With traitors inside and teachers outside, I re-read the student code amidst internal and external threats.
"Rule Nine: The Study Center will conduct a graduation test at 13:50 on the fifth day, determining if students have fulfilled the ultimate purpose of this cycle. All students who fail to graduate successfully will be punished."
It's clear that traitors can't escape and won't be punished again.
This rule is obviously aimed at settling accounts with regular students.
What can't traitors do that regular students failing to do would result in becoming traitors?
Only escaping.
The real Rule Nine should be: "The Study Center will conduct a reckoning at 13:50 on the fifth day, determining if regular students have escaped. All students remaining will join the Study Center."
This is a blatant "Run!"
We absolutely cannot stay until 13:50 on the fifth day!
"I remember Lee Ye will ask about the day count tomorrow," Hannah recalled.
Right, we still don't know if yesterday's half-day counts as a full day in the training cycle.
The morning announcement mentioned "the first day of formal study," not "the first day of the training cycle."
If a night counts as a day, today would be "the second day of the training cycle."
We discussed until nearly lights out, still unsure how to phrase the remaining two questions.
We can't waste this opportunity, but not asking is also wasteful.
After everything was prepared, I lay in bed and had a sudden epiphany.
So far, almost every sentence in the student code has significance.
Despite the malicious misdirection and ambiguity, each sentence provides crucial guidance.
"Rule Five and Six: Students should listen attentively in class, actively answer questions, and diligently complete homework. No noise-making, horseplay, or running is allowed inside the academic building."
These have been verified today as point-deducting rules.
That leaves only the last sentence of the code.
"Rule Seven, Second Sentence: Do not disturb non-teaching staff members as they are not professional and will give incorrect guidance."
The first sentence of Rule Seven has been proven false. ("Students enter the Study Center with the ultimate purpose of learning and are welcome to ask teachers questions at any time.")
What about the second sentence? Could it also be false?
I suddenly realized that compared to other traps in the code, the first sentence of Rule Six and Seven was blatantly contradictory, even inconsistent with the tone of the entire code.
What if the obvious contradiction in the first sentence of Rule Seven was just a smokescreen? Could the truly important part be the second sentence?
14
With only five minutes until lights out, the dormitory was unusually noisy tonight. We lay in bed, listening to the events unfolding outside. The girl next door was desperately banging on her door, pleading to be let in. "I'm not a traitor! Really!" she cried. "How can we be sure? What if you betray us?" came a response from inside the room. Scenes like this played out all over the dormitory until silence fell at lights out. The night patrol monster arrived on schedule.
In the midst of intermittent screams and cries, I pondered over the seventh rule. Actually, in this rule, each sentence contains only half a truth.
"Rule Seven, First Sentence: The ultimate purpose of students entering the Study Center is learning, and they are welcome to ask teachers questions at any time." There is an ultimate purpose, but it's not learning. Students are welcome to ask questions, but not anytime or anywhere.
How then could I phrase a question to uncover the error in this statement while keeping my intention to escape hidden from the teacher?
I fell asleep at some point but was jolted awake when the lights turned on. "Yikes! I got it!" I exclaimed. Hannah, who had just opened her eyes, sat up and clapped at my sudden realization.
"amazing."
Not wanting to waste time, I hurried them to the cafeteria at the fastest speed. The digital clock was displaying the correct time again today, and more students had been eliminated. Those with three points were completely isolated, while those with two or one point sat in small groups.
I shared my analysis and findings with them. Asking questions to the non-teaching staff would not result in point deductions or death. The second sentence of Rule Seven explicitly stated the consequence of violating it: receiving incorrect guidance.
"However, I suggest that we follow Rule Six while executing the second sentence of Rule Seven," I said.
Suddenly, Lee Ye appeared behind Hannah and Rose. "Rule Six, last sentence: Each student is allowed one question per day." He nonchalantly walked around the table and took the last empty seat. "I'll come up with the question. Who's going to ask it?"
"Okay, you come up with it. I'll ask," Rose said, looking at me. "Can you help me ask? The teachers are really scary."
"Then I'll go with Rose to ask," Hannah offered.
Lee Ye cleared his throat and proposed his question.
15
The first question: What is 122 + 128?
The second question: How to make cauliflower crispy and delicious?
"You guys just go ask the cafeteria lady," Lee Ye pointed out, "but go one by one, not together."
The lady was wiping the edge of a vegetable basin with a discolored cloth.
We waited until Hannah and Rose returned from asking before inquiring about the answers.
The first answer: 200.
The second answer: Soak the raw cauliflower in water and then blanch it.
