Chapter 29: Quite an Appetite
According to the original content, simply touching the walls or floor of the tunnel could potentially suck someone in, turning them into creatures like earthbound spirits.
Not only humans, even the Headless Sculpture was very afraid of it.
But the Head Balloons shouldn't be afraid, because they can't reach the sky or touch the ground. As long as they float in carefully with the steel cables, there shouldn't be any big problems.
"Go in? Why should I?"
However, the Head Balloons clearly have much lower subjective initiative. In response to Uesugi Kiyoshi's command, they gave a fierce expression.
"You are our enemy, exploiting us, oppressing us, enslaving us, draining us dry. If it weren't for the rules, we would have burst your balloon long ago! And now you want us to help? No way!!"
"Oh, I see..."
Understandingly nodding, Uesugi Kiyoshi opened his phone, "Is this the transfer center? This is Uesugi Kiyoshi. Did you ask for our help in transporting a malfunctioning tank before? I'm here..."
"Please wait a moment, we'll come over right away!"
Watching the two Head Balloons swiftly fly into the tunnel and disappear without a sound, Uesugi Kiyoshi called for his own.
"Don't you communicate telepathically? Send me the real-time updates of what they see!"
"Huh?" Head Balloon said with a drawn-out tone.
"Huh?!" Uesugi Kiyoshi raised his eyebrows.
"Well, since it's your request, I will provide the information without holding back, and serve wholeheartedly!"
Before long, information started to be reported through Uesugi Kiyoshi's balloon.
"Discovered the cosmic ray observation station, with open front and back doors, only one pickup truck, and no people."
"Found the director and another person's bodies, slowly merging into the tunnel, hehe, gone."
"Oh, found something strange, attempting to communicate."
Uesugi Kiyoshi felt slightly surprised, "Can they communicate?"
"Even though we don't know why, it is indeed possible, do you need me to relay it?"
"Go ahead."
The Head Balloon's face twisted into a malicious smile, "It says, arrogant and indulgent, humans who are both proud yet weak, you'll never free the souls here, let alone challenge me!"
Uesugi Kiyoshi looked at it skeptically, "...Did it really say that? Or are you embellishing?"
"Oh, come on!" The Head Balloon's smile instantly turned flattering, "I wouldn't dare!"
Just then, a researcher observing the tunnel let out a scream.
"What is it? Director! Your Excellency Uesugi! Come have a look!"
Uesugi Kiyoshi walked over to the equipment and peered at the freshly cleaned photograph.
The tunnel entrance illuminated by the light looked somewhat eerie, with nothing particularly special about it, yet in the photo, there were countless ghosts flying around.
They seemed to come from different eras, with women in Western dresses from the Taisho era and maintenance workers from the Showa period, each looking different but sharing the same expression of pain.
"It's Dad!" Kimura Mali found her father in the crowd, tears streaming down her face. "Dad really... "
Kimura Goro held his little sister, both children crying uncontrollably.
Naosumi Koyama also cried, seeing her boss and colleagues who had bid her farewell with smiles just a few days ago, now turned into lost souls.
"Let's not be sad, everyone."
Uesugi Kiyoshi comforted a few words, then instructed Head Balloon, "Tell that weirdo to release these spirits and promise not to harm anyone from now on!"
Head Balloon waited for half a day, cautiously reminding, "What about the condition?"
"What condition? There is no condition!"
"Will it agree without any conditions?"
Looking at Uesugi Kiyoshi's face, Head Balloon understood and kept quiet, then flew into the tunnel again.
Moments later, it brought back a strange reply.
"You're next! Human!"
This threat was useless against Uesugi Kiyoshi, as those ghosts had all entered the tunnel voluntarily or involuntarily.
So, it was clear that the target of the attack was limited to those inside the tunnel, while those outside needed to be lured in.
In other words, as long as you don't go in, there's no danger.
And there are many ways to prevent oneself and others from going in.
Uesugi Kiyoshi opened his contact list and dialed the phone again.
"Is this Deer Construction Company? This is Uesugi Kiyoshi, I need all the workers, machinery, and materials you have available right now!"
It was just a tunnel, and he was thinking of asking the self-defense force to blow it up.
The so-called magic mountain is only a few hundred meters tall, even if the whole mountain is leveled, it's not a big deal.
If worse comes to worst, he can pay for it, as he has plenty of money.
But on second thought, the strange things inside the tunnel are still confined by it. If the tunnel is destroyed, it might release them and cause unexpected consequences.
It's better to just cover up the whole thing.
They poured cement in front and behind simultaneously, sealing the tunnel. Even if it's sealed for one meter, then ten meters, or even a hundred meters, if it can still suck people in, people can still break through the cement.
Uesugi Kiyoshi's request couldn't be disobeyed by Deer Construction Company. Soon, the whole Zhongyuan Village turned into a large construction site.
As one of Japan's largest construction companies, their strength is not to be underestimated. In just one day, they brought nearly a hundred cement mixers, producing thousands of cubic meters of cement per hour with them running simultaneously.
However, the cement transported into the tunnel through the pipeline seemed to disappear without a trace, enough to cover the entire mountain, but the tunnel entrance remained open.
Through the monitoring device, you could see the cement being poured in like rain into the hard tunnel floor.
The rain-moistened ground would get wet, but the detectors couldn't find any trace of cement underground, as if it had vanished into thin air.
A gust of wind blew by, carrying a faint howl.
"Foolish humans, how could such means defeat me? Even if multiplied tenfold, a hundredfold, I can still absorb it all!" translated Head Balloon.
"What about building a wall along the mountain?" Hiroshi Noda came up with a rare idea, "Since it can't reach outside the tunnel, it won't be able to destroy the wall. With the wall, no one will be sucked in."
Uesugi Kiyoshi approvingly patted his shoulder.
"That's a good idea, but it feels a bit wasteful to do so."
"Wasteful?"
Hiroshi Noda looked puzzled as he watched Uesugi Kiyoshi pick up the phone book for the third time and dial another number.
"Hello, is this the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism? I would like to requisition the land of Zhongyuan Village... What for? To build a super large-scale garbage processing center!"
