CHAPTER 5 THE HIDDEN FACILITY (I)
The night air was cool as Xia Zhao stepped out of work and started walking around looking for a taxi. She paused for a moment and she started thinking of her father.
The image of him lying motionless in the hospital bed lingered in her mind, making her chest tighten. The beeping of the heart monitor and the weary look on his face were things she couldn't erase no matter how hard she tried.
She clenched her fists.
"Just hold on a little longer, Baba. I'll find a way."
Taking a deep breath, she checked the address on her phone once more.
West Industrial Parkway.
It was much farther from downtown than she had expected. Judging by the map, she would need to take a bus if she wanted to arrive on time.
Without wasting another second, Xia hurried toward the nearest bus stop.
The city gradually changed as she walked. Bustling shopping streets gave way to quiet neighborhoods, and the number of pedestrians became fewer and fewer.
After nearly fifteen minutes of walking, she finally spotted the bus stop ahead.
Relief washed over her face.
"I'm just in time..." She thought
But before she could finish her sentence, the bus pulled away from the curb. Its engine roared to life.
"No...!"
Xia broke into a sprint
"Hey! Wait for me!"she shouted as she waved both hands frantically as she ran after it.
The driver either didn't hear her or simply chose not to stop.Within seconds, the bus disappeared around the corner.
Xia slowed to a stop, placing both hands on her knees as she struggled to catch her breath.
"Aish..."
She let out a defeated sigh before collapsing onto the metal bench beneath the bus shelter.
"Great... now what am I supposed to do?" Xia thought to herself in defeat.
The next bus wouldn't arrive for another thirty minutes.She glanced at the time,if she waited, she would definitely be late.
"This job is too important..I can't afford to mess this up."
She rubbed her temples.
Just then...
A sleek black taxi rolled silently to a stop in front of the bus shelter.
Xia blinked."Huh?"
Her brows knitted together.This part of the city was practically deserted , simply because it leads to the industrial area, taxi's shouldn't be here .
Hardly anyone came here unless they had business in the industrial district.
Finding a taxi here was almost impossible.
The driver's window slowly rolled down.
"Heading somewhere, young lady?"
The driver looked to be in his early thirties.
He wore dark sunglasses despite it was the night , and his neatly trimmed beard gave him a distinguished appearance. Combined with his expensive-looking black suit, he looked less like a taxi driver and more like a successful businessman.
Xia couldn't help staring.
"He doesn't look like a taxi driver at all..."
Her instincts told her to be cautious.
But looking around...
There wasn't another vehicle in sight.
She bit her lower lip.
"I don't exactly have many choices."she thought before she finally answered the man
"I'm heading to West Industrial Parkway," she finally answered.
The driver smiled faintly.
"Perfect."
He unlocked the doors.
"Hop in."
Xia hesitated for another second before opening the rear door and climbing inside.
The interior surprised her,the leather seats were spotless,the car smelled new.
There wasn't even a scratch anywhere inside.
"This doesn't feel like a normal taxi..." Xia thought.
The engine hummed softly as they pulled back onto the road.
For the first few minutes...
Neither of them spoke.
Only the quiet sound of tires rolling across the asphalt filled the silence.Xia occasionally glanced out the window, watching the city gradually disappear behind them,towering buildings became warehouses,warehouses became empty roads.
Then...
Even the warehouses vanished,all that remained were endless stretches of pavement lined with perfectly trimmed trees.
The silence inside the car became almost unbearable.
Every now and then...she noticed the driver looking at her through the rearview mirror.
Each glance lasted only a second.
Still...It was enough to make Xia uneasy.
"Why does he keep looking at me?"
She instinctively tightened her grip on her handbag.
The driver finally broke the silence.
"First time heading out there?"
Xia nodded cautiously.
"Yes."
"Job interview?" He asked constantly looking at Xia through the rear mirror
"...Yes." Xia replied nodding her head
"I hope it works out for you." The man replied and ent silent.His tone sounded genuine.
Yet for some reason..his words carried an odd weight,almost as though he knew exactly where she was going.
Xia forced a polite smile.
"Thank you."
The conversation ended as quickly as it had begun.
Another twenty minutes passed,then the taxi slowed.
"We're here."the man said
Xia looked through the windshield
And her eyes widened.Far ahead stood an enormous iron fence stretching farther than she could see,beyond it loomed a colossal warehouse-like structure that dwarfed every building around it.
At first glance it looked like an ordinary industrial warehouse,but something about it felt...wrong , strange even .
There were armed soldiers stationed at regular intervals along the perimeter,surveillance cameras covered every angle,military vehicles were parked near the entrance. Although she couldn't see much from the distance,she could feel the tension hanging in the air.
"Just... what kind of warehouse is this" ?