Seven days of campus lockdown, we all received a text message:

[Please follow these 25 rules. You can leave only after the school reopens in seven days. Those who try to leave early…]

01

In the middle of an Advanced Mathematics class, I suddenly received a text message.

[1. Do not answer any questions from the teacher.]

[2. If the teacher drags the class, ignore it. Do not linger in the classroom after class.]

[3. Do not skip class and remain silent in the classroom.]

[4. The library is absolutely safe, but you can stay there for a maximum of two hours at a time. You must remain quiet in the library, or you will be punished by the librarian.]

[5. The dormitory is absolutely safe, but only from 8 PM to 8 AM the next morning.]

[6. The study room is safe, but you can stay there for a maximum of one hour at a time. You can communicate with other students, but not all of them may be normal.]

[7. If the people inside don’t open the door, no one outside can enter the dormitory.]

[8. Do not open the door for dormitory inspectors after 11 PM.]

[9. Don’t turn off the lights before sleeping; they’ll turn off by themselves.]

[10. If you see someone wearing a red tall hat in the dormitory corridor, immediately seek help from the dormitory supervisor; do not look back during this time.]

[11. If you have problems inside the dormitory, find the dormitory supervisor; outside the dormitory, find the advisor.]

[12. Do not go to the principal’s office.]

[13. Do not eat meat buns from Canteen No. 3.]

[14. Stay away from cats on campus. Do not feed them, as you cannot choose what to feed them with.]

[15. There are no dogs on campus; stay away from those who see dogs.]

[16. Be wary of the student council; there are no people in the student council.]

[17. Do not leave the dormitory after midnight; wait until dawn.]

[18. Do not eat anything or talk to anyone in a destroyed dormitory.]

[19. Do not converse with anyone inside the stalls of the school restroom.]

[20. Before sleeping, ensure your roommates are normal. If you find any abnormalities, say ‘the dog is outside’ and lock the person who leaves outside.]

[21. Ensure the safety of your roommates; it’s hard to survive alone.]

[22. At any time, do not eat too much or be too greedy.]

[23. Do not easily trust others.]

[24. Persist for seven days. After seven days, when the school reopens, take Bus Route 17 to leave.]

[25. Do not leave the school before it reopens!!!]

I finished reading the message and looked around.

The students in the classroom were looking at each other, seemingly all having received the same message.

I was about to speak to my roommate, Henry.

[Remain silent in the classroom.]

I closed my mouth and opened WeChat to send a message in the dormitory group.

I asked: Did you all receive the text?

Henry: Yeah, probably a prank. I don’t believe it.

Liam: A prank wouldn’t be sent to the entire class, would it? Henry, you don’t believe it? Then stand up and shout, see if you die.

Henry: Shut up.

Ethan: Although it’s not scientific, there are many things in this world that can’t be explained by science. Let’s not act rashly.

Then James sent a dog emoji.

Isaac: I second that.

The classroom fell silent again.

Suddenly, there was a burst of laughter.

“Hahaha.”

The laughter came from in front of me. I looked up and saw a guy engrossed in TikTok, probably not having seen the message.

The laughter was especially jarring in the classroom.

The teacher stopped the lecture and laughed mechanically: “Haha.”

The curvature of the teacher’s smile was frightening.

No one in the classroom dared to make a sound.

“Disrespecting the teacher comes with a price.”

As soon as the Advanced Mathematics teacher finished speaking, the student watching TikTok went stiff. His eyes glazed over, and he slowly levitated, hanging in mid-air!

“Drip.”

Red unknown liquid slowly dripped from his body.

I gasped in shock.

“Ah—” Some timid girls screamed, and naturally, they met the same fate.

The classroom returned to a dead silence.

The teacher continued the lecture.

Our dormitory group chat exploded.

Henry: ?? What’s happening? Is the message real?!

Liam: I’ve decided. After class, I’m going to the library! I never thought the first time I’d go to the library in my life would be in such a situation.

Ethan: I’ll go to the study room to check things out. Maybe I’ll get some new information.

