"Why do you think so?" Layton couldn't help but ask.

"Because of the information about this tunnel, I didn't see even half a word in the files of the Security Bureau." Ke Lan said, "Although this tunnel was discovered by the people of the 'Restart' project team, it will not be confirmed until it is determined."

After the tunnel is no longer related to 'Yagunaktor', the tunnel should be transferred to the ruins development department of the molten mine area for management. Once the latter takes over the tunnel, it will inevitably upload the corresponding data to the archives.

, but I found nothing.”

"Could it be that the time was too short and they didn't have time to upload the information?"

"Even if this tunnel was handed over to the development department one day before the earthquake, at least a new folder with a project number should have been left. Moreover, for a ruin of this level, even if no one is stationed to guard it,

, at least a semi-permanent supply station should be built at the entrance for subsequent exploration. From the time we entered this tunnel until now, have any such traces been found?"

"When you say that, it seems like there really isn't..." Leighton's eyes lit up, "Even though this tunnel has no research value, its construction material is solid Nino alloy. It is impossible for the development department to leave such a piece of fertilizer.

I don’t care about the meat.”

On Ark, credit points are equivalent to banknotes issued by various countries in the old era. They have no value in themselves. They can only be regarded as a "value symbol", but because the "issuer" of credit points, Ark, shares weal and woe with all mankind.

, and the official strictly controls its circulation, so the purchasing power of credit points has always been in a very stable state... But when it comes to hard currency that can be recognized by most people in this era, there are only two things.

.

On the earth in the old era, the two most common hard currencies and the most easily accepted by the general public were gold and silver, known as precious metals; but now, these two things have become energy from the Alpha ruins

Crystalline and Nino alloys.

This tunnel, to use the metaphor of the old era, is at least equivalent to a rich gold mine with extremely high reserves - although this statement is inevitably suspected of being a waste of resources, just like treating a piece of equipment that integrates various high-tech technologies as scrap metal.

The price per pound is the same, but this just illustrates the value of this tunnel from another aspect.

It is absolutely impossible for the development department to conceal this matter... Even if the report is delayed, they will be held accountable for a large amount of responsibility.

Even if the director of the development department of the Molten Mine has overwhelming power, he would not dare to monopolize this "gold mine" - this thing is completely different from the pure energy crystallization of the Leviathan Mine, which only requires a small box.

It can be taken out of the base without anyone noticing, and if you want to develop this tunnel in the molten mine area, it is impossible to hide it from anyone.

This is a serious crime, and not only the offender will be sentenced to severe punishment, but also their family, relatives and friends will be affected.

"Park Sang-woo said that he walked back and forth in the tunnel himself, and the project team also conducted a detailed survey of the entire tunnel - although the tunnel he mentioned may not be the same tunnel as the one we are in now - but

This means that the development progress of the tunnel is actually very complete.

It's ready." Ke Lan said, "You only need to delete the important confidential parts of the tunnel investigation report of the 'Restart' project team, and this report can be submitted directly as an exploration report. The remains of the molten mine area

The development department is getting a huge bargain."

"But this investigation report does not exist...even the information related to this tunnel cannot be found." Layton followed Ke Lan's train of thought, "Even the 'Restart Yaguna Kotor Project'

'Such top-level secrets have left some clues in the archives of the Security Bureau. Such a painless tunnel cannot have a higher confidentiality level than the 'Restart' project!"

"This is the only flaw in Park Sangwoo's words." Ke Lan said in a deep voice, "At that time, he had already revealed the secret of 'Aguna Kotor' and expressed his willingness to cooperate... He was

He took this opportunity to tell us the location of the tunnel when our vigilance against him was at a minimum."

"Do you suspect that he deliberately tricked us here?" Layton's breathing became slightly faster.

"It's hard to say now, and we can't determine his motives and purposes...but we have to be on guard." Ke Lan glanced at the rescue cabin in the distance from the corner of his eye, "We were deceived once by that woman named Yui.

, as a price, we lost Liao Zilang... I don’t want this to happen again.”

"Speaking of that woman... this Park Sang-woo, could he also be a member of the heretical sect?" Layton's facial muscles trembled slightly with excitement, "The surrender is fake, and the resources of the Ark are used to locate 'Yagunaktor'

's coordinates are his real purpose! However, if he is a heretic

If you send someone, why not just lure those monsters here? If you want to kill us, that should be easier, right? There's no need to trick us into this tunnel... What's more, he himself is with us

, if there is any danger here, wouldn’t he be able to escape?”

"He can use the resources of the Ark to locate 'Yagunaktor', and naturally he can also use our power to explore this ancient battleship... Whether in his eyes or in the eyes of the heretical sect, 'Yagu'

Nakotor's life is much more important than the lives of a few of us."

"Then what should we do now? Showdown with him directly?" Layton asked.

"Do you think he will admit it?" Ke Lan asked, "Besides, we don't have conclusive evidence now. Everything we just said was just speculation. Except for him, everyone who knows about this tunnel is already dead. If

If he insists that he knows nothing about these things, there is nothing we can do against him. The method of coercing a confession has been used once, but it will not work the second time."

"What should we do?"

"That's why I called you out because I need your help."

"What do you want me to do?" Layton asked seriously.

