w.a.n.g Xiaoming was acting very strangely. Both of his eyes were bloodshot like a gambler who had nothing else to lose. This was completely different from how he had been when they had been at the male dormitory.
“We should head to the maintenance room first. After getting the tools I need, I'll come back to the canteen with you.” Chen Ge knew that the change in w.a.n.g Xiaoming had occurred after they had been spotted by the dormitory manager. It felt like since his plan had been exposed, he was not going to keep up the façade.
Carrying his bag, Chen Ge gripped the nails in one hand while patting w.a.n.g Xiaoming's shoulder with another. “You are my only friend, trust me.”
w.a.n.g Xiaoming's body temperature came through his palm. Chen Ge's deskmate was a strange fella, but he was really not much different from a normal person. Compared to a ghost, he was more like a problem child with a mental issue. Facing this kind of child, one should not deny their request; instead, one should give them more love and care.
“But… I am really hungry now.” A crunching and chewing noise came from w.a.n.g Xiaoming's mouth. His lips were dyed red from the blood that leaked out. Is he munching on his own teeth?
Chen Ge had met someone similar in Li Wan City—the female boss who was trapped behind the hotel's fridge. The woman had suffered from an eating disorder. She was in a constant state of hunger and would consume everything within her mouth including her teeth and tongue. Only through constant chewing and consuming could the psychological hunger be appeased.
“Brother, if you really are that hungry, why don't we split up now? You can go to the canteen, and I'll head on over to the maintenance room.” Through the few minutes' worth of experience inside the bedroom, Chen Ge understood how dangerous this scenario was. There was danger at every step, and he would be dead if he let his guard down.
Under those circ.u.mstances, he would definitely not follow w.a.n.g Xiaoming to a strange place. Chen Ge stated his intention—they were going to separate peacefully.
As long as you don't come after me, then I won't harm you.
Based on Chen Ge's own prediction, w.a.n.g Xiaoming would leave on his own and would not attack Chen Ge so soon.
The two stood in the darkness. The cold wind that came from who knew where crawled into their collars. With a strange expression, w.a.n.g Xiaoming lowered his head to think, and he slowly awakened to his old self.
He made a choice that confused Chen Ge. “Oh well, I guess I will stay with you. After we get the tools, we'll come back to the canteen.”
w.a.n.g Xiaoming rubbed his taut muscles on his face like what had happened earlier was just an illusion.
“You're such a good friend.” Chen Ge hugged w.a.n.g Xiaoming's shoulders. One of them silently raised his hand to wipe away the blood on the lips while the other quietly put away the nail in his hand.
“This way.” The two nursed each of their plots. w.a.n.g Xiaoming led the way, and Chen Ge followed behind him. His brain never stopped moving. Every person at that school was very strange. It seemed like their goal was not to simply kill Chen Ge; they each had their own agendas.
What are they trying to do?
Chen Ge felt like an invisible net was expanding around him, and each of the knots represented a character at the school. Leaving the squat building, w.a.n.g Xiaoming led Chen Ge in another direction.
“The staff dormitory is near the field at the back of the school. It is a very deserted place, and people rarely go there.” w.a.n.g Xiaoming had returned to normal, and he seemed to have abandoned the hold of terror that the dormitory had on him. “Actually, if you think about it, the school really doesn't treat us well. The normal students have their own private sport auditorium, and the best resources are given to them. Those of us from the night school are like the children of the stepmother.”
“Our goal here is to learn. The rest is merely the process.” Chen Ge was able to say that because he had gone through the trials given by the black phone. Even when he was walking close to death's door, he was able to provide others with some good energy.
Walking past a small copse, they came across a row of very old-looking fence. The top part was curled with steel netting. There was a small field just beyond the fence; it was about a quarter of the size of a normal field. There was no goal post or sport equipment; it was completely deserted. If not for the lanes that were drawn on the ground, Chen Ge would not have expected this to be a sport field.
“Do you see that small building over there? That is the staff dormitory, but it is quite strange. Even though this place is called the staff dormitory, I rarely see any teachers there.” w.a.n.g Xiaoming used his finger to point at the building on the other side. “We'll be discovered instantly if we use the front door. We should take a detour around the trees.”
w.a.n.g Xiaoming was very familiar with the surroundings, and this roused Chen Ge's suspicion. Would a normal student know the layout of the staff dormitory so well?
With this in mind, his curiosity toward his deskmate grew.
On my own, the possibility of me escaping here is null. I need someone who has the same goal as me to act as my partner.
Everyone at this school had a story, and Chen Ge was curious how they ended up there.
Normally, the world behind the door was weaved from the door-pusher's despairing memory—everything surrounded the door-pusher, and all the clues pointed toward the door-pusher. The situation there seemed to be different; everyone had their own back story, and each one had their own goal.
“School of the Afterlife, students, graduation…” A few phrases appeared in Chen Ge's mind, and he tried to link them together. Oh well, I have too little information. This school is split into two campuses. After I find the ghost that used me as a scapegoat, perhaps I can get over to the other campus. I might be able to find more clues there.
He had woken up right behind the door, and he did not even know who he was, but even so, Chen Ge had managed to carve a road for himself. He bent over as he trekked through the copse, and a thick layer of leaves was gathered under his feet. Stepping on them felt like he was stepping on human flesh. The feeling was very strange, but he could tell what the problem was.
“We're here.” The two took a large detour to reach the staff dormitory. This place was completely different from the student dormitory. Chen Ge discovered this after he got closer. The building before him was split into two rows. The front row had lights on like there were people living there, but the back row was completely dark—it appeared to have been abandoned a long time ago.
“The front row is for the staff, and the back row consists of the apartments meant for international students. The school had a good idea, but according to my knowledge, our school hasn't accepted any international students.” w.a.n.g Xiaoming and Chen Ge sneaked into the building at the front. The corridor was tiled, and the walls had wallpaper. The design was more luxurious than the student dormitory.
“I think the maintenance room is at the deepest part of the corridor. Be careful when you go over. Do not let any teachers spot you.” w.a.n.g Xiaoming stopped at the corridor. “I'll be your lookout.”
“I think we should go together.” Since they were already at that point, there was no chance of returning. Chen Ge dragged w.a.n.g Xiaoming down the corridor.
“Wait! Wait a moment!” w.a.n.g Xiaoming wanted to resist, but he did not dare be too loud about it, afraid that it might attract a teacher's attention. In the end, he had no choice but to allow Chen Ge to drag him down the corridor.