"Ha!" Lee Ye exclaimed excitedly, "I knew it would work!"
Rule Seven, First Sentence: "The ultimate purpose of students entering the Study Center is learning, and they are welcome to ask teachers questions at any time."
There is an ultimate purpose, but it's not learning. Students are welcome to ask questions, but not anytime or anywhere.
"Rule Seven, Second Sentence: Please do not disturb other staff members besides teachers. They are not professional and will provide incorrect guidance."
This sentence seems unrelated to the first, but it's actually a precondition to the first. And since the attribute "ultimate purpose is learning" has been overturned, this sentence should mean: The cafeteria ladies and other non-teaching staff are not professional teachers, so of course, they will provide incorrect guidance on academic matters, but they can be asked about their areas of responsibility for correct results.
"You're quite impressive, figuring out the correct interpretation of the ultimate purpose on your own," Lee Ye said to us after explaining the rule, to which Hannah suddenly commented, "But can we really trust you?"
I thought back to the name board in the dormitory hall and understood Hannah's implication.
I needed Hannah and Rose's help to get this information, but Lee Ye managed it on his own.
Was this merely from our single exchange of information?
He was definitely not as simple as he seemed.
As Hannah voiced her doubts, Lee Ye raised an eyebrow: "Ah, the so-called smart people."
Lee Ye couldn't be fully trusted.
Just as this thought crossed my mind, Lee Ye added, "But you can trust me."
Can we, though?
16
Today, only eight people remained in the classroom, including three 'good children.'
Everyone who had survived this far wasn't simple, right?
Not necessarily.
If one just follows the rules without delving deeper, they can survive too.
But come the 'final reckoning,' we would be forcibly assimilated into 'good children.'
The superficial rules are deadly; in reality, the hidden rules are the guide to escape: "The reckoning on the afternoon of the fifth day, every meal is the basis for escape."
According to Lee Ye's guess, today should be the third day of the cycle.
But can I trust him? A mistake here means death.
"But you can trust me," Lee Ye's voice echoed in my mind.
My thoughts were a mess; it was hard to pay attention to what the teacher was saying on the podium.
That is, until I was hit on the head by a piece of chalk.
"Jack Chen, answer this question!" the teacher commanded.
The high school-level question was no issue for me. After quickly answering, I sat down and resumed my thoughts.
Until a 'good child' answered a question incorrectly.
I snapped back to attention and saw the teacher's smile widen: "Good children should study hard."
What happened next left me stunned. The teacher's neck stretched like rubber, her mouth opening unnaturally wide, and she swallowed the 'good child' whole, headfirst.
Satisfied, the teacher returned to her normal state and continued the lesson.
The teacher devours 'good children.' This was new information.
It's proven that 'good children' are the phantoms of the night patrol monster.
Could the teachers and the night patrol monster be adversaries?
The bell rang, signaling the end of class.
An idea suddenly struck me.
"Teacher!" I hurried after the teacher, "I want to ask today's question! Is the last meal before the graduation test more important than the others, so important that it directly determines whether we become 'good children'?"
The teacher paused for two seconds, then answered with a wide smile: "Yes."
My theory was correct!
Observing the rules, I realized that after the mealtime at 12:30, the cafeteria doors would open, but students were not forced to leave. Many could stay until 13:50 to attend class.
Students could also return to their dorms during this time.
Since eating every meal is the foundation for escape, the real escape window is the eighty minutes from after 12:30 until 13:50.
The key to escape lies either in the dormitory or the cafeteria.
After the recent question, I was certain.
It's the cafeteria!
17.
I arrived at the cafeteria where my roommates were already waiting. "I've decided to trust Lee Ye. He hasn't done anything to harm us," I declared. "And I've found the key to our escape."
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"I'm with you," Rose said, tugging at Hannah's sleeve.
Hannah thought for a moment and then said, "I trust you, and since you trust him, I'll trust him too."
When Lee Ye arrived, I called him over. "From now on, the four of us are in this together," I said seriously, sharing today's information with Lee Ye. He also confirmed that today was indeed the third day of the complete process.
We had only one day left; the day after tomorrow was our time to escape. However, we only had a clue about how to escape.
Remembering today's class, I shared my analysis of the school's ecosystem with the three of them: 'Good children' are the lowest rank and subservient to the night patrol monster. Teachers and the night patrol monster are adversaries. 'Good children' can only assimilate and kill regular students by inducing and assisting the night patrol monster.
"Thinking about it," Rose analyzed, "the teachers have always been a positive help to us."
Are the teachers good?