Me: Ethan, you’re a hero. Our dormitory’s lives depend on you!

“Ring, ring, ring—” The bell rang.

The Advanced Mathematics teacher seemed not to hear the bell and even called students to answer questions.

[Do not answer any questions from the teacher.]

[If the teacher drags the class, ignore it. Do not linger in the classroom after class.]

The six of us from the dormitory grabbed our things and rushed out.

02

From now on, today counts as the first day.

Liam and Isaac went to the library.

Originally planning to skip class together, James and Henry reluctantly continued to attend class.

I decided to go to the study room with Ethan to gather information.

[Not all students in the study room may be normal.]

Before entering the study room, Ethan reminded me.

The study room was bustling; everyone was chattering, some even brought snacks, treating it like a tea party.

None of us, including me, realized the gravity of the situation yet.

“For seven days, as long as we follow the rules, nothing will happen,” said a boy with thick-framed glasses.

“It’s not that simple,” said a girl with a high ponytail.

Ethan joined the discussion: “So far, we know of three threats: teachers, dormitory inspectors, and the student council.”

“Obviously, there are also unknown threats,” said a boy wearing a blue baseball cap. “I’m Jack.”

We introduced ourselves.

The boy with glasses was Li, and the girl was Vicky.

“The question now is, if the library, study room, and dormitory are safe, why do we need to escape to these places? What are we avoiding?” Ethan was sharp as always.

Li gasped: “I remembered something!”

“What did you remember?” I asked.

“A classmate who died. I saw my classmate on the way here, but he clearly died in the classroom.”

Ethan immediately asked: “Did he attack anyone?”

Li shook his head.

We fell into silence.

Why do the dead reappear intact? What is their purpose?

At this moment, a new student walked into the study room. When I saw his face, I felt a sudden chill.

It was the boy who had been watching TikTok in the last class!

How could he be here?

I saw him sit down in the front row, chatting and laughing with the students there, as if nothing had happened.

I looked at Ethan, who frowned, clearly having noticed him too.

[Not all students in the study room may be normal.]

The phrase echoed in my mind.

A thought formed in my head: Dead people don’t pose a direct threat to the living?

But their presence must have some significance.

What is their purpose in appearing around us?

“I have a hypothesis,” Jack said. “The dead won’t kill directly; they might kill indirectly through some means.”

“I agree with Jack,” Ethan nodded.

Hearing Jack’s words, I got goosebumps.

[The dead prefer indirect killing.]

“Today is the first day. Most people in the study room are still normal. As time goes on, the significance of communication in the study room will diminish. In the end, I think most people in the study room won’t be trustworthy.”

Vicky suggested. “Why don’t we come up with some questions for ourselves? Next time we meet, we’ll ask each other. If anyone can’t answer, that person is a traitor, and we will cease communication. How about that?”

“Can you guarantee that when a person dies, their memory is gone?” I asked.

“You go talk to that guy,” Ethan gestured at me.

Obviously, he meant the boy who was watching TikTok in the last class.

Talk to a dead person? No way!

“I’m scared.”

“It’s okay, this is the study room.”

Right.

[The study room is safe.]

I mustered up the courage and walked over to the boy.

“Bro…bro, can I ask you something?”

“What’s up? Ask away.” The guy seemed completely normal.

I felt reassured and asked, “What class were you in last period?”

“College Physics.”

“Okay, thanks.”

“You’re welcome, come back anytime.”

No way, I don’t want to see you again.

I returned to my seat and relayed the situation to Ethan and the others.

Now we can confirm that the memories of the dead are confused.

So, Vicky gave us three questions.

One: The oden at Canteen No. 3 is good. What do you all like to eat?

My answer should be: white radish.

Ethan’s answer should be: cola.

Vicky’s answer should be: rose.

Jack’s answer should be: basketball.

Li’s answer should be: Canteen No. 3 doesn’t have oden.

Two: What movie have you seen recently?

My answer should be: Do you have tissues?

