Abyss Empty House (The Salvageman's Adventure)

Chapter 25

That's pretty much what the young soldier Tiger Head described. We were all mesmerized and worried for Zheng Jian. Thinking of Zheng Jian, I immediately turned around to see what was going on with him.

Upon closer inspection, I saw that the cold-blooded Captain Zheng had long lost the sharp edge of a young officer. He was lying on the inflatable boat, barely alive, with black blood and foam flowing from his mouth. His eyes could still move, and when he saw me leaning closer to look at him, his eyes widened and stared at me intently. I thought to myself that Captain Zheng was likely in grave danger, and judging from his appearance, it would be difficult to cure him.

She sighed and began to loosen his clothes to see where he was injured and whether there was any hope of saving him. But as soon as she lifted his clothes, she was shocked.

All I could see was glaring lividity all over Zheng Jian's chest, patches here and there. There seemed to be tiny midges flying around in his ears and nostrils. I pinched his joints, and they were all stiff and icy to the touch. I wondered, what happened? Looking at his skin and muscles, he had been dead for hours, so how could his eyes still be moving?

I gently asked Zheng Jian, "Captain Zheng, can you still hear me?" Zheng Jian's eyelids had stopped blinking, and his pupils kept moving to the corner of his right eye, one after another, as if gesturing for me to look.

My confused thoughts suddenly came back to me. Zheng Jian had gone berserk because Lao Gu had patted him on the shoulder. I realized the problem was on Zheng Jian's back. I asked the two of them to move over and help me turn Zheng Jian's stiff body over. I used a lamp to examine the back of Zheng Jian's shoulder carefully, but there were no special wounds. They were just some scratches from the rocks, which were quite normal.

I moved the flashlight up a little more and finally found the problem. Something seemed to be sticking out of the short hair. I reached out and touched it. On the back of Zheng Jian's head, in the hollow near his neck, I felt a nail about the thickness of a chopstick. Only the nail was sticking out. I tried to touch it with my hand. It was stuck very deep.

I knew Zheng Jian was definitely finished. In this situation, with a long nail driven into the back of his head and no medical care, he was bound to die. Old Gu was no simple man. This must be some kind of evil magic, driving people crazy without causing immediate death after being driven into their heads!

I turned Zheng Jian over, looked into his eyes, and gently shook my head. I felt very sad, because pulling out the nail would only make Zheng Jian die faster.

Zheng Jian looked at me expectantly, but I didn't dare to meet his gaze. I stole a glance and saw that Zheng Jian's eyes seemed to glaze over for a moment, then he rolled his eyes hard, staring at the Type 79 submachine gun on the young soldier's head. A tear rolled down his cheek, and his expression was very resolute. We were both soldiers, and I could tell at a glance that he didn't want to suffer anymore and wanted me to give him a quick death.

I couldn't bear to do that, so I shouted into his ear, "I want to pull the nail out, just bear with it!"

Zheng Jian's young face was expressionless, his eyes widened slightly. When he heard me say I was going to pull out the nail, he hesitated for a moment before becoming resolute. I turned him over again and told them to hold down Zheng Jian's legs. Upon testing, I discovered that the nail wasn't made of iron, but was a curved nail that resembled peach wood. However, the angle was very bad, pointing upwards at an angle, and it was definitely driven into his brainstem. I don't know what kind of evil magic Old Gu used, but Zheng Jian, who should have died immediately, has been alive until now. However, after his mind went mad, his body became that of a living dead.

The young soldier, Tiger Head, wiped away his tears: "That old man was really a demon. He led us from the theater to the top of the mountain, and along the way he took out a lot of fortune-telling and divination tools, some of which were even live animals. We didn't think much of it at the time. We thought he was some kind of magician, some old Taoist priest who came out of the deep mountains. We never expected him to be so ruthless to our captain. Captain Zheng had already let him go and not executed him. Huang Ning, you're the elder brother, please think of a way to save our captain."

My heart was heavy. I sighed and said to him, "There's nothing we can do. Look at Zheng Jian, he's already beyond saving. Pulling out the nail will probably only hasten his death. If we don't pull it out, he'll be like a living dead, watching his body stiffen and rot away bit by bit. This nail is definitely no ordinary nail. If it were me, I'd rather shoot myself and be done with it."

I remembered something and asked Tiger Head, "Wasn't Lao Gu supposed to be getting along well with you guys? Why did Captain Zheng clash with him? What did they say to each other when they were together? Can you recall anything?"

