"You want to go to the East Campus?"
"You people have a deep misunderstanding of the East Campus. It's actually pretty much the same as here — the only difference is how the two campuses are run. They live in real horror, while you live in fake happiness."
Chen Ge wasn't lying to Zhou Tu. Whether they were East Campus or West Campus students, every single one of them was trapped in this school.
The West Campus students had their memories altered, endlessly replaying a life crafted by the mastermind behind the curtain. The East Campus students, at least, knew to look for scapegoats and find a way out.
"The East Campus students are closer to hope? But I heard only the garbage the West Campus doesn't want gets sent over there." Zhou Tu was starting to be swayed, but he still felt uneasy.
"However you judge it, any school that treats its students as garbage is a garbage school." Chen Ge pointed at the tall wall that divided the two campuses. "Do you know why that wall exists?"
"Why?"
"Because the school is afraid of losing control. They've used every method imaginable to reshape human nature, but they forgot that human nature is the most complicated thing in this world. What's done is done — no matter how you try to erase it, the wounds it leaves will always be branded on your heart. Not remembering anything doesn't mean it didn't happen. That's why certain plans in this school are destined to fail." Chen Ge was saying things the club members couldn't understand. They didn't know why he was speaking this way, but it felt like there was some truth to it.
Children are naturally curious to begin with, and Chen Ge kept revealing the school's secrets to them. In the end, he successfully piqued the club members' interest.
"So are we heading over now? Honestly, I don't really believe there's a studio from my dreams over on the East Campus," Zhou Tu said quietly.
"It's not time yet." Chen Ge glanced back at the shadow. The dark figure from Room 413 was still asleep, though its body had already undergone significant changes.
If you looked closely, you'd notice that Chen Ge's shadow was different from everyone else's — pitch black, as though all light that touched it was swallowed whole.
It seemed to have grown much stronger.
The shadow's enormous potential was a good thing for Chen Ge. Once it awakened, Chen Ge would lead the students back to the East Campus to hunt down another lone vengeful ghost.
Doing this would serve two purposes: strengthening his own abilities, and stirring up the stagnant waters of the school to provide cover for another "killer" within its walls.
"I'm still in the phase of building up power. Before the school's master discovers this little bug, I need to prepare as many trump cards as I can."
Chen Ge turned to look at Wang Yicheng. He already had some understanding of the other three club members' stories — all that remained was this lame boy who had been the first to join.
"Our next stop is Wang Yicheng's dormitory."
"My dorm?" Wang Yicheng's reaction was strange. He waved his hands repeatedly. "Forget it — there's nothing worth seeing in the place I stay."
"Your voice got a little louder than usual when you said that, your speech sped up, and your eyes started darting around. You really aren't a very good liar, are you?" Chen Ge gently put his arm around Wang Yicheng's shoulder. "Why don't you want us to go there? Worried we might see something?"
"I..." Wang Yicheng thought for a long time but couldn't figure out what to say. In the end, his gaze drifted elsewhere. "Never mind, let's just go."
"Alright."
Wang Yicheng lived in Room 413 of the West Campus dormitory. Lin Sisi lived in Room 413 of the East Campus dormitory.
The room numbers were exactly the same, but in the West Campus's Room 413, every bed except the fourth was occupied. The East Campus was the exact opposite — only the fourth bed had someone in it, while all the rest were empty.
"Don't tell anyone about the secrets of our club. Keep a low profile. There are teachers like me in this school, and there are also teachers who aren't so easy to talk to." Chen Ge remained on high alert at all times. They had caused too much commotion in the experimental building — the school authorities had very likely already begun investigating.
"I don't have much time left. After we check out Room 413, I need to lie low for a while."
The West Campus had four male dormitory buildings in total, housing several times as many students as the East Campus. Lights-out hadn't been called yet, so the buildings were at their liveliest — sounds of washing up, plastic basins dropping to the floor, and chatter could be heard clearly from downstairs.
"This building isn't much different from the one on the East Campus." Chen Ge acted completely natural as he followed the four students into the first building.
The dorm supervisor's little room had its door shut tight, but the window was open. Inside, a woman in her fifties was humming a song — she seemed to be in a good mood.
A notice was posted beside the small window, listing prohibitions against using high-power electrical appliances in the dorms and cooking in one's own room.
"I remember the notice in the East Campus dormitory building seemed to say something like — recent violent incidents have occurred, and students are forbidden from leaving the building after lights-out."
Just one wall apart, yet they were practically two different worlds. Like the inside and outside of a "door."
After passing through the corridor, Chen Ge and the club members arrived at the door of Room 413.
"There's nothing special about this dorm compared to the others," Wang Yicheng said as he pushed the door open. Once he stepped inside, none of his roommates acknowledged his existence. They went about their own business, and not a single one spoke to him.
After Wang Yicheng took a few steps inside, the boy sleeping in the bed near the door suddenly pulled back his mosquito net and glared at him. "How many times do I have to say it? Close the door behind you when you come in. Your leg might be crooked, but are your ears broken too?"
The boy's words were nasty. For some reason, he seemed to hate Wang Yicheng.
"He didn't close the door because there were people coming in behind him. If you need an apology, we can apologize on his behalf — though I'm not sure which form of apology you'd prefer?" Chen Ge gripped the door handle and stepped inside, sweeping a glance over the rest of the room.
The mosquito-net boy went silent the moment he saw Chen Ge, his face darkening as he pulled the net back down without another word.
"Teacher Bai, this is the fourth bed. Nobody uses it, so we just put our luggage on it." Wang Yicheng pointed at the fourth bed, which was piled with a few suitcases. In this room, only his own luggage was stored under his bed — everyone else had thrown their clutter and bags onto the fourth bed.
Chen Ge was very familiar with the fourth bed. He himself had once lain on a fourth bed in the East Campus.
Walking over to the fourth bed, he saw that although no one occupied it, it was still made up with bedding and sheets. The only problem was that the bedding had been dirtied by all the luggage and miscellaneous items piled on top.
Dark clouds blanketed the city, and the sky felt close enough to touch.
Li Man stood by the window, watching rainwater trail down the glass, leaving thin, winding paths in its wake.
The clock on the wall ticked away steadily as time seeped through the small room in heavy, silent increments.
"Five thirty — closing time." Li Man stretched, carried the potted succulent from the windowsill inside, and walked to her desk.
She tucked the sign that read "Marriage Registration Office" into a drawer and glanced at the large characters mounted on the wall — "Lawful Administration, Civilized Service."
"With rain this heavy, nobody's probably coming in to register for marriage today."
Li Man hummed a tune and started tidying up. The empty marriage registration office had only her in it — the staff at the divorce registration office next door had already clocked out fifteen minutes early.
"Hello — is this where you register for marriage?" The door swung open, and a mature, magnetic male voice came from the entrance.
A voice that pleasant must belong to a handsome man.
Li Man looked up. Standing at the entrance of the marriage registration office was a man wearing a black raincoat.
His appearance was ordinary, but there was an indescribable quality about him.
"Yes — are you here to register for marriage?" Li Man studied the man carefully. It was the first time she had ever seen someone show up in a raincoat, carrying a heavy hiking pack, to register for a marriage certificate.
"Mm. I made an online appointment for today."
"Let me check. What's your name?"