Lu Bai's actions were even faster.

In the third second after Lu Bai made his move, he had already broken through three isolation doors in one go, crossed the corridor bridge, and entered the secluded elevator, which was nearly 100 square meters in size.

Upon arriving at the control panel, Lu Bai didn't even glance at the normal startup option. He switched directly to the background, activated the emergency ascent mode, and manually controlled the elevator to begin ascending.

Rumble~

With rhythmic vibrations, the lifting equipment, which had not been used for over ten years, began to operate normally.

It was noticeable that the elevator's ascent was not fast at the start; at least not to the point where one would lose their balance without a seatbelt.

It sounds like a long time, but in reality, from the moment Lu Bai took action to the moment the secluded elevator started to ascend, everything happened within ten seconds. The power supply to the 404th floor hadn't even been cut off yet.

"What happened?"

"Where? The 404th floor? How is that possible?"

"Was it an inside job? Confirm the facts as soon as possible."

"Floor 404 has been forcibly broken into. Calling for City Martial Force support."

Layered access permissions are granted to security forces to ensure that reinforcements can reach the scene without hindrance.

"This is the main control room. Power to floor 404 has been cut off. Please have the City Martial Force Team 2 use the latest generated key to connect to backup power."

All the staff and security personnel in the building were busy, although most of them didn't know exactly what they were doing.

Lu Bai was well aware that his actions would cause a huge uproar, but since he had already ascended the secluded elevator, the subsequent impact would not affect him.

It's worth mentioning that, perhaps due to its design, the ascent speed increases further at the midpoint, or perhaps the secluded elevator is gradually returning to normal operation.

In short, the elevator's perceived ascent speed began to increase rapidly, and the intense overload pressed Lu Bai firmly to the spot, causing him to feel slightly dizzy, which he had to relieve by taking deep breaths.

This wasn't a pleasant experience; if it weren't so inappropriate, he would have wanted to just lie down.

Lu Bai had no idea how long it would take for this secluded elevator to reach the ground, so he could only be patient for the time being.

Fortunately, this rapid rise did not last long.

About two minutes later, the uncomfortable feeling quickly subsided.

"Did you slow down?"

Lu Bai couldn't see what was happening outside the secluded elevator; he could only guess based on his physical senses.

Bang!

A loud bang came from outside the elevator, followed by a dull tremor.

Pfft~

The elevator's hydraulic doors opened automatically.

A chill filled the air. Gazing at the pitch-black scene outside the elevator, Lu Bai unconsciously pulled his collar up a little.

Based on what he knew, the entrance to Shelter No. 9 was located at the deepest part of an underground civil defense project.

This means he still has a long way to go before he reaches the ground.

Without complaining, Lu Bai decisively switched to an ability that provided illumination and trudged outwards, his steps uneven.

It must be admitted that walking inside civil defense facilities can easily create a feeling of oppression.

The passageway appeared to have been widened and wasn't narrow, but its height was pitiful, with the highest point not exceeding two meters.

Walking through it, you get the illusion that your head is almost always glued to the top.

In addition, apart from the sound of Lu Bai's own footsteps, there was no other movement, making it seem as if the journey would never end.