Tiger Head shook his head and said, "We were standing far away, so we couldn't hear anything. We could only make out that Zheng Jian was questioning something, and Lao Gu was just explaining in a low voice. When he saw the dark red liquid in the pool, Captain Zheng's face changed. They huddled together as if they were arguing about something. Soon, Captain Zheng raised his gun and made him kneel down. We thought something had happened, but after a long time, Captain Zheng didn't fire. After that, the captain went crazy."

Tiger Head hesitated for a moment and said, "However, I think I heard a word, but I'm not sure. They both spoke very fast, one sentence after another. I don't understand much to begin with, and when they spoke fast, I understood even less. But there was a sentence where Old Gu told Captain Zheng to look up at the sky, and then he mentioned a boxing ring. That's all I can remember."

You said Lao Gu told Zheng Jian to look up at the sky? I asked Hu Tou in surprise, "Look up at the sky? Is that really what you said?"

Tiger Head nodded and said, "Yes, he said that very loudly, we all heard it."

That's strange. We were walking along the cave, so how could we see the sky? I really can't understand it. Aren't we below a reservoir? I quickly asked the young soldier, "Did your Captain Zheng look up at the sky?"

Tiger Head said, "Yes! Captain Zheng looked up at the sky at that moment, and immediately turned hostile and drew his gun. It was from that moment that we realized that this old Gu was an enemy."

Did we leave the reservoir area long ago, traveling seven or eight hours through the caves to reach the sinkhole? Does that mean the sky is right above us now, and we can't see it because it's dark?

I remember seeing a star at the bottom of an abyss, so it wasn't just my imagination? That's exciting news.

On our first night, as we sat idly by the boat, Lao Gu talked about the sinkholes in the southwest. He said that below were primeval jungles, filled with countless caves and sinkholes. Some people who had been inside discovered that these caves were interconnected, and there were also unfathomable fissures nearby. Looking around, everything did seem to match that description. The only thing I didn't understand was this city gate. It was so tall and majestic, and covered such a large area, that it was impossible not to see it from the air.

This old man is really scheming. He started by piquing our curiosity, but what good does he do?

Chapter 69 of "The Empty House in the Abyss (The Salvage Worker's Adventure)"

Chapter 69 of "The Empty House in the Abyss (The Salvage Worker's Adventure)"

Author: Ghost Grinning

Looking up at the dim sky, there was nothing there at all, only that it was very high and very dark.

Turning Zheng Jian over, I shook my head again, saying I couldn't bring myself to do it. Zheng Jian's neck was tense, his eyes wide open, and he spat out mouthfuls of black blood. I tried to help him up, but it was too late. Zheng Jian's stiff eyes remained wide open, and with the last spit of black blood, he completely lost all signs of life. I shone my flashlight on him, and his pupils were already dilated.

Finally, I died, but for no reason, I felt a sense of relief. To live like this, watching my body die bit by bit, would be an extremely painful process, a torture worse than death.

I patted the soldier and said, "Alright, don't be sad. Captain Zheng is gone, but it's actually a relief. We still have to move forward and avenge him and your comrades. Listen to me, cheer up and obey orders!"

Tiger Head wiped away his tears, gripped the submachine gun to his chest with hatred, and said through gritted teeth, "I know the captain has been suffering, but I just can't bring myself to do it. Old Gu, Gu Jinping, I will kill you with my own hands to avenge the captain!"

I suddenly remembered Shen Juan and quickly asked Zhang Liheng, "Was there anything unusual about the helicopter that came to pick you up? Did you watch them get on the helicopter?"

Zhang Liheng had been silent the whole time. It was only then that I noticed she was biting her lip, her eyes were full of tears, and her expression was filled with guilt. Her words were also full of self-blame: "Yes, because you guessed that the water temperature was wrong, I even wrote a note for Shen Juan to take to the driver, telling him not to fly over this water. Later, I saw him fly in circles to the back of the rocky mountain. Yes, it was all my fault for not going with them."

I comforted her, saying, "Don't think like that. It's no one's fault. Anyone would have done the same. Don't feel guilty. If anyone is at fault, it's me and Ding Gen who made the biggest mistake. We shouldn't have left the two of you girls on that boat."

Chapter Fifty: A Warm Feeling

Zhang Liheng stubbornly shook her head: "It's my fault. Now that I think about it, I didn't check the identification of the people who got off the plane. I didn't think much about it. As soon as they said they were rescuers sent by Lu Tongchun, I believed them. Now that I think about it, he tied Lao Gu up and hoisted him up as soon as he got off the plane. He originally didn't want me and Shen Juan to get on the plane, saying he would come to rescue us on the next trip. We negotiated for a while before he agreed to let Shen Juan get on. He unloaded a bunch of junk to make room and then flew away."

