Tomber amoureux du diable

Chapitre 9

The photo was huge, and there was something on both sides that was cool and sticky. It stuck to the bottom of the cabinet, startling me unexpectedly. Now that we were safe, no one wanted to look at the photo closely. With a dark hole in the room and a cabinet that looked like a coffin next to us, naturally no one wanted to stare at the large black and white portrait to find out what it was.

Zhang Liheng was quite bold after all. While Lao Gu and I turned around to examine the cabinet, she pulled the photo close to herself and touched the gray eyes with her hand, which made me secretly gasp. She was no ordinary person; she was really fierce!

The photo was stuck to the bottom of the cabinet, and the other side we climbed over was the broken top of the cabinet. Looking at the bottom of the cabinet, it was quite sturdy. I couldn't help but regret why I didn't carefully examine what was inside the crack before climbing over!

However, the bottom of the cabinet provided some clues. I noticed that Lao Gu was staring at a certain spot, muttering something to himself. I moved closer to him to hear what he was muttering, but it was just a few words I couldn't understand. It was definitely not Chinese.

I became suspicious and squeezed through to get a closer look at what Lao Gu was looking at. It turned out that there was a small area at the bottom of the cabinet, about the size of a palm, with something that looked like a nameplate attached to it. There were a few lines of foreign words on the nameplate. I was immediately dumbfounded. I couldn't even recognize what language it was. There was no "Yes" or "No" in it. It was just some ambiguous letters.

Old Gu shouted, "Don't push! I'm looking! These are Russian words, and there are two I don't recognize. I'm guessing them!"

Chapter 24 of "The Empty House in the Abyss (The Salvage Worker's Adventure)"

Chapter 24 of "The Empty House in the Abyss (The Salvage Worker's Adventure)"

Author: Ghost Grinning

Date: 2008-03-22 18:10:00

Zhang Liheng looked at the portrait over and over, occasionally comparing its size to the cabinet, probably wondering why there was a portrait there. When she heard Lao Gu say that he had found Russian text, she came over and pulled me out to look at what was written on it with Lao Gu.

I stared at the two of them, feeling rather bored, and wondered, "Does Zhang Liheng also know Russian?"

A short while later, the two men stood up with furrowed brows and recounted their discovery.

There was only a Russian label on the cabinet:

Number: Seven

Internal: Culture medium

Source: Qinghai Lake?

Characteristics: Corpse bud?

Date: May 1953

The three men looked at each other in disbelief. This cabinet existed more than 30 years ago? The Russians hadn't even suggested building this reservoir back then. Old Gu had said that the Xin'anjiang Dam project was initiated in 1955 and construction began in 1957, submerging more than 1,000 hills and revealing Qiandao Lake. Could it be that the Soviets had already done something secret here as early as 1953?

This mystery seems unlikely to be solved anytime soon. I noticed that the size of the portrait in Zhang Liheng's hand was about the same as the size of the bottom of this cabinet. A thought suddenly struck me: could the original location of this portrait be the bottom of this cabinet?

Date: 2008-03-22 21:50:00

I asked Lao Gu, "What corpse bud? What does that mean? You can't possibly mean that the slime inside was transported from Qinghai Lake, can you? Qinghai Lake is a hundred and eight thousand miles away from here. That's too far-fetched, isn't it?"

Old Gu curled his lip: "Back then, the Soviets traveled all over our country quite a bit. Even if this really is something from Qinghai Lake, it's nothing special. I'm just wondering if the word 'corpse bud' is translated correctly, but it really doesn't have any other meaning."

Zhang Liheng was lost in thought when she slowly said, "I think I know what 'corpse sprouts' means. It must be those child corpses! I remember that the child corpses all grew out of the top of the cabinet, and they were even squeezing out. A lot of the liquid inside had already leaked out through the holes. Otherwise, after I broke through the top of the cabinet, it wouldn't have only reached my knees, and I wouldn't have been able to overturn the cabinet so easily. If that's the case, there must be other things in the cabinet. But I have a really bad feeling about the material of this cabinet."

Looking at the cabinet and thinking about the strange feeling of climbing on top of it, I gradually understood what Zhang Liheng meant.

