"I understand, of course. Don't worry, our stealth work is excellent. Don't you trust me? Looks like you two have arrived as well. Then hurry up, I hope you can keep up with our pace!"
Fortunately, there was still a signal in this dense forest. I replied with a "Good" and soon led Ma Biao further in. After passing many reefs, I found the path ahead becoming increasingly rugged and muddy. Our shoes felt like they were glued down, making it difficult to lift them, as if a layer of superglue had been applied to the soles. This slowed our progress considerably. Yet, I still couldn't see Liu Yuning and the others. Theoretically, encountering such terrain should also drastically reduce their speed. How could they seem unaffected?
As I was pondering this, Ma Biao suddenly grabbed me and said, "Look over there, Section Chief He, there are many ropes!"
"Whoa! Are we playing on swings?" I asked, indulging in a rare moment of childishness at the sight of the swaying ropes.
Ma Biao said nervously, "We can jump onto them and leap from tree to tree, that way we can avoid this troublesome mud!"
"Easier said than done, but can you do it?" I looked at Ma Biao skeptically.
"Section Chief He, don't think I'm a rookie. I may not be good at criminal investigation, but that doesn't mean my physical fitness is lacking!"
With that, Ma Biao ignored me. He broke free from the mud and leaped upwards, grabbing a rope. Using the momentum, he swung over, skillfully grasping another rope ahead, and then landed on a tree trunk. Seeing him move, I couldn't lag behind. So, I leaped too. After Ma Biao's jump, I followed, and we didn't collide. We continued to leap across tree trunks and ropes, reaching a plain on the other side. During the jumps, I noticed footprints on the tree trunks, suggesting that Liu Yuning and the others had likely passed through this way.
After crossing, I patted Ma Biao's shoulder from behind. "Well done. Your physical education scores must have been excellent at the police academy!"
"Nearly perfect. But my criminal investigation grades were just barely passing."
"Heh, no wonder. Scores don't represent everything, but they do represent many things."
"Exactly! That's why you should study hard and read good books when you're young!"
As we chatted, we quickly crossed the grassland, expecting to find Liu Yuning and the others. However, near some bushes, we were suddenly ensnared by something, and found ourselves unable to move. Strange voices could be heard not far away: "It's them. Truly a..."
"Damn it! How would I know any password!"
I turned back and searched around the ward, hoping to find a clue. I first went to the bottom of the TV cabinet and opened the drawers. Inside, I found countless documents and a pencil.
I took out the documents and read them carefully. They read:
"December 12, 2022, Sunny.
I realize it's been seven days since I arrived here. Those who don't know would think I'm here for medical treatment. In reality, I've been imprisoned by the perverted scientists here. However, they haven't harmed me yet. They've just forbidden me from going anywhere else, restricting my freedom. Every day at noon, I get some steamed buns and plain congee. My body is getting weaker, and I don't know how much longer I can survive. Anyway, this life for me is worse than death.
I don't want to stay here anymore. If it continues like this, death would be a welcome relief. I've been racking my brain over what the six-digit password could be, but I haven't figured it out. You know, even arranging numbers from 1 to 9 six times would result in tens of millions of possibilities. It's impossible to rely on luck to randomly input it.
December 13, 2022, Cloudy.
I feel my body failing me more and more. Recently, I heard those perverted scientists are preparing to take me away. Actually, I've accidentally found a way to crack the password here. If anyone else comes here, pick up the pencil first, open a certain cabinet, and rub the pencil over it. The password hint will be revealed. However, I'm not very familiar with the periodic table..."
This person was definitely taken away by those scientists before today. Now it's my turn to be imprisoned in this room.