"Look," Hannah began, "the dormitory has always been dangerous only for regular students, and so far, it seems the academic building is only dangerous for 'good children.' Moreover, all three locations – the dormitory, the academic building, and the cafeteria – have their unique 'bosses,' and only the cafeteria has not seen any teacher-like or night patrol monster-like figures."
After analyzing, we understood the power dynamics of this place.
The dormitory is chaos, ruled by the night patrol monster and 'good children.'
The cafeteria is neutral; the staff pose no threat, and there's more information to uncover.
The academic building represents order, with teachers belonging to this faction, helping regular students within the bounds of the rules.
It seems the breakthrough for escape lies with the staff.
With a goal in mind, we met again in the cafeteria that night.
18.
An anomaly occurred during dinner.
The 'good children' arrived at the cafeteria as usual but stopped at the entrance.
The cafeteria doors closed on time, the heavy rain poured down as usual, but the 'good children' seemed unaffected.
Outside in the rain, they stood facing the cafeteria, staring intently inside but not moving.
Their figures were blurry and indistinct, eerily so.
Rose, frightened, pulled us to the farthest corner of the cafeteria.
"Why aren't they entering the cafeteria?" Hannah pondered.
"Typically, we first ask if something is true, then why," Lee Ye adjusted his glasses and suggested, "Is it possible that it's not that they don't enter, but that they can't enter?"
Yes, and it's very likely!
I thought hard.
The cafeteria, as a neutral zone, became more apparent, and the 'good children' from the chaos faction were outright barred from entry.
There are no instant-death rules in the cafeteria.
Suddenly, I remembered the number two on my back.
"I suggest we clarify everything tomorrow," I stood up. "We have eight opportunities left, and we can ask four questions today."
Lee Ye immediately understood my intention and volunteered, "I'll start."
Sure enough, he returned with a one on his back.
Lee Ye's question was: What is the cafeteria staff's off-duty procedure between 12:30 and 13:50?
Answer: Change out of work clothes and leave through the back kitchen.
In this answer, "leaving" seemed to refer to leaving the cafeteria, but it likely meant leaving the school. And "work clothes" might represent an identity.
The cafeteria staff, after "changing out of work clothes," no longer had a valid identity in the school and could thus "leave work," meaning students needed to take off their uniforms before leaving.
From 12:30 to 13:50, take off the school uniform, leave through the back kitchen.
19.
Before lights out, I lay in bed, lost in thought.
It was thrilling to think we could finally leave this hellish place. Who wouldn't be excited?
But deep down, I couldn't shake a nagging worry.
Had everything gone too smoothly? Was it really this simple?
Hannah told me to stop jinxing us.
Rose stayed silent, but I knew she was anxious too.
Lights out.
This time, the silence was replaced by the opposite; the normally quiet dormitory gradually came alive.
Doors opening and closing, slow footsteps patrolling... I counted about four people walking in the hallway.
Then, they began knocking on each dorm door, four knocks each, trying to open them.
There weren't many survivors left, so I heard many doors being opened.
Only two or three dorms remained shut. The footsteps lingered unusually long at these locked doors.
Footsteps stopped at our door. I held my breath.
The creature tried to turn the doorknob but couldn't open it.
I sensed the 'good child' standing at the door for a while before leaving.
Just as I breathed a sigh of relief, a loud bang at the door made me sit up in shock.
"What the hell!" Hannah also sat up, "What was that?"
More loud bangs followed, and we all heard clearly this time.
It was breaking down the door!
I signaled everyone, and the three of us barricaded the door. The 'good children' began pounding on doors throughout the dorm.
"I think we don't have to follow the dorm rules anymore!" I shouted as I pushed against the cupboard, barely audible over the deafening banging. "The rules protecting students are disappearing!"
Hannah understood and shouted back, "What are those things?"
"Who knows!" Rose added another cupboard to the barricade, her voice trembling and frantic, "All I know is we're screwed!!"
It took two of us to hold the door against the creature's strength. We took turns guarding it all night.
Sometimes the banging would stop, but with no pattern or warning. It could be minutes or just seconds before it resumed.
We dared not make a move.
Throughout the night, the dormitory echoed with the sounds of doors being broken down and the desperate cries of survivors.
We heard two girls from a dorm leave their room, perhaps seeking an escape, but they had barely run a few steps before their screams faded into the distance.
That night felt like an eternity. Only when the lights came back on did the noise outside subside.
We cautiously checked before leaving our room.
The entire dormitory bore signs of destruction and struggle.
"It's like a Syrian dorm now," I joked bitterly.
Hannah and Rose said my joke was cold.