The so-called culture medium in this cabinet that the Russians made, no matter where it came from, must be something extremely mysterious. Could the characteristics of that corpse bud mean that the purpose of the experiment in the cabinet was to grow a child corpse?

Judging from this, the child corpse must not be a child corpse, but something else entirely. The fact that the Russians came up with this strange thing must be related to some special feature of this place. As for the material of the cabinet, I had a vague feeling that it might be human skin, specially treated human skin, mixed with something else. So when I climbed up, I felt a chill in my heart and a very strange feeling, as if there were strangers watching me.

Date: 2008-03-22 22:07:00

Lao Gu and Zhang Liheng probably both guessed that there was something strange about the cabinet's material, and they both stepped back a few paces.

I said, "Look at your cowardly cowards! Even if it were made of human skin, it would have been decades ago and would be dead for good. What are you afraid of?"

Old Gu was a little embarrassed: "It's not that I'm scared, it's just that this thing is a bit weird. I remember I was just panting on it, and I don't even know if my mouth touched it. It's really disgusting."

Zhang Liheng said, "There's something wrong with this portrait. Why would there be such a portrait? He looks to be in his early thirties. Could it be related to this cabinet? I can't figure it out."

I laughed and said, "Xiao Zhang, did you notice? The woman in this portrait really looks a bit like you. You're both very beautiful, haha."

Zhang Liheng ignored me, took the photo and walked up to it, gesturing: "Huang Ning, stop talking nonsense. I think this photo is tucked somewhere. Hey, there's a crack at the bottom of the cabinet!"

Old Gu and I went up to take a look. We had been so focused on the bottom of the cabinet that we hadn't really examined it properly yet.

Zhang Liheng frowned: "Something's not right. The photo is half-stuffed, and it looks like something is blocking it. You two stand back a bit. I think it might be some kind of spring."

I quickly stopped her: "No, no, we're two grown men, how can we let you take such a risk? Move aside, let me do it."

Zhang Liheng glanced at me, hesitated for a moment, and handed me the photo: "Tuck it in along the edge, be careful where there's an elastic part."

I took the photo, and it really did have something covering both sides, making the whole photo quite sturdy, with some irregular little jagged edges at the bottom. It's hard to imagine that this thing could be put into the gap at the bottom of the cabinet.

I inserted the photo along the edge of the gap, and when I touched that spring-like thing, I suddenly felt a chill and remembered something.

Date: 2008-03-23 11:26:00

If the purpose of the Soviet Union setting up this laboratory was to cultivate some kind of monster, and the fact that a woman's portrait was kept at the bottom of the cabinet suggests that besides the culture medium, there must be something else in the cabinet, which I think is very likely the woman in the photograph!

If I foolishly open some mechanism and release something terrifying, and if that thing contains some kind of unknown poison, wouldn't we all be in trouble?

The thought flashed through my mind, but my hands were still trembling as I shoved the photo into the gap. There was something elastic stuck at the jagged edge at the bottom. I pressed down hard, and with a soft click, the photo was perfectly tucked into the bottom of the cabinet.

I took two steps back to examine myself closely for any changes, but there was nothing there.

I went up and tentatively lifted the bottom of the cabinet with my hand. The photo popped out from the gap and was facing me. I was so flustered that I thought something had jumped out and I almost cursed out loud.

Oh, I see. When I climbed over the top of the cabinet, I saw the woman's face in the portrait. Now that I've turned it around, the photo is still facing me. Could it be that I put it in the wrong direction?

I took out the photo, turned it over, and put it back down.

There was a sound! Just as all the photos were inserted, there were several clicking sounds.

Chapter 25 of "The Empty House in the Abyss (The Salvage Worker's Adventure)"

Chapter 25 of "The Empty House in the Abyss (The Salvage Worker's Adventure)"

Author: Ghost Grinning

Date: 2008-03-24 20:28:00

The bottom of the cabinet is indeed a movable compartment. Once the photo is inserted, a delicate handle pops out quickly. I wonder what the original designer was thinking. The idea is really very creative. Does it mean that you need to use a portrait of someone who has died to get this handle?

