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I slowly swam to the cave entrance, gently brandishing the knife and occasionally touching the tentacles that were thin at the front and thick at the back. The owner behind the tentacles immediately became active, and several longer, more curved tentacles appeared again at the edge of the hole, all cautiously approaching me from all sides.

Before the tentacles could completely surround me, I pulled back my knife and swam backward. After playing around like this for a few minutes, the tentacles all moved towards me. Ding Gen seized the opportunity, got rid of the tentacles on his feet, and hurriedly went to find the harpoon he had dropped.

A dozen tentacles writhed around the edge of the hole for a while but couldn't catch me, who was slippery. Finally, a big fish couldn't resist teasing me and started wriggling its tentacles, trying to crawl out. I immediately swam to the side, ready for battle.

I knew during training that fighting enemies with tentacles would be difficult—before I could even cut off one of its tentacles, the others would grab me and tie me up like a pretzel. So, as soon as I saw the big fish about to crawl out, I immediately calmed down and prepared myself to defeat it with a single blow.

When people are forced to the brink of life and death, they can unleash their potential. That's how I was. Watching the numerous tentacles writhing and tangling together in disgust, with the big fish about to crawl out, I seized the opportunity and unexpectedly charged forward.

This is a peculiar method that always catches the tentacles off guard. No matter how I dodge, I can't outrun them. It takes at least three seconds for the tentacles' tips to regroup and wrap around me. In those few seconds, I've already pinpointed the big fish's location and, with a swift and precise strike, pierced its heart, severing its motor nerves.

Then the many tentacles that had been wrapped around my body suddenly loosened lifelessly, drooping limply. When I regained my senses, I realized that my adventure had been quite successful. It really was an ugly, strange fish that didn't look like an octopus, floating lifelessly on the water.

Date: 2008-04-11 20:54:00

The floating, strange fish corpse swayed at the breach for a moment before drifting away. Judging from its appearance, it was either an octopus or some kind of relative of an octopus. If my eyelids could react so noticeably, then it would be quite normal for it to be an octopus.

Animals mutated after the Japanese were bombed at the end of World War II. Could similar experiments have been conducted here? The thought of possibly being exposed to radiation sends chills down my spine.

Ding Gen grabbed me and gestured that we were about to surface. We had been underwater for so long and our air tanks were almost used up. If we didn't surface soon, something bad would happen.

We quickly retraced our steps. In the darkness, we still had some skill. That monster I locked in the filing cabinet, let it stay inside forever.

Arriving at the skylight we had pried open, I pushed off without thinking and crawled up.

Bang! My nose hit the fence squarely. My nose stung, and tears almost welled up in my eyes. My respirator nearly came off.

I didn't even have time to grimace; I quickly reached out and touched it. The moment I touched it, I broke out in a cold sweat!

I tried again with great effort, but I still couldn't push it open. The skylight bars were actually bolted shut from the outside!

Date: 2008-04-11 21:13:00

I stood there holding my hand, and Ding Gen, sensing something was wrong, immediately came over and waved his flashlight around, but found nothing.

The thought of us being locked in this empty room, left to fend for ourselves silently, made my head buzz. I had imagined countless ways to die, but I never expected to end up in this pathetic situation.

"Stay calm," I kept telling myself.

As long as we stay calm, we'll find a way out. I patted Ding Gen on the shoulder, grabbed his hand, and squeezed it tightly. I could tell that Ding Gen was extremely nervous. It was only after this handshake that he gradually calmed down. It's pointless to investigate now whether someone outside is deliberately trying to kill us or if it was just an accident. The only thing we need to do urgently is find another door before our oxygen tanks run out, leave the house, and return to the water.

Chapter 41 of "The Empty House in the Abyss (The Salvage Worker's Adventure)"

Chapter 41 of "The Empty House in the Abyss (The Salvage Worker's Adventure)"

Author: Ghost Grinning

Date: 2008-04-11 23:36:00

This road is blocked, so I changed course and dived back down to where I had just swum. There was a conference table and a filing cabinet there, so there must be other entrances and exits. At the very least, there was a dead fish that had dug a hole in the corner.

I made up my mind that if I really reached a dead end, even if the hole led to a dead fish's lair, I would still crawl out of there.

