The lakebed was not a laboratory, but a cage for mutated aquatic beasts.
They remained motionless in their cages: seals, sea lions, sea turtles, octopuses, orcas, and even sharks.
The remaining two mutated porpoises were also confined.
They thrashed wildly within their enclosures, their eyes glowing red. Only after a man administered tranquilizer darts did they gradually calm down.
Seeing that the mutated porpoises were unharmed, the two men turned and left.
Xu Qian narrowed her eyes slightly and quickly activated the live map in her mind.
They traversed the entire lakebed without surfacing, and the little green figure on the map gradually disappeared.
Xu Qian's gaze grew somber. It seemed there was another entrance.
She cautiously moved through the cage area. The beasts didn't open their eyes, appearing to be fast asleep.
Xu Qian followed their path further down, reaching the spot where they had vanished.
The vanishing point looked no different from its surroundings – rocks and seaweed. Where was the entrance?
As Xu Qian was racking her brain, her oxygen tank suddenly emitted a warning sound.
Insufficient oxygen.
Xu Qian sighed. She would change it and search again later.
As she kicked her legs and began to ascend, she discovered that the ice on the lake had already refrozen.
She raised her hand and pushed, but it wouldn't budge!
Xu Qian's eyes darkened. How could the ice freeze so quickly? It was illogical!
The X Group must have done something to conceal this base…
Would breaking through it rashly expose them?
Xu Qian pondered for a moment and decided not to surface.
With a thought, she entered her space to change her oxygen tank.
The two people and one zombie on the shore were worried sick, wishing they could jump in themselves.
But Xu Qian had said one hour, and they couldn't go down and interfere.
After equipping a brand-new oxygen tank, Xu Qian exited her space. She searched the surrounding rocks and stone walls for an entrance, but found nothing.
They must have entered here; she must have missed something.
If it was an underground entrance, the X Group typically used black steel wells.
Xu Qian dove to the lakebed and examined it closely. Indeed, amidst a pile of seaweed, she found a black wellhead.
The surface of the wellhead was covered with freshly scattered soil, the location well-concealed.
Xu Qian used her Super Lollipop Hammer to successfully pry open the well cover, and water immediately began to gush in.
The girl's eyes lit up. If there was no water, it was the laboratory.
She followed the water down, finding a long ladder inside.
Xu Qian gripped the handrail. The water pouring in was so strong it made it impossible to see anything.
She closed the cover by feel, and the water stopped surging downwards.
The space was not large, only allowing one person to climb down. Looking down, it was pitch black, almost to an unseen end.
Xu Qian's face turned pale. Her hands and feet had gone numb from prolonged exposure to the icy water, making it difficult to climb.
She glanced at her diving suit. It was too cumbersome for climbing; she needed to change!
Xu Qian entered her space to change into a thick tracksuit before slowly starting her descent.
The X Group was truly clever, always building their bases in unexpected locations, challenging her patience.
After finally reaching the bottom, she could faintly hear voices from below.
"What's there to be afraid of? Xu Qian definitely won't find her way here!"
"That's right. Even if she could get in, she'd only die. We put quick-setting agents in the water, it'll refreeze in less than half an hour, and with such thick ice, she'd die even if she got here."
"Don't think so much about it. We are the only underwater base among all their bases. She definitely won't find us."