In the Instance, the difference between day and night was somewhat subtle.
The sky brightened into a pale gray, the daylight blocked by a thick fog, resembling matted frosted glass.
Day had broken, but the fog had not dissipated.
Liu Guilan was the first to wake up.
The three of them had slept in the cafeteria's dining area last night.
With her advanced age and fragile bones, Liu Guilan woke up feeling sore all over, her arms and legs completely numb.
“Why hasn't this thick fog cleared up yet?”
She massaged her lower back as she stood up, walking over to the main doors to peer outside anxiously.
The fog was still terrifyingly thick.
It was even thicker than when they had first entered last night.
It was a vast expanse of white; they couldn't see anything beyond three paces.
“Now that it's light out, those things should be gone, right?”
Deng Ziwen squatted beside Zhao Weilai and helped his girlfriend sit up.
The sound of splashing water had echoed all night, accompanied by footsteps pacing back and forth on the ceiling, followed later by the sound of fingernails scratching against the windows.
The creaking and scratching noises had kept Zhao Weilai and Deng Ziwen awake. In the end, they had pushed two benches together to sleep next to each other, barely managing to get any rest.
“Auntie, how is it outside?”
Deng Ziwen asked in a low voice. Liu Guilan watched for a moment, then shook her head. “Still the same. The fog is incredibly thick, you can't see a thing, and there's not a single sound of anyone out there.”
She walked over to the sink and turned on the tap. The pipes sputtered and gurgled a few times, releasing only a trickle of yellowish water.
After just one night, the ingredients in the cafeteria had already rotted and spoiled, and yellowish water pooled all over the floor.
There was food in the vending machine, but none of them had cell service, so they couldn't buy anything.
Deng Ziwen had originally wanted to smash the vending machine, but Zhao Weilai stopped him.
“Didn't you read that rule? It says we have to follow the Student Handbook. Smashing a vending machine would probably count as damaging school property.”
Although they weren't sure what the consequences of violating the rules would be, the ghostly things that had plagued them all night were more than enough to make them cautious.
“The water in the cafeteria is cut off too,” Liu Guilan said, full of worry. “If we can't find anything to eat, even if we don't fail that mission, we'll eventually die of thirst or starve to death here.”
“Then we need to get out of here quickly.”
Zhao Weilai shook her head, changing the subject. “Seventy-two hours... we can't just sit here and wait to die.”
“I don't think we can just stay here either.”
Liu Guilan walked over and rubbed her hands together. “Let's go out and look around to see if we can find some food, and maybe find some other people. There's strength in numbers. Since we're all from the same school, we can look out for each other.”
Deng Ziwen nodded. “I was thinking the same thing, Auntie. Although we're temporarily safe staying here, our mission is to find three ghost stories and check in. We can't just wait for the mission to come to us. We might as well take advantage of the daylight and head out to see if we can find anyone else.”
Zhao Weilai agreed as well.
The three of them stood up to prepare their gear.
Liu Guilan was the first to think of finding weapons for self-defense. She ran to the kitchen backroom and dug out a large stainless-steel shovel. She hefted it; it felt heavy and quite handy.
She went ahead and found two rolling pins, handing them to Deng Ziwen and Zhao Weilai.
“Take these. At least it's something. If we run into anything, we can swing them a couple of times. It's better than being empty-handed.”
Deng Ziwen took the rolling pin and was about to thank her when Zhao Weilai suddenly spoke up, her voice tinged with hesitation:
“Wait... if we take these things, will it violate the rules?”
Liu Guilan froze. “What rules?”
“The Instance rules said we must follow the Student Handbook.”
Zhao Weilai frowned. “The Student Handbook definitely has a clause about 'caring for public property.' The cafeteria's shovel and rolling pins are all school property. If we take them without permission, wouldn't that count as violating the regulations? What if we trigger a penalty?”
Hearing this, Liu Guilan hastily put the shovel back, clearly at a bit of a loss.
“Oh my, why didn't I think of that! You young folks really have sharp minds. We definitely can't just take things. What if we break a rule? Back in my village, we used to say that whenever you enter a place, you have to follow its rules, or else you'll face retribution.”
Deng Ziwen was also stunned.
Who hadn't heard of the Student Handbook when they were in school?
But who would actually memorize it?
At most, they were handed a small booklet at the start of the semester, which everyone threw away without even flipping through.
Who could have imagined that one day, this very thing would be a matter of life and death?
“The Student Handbook... let me think.”
Deng Ziwen scratched his head. “It's probably just things like not being late or leaving early, not damaging public property, not fighting, respecting teachers, and getting along with classmates... Handbooks across all schools are pretty much the same.”
“But does taking public property count as a violation?” Zhao Weilai pressed.
“That's... hard to say.”
Deng Ziwen gave a bitter smile. “Who knows how strictly the Instance enforces 'following the Student Handbook.' If taking things without permission counts, then we're in trouble.”
Liu Guilan grew a bit anxious. “Then what do we do? If we don't take anything and run into that water ghost, how are we supposed to deal with it empty-handed?”
“What if... we take wooden sticks? We can also look around later to see if there's a physical copy of the Student Handbook.”
Zhao Weilai pointed to a pile of mop handles in the corner of the cafeteria.
“The mops belong to the school cafeteria, but we're only borrowing them. It should be fine as long as we return them when we're done, right?”
The three of them exchanged looks, agreeing that this approach felt a bit safer.
Deng Ziwen walked over, selected three sturdy mop handles, detached the mop heads, and left only the wooden poles, which were over a meter long.
