Abyss Empty House (The Salvageman's Adventure)

Chapter 17

Date: 2008-04-19 14:44:00

Strangely, the thing didn't react at all. After being shot by the harpoon, it flipped over and fell off the stone wall. Only then did I see that the bottom of the corpse was covered with tiny holes, and countless crab legs were sticking out, struggling in vain.

It turned out that the corpses had become the host for the crabs. For some reason, they all became restless and active after my sudden disturbance, wandering around the stone wall with their skeletal frames on their backs, creating a chaotic scene that startled me.

I breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that many corpses had been dumped in this cave back then. I wondered where the gap above my head led. I looked up and saw that I had reached the top. The gap narrowed even more irregularly. Above the steel plate blocking the way was a pitted stone platform. There was no solid path to follow.

Just as I was about to go down to the steel plate blocking the road, I suddenly remembered the guy I had locked in the filing cabinet in the empty room. He felt something churning in his chest, as if it was about to burst out of his body. I wondered if the corpses here had the same strange phenomenon. Looking around, it was really narrow and there was no strategic depth at all. If we were caught off guard and had a head-on confrontation, Ding Gen and I would probably capsize.

To ensure safety, I sent Ding Gen to check what Zhang Liheng was doing. If there was nothing they could do, we should evacuate first.

I slowly slid down, approaching the fallen corpse. As I got closer, my anxiety grew, and I unconsciously gripped my diving knife tightly.

The corpse was missing its limbs and the flesh on its chest was riddled with holes. I was very puzzled by these incorruptible corpses. Even if they were soaked in water, they shouldn't have been able to decompose for so long. If they were poisonous, why couldn't fish eat them, but crabs could be used to make a comfortable nest?

I stared intently at the man's chest, hoping there wouldn't be any signs of waxing. Not bad, this guy wasn't that bad; he was just a dried-up human body. I wasn't giving up. Seeing Ding Gen and the other guy still busy with the steel plate, I casually poked it lightly with my knife. Oh no, this is bad!

This guy actually flipped his wrist and grabbed my hand, while his other hand immediately gripped my neck with such force that he knocked the respirator off. I immediately felt suffocated, dizzy and unable to exert any strength!

In that split second between life and death, all my theories about life and society collapsed instantly. My bulging eyes stared at this old man who had been dead for many years, and I asked myself in disbelief, "Are there really ghosts after people die? Otherwise, why would this old corpse be more agile than a living person and fight me so skillfully?"

Date: 2008-04-19 15:21:00

My mind went blank for a moment, but my will to survive was immediately and strongly aroused. I kicked the old corpse in the stomach and retreated desperately. I don't know if the thing was sticking to me or if I was holding onto it. I just kept retreating towards Ding Gen and Zhang Liheng.

The only thing that made me feel fortunate was that, apart from gripping my knife and pinching my neck, this thing didn't do anything else. It was completely different from the zombies and monsters I had in mind. It didn't even try to bite me. When the headlamp shone on its face, it remained expressionless and indifferent, not like a living thing.

However, I was caught in a sudden crisis and completely forgot Lao Deng's teachings. After losing my breathing apparatus, I foolishly struggled violently in the water. Soon I felt my brain was lacking oxygen, and I knew that it wouldn't be long before I was drowned or strangled to death.

As my consciousness gradually faded, in the nick of time, I kicked out with both feet in a desperate attempt to escape this predicament. However, the water behind me suddenly surged and rushed forward rapidly, with a large number of bubbles rising up. Then, an extremely powerful suction force pulled my body straight backward.

Immediately, I felt a hand grab me, and I only saw a black shadow flash before my eyes. The arm that was gripping my neck was severed. I thought it must be Ding Gen who saved me. In a moment of lucidity, I tried to pry open the stone wall to steady my backward body, but I crashed into the wall and lost consciousness after a buzzing sound.

When I opened my eyes again, my mouth was dry and my head was extremely dizzy.

I groaned, "Water...water...drink water..."

Good heavens, how can I speak? I barely managed to look at my surroundings; I hadn't returned to land, and it was still pitch black.

Zhang Liheng and Ding Gen were right next to me, without masks or respirators, only their headlamps were flashing. I sat up in surprise. Where am I?

Zhang Liheng whispered, "There's a winch under that steel plate, hidden in the stone wall. I just tried to turn it, and the steel plate started to move and try to open. The force was too strong, so I had to close it again. Who knew you would suddenly rush over with a dead body? It really scared me to death."

