Rules of the Uncanny: 4016

[An authentic Lovecraftian rules-based horror story. Already awarded Premium status-quality assured. But readers seeking a pure power fantasy should think twice before proceeding.]

To earn a generous cash reward for a university-life experience program, Lin Yi and his roommate sign up to attend a university on the outskirts of town.

A seemingly unremarkable student code of conduct, yet something about it feels subtly wrong;

Strange noticeboards outside the campus buildings, alongside seemingly normal rules for entering them;

Uncanny figures moving through campus in abnormal weather...

As the program continues, more and more bizarre people, incidents, and objects appear. To leave the campus alive, Lin Yi has no choice but to skirt the edges of the rules...

[Note: Before writing began, the author had already worked out the story's entire chain of logic as a closed loop. Every rule is a clue, and every uncanny phenomenon that defies common sense will receive a scientific-or relatively scientific-explanation. There are no supernatural incidents or anything of the sort (doge face, please don't come for me). Give it a try!]