Chapter 833 - 697: Slow Down on Yellow Springs Road (Part 2)

Chapter 833: Chapter 697: Slow Down on Yellow Springs Road (Part 2)

Just quietly observing, listening, and thinking.

However, she didn’t have to wait too long.

Soon, all the car doors were unlocked from the outside.

Personnel from the pharmaceutical company, as well as passengers like Zhao Jingyi, disembarked one by one.

One man, who seemed to be a supervisor from the pharmaceutical company, quickly approached the transport captain, whispered a few words, and handed a box of cash to the other man.

Then he turned and walked towards them quickly, his face equally unpleasant:

"The convoy can’t go in, Zone 9 is under lockdown, allowing entry but no exit, with an undetermined release time. The transport team is unwilling to be trapped inside; their vehicles and people will turn back to Zone 6.

We have to move the goods into Zone 9 ourselves. Rest assured, I’ve already contacted the buying company inside Zone 9, and they will soon send people to receive..."

The supervisor simply explained a few things without any intention of negotiating, and directly ordered the employees to start unloading and moving the goods.

Fortunately, most of what they were transporting were pharmaceuticals or precise medical instruments.

Although each box appeared quite large, they were not actually too heavy, and the employees had basic exoskeleton support frames.

This is almost standard for cross-zone transport teams, prepared for any vehicle breakdowns during transport, necessitating manual carriage.

Some might think that relying on human strength to carry goods through dangerous unmanned zones or relic areas is akin to suicide, impossible to return alive from such places.

Ridiculous~

To any company, having paid high transportation fees, if the goods went missing along the way while employees miraculously returned safely, they’d rather the employees die on the road!

Zhao Jingyi did not participate in the moving.

She paid three times the regular goods "boarding fee," making her identity fall under commodities, and she only needed to carry herself.

She quietly stood aside, watching the pharmaceutical company’s employees activating their exoskeletons to unload and stack the boxes from the vehicle.

Her gaze went beyond the busy crowd, towards the blockade line formed by armored vehicles and gun muzzles, and the steel city skyline beyond it.

"Something might really be happening inside, with the situation unclear. Should I still follow the original plan and go in?"

This thought only lasted for a brief moment. Zhao Jingyi did not hesitate for too long and soon dragged down her seemingly inconspicuous yet extremely heavy suitcase from the vehicle.

Silently, she followed behind the employees carrying boxes, one by one, passing through the gates guarded by Investigation Corps soldiers.

The Investigation Corps soldiers guarding, their gaze blandly swept over everyone entering the city.

Their gaze lingered on Zhao Jingyi for two seconds more, perhaps due to her aura differing from the porters or because of her suitcase.

However, eventually, they indifferently withdrew their gaze without stopping or checking.

After all, the order they received was to thoroughly inspect and prohibit anyone from leaving the city, not a word mentioned about entering it.

Of course, the most crucial part was that the transport captain had already slipped enough "inspection fees" into the pocket of the duty officer during negotiations.

As long as the "inspection fees" are adequately handed over, whether to check or not is irrelevant; what you carry is "safe," even a truckload of explosives will appear as harmless "building stone" in the documents;

Conversely, if the "inspection fees" aren’t paid sufficiently, even if all you’re transporting is a bag of regular detergent, it’ll be deemed a "mass biochemical weapon."

So.....

The harmless Zhao Jingyi dragged her equally harmless suitcase and safely set foot on Zone 9’s land once again!!!

.....

Following the original plan, Zhao Jingyi should immediately head to the coordinates sent by her mentor, retrieve the item, and leave promptly.

Yet, the unusually tense atmosphere in Zone 9 made her feel vaguely uneasy.

From a probability standpoint, she felt the lockdown in Zone 9 should be unrelated to her mentor, but what if?

After all, her mentor’s ability to stir things up, especially big events, is indeed formidable.

As she walked along the street dragging her suitcase, Zhao Jingyi’s mind raced with various thoughts.

As a scientist, especially one trained by Zuo Bai, Zhao Jingyi also learned caution.

Conducting experiments requires preparing all equipment in advance, designing control groups, and anticipating and planning for any unexpected situations.

In her view, doing things and conducting experiments share the same underlying logic—requiring as much information as possible, considering various variables, and preparing for the worst case.

After all, if an experiment fails, you might be able to replace materials and start over, but in your own matters, you are the only consumable, with no chance to start afresh.

"I must reassess the risks, can’t blindly follow the original plan."

Thinking this, she casually hailed a taxi by the roadside, opened the door, and sat in the back seat.

"Driver, go to Fenglin Hotel."

She reported a pre-selected stopping point and then casually inquired,

"Did something happen in Zone 9? I see roadblocks everywhere on the street?"

The driver was a middle-aged man with dark skin, glanced at the ordinary-looking middle-aged woman in the back through the rearview mirror, responding in the same casual tone:

"Exactly, even the Investigation Corps has been mobilized into the city.

Since this morning, the streets have been restless. Every now and then, you can see blue-white cars from the Patrol Office zooming past, causing panic and anxiety."

Zhao Jingyi furrowed her brows:

"Then, what exactly happened?"

The driver shook his head:

"Specifically what happened, who knows? Not a word in the news. Yet, some are speculating online, saying it might be due to the ’Air Tax’ being implemented for real.

The Executive Government is likely afraid it would trigger massive protests or even riots, thus deploying forces in advance to rehearse and deter."

Zhao Jingyi slightly nodded, admitting that the conjecture had its logical points.

Locking down the city could indeed effectively prevent disgruntled "Blank People" from fleeing Zone 9 and becoming unregulated "Free People" outside.

Previously, Blank People could freely leave, but with the Air Tax coming, no money means you can’t leave.

However, she felt deep down that things might not be that simple.

While she was pondering, the driver suddenly lowered his voice, as if sharing some critical secret.

Even though they were the only two in the vehicle, who exactly he feared might overhear was uncertain.

He pretended to be mysterious and said:

"But, let me tell you, I personally think it’s definitely not about the Air Tax, instead it’s..."

"Oh?" Zhao Jingyi feigned interest, "So what do you think it is, driver?"

The driver coughed lightly, thoroughly opening his chat-box:

"In my view, this situation is likely—someone died! And, absolutely someone of considerable importance died!

That’s why the city is sealed off, they’re capturing the killer, otherwise, nothing else would warrant such drastic measures by the Executive Government."

To support his viewpoint, the driver delved into past incidents:

"Think about it, even seven or eight years ago, when news reported a group of Calamity Corpses wandering from the Relic Area nearing Zone 9, inside the city wasn’t this nervous.

The last time with such a full-city lockdown, with Investigation Corps summoned into the city, was probably over twenty years ago.

I recall back then, some Member of Parliament—yes, it was a parliament member—his entire family was wiped out, not sure by whom?

I remember that parliament member’s surname was, um, what was it again...."

Listening to the driver’s continuous analysis, Zhao Jingyi’s face showed little expression, though inwardly she seemed to be pondering:

"This conjecture is indeed quite plausible; could Zone 9 possibly be searching for the mentor? If so, that would truly be.....fantastic!"