Chapter 25: Haunted House in the Hill (25)
Just when the audience in front of the live broadcast were confused by Yan Shixun's sudden disappearance, several Taoist priests from Haiyun Temple were rushing to Guishan as quickly as possible, and the rescue team that had already arrived near Guishan also set up a cordon to prevent curious villagers from accidentally entering.
This matter could not be hidden from the audience who were already following the program. On the real-time hot search list on the social platform, nearly half of the tags were related to this program. The variety show celebrity Goose Brother, who was the first to release news about the program, quickly had his comment section filled with discussions about the blockade of Guishan.
"Why is it blocked again? Didn't they say that the drone patrols failed to find anyone in the mountains several times?"
"But looking at the live videos sent back by those little internet celebrities who went to Guishan to get attention, it seems that there are people wearing Taoist clothes? What is going on? Are they going to use metaphysical means to recruit people?"
"I don't think so. Actually, I'm an editor of a news website. Someone near Guishan called us and reported that many people there saw monsters. But before we could send out the press release, we were told by the authorities the next day that we were not allowed to talk about it and that it was considered superstition and rumor-mongering. As far as I know, other websites and media that paid for the tip-off were also informed, so the incident didn't spread online. But after listening to the whistleblower's description, I think it looks a lot like the blood-red monsters in the show."
"Oh! I was wondering. My house is next to the highway from Binhai City to Guishan. I have seen many official motorcades heading to Guishan in the middle of the night, and there were also many Taoist priests from Haiyun Temple. It was very grand. I thought the Taoist temple was praying that the typhoon would not land in Binhai City this year, but it turns out that's not the case."
"Well, if that's the case, doesn't it mean that the authorities themselves have admitted that there is something fishy going on in Guishan? So are all the things that appear in the show real?"
"My worldview has been shattered... I used to be a staunch atheist, but now - who the hell knows Brother Yan's phone number or social media account? I feel like I need a friend like this to save my life!"
"Actually, my friend is the Taoist priest of Haiyun Temple. Yesterday I showed him the screenshots of Yan Shixun drawing talismans. You didn't see it. His expression was scary at that time. Those things should be real. My friend's master went to Guishan today."
"Wow, save the child! The child shouldn't have been naughty. I clicked on the live video before going to bed yesterday. I thought the travel program would help me sleep, but it scared me so much that I didn't dare to sleep the whole night... I'm the only one at home! The child now has dark circles under his eyes that are about to fall to his mouth. He curled up in the quilt, scared but also wanting to watch. As soon as I closed my eyes, the monsters from last night automatically appeared in my mind. What should I do!"
"Well, who isn't? I didn't eat breakfast or lunch, locked the door tightly and didn't dare to go out at all. I always felt like there was a monster waiting for me outside."
"I've been watching the show today! I won't go to sleep until everyone is rescued safely. It's really scary, everyone must be safe."
On social platforms and program discussion forums, you can see people everywhere exchanging information they know, as well as people praying silently with their hearts wrenched.
Although there were many people who gloated over other people's misfortune or who enjoyed the fun, saying that they had never seen a ghost and wanted a few people to die on the show to give them a taste of their own medicine, or questioning the unscrupulous hype of the show, such remarks were immediately rebutted by others.
The quarrel was very intense.
Meanwhile, in the villa over there, Zhang Wubing and others discovered that the only live broadcast signal that had been working fine started to become unstable as if it had been interfered with. The equipment was making "crackling" and "crackling" noises, making people worry whether it would suddenly stop working at any time.
Not only that, even the network signal became weak. The interface on the tablet in Zhang Wubing's hand kept spinning small flowers, but it could not load the program's page on the video platform.
Zhang Wubing, who had originally wanted to take a break and manage the comments and barrage of the program while there were no unexpected situations, was dumbfounded.
The other guests also looked at Zhang Wubing in confusion because he suddenly stopped and asked, "Director?"