We hurriedly looked around and found that the house did indeed have a door, and more than one. Unfortunately, when we excitedly tried to pull the doorknob, we realized that, like the skylight, the latch or bolt was on the outside. We tried our best to pull it from the inside, but to no avail.

Realizing the oxygen tank was really about to run out, I didn't dare hesitate any longer and grabbed Ding Gen as we swam toward the hole where we had just fought.

The hole in the corner of the wall was gaping open. The dead fish had long since drifted away, and the jagged edges revealed the steel bars inside the concrete. I was a little worried that such a hole could not have been made by a fish. Even a shark biting into it wouldn't have been enough. So what happened?

What I fear most is that the hole doesn't lead to the water. If it's the lair of dead fish, Ding Gen and I will have to fight with our backs to the wall. If we win, great, but if it leads to other empty houses, we'll be in big trouble. Getting lost, lack of oxygen, or being attacked could all cost us our lives.

Gritting my teeth, I decided to ignore everything else and led the way, with Ding Gen following behind, as we crawled through the hole.

Date: 2008-04-12 0:45:00

Darkness, as dark as ever, and the water was filled with wispy debris, drifting aimlessly.

Ding Gen and I couldn't shine our flashlights very far in the water. It seemed that the water quality here was different from the house we had just seen. Moreover, the water was very deep, and we couldn't see the bottom at all. Could it be that this house was built on the edge of a cliff in the valley back then?

Anyway, the absence of any dead fish accomplices attacking us allowed our tense nerves to relax for a moment. As we struggled to float upwards, we realized we had reached a dead end; this was not a path leading to the surface!

We hadn't gone up more than a few meters when Ding Gen and I encountered an impenetrable wall. We touched it and both of us were deflated. The hard, cold feel of it indicated that it was made of concrete or large rocks. The flashlight shone on it, and sure enough, it was. Even I, who always believed in not crying until I saw the coffin, felt a chill.

Ding Gen pointed to the oxygen cylinder and gestured with two fingers to me, meaning he could hold on for another twenty minutes. I knew I was about to reach that point too. There was no other way; it was my last chance!

The water below was too deep, so we turned off our flashlights, hung them on our wetsuits, turned on our headlamps, and tried our best to swim to the other side using both our hands and feet. I just couldn't believe that this house could be that big!

Wait a minute, if it's the roof, why is there an unfathomable abyss below? That's unlikely, isn't it?

Then there's only one possibility: what we call the wall above our heads is actually a floor!

Date: 2008-04-12 01:18:00

That's a solution! There's always a way out!

Putting aside the panic of being at my wit's end, I swam in a direction with Ding Gen. I thought that the stone slab above us might be a stone bridge suspended in mid-air. The terrain here must have been quite treacherous back then. The fact that the Russians went to such great lengths to build such a project filled me with curiosity once again about what they were trying to do.

This bridge is really wide. Five minutes later, we stopped. Were we supposed to swim sideways but we went the wrong way?

The surroundings were all pretty much the same, and I started to get anxious. But Ding Gen grabbed my wrist and told me not to move. I saw that his eyes behind the mirror were closed, as if he was listening intently to something.

Something's up. I was in such a rush that I didn't check my surroundings carefully. I quickly stopped and listened intently to what it was.

A buzzing sound—the familiar buzzing sound, but this time the sound was much clearer.

Strangely, the sound wasn't above or to our sides; it was clearly coming from the bottomless abyss beneath our feet. I opened my eyes and looked in the direction the sound was coming from. Sure enough, my altered eyes were now working their magic. Something that Ding Gen hadn't seen, I saw.

Far below, I saw a beam of light!

Date: 2008-04-12 01:45:00

To surface? Or to submerge?

I really wanted to go down and see what was coming from that beam of light. My intuition told me that it was the light from an underwater high-powered flashlight, and it was very likely a military product. Although it had weakened considerably, it was still stubbornly shining. But we didn't have enough oxygen, and if we went down that deep, we might not be able to come back.

Hesitantly, I patted Ding Gen, telling him to wait for me where he was and come down only when he saw me signal with a flashlight.

