In Yu Deng's view, not only should diners avoid wasting food, but chefs should also respect the ingredients they use.
It's not necessary to have culinary skills so refined that they could produce a state banquet, but at the very least, the food served should be edible, right? Yet, in this cafeteria, not only was the food poorly made, but they also refused to admit it, coming up with all sorts of excuses—and they even wanted to punish the students for it.
How infuriating! This was simply too much!
Yu Deng was both annoyed and aggrieved. His beautiful face was tense, his eyes slightly reddened, and his lashes quivered lightly. For once, he raised his voice and questioned loudly:
"Isn't this… a kind of waste in itself? And you're talking about punishing me? You're the ones who aren't respecting food at all!"
If the ingredients used in these meals had spirits, then the chickens, ducks, and fish would surely feel they'd died in vain, and the vegetables would probably think they'd have been better off rotting in the ground.
[Baby is so right!]
[They actually let Baby go hungry and even want to punish him? Outrageous! Apologize to Baby!]
Yu Deng's voice was distinct, soft, and pleasant to the ear. At this moment, however, due to his frustration, the naturally rising tone at the end of his sentences went even higher, drawing the attention of the surrounding students.
After Yu Deng asked his question, the other students' gazes began to shift. They couldn't help but show expressions of agreement.
The staff member: "..."
Good question.
The staff member stared at Yu Deng, at a loss for how to respond. His bulging eyes darted around rapidly, making him look somewhat comical.
"Student, you can't say it like that," the staff member finally stammered, sweat beginning to form on his back. "You can't accuse us of wasting food."
Yu Deng was deeply displeased. How was it an accusation? He felt he'd made a perfectly reasonable point.
Pressing his lips together, Yu Deng's gaze swept over the students watching him. Lifting his chin slightly, he asked the crowd: "Am I wrong?"
The usually apathetic students seemed to consider this perspective for the first time. Stirred by Yu Deng's words, they began to nod one after another.
The classmate who had carried his head to knock on Yu Deng's door last night just so happened to be sitting nearby. Recalling the terror of the previous evening, he quickly chimed in: "That's right, the kitchen staff should reflect on themselves."
This statement seemed to press some kind of switch. The other students began voicing their agreement one after another.
"The school belle is absolutely right! Why should we put up with such bad food? This is clearly the cafeteria's fault!"
"Yeah, exactly! Poor school belle! He just transferred to Guihuai, and now he has to go hungry because of the cafeteria!"
"You're the ones wasting food!"
In that moment, it was as if the students had returned to a time before the abnormalities, full of passion and righteous indignation, standing together to resist unfair treatment.
Yu Deng had garnered the support of many students. While he stood tall and proud, he also vaguely realized why the system had specifically informed him when he was identified as the school belle.
Being the school belle was a status symbol in itself. Within the hierarchy of the dungeon's rules, his position as the school belle naturally granted him more supporters. These NPCs were more patient with him, and he could easily obtain many things he wanted without much effort.
In short, the identity of the school belle was practically the perfect foundation for inciting rebellion.
However, Yu Deng hadn't thought that far yet. Standing in front of the staff member, he nervously said, "See, everyone agrees that what I did doesn't count as wasteful."
The staff member's lips twitched as he stiffly glanced at the surrounding students. In the end, he admitted defeat. "I can't answer your question. Please wait for the manager to handle this matter."
The manager? Yu Deng became even more anxious, unsure of what kind of role the cafeteria manager played in this.
Soon enough, the cafeteria manager appeared before the crowd.
The manager was a wiry man with an unremarkable square face, bland features, a few scars on his face, and a sinister and intimidating look in his eyes. He wore a blue uniform with a few dark red stains on it.
As soon as the manager appeared, the previously noisy cafeteria fell into an instant hush. The students seemed to revert to stiff, apathetic puppets, shoveling food into their mouths with mechanical precision. The only difference was that, after the protest, a few students now had a flicker of spirit in their eyes.
Yu Deng warily watched the manager while fumbling through his inventory for items to prepare himself for dealing with this NPC.
