103: Chapter 103 Methodological Conflicts

Several military jeeps were already waiting on the apron, their headlights piercing the twilight of the Northwest.

Qian Li was the first to rush out of the lead vehicle. He wasn't wearing his usual suit, but a wrinkled set of field gear.

"Consultant Jiang!"

Qian Li's voice was hoarse. He grabbed Jiang Feng's arm with surprisingly great strength.

"You finally came!"

Jiang Feng pulled his arm back.

"Consultant Qian, if you use any more force, this arm of mine will have to stay in the Northwest as a souvenir."

Only then did Qian Li realize he had lost his composure. He let go, his face full of anxiety and apology.

"Sorry, I... I was too anxious."

Lu Cheng and Old Chen also got out of the car one after another.

Qian Li's gaze lingered on Lu Cheng for a second before he nodded, acknowledging her.

"How's the situation?"

Jiang Feng asked.

"It's gotten worse."

Qian Li's expression was grim.

"Let's talk in the car."

The group boarded the middle jeep, and the vehicle immediately started, driving toward the depths of the base.

"The physical isolation on Level B5 has failed. We've activated the backup power gates on Level B4, but the contamination index is still slowly rising."

Qian Li spoke rapidly.

"Currently, the entire base, except for the ground floor, is under red alert."

Jiang Feng watched the desolate scenery receding rapidly outside the window and didn't speak.

The car stopped in front of a massive industrial elevator.

The elevator descended, the numbers on the display jumping rapidly.

B1... B2... B3...

The elevator doors opened.

On both sides of the corridor, red warning lights cast rhythmic, pulsing shadows.

A crowd of people stood before the blast-proof isolation doors of Level B5.

Everyone was wearing white hazmat suits, their expressions solemn.

"Consultant Jiang."

An officer with a general's star on his shoulder walked over, followed by a gray-haired physicist wearing glasses.

"I am the base commander, Li Weiguo."

Li Weiguo extended his hand to Jiang Feng.

Jiang Feng shook it briefly.

"This is Professor Zhang from the physics team."

Li Weiguo introduced him.

Professor Zhang looked terrible. He pushed up his glasses, his voice carrying exhaustion and frustration.

"Consultant Jiang, we tried to suppress it with high-intensity electromagnetic pulses, but the contamination energy field underwent a reactive expansion instead."

"All our scientific methods... have failed."

Jiang Feng's gaze moved past them to a large display screen above the blast door.

On the screen, the contamination index and energy readings were jumping wildly.

Twelve distorted red humanoid light points were crowded in the center of the surveillance footage.

"You're using methods for treating a cold to fight cancer. Of course it's useless."

[Ding!]

[New Mission Issued]

[Location]: Deep Well Base, Underground Level 5.

[Time]: 23:00 to 01:00 the next day (zi hour).

[Method]: Liuyao Coin Divination.

[Domain]: Fortune and Misfortune.

[Objective]: Guide three customers to a path of survival.

Lu Cheng and her team had already set up their equipment nearby.

Over a dozen computers were connected to various sensors, their screens flashing with complex energy models.

She didn't even look up.

"Consultant Jiang, what data support do you need?"

Her voice was calm, as if this wasn't a hair-trigger crisis scene but her laboratory.

Jiang Feng gave her a flat look.

"I need quiet."

He ignored the crowd and spoke to Old Chen behind him.

"Old Chen, take out the tools of the trade."

Old Chen nodded and opened the canvas bag.

He took out a folded small camp stool from inside.

Under the bewildered gazes of everyone, Jiang Feng took the stool and walked to a safe distance about ten meters from the blast door.

He opened the stool and sat down.

It was as if this wasn't a peril-filled underground base,

but the park below his home.

The atmosphere in the corridor became bizarre to the extreme.

On one side was the top-tier scientific research team led by Lu Cheng, frantically calculating and modeling, trying to use scientific logic to analyze the chaos before them.

On the other side was Jiang Feng.

He sat on the small camp stool with his eyes closed, looking as if he had fallen asleep.

Several times Qian Li wanted to step forward and say something, but he was stopped by Old Chen's gaze.

Old Chen stood behind Jiang Feng like an iron tower, blocking all disturbances.

Time passed minute by minute.

The numbers on the electronic wall clock jumped to 22:50.

"No! The model has collapsed!"

On Lu Cheng's side, a young researcher cried out in alarm.

"The entropy increase of the contamination energy field is accelerating! Its structure is becoming more and more chaotic; our algorithms can't keep up!"

Lu Cheng's brow furrowed tightly.

"I suggest immediately activating the Level B4 physical fuse mechanism."

"That will destroy the entire B5 level! Including the twelve researchers inside!"

Commander Li Weiguo immediately retorted with suppressed fury.

"This is currently the only way to stop the contamination from spreading further."

Lu Cheng's voice was devoid of emotion.

"Before it goes completely out of control, we must cut our losses."

"I don't agree!"

Qian Li rushed in front of Lu Cheng, his eyes bloodshot.

"Those are living human beings inside! They are the pillars of the nation!"

"Consultant Qian, please remain rational."

Lu Cheng looked at him.

"Emotion cannot solve the problem."

"Five minutes until the zi hour."

A voice that had been silent suddenly spoke up.

Jiang Feng opened his eyes.

He looked at the electronic clock on the wall.

"Once the zi hour arrives, the Yin energy will be at its peak."

"At that time, it won't be a question of whether you want to fuse it or not."

"It's that you won't even have the chance to fuse it anymore."

His words caused the argument on-site to stop instantly.

Everyone's gaze focused once again on this young man sitting on the camp stool.

Right at that moment,

a young woman in a research coat suddenly had an emotional breakdown.

She broke through her colleagues' attempts to stop her and stumbled over to Jiang Feng.

With a "thud," she knelt down.

"Master!"

Her voice was tearful as she looked at Jiang Feng in despair.

"Master! I beg you! My mentor is inside! Please, perform a divination. Is there still hope for him?"

Tears streamed down her cheeks, dripping onto the cold floor.

Her mentor was one of the twelve trapped researchers.

Her faith in science had already collapsed.

She could only grab onto this sole, seemingly absurd life-saving straw before her.

Jiang Feng lifted his eyelids.

He looked at the woman kneeling before him, crying her heart out.

"There is hope."

The woman looked up, an incredible light bursting from her eyes.

Jiang Feng continued.

"But not right now."

"Wipe your tears dry and don't interfere with my work."

His composure was like a stabilizing pillar thrust into the center of this chaos and panic.

The female researcher was stunned.

She looked into Jiang Feng's eyes, and for some reason, the panic in her heart really did dissipate by half.

She haphazardly wiped the tears from her face with her sleeve and stood up from the ground.

"What... what should I do?"

She asked.

Jiang Feng gave a signal to Old Chen behind him.

Old Chen pulled a small velvet pouch from the canvas bag.

He opened the pouch and poured out three ancient copper coins shimmering with a faint green light.

He handed the three copper coins into the female researcher's hands.

"Hold them."

Jiang Feng's voice rang out.

"Think of your mentor in your heart."

"Toss them six times."

23:00.

The zi hour had arrived.

The base's life-and-death countdown had quietly begun.