Passing the name board, I counted the survivors.
Excluding the 'good children,' only seven of us remained.
20.
The three of us, with a total of six dark circles under our eyes, met the energetic Lee Ye in the cafeteria.
"You three look like you went to save the world," he said in surprise.
"Cut the crap," Hannah cut him off, "where were you last night?"
Under our questioning, Lee Ye shared his experience from the previous night.
After dinner and parting ways, he suddenly thought: since the academic building was not fatal for normal people, could he stay there overnight instead of returning to the dormitory? What would happen if he stayed in the academic building all night?
It was just a guess; he had no reason to drag others into danger, so he went alone.
Unexpectedly, the chaos faction had started to ignore the rules.
"The academic building is safe for overnight stays," Lee Ye stated firmly. "I was hesitant at first, but then I met teachers returning with their meals."
"And I discovered a bug," he said proudly, "declarative statements don't count as questions."
He had found a corner in the academic building's lobby and saw the teachers returning with their meals. He approached one and said, "I'm staying overnight in the academic building."
The teacher smiled, nodded at him without saying a word, and then returned to her normal state and went upstairs.
Lee Ye wasn't sure if the teacher meant "okay," "noted," or "you can," but with the dormitory doors locked, he had no choice but to stay the night.
And nothing happened.
"Declarative statements aren't questions," Lee Ye said innocently. "I could have been simply informing the teacher that I was staying overnight in the academic building."
"6."
It didn't matter anymore; at least we wouldn't have to return to that Syrian-like dorm tonight.
At least that was some good news.
21
After dinner, we returned to the academic building, where the seven of us crouched together in a corner of the lobby. We still had seven questions left, but Hannah said there was no need to ask anymore. Lee Ye felt it was a waste not to use them, but he needed to think about what exactly to ask. Jia Feng joked that Lee Ye was just being stubborn because he didn't know what to ask. I reserved my opinion.
The teachers soon returned with their meals, as Lee Ye had mentioned. A shadow suddenly darted from beside me—it was Lee Ye. He randomly grabbed a lucky teacher: "Teacher, I have a question!"
The teacher glanced over our line of people, seemingly surprised, and then looked at Lee Ye: "Ask."
"Will asking a question outside the academic building result in a deduction of points?"
Lee Ye's question seemed pointless. I was surprised. Was he starting to give up?
"Yes," the teacher answered with a wide smile and then returned to normal and left.
Deduction of points? Wasn't it supposed to be instant death? I remembered clearly, it was the first question I asked! Asking a teacher outside the academic building leads to instant death!
But she didn't lie to me. Indeed, there is one situation where a deduction of points is essentially equal to death, and that's at zero points!
Did the teacher give me an incomplete answer at the beginning? Why did she hide it?
The teacher couldn't just be satisfying her own twisted sense of fun by scaring me. What use would it be to scare me?
You will die... I suddenly understood. It was because of this answer that I realized the malice hidden in the student rules.
This was the key that guided me to eventually discover the trickery in the rules!
Did Lee Ye not know I had asked this question?
He knew! We were in the same class! He said he saw me ask the question and even called out my name!
Where was he sitting at that time...
I searched my memory but realized I had never seen Lee Ye in the classroom!
It's not that I didn't see him, he simply wasn't in my class! This was a lie from the beginning!
Why didn't I suspect him until now? Why did it seem so natural when we returned to the academic building together from the cafeteria so many times, but he never entered the same classroom as me?
Did he influence my thoughts?
Is that possible?
If that's true, why would he want to influence my thoughts? Were all his acts of kindness up to now fake? What's his purpose? What traps are waiting for me?
I glanced at Lee Ye nonchalantly, only to find him still standing there, lost in thought.
If he wanted to harm me, there were plenty of opportunities. He could easily trap me multiple times.
I decided to trust him.
21
In the cafeteria, we finally had a chance to sit down and have a proper conversation with the other three survivors. Among them were two female twins, both athletes specializing in shot put, and a male student named Jia Feng.
Jia Feng shared the harrowing experiences of his dormitory. Originally, there were three people in his room, but one couldn't make it through the first night, and the other was extremely pessimistic. "He's cried more these few days than I have in my entire life," Jia Feng described his roommate. He wanted to say more but ultimately respected the deceased with silence.
The despondent roommate eventually couldn't bear the despair and jumped out of the building. The noise attracted the "Good Children" (the term used for transformed students) who climbed over from the next balcony. Jia Feng fled, but ended up trapped in the staircase, sandwiched between the Good Children. His commotion drew the Good Children from the entire building, leading them to mistakenly believe it was safe to peek outside. That's when they saw Jia Feng running frantically towards them, pursued by a horde of Good Children, like dogs chasing a bone, as Wen Li described it.
