It's supper time.

In various foul smells, we finally endured until midnight.

The canteen was engulfed by the thick darkness, and outside was pitch black.

The LCD screen lit up again, and the distorted figure appeared on it, accompanied by a strange voice:

"Please enjoy your supper, and don't forget the dining rules... and the hidden poisoner."

I looked around the canteen but couldn't find any signs of food being served.

All the lights in the canteen suddenly went out, and I was engulfed in darkness.

Power outage?

I took the opportunity to reach Linyang's side and quietly untied the ropes for him. I trusted him; he couldn't be the poisoner!

"What's going on? Who turned off the lights?" an angry voice sounded, trembling slightly.

"How can we have supper in the dark?" I questioned in my heart, suddenly smelling a fragrance nearby!

The aroma wafted into my nose, and I immediately got up, hearing the rustling sounds nearby.

Everyone was getting closer to the fragrance. I heard the bubbling sound coming from a large pot and couldn't help but salivate. The hot pot was incredibly fragrant!

I quickly used my chopsticks to scoop and eat from the pot. I gathered seven different ingredients: boiled beef slices, tripe and spicy blood curd, bean sprouts, lamb rolls, crab sticks, and juicy beef balls. They were delicious and tender, greatly stimulating my appetite.

The taste seemed normal, but as I ate, I realized something was wrong. My teeth felt like they were stuck on a stone, unable to chew.

It turned out there was something hard hidden in the spicy blood curd.

I spat it out and touched it. Why did it feel like a tooth?

Suddenly, someone seemed to be staring at me in the darkness, sending a shiver down my spine.

I turned around and saw two shiny things moving, like glowing eyes.

Was it the cat?

A hand appeared beside me and silently poured something into the hot pot.

Suddenly, the canteen lights came on, illuminating everything clearly.

The hot pot in front of me had a thick, bright red soup with pale meat rolls floating in it, and a few large cockroaches soaking inside.

Yi Linyang and I looked at each other, our faces not looking good, sometimes pale, sometimes green.

The oil was scorching hot, but the chill was enough to pierce my skin and penetrate my bones.

The others eating the hot pot seemed to have not noticed anything unusual and still had a mesmerized look on their faces, focused on the delicious food.

They continued to pick up food, savoring it with relish.

I barely held back the urge to vomit and tried to persuade them to stop eating.

But no one listened to me and continued to bury their heads, devouring the mysterious hot pot.

Zhao Lijiang, while eating, suddenly covered his mouth and started coughing violently. He struggled to speak, "Save me..."

It turned out he had eaten a juicy beef ball, and in his panic, it got stuck in his throat, making it difficult for him to breathe.

"Why did you poison the takeout?" Yi Linyang helped me support him to the side, but he didn't immediately save him.

He whispered, "You were the one who sealed the takeout boxes later, right? Why did you kill someone?"

"Save him first! He can't speak like this!"

I went behind Zhao Lijiang and, following the first aid procedure, pressed my fist against his palm and pushed forcefully upward on his abdomen.

Zhao Lijiang finally spat out the beef ball, his voice hoarse, "Because they... killed someone!"

It turned out that a few students had conflicts with the delivery drivers because they were late in picking up their meals. They insulted the drivers and gave them bad ratings, which distracted the drivers and caused them to get into an accident.

Zhao Lijiang took over the delivery area from his friend and had been waiting for an opportunity to seek revenge.

Yi Linyang didn't ask any further questions, but I looked at the beef ball and noticed there seemed to be a green object embedded inside.

"Another foreign object..." I quickly used my chopsticks toremove the green object from the beef ball. As I pulled it out, I realized it was a small, poisonous snake, its fangs still dripping with venom. The sight sent a chill down my spine.

Amidst the chaos and confusion in the canteen, I knew we had to act quickly. I grabbed a nearby fire extinguisher and sprayed it towards the pot, extinguishing the flames and stopping others from consuming the poisonous hot pot.

People began to realize something was wrong as they saw the cockroaches and the snake in the pot. Panic spread through the canteen, and some started to feel ill from the food they had already consumed.

Yi Linyang and I rushed to help those in need. We called for medical assistance and tried to calm everyone down, assuring them that help was on the way.

As the chaos settled, we discovered that several students had fallen unconscious and required immediate medical attention. The severity of the situation became apparent, and we realized that we needed to find the person responsible for this heinous act.

We gathered everyone in the canteen and questioned them one by one, hoping to identify the culprit. Suspicion loomed in the air as accusations were thrown around, but it was difficult to ascertain who was truly responsible.

While the investigation continued, we made sure that the affected students received proper medical care. The campus security was alerted, and they began conducting a thorough search of the canteen and its surroundings for any additional evidence.

Hours passed, and tensions remained high. The fear of an unknown poisoner among us weighed heavily on everyone's minds. We couldn't trust each other anymore, and paranoia started to take hold.

Finally, the security team discovered a hidden camera in the canteen, tucked away in a corner. It was connected to a small transmitter, which was broadcasting the distorted figure and voice we had seen earlier on the LCD screen.

With the evidence in hand, the security team was able to track down the person responsible for orchestrating this terrifying event. It turned out to be a disgruntled former student who had a grudge against the university and wanted to inflict harm on the community.

The perpetrator was apprehended, and the authorities were called to take over the investigation. The affected students received the necessary medical treatment and support, and steps were taken to ensure the safety and security of the campus.

It was a harrowing experience that shook us to the core. The trust we once had in our fellow students was shattered, and it took time for the wounds to heal. But in the aftermath, we became more vigilant and united as a community, determined to prevent such incidents from happening again.

The incident served as a stark reminder of the darkness that can lurk in unexpected places. We learned to be cautious, to question our surroundings, and to stand together in the face of adversity.

And as we moved forward, we vowed to create a safer and more secure environment for everyone, where the light could always overcome the darkness.