novelraw Chapter 91: Fries Safe House: Blood-Pumping Supplies
Chapter 91: Fries Safe House: Blood-Pumping Supplies
Day 14 of the wasteland.
Green Forest City eastern city District 6, Helen Commercial Street sewer.
Yu Yuan checked the time; it was nearly 7 o'clock.
He pushed the manhole cover open slightly and peered outside. The evening glow of sunset was beginning to spread across the street, with Spring Light Hotel visible not far away.
Although the hotel's scale couldn't compare to Landmark Hotel, it was no less impressive than Orleans Hotel, and even somewhat more magnificent.
"The nights have been getting darker earlier recently. I should still have about half an hour left."
Yu Yuan was extremely cautious. He didn't know if anyone was watching this area, but he wouldn't emerge before sunset.
A faint dampness reached his nose, and Yu Yuan understood the rain forecasted in the weather report was probably approaching.
He could already see a large mass of dark clouds slowly advancing from the distant horizon that would soon block the remaining sunlight.
Perhaps darkness would arrive earlier than he anticipated.Right now, Yu Yuan wasn't worried about infiltrating the hotel later, but rather wondering if the Thug Prison members would change their plans due to such weather conditions.
Just as Yu Yuan suspected, when those dark clouds obscured the sun, the entire street plunged into darkness.
The moment darkness fell, Yu Yuan immediately slipped out from under the manhole cover, crouched low, and within a few quick movements, disappeared into Spring Light Hotel.
"The rain tonight will start as just a light drizzle, with the real moderate rain coming after 11 PM. I must make the most of this time to quickly locate the safe house."
Yu Yuan had a clear objective - head straight for the hotel's General Manager's Office.
Because in that photo featuring only Terence, he was photographed sitting in the manager's office.
According to the floor directory, the General Manager's Office was on the 7th floor of the administrative building.
Using his Dim Light Vision, Yu Yuan moved swiftly through the hotel.
Like other hotels, Spring Light Hotel had suffered looting and damage. He could even see craters on the floor left by explosions, clearly indicating multiple battles had taken place here previously.
He soon reached the administrative building, but just as he prepared to climb the stairs, he suddenly stopped.
He looked around to confirm surrounding walls provided cover from outside observation before turning on his low-light flashlight to examine the ground.
There were signs of frequent foot traffic.
"It seems I'm looking in the right direction."
Yu Yuan turned off the flashlight and continued upward, soon reaching the seventh floor. Following the room numbers, he located the General Manager's Office.
It was locked.
Instead of picking the lock immediately, he turned on his flashlight and carefully inspected the area around the door.
Sure enough, he discovered three subtle marker items - paper scraps in the door crack, hair in the keyhole, and sand grains on the door handle.
These things would easily escape notice unless examined carefully, and even if glanced over, would be subconsciously ignored.
"Truly formidable opponents!" This thought flashed through his mind, but the smile on Yu Yuan's lips grew more pronounced.
Because these marker items actually confirmed to Yu Yuan that he had found the right place.
Not yet knowing the situation inside, Yu Yuan carefully noted the positions and orientations of all markers and preserved them properly before taking out Fries's three keys to test for a match.
Indeed, one of them fit this door's lock. As the lock cylinder turned...
Click!
The handle turned and the door slowly opened, with the flashlight's weak beam shining through the crack into the room.
Yu Yuan observed the situation behind the door, concerned about additional alarm traps, but he appeared to be overly cautious.
Everything behind the door appeared normal.
Only then did Yu Yuan quickly slip into the room and close the door securely.
The time was now nearly 7:30.
Yu Yuan rapidly inspected the room. This should be where Terence's family portrait was taken, as the room style perfectly matched the photo background. However, Yu Yuan's brow furrowed tightly.
No!
Where are the supplies?
Why are there no supplies?
The sight of the room's empty furnishings dealt Yu Yuan a massive blow.
He had held strong expectations for this exploration, yet reality had slapped him hard across the face.
Frowning, Yu Yuan surveyed the vacant room. The desk and storage cabinets contained only scattered documents and computers.
Plus a collection of hotel management books on the bookshelf wall, with curtains drawn tightly shut.
But not even a single dropped cookie.
Suppressing his frustration, Yu Yuan refused to believe such an empty room would warrant the careful protection from Loris and his group.
And that Fries would keep the keys to this place on his person purely for sentimental reasons.
Having reasoned this through, Yu Yuan felt his investigative drive grow even stronger. Virtual Light Screen - Fate Cards - Book of Fate.
As the Book of Fate opened, an earth-yellow card appeared before Yu Yuan.
Activate - [Intelligence Card - Insight]
With the activation of the [Insight Card], the room that had appeared empty to Yu Yuan suddenly turned grayish-white, with red traces appearing everywhere on the floor and desktop.
There were shoe prints, hand prints...
Two locations showed unusually high concentrations of shoe and hand prints - precisely at the curtains and the bookshelf wall.
"Found it!" Yu Yuan's eyes gleamed with sharp intensity.
He knew the safe house had to be in this room - it was actually a secret chamber.
Approaching the curtains, he stood where the footprints were most concentrated and pulled them aside. However, the wall revealed no switch or sconce light as he had imagined.
Frowning slightly, he then examined the curtains in his hand. Pulling back the folds, he discovered a metal pull cord hidden within the curtain pleats.
At this point, Yu Yuan knew exactly what to do!
He immediately pulled the cord.
The bookshelf wall behind him began to move, revealing a gap just wide enough for one person.
Yu Yuan immediately slipped through the gap, finding a narrow descending staircase before him.
The dense concentration of red footprints on the floor confirmed to Yu Yuan that this was indeed the safe house he sought.
Descending the stairs, he likely reached the sixth floor level of the administrative building.
Yet another all-metal door appeared before Yu Yuan.
Looking at the obviously sophisticated lock, Yu Yuan couldn't help but admire the caution of the Loris brothers or their father Terence.
With such careful, meticulous attitudes, no wonder they could build such successful businesses before the wasteland's arrival and get both sons into the police system.
They truly deserved their fate.
Fortunately, with Fries's keychain, the metal door couldn't stop Yu Yuan's progress.
As the metal door slowly swung open under Yu Yuan's push.
When the flashlight beam illuminated the room, an electric current seemed to pass through Yu Yuan's entire body, his breathing growing rapid.
Supplies, a room full of supplies!
Canned goods, instant noodles, cigarettes, coffee, tea, bottled water, flour, military rations, medical supplies, various tools, medicines, gold, jewelry, collectibles.
Numb! Yu Yuan was truly stunned!
And this was only the first room he had seen...
(Brothers, three chapters delivered today~!)