"So, this is the student with the complaint? Please follow me to the office behind the kitchen to resolve the issue," the manager said.
Yu Deng hesitated. "Really? You're not planning to do anything bad, are you?"
The manager replied stiffly, "…No."
After speaking, the manager turned and left, with the staff member carrying the plate of food following close behind. Yu Deng mulled it over for a few seconds before slowly trailing after them under the watchful eyes of the other students.
On the way, Yu Deng caught sight of a shadow darting across the floor. He couldn't tell if it was a rat or something else.
"…"
This made him even more suspicious of the cafeteria's hygiene standards.
Two minutes later, Yu Deng followed the cafeteria manager around the kitchen and into an office.
The atmosphere was tense. The manager bent down to examine the plate of food carefully, seemingly lost in thought.
"This isn't my problem anyway," Yu Deng declared, standing near the door for a quick escape. He tried his best to maintain his earlier momentum. "You were the ones wasting food first, and you refused to accept my offer to give it away. I'm not accepting any double compensation!"
The cafeteria manager remained silent for a long time before meeting Yu Deng's gaze and slowly speaking. "…Refusing to eat doesn't constitute actual waste, so double compensation isn't required."
Hmm, so it was possible to challenge the rules appropriately. Noted.
Just as Yu Deng was about to breathe a sigh of relief, the cafeteria manager continued.
"However, raising questions about the staff and cafeteria rules and indirectly causing a commotion in the cafeteria also counts as a violation," the manager stated matter-of-factly and then added, "According to regulations, you are required to reflect on your actions in the Self-Reflection Room for 24 hours."
For how long?!
The Self-Reflection Room sounded like some kind of confinement chamber or dark little room. Staying there for 24 hours meant he'd have to spend the night there…
Unwilling to accept this, Yu Deng stammered in protest, "Raising a question counts as a violation? But—but it was your fault in the first place! I'm not going to the Self-Reflection Room…"
It was only known that students who violated the rules had to go to the Self-Reflection Room. After reflecting, those students became rule-abiding, good students. Other than that, Yu Deng had no further understanding of the Self-Reflection Room.
The unknown always brought about a peculiar fear.
Oh no, he absolutely didn't want to go.
The cafeteria manager weighed the situation for a moment and then changed his tone, "You need to reflect for twelve hours."
Yu Deng did not immediately agree.
He thought about calling Lu Yan or Zhuang Lin to come and rescue him… No, in this situation, wouldn't it be better to call Lin Qingxu? After all, he was the school doctor with disciplinary authority and a temporary teacher—couldn't he stop this punishment?
Wait a moment. As Yu Deng thought about this, he suddenly realized that he didn't bring his backpack to the cafeteria, and his phone was in the backpack. In other words, he had no way to contact his targets.
Yu Deng drooped his face.
[Host, the Self-Reflection Room is mentioned in various rules and is considered an important setting,] System 01 sighed, half comforting and half reminding, [Places like these usually contain abundant clues.]
Yu Deng froze for a few seconds, "Oh..."
So that's what it was—seeking riches in danger. Dangerous places were often accompanied by clues and opportunities. In this instance, the Self-Reflection Room seemed to be a critical location in the dungeon. There might indeed be clues to breaking the game hidden there.
"But I'm so scared, Tongtong. What if there's something weirdly dangerous inside..."
[Host, you're excellent and brave. You can complete the mission.]
Yu Deng gritted his teeth, "Alright then..."
The cafeteria manager, seeing that Yu Deng had no further objections, signaled for him to follow.
With trepidation, Yu Deng exited through the back door of the cafeteria, glanced down the path ahead, and followed the cafeteria manager toward the Self-Reflection Room.
...
In the administrative building.
Lu Yan was still unaware that Yu Deng had already protested in the cafeteria and was about to head to the Self-Reflection Room. At the moment, he was in the office of their homeroom teacher, Mr. Wang, holding an application form.
Teacher Wang smiled kindly. "Lu, this is the application form for representing the school in an exchange program and competition. With your skill level, there's no doubt you'd secure first place for the school. It's been ages since Guihuai won a championship, and finally, we'd beat the other schools."