Ding Gen's face also turned very pale. I turned back to comfort him and said, "It's okay, Ding Gen. At most, Lao Gu used a trick to escape. His accomplice on the helicopter couldn't have come down with him. If you ask me, he probably controlled Shen Juan to blackmail us. He only changed his mind after meeting Zheng Jian. Didn't Hu Tou say that Shen Juan is still alive? Once we catch Lao Gu, the truth will come out."

Zhang Liheng continued, "It seems that he hanged himself in that cockpit because he saw that we suspected him and wanted to open the top compartment to escape. But then he remembered that he could send a message to his accomplices, so he simply pretended to be dead and waited for someone to rescue him."

Ding Gen muttered, "This guy is really something else. He even has an accomplice who flies helicopters. I bet his background is anything but simple. Shen Juan is really in trouble this time. Sigh! Why did I bring him in? If I had been a little more ruthless back then, none of this would have happened. If anything were to happen to her, how would I explain it to her father?"

The atmosphere was very oppressive. Zhang Liheng was filled with self-blame, Ding Gen was worried, and the young soldier was grieving for the captain's tragic death. We fell silent, not knowing what to do.

After a while, I changed the subject and asked the young soldier, "Did you hear Captain Zheng mention what we were looking for? I think you just mentioned... a boxing ring... What does that mean? Have you heard it before?"

The young soldier shook his head blankly, saying he didn't know what he was looking for. At first, he thought it was a black box, but later he realized it wasn't. As for the boxing ring, he had never even heard of it.

The scene quieted down again, with only the water level in the riverbed continuing to rise. Floating corpses and debris were everywhere, surrounding our small boat. Our kayak circled around us, slowly and laboriously rising. Ding Gen's clothes were soaking wet and uncomfortable. He finally managed to squeeze aboard and was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when a large wave swept past, causing our small boat to rock violently from side to side. It looked like we were about to be swept away by the receding tide. Seeing the danger, we all grabbed onto the cliff with our hands or whatever we had, fearing that if we let go, we would be swept into that unfamiliar funnel and cause some serious consequences.

Zheng Jian was already dead, and we all agreed that we should take his body back. However, we did not expect that black blood would keep flowing from his face. In the end, his whole body withered up and became an empty barrel like a diving rubber suit, which could not be carried or lifted.

Moreover, the water level in this arc-shaped harbor is rising faster and faster. Tiger Head said that he has been here for several hours and it has been like this all along. The water level is unpredictable, rising and receding at will, and the flow rate is completely different each time. But this time is different. The water volume is greater than the previous times. I don't know if this is a blessing or a curse.

Finally, another huge wave roared in from outside. Our kayak couldn't handle so many people, and after a moment of turbulence, it capsized, throwing several people into the water. Zheng Jian's body was swept away by the current, and no one had time to grab it. Although everyone was anxious, they could only use their fingers to grip the rocks, watching helplessly as they couldn't retrieve it, while desperately struggling against the rapidly receding tide.

As I watched Zheng Jian's body disappear into the distance, my eyes welled up with tears.

Looking up at the top of the cliff, trying to relieve my depressed nerves, I saw some greenish lights climbing down the cliff. I wondered what they were.

Then I thought again, oh no! What if this spot happens to correspond to the city gate, the place we once peered down from? That would be a disaster!

If I remember correctly, the city gate passage is now completely overrun with Spiral Corpse Algae. Judging from the speed at which they rushed over, these things grow incredibly fast, and their venom is exceptionally potent. Those shimmering silver snakes at the bottom of the abyss might just be variants of these venomous creatures that fell down and burrowed into the throats of floating corpses! Otherwise, why would they have a fleshy lump on their heads?

If the water continues to rise and we get closer to those poisonous creatures, and the Spiral Corpse Algae discover us and jump down to bite us, we'll all be wiped out. The more I thought about it, the more frightened I became. I quickly told the others to leave as soon as possible; we had to get out of this seemingly peaceful but dangerous harbor.

Thump, thump, a series of muffled thuds came from very close by, just around the corner. It was the sound of heavy objects falling into the water. I turned pale with fright. When it rains, it pours. Had someone thrown those broken cabinets down again? These soldiers are so irresponsible! General Chen ordered them to destroy the virus, how could they be so careless!

