[2] Po Ping Dong Jing

(Forbidden World, Thursday, March 24, 2011, afternoon; Northern California, abandoned mine pits in the woods)

Are there caves in California?

The answer is yes, the forest they are in is not too far from the famous Shasta Lake Caves.

But to say that the mine is connected to a tourist attraction – if there is no landslide – and that you happen to be visited by tourists – this nonsense explanation obviously doesn't work. Po Ping Dongjing knew very well how far they walked, and even if it was converted into a straight line, it would be impossible to walk to the Shasta Lake Cave dozens of kilometers away, not to mention that they actually walked a zigzag, zigzag and winding path.

But what other humanoids could be in this kind of crypt? The algorithm used in the data terminal comes from the school city, which is at least twenty years ahead of the outside world, and its analysis is very accurate, and it is unlikely to be a false alarm; besides, he also listened carefully to the filtered and amplified sound, which is not like the sound made by some small animals when they move.

Could it be that the higher-ups asked them to investigate this - the activity base of some secret organization, or some unknown humanoid creatures? Po Pingdong Jing frowned, threw a miniature listener into the crack in the stone, and then told Huang Quanchuan Aiho his speculation without a trace - although he didn't want to admit it, the other party's intelligence analysis ability was indeed higher than him.

"I guess the same as you do. But what I've been told by my parent organization is that they don't know much about the anomalies here, and are only aware of the need to investigate through some kind of detection technique. I think if there is no problem, we should escalate the matter to our respective superiors now. ”

They quietly set up miniature communication devices along the way, so they could stay connected to the outside world even deep in the mines. Po Ping Dongjing only hesitated for a moment before sending the news to his superior organization. Sure enough, the boss quickly replied that they would continue the investigation and that other personnel would be sent to conduct further searches.

"Is there still cooperation between the high-level and the San Diego Agricultural Group?" After hearing the news about the identity of the donor, Po Pingdongjing felt a little strange, and asked through a miniature device that could read lip language, "The technological level of the school city still needs to find American companies?"

"Well, actually, I was found out not long after I went, but the other party didn't seem to have the intention of pursuing it. I don't know how the other party found out about our secret plan. Huang Quanchuan Aiho's attitude was as cold as ever, "Some of their biotechnology is a bit strong, but Jin Ke La is a fertilizer additive that even we can't reverse engineer." ”

Because the dark department is responsible for monitoring the contact between the school city and external cooperative institutions,Prevent the leakage of key technologies,Po Ping Dongjing also has some understanding of the agricultural production of the school city。 There are windowless buildings in Gakuen City, where a variety of vegetables and grains are grown in a soilless solution, sewage is converted into electricity, and some even raise some meat livestock. These technologies exist only in science fiction and future visions in the outside world.

But according to Huang Quanchuan Aiho, the use of the fertilizer additive, known as "Jinkela", greatly increased the rate at which crops absorb the nutrient solution, and the growth rate has also increased significantly, and subsequent genetic testing and ingredient analysis have shown that the whole process is safe and harmless to humans.

Being able to overtake the school city in the field of agricultural technology, Po Pingdong thought to himself, this San Diego agricultural group is not simple, but I don't know how it performs in other biotechnology fields.

The way back was a bit dull. After so much hard work and no proper analysis, he could see the loss in the eyes of Carter and Susan, and Professor Shauna seemed to be used to it. By the time they arrived at the mine's elevator, it was already early three o'clock in the afternoon.

Given the recent disappearance, it was certainly not a wise decision to stay in the field overnight to investigate. Due to physical exertion, it took more than half an hour to walk through the woods than in the morning. When Po Pingdongjing returned to his residence, he was already hungry and exhausted.

……

(Forbidden World, Monday, March 27, 2011, morning; Northern California, Abandoned Mine Pits)

Last Friday, Po Pingdongjing and the others spent another day exploring another passage, but found nothing but scattered rune stones, not even the sound of running water or footsteps. As for the original channel's monitor, it was just a record of some vague murmur, but it didn't have any value to analyze.

Exploring the unknown requires being prepared at any given time. He and Professor Shauna spent a weekend repairing the robot for detection, adding several different types of detectors, and waiting for reinforcements from the San Diego Agricultural Group - Yuta Tomigashi, who looks like an ordinary male student, and Yuka, a petite dark girl, Yurika.

"Okay, people can't be disguised, let's believe that the other party is a strong reinforcement. Po Pingdong thought to himself in his heart, "Since you can be sent to carry out such a dangerous mission, there must be something extraordinary. ”

On the morning of March 27, a team of two more people entered the mountain again. The dense and flourishing trees have been damp in the clear and windy weather for three consecutive days, and the green leaves on the staggered branches are still verdant. Even though it's winter, the morning sun is still slightly hot, but the shade is refreshing and pleasant, and the smell of fallen leaves and mildew is dispelled.

As a guide, Aiho Huangquanchuan opened the way at the front of the procession, checking her surroundings from time to time, just like the previous two times. The sparse sunlight streamed through the foliage, and the ground was dotted with dappled shadows. Without the unpleasant musty smell and dampness, the expedition team traveled a little faster than before, and arrived at the familiar mine hut before eleven o'clock.

The wooden door was the same as it had been two days ago, and their scattered footprints were still in the room. Yuta Tomigashi and Yuroka Kotori expressed their novelty at this, but instead of wasting time on inconsequential matters, they quickly checked their equipment and prepared to enter the mine. The old elevator could only hold five people, and they had to go down to the top of the mine in two batches.

The searchlights on everyone's heads were turned on one after another, and some of the team members turned on the flashlights they held to slightly dispel the seemingly endless darkness. The pillars of light shone on the supporting columns and irregularly shaped mechanical equipment in the cave, projecting strange geometric shapes on the stone walls, shaking as they moved, like ghosts for a while.

Although Po Ping Dongjing will not be robbed of his mind by fear, it is difficult to maintain the good mood generated by the beautiful wind and sunshine. Motioning for the others to stay away, he pulled out his small hand-held wheel cutter, put on a protective mask, and severed all the chains that held the planks together in a burst of sparks.

The rest is much simpler. Although the wooden door was made of thick wooden strips and reinforced with multiple reinforcements, it still did not last long in the face of modern cutting tools, and they quickly dismantled it to pieces. The passage behind the door is narrow and steep, and the empty stone slope is faintly visible with rivets remaining, perhaps the structure used to hold the ladder in place.

The probe robot assumes the role of a trailblazer as usual. Po Pingdongjing couldn't be sure whether it was a "natural disaster" such as a landslide or a "man-made disaster" such as a cave creature that caused the mine to block this passage, but he definitely didn't want to rush down unsuspectingly to verify it for himself.

The results of the probe were quickly fed back to the data terminal in his hands. There were no signs of landslides or large creatures moving within the robot's range of activity, but there were three forks in the road, and two of them have been found to have subtle air movements. Only then did he settle down and motioned for the others to enter.

……