The Mechanic [BL]

[78]

Chapter 78 - Ordinary World (1)

Zhang Xun followed James and Diego quickly through the dark and damp underground pipes, stepping through the mud and sewage, smelling the disgusting rotten garbage and occasionally he would be startled by a mouse that slipped past his feet.

They had just escaped from an underground shelter underneath the borders of the Fifth District, which had been abandoned for a hundred years and then converted by Adam. It had been prepared at the founding of Lost Paradise as a precaution against Eden's prolonged bombardments, with an ancient and well-developed but now unused infrastructure. Not many people remembered it today. Adam had apparently read about it in the archives, and placed Zhang Xun's prison there. It didn't require much work and was hidden from view so it couldn't be easily found.

On the way out, Zhang Xun counted that there were five guards in total, three were brought down by James with an anesthesia bomb and two were knocked out by Diego. It should have been enough for five people to guard a defenceless mechanic, but knowing Adam, he would have placed surveillance devices and facial recognition all over the place, triggering an alarm as soon as they saw an intruder outside their authority or if they were tampered with.

During the escape, Zhang Xun paid careful attention and did find some cameras.

But why hadn't the alarm been triggered?

In response, James replied that Fernandez had helped them by hacking into the surveillance system here and replaced it with some pre-recorded images, but Zhang Xun still felt that it shouldn't be that simple.

A system that Adam set up wouldn't have any weak points.

He just didn't have time to think too much about it now. If they were caught, even James and Diego would be in danger.

From the shelter, they entered the drainage system, which led them to his apartment in the Third District. The intricate underground pipes were like a maze, and several times they would have ended up at dead ends blocked by iron bars and falling into gutters if they weren't careful.

The only source of light was the two soldiers' helmets, two lonely beams of light tearing through the darkness that had been untouched for who knows how long.

When they reached the Third District, roughly close to Zhang Xun's apartment, they climbed out from a well. It was three in the morning, the streets were dark and empty and the energy-saving street lamps were all turned off.

Zhang Xun had already told James the location and password of the safe where he had hidden Pan's core module. The two soldiers turned on the stealth function on their battle suits and quickly ran across the street to the residential building where Zhang Xun's apartment was located.

Zhang Xun was waiting at the bottom of the well, pacing back and forth anxiously. He thought back over and over again about their escape all this way and couldn't help feeling that it had gone too well.

Like someone deliberately wanted to let him go.

Was it someone at the Round Table who was secretly opposing Adam? Or...

No, it couldn't be Adam. He posed a serious threat to both him and his plans. As an AI that does everything with a purpose, Adam would never do such a thing that goes against logic and common sense.

But what if Adam had been negatively affected by his human body?

Various possibilities lingered in Zhang Xun's mind, as if several voices were arguing loudly.

Should he stay behind if there was a possibility that Adam could make a turn around?

But what if that was all his own wishful thinking? How would he be able to persuade Adam if Adam never came to see him again for the rest of the time?