Ding Gen came over and shone his headlamp into my eyes carefully. He nodded and said, "It's okay, Lao Huang, you're just short of breath. We've already reached behind the steel plate. That steel plate is a rotating trapdoor. After I helped Xiao Zhang turn the winch, it was fortunate that Comrade Xie rushed out to save you, otherwise the steel plate door wouldn't have been able to close at all."

Comrade Xie? I was immediately puzzled.

A figure emerged from the shadows, knelt down beside me, and said, "I am Sergei, a staff officer in the intelligence department. It's a pleasure to meet you."

What's going on? I'm completely confused.

The man who introduced himself as Sergei was tall, with short hair, black eyes, and regular features. He didn't look like a bad person, but his speech was strange. I didn't know where he spoke, and he couldn't pronounce the four tones accurately. He gave me the impression of a foreigner.

As soon as he opened his mouth, he was busy taking credit: "Comrade Huang, I saved you. The situation was very dangerous at the time. Please forgive my intrusion."

I could only reach out and shake the outstretched hand, saying blankly, "Then thank you so much!"

Chapter 47 of "The Empty House in the Abyss (The Salvage Worker's Adventure)"

Chapter 47 of "The Empty House in the Abyss (The Salvage Worker's Adventure)"

Author: Ghost Grinning

Date: 2008-04-20 11:31:00

Ding Gen chimed in from the side, "Staff Officer Xie, don't... don't call him Comrade Huang. Old Huang is much more affectionate. Tell us what exactly happened. We're still clueless."

Sergei's serious expression softened as he said, "This is my second time at the reservoir. Last time, I miscalculated at the hands of Mr. Gu Jinping at the reservoir and failed to complete the mission. I regret it very much. There is a Chinese saying: 'A small act of impatience can ruin a great plan.' There is also another saying: 'Prepare for a rainy day.' Therefore, I am fortunate to meet you all here today."

It's ridiculous that someone who knows a little bit of foreign language likes to throw in a Chinese proverb every now and then. I couldn't stand the awkwardness, so I had no choice but to strain my ears and listen to him continue.

I guess this guy is one of the two officers Lao Gu mentioned who he brought into the reservoir to hunt down the fugitive. But how did things end up in Lao Gu's hands? There must be some inside story. Maybe what Lao Gu told me was all made up. This also explains why I'm always a little wary in my subconscious.

Sergei cleared his throat and told us the whole story, which was a completely different version from what Lao Gu had told us!

A certain military region has been paying close attention to the situation in the Soviet Union and has sent many staff members to the Far East and Central Asia to conduct some investigations and to maneuver among the Soviet republics. This year, after Lao Ge became the top leader of the Soviet Union, the situation in the Soviet Union became more and more complicated. This Mr. Sergei's long-term identity is an overseas Chinese businessman in the Far East. He is fluent in Russian, Japanese and Chinese. He was originally a colleague of Lin Teng, also known as the fish gill man, who died in the reservoir. So the story has to start with Lin Teng.

When Lin Teng returned from the Soviet Union, he did indeed uncover some secrets. Ding Gen had already obtained a lot of information about these secrets from Captain Luo, but none of it was as clear as what Sergei had said, because Sergei and Lin Teng were originally partners who worked together in the Soviet Union.

Ding Gen's ramblings were incoherent and probably came from a casual chat with Captain Luo over drinks. He talked about how the Soviet army captured geological survey data after annihilating the Japanese army, then conducted surveys in Inner Mongolia based on the data, and also carried out experiments in Zhejiang, ultimately flooding the experimental site. As for where the crashed plane came from, why they were going to investigate the sinkhole twenty years later, and why they were carrying important geological survey data, and what exactly that important data was, these questions were completely unclear. But that's understandable, since these were secrets that people of Captain Luo's level wouldn't have access to.

When Sergei told Lin Teng about this secret, he first heard it from the Japanese, because there was never a shortage of Japanese spies in the Soviet Far East. The secret he heard from the Japanese went back to the warlord era of the 1920s.

In the mid-1920s, Sun Chuanfang, a fierce general of the Beiyang Army, was active in Zhejiang and Jiangsu. His military advisor was Okamura Yasuji. More people know about Okamura Yasuji; he can be said to be a pioneer of the invasion of China and a famous China expert.

While serving as a military advisor to Sun Chuanfang, Okamura Yasuji was extremely keen on stealing military maps to prepare for wars of aggression. Sun Chuanfang, in turn, was completely obedient to Okamura Yasuji. The sudden collapse of Leifeng Pagoda in 1924 was a masterpiece of Okamura Yasuji and Sun Chuanfang. What exactly was the purpose of this secret operation? To this day, no one knows. What treasures did Leifeng Pagoda lose? Or what great function did it lose? Only those involved at the time know this secret.