Ethan’s answer should be: There are no crows in the school.

Vicky’s answer should be: Hamlet.

Jack’s answer should be: I like eating broccoli.

Li’s answer should be: Cut the act, stop pretending to be cultured.

Three: What time do you usually sleep?

My answer should be: I can’t sleep at night.

Ethan’s answer should be: I sleep when the lights go off.

Vicky’s answer should be: I’ve been living a healthy lifestyle recently.

Jack’s answer should be: Do people need to sleep?

Li’s answer should be: 11:30 PM.

Looking at the time, it was almost an hour. People in the study room had started to leave one after another.

“This place isn’t safe for long. Take care, everyone.”

Ethan and I left the study room.

03

Today is the first day. Walking around the campus with Ethan, everything seemed normal.

Most of the students were still normal.

It was only 6:15 PM.

We couldn’t go back to the dormitory yet.

Strangely, even though it wasn’t exam season, the library was already packed.

But this situation wouldn’t last long.

Once the abnormal people outnumber the normal ones, the library would be less crowded.

The library’s hidden function—measuring the ratio of the dead to the living.

The library is full: Congratulations, your environment is still relatively normal. As long as you follow the rules, you can survive.

Library with some empty seats: Those who merely follow the rules have been weeded out.

Library half empty: On average, one out of every two people you meet has a problem.

Library more than half empty: You’re surrounded…

If survival is brutal enough, most survivors will have some skills.

Can I survive?

I asked myself.

“I think that to survive, merely following the rules isn’t enough. Following rules is something machines are best at. I think in the end, while adhering to the rules, we also need to be flexible and adaptable,” Ethan said as we walked.

“How do we be flexible? How do we adapt?”

“I’m not sure yet, but survival is not easy. We must fight with everything we’ve got to have a chance to survive. I have a feeling that while not breaking the rules, we must come up with something new ourselves.”

I summarized Ethan’s words.

[While adhering to the rules, establish new rules that will help you survive.]

I’m truly fortunate to have a friend like Ethan.

Being with someone highly intelligent makes me feel like my own IQ is increasing.

All have been sublimated.

“Ethan, I’ve decided,” I said seriously, looking at Ethan. “Even in death, I want to be buried next to you, so that in a thousand years, we will be displayed together in a glass case after an archaeological dig.”

“No, I have pretty high standards for myself. I only allow women to be buried next to me.”

This guy, ditching friends for beauty.

I didn’t mind you, Ethan, and yet you mind me.

Before we knew it, we were at Canteen No. 3.

After dinner, we should be able to return to the dorm.

Canteen No. 3 was as bright as daylight. Unlike usual, every food stall was offering meat buns.

[Do not eat the meat buns in Canteen No. 3.]

The message advised us not to eat the meat buns, yet they were being offered so blatantly.

Who exactly needs meat buns?

Who would buy the meat buns?

“Keep an eye on those buying meat buns,” Ethan and I thought alike.

“Hi!” Henry and James sat across from us with their trays.

“James and I saw something unbelievable in class today. ” Henry hurriedly began as soon as he sat down.

Just then, Liam and Isaac approached from somewhere. Liam slammed a cola on the table, sat down, and crossed his hands under his chin, addressing Henry, “Please begin your story.”

In an instant, everyone from our dorm was gathered.

“We saw the student council in class,” James said, taking a bite of tomato scrambled eggs. “I’ll let Henry explain the rest; he seems quite eager.”

“On that rainy afternoon, James and I walked into the classroom, hearts pounding. The teacher stood on the podium, motionless like a statue, with a smile more mysterious than the Mona Lisa’s. I felt like Louis XVI on his way to the guillotine.”

Liam grew impatient and snapped at Henry, “Stop dawdling. James, you tell it.”

“No, I’ll tell it properly now!” Of course, Henry didn’t want to give up the chance to James. “During class, a student’s phone rang. He answered it, and the teacher said he would punish him, so he killed the teacher.”

Henry’s leap was too abrupt for me to process.

“That’s it?” I asked.

