The storage room door opened again, and the five of them crawled out of the narrow passage one after another. Warm air from the boiler room rushed over them, carrying the heated scents of engine oil and rust—a stark contrast to the basement's cold dampness. Lin Xiao emerged last, turning back to carefully close the access hatch and make sure no trace remained. The corridor was empty, with only the low rumble of the boilers echoing in the distance. He checked his watch—2:17 a.m. There were sixty-seven hours and forty-three minutes left until Brock Rumlow's three-day deadline.
Su Ying stood beside him, showing no sign of fatigue, only an almost icy focus. She said nothing. She merely brushed the back of Lin Xiao's hand, her fingertips warmer than the air. Then she turned and headed toward the training room prepared by the Doctor, her footsteps firm and clear as they echoed through the empty corridor.
"I'll prepare the files." Wolf's voice was hoarse as he rubbed his bloodshot eyes. "Three days... I need to go to the safe house. The equipment there is better."
Lin Xiao nodded. "Stay hidden. Black Bear, take him there, then come back and handle the perimeter."
Black Bear patted Wolf on the shoulder, and the two vanished one after the other into the shadows at the far end of the corridor.
The Doctor pushed up his glasses, the lenses reflecting a calm glint beneath the dim lights. "I need at least twelve hours to prepare the training plan. I have a fairly complete grasp of Su Ying's physical data, but the limit of her psychological stress tolerance... that can only be determined through actual testing."
"Start before dawn," Lin Xiao said. "She needs rest, but not too much."
"Understood."
The Doctor turned and left, the