Secondary Development

The cafeteria was a standalone two-story building, quite large in area but situated in a rather secluded spot.

It was located next to a small grove of trees on the academy's west plaza.

Nearby were several dilapidated buildings that looked like residential housing.

Jiang Cheng had initially assumed the first floor was for students and the second for faculty.

However, upon entering, he discovered the first floor was divided into east and west sections by several large screens.

The east side, larger in area, was filled with vibrant young girls, some carrying trays, others gathered in small groups. This was clearly the student dining area.

The west side, smaller and with fewer people, was the faculty cafeteria.

It was currently breakfast time, and the cafeteria was bustling with people. The lively faces of the female students captivated Fatty.

"Doctor," Fatty said, taking a deep breath, his face flushed with excitement. "Youth feels so good. Being here makes me feel like I've returned to my student days."

Unexpectedly, Jiang Cheng cut straight to the chase: "You just like peeping at pretty girls. It has nothing to do with your tragic youth."

Fatty thought for a moment, trying to find an argument to refute him, but couldn't. He grudgingly shut his mouth.

Jiang Cheng first led Fatty through the student dining area, then through the screens to the faculty dining area.

To Fatty's surprise, they didn't encounter any of the others from the mission.

Fatty asked, confused, "Aren't they eating? They didn't eat last night either."

Jiang Cheng casually replied, "There was a supermarket on the way yesterday, led by that woman. They probably went to the supermarket to buy instant food. It's a place with relatively low foot traffic and less risk."

After a few seconds of stunned silence, Fatty suddenly realized and complained that his teammates were incredibly cunning. They didn't want to risk exploring the fog of war, so they sent the two of them to test the waters.

At this moment, Jiang Cheng seemed to have found a satisfactory spot and sat down. Fatty, huffing, sat opposite him, resting his chin on one hand.

"Two points," Jiang Cheng held up two fingers and said, "First, I wasn't tricked into coming here, and I won't share the information I found with them unconditionally."

"Second," Jiang Cheng looked at Fatty and said, "Don't always complain about others being cunning. Ask yourself why you're so stupid before you say that."

Hearing this, Fatty visibly deflated. His hands dropped to his knees under the table.

But he was mentally strong now. A few minutes later, he perked up again, looking at Jiang Cheng and asking, "Doctor, what should we eat? I'm starving."

The two went to the serving counter.

It had to be said, the school did some things well. The faculty cafeteria and student cafeteria served the exact same dishes.

Of course, this might also be related to the exorbitant tuition fees.

Art, after all, was expensive.

"Sweet and sour pork ribs, seafood congee, pan-fried knife fish." Jiang Cheng, through the glass, directed the server to dish out five or six substantial dishes. Then, he took out his temporary staff card to pay.

With a "beep," all of it belonged to Jiang Cheng, and Fatty.

Because there were so many dishes, Fatty had to make two trips to carry them back to their table.

"Isn't this too much?" Fatty stared at the dishes that occupied more than half the table, looking quite puzzled. "Eating this much for breakfast might not be easy to digest."

Jiang Cheng popped a whole piece of knife fish into his mouth, expertly picked out the bones, and then took a mouthful of seafood congee. He said slowly, "I'm growing, so I need to eat more."

"You stopped growing ten years ago, damn it!" Fatty couldn't help but retort.

Unexpectedly.

Jiang Cheng put down his chopsticks and looked at Fatty very seriously, explaining, "This is my second growth spurt, focusing on strengthening a specific bodily function!"

Fatty: "…Just shut up already!"

After they finished eating, the conversation between Jiang Cheng and Fatty became slightly more normal. With Jiang Cheng's interjections, Fatty suddenly realized he wasn't nervous anymore.

"Why do you think that Qipao Woman died?" Mentioning the Qipao Woman, Fatty's expression turned somewhat strange.

Having her jaw ripped off by a vengeful spirit in the mission was chilling to think about.

Jiang Cheng had eaten too quickly and got a fishbone stuck in his throat. It took him a while to dislodge it, but it left his throat feeling uncomfortable, and his voice changed. "You think it's strange too?"

"Yeah," Fatty nodded. "Logically, she wasn't a newcomer. She should have known it wasn't safe outside at night." He paused and added in a low voice, "Especially alone."

"Good," Jiang Cheng said. "Continue."

"I've only analyzed this much for now," Fatty looked at Jiang Cheng, humbly saying, "Doctor, you've definitely thought more than me. Why don't you tell me?"

Jiang Cheng glanced in the direction of the screen, then turned back. "First, it's abnormal for the Qipao Woman to be out alone at night. She must have encountered something, and it was very important to her, likely life-threatening."

Fatty's expression sharpened, and he leaned forward, lowering his voice. "Are you saying she… encountered a ghost?"

"Possibly, but the probability is low." At this point, Jiang Cheng's face no longer held any trace of jest. He seemed to have genuinely pondered it. "Assuming she encountered a ghost, why didn't the ghost kill her in her dorm and instead drive her out into the corridor?"

"Because the corridor was dark and secluded, making it easy for the ghost to attack," Fatty replied immediately.

Then he became a little confused. This was obvious. The Jiang Cheng he remembered wouldn't ask such a question.

Jiang Cheng nodded, looking at Fatty with an expression he couldn't decipher. "That's right, because the corridor was dark and secluded, it was an excellent place for a ghost to kill. The facts proved this; she died there."

Fatty became even more confused. "What exactly are you trying to say?"

Jiang Cheng sighed slightly. "Fatty, think carefully. Would the Qipao Woman not see a problem that you can see so easily?"

Fatty thought for a moment. "Then what do you think happened?"

Jiang Cheng slowly shifted his gaze away, his eyes unfocused, as if he were putting himself in the Qipao Woman's situation at the time. "If I were her, to be forced out of the dorm, which currently seems like a relatively safe space, and come to the corridor, which clearly looks unsafe, there would only be one possibility: I would be certain that I had already been locked onto by the ghost. If I didn't leave, I would die for sure. Leaving might offer a slim chance of survival."

Thanks to Brother Mo Huang for the reward! Spring in the human world, Brother Xin Ying Xue for the monthly votes!