“Yes, that’s it.”

According to Henry, the student acted extremely arrogantly and defiantly.

Of course, Henry might have exaggerated a bit.

Arrogant people don’t usually instill deep fear, so James’s account was more credible.

In James’s description, the student’s eyes were vacant, his expression stiff. He stood up slowly, like a rusted machine. The student moved like a gas, passing through desks and students, floating to the teacher, and took out a square box.

The box wasn’t big, about the size of two cell phones on each side.

The student picked up the teacher and forced him into the box, stuffing him completely inside.

The students watched as a person was squeezed, deformed, twisted.

Red liquid flowed everywhere.

With a blank expression, the student completed the horrific act and exited the classroom with mechanical precision.

Henry and James hugged each other, trembling with fear.

Since class hadn’t ended, those in the classroom had to endure the terror.

“How do you know that person was from the student council?” I asked James.

“Every side of the box had ‘student council’ written on it.”

Ethan then asked, “But people from the student council look different from normal people and the dead, right? Can you tell just by looking at them on the street?”

“Yes,” James nodded.

Ethan concluded.

[The student council may not be good at disguising, but they are extremely dangerous.]

I recalled the information from the text message.

[There are no people in the student council.]

04

“Will the student council attack us? You only saw them attack the teacher, right? They sat among so many students and didn’t attack them, right?” Liam asked a foolish question.

“Uh, if you think that way, there’s nothing I can do. I’ll help you pack when we get back to the dorm, and you can sleep in the student council room. When you die, I’ll bring you back,” Henry finally found an opportunity to retaliate against Liam.

Ethan pondered and said, “Since the student council exists, it can’t not take action. I think there are two possibilities. First, the student council attacks under certain conditions, like offending the student council, giving them the conditions to attack. Second, the time hasn’t come yet.”

“What do you mean by the time hasn’t come?” Liam asked.

I understood Ethan’s meaning and explained to Liam, “It means they don’t act for the first few days, then strike at the end to catch us all at once.”

“We’re doomed.”

I patted Liam’s shoulder to comfort him, “Don’t be so pessimistic. It’s just seven days. Hang in there, and it’ll be over.”

“If we’re talking pessimistic, the most pessimistic is Isaac. He’s started looking at coffins, deciding whether to get a flip-top or a sliding one.”

Henry chimed in, “Any recommendations for touch-screen ones?”

Hearing this, Ethan couldn’t help but laugh.

[Try to ensure your dorm mates’ safety; it’s hard to survive alone.]

I suddenly realized the importance of this sentence.

Without Ethan and the others, I might not last even a day.

We must all be well and leave here alive.

After dinner, it was already eight o’clock, and we headed back to the dorm.

For the first time, I felt the night was so frighteningly dark.

“Someone saw a dog! Run!”

In the crowd ahead, a girl shouted, and the crowd scattered in all directions.

We also ran back, but I noticed Ethan didn’t move.

“Ethan, are you crazy? Run!” I yelled at Ethan.

“You go first. I’ll observe from a distance… fortune favors the bold, I need to gather as much information as possible… If something happens to me, don’t hold back.”

“Nonsense! After all this time, don’t you know us? If you die, with our brains, we wouldn’t last a day! I’ll stay too. If we die, we die together!”

After hearing my words, all our dorm mates decided to stay, which was unexpected and quite touching.

This time, Liam provided a crucial piece of information.

When he bought cola earlier, he saw this person buying meat buns.

“I watched her buy the meat buns in confusion. I thought, for someone so small, she’s quite fierce.”

After hearing Liam, Ethan suddenly said, “Run!”

I didn’t know why, but I ran anyway.

We sprinted back to the dorm, finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.

We asked Ethan why he suddenly wanted to run.

“Those who see dogs attract the student council.”

As Ethan finished, the temperature seemed to drop several degrees.

“But in Canteen No. 3, why…” Liam asked.

“I’m not sure yet.”

We could only piece together two incomplete pieces of information.

[Those who see dogs will eat meat buns.]