Zhang Wubing quickly turned off the tablet and walked over as if nothing had happened: "It's okay, is the wine cellar we just found here? Then let's go down and take a look, maybe there will be stored food."
In order to avoid causing panic, Zhang Wubing did not tell anyone about the loss of signal.
For modern people, the Internet and mobile phones are as necessary as their brains and hands. If people who are used to getting information through the Internet suddenly find themselves in a situation where there is no signal in the mountains, it will really become an isolated island where they cannot call for help, which will make people irritable and panic, and they may even lose control of their emotions and do something extreme.
Currently, they are out of food and medicine, and everyone is just acting with the belief that "Yan Shixun will definitely find a way to take everyone away."
If Yan Shixun wasn't around and everyone suddenly learned that they had lost the signal...
Zhang Wubing's heart sank.
Zhang Wubing, who has been well protected by his parents and Yan Shixun in different ways over the years, has always been like a big child. However, now that Yan Shixun is gone, he gritted his teeth and took on the responsibility and responsibility of being the director of the entire program for the first time, truly like an adult.
At the very least, before Brother Yan comes back, he must stabilize the situation and never let people lose their morale or even panic.
——However, without the Internet, Zhang Wubing was isolated from news from the outside world.
Standing in the restaurant, he didn't know that Yan Shixun was no longer on the stairs on the fourth floor, nor did he know that even Haiyun Temple had been alarmed and rushed over.
Zhang Wubing calmed himself down, put on his usual good-tempered smile and walked over.
During another search of the villa just now, a staff member discovered the wine cellar next to the kitchen. At this time, they were about to follow the staff member into the wine cellar.
This wine cellar uses a hidden design from a hundred years ago. It not only ensures that the wine can be preserved in the most suitable environmental conditions, but can also be used as an air-raid cellar to ensure the safety of the villa owner in times of crisis.
The staff fumbled to press the button of the mechanism they had just discovered. There was a muffled "bang" sound, and the solid stone wall in the restaurant shook off a cloud of dust and slowly slid to the side, revealing little by little the dark space that had been hidden behind the stone wall for a hundred years.
At that moment, the cold wind blowing up from underground made everyone shiver involuntarily.
"Is there really food under here?" Ding Qian grabbed the arm of the person next to her in fear and said hesitantly, "It looks like no one has ever used it."
"It's okay, just in case." An Nanyuan comforted her: "Even if you find a bottle of wine or a bottle of honey from that time, it will be good. Having food and drink will give you peace of mind. You don't have to worry about starving to death."
Behind the stone wall is a stone staircase leading straight down.
Zhang Wubing stood at the door and looked down. Perhaps because the wine cellar also served as an air defense shelter at the time, it was built very deep. The flashlight on the mobile phone could only illuminate a small area, but he could not see the specific situation below.
The stairs were covered with thick dust and cobwebs, and there were no footprints, so it was obvious that no one had ever been there.
Zhang Wubing originally wanted to take a few staff members down and let the guests wait upstairs - because of his physical condition, he was easily attracted by those dirty things and saw ghosts since he was a child, and he could be said to have become a doctor after suffering from illness for a long time. But now, the moment the stone door opened, he felt a suffocating pain spreading from the bottom of his heart, like a premonition of some danger.
Yan Shixun was not around, so Zhang Wubing had no way of knowing exactly where the danger came from. However, because humans are afraid of the dark, he instinctively believed that the danger was in the wine cellar.
Although the situation was special and he had to go down and search for a chance to find food, he still mustered up the courage to take on what he thought was a more dangerous task and let the guests stay in a safe place.
But this proposal was rejected by Annan.
"Director, don't you watch Hollywood movies? Those blockbusters are all shot this way. It would be fine if we all take risks together."
An Nanyuan, who had an extremely good imagination, became a little scared when he thought of the movies he had seen before, and refused to be left in the living room no matter what.
Several other male guests also felt that in this kind of situation, there is strength in numbers, and if something really happens, it will be safer with more people.
