Level 9 loading issue

It could be my PC (a 10-yo laptop) although the game runs decently on medium settings. However, Level 9 takes a long time to load—I’ve measured up to 10 minutes of waiting time, even on the lowest possible graphics settings. This doesn't happen with any other level; it only occurs with Level 9.
It happens every time I enter it: via the Level 8 exit (post-bacteria), through The Hub, returning from Level 10, when manually restarting the level, after dying, or when exiting the abandoned MEG base within Level 9 itself. This only happens on level 9, all the other levels run and load normally. The game also sometimes crashes, only when level 9 is loading.