It was all because Okamura Yasuji gave Sun Chuanfang a huge temptation.

Date: 2008-04-20 21:14:00

At this point, Sergei suddenly asked me, "Do you know about the amazing book in China called the Tui Bei Tu? The one written by Li Chunfeng and Yuan Tiangang in the Tang Dynasty?"

I shook my head blankly, not knowing. Even when Leifeng Pagoda suddenly collapsed, I only vaguely remembered that Lu Xun had written a commemorative article.

Zhang Liheng replied in a low voice, "The Tui Bei Tu is a banned book. I heard it's full of feudal dross and is a prophetic book that promotes superstitious ideas."

Sergei said seriously, "The Tui Bei Tu is a remarkable book that predicts the rise and fall of Chinese dynasties. Jin Shengtan commented on it in the early Qing Dynasty. It was originally kept in the Qing Palace, but it was confiscated by the Eight-Nation Alliance. The great temptation that Okamura Yasuji gave to Sun Chuanfang was the original text and illustrations of the fortieth image of the Tui Bei Tu!"

The fortieth image depicts three children playing. The commentary mentions "one, two, three, four; no land but a master; a small celestial being; ruling by doing nothing," and also four pronouncements: "one mouth and one wooden figure holding a jade tablet; no shoes on the feet and no hair on the head; if encountering wood and frost, the ice and frost will melt; the one who gave me life is the monkey, and the one who killed me is the eagle."

Okamura Yasuji took out the 40th image, a Qing Dynasty imperial treasure. It was very ancient and heavy, with many appreciation and signatures from various dynasties. It was only one sentence different from the copy treasured by Sun Chuanfang. "A breath from the east is too arrogant" was changed to "A breath of a wooden man holding a jade tablet". Everything else was exactly the same, so Sun Da-er-er couldn't help but believe it.

Okamura Yasuji explained that this image definitely refers to the history of the rise and fall of the Republic of China, and is closely related to Sun Chuanfang. For example, the three children in the picture represent people with the surname Sun, because the character for "child" is composed of the characters for "Sun". "One mouth and one tree" refers to Japan's help in helping people with the surname Sun succeed. "The monkey gave me life" also refers to people with the surnames Sun and Yuan who created and revitalized the Republic of China.

The key phrase is "without shoes on his feet and without hair on his head," which indicates what Sun Chuanfang needed to do to unify the country. Following the description in the image, he would surely achieve unification. As for the last two lines, "If I encounter wood and frost, my life will be like a monkey, my death like an eagle," which describe the demise of the Republic of China, we can disregard them. (Attentive readers can easily interpret these two lines by considering the current situation across the Taiwan Strait; I won't elaborate further.)

What does the phrase "feet bare and hairless" mean?

The character '脚无履' (foot without shoes) cannot be walked. So, the character '行' (walk) is broken up and '首无毛' (head without hair) is inserted in the middle. '首无毛' is composed of two '目' (eyes) characters. Adding the '佳' (good) character '一人执圭' (one person holding a jade tablet), the whole thing forms the character '衢' (qu). Therefore, Okamura Yasuji and Sun Chuanfang set their sights on Quzhou, a place located at the crossroads of Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, and Anhui provinces. It is known as the "gateway to four provinces and the first stop in Zhejiang." Qujiang also has a sinkhole called Dengzhan Tiankeng, surrounded by cliffs and with a pristine forest at the bottom that is rarely visited by humans.

Okamura Yasuji and Sun Chuanfang went to great lengths to reach the Dengzhan Tiankeng in Changshan County, attempting to seize the imperial aura through a massive campaign. These actions, which were kept strictly confidential, remained unknown to anyone, but left behind many legends in the area.

It is particularly important to note that the Qujiang River and the Xin'anjiang River eventually flow together into the Qiantang River and head straight for the sea, while the underground river water of the Dengzhan Tiankeng completely flows into the present-day Xin'anjiang Reservoir!

There is no doubt that the sinkhole leads to the reservoir; there is already conclusive evidence.

This is my second time visiting the reservoir, not to investigate Sun Chuanfang's misdeeds, but to find out what the Russians' purpose is in acting so suspiciously here.