I gritted my teeth and quickly dove downwards. The beam of light grew clearer and clearer. I was right; it was indeed a powerful flashlight, lying flat on a protruding rock in the cliff face. Whose was it? The battery wasn't even completely depleted yet, so it certainly wouldn't stay there for long!

The flashlight beam was getting weaker and weaker. Was I really that unlucky? Had it run out of power just as I was about to arrive? It would be difficult to find anything in the dark.

After sprinting a few more meters, just as the flashlight was about to go out, I clutched it tightly in my hand and couldn't help but secretly smile. It wasn't for any other reason than that next to the flashlight was the thing I needed most right now—an oxygen cylinder!

Chapter 42 of "The Empty House in the Abyss (The Salvage Worker's Adventure)"

Chapter 42 of "The Empty House in the Abyss (The Salvage Worker's Adventure)"

Author: Ghost Grinning

Date: 2008-04-15 20:40:00

I dropped the non-functional flashlight and grabbed the oxygen cylinder. Thankfully, it didn't feel like it had been used up and thrown away, and the valve was still closed. I flashed my own flashlight a few times and called Ding Gen to come down as well, because behind the oxygen cylinder, there was a cave with its mouth wide open in the rock wall.

Ding Gen hadn't come down yet, so I carefully examined the area around the oxygen cylinder for any clues, while anxiously trying to figure out who had left it there.

Those two officers who were chasing the fugitive? Zheng Jian and his gang? Or a third-party force hiding in the shadows? Or perhaps the already dead Fish Gill Man? All of these are possibilities.

The cave was shaped like a small opening and a large interior. Judging from my observation angle, it was probably very deep inside, extending diagonally into the darkness. I couldn't tell how far it was. I tentatively reached halfway in and shone my flashlight around. A new clue appeared.

The buzzing sound came from inside again, causing the water in the entire cave to tremble slightly. I quickly pulled back and left the cave. Ding Gen happened to come down and bumped into me.

I gave him the newly discovered oxygen tank, patted my own, and made an OK sign. Indeed, this dive was a bit different from the previous ones. I don't know if it's because I didn't dive very deep, but I only used about half of my usual tank. I also don't know if it has anything to do with the changes in my eyelids.

Ding Gen tentatively took a puff from the new gas cylinder, gestured to me that it was okay, turned off the valve, and carried it on his back.

I hesitated whether to go into this newly appeared cave or not. Just then, a large number of bubbles suddenly surged out of the previously calm cave entrance, one after another, and the buzzing vibrations seemed to be getting closer and closer to us. I wasn't scared, but I wasn't ready. I quickly tugged at Ding Gen. This place is not safe to stay in. Let's retreat!

Date: 2008-04-15 22:34:00

Before leaving, I didn't forget to stick a blue flashing light on the rock. This little thing will flash blue every now and then, making it a piece of cake to mark a spot underwater. When we get back, we'll definitely come back again. We need to get to the bottom of this and heal our eyelids. Otherwise, like that fish gill guy, we might die without even knowing how we died, which would be too unfair.

This time the ascent went much more smoothly. The huge obstacle that had been blocking our heads was finally thrown aside. Seeing that there was a way, Ding Gen and I perked up and rushed to the surface using both hands and feet. Fortunately, we hadn't dived very deep, and the two of us well-trained veterans could withstand this little bit of decompression.

After taking a few deep breaths at the surface, Ding Gen gasped and said loudly, "I was suffocating! Lao Huang, did you bring any cigarettes? Give me one!"

I yelled, "What nonsense are you spouting? You think you'll bring smoke with you when you go into the water? Have you lost your mind?"

Looking at the sky, it was still early, so we swam back quickly with all our might. When we got back to the boat, we were going to bring all the remaining gas cylinders with us, and we were going to find a way to refill the empty ones. Anyway, these gas cylinders are just filled with air, so we both knew how to fill them up.

After turning around the back of the rocky mountain, the boat was still on the water. I became suspicious and told Ding Gen to go to the stern and board the boat. I approached the bow from underwater and only when I got close did I silently surface and climb onto the bow. I saw Zhang Liheng sitting alone on the side of the boat, holding a pistol, waiting listlessly. In front of her, there was something very strange, something that was definitely not there before.

