I stayed in the dormitory until 4:30 in the afternoon.

Even though it was quiet outside, the wailing and cursing had disappeared, I still didn't dare to go out.

My two roommates curled up on their beds, still trembling with fear whenever they thought of the meeting scene.

The speakers on the ceiling once again broadcasted:

"Please arrive at the second-floor cafeteria at exactly 5 o'clock to have dinner, do not waste food."

"Do not waste food."

"Do not be late."

"Do not take food away."

With the lesson of the blood from last time, this time, no one dared to defy.

We arrived at the cafeteria ten minutes early.

Every table was neatly set with four plates and four pairs of chopsticks.

The table was marked with several big characters: Please sit according to your dormitory.

I sat at the same table with Xiaoxuan and Jiang Meng. Fangfang hadn't come back yet, and we didn't dare to pack food for her.

The old-fashioned clock in the cafeteria struck five times.

Exactly at 5 o'clock, dinner began.

Several cafeteria aunties pushed food carts and entered through the back door.

The food on the carts was steaming hot and exuded a mouth-watering aroma.

The cafeteria auntie said, "Please line up and get your food from left to right, front to back."

There was a scar on her eyebrow, and she was stout and fierce-looking.

We silently lined up to get our food, returned to our seats, and started eating.

The chubby boy at my table ate quickly, obviously hungry. He raised his hand and asked, "Teacher, I finished eating, can I get more food?"

I admired his courage.

But the auntie didn't criticize him.

The auntie smiled with her eyes narrowed into slits and said, "Our school adheres to the concept of 'everything for the students' well-being.' We provide three meals a day, and you can eat as much as you want."

I suspected it was a trap.

I quietly observed the cafeteria staff.

In addition to the chubby auntie, there were two big aunties wearing chef uniforms.

Their expressions were gloomy, and their eyes were vacant, as if they had experienced something tragic.

I noticed another similarity.

On the exposed skin of all three of them, there were varying degrees of burns.

The leading auntie had a scar on her eyebrow, and the other two had burn marks on their hands and necks.

I was filled with terror as I pondered.

I saw the chubby boy stand up.

He bravely walked forward.

Under his lead, many students gradually went to the front to add more food.

Even my roommate, Jiang Meng, voluntarily joined the line for seconds.

She filled a bowl of soup and added two boiled eggs.

During puberty, both boys and girls have big appetites due to their growing bodies.

After the satisfying meal, Jiang Meng held an egg in her hand and quietly said to me, "I can't eat this egg anymore, Lin Xia, can I put it in my pocket?"

My nerves tightened instantly.

I remembered the rule in the corridor:

[The school prohibits wasting food. Do not take leftover food with you.]

The broadcast just now also mentioned:

"Do not waste food."

A single egg was a small matter, but if we were punished, it wouldn't be worth it.

Xiaoxuan and I had the same idea.

She firmly believed in the rules.

Xiaoxuan stared at Jiang Meng and said, "You don't want to become the second Fangfang. Even if it's too much, you have to eat it."

I lowered my voice and persuaded, "Yeah, Fangfang hasn't come back yet..."

Before I finished speaking.

The broadcast from the ceiling suddenly sounded:

"Mealtime is over. Please leave the cafeteria within five

minutes."

"Do not waste food."

"Do not take food with you."

"Otherwise, you will bear the consequences."

The students' faces instantly turned pale.

Severalcafeteria aunties stood at the exit, blocking anyone from leaving with food.

Jiang Meng panicked and quickly ate the egg she was holding.

We left the cafeteria within the time limit, feeling a mix of relief and anxiety.

Back in the dormitory, Fangfang still hadn't returned.

We waited anxiously, hoping she hadn't encountered any trouble.

Finally, Fangfang rushed into the room, her face pale and her breathing heavy.

"You won't believe what just happened," she said.

We urged her to tell us.

Fangfang took a deep breath and recounted her experience.

After dinner, she had decided to explore another part of the school building.

As she walked down a dimly lit corridor, she heard a strange noise coming from a nearby room.

Curiosity got the better of her, and she cautiously approached the door.

The door was slightly ajar, allowing her to peek inside.

What she saw made her freeze in terror.

Inside the room, there were rows of cages, each containing a student.

They were all unconscious, their bodies frail and weak.

But what shocked Fangfang the most was the person standing in front of the cages.

It was the school principal.

He was wearing a white lab coat and appeared to be conducting some kind of experiment.

His eyes met Fangfang's for a brief moment, and she quickly retreated, fearing that he had seen her.

Fangfang rushed back to the dormitory, unable to comprehend what she had just witnessed.

We were all silent, processing the horrifying revelation.

It seemed that there was something sinister happening in our school, and we were unwittingly caught up in it.

We knew we had to find a way to uncover the truth and escape from this nightmare.

But for now, all we could do was wait and plan our next move carefully.