Student Passage

"How could it be her?!" Lin Yi remembered with absolute clarity that this was the girl who had egged the others on to open the bus door, then gotten off with another group to join the female teachers.

Then, in a moment when Lin Yi wasn't paying attention, he had discovered that they had all vanished.

"Lao Lin, did we just see a ghost in broad daylight?" Wei Liang's trembling voice rang out.

Lin Yi stared at the girl in the sailor uniform without speaking. It simply made no sense.

"First, judging by the driver's reaction, it seems someone really is supposed to meet the students when the bus drops them off at the school gate..."

"But according to the Student Rules, the first thing to do during Abnormal Weather is to find the nearest building and take shelter. Even if teachers have different rules, at the very least, those students behind her shouldn't have been there. Not to mention that her badge was obviously fake..."

And the second thing to do during Abnormal Weather, if the location of the nearest building couldn't be determined, was to stay beside a streetlamp and wait for a Security Guard-that was precisely how Lin Yi and the others had reached the Teaching Building.

"That female teacher wasn't wearing a badge, could move through the fog, and behaved very strangely... And with all that thick fog and heavy rain last night, things couldn't have looked good for the people who went with her..."

A host of thoughts rushed through Lin Yi's mind. Watching the girl in the sailor uniform, he couldn't help narrowing his eyes. "How did she get through last night safely?"

Just as Lin Yi was deep in thought, the girl in the sailor uniform seemed to sense someone watching her and instinctively glanced in his direction.

Startled, Lin Yi hurriedly averted his eyes, subconsciously unwilling to let the girl in the Sailor Uniform notice him.

But that backward glance happened in a flash. Lin Yi had no way to avoid her gaze.

Right then, however, a figure stepped in front of him, cutting through the line of sight between him and the girl in the Sailor Uniform like a sharp cleaver.

The girl in the sailor uniform immediately saw Xu Shunkang standing in front of Lin Yi.

Xu Shunkang gave her a look full of amusement.

Her expression changed drastically. She hurriedly turned her head, lowered her gaze, and rushed into the passage without looking back.

Through the gap beneath Xu Shunkang's arm, Lin Yi saw that the passage the girl in the Sailor Uniform had entered was actually... the Other Passage?!

Pointing at the entrance to the Other Passage where she had disappeared, Wei Liang said, his hand and voice trembling, "Holy sh-sh-shit... Lao Lin, did you see that? Sh-sh-she... she just went into the Other Passage?!"

Lin Yi lowered his voice, his expression grim. "I saw."

But since the girl in the Sailor Uniform was gone, he turned his attention to Xu Shunkang. After a moment's thought, he said, "Thank you."

Xu Shunkang raised his eyebrows slightly in surprise. "Well, well, well... What are you suddenly thanking me for?"

"I don't know," Lin Yi said. "But thank you anyway."

He really couldn't say why, but the instant the girl had looked back, an ominous feeling had risen in his heart, as though something bad would happen if he met her eyes.

And Xu Shunkang had blocked that gaze for him—as though he, too, had anticipated the Sailor Uniform girl's movement.

"That thanks wasn't sincere. I'm not accepting it." Xu Shunkang teased him, patted his shoulder, and said with a half-smile, "You can't go looking at people at random here, especially those fellows who want to make art but can't get it straight. Careful they don't come after you! All right, all right, go get something to eat."

With that, Xu Shunkang patted Lin Yi's shoulder, offered a brief goodbye, and walked past the Notice Board toward the Cafeteria with Xie Huayang.

Lin Yi still felt as though it had all been unreal.

"That's fucking ridiculous!"

He had been hundreds of meters away from the girl just now. It was roughly like looking at a girl on the sports field from the Teaching Building, only for her to look straight at him as though they shared some "telepathic connection."

Like some kind of counter-surveillance radar.

"All right, stop overthinking it. Let's go chow down!" Wei Liang said, slinging an arm around Lin Yi's shoulders.

The two walked past the Notice Board toward the Cafeteria.

Something seemed to occur to Xu Shunkang, and he suddenly looked back at Lin Yi. "We'll be splitting up here. You eat your meal, and we'll eat ours."

"If we're lucky, we might see each other in the Student Dining Hall. If not, we'll have to wait until PE class."

"See you."