Lu Yan calmly replied, "Mr. Wang, I don't plan to participate in the competition."
Teacher Wang's voice instantly sharpened, "Why?! Don't you want to bring glory to Guihuai?"
Lu Yan didn't bother to explain much and casually gave an excuse, "You know my family's situation."
"Why? Why is it like this? Is your family really that poor?" Teacher Wang stood up, her mouth agape, revealing sharp, jagged teeth. "And during the donation drive last time, you didn't donate a single penny!"
She unleashed a barrage of harsh remarks uncontrollably. Her facial skin twitched, and her bulging eyes stared straight ahead, her expression struggling to change.
Lu Yan's expression remained calm. In a steady tone, he called out, "Mr. Wang."
A few minutes later, Teacher Wang seemed to recall something she had forgotten, bit by bit returning to her original demeanor. She froze for a few seconds and then said blankly, "...No, Lu Yan, you're a good kid. Don't worry about your family's debt; I'll help you apply for the school's financial aid. It's fine if you don't want to compete—focus on your exams."
She wanted to say more, but despite opening her mouth repeatedly, all she could muster were hoarse, croaking sounds. After a moment of silence, she froze in place with a somewhat dazed expression.
"Oh, how terrifying it's become. That child… Did I frighten him too?"
Finally, Lu Yan's expression shifted. A faint trace of amusement appeared in his previously calm black eyes. "A little. He's very timid."
Elsewhere.
Zhuang Lin, in the school sports team's training room, was distracted while listening to the coach talk about training plans.
Taking advantage of his spot in the back row, he sneakily took out his phone, intending to send a message to Yu Deng. As soon as the screen lit up, he saw a tip-off from his underling.
Yu Deng had been taken away by the cafeteria manager for questioning the food?
...
At that moment, Yu Deng followed the cafeteria manager to a small, two-story building in the corner of the schoolyard. From the outside, it looked abandoned. The iron door was dull and rusted, and moss covered the walls.
Yu Deng originally thought the Self-Reflection Room was inside this building. Unexpectedly, after the cafeteria manager opened the iron door, he led him to a staircase and started descending underground.
Yu Deng hesitated, wanting to back out. But since he was already here, he had no choice but to follow the manager down with trembling steps.
They continued down two flights of stairs until the manager stopped and walked down a dim hallway. At the end of the corridor were several doors, their interiors unknown.
The manager opened the second-to-last door. The heavy iron door creaked open, and Yu Deng glanced inside under the dim corridor light.
Inside was a roughly five or six-square-meter empty room with walls on all sides and no lighting.
What kind of Self-Reflection Room was this? This was clearly a prison! No, calling it a prison was flattering—it was obviously a dungeon!
"Student, you will reflect in this Self-Reflection Room for twelve hours. Once the time is up, the room will automatically unlock," the manager said.
[Ding. Player Yu Deng has entered the special scene "Self-Reflection Room." In this scene, players cannot use tools or skills and cannot exit from the inside.]
So many restrictions?!
The Self-Reflection Room was pitch dark, and since entering the underground area, no sound could be heard.
This was far beyond Yu Deng's tolerance for fear. Holding back tears, he pleaded with the manager.
"Could you leave the flashlight behind?"
The cafeteria manager stared at the top student for a while, then surprisingly relented, placing the flashlight down before locking the door and leaving.
Clunk.
The iron door shut out the light from the corridor, leaving Yu Deng alone in the Self-Reflection Room.
The only light source was the flashlight on the ground, but who knew how long the battery would last? Trembling, Yu Deng picked up the flashlight and began examining his surroundings.
The walls were not smooth; they bore many mottled marks.
In this environment, Yu Deng's heartbeat raced, and his legs grew weak. Mustering his courage, he carefully examined the markings on the walls.
To his horror, he discovered numerous dark red stains resembling blood, along with scribbled, jagged words almost covering the walls entirely.