Date: 2008-04-16 11:32:00

My sudden appearance startled Zhang Liheng, who immediately turned her pistol towards me. I quickly submerged myself in the water; bullets don't have eyes, and an accidental discharge would be no laughing matter.

I stepped back a few meters, waited a moment, and then surfaced again. This time, Zhang Liheng recognized me and immediately called out, "Huang Ning! I was so worried! I've finally seen you! Come up here quickly!"

I struggled to climb onto the boat, dragged the gas cylinder up with me, and collapsed on the deck, not wanting to say a word.

Zhang Liheng hurriedly helped me, then asked, "Where's Ding Gen? Why hasn't he come back?"

I was dizzy and didn't say anything. After resting for a while, I got up and looked around: "The underwater world is really vast. It's a pity that we didn't accomplish anything this time. We were worried that you were in danger on the boat, so Ding Gen came up from behind. Where is everyone? Are you the only one?"

Zhang Liheng sighed and said, "Everyone else has left, but I stayed behind to wait for you."

I looked at the little girl strangely: "Let's go, where are we going? Why were you waiting for us?"

Zhang Liheng seemed a little embarrassed. She glanced at me and said, "After you went into the water, Shen Juan and I didn't wait long before a helicopter came to search and took Lao Gu and the other man away. I was worried that you two would be anxious when you came back, so I waited here."

I laughed and said, "Could it be that there's not enough room on the plane? Besides, if you were worried about us being anxious, you could have just left a note, right?"

Zhang Liheng glared at me and said, "You're so ungrateful! I gave you all this stuff in a huge box, and you're not even grateful?"

Seeing that the girl was shy, I quickly smiled and said, "Oh, not at all. This diving isn't a dinner party, and this reservoir isn't a peaceful place. I was just worried that it might be dangerous for you to stay here. Hey, what's wrong with Ding Gen? Has he not been in the water for so many years that he can't even climb out of the boat?"

As they were talking, Ding Gen staggered over, looking distressed. "I'm really getting old. Just this twenty-odd meters of decompression has made my elbows and knees ache terribly. Old Huang, you're doing great, you're perfectly fine, even chatting and laughing. By the way, where are they? Where's Chen Juan? She made such a fuss coming along to join in the fun, but now she's nowhere to be seen."

My attention shifted to the large box of things Zhang Liheng had mentioned, and I wondered if it contained weapons and ammunition. So I vaguely told Ding Gen, "Oh, the search and rescue team took Lao Gu and Shen Juan away. Zhang Liheng couldn't squeeze in, so she stayed with us."

Date: 2008-04-16 12:03:00

Zhang Liheng glared at me angrily, almost ready to hit me. I didn't notice until I opened the box and found that Zhang Liheng had collected a lot of things and arranged them neatly inside. There was food, drinks, guns and bullets, everything, but I couldn't find what I wanted most. Even a simple air compressor would have been fine, because manually filling gas cylinders is a very challenging and arduous task.

After a moment of stunned silence, I thought, "It's better than nothing, I suppose." I looked up and asked Ding Gen, "How are you? Can you still go back to the water? How come you've lost all your skills after changing careers? Without Old Deng whipping you, you just won't budge? Look at your pathetic self!"

Ding Gen bent down and grabbed a bottle of water and some biscuits from the box, then started eating them, looking like he couldn't be bothered with me.

After eating, drinking and resting for a while, I started assigning tasks: "Old Ding, go to the driver's compartment and see if there are any batteries. If you find any, bring one out. It has to be a 12-volt one, don't use a 6-volt one to make up the numbers."

Ding Gen laughed and said, "What, are you going to pull off another stunt? Don't turn the gas cylinder into a bomb. Xiao Zhang, you'd better stay far away."

Watching Ding Gen rummaging through the box for a pistol, I asked him curiously, "What are you doing? I asked you to find a battery, are you going to war?"

Ding Gen replied irritably, "I know you're up to no good. Do you think I don't know there's something fishy in that cockpit? But I'm not afraid. By the way, do you need the hose? I'll find it for you too."

I slapped him: "Go on, what are you dawdling for? If there were ghosts, they would have eaten Comrade Zhang long ago!"

Zhang Liheng watched Ding Gen walk away, then turned to me and said, "There is indeed a problem with that cockpit. I haven't had a chance to tell you yet."