Honglian quietly tugged at Chen Xuan.
He realized his question had been inappropriate and hurriedly added, "Oh, I thought it had gone out of business before the war even started. An elder in my family bought shares in it."
Zhuang Yu nodded and did not press the matter.
They descended to the third level. Both the spaces and the corridors were wider here, and the crowds were thinner than above.
"There are many restricted areas on this level that aren't open to ordinary residents. If you see a no-entry sign, don't go past it," she explained.
"Why?" Honglian asked.
"Because most of the equipment that keeps the subway station running is concentrated on this level. Damaging it could endanger everyone. The guards here are authorized to fire without warning, and the restricted areas have plenty of traps and automated weapons. So whatever you do, don't cross the line."
"How many levels are there altogether?"
"Five," she replied. "The fourth level is the subway platform. During the renovations, another level was built beneath it to house the Fusion Reactor and the water circulation system—but the latter is broken now, so we can only draw water from two extremely deep wells outside."
"Why hasn't anyone fixed it?" Wang Baihu asked, puzzled.
"No one dares to go down there." Zhuang Yu's expression grew complicated. "Because of the Ghost Subway."
"The Ghost Subway?" Everyone looked baffled.
She offered no further explanation. Instead, she stopped before a heavy steel door.
After the two guards at the entrance verified her identity, they pressed the doorbell. A raspy voice came from the speaker overhead. "Come in."
"This is—" Honglian looked at Zhuang Yu.
Zhuang Yu turned and gestured for them to enter. "Our leader would like to meet you. Don't worry, it's standard procedure for new visitors."