Chapter 2: The Underworld Show

Is there really a ghost in the world? Looking towards the dark corridor, I hesitated for a moment but still walked in.

Wandering through the intricate alleys, flanked by old buildings, the locals exhibit a rather unfriendly attitude towards me as an outsider. Whenever I approach them with inquiries, mentioning the words 'unlit road' causes them to wave their hands and hurriedly depart.

The old man's voice trembled, as if he were on the verge of death; this was his final request before taking his last breath

"Young man, it's getting dark, don't run around." The old man blocked the doll's line of sight with his body, seemingly casually sliding a handkerchief out of his sleeve.

The rain intensified, and a hazy mist appeared between heaven and earth. I wanted to find a place to take shelter from the rain, but there wasn't a decent shop in the surrounding alleys.

The address in the advertisement does indeed exist, and things are getting more interesting. I pressed the switch of the stun gun, just as I was about to enter the hallway, my clothes were suddenly tugged.

The elderly man picked up the doll and sang a nursery rhyme as he walked away. All I could do was smile wryly, feeling a twinge of sympathy for him. Having reached the age of seventy, he surprisingly had only a tattered puppet by his side.

After a long time, I, who had long lost my way, had already given up. However, the old woman suddenly stopped as she was walking.

The unlit road is in the old town, and by the time I arrived here, it was already dark, with a light drizzle falling from the sky

Who

Whether it is true or false will be revealed tonight. Changing into casual clothes, I stuffed the advertisement and the stun gun into my pants pockets and rode my bike to the destination

It is impossible; the so-called ghosts and deities are merely a means of self-frightening. My current situation should be attributed to a specific environment triggering the human instinctive response to uncertain events. The human body produces a self-protective mechanism when faced with danger, which manifests as fear and avoidance

No. 44, Wu Deng Road, Basement Level 4, Room 444

I have lost my belongings, please help me find them quickly

It is extremely difficult to part with a painting when one is in dire straits

It is dark and the rain is pouring, why is she alone outside? Where are her family?

"How unfortunate." On a rainy day, a stun gun can easily cause self-injury; if one were to encounter a criminal, it would be quite embarrassing

Although I am a third-rate detective, I will spare no effort in facing each commission out of respect for this profession

"In order to earn seventy yuan, I am quite determined." With no direction in my commission, I squatted on the ground, habitually reaching for a cigarette. But just as the lighter flickered to life, I noticed the doorplate on the outer wall of the small building—"No. 44, Wudeng Road"

For a detective, what always captivates him is not the outcome, but the process of unraveling the unknown

Turning around, I took out the personal defense device, and the crackling arcs of electricity were particularly vivid in the darkness

Is she really a madwoman? Combined with the previous words of the old man, her intended meaning is already quite clear; although it is implicit, it is at least logically sound.

People living nearby generally do not come out at night. Therefore, if one encounters someone at "Luo Si Jie Ding" in the evening, it may not necessarily be a person

The old woman's murky eyes rolled to the sides: "I lost my little grandson, right in this alley."

She waved her hand anxiously, and I hurried over to hold the umbrella for her, "Grandma, you ... ... "

A tattered cloth doll, soaked by the rain, lies on the cold steps

As the lightning flashed, I lowered my head and happened to see the face of the old woman being raised, devoid of color, with wrinkles crawling out from all directions like folded bean skins, covering her entire aged face

She, she is a madwoman?! I actually ran for more than an hour in the rain with a crazy old lady!

The reactions of the locals, combined with the rumors circulating online, along with the presence of this elderly woman, all exhibit peculiar behavior, as if they are deliberately creating a terrifying atmosphere. Skeptical as I am, I still believe this is a prank. Nowadays, many variety shows resort to unscrupulous means to pursue high ratings, with an endless stream of sensational programs emerging. Perhaps, unbeknownst to me, there are currently dozens of cameras installed, capturing everything in real-time.

Open the computer to search, and indeed, the road without lights in Jiangcheng exists

Little mouse, up the lampstand, stealing oil to eat, cannot come down. Meow meow meow, the cat is coming, tumbled down in a flurry...

To discern whether a girl is lying, the simplest method is to personally visit the unlit road at the appropriate time and seek out the underground showrooms advertised.