[ I don't want to be in the self-reflection room anymore, I will never break the rules again! ]
[ Let me out!! ]
[ xx month xx day, I've ended up in the self-reflection room again for breaking the rules, the second time now, even though I didn't do anything wrong. ]
[ I can't finish the exam paper, it's impossible to finish! ]
[ Be careful, don't fall asleep, don't fall into nightmares. ]
The writing was chaotic and distorted, some were written with pens, while others seemed to have been scratched out with sharp objects.
Yu Deng stared at the writing blankly, suddenly recalling the other iron doors he had seen in the hallway when he came in. Behind each door was probably another self-reflection room. Were they all like this one?
As for what was written... Yu Deng struggled to make sense of the hidden clues. So, the students who made mistakes ended up in the self-reflection room, where they went through something terrifying, only to become obedient again?
Don't fall into... nightmares?
The flashlight wasn't of good quality; after just a short while of use, it started to dim, and he wasn't sure when it would completely run out of power. Yu Deng thought for a moment, then mustered enough courage to turn off the flashlight for now.
What if he needed it for light later, but the batteries died? There'd be nowhere to cry...
The self-reflection room was plunged into complete darkness. In such a dark environment, Yu Deng couldn't help but imagine terrifying things.
He sat on the cold floor, his back against the wall, curling up into a little ball.
The bullet screen couldn't help but send gifts, discussing the situation.
[ Aww, the baby's curled up in a little ball in the corner, how pitiful yet adorable! ]
[ Today's baby is especially brave! ]
[ This self-reflection room is something else, is it that students here go through nightmares until they become numb and obedient to escape the nightmares? ]
[ Possibly. There are other clues that carry quite a bit of information too. ]
[ Wonder when the baby will notice the clues. ]
Yu Deng sat on the floor, straining to think about the clues he had gathered. He kept feeling that there was something off about the writing he saw earlier... what was it?
Wait, he thought of something!
After thinking for a long time, Yu Deng suddenly remembered something and quickly turned the flashlight back on, shining it on one of the scrawled lines marked with a date.
He tried to recall the countdown to the college entrance exam he had seen a few days ago in the classroom, comparing it to the date written on the wall... The date on the wall was clearly two months later!
But how could it be a date in the future? Yu Deng suddenly had a chilling feeling.
Did this mean the person who left the writing wasn't from this year's batch of students, or was this writing left two months later?
The more Yu Deng thought about it, the more terrified he became, and his head started to spin.
[Host.]The system 01's voice was gentle.[Stay calm.]
"...Okay."
Yu Deng tried to stay awake, but his mind felt fuzzy, and his consciousness began to slip out of control.
The surroundings quietly changed. It was no longer the small, dark self-reflection room; the walls began to ripple like water, the space stretched and squeezed, and pitch-black monsters emerged from all directions, opening their huge mouths and chasing after him.
Yu Deng looked around, confused and terrified, instinctively running forward.
In just a few seconds, it felt like every horror movie he had ever seen came to life around him. Yu Deng couldn't even process what was happening and, while running, cried out for the system, but heard no response.
The temperature dropped, a chilling aura wrapped around him, causing him to shiver uncontrollably.
When Yu Deng was exhausted and could barely run anymore, a clicking sound rang in his ears. A new, towering monster appeared in front of him.
When this pitch-black monster saw him, its eyes lit up, and it immediately rushed over and grabbed him!
"Ugh... monster, don't eat me!"
Yu Deng stared blankly with wide eyes, sobbing as he mustered a fierce tone to wave his hands in defense, even biting the monster's neck.
The monster, after receiving the information, rushed over, only to be bitten by Yu Deng: "…Hiss."
The baby's bite is pretty strong.
Zhuang Lin gently held the squirming Yu Deng in place and coaxed, "Wake up, baby, it's me."
Huh? The monster's voice sounded strangely familiar. Yu Deng, still dazed, looked up slowly, breaking free bit by bit from the nightmare-like trance.
"Zhuang... Lin?" Yu Deng blinked slowly, hesitantly touching Zhuang Lin's cheek, then looking around at the familiar, small space.
There were no terrifying monsters.
Tears clung to Yu Deng's eyelashes as he gripped Zhuang Lin's sleeve, whispering, "Why did you come? Are you here to break me out?"