Chapter 408: Chapter 408: The Sins of the Past
 

The townspeople have been taking refuge in the supermarket for over seven days now.

Although this kind of supermarket has an ample supply of food, everyone is showing signs of fatigue under the power outage and the shroud of the mist.

Add to that the fall from the ‘false soldier’ rescue, the precipitous drop from the peak of salvation to the abyss of death, as well as the psychological pressure of witnessing the horrifying octopus-like life form.

Many people with poor mental resilience have shown signs of mental illness such as hallucinations, insomnia, and agitation. The supermarket medicine supply is basically at a low.

Even a middle-aged woman was found hanged in the women’s bathroom. She could not bear this pressure.

Being alone and barren, her husband had died in a car accident two years ago. In such an environment, she chose what she thought was a ‘comfortable’ way to end this nightmare.

With no signs of hope, the atmosphere in the supermarket was exceptionally oppressive.

David, our male protagonist, is one of the few townspeople who still has hope.

……

However, all of this had nothing to do with Han Dong.

After speculating about the unique nature of the supermarket itself, Han Dong initiated a full-scale search of the supermarket.

However, without the Little Demon Eye providing perspective, Han Dong couldn’t find any hidden areas in the supermarket.

With no other choice, he turned to the supermarket’s manager, Ollie Wicks, who also plays a significant role in the film.

Though Han Dong, in his role as author, tends to be a bit cheeky, it must be said that he deserves credit where credit is due.

Ollie, a considerate boss, was quite accommodating to Han Dong.

“Mr. Nicholas, what can I assist you with?”

“Could you provide the supermarket’s early design blueprints or the construction plans from that period? Or could you describe any unusual circumstances encountered during the construction of this supermarket?”

The questions seemed to strike a nerve.

Ollie, the boss, showed a significant change in demeanor, as if he was trying to deliberately hide the truth of the past.

“Well… the design blueprints were from over a decade ago, we no longer keep them in the shop.

As for any special circumstances… it’s been so long, I don’t remember everything clearly.”

“[Conversation Guide Activated Due to Plot Orientation]”

1. “I believe you all can see what’s unique about this supermarket. The reason why monsters wandering in the mist cannot invade the supermarket must surely be related to this uniqueness… If we can find the reason, we might find a new path to survival.”

2. “Mr. Ollie, let me be upfront with you.

My decision to come to your town for my creative work was influenced by researching unique local events from a trusted friend. It was these particularly ‘hidden’ characteristics that led me to choose this place as my source… such as the rather discreet ‘Mexican workers incident’.”

3. “We’re at a life-or-death crossroads, is there still a need to hide anything?”

4. “Motherf*cker!! Stop pretending! Believe it or not, I’ll throw you out of the supermarket right now!” (This statement requires accompanying action of grabbing the collar)

Without further ado,

There’s only one choice that maintains Han Dong’s character integrity and forces out the truth immediately.

Han Dong furiously grabbed the supermarket boss by the collar in his anger! He even used some non-human force to pick him up into the air to heighten the intimidation factor.

…

Five minutes later,

In the staff break room,

Han Dong had a stack of damp old construction blueprints in front of him.

Han Dong discovered, on the sealed initial drafts, that underneath the supermarket was an enormous sealed space.

It was not a basement, nor a storage area for goods.

Instead, it was a sealed space to bury hidden sins.

“This is what happened

The original incident was particularly serious, and it just so happened that our town was named one of Maine’s top ten exemplary small towns that year,

The mayor made a big effort to bury the truth.

All the bodies of the Mexican workers were piled under the supermarket which was about to start construction.

I did accept some money, but I have nightmares every night, dreaming about those Mexicans coming to my house.

All along, the money that the mayor gave me has been locked in a chest, untouched.”

Han Dong made his intentions clear, “I’m not interested in your crimes, I just want to know one thing… how can I get down there?”

“It involves digging… it’s not just through soil, but also through several layers of special protective materials.”

“I don’t need to know all those details, I just want to know one thing… how long will it take to reach the bottom?”

“We have several pieces of equipment in the warehouse, if we hurry… it should only take half a day.”

“Get to work immediately, we might find a glimmer of hope.”

To not impact the supermarket’s foundation, the work began in the warehouse area with fewer load-bearing pillars.

Han Dong announced to the townsfolk in the supermarket they were conducting work to enhance their protection.

Han Dong also joined the construction crew to ensure that he would be the first to notice and halt any potential problems during the excavation process.

“Ah!! Eyes!! There are eyes watching me! There are creatures down there!”

One of the workers was the first to break through, creating an opening to the underground burial ground… the moment he broke through, an enormous eye seemed to look back at him through the hole.

Han Dong immediately restrained this man to prevent him from raising the alarm and alerting the others in the supermarket.

“Continue drilling! Keep at it until a person can pass through normally.”

During the subsequent drilling, many problems arose.

Some said they heard a woman crying.

Others claimed they saw someone waving to them from below.

Someone even said they saw an underground river that led out of the town below.

However, including David, the protagonist, everyone clearly felt uneasy when looking down the excavation shaft… let alone going down there.

“Mr. Nicholas, are you sure you want to go down there?”

“Am I expected to wait for my death like you cowards up here? Now, come fasten this safety rope on me!”

“Alright…..”

At this juncture, only Han Dong could stand up, so they naturally had to quietly take the reprimands.

If there is really a chance of survival down there, all credit would have to go to Han Dong.

They fastened the safety rope onto Han Dong, with three of them holding the other end of the rope, slowly lowering Han Dong into the underground burial zone…

However, halfway down, the feeling of weight suddenly disappeared.

David quickly pulled the rope back up, finding only a piece of clothing attached. When he looked down the hole, he could see nothing.

…

Han Dong’s disappearance wasn’t a supernatural glitch.

Instead, Han Dong intentionally did it.

He did it to create suspense so that the others in the supermarket wouldn’t be tempted to follow him.

During the descent, Han Dong didn’t sense any danger. As for the mild illusions, it was the workers’ own issue.

It is for this reason that Han Dong decisively broke away from the rope, landing firmly.

“What is this!?”