Horror Movie Set: This extra is too good at playing the tricks.

Chapter 13 The World Inside and Out: Sugar-Coated Poison

Lu Dan walked along the left side of the corridor, trying to keep his body close to the edge of the flashlight beam.

To his right, the "students" who were being punished by standing were lined up so tightly that there was no gap between them.

With the aid of visual amplification, he could clearly see the years of accumulated dirt on their school uniforms, and the fingers twitching slightly as they hung down from the seams of their trousers.

"Given the scale of this punishment, it seems this school's college entrance rate is achieved through sheer numbers."

Lu Dan coldly muttered a complaint in his heart, his steps as light as a cat's.

He had to walk through this 50-meter-long human wall to clock in at the entrance of the academic affairs office at the end of the corridor.

According to Rule 3 of the patrol guidelines, it is strictly forbidden to talk to students. The subtext is that no matter what these people make, even if they are putting on a show right next to your ear, you have to pretend you are deaf.

When we reached the middle of the corridor, the path began to narrow.

The bulky "student" in the front row seemed tired of standing, leaning back and almost blocking the entire corridor.

The oversized school uniform was stretched taut by the fat inside, and lumps resembling tumors could be vaguely seen slowly wriggling on the fabric.

Lu Dan stopped in his tracks; he couldn't get through.

You either have to squeeze past the other person's body or crawl between their legs.

As a dignified adult male with a healthy lumbar spine, Lu Dan decisively chose the former.

He turned to the side, took a deep breath, pulled in his stomach, and carefully shuffled through the gap between the bulky student's back and the other side of the wall.

The instant his chest touched the student's back, a chilling coldness seeped through the thin security uniform.

"Teacher, I didn't steal any food." A muffled whisper suddenly rang in Lu Dan's ears.

The bloated student didn't turn around, but his back muscles suddenly contracted, and a mouth appeared on his back.

"Teacher, I'm hungry." The voice became urgent, with a morbid thirst.

Lu Dan's scalp tingled instantly, but his feet did not stop moving at all.

He stared blankly into the darkness ahead, pretending to be an emotionless patrol machine, and slowly, like an eel, he slid through the narrow gap.

The cracking sound of bones grinding came from behind him. Lu Dan didn't turn around, nor did he dare to.

"Don't look back." He silently repeated the warning on the back of the Joker card and quickened his pace.

At the end of the corridor, an old-fashioned mechanical time clock hangs on the wall, its red indicator light flashing like a ghostly eye in the darkness.

Lu Dan took out the worn-out card and inserted it into the card slot.

"Click—" The sound of machine gears meshing echoed in the corridor.

The scratching sounds behind me stopped instantly.

Lu Dan pulled out the card without even glancing at it, then turned and went into the stairwell leading to the second floor.

Almost a second after he stepped onto the stairwell, the dozens of students facing the wall on the first-floor corridor turned around in unison...

......

"Is this... Chengde High School?"

Lin Xiaoxiao stood in the lobby on the first floor of Building A, looking at the scene before her with a blank expression.

The moon hung outside the window, and the teaching building was brightly lit. The soft, warm incandescent light made the marble tiles on the ground shine.

The walls are painted a warm beige color and are adorned with famous quotes and calligraphy works by outstanding students.

The corridor was filled with the nostalgic sounds of reading aloud, the scratching of pens on paper, and the occasional hushed discussions, creating a vivid picture of youth.

Lin Xiaoxiao looked down at her outfit; her casual clothes had been transformed into a smart business suit, with a neat name tag hanging on her chest.

[Lin Xiaoxiao, Specially Appointed Psychological Counselor at Chengde Private Middle School]

[Responsibilities: Listen to students' concerns, alleviate their stress, and maintain campus harmony.]

Something's not right with this script.

Shouldn't the normal start be being dumped in the middle of nowhere or in ruins covered in blood and water stains, accompanied by a couple of threatening sound effects like "Run!"?

This comforting and healing atmosphere, however, gave her goosebumps.

"Hello, Teacher Lin." A clear and pleasant voice interrupted her thoughts.

A girl in a neat blue and white school uniform walked towards us. She had her hair tied in a high ponytail, fair skin, big, bright eyes, and a radiant smile on her face. "You must be the new school counselor? The dean of students asked me to take you to the office."

