novelhk Chapter 249 Zoo Cafeteria Rules
Chapter 249 Zoo Cafeteria Rules
Lin Feng, Chiba Saori, and Song Xi left the ticket office and followed the signs toward the staff canteen.
On their way, they encountered Wasim and Park Chang-beom.
Park Chang-beom's cheek was swollen and there was still blood on the corner of his mouth, clearly indicating that he had been treated roughly by the "tourist".
Wasim, however, was doing as usual.
With the broadcast ban hanging over everyone's heads, no one dared to mention work.
The group could only chat about trivial matters, barely maintaining a superficially relaxed atmosphere.
Soon, a gray building came into view.
A group of people had gathered outside the door, pointing and whispering about what was posted at the entrance.
"It must be a cafeteria rule," Vassim whispered, and immediately led the way to squeeze through.
Sure enough, a brand-new "Cafeteria Rules" sheet was posted in the most conspicuous position at the entrance, the black and white text on the white paper exceptionally clear:
[1. People need food to survive; eat three meals a day on time. Arrive at the cafeteria on time for every meal, queue in an orderly manner, and don't rush. Eat quietly and don't make noise; cherish food and avoid extravagance. Remember the "Clean Plate Campaign," and let's spread the spirit of thrift.]
[2. Upon entering the cafeteria, please take a "mugwort sachet" from the shelf and tie it around your waist. You must finish your meal and leave before the sachet burns out.]
3. Sometimes long-term employees can be surprisingly enthusiastic. If they offer to share food with you, please don't refuse.
[4. It is strictly forbidden to consume meat from any animal whose form is unclear or whose origin cannot be identified.]
5. If wet mud seeps out from under the dining table, immediately move it to a table with a "Safety Sign" (marked with a black lion). If wet mud gets on the soles of your shoes, wipe it off with the ash from a mugwort sachet; do not touch it directly with your hands or other objects.
6. If you hear a rhythmic clinking sound of cutlery while dining, immediately tap your plate in that rhythm.
7. If the cafeteria experiences a sudden power outage in the evening, please remain crouched in place and do not move.
The seven rules are like seven cold shackles, tightly binding everyone's throat.
"How about... we don't eat?" A low voice whispered, trembling with barely concealed emotion. "It feels like once we go in, we'll never come out again!"
His words seemed to ignite some kind of emotion, and a suppressed murmur immediately arose from the crowd.
"Yeah, this isn't a cafeteria, it's hell..."
"Look at the second one, it requires wearing a mugwort sachet and eating it before it burns out. Isn't that a bit too weird?"
"..."
Anxiety spread through the crowd.
Chiba Saori and Songxi both turned their gazes to Lin Feng, their eyes filled with reliance and trust.
In this bizarre tale of rules, a reliable leader is often more important than anything else.
"Hmph, even the King of Heaven has to eat!" Park Chang-beom said nonchalantly. "How can we back down because of a few stupid rules? Not eating is tantamount to courting death!"
Although his words were rude, they expressed the sentiments of some people.
Wasim said in a deep voice, "The first rule repeatedly emphasizes 'arrive at the cafeteria on time,' which in itself is a strong suggestion—"
Eating outside of designated times and locations may lead to contamination or other dangers.
"Eating here may not only be about replenishing energy, but also a 'ritual' or 'protection' that must be followed."
Lin Feng nodded, then pointed to the second line:
"Wahim is right."
"The requirement to wear a 'mugwort sachet' and leave before it burns out confirms that there is some kind of hidden threat inside the cafeteria that we need to 'resist' or 'avoid'."
His fingertips traced the third and fourth lines:
"These two are very likely linked."
"It's quite possible that those 'enthusiastic' veteran employees will try to offer us that kind of meat with an unclear shape, and according to the third rule, we can't refuse."
"Isn't that a sure way to die?!" Chiba Saori's face turned deathly pale instantly.
Unable to refuse, yet unable to eat—this seems like an unsolvable trap.
"The logic of ghost stories doesn't set up an absolutely unsolvable, inevitable death trap..." Lin Feng's voice remained steady.
"There must be some kind of 'way out' or 'alternative' that we do not yet know about among seemingly contradictory rules."
"We'll have to go into the cafeteria and do some careful observation and analysis to figure out exactly how to crack it."
Songsi points to the fifth rule:
"If wet mud seeps out from under the dining table, immediately move it to a table with a black lion pattern."
"So once we're inside, shouldn't we find and occupy those tables first, as a precaution?"
Lin Feng shook his head:
"It's probably not that simple."
"If the safety table is fixed and obvious, everyone will rush to sit on it, and the rules will lose their sense of tension and the meaning of selection."
"I'm more inclined to believe that those tables with the black lion logo will only appear and become visible in the cafeteria when the specific triggering event of 'wet mud seeping out' occurs. We need to find and move them quickly within the time limit."
"That makes sense." Park Chang-beom nodded in agreement. "If I were a viewer, I would definitely look forward to this randomness and uncertainty even more; that's what makes it exciting!"
Wasim added, "Precisely because this randomness and uncertainty applies to everyone, it in a way maintains a cruel kind of fairness."
"What about the sixth rule?" Chiba Saori asked worriedly, "If we hear 'the regular sound of cutlery clattering,' we're supposed to tap our plates too... Are we really going to have to do that?"
"We must do as instructed," Lin Feng said definitively. "This is very likely a 'recognition' or 'assimilation' mechanism."
"There are certain 'special beings' in the cafeteria that we cannot directly perceive or confront. By tapping along to the rhythm, we are imitating their behavior, which may temporarily lead to them being mistaken for 'our own kind' and thus avoid being attacked."
"The biggest challenge here might be the 'rhythm'—if the rhythm is exceptionally complex, fast, or full of variations, it will pose a significant challenge to our memory and imitation abilities!"
Songxi looked at the last rule: "What about Rule Seven? 'When the power goes out at night, you must immediately crouch down and stay still...' Is that correct?"
When Lin Feng's gaze fell on the seventh rule, a strange sense of unease crept up his spine.
His intuition, stemming from his "rule affinity," pricked him gently like a tiny needle.
This rule... has a problem!
The text itself seems to give a clear instruction (squat down and stay still), but there are other traps hidden between the lines, or in the action itself.
However, it is not possible to clearly determine the specific problem based on intuition alone; a more in-depth analysis or... launching an "infinite deduction" simulation is required.
However, the longer the "infinite deduction" goes on, the more energy it consumes for him.
This is a rule that can only be triggered during dinner, so it's obviously not worthwhile to deduce it now.
"This one... is still unclear," Lin Feng said slowly. "We'll need to make a judgment based on the specific circumstances later."