Lin Yi paused, not quite understanding what Xu Shunkang meant, only to see him and Xie Huayang chatting and laughing as they headed toward a passage entrance.

And that passage was the very one the girl in the sailor uniform had entered earlier!

A passage without any signs-

The Other Passage!!

Lin Yi's pupils contracted sharply.

And he wasn't the only one. Even Wei Liang stood rooted to the spot as though struck by lightning.

Who could have imagined that Xu Shunkang and Xie Huayang would enter the Cafeteria through the [Other Passage]!

And right in front of them, too!

Only after Xu Shunkang and Xie Huayang had gone far away did Wei Liang rub his eyes and lower his voice, saying cautiously, "Lao Lin, I wasn't seeing things, was I? They took the Other Passage!"

Lin Yi and Wei Liang exchanged a glance. Without another word, he knew what was going through Wei Liang's mind!

Article 2 of the Cafeteria Rules:

[Students entering or leaving the Cafeteria must use the [Student Passage] to reach the first-floor dining hall (the passage entrances and exits are clearly marked with Student Passage signs). Do not use the [Staff Passage], and above all, do not use any unmarked passages.

If you discover someone entering a passage other than the [Student Passage], and a Security Guard is nearby, you may inform the Security Guard immediately or choose to ignore it.

If you choose to report it to a Security Guard, leave the Cafeteria immediately after making your report. Under no circumstances should you stay, and do not become curious about what the Security Guard does next.

Beware of anyone who invites you to use other passages. They have evil intentions toward you. Refuse them and do your best to remember their appearance. Maintain a safe distance and remain highly vigilant if you encounter them again. They will not leave those who refuse their invitations alone.]

Lin Yi was utterly astonished as well, but before he could say anything, he saw Wei Liang crane his neck and begin looking around.

"Liangzi, what are you looking for now?" Lin Yi asked.

"A Security Guard!" Wei Liang replied solemnly.

"Shit, you're going to tell a Security Guard about this?" Lin Yi's expression turned odd.

The rules said they could tell a Security Guard or choose not to, but Wei Liang... the word "think" really didn't seem to exist in his dictionary.

At least... not "think carefully."

The Security Guard's towering figure and that thick, long iron chain sprang unbidden into Lin Yi's mind.

Walking through the fog, the Security Guard was practically an oversized Ghost Rider, except his head wasn't on fire.

Lin Yi couldn't imagine the impact the Security Guard would have on the others after entering the Other Passage. Besides... he had no idea what the Security Guards represented on this campus!

Seeing Lin Yi's serious expression, Wei Liang muttered, "Uh, well..." for a while before saying helplessly, "No, you've got it wrong. That girl might be a little off, but Xu Shunkang and Xie Huayang are actually pretty nice..."

"All right, all right, let's go eat!"

The two immediately headed toward the Cafeteria.

The Notice Board "in front" of the Cafeteria wasn't actually standing at its entrance.

There was still a long flight of steps between the Notice Board and the Cafeteria. Only after climbing them would they reach the entrance.

After passing the Notice Board, Lin Yi turned his gaze toward the Cafeteria.

For some reason, he had felt fine before entering the Cafeteria's grounds, but once he crossed the boundary marked by the Notice Board, he felt his hairs gradually stand on end.

Before he had even entered the Cafeteria, an inexplicable resistance had arisen in his subconscious.

It was a bright, sunny noon, yet he felt as though the Cafeteria were shrouded in dark clouds.

When S City University's Cafeteria was built, the ground had been excavated several meters down specifically to accommodate Basement Level One. From a distance, it looked like an ear of corn standing upright in the ground.

The middle section of the corn was the first floor, slightly above ground level. The root was Basement Level One, while the upper section was the second floor.

And precisely because it was built in a mountainous region, the surrounding greenery easily blocked some of the light reaching the Cafeteria, leaving certain areas perpetually in shadow.

The edges of those shadows were like a clearly defined dividing line, marking out light and shade.

Three flights of stairs covered by arched roofs extended outward from the Cafeteria, much like the garage ramps built upward from ground level at large shopping malls.

These three passages were the Student Passage, the Staff Passage, and an unmarked passage.

As Lin Yi walked toward the Student Passage, he curiously surveyed his surroundings.

From the outside alone, the three passages looked identical. Without their signs, it would have been impossible to tell them apart.

