I took out my phone and took a photo of the corridor rules.

I decided to follow every rule.

In case I get into trouble at the boarding school, my parents might enroll me in a second phase.

I must graduate smoothly and leave this remote and spooky place soon.

If any accidents happen, these rules will be useful evidence.

While thinking, I hastened my steps.

Finally, I arrived at classroom 244 in time, before the bell rang.

The spacious classroom seemed to have more than fifty students, with an almost equal number of boys and girls.

To avoid drawing attention, I found a seat in the farthest corner.

Taking out my phone, the clock just struck twelve as the bell in the classroom rang "One o'clock sharp."

The sound was piercing, like fingernails scratching on glass.

Immediately after, the sound of hurried high heels grew closer.

A middle-aged female teacher with long fiery hair and bright red lips walked towards the platform, followed by two well-dressed male teachers.

"Students, welcome to the Elite Boarding School,"

said the female teacher sternly.

"This school has strict management and clear punishments. Students, please study and live by the rules; otherwise, you will bear the consequences."

The boy next to me jokingly raised his hand and asked, "What are the consequences?"

His tone was full of cheekiness.

The female teacher glanced at him coldly, and her voice suddenly became sharp and icy, as if squeezed out of a dungeon:

"Disrespect towards teachers, violation of rules, sew your mouth shut!"

The whole classroom fell silent.

I stared at the female teacher in disbelief, unable to believe that a person could sound so terrifying.

The boy didn't believe it at all and continued to mock, "Oh! Sew my mouth shut? So scary ~"

The teacher moved swiftly, taking out a needle and thread from the drawer in the platform.

I had a bad feeling rising in my heart.

Instinctively, I dodged to the side, afraid of accidentally hurting myself.

The two silent male teachers rushed to the boy and grabbed his arms.

"Let go of me! This is abuse! This is violence! This is a crime! Let go of me!"

The boy struggled hard, and I could even see the veins on his forehead bulging from the effort.

However, the strength of the two male teachers was astonishing.

They firmly restrained the boy.

The female teacher walked towards us step by step.

As she passed by me, her grim gaze slid across my cheek.

My body shivered, feeling fearful instinctively.

In front of everyone,

the female teacher's needle threaded through the boy's mouth, stitching methodically.

The classroom echoed with the boy's screams and wails.

In the end, it turned into a sobbing whimper.

Some students secretly recorded the scene, capturing this heinous act.

I wanted to tell my parents how cruel the boarding school they chose was.

But my phone showed no signal.

I couldn't send out the video, nor could I make a phone call.

The boy's mouth was completely sewn shut with black thread, unable to speak a word.

Fresh blood oozed out through the needle hole, staining the black thread, like the slit-mouthed woman in a horror movie.

The female teacher glared at him menacingly, "When you realize your mistake, come to the office on the first floor."

A corridor rule flashed in my mind—

【Never go to the first floor.】

So, which one was the correct rule?

I was caught in a moment of confusion, as the female teacher had already walked back to the platform.

She announced immediately, "The school has communicated with your parents, confiscating all your communication devices. You will graduate smoothly in 45 days, and your electronic devices will be returned."

The students showed displeasure, and I held onto my phone, unwilling to surrender it.

The evidence I saved might be destroyed.

However, after witnessing the mouth-sewing incident, no student dared to challenge loudly.

We were discontent and angry, but could only submit silently.

Beginning from the first row, the male teacher collected everyone's phones, tablets, and watches.

As they reached the last row and confiscated all electronic devices, a crisp knocking sound was heard outside the door.

Bang bang—

In the silent classroom, it sounded particularly harsh.

My roommate Fang Fang arrived late.

She wore a skirt, had a delicate makeup on her face, and swaggered in, finding an empty seat to sit down.

Chewing gum in her mouth, dressed in a bold outfit, she casually put on her headphones and bobbed her head while listening to music.

She completely ignored the presence of the teacher.

I took a secret glance at the female teacher on the platform, and a hint of embarrassment appeared on her cold and eerie face.

"Late! Violating the rules! Break a leg!"

As soon as the female teacher spoke, the two male teachers threw down the phone bags and rushed towards Fang Fang.

"What are you doing? Don't touch me! I'll sue you for harassment! You'll go to jail! You poor bastards! Do you know who my dad is...?"

Fang Fang's swearing and cursing quickly faded into the space of the classroom.

She was already dragged away by the two male teachers.

Her new headphones fell to the ground, shattered into two pieces.

Outside, it was quiet, and I didn't know what punishment she would face.

Would she really have her leg broken?

I didn't dare to think about it.

This school seemed eerie everywhere, and the teachers were terrifying.

Once again, thoughts of dropping out and returning home crossed my mind.

But it seemed like the female teacher could read our minds.

She walked towards the back of the classroom, instructing us,

"Good children who listen and obey must follow the school rules. The school has received your parents' tuition fees and will maintain a responsible attitude. Now, within ten minutes, return to your respective dormitories."

"Students who do not follow the rules will bear the consequences."

"Do not think about leaving. This school has the right to accept, guide, and educate you strictly for your own good."

The female teacher picked up two heavy bags of communication devices and left first.

As soon as she left, the students scattered in anger and fear.

Everyone discussed indignantly, "What kind of school is this? It's simply inhuman!"

I silently walked back, not daring to say a word.

I remembered a rule from the corridor—

【No playing in the corridor, otherwise wild animals might appear.】

With mountains surrounding this place, it was remote and deserted outside.

If hungry wolves or tigers appeared, it wouldn't be surprising.

"We must gather evidence and expose

this school's atrocities when we leave!"

"Yes, we should file a joint complaint and shut down this spooky place sooner!"

"If my parents knew how terrible this school is, violent and punitive, they would be heartbroken for me!"

The students' voices grew louder and louder.

As I climbed the stairs, my heart grew more and more anxious.

Da da da—

Suddenly, the crisp sound of leather shoes stepping on the ground echoed in the corridor.

The students stopped, all looking towards the darkness at the end.

Several teachers dressed in black suits emerged from the shadows.

They held long, old-fashioned whips in their hands.

Upon a closer look, I realized the whips were not made of bamboo, leather, or plastic.

They were heavy iron rods.

The heads of the whips were sharp, scraping against the ground with a piercing friction sound.

Sizzle—

The sound was sharper and more piercing than nails scratching against glass.

I ran without thinking, not pausing for a second.

I rushed into room 414, with Xiaoxuan and Jiang Meng following closely.

The three of us closed the door tightly, leaning nervously against it.

The corridor was filled with continuous cries of pain.

Accompanied by the dull sound of whips striking flesh, there were also sounds like 'puff puff puff' as if blood was splattering.

I covered my mouth tightly with my hand, tears swirling in my eyes, curling up in tension.

Was this really a school?

It felt like a hell on earth?