“Alright, we'll use these. Even if it counts as a violation, it shouldn't be too severe. It's better than being empty-handed.”
Liu Guilan took the wooden stick, feeling a bit more secure.
“By the way, Ziwen, do you remember what else is in the Student Handbook?” Zhao Weilai asked. “It'll be terrible if we accidentally step on a landmine.”
“How could I possibly remember?”
Deng Ziwen sighed helplessly. “Don't just ask me—go ask any student in the entire school. Who could actually recite the Student Handbook? We only read it once at the start of the semester. No one took it to heart. In any case, let's just remember not to break anything, not to fight, and to walk properly. We shouldn't make any major mistakes that way.”
Zhao Weilai nodded, though her heart was still pounding. The rules were too vague. Vague rules were often far more terrifying than explicit punishments—because you would never know which step you took wrong until you triggered your own erasure.
The three of them walked to the cafeteria doors. Deng Ziwen cracked one open slightly and peered outside.
Thick fog blanketed the area, and the empty campus was completely devoid of people.
The camphor trees along the roadside were reduced to blurry black silhouettes. When the wind blew, their branches swayed like countless trembling hands.
It was too quiet.
It was far too quiet.
A university that normally housed tens of thousands of students was now as silent as a grave.
“Let's go. I'll lead,” Deng Ziwen said, tightening his grip on the wooden stick as he stepped out first. “Make sure we don't get separated.”
Zhao Weilai followed closely behind him, while Liu Guilan brought up the rear, glancing back from time to time.
The three of them walked along the main road, the asphalt damp beneath their feet and glistening with droplets of condensed mist.
The vending machines along the roadside were lit, their drinks neatly arranged inside, yet they looked so illusory they seemed to be made of paper.
Looking at the empty road, Zhao Weilai felt a chill run down her spine, and she instinctively leaned closer to Deng Ziwen.
Just then, a sudden burst of static crackled from the distance.
The sound was coming from the campus loudspeakers along the road.
All three of them stopped in their tracks, looking warily toward the source of the sound.
[Sizzle, crackle... Hello... Hello? Can anyone hear me?]
[Thank goodness the broadcast system still works.]
A man's voice came through the speaker, distorted by static and cutting in and out:
[This is the Jiangcheng University Broadcasting Station. I am Ding Feifan, the freshman counselor for the School of Economics. If there are any other surviving students or teachers who can hear this broadcast, please head to the Great Auditorium immediately! I repeat, please gather at the Great Auditorium!]
[We will figure out a way to get out together! Please stay safe, travel in groups if possible, and do not act alone!]
The message repeated twice before dissolving back into static.
Surprise and joy washed over the faces of the three.
“Ding Feifan? Counselor Ding?”
Deng Ziwen's eyes lit up. “I know him! He hosted our department's general assembly last time. I didn't expect him to be pulled in here too!”
“There really are other people in the Instance!”
Zhao Weilai grew excited, her eyes welling with tears. “I thought... I thought we were the only ones left alive.”
“That's wonderful, simply wonderful.” Liu Guilan also breathed a sigh of relief. “It's good to have more people. With more people, there's nothing to fear.”
But after the initial joy, a wave of hesitation washed over them.
“Could it be a trap?” Zhao Weilai whispered. “What if... what if some creature is mimicking a human voice to lure us there?”
The horrifying events of the previous night were still fresh in their minds.
Deng Ziwen pondered for a moment. “I don't think so. I remember Counselor Ding's voice. Besides, there's no reason for the Instance to trick us. We haven't violated any rules, and if the Instance really wanted to kill us, we'd already be dead. Plus, running around like headless chickens isn't going to solve anything. The Great Auditorium isn't far from here—only a ten-minute walk. At worst, we'll just be extra careful.”
Liu Guilan also agreed. “I think young Deng is right. We can't just wander around aimlessly forever. Let's go check it out. If it's a person, great. If not, we'll just run.”
Zhao Weilai thought about it and nodded in agreement.
The three of them composed themselves, tried their best to get their bearings, and set off toward the Great Auditorium.
The fog remained dense, shrouding the scenery on both sides of the road in obscurity.
The three of them walked very slowly, clutching their wooden sticks tightly.
Every now and then, a chilly, ominous gust of wind would blow past, rustling the fallen leaves on the ground with a crisp shhh that made them jump in fright.
When they passed the artificial lake, none of them dared to slow down.
The fishy, rancid stench was even stronger now.
“Hurry up,” Deng Ziwen whispered, pulling Zhao Weilai along as they quickened their pace.
Liu Guilan followed behind, looking back every few steps, a chilling sensation creeping up her spine.
She couldn't shake the feeling that something in the water was trying to climb out.
...
The doors to the Great Auditorium were left slightly ajar, revealing a crack through which a warm light shone.
The three of them stood at the entrance and gently pushed the doors open.
The auditorium was very dark, with only the emergency lights on the stage lit, illuminating a small area with a dim, yellowish glow.
Rows of seats were lined up neatly, with a few program pamphlets scattered on the floor.
The red velvet curtains on the stage hung down, swaying gently in the breeze blowing from backstage.
“Is anyone here?” Deng Ziwen called out tentatively.
His voice echoed through the empty auditorium, carrying quite far.
“Who's there?”
A man's voice called out from the side of the stage, laced with suspicion.
Immediately after, a figure emerged from behind the curtains.
He appeared to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, wearing a white dress shirt and black-rimmed glasses. His shirt was somewhat wrinkled and smudged with dust, and he looked rather exhausted.
It was indeed Ding Feifan.
Rate on N.U.