So, except for a few staff members who stayed in the living room to guard Liu Yiyi and others who were seriously injured and unconscious in the emergency room, the rest decided to go to the wine cellar together and agreed not to stay for long. They would come up as long as they found food of similar quantity, and if anything happened downstairs or there was no food, they would come up immediately.
Zhang Wubing took out a high-power flashlight from the program team's tool box. The others also turned on the flashlights on their mobile phones and walked slowly down the stairs one by one.
Including the staff member who first discovered the deeply hidden wine cellar.
After everyone walked up the stairs, the young and handsome staff member walking at the end waited for a few seconds before following in. As he passed by the stone wall, his palm casually brushed past the side of the stone wall.
The young man's face was quickly swallowed up by the darkness of the wine cellar.
Even with a dozen lights in front of him, it was impossible to illuminate his face clearly.
It was as if he had lost his own human skin.
And when Zhang Wubing, who was walking in front trembling with fear, finally touched the ground with his feet, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He raised a powerful flashlight and shone it around the wine cellar.
This is a wine cellar that covers a large area. It is particularly cold because it is built underground. The rows of shelves that hold wine barrels have long been corroded and collapsed, oak barrels are rolling everywhere, and the sound of insects and ants rustling can be heard when the strong light sweeps over.
Even though it is dilapidated now, one can still see its former grandeur.
This also ignited hope in everyone's hearts.
"Look, there are some marching supplies over there. At that time, many people would build a shelter cellar in their homes, and this one should be one of them."
A male guest said: "If you look carefully, you may find the emergency food stored back then. If it is canned food or military rations, it may still be edible. You may also find a first aid kit."
"That's good. Even if what we find is expired, we can always find some wine. This stuff is not afraid of being stored. As long as it is not contaminated, it can be used to replace water for drinking, or used for disinfection."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and the tense atmosphere gradually eased. They began to carefully check whether there were any supplies that could be used, and to avoid going too deep and too far away from each other.
Zhang Wubing also went to look through the pile of oak barrels.
The strong flashlight unconsciously flashed across a corner.
Zhang Wubing glanced at it without paying any attention and turned away naturally.
But he soon realized what he had just seen, his back stiffened instantly, and his hair stood up. He mechanically turned his head little by little and looked in that direction again.
Zhang Wubing prayed desperately in his heart that he was just dazzled and there was actually nothing there.
However, when he trembled and looked again——
Among the oak barrels that were scattered all over the ground, only one oak barrel stood upright.
A gray head stretched out from the oak barrel and leaned stiffly against the edge of the barrel.
It turned out to be the male singer who had just left in anger!
But unlike his previous vitality, his clothes were now completely dyed red, and a large amount of red liquid flowed from the corners of his mouth into the oak barrel, emitting a foul smell of blood.
“Tick, tick…”
A drop of blood slid down the singer's mouth.
At that moment, Zhang Wubing felt as if his scalp was exploding and numbing.
“Yes, yes, yes…”
There is a ghost ahhhhhh!!! Brother Yan, Brother Yan, save me, save me, wuwuwuwuwu!!!
However, no matter how much Zhang Wubing kept opening his mouth, due to extreme fear, the sound was blocked in his throat and could not come out. He could only make a series of stuck and desperate single notes.
But the others who were already on guard still heard the unusual noises here, and immediately put down what they were holding and ran over holding the flashlights on their cell phones.
"Director? What's wrong?"
"Are you okay?"
However, when they followed Zhang Wubing's stiff gaze, they almost threw the cell phones in their hands away in fright.
"What the hell! What the hell is this! A human pig?"
"No wait! Isn't this one of ours? How come he's like this after just two hours of not seeing him?"
"Why is he here? Is he still alive?"
"Hurry, hurry, save them!"
In the midst of the chaos, there was only a young and handsome staff member standing on the stairs, looking down at the panicked crowd with indifference.
His figure merged into the darkness...
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