[Those who see dogs attract the student council.]

Perhaps, those who see dogs are the conditions for the student council to attack.

“Forget it. We’ll discuss this tomorrow! Until eight in the morning, I won’t leave the dorm! Not only that, but none of you are allowed to leave either. If anyone goes out, they’re against me!” Liam locked the door, leaned against it, and declared.

There’s no need to be so dramatic; none of us wanted to go out.

The dorm had its own bathroom, so we didn’t need to go out.

We stayed safe until just after ten.

[After 11 PM, there will be dormitory inspections. Do not open the door for those inspecting.]

It was almost eleven.

I was a bit anxious. Looking at my dorm mates, they were just putting on a brave face.

“Henry, can you stop playing games? It’s almost eleven, and there’s going to be a dormitory inspection!”

05

“Tap, tap, tap…”

A series of rhythmic footsteps approached from afar.

“Knock, knock, knock,” the door of the nearest dorm was knocked on.

“Open up, dorm inspection. Anyone there?” A female voice with an echo called out.

No one answered.

The door was knocked on again.

The knocking grew louder and louder until it was deafening.

This wasn’t a dormitory inspection; it felt like a death sentence.

“Boom, boom, boom…”

Anyone unaware would think there was an explosion outside.

After about ten minutes, the noise stopped.

For a moment, it was so quiet you could hear every breath clearly.

“Tap, tap, tap…”

The footsteps moved to the next dorm…

“Help, I’m so scared,” Henry swallowed.

“I wonder if our dorm door, older than me, can withstand this,” Liam patted the door.

“Be careful, move away. If you damage the door, will you take responsibility?” Henry pushed Liam away.

The six of us sat around the table, staring at the door, listening to the footsteps outside.

They came.

I took a deep breath.

The footsteps stopped at our dorm door.

“Open up, dorm inspection. Anyone there?” The same female voice.

“Knock, knock, knock,” a polite three knocks.

We knew this was just the calm before the storm.

Sure enough, the knocking grew louder, and the impact on the door increased.

Visibly, the dorm door was dented inward with each knock.

Each knock reminded me of a meteor striking the moon.

Miraculously, the door bounced back each time, as if it had elasticity.

We all breathed a sigh of relief.

Aside from some ear damage, nothing seemed to happen.

It seemed that dormitory inspections weren’t that terrifying.

As long as we didn’t open the door.

Who would be foolish enough to open the door?

After about ten minutes, the inspection moved on.

We were temporarily safe.

“Oh! Let’s give a round of applause to the door! Thank you! Without you, we’d be dead! Door, door, how could we live without you? Love you, mwah! In the future, I’ll offer you incense morning, noon, and night!”

Liam hugged the door and kissed it several times.

Door: Having you is my bad luck.

While we were celebrating in the dorm, suddenly there was the sound of a lock opening next door.

No way…

Someone actually opened the door?!

What followed was a series of screams from the men.

Lasting about five seconds, the floor returned to silence.

What happened?

No one knew except those in that dorm.

The footsteps continued to the next dorm.

“Tap, tap, tap…”

“What’s going on?” Liam broke out in a cold sweat, “Door, are you reliable or not?”

[If the people inside don’t open the door, no one outside can enter.]

But what if the people inside open the door?

Why open the door? Who opened it?

The atmosphere grew heavy again.

“Ethan, analyze it for me. Comfort my fragile heart!” Liam turned to Ethan.

“I ask you, do the dead return to the dorm at night?”

Ethan’s question was clear.

Your dorm mate, unbeknownst to you, has died and is lurking beside you, opening the gates of hell during the inspection.

“Didn’t they say the dorm is absolutely safe?” Isaac was scared pale.

[The dorm is absolutely safe.]

This statement wasn’t wrong, yet seemed problematic.

If so, is the provided information always correct? Must the rules always be followed?

What should be done about dorm mates who have died?

And those who see dogs… why can they see dogs? Are they still alive?

Tonight, sleep would evade us.

To be continued