After explaining so many complicated things in one breath, the three of us were even more confused. Sergei smiled and said, "No matter what tricks Sun Chuanfang and Okamura Yasuji played in the Dengzhan Tiankeng, the bald leader later went to a small island across the sea to eke out a living, so they definitely didn't succeed. When Lin Teng told me this rumor, I just laughed it off. Who knew that Lin Teng would get so into it later and keep at it until he found an old Soviet expert who was involved in the construction of the reservoir. He used both soft and hard tactics to get the exploration data and then secretly returned to his country. After I was ordered to return to my country, I never expected that the first thing I would do was to come to the reservoir to hunt down my old partner, only to be outmaneuvered by Mr. Gu Jinping!"

I immediately recalled the dead Lin Teng, who left behind a notebook that only vaguely mentioned things related to the experiment, without going into details about what secrets he had obtained. Could it be that... Sun Chuanfang, Okamura Yasuji, the Russian, Lin Teng, Lao Gu, Sergei, and even Zheng Jian, all did things for the same purpose?

Things are getting more and more complicated, it's a complete mess! I patted my head, I was so dizzy and confused. What am I doing here, getting dragged into this and unable to get out?

Zhang Liheng, being perceptive, thought for a moment and asked, "What else? You haven't told me how you got here? What exactly is this place? And what was that thing that grabbed Huang Ning? Are there really ghosts in this world?"

Sergei shrugged: "Madam, you have so many questions. Let me answer them one by one. I know you're worried about your boyfriend, but that's okay. Listen to me slowly. We're safe for now."

Zhang Liheng blushed: "What boyfriend? We're just comrades-in-arms. Why are you so nosy!"

Sergei laughed: "Don't joke around. When Comrade Huang choked just now, who was the one who rushed to give him CPR? You were so anxious, it didn't seem like a comrade-in-arms at all."

I was dumbfounded. I looked at Ding Gen, but he had his hand behind Zhang Liheng's back, gave me a thumbs up, and continued listening to the lecture with a serious expression.

I coughed lightly and said as innocently as possible, "Huang Ning thanks everyone. I will remember Comrade Zhang's kindness."

Zhang Liheng couldn't stand everyone's stares any longer and pretended to hit me.

Sergei quickly continued, “We are now in an underground cave, which must lead directly to the Dengzhan Tiankeng. I didn’t come from the same route as you; I came through the belly of a rocky mountain, so I don’t have the full set of diving equipment like you. The steel plate door you came in through was built by the Russians; it can only be opened from the outside. I can’t open it from the inside. The door is very cleverly designed; it’s a large water tank between two layers of panels, like the sealed compartment of a submarine. I was in the large tank wondering what was outside the steel plate when you opened the door. I was quite startled, but luckily I realized we were all Chinese, so there was no misunderstanding.”

Zhang Liheng curled her lip: "You don't seem like a Han Chinese at all, you speak strangely."

Sergei said helplessly, "There's nothing I can do about it. Although I'm a genuine Han Chinese, I've always worked in the Far East. I'm used to it. As for what Huang Ning encountered, I already know what it is."

I immediately perked up my ears. The situation at the time had terrified me half to death, and my shattered worldview and philosophy of life were still stuck at the bottom of the water. My once unwavering materialism and atheism were now in serious doubt.

Sergei looked at me and said, "After the two of them were swept in by the water, I saw that there were still people behind them, so I quickly went to pull you out. But I found that you had a strange magnetism. My dear Comrade Huang Ning, I think you must have been in contact with the Soviet experts' test cabinet. Lin Teng also had this strange magnetism, and it was much stronger than yours. Because I had been in contact with Lin Teng, I could feel your strange magnetism immediately."

I was stunned. This kid guessed right. My eyelids probably couldn't hide it from him. Suddenly, an impulse to kill him to silence him filled my mind. This guy knew that Lin Teng had magnetism and gills. Did he try to check my ears while I was unconscious? If he found out, I didn't want to become a miserable lab rat like that unlucky Lin Teng.

It seems I'll need to find a chance to talk to Ding Gen later. When I'm about to take him down, don't be stupid enough to stop me. As for Zhang Liheng, we'll deal with her later. She's just a girl, and a girl who has a good impression of me. She can't cause any big trouble!