"Forge a piece of data." Ke Lan took out a black memory card from his pocket and said.

"What data?" Layton asked.

"The list of people who entered the magma channel." Ke Lan said word by word, "A soldier never tires of deception. Since Park Sangwoo didn't tell us the truth, we might as well deceive him."

…

After a while, Ke Lan and Leiton returned to the main force. At this time, the others were basically rested and were waiting for his order to move forward.

But Ke Lan said to everyone with a serious face: "Leighton and I just made a new discovery, and this discovery is related to you, Dr. Park Sangwoo?"

"What? It has something to do with me?" Park Sangyou looked at Ke Lan with a confused look on his face.

"You said before, there are four members of the expert team that entered the magma channel, right?" Ke Lan walked to the rescue cabin and asked him through the porthole.

"When we entered the passage, we found three corpses, namely Dr. Burne Ferry, Dr. Muller von Guderian and Mr. Huang Renxun, but the fourth expert was missing...

...Logically speaking, the four of them should be together."

"This...how do I know this? Maybe they got separated? Wasn't Alfonso's body far away from them? And the vehicle driver, he is also missing...

"Park Sangwoo said.

"I just want to ask what the name of the fourth expert is." Ke Lan looked directly into Park Sangwoo's eyes and placed his hands on both sides of the porthole.

"I, let me think about it..." Park Sangyou subconsciously avoided Ke Lan's gaze, "It's... it's 'Alex'! 'Alex Sashes'!"

"Team Leader Breya, please check this person's information." Ke Lan turned his head and said to Aya.

"I checked, there is indeed such a person." Aya Breya nodded, "'Alex Sashes', senior researcher of the institute, materials science expert, and the three experts who were killed were

The person who was transferred to the base in the Molten Mine during the same period should also be a member of the 'Restart' project team. This person's name is also on the list of missing persons."

"Alex Sachs...why would a materials expert become a member of the death squad? You all already know that the main material of 'Aguna Kotor' is Nino alloy. We need to study Nino

Alloy, there are plenty of samples outside, why do we need to enter the magma channel?" Ke Lan continued to ask Park Sangwoo.

"I don't know what you mean by these words. Why can't materials science experts voluntarily join the advance team? After all... after all... this is likely to be a journey with no return, and not everyone can risk life and death.

’... They all voluntarily participated in this operation..."

"That's not right!" Ke Lan interrupted Park Sangwoo's defense, "Indeed, most people are afraid of death... But when it comes to which place has the most people who are not afraid of death, I don't think it is the field corps combat troops at the forefront. On the contrary,

It is a research institute under the heavy protection of Ark!"

He took a breath and continued: "Although I have come into contact with almost a handful of researchers, I have heard a lot about the deeds of this group of lunatics...Dr. Park Sang-woo, since you can say the words 'ignoring life and death'

In short, I wonder if you have heard of another ancient Chinese saying?"

"What?"

"'He who hears the Tao in the morning will die in the evening.'... Yes, there are a group of such lunatics in the institute. In order to explore truth and knowledge, morals, ethics and even their own lives can be used by them.

The price of exchange... I think, as someone who has worked there, you should know this better than me, right?" Ke Lan grinned, "If it weren't for Ark's legal control, this group of people would probably be able to

Do a lot of 'shattering' things?"

"What on earth do you want to say?" Park Sangwoo began to show an impatient look.

But Ke Lan knew that this impatience was just to cover up the deeper tension and panic.

In order to cover up a lie, he needs to tell more lies to make up for it, but the more lies he tells, the more loopholes he can catch.

"I think if this kind of opportunity is there, this group of experts will fight for their heads, right? Even if the experts on the project team are not all the kind of lunatics who don't want their lives, then it should be casual to gather four suicide squads.

It’s a convenient thing, right? How could it be possible to get an expert like Alex whose expertise is not very useful in exploring lava channels and ancient battleships?”

"The situation was urgent at that time, and we didn't think about it that much at all!" Park Shangyou said, "The four of them were the first ones to volunteer to enter the lava channel, so..."

"I thought so at first, but it wasn't until I discovered this." Ke Lan took out the black memory card from his pocket and stuck it on the porthole of the rescue cabin.

"What is this?" Park Sangwoo looked at the black memory card, and the corners of his eyes jumped involuntarily.

"I picked it up with a drone a hundred meters away from Alfonso's body." Ke Lan said, "This thing should be the most commonly used large-capacity memory card within the institute. It is made of Ark Crystal.

Made by Silicon Technology Company, with a single-chip capacity of 65TB, you probably don’t recognize Dr. Park Sang-woo.”

"...Is this your new discovery? Is this discovery related to me?"

"Yes." Ke Lan said, "There are several recordings in it, and a total of six people's voices appear. After comparing one-to-one with the voice data kept in the archives, I confirmed the identities of five of them."

"Which five people are they?"

"Four of them are dead, and our bodies have been found. As for the temporarily unrecognizable voice, I think it should be the driver of the vehicle. As long as we spend a certain amount of time checking, we can also confirm his identity.

.Of course this is not important, what is important is that voice that is somewhat familiar to me.”

With that said, Ke Lan put away the memory card and took a step back.
To be continued...