The girl bowed slightly, her demeanor impeccable.

Lin Xiaoxiao took a half step back, quietly reaching into her bag to grasp a utility knife—a small item she had redeemed with points after the previous dungeon.

"Who are you?" she asked tentatively.

"I am the class monitor of Class 2, Grade 12. My name is Su Ke." The girl answered with a smile, her smile like a mask welded to her face, the change in amplitude not even exceeding one millimeter.

"Evening self-study is about to begin, and everyone is really looking forward to your arrival. Teacher Lin, this way please."

Su Ke gestured for them to proceed and then turned to lead the way.

Lin Xiaoxiao hesitated for a moment, but still followed.

She walked behind Su Ke, her eyes scanning the surroundings warily.

The walls on both sides of the corridor are covered with many photos, all of which are portraits of outstanding graduates from previous years.

Everyone in the photo is smiling happily, showing off their white teeth, and their eyes are sparkling with anticipation for the future.

But as Lin Xiaoxiao looked at them, she felt something was off—they were too neat. Not only were their teeth straight, but the width of their smiles, the direction of their gazes, and even their posture when taking photos all seemed to be cut from the same mold.

It's like... a mass-produced doll.

"Su Ke," Lin Xiaoxiao suddenly spoke up, "Does anything strange happen at school?"

Su Ke paused for a moment, but quickly resumed her pace, her voice still sweet: "Strange things? No. Our school is under a fully enclosed management system, with the highest college entrance rate in the city. Everyone is immersed in the joy of learning, without any distractions. Here, as long as you behave, you're a good child."

For some reason, these words made Lin Xiaoxiao feel a little uneasy.

As they walked down the corridor, Lin Xiaoxiao noticed something strange about the wall on the right side of the corridor.

Although it's the same beige paint, under certain light refractions, the wall surface seems to have some slight bumps, as if there's something underneath the paint.

She reached out as if possessed, wanting to touch the wall.

"Teacher Lin." Su Ke suddenly turned around, her once sweet smile now somewhat stiff, her big eyes staring intently at Lin Xiaoxiao's hand. "That's the wall of honor. The head of the teaching department said it's the foundation of the school and can't be touched casually."

Lin Xiaoxiao's hand hovered in mid-air, and she smiled awkwardly: "Ah, sorry, I have a bit of OCD, and the wall looks a little uneven to me."

"Is it not smooth?" Su Ke tilted her head, her eyes becoming somewhat deep. "That's because some disobedient students haven't had their rough edges smoothed out yet. They'll be smoothed out in the future."

Lin Xiaoxiao withdrew her hand, her palms covered in cold sweat.

She had a strong intuition that something was quietly rotting beneath the school's glamorous exterior.

The two walked to the end of the first floor, where there was a room with a sign that read "Psychological Counseling Room".

"This is your office." Su Ke opened the door. "You need to be on duty until 4 a.m. tonight. If any students come to you because of academic pressure, please make sure they... fall in love with learning again."

After speaking, Su Ke bowed again and turned to leave.

Lin Xiaoxiao walked into the office, closed the door, and leaned against the door panel, letting out a long sigh.

On the desk lay a staff handbook, its cover a warm pink.

She opened the rules, which stated:

Rule 1: Please keep smiling at all times, as your emotions will affect the students.

Rule Two: Our school promotes joyful education and strictly prohibits corporal punishment of students. If you witness any corporal punishment on campus, please turn a blind eye; it is for their own good.

Rule 3: After 11 p.m., if you see people in security uniforms patrolling outside your window, please immediately draw the curtains and press the alarm button under your desk. Those are not school security guards; they are dirty things trying to damage our beautiful campus.

Lin Xiaoxiao's pupils contracted slightly. Security guard? Something dirty?

She walked quickly to the window and looked out through the clear glass.

In the shadows between teaching buildings A and B, she saw a hunched figure.

The man was wearing a tattered, moldy security guard uniform and carrying a pale, flickering lantern. He was slowly moving away.

Behind the security guard, a twisted, slender black shadow clung tightly to him, like a giant leech, greedily clinging to his shadow.