The bottom of the cabinet is actually divided into two parts. The handle that pops out is just a groove. I think there must be a hidden secret. It might be a trap. If we can get our hands on it so easily, it is really illogical and does not conform to the design concept of any test cabinet.

The cabinet is numbered seven. Heaven knows how many more numbers are before and after it. If each cabinet corresponds to a portrait, I'm almost certain that there's a disfigured corpse inside. Especially those hideous corpse buds growing from the top of the cabinet—I can't figure out what they're for no matter how hard I try. What if those so-called culture solutions are poisonous? If we keep trying to find out the truth, aren't we just setting ourselves up for disaster?

I hesitated a bit before grabbing the handle, quite unsure whether to pull it or not.

After a fierce struggle between curiosity and numerous concerns, the concerns finally prevailed. In the end, I didn't pull the handle, but gently pressed it back down. The woman's portrait immediately popped out. Holding the portrait, I said to them with a self-deprecating smile, "Hey, I think it's better not to try. If it's a thankless task and causes any trouble, it's not worth it."

Lao Gu and Zhang Liheng were both staring at me nervously, looking like they would run away at any moment if things changed. I said, both amused and annoyed, "So you want me to be the scapegoat! Fine, I don't have the guts. Let's keep going and get out of here as soon as possible."

Unexpectedly, Zhang Liheng and Lao Gu were both staring intently at the portrait in my hand, speechless.

I was stunned, not knowing what had happened again. I only heard Lao Gu say, "Stand there and don't move!"

Date: 2008-03-24 20:45:00

I simply couldn't believe I'd fallen victim to this. You see, I didn't even grab the handle, so how could anything have happened?

To my surprise, Zhang Liheng called out to me almost simultaneously, "Huang Ning, really, don't move yet. There's something wrong with that portrait. Let me take a look first."

Subconsciously, I still believed in Zhang Liheng. Hearing her say the same thing, I knew that what Lao Gu said was true. I immediately froze, and even the hand holding the portrait trembled slightly. I stood there, not daring to move.

Out of the corner of my eye, I couldn't help but look at the portrait in my hand. Something strange happened. At first, we all noticed that the area around the eyes on the original portrait was completely gray, as if something was pasted on it. But now, in just a short while, that area around the eyes was no longer gray!

Its eyes were completely black, with a shimmering light, as if it were looking at me. My heart immediately went cold. Could there really be ghosts in the world?

Almost simultaneously, I felt my fingers, which were holding the portrait, suddenly become cold, and then, in an instant, they felt like they were on fire. A sudden, burning pain shot through me, and I couldn't help but yell out. I threw the portrait away, and it crashed into the stone wall in front of me and fell to the ground.

Date: 2008-03-24 21:11:00

I covered my hand and squatted down. The sudden burning pain lessened considerably after I threw away the portrait. Looking closely at the spot where the pain had started, I saw a faint bluish circular mark on the back of my hand. I couldn't tell if it was on the surface of the skin or inside the flesh. It was a bit strange, but I didn't feel anything bad about it.

I'm so glad I didn't open that damn cabinet. The photo only went through it once, but it already gave off such a terrifying feeling. If I had actually pulled the handle, wouldn't I have caused a huge mess?

Old Gu immediately came over to look at the back of my hand, but he didn't even dare to touch it. He just clicked his tongue in amazement and turned it over and over, which annoyed me. "Go away, go away, go stay somewhere fun. Look at your gloating little face, or I'll punch you!"

Old Gu walked away with a smirk, clearly terrified. I was a little annoyed; Zhang Liheng didn't even bother to check on me. I got infected because of everyone else, yet she went off to pick up the portrait by herself, which made me feel uneasy.

Zhang Liheng did not pick up the portrait with her fingers, but instead squatted down very cautiously to examine it carefully.

I was also very puzzled. The portrait was stuck in the gap at the bottom of the cabinet. Why would such a change happen? Could it be that there's something mysterious still alive in this cabinet? Thinking of this, I went up and patted Zhang Liheng on the shoulder: "Get up, stop looking. There's something wrong with this cabinet. Let's hurry up and leave. Let's not make things worse. I'm fine for now. We'll check it when we get back. But whatever you do, don't touch this portrait. It's very eerie!"

