Armor-Piercing Munition: Face Me, Carbon-Based Monster!
Chapter 166 - 59: The Missing Object_2

Chapter 166: Chapter 59: The Missing Object_2

At this moment, Chen Jian had already stepped into the warehouse’s perimeter.

He was just an ordinary person, although he had undergone long-term training, his physical limits were still there.

The things the Holy Blood could sense, he couldn’t feel.

To him, this really was just an ordinary warehouse.

Even though nuclear weapons were stored inside, so what?

Chen Jian switched on his tactical flashlight and inspected each container.

Most of the lead containers were sealed, with only two already open, and beside one of them, a rail cart was parked on the track, the warhead quietly resting atop it.

".....This is the air-launched DF-21 warhead, it’s already assembled."

Chen Jian carefully examined the warhead model and then said:

"We can infer that during the catastrophe, this place was already on combat readiness duty."

"Otherwise, these warheads should all be stored disassembled."

"But if that’s the case... then there’s a bigger problem."

Chen Jian paused for a moment, then continued:

"Where are the people?"

"Where did all the people here go?"

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone froze in place.

It was only then that they realized where that enormous sense of incongruity was coming from.

Yes, this underground facility was a graveyard for planes and equipment, but not for people.

From the moment they entered, they hadn’t seen any human bodies!

This was completely different from the situation at 7025, where the facility had also been empty, but those people had actively left and actively sealed it.

But here?

"There’s only one possibility."

"The team was urgently gathered and transferred."

Lei Jie exhaled lightly, then said:

"Yet this reason is quite intriguing— the warhead was already assembled, ready to be mounted, but at this critical moment, everyone was transferred."

"Either they discovered a threat larger than what nuclear bombs could handle."

"Or they had reasons that required them to leave."

"We need to find out where they went to gradually uncover the truth."

"But speaking of which, do you think these ’disappeared people’ might be related to the ’Mountain City’s scent’ Ji Xing mentioned?"

"Hard to say."

Chen Jian shook his head and said:

"We still know too little about this world. Although the national library’s data has some technical information, the overall level of technology and its application in this world are still unclear to us."

"We can’t simply rely on past experiences to judge this era’s technology— the exoskeletons may have been within predictable range, but that spaceplane certainly raises questions."

"So, to be precise, it’s not just Ji Xing who needs to learn, but us as well..."

"Indeed."

Lei Jie lightly brushed the dust off his hands, then said:

"But no matter what, these nuclear weapons are honestly good stuff."

"This DF-21 warhead isn’t a trifle, weighing in at 600 kilograms with a 300,000-ton TNT equivalent, it’s genuinely a weapon of mass destruction."

"It’s a pity we can’t fuse the two bombs and don’t have air-launch conditions..."

"Can it be detonated?"

Chen Jian asked succinctly.

"Yes, but it’s difficult. No one has ever achieved it in history."

"In the ’90s, Chechen militants also obtained a nuclear bomb but ultimately couldn’t detonate it— it wasn’t due to any political game, just lack of technical ability."

"The nuclear bomb we found before had a special situation; it should have been reassembled after a fusion."

"The PAL system of that nuclear bomb had already been disarmed, and just needed a simple restoration of the circuitry to detonate."

"But the nuclear bombs in this warehouse are still all in a locked state. Without authorization codes, and with nearly all electronic equipment failing, you would need to bypass the PAL, anti-tampering, and self-destruct mechanisms to detonate."

"Moreover, DF-21 warheads have physical locks and anti-cut features, making disassembly nearly impossible."

"Detonation would take significant effort and some luck."

"How so?"

Chen Jian pressed further.

Lei Jie thought for a moment before answering:

"We’ll need to repair the electronics of these nuclear warheads."

"At the same time, we need to find the unlocking method."

"Do you think such a method exists?"

Chen Jian asked with some doubt.

Lei Jie nodded assuredly and said:

"They even considered the Three Gorges issue, they couldn’t possibly ignore the transition of such a vast heritage."

"Somewhere, there’s definitely a method for unlocking these nuclear bombs, and they will surely use some way to select their heir."

"We’ve only been shortlisted for the heir selection now, but we haven’t truly obtained the key..."

"I understand now."

Chen Jian exhaled deeply.

Yes, they’ve thought of everything, how could they not consider this point?

So... what exactly is in the Mountain City?

Chen Jian became increasingly curious about that enigmatic city.

All current clues pointed toward that city, seemingly hiding the code to save the world.

But how to get there remains an unresolved question.

"Anyway, let’s try to move these things first."

"Even if they can’t be detonated, these nuclear bombs are important assets and absolutely cannot be left here for others to obtain."

Chen Jian patted the cart beside him and continued:

"Get this thing out, let’s see if Ji Xing thinks her ’scent’ is related to the nuclear bombs."

"If it is, then that’s interesting."

"If it isn’t, wouldn’t that be even more interesting?"

Lei Jie teased back with a question.

"Indeed."

Chen Jian called Zeng Yi over to help, and together they pushed the nuclear warhead along the rusted track out of the warehouse with great effort.

They encountered no danger nor any unexpected incidents.

Aside from being drenched in sweat, the trio was no different than when they entered the warehouse.

Ji Xing, who had been on guard the whole time, finally breathed a sigh of relief, but before Chen Jian could speak, she quickly said:

"It’s not this thing."

"The source of the scent is not this thing."

"It’s still in the warehouse, I just can’t find it....."

"Do you want to go in and check it out?"

After pondering for a moment, Chen Jian asked.

Ji Xing hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded.

She knew that if Chen Jian and the others could get out, it proved that there wasn’t too much danger inside.

Thus, following closely behind Chen Jian, Ji Xing finally entered the warehouse that had filled her with dread.

Upon seeing the intricate tracks on the ground, she paused, then approached the ground and began sniffing like a hound.

A moment later, she stood up again, a bit disappointed, and said:

"It’s not this."

"...I also thought it couldn’t be this, it’s just a regular track system."

Chen Jian waved his hand, signaling Ji Xing to continue searching around.

After making a full circuit of the warehouse, Ji Xing ultimately couldn’t find the source of the special "scent."

She frowned and said:

"That scent used to be very strong, at least in Mountain City, it was very strong in that dense fog."

"But here, the thing that brought the scent has completely dissipated, and only due to the enclosed space does a faint trace remain."

"Sorry, I may have overreacted, the thing that brought danger is no longer here, this place... should be safe."

"No need to apologize, your vigilance is commendable."

Chen Jian gave Ji Xing an encouraging look, to which she nodded appreciatively, about to say some polite words when she suddenly glanced at a corner.

"Why is that spot empty?"

Following her finger, Chen Jian looked over, initially puzzled, then answered:

"There should have been a lead cabinet, but it has been moved."

"Why was it moved?"

"Why do you ask that?"

Chen Jian sharply noticed Ji Xing’s unusual reaction and immediately followed up:

"Is the scent stronger there?"

"No, it’s the same."

"I just feel it shouldn’t be empty."

...Indeed.

It shouldn’t be empty.

Chen Jian realized.

Having been fully captivated by the warehouse full of nuclear weapons, it was Ji Xing, with no concept of nuclear weapons, who first noticed the problem.

In this orderly warehouse, that empty shelf was the only point of disorder.

Something was taken from here.

What was it?

Chen Jian took a deep breath, then said:

"We have to figure out what was there."

"For some reason... I have an intuition."

"The item that disappeared from here is what the Ring Chamber of Commerce is truly searching for!"