And in terms of their destinations, all three led to the Cafeteria's first floor, but because of the arched roofs, it was impossible to tell from their bases whether their extensions led to the second floor or Basement Level One.

Soon, he and Wei Liang reached the steps. He raised his head and looked at the sign hanging directly above the passage.

The sign depicted a schoolbag, with the words "Student Passage" written beneath it.

Lin Yi peered inside from the entrance to the Student Passage.

Beside the steps made of blue-gray stone bricks stood walls built from square bricks. Above the walls was an arched ceiling, with an incandescent light hanging down every meter. The constantly lit bulbs dotted the arch like stars, stretching all the way to the end of the steps.

Along with some strange cloud-pattern murals, the Student Passage alone had been designed to look very much like a place of worship for some religion.

But the slightly dim surroundings still cast a dusty gray air over the entire staircase beneath the lights.

Lin Yi didn't hurry into the Student Passage. He stopped in front of it and looked toward the Cafeteria's Basement Level One.

The Cafeteria Rules had devoted a separate entry to Basement Level One, expressly forbidding students from going there.

[At all times, ignore any unusual sounds coming from the Cafeteria's Basement Level One, even if you hear someone calling your name.

Entering any area inside the Cafeteria other than the Student Dining Hall Area is forbidden, especially Basement Level One.]

Naturally, Lin Yi wouldn't go there either, but that didn't stop him from taking a look.

And so he looked toward the Cafeteria's Basement Level One...

Because of its design, most of the Cafeteria's Basement Level One remained without light for long periods.

When Lin Yi looked over, the lighting made it impossible to see much. He could vaguely make out a few blurry figures, but no matter how he looked, he couldn't see what they were.

It was mealtime at the Cafeteria, and students from the Teaching Building began arriving in the Cafeteria grounds one after another.

Lin Yi noticed that most university students still used the Student Passage, but a very considerable number took the Other Passage, and quite a few of those wore athletic uniforms.

Could it be that Athlete Students don't use the Student Passage? Lin Yi had his suspicions, but he didn't linger. After checking the time on his watch, he stepped onto the first step of the Student Passage.

May 7, X023, 11:34, S City University Cafeteria.

The moment he entered the Student Passage, Lin Yi felt a warmth come over him, as though he had returned to the classroom.

After walking some distance up the steps, Lin Yi suddenly noticed a patch of green plants growing in the seam between the steps and the wall.

"Hm? Is that..." Lin Yi leaned closer for a look. "Moss?"

At first, Lin Yi hadn't thought anything of it, but upon closer inspection, a spine-chilling sensation instantly enveloped his entire body.

"Moss only grows in damp, dark places. Why would it be growing in the Student Passage?"

The fog?

Even if the fog grew thicker late at night, it couldn't possibly create an environment suitable for moss to grow inside the Student Passage, could it?

He couldn't understand it.

Once that confusion arose, the question haunted him like a lingering ghost. He hurried up the steps, inspecting them as he went.

"There's moss here too! And here!"

The more Lin Yi looked, the more wrong it seemed. The Student Passage was dozens of steps long, and moss grew almost all the way to the end!

"Why is this happening?!"

Anywhere else, something being off would have been just that. But this was S City University. After spending last night walking the line between life and death, he firmly believed that anything related to Abnormal Weather warranted extreme vigilance!

Real danger often lurked beneath the most ordinary appearances!

He rushed down the steps.

"Lao Lin!" Seeing Lin Yi's unusual reaction, Wei Liang hurried after him despite his confusion.

Lin Yi rushed out of the Student Passage and looked around!

But no moss grew on the paving tiles around him!

"There's only moss inside the Student Passage!"

"Something's wrong! Something's wrong!"

He frantically scanned his surroundings. His field of vision spun, and even his head grew dizzy.

Suddenly, he spotted something. Ignoring the strange looks from the other students, he dropped flat at the edge of the steps and peered down at the walls around Basement Level One.

He perked up, yet a chill settled in his heart.

"There really is moss!"

With this discovery, he studied the surroundings of Basement Level One a little longer, then stood up. Ignoring Wei Liang's calls, he charged straight into the Student Passage and rushed all the way to its end in one go!

Then he immediately turned to look back.

At that moment, he seemed to discover something. A chill rose from the soles of his feet and surged up his legs. Within just a few breaths, his entire body had turned cold!