However, a few more gunshots rang out afterward, letting me know that I wasn't so unlucky. But I immediately started to wonder if General Chen had really sent people down into the abyss.

Another huge wave surged in. The three of us men were alright, but Zhang Liheng lost her grip and her fingers slipped off the cliff. She was swept away by the current and drifted towards the middle of the channel with the receding tide. I was furious when I saw this. If you can't even protect a woman, what kind of life is that?

I immediately pushed off with my feet and jumped into the water, grabbing Zhang Liheng's arm and pulling her into my arms with all my might.

After the big wave subsided, the water calmed down a bit, and the capsized kayak drifted over, upside down in the water. I held the kayak with one hand and held Zhang Liheng tightly to my chest with the other. Ding Gen was shouting from the other side, "How is it? Lao Huang, tell me quickly!"

Chapter 70 of "The Empty House in the Abyss (The Salvage Worker's Adventure)"

Chapter 70 of "The Empty House in the Abyss (The Salvage Worker's Adventure)"

Author: Ghost Grinning

I ignored him. I had always had a soft spot for the stubborn girl, and now that I finally held her in my arms, she stopped resisting and trying to escape. Instead, she wrapped her arms around my waist and snuggled into my embrace. I was so warm that I couldn't speak.

Zhang Liheng asked me in a trembling voice, "Huang Ning, why did you jump down to save me? Didn't you know it was dangerous? You could have died."

I chuckled and said, "You don't know what I like most is to punish the strong and help the weak! Especially when it's a hero rescuing a damsel in distress."

Zhang Liheng raised her head, quickly pressed her cheek against my cold face, bit my ear hard, and said, "Can't you say something serious? You always grin and joke around when something happens. You're not a good person. I don't know what kind of education you received in the army?"

I excitedly said, "I'm 100% a good person. Don't let my roguish appearance fool you, I'm kind-hearted, no less so than you."

Zhang Liheng laughed and said, "I know you're a good person, but how do you know I'm definitely a good person? If anyone in the army dared to treat me like that, I would have slapped them long ago."

My desire grew stronger, and I nuzzled Zhang Liheng's forehead, saying, "How do you want me to slap you? Let me have a taste." Then I closed my eyes, filled with anticipation.

Just as I was enjoying my moment, I was suddenly hit hard on the shoulder, so hard that I almost let go of the boat with my fingers.

Turning around angrily, I saw Ding Gen ruining my plans again. I was so angry I wanted to curse him, but seeing his concerned eyes, I had a change of heart. I smiled sheepishly, grabbed his arm, and together we gripped the small boat. Ding Gen wasn't idle either. He glanced at me and Zhang Liheng and smiled maliciously: "Hey, Lao Huang, you really know how to pick your timing. It's the perfect time to be a hero and save the damsel in distress. I admire you."

Zhang Liheng lowered her head again, feeling embarrassed, and dared not argue with him anymore.

Ding Gen had already found a bundle of hemp rope, which came in handy. The three of us wrapped it tightly around our arms, forming a chain. The young soldier was still by the water, gripping the cliff, and dared not come over no matter what.

Ding Gen and I called him several times, but he kept shaking his head and refused to jump over.

As the water level gradually rose, the three of us were surrounded by garbage and floating corpses in the water, but we were still okay for the time being. However, the young soldier was in a bad situation. I could clearly see a line of green extending downwards on the cliff above his head. I asked Ding Gen and the other man, but they both said they couldn't see it. I knew that it was my eyelids that were playing tricks on me, and they were much more effective than theirs in the dark.

If those spiral corpse algae crawled to the little soldier's position, we would all be doomed. So I was even more annoyed and told him to jump over quickly so we could leave this dangerous place together, but he still wouldn't listen. He looked completely terrified.

I angrily said to Ding Gen, "Ignore that coward. I can see the Spiral Corpse Algae is almost here. Let's go. If we don't leave now, we're all going to be wiped out."

Zhang Liheng frowned and said, "Huang Ning, don't be in such a hurry! We can't just stand by and watch someone die." Without even consulting me, she let go of me and swam towards the young soldier, still holding the rope in her hand, which made me furious.

I sighed, told Ding Gen to hold on tight to the small boat, and followed behind Zhang Liheng to rescue the young soldier.

I wrapped the rope tightly around the young soldier's waist several times and tied a tight knot before I felt relieved. We then pulled him down together. The young soldier could swim, and once he got over his mental hurdle, he felt much more relaxed. He caught up from behind and grabbed the edge of the small boat, and together we moved away from this dangerous place.