My eyes gradually acclimate to the darkness, as I feel the mottled wall surface and make my way down the stairs to the basement

When the vehicles are sufficiently sparse in the deep of night, the wide road can reveal some of its own truths, those scars that remain unseen under the various pressures of the day.

To have a child who receives grace, one must have land

These people are quite strange Standing in the rain with a black umbrella at a glance the entire alley is devoid of any light

In the realm of the dead, there is no path, and the heart is filled with confusion

In the mouths of the people of Old Jiangcheng, this road has another very special name—"Screw Top"

The flame extinguished in an instant, and I took out a small card, leaning in closely to confirm once again: "Could it be this coincidental?"

I picked up the handkerchief left by the elderly man, pure white, resembling the white silk used for hanging. Holding it up to my eyes, I noticed a short poem with an ancient charm inscribed upon it

Grandson? Living person? I do not know why, but I am reminded of various rumors online about unlit roads, and as I gaze at the old man's silhouette, the hairs on my neck stand on end

When the mountains are exhausted and the waters are blocked, one may doubt there is no way out; yet, amidst the dark willows and bright flowers, there lies another village. This is precisely the place I have been searching for

The elderly person affectionately picked up the doll, completely unconcerned about the mud and water stains, handling it with great care as if it were a newborn baby

Without any guidance, I wandered aimlessly like a headless fly until after 10 PM, yet I still had not found the legendary unlit road

The internal affairs originated in the imperial capital

The few storefronts available all display paper houses, spirit horses, flower wreaths, and funeral garments inside, clearly indicating that they are engaged in the business of the deceased

The rain has soaked the old woman's clothes, and she appears to be much more miserable than I am, all alone and forlorn.

An elderly woman, holding a stuffed toy, stood behind me without my noticing, despite my having achieved an A+ in practical skills at the police academy

As the rain continued to pour heavily, I had no choice but to force myself into a funeral clothing store. What I did not expect was that once it passed 11 o'clock, the shopkeeper turned off all the lights, lit two white candles, and handed me a black umbrella used for grave visits, urging me to leave

I forced myself to calm down, "Don't worry, what have you lost?"

Thinking of this, I chased after him and handed the black umbrella in my hand to the elderly man: "It's raining heavily, please take the umbrella and hurry home."

Be careful on your way, see you again. The rain soaked my clothes, and I took shelter from the rain on the steps where I found a cloth doll. This is a three-story building, and there is an old rain shelter at the entrance of the corridor.

No streetlights? I shivered inexplicably, having walked alone for over twenty minutes, wandering around and ultimately losing my way. Just as I was about to take out my phone to call for help, I happened to see an elderly woman across the street waving at me

Found it? I was somewhat surprised, and as I followed the old man's gaze, my eyes gradually widened

The light bulb was taken down in good condition, but the tungsten filament inside had already broken. After that, no one dared to install a new bulb. Walking in the alley with a flashlight would also inexplicably cause it to go out. Any electric device could not be used in the alley at night; motorcycles and electric bikes had to be pushed along.

Having read it twice, I am now in a cold sweat. This is an acrostic poem; if you connect the first character of each line, it spells out—there is a ghost in the room

The company is indeed living up to the name of its underworld showcase by being located in such a place. To be frank, I am a logic-driven atheist, and after an afternoon of research, I am even more convinced that this is a rather unremarkable prank.

The old woman took the umbrella and stood still for a moment

Oh, oh, doll, please do not be angry, I am here to apologize to you. I should not have lost my temper just now and thrown you hard onto the ground. I have dirtied your new floral dress and made your face all muddy. It must still hurt, right? I am truly sorry! I will pat your clothes to clean them, and I will wash your face. Wherever it hurts, I will massage it for you. From now on, we shall not be separated.

She pointed at the dark road and, as if enchanted, limped her way inside

Dear grandson, please do not run around recklessly next time

With this thought, my sense of fear diminished significantly. I opened my umbrella and entered the depths of the alley together with the old woman.

Singing nursery rhymes and soothing the doll in her arms, the old man vanished into the rainy night

"Screw top" actually means "piling up corpses to the roof". During the Anti-Japanese War, this place was the largest massacre site in Jiangcheng, where corpses were stacked layer upon layer until they reached the roof. Local residents say that streetlights cannot be installed here at all; as soon as they are installed, they go out the next day, either extinguished by someone or inexplicably extinguished.