Chapter 48 of "The Empty House in the Abyss (The Salvage Worker's Adventure)"

Chapter 48 of "The Empty House in the Abyss (The Salvage Worker's Adventure)"

Author: Ghost Grinning

Date: 2008-04-22 10:33:00

Sergei, seeing my expression, knew he was right. He sighed and said, "This magnetism is an uneven magnetic field, related to experiments by Soviet experts. That corpse with the crab nest also has this magnetism, you know? Since the Earth's birth, the magnetic fields at the North and South Poles have not only changed direction but have also frequently reversed! Whenever the poles jump, the temperature changes drastically, glaciers melt, leading to the extinction of countless species. Crabs are animals that are extremely sensitive to magnetic fields. Faced with the constantly changing magnetic field, they have to mutate, neither moving forward nor backward, but moving sideways. So, that corpse wasn't there to bite you, but was attracted by your hidden magnetism. If there really were ghosts, I think you would definitely be bitten by that corpse. Don't think nonsense, there's no such thing as ghosts!"

I quickly asked, "What magnetism? I don't understand this technical term. Can you explain the consequences in more detail? As usual, don't try to fool me with nice words; tell me the most serious consequences!"

Sergei's expression also turned serious: "Consequences? Of course there will be. Since you are so open-minded, I will tell you the truth. This kind of magnetism, because it is uneven, will make you grow slowly and have a very short life. As for the physical mutations, I only know that Lin Teng grew gills. I don't know anything else! These are the things that Lin Teng told me."

I was filled with bitterness, and I was speechless, grimacing. What does "slow growth" mean? I'm already an adult, no longer a flower of the motherland. So what if I'm slow? I can just not get married and not ruin girls' lives. But I'm also extremely short-lived. What's going on? It's like they're doing both to kill me!

Until death is imminent, everyone can confidently pound their chest and say they are absolutely ready to die. But once they know they are about to die, what they crave most is how to survive with difficulty. At least, that's my pathetic thought.

Seeing me trembling and unable to speak, Ding Gen quickly comforted me: "Boss, don't be like this. Lao Xie isn't an omnipotent bodhisattva. We're brothers, if we fight to the death, we'll get the bezoars and dog treasures here. We'll definitely break your curse. At least I don't believe you'll be caught off guard! Xiao Zhang, don't you think so?"

Zhang Liheng remained calm and didn't respond. Instead, she looked at Sergei and asked, "When did you meet that fish-gill man, Lin Teng? Are there any of your companions in this reservoir?"

Sergei paused for a moment and said, "Well... well, I saw Lin Teng about a month ago. At that time, he was hiding alone in the reservoir. I tried to persuade him to go back to the army, but he refused and instead attacked me. So I came here alone this time. I've been wandering around for several days before I discovered the secret passage inside the rocky mountain."

Ding Gen finally managed to interject: "Did you come here on your own without telling your workplace? Was it to save your old partner? What a pity."

Sergei immediately looked at Dingen, his eyes sparkling: "What's wrong? What happened to you?"

I quickly changed the subject to stop Ding Gen from continuing: "We didn't encounter that gill man. Lao Xie, your strange name reminds me of someone. Lao Ding, do you remember that Khrushchev also had this name?"

Sergei glanced at me and Dingen suspiciously, and replied, "That's a coincidence. The name was chosen by the organization. Please excuse my rudeness."

Date: 2008-04-22 17:33:00

Zhang Liheng asked suspiciously, "You said you've been wandering around here for several days? Then didn't you notice so many of us? You didn't run into Deng Jianguo, but you must have run into Zheng Jian, who brought so many people up Stone Mountain?"

Sergei shrugged helplessly: "Young lady, you really have a lot of questions. Mr. Ding guessed correctly. I did come alone in private, so I basically avoided people whenever I saw them. Besides, I've been stuck in the belly of the rocky mountain for the past few days looking for a way. I don't know any of the people you mentioned."

Zhang Liheng pressed on with even greater curiosity, "Then you've been wandering around inside the rocky mountain for so long, haven't you found anyone?"

Sergei shook his head: "I know a little more about the dangers here, so I didn't dare to go near many places. I followed the tree to find the roots and that's how I got here. I'm wondering, please don't think of me as a traitor just because my Chinese isn't standard. I'm a colonel with military merits!"

I understand that Colonel Xie must have some real skills to dare to come alone. Now, let's not talk about anything else and find a way out.

Thinking of this, I couldn't help but secretly rejoice at my foresight in packing pistol ammunition and food in waterproof sealed bags before going into the water. Now it finally came in very handy. Without further ado, the three of us quickly checked our belongings. Everything was there, except for my complete set of diving gear, which I had left behind on the steel plate. Seeing that Ding Gen and the other guy's air tanks were almost empty, I knew that if we needed to dive again, it would be a headache. However, Colonel Xie should know the way out from the belly of the rocky mountain, so there was no need to panic too much.