Beside the elevator, the emergency stairwell door stood open, but the passage beyond was completely blocked by heavy rubble and steel rebar.
"The hospital's stairwells have collapsed. This elevator is the only way through." Zhou Kai pointed at the rust-covered elevator doors before them.
Su Ye nodded, took out the Employee Card he had obtained in the Pharmacy, and swiped it over the reader beside the elevator.
"Beep!"
A slightly piercing electronic tone rang out, followed by the heavy grinding of gears.
With a ding, the elevator doors slowly opened.
A rush of cold, stale, moldy air washed over them.
The two stepped inside, and Zhou Kai pressed the button for basement level one.
The elevator began descending with a violent shudder. Soon, another clear ding sounded, and it came to a stop.
The doors slowly slid apart, and a bone-chilling cold swept over them. The temperature seemed to drop more than ten degrees in an instant.
The lights cast a sickly blue glow. Rows of enormous metal refrigeration cabinets lined both sides, and the air reeked of formaldehyde mingled with rotting corpses.
"Comrade Su Ye, you're finally here. We've got everything ready for you."
Just then, three figures approached.
The man in the lead strode up to Su Ye with a smile. He opened his hand, revealing an oddly shaped brass key resting in his palm.
"This is a key to the Dean's Office on the fifth floor," the man said, handing it to Su Ye.
Then he turned and picked up three square green packages from a nearby trolley.
"These three are Medical Kits. Ever played PUBG? They work pretty much the same way. Each one instantly restores 70% of your condition. An absolute lifesaver, but there's a bit of a windup, so I wouldn't recommend using one