Ma Lu insisted on going down, but Zhang Heng could not find a suitable reason to refuse.
He also knew that without his own people following the subway company, there was a high chance that they would not be allowed to run around in the tunnel. Therefore, Zhang Heng and Fan Meinan looked at each other and agreed to Ma Lu’s request.
After that, Ma Lu asked the other two inspectors to continue searching along the tunnel while he took the lead and climbed down the iron ladder.
The trio stepped on the rusted iron rails that creaked as it flexed, breaking the peace of the underground world below.
When he first saw the abandoned platform, Ma Lu actually had the same feelings as Cheng Sihan. Although he had worked for the subway company for twenty years and had heard some sporadic rumors during that time, this was also his first time seeing this abandoned subway line.
After landing, he turned on the flashlight in his hand and looked around carefully.
This platform looked very similar to the platforms on the serviceable lines, but upon careful inspection, there was still a difference. It made sense. To meet the increasing passenger volume and modern travel needs, the platform above had undergone several upgrades throughout its lifespan.
However, probably because of the sudden construction halt, this platform had perfectly retained its original appearance, retaining many features of a time gone by.
While Ma Lu was looking at the buildings around him, Zhang Heng observed the footprints on the ground. Because no one had been here for a long time, a thick layer of dust had settled on the platform. An observation as such might appeal to those obsessed with cleanliness, but for Zhang Heng, it was because of the very presence of the dust that he was able to record Sihan and Beta’s movements perfectly.
Zhang Heng could even infer from the footprints the two of them were standing and their movement speed. Following the footprints left by the dust, Zhang Heng turned his flashlight toward the tunnel entrance not far away.
“Did they run there?”Ma Lu also noticed the footprints on the ground.
“One chased and one fled, yes,” Zhang Heng said. “And there are no footprints nearby, so they either left on another platform through this tunnel, or they are still in the tunnel.”
“Great! Then let’s go find them quickly.” Ma Lu’s face lit up with joy.
However, Zhang Heng was not as relaxed as Ma Lu. Instead, he frowned slightly.
“What’s wrong?” Fan Meinan noticed Zhang Heng’s serious expression.
As far as she remembered, Zhang Heng was calm most of the time. A man with little expression on his face, he seemed to find a solution no matter how dangerous and harsh the environment was. This was her first time seeing Zhang Heng’s face produce such an expression. “Did you sense Loki nearby?”
“I don’t know,” Zhang Heng said. “I just vaguely sensed that there was something in this tunnel. As for if it was Loki or someone else, I’m not sure.”
Zhang Heng noticed that Ma Lu had already rushed into the tunnel, so he said to Fan Meinan, “Let’s go. Your sister and Beta have already gone in. No matter what’s inside, we have to go for a while.”
Leader of the patrol team, no one was more familiar with the tunnel than Ma Lu was. A regular person might be a little afraid and hesitant to enter that dark tunnel expanse in front of them, but all he could feel was a sense of familiarity. So, without hesitation, he stepped into the tunnel.
As he walked, he shouted at the top of his lungs, “Is anyone there?! I’m here to get you out!”
The only response he got was echoes of his own voice. Despite the circumstances, however, Ma Lu wasn’t too discouraged. It had been almost 40 minutes since the two girls had jumped off the platform, and if the two of them had walked along the tunnel, they would have already been way ahead. Hence, he strode forward, calling out to them constantly.
Zhang Heng and Fan Meinan were about two meters behind him.
Under such circumstances, it was best for the three of them to remain silent. Since they did not know what danger lay ahead, it was a bad idea to expose themselves too early.
However, just like how difficult it was to stop Ma Lu from descending, Zhang Heng also found it hard to stop Ma Lu from yelling. After all, if this was a normal search and rescue operation, Ma Lu’s actions were more logical. On the other hand, Zhang Heng and Fan Meinan, who did not say a word, seemed rather inexperienced.
Despite the ineptness of his companions, Ma Lu did not complain about the two of them. In fact, he did not know who they were since the higher-ups had asked for their participation in this rescue operation. Initially, Ma Lu was a little worried that Zhang Heng and Fan Meinan were the bossy kinds that liked to give orders blindly. Fortunately, the two of them had been very cooperative throughout the entire journey. They let him organize the work, but he followed quietly behind them. He did not interrupt them much, and he even reminded him to notice the locks and footprints on the iron door.
Up until now, the rescue work had been going smoothly, even exceeding Ma Lu’s expectations. Next, they only needed to find the two girls who had jumped off the platform in this tunnel, and they would be able to complete the mission successfully. Thus, Ma Lu cared little about the details, like Zhang Heng and Fan Meinan would follow him and shout.
Fan Meinan showed Zhang Heng her phone, indicating that there was no signal. This also explained why Fan Meinan did not respond when she sent a message to Cheng Sihan.
The three of them walked for about forty minutes before Ma Lu suddenly stopped and muttered, “Strange.”
“What’s strange?” Fan Meinan asked.
She had been paying attention to her surroundings along the way. It had to be said that this tunnel gave people a rather gloomy feeling. Perhaps it was because it had been abandoned for too long that there was no sign of life at all. Moreover, the most amazing thing was that she did not even see a rat after walking for so long. Considering that there was no food or water for rats to live by, it was the most plausible explanation.
However, this was the most annoying thing.
At least until now, Fan Meinan hadn’t seen anything special or noteworthy, but the scenery along the way was a little monotonous.
“We have walked a long distance, but why haven’t we seen the next platform?” Ma Lu asked with a puzzled look.
He was a subway employee and patrolled the line every day. Therefore, he was naturally more familiar with the platform-to-platform distance than the average person. The subway was originally built as a mass public transport tool to facilitate travel. Except for some special lines like the airport line, the distance between the stations wouldn’t be too great. They had, however, already walked for a full 40 minutes. Logically, they should have arrived at the next platform long ago.