Zhang Liheng didn't move or pay any attention to me.

Date: 2008-03-24 21:58:00

I took two steps back and called out again, "Xiao Zhang! What's wrong? Speak up!"

Zhang Liheng's gaze remained fixed on the photos on the ground. Old Gu also sensed something was wrong and immediately shrank to the side, no longer uttering a sound, just silently watching.

I pulled out the knife and stared at the portrait on the ground. Zhang Liheng, with her back to me, spoke: "It's nothing. I just wanted to take the photo back to study it. Look, the eyes are all grayish again. That's strange! Huang Ning, what was wrong with you just now? Why were you yelling like that?"

I glanced at the photo, and the woman's eyes had indeed returned to their original dark gray, becoming lifeless. I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief and said with a wry smile, "It's good that you're alright. I think I've been infected. I don't know what it is, but it left a mark on the back of my hand."

Zhang Liheng reached for the photos, but I quickly stopped her: "No, I've already been infected, let me do it."

I quickly rolled up the photo and stuffed it into my pocket. I really didn't trust anyone else to get my hands on it. You see, the light blue circular mark was on the back of my hand. I was determined to take the photo back and have it tested to see if it contained any bacteria or anything like that.

Zhang Liheng looked at the back of my hand, equally bewildered, not knowing what it was. I said it didn't hurt or itch, it was like nothing at all, so I should just ignore it and go to the hospital as soon as possible.

Chapter 26 of "The Empty House in the Abyss (The Salvage Worker's Adventure)"

Chapter 26 of "The Empty House in the Abyss (The Salvage Worker's Adventure)"

Author: Ghost Grinning

Date: 2008-03-24 22:28:00

Zhang Liheng looked at my face with concern and reached out to lift my eyelids, but I turned my head away and said somewhat awkwardly, "It's okay, it's okay, let's go quickly."

Indeed, although I sounded a bit anxious, it was the truth. This cabinet was right behind me, and it took me ages to sort through just a strange woman's photo. It made me uneasy, and I seriously suspected that I had been poisoned by some kind of bacteria. Thinking about the weird parasite that had grown on Lao Gu's toes, it made my hair stand on end, and I just wanted to get out of there and go to the hospital as soon as possible.

Looking up, I realized I was still quite far from the crevice where Zhang Liheng had fallen, but the path wasn't difficult anymore. With a little more effort, I could climb out soon. Even if it was raining knives outside, I wanted to go out and see the sun. I'd been cooped up in this stone cave for too long, and I was so frustrated I just wanted to bang my head against the wall.

Seeing the light of victory ahead, Old Gu led the way and crawled forward. Judging from his physique, the injury on his leg had healed a lot.

We hadn't climbed far when something caught everyone's attention on our right: a small, shiny, metallic-looking cylinder. Old Gu spotted it first and immediately whispered, "I've seen this thing before!"

Date: 2008-03-25 01:50:00

Old Gu brought one back to show me. It had several small holes in a row. I tried turning it and was immediately startled. My palms were covered in cold sweat. It turned out that this thing was a very ingeniously made small depth charge!

The hole on the warhead is used to determine the detonation depth. Water flows into the fuse chamber through the hole. The deeper it dives, the greater the water pressure it experiences. The firing pin and the detonator get closer and closer. When the pressure reaches the required level, the firing pin pierces the detonator, and the depth charge explodes!

Clutching the exquisite depth charge, I was startled before realizing I had been scarening myself. I had studied depth charges carefully when I was in the army, and seeing how intricately it was made, unless there were some unknown mechanisms involved, it was unlikely to explode anytime soon. But then I thought, if this thing was indeed planted recently, then at least two so-called fugitive hunters had been here besides us.

I asked Lao Gu to carefully examine whether this was the same thing I had seen before. Lao Gu took it and looked at it again and again, saying that it was indeed this one, there was no mistake.

I said, "It seems there's more to come. We need to be careful and not let the darkness before dawn defeat us; that would be a huge loss."