升维

As the motor hummed,the blast door gradually sealed shut.A series of crunching sounds echoed through the corridor—claws being pulverized into minced meat,with blood oozing through the narrowing gap.

"Let's head to the control room,"Lu Ping said.Hu Liqing had already started jogging toward the elevator.

Lu Ping followed behind,his eyes inevitably drawn to her swaying figure,which moved gracefully like a willow in the wind.Her professional skirt hugged her alluring curves,outlining a perfect silhouette,with the tight fabric hinting at the texture beneath.Lu Ping,a young man in the prime of his life,couldn't help but be tempted.He swallowed hard,quickly averting his gaze as he followed.But his peripheral vision couldn't help but glance back.

Inside the elevator,neither of them spoke.Lu Ping stared at the ceiling,his mind wandering.The nuclear power plant was located in a port city in the southern part of the country,with humid air and a sweltering climate.Stepping outside felt like entering a sauna.Hu Liqing,having run a long way in her escape,was already drenched in sweat.An intoxicating,sweet fragrance emanated from her body,filling the entire elevator.The space inside the elevator was cramped,and Lu Ping,inside his protective suit,was almost suffocating.He opened the external breathing valve of his mask.

A strong,hormone-rich scent immediately hit him,catching him off guard and stirring a sense of restlessness.Fortunately,he was wearing a bulky protective suit,which concealed any awkward physical reactions.

• Ding!

The elevator stopped at the third floor,and they arrived at the control room.The control room had air conditioning and a ventilation system,which helped Lu Ping calm down.

"Rest here for a bit.I'm going to the locker room to take off this protective suit,"Lu Ping said,pulling out a chair and pushing it towards Hu Liqing.

"Don't take it off!"she quickly interjected.

"Why not?"Lu Ping asked,puzzled.

"I suspect there's been a nuclear leak!"she said earnestly,her eyes wide behind the gas mask,revealing only her watery gaze.

"It's definitely not a nuclear leak.Trust my expertise.Look here,if there's any radiation detected,it will alarm,"Lu Ping said,pointing to the indicator on his protective suit.As a nuclear safety engineer,he knew what a nuclear leak looked like,and it certainly wouldn't turn people into zombies.Moreover,he was well aware of where the nuclear fuel was stored.He had checked it this morning.It was protected by multiple layers and wouldn't leak.It was only scheduled for loading tomorrow.

Ignoring her,Lu Ping went to the locker room and changed into his usual bright red robe.To guard against any unexpected incidents,he still wore a gas mask.He was certain it wasn't a nuclear leak,but with people mutating for no apparent reason,it was better to be cautious about potential viruses in the air.The protective suit was designed for radiation,but a gas mask was more convenient for dealing with viruses.

Back in the control room,Hu Liqing was staring blankly at the large screen on the wall.

"Stop daydreaming.We've got work to do,"Lu Ping reminded her.

"What work?"Hu Liqing turned her head and asked.

"We need to check all five floors of the control room.What if someone or something is hiding there?We'd be in danger,"Lu Ping said,already having a plan in mind.

"Well,during the emergency drill,everyone should have evacuated,"Hu Liqing said hesitantly.

"No,safety doesn't allow for any carelessness.We can't take chances.Didn't you and I miss the emergency assembly point?"

"...Alright,"Hu Liqing nodded in agreement.

"However,before that..."Lu Ping said,looking at her legs.

Hu Liqing followed his gaze and quickly clamped her legs together,covering the small gap with her hand.

"What do you think you're doing?"she glared at him.

"You know the situation outside better than I do.In your current state,you won't survive long,"Lu Ping said,walking towards her and reaching for the hem of her skirt.

"You good-for-nothing Lu Ping,you scoundrel,you dare to..."

Hu Liqing clutched her skirt tightly with one hand and scratched at Lu Ping's face frantically with the other.

Lu Ping pried open her wrist,ignoring her wild scratching,grabbed the hem of her skirt,and tore it forcefully.

• Rip!

With the sound of tearing fabric,Hu Liqing burst into tears,covering her private area and trembling all over.She closed her eyes and stopped struggling.

Speechless,Lu Ping turned away.

"Alright,your skirt isn't convenient for moving around.I've made a high slit for you.It'll be much easier to run now.You should also break the heels of your shoes,"he said.

Only then did Hu Liqing stop crying.She looked at the slit in her skirt,which revealed a hint of her private area,and a blush rose to her cheeks.She pressed her skirt down,got up awkwardly,took off her high heels,and tried to break the heels.

"I can't break them.You do it,"she said in a barely audible voice.

Lu Ping smiled,took the shoes from her,squatted down,stepped on them with his foot,and snapped the heels off with a forceful twist.

• Snap!

"Done,"he said,handing the shoes back to her.

Hu Liqing was still squatting on the ground,her slit skirt pooling around her feet,inadvertently revealing quite a view.Lu Ping couldn't help but catch a glimpse of a cartoon character on her underwear.

"Is that Chibi Maruko-chan?"Lu Ping couldn't resist asking.

"You...shameless!"Hu Liqing quickly adjusted her skirt and gave Lu Ping a dirty look.

"What's there to be embarrassed about?Mine are Transformers.If you feel wronged,I can show you mine too!"Lu Ping chuckled inwardly but kept a straight face.

"Old lecher!"Hu Liqing muttered as she put on her shoes.

"I'm only thirty-two.I was still an Outstanding Youth last year.You even gave me the certificate.Where am I old?"Lu Ping said with a smile.

"Humph!I knew you weren't a good guy from the start.I've got eyes all over me.With hundreds of people in the project department,I can tell what you guys are thinking with just one glance!"Hu Liqing said,striding towards the door.

"Are you really going to go check like that?"Lu Ping quickly followed.

"What else am I supposed to do?"Hu Liqing turned around,facing Lu Ping.

Hu Liqing was tall and slender,about 170 cm,reaching up to Lu Ping's nasal bone.Her tall stature,combined with being a minority from this city,made her stand out in a unique way.Only her eyes were visible,staring at Lu Ping,full of spirit.To be honest,it was a look that all the male colleagues in the project recognized as distinctive.

"Come with me!"Lu Ping went to the tool room,grabbed an electrified fork and handed it to her,while he picked up a multi-functional shovel.

"Can you use this thing?"Lu Ping asked.

"I can operate a laser cutter!Of course,I can handle this!"she said,taking the fork and pressing the switch.Arcs of electricity crackled at the tip,sizzling and buzzing.

"Oh,right,you're in electrical automation.We're even alumni!"Lu Ping said.

"So what?"Hu Liqing said,taking the fork.She seemed like a completely different person once she had the weapon in hand.

Lu Ping suddenly felt a pang of regret.

"Let's go.We'll take the emergency staircase instead of the elevator.That way,we won't miss anything,"he said.

The two headed towards the emergency staircase.Once in the stairwell,Hu Liqing took the lead,walking in front of Lu Ping.His line of sight was directly on her alluring figure,the swaying hips and the perfect curves were hard to ignore.

"Um...maybe I should go in front,"Lu Ping said.

"Why?"Hu Liqing stopped,turned around,and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.