I complained to Zhang Liheng: "In the future, you should at least let me know if there are any operations. You've called me Commander Huang before, why don't you listen to your leader? Do you know how worrying this is?"

Zhang Liheng smiled and said, "Alright, alright, Commander Huang, I'll obey. I just hope that you'll be my boss every day from now on and won't be so domineering."

A surge of joy welled up inside me, instantly banishing all my anger. I felt that even in this cold, dark abyss, there was a sense of warmth.

Ding Gen finally couldn't stand the sour look from me and Zhang Liheng next to him and shouted, "Hey, wake up, don't fall asleep! That dark hole in front of us might be a funnel. If we get sucked in like this, we'll still die."

Chapter 51 The People Behind the Stone Statue

A huge wave was rapidly approaching from behind, and our kayak was spinning in circles on the water.

In a moment of quick thinking, I saw that the water in the darkness made another sharp turn, with a huge rock blocking the waterway in front of it. The funnel-shaped whirlpool was behind the rock, and countless streams of water were being sucked into the whirlpool.

Looking around, only this boulder seemed safe. The water flowed quickly around the boulder and rushed into the funnel. Moreover, behind the boulder, a cave was faintly visible. There was no water inside, and the position was higher than the water level in the funnel. It was clearly a safe place that would not be flooded.

Seeing the huge wave about to crash over us, the young soldier's face turned pale with fear. I yelled at Ding Gen, "There are rocks ahead! Let go and climb up! Quick!"

As we were talking, a huge wave crashed over us, and we couldn't hear anything anymore, only the roaring sound of the water. We felt dizzy and were thrown into the air along with the small boat.

The current was swift, and the kayak crashed to the ground with a loud bang. Ding Gen and I jumped up at the same time, each grabbing onto the edge of the boulder. The young soldier and Zhang Liheng clung tightly to the rope, unable to move as they were being washed ashore on the boulder.

We were also having a hard time gripping the sharp edges of the rock; the immense tension at the end of the rope made our fingers extremely tired.

I saw Ding Gen try to jump into the cave several times, but he was pulled by the rope and couldn't jump up. The situation was urgent. After holding on for a few more seconds, I realized that this wouldn't work. If things went wrong, we would all be doomed.

In a moment of panic, I gripped the rock and cut the rope connecting Ding Gen to my body with my knife. Instantly, the weight of the two people behind me pressed down on me.

Ding Gen was a great teammate with excellent coordination. As soon as I cut the rope, he immediately braced himself against the rocks, flipped over, and jumped into the cave. Ignoring the fact that he was dizzy from the fall, he reached out to pull the rope off me.

Finally, we were safe. Ding Gen took the rope from me inside and tied it to a sharp rock. Together, we pulled Zhang Liheng, who was barely alive at the end of the rope, and the young soldier inside. The four of us lay in the cave, too exhausted to move.

This cave is quite strange. It's clearly not man-made, but naturally formed. The water temperature is different from the water outside. The air is very warm, and the ground is very dry, without a single water stain. The strangest thing is that there is a thin layer of mist floating in the air, wisps and clumps like carbon dioxide on a stage, constantly drifting around under my feet. If it weren't for the fact that my Soviet military uniform was soaked and uncomfortable, I would really think I had entered a fairyland.

All the gas lamps and headlamps were gone, leaving only the young soldier's flashlight, which still worked because of the spare batteries.

After catching our breath for a few more minutes, the sound of water outside gradually subsided. We helped each other to our feet and walked forward, but after about ten meters, we stopped and dared not go any further. This cave was much more complicated, with countless entrances and exits without any markings and numerous forks in the road. If we got lost, we would never be able to get out again. Moreover, a strange atmosphere permeated the thin layer of mist.

Sitting on the ground, we quickly took off our heavy, wet coats. It was quite stuffy here, and wisps of white steam rose from everyone's bodies. Ding Gen and I also took off the sealed bags we had been carrying on our shoulders. The little bit of dry food and water we had was divided among the four of us, which was pitifully small, but it did give us a slight boost of spirits.

I wonder what General Chen and all those people are doing up there now? But we all heard that they were going to destroy all the biological and chemical weapons, so I think the mission should be completed. After all, they have the equipment and the assistance and guidance of Soviet experts. But I remember General Chen saying that they also wanted to go down into the abyss, which makes me quite suspicious that the sound of the heavy object falling into the water and the gunshot were made by them.