Despite his slender frame, Wen Qi managed to pull Jia Feng into their room with one hand. The Good Children banged on their door for a few minutes but couldn't break through the sisters' fortification and eventually dispersed. We realized that the quiet interval we experienced last night was thanks to these two brave women. The inhabitants of dorm room 311 expressed their heartfelt gratitude to the sisters.
With the end approaching, there was no need to withhold information anymore, so we all shared our experiences and insights. Jia Feng, overcome with excitement at the prospect of escape, shook Lee Ye vigorously.
"Who's your buddy?" Lee Ye distanced himself, adjusting his glasses, "I'm your father."
No one knew when or how they had formed such a close bond, but it seemed genuinely heartfelt. After all, the most sincere relationship in the world is that of parent and child.
22
The fifth day finally arrived.
School ended ten minutes early today. I hurried to the lobby of the academic building to meet up with the others.
Everyone was there, gathered at the front door of the academic building, looking outside.
I followed their gaze and felt a sinking feeling.
A fog had risen outside, hiding countless figures.
They were the 'good children,' coming for the few remaining people.
In the distance, a ridiculously tall humanoid monster could be vaguely seen.
Although its face was not visible, I could feel it watching us.
"Could that be the master of the dormitory building we've never seen before?" Jia Feng exclaimed in shock. "It's so tall, at least three meters, right?"
Under these circumstances, only Jia Feng could remain optimistic.
With only thirty minutes left to figure out how to leave here and get to the cafeteria, we were running out of time.
"How likely do you think it is to rush through?" Wen Qi asked Wen Li, looking outside.
"A suicide mission," Wen Li succinctly replied.
"You still have six questions," a teacher's voice suddenly sounded behind us.
We turned around to find that all the teachers of Wangshan Study Center had gathered in the first-floor lobby. Two female teachers, three male teachers.
All of them were maintaining their widest abnormal smiles.
With the 'good children' army outside and the split-mouth group inside, the scene was incredibly eerie.
"Come over," Lee Ye pulled me aside, "let's discuss."
The seven of us huddled together for a quick meeting.
The biggest problem was the 'good children' army outside and the master of the dormitory building. How could we get information that would allow us to safely cross this distance?
Four minutes later, we posed our final questions to the teachers.
Our side asked: Is there a way for us to safely cross from here to the cafeteria?
The teachers answered: Yes.
Our side asked: What will happen if we are caught by the 'good children' or the master of the dormitory building?
The teachers answered: Become 'good children' or die.
Lee Ye nudged me: "Help me ask a question."
His question was: Where is the key to the method mentioned in the first question?
One of the teachers raised a finger towards Lee Ye.
Lee Ye? He is the key to our safe arrival at the cafeteria?
"Don't joke with me, brother. This gives me the familiar feeling of finding out my poor deskmate from middle school suddenly discovers his biological father is the city's richest man," Jia Feng sighed.
"I remember now," Lee Ye thought for a while, for the first time not responding to Jia Feng, "Yes, it's me."
"Really you, kid?" Hannah approached.
Lee Ye smiled wryly, "Sorry, I just remembered." "Wow," Rose said.
23
Nine minutes left until noon.
A teacher came over and handed Lee Ye a utility knife.
"No time to explain, we'll talk more in the cafeteria," he said quickly. "Here's the plan. I'll go out first, and you guys follow me. Once outside, head straight to the cafeteria and run for your lives."
"Huh?" Wen Qi was a bit confused.
But Lee Ye had already taken the utility knife and cut his finger.
A bizarre scene unfolded.
Pale blue smoke poured out from the wound.
"Run!" Before we could react, he yelled and dashed out first.
Exiting the academic building, the blue smoke spread from Lee Ye's hand, and we followed him out.
The 'good children' indeed stopped chasing us and swarmed towards the blue smoke.
The three-meter-tall monster of the dormitory building strode towards us. I wanted to look back at Lee Ye but was pulled by Hannah.
"Don't look back, just run!"
11:59.
The cafeteria door was within reach.
"Hurry!" Hannah pulled me and Rose, speeding towards the cafeteria.
Jia Feng and the Wen sisters were right behind us, just a step away.
The three-meter-tall monster was almost upon us.
The cafeteria was also just a step away.
No one expected the sudden turn of events.
The monster's abdomen split open, and a thick, spiky tentacle stretched out towards Wen Li.
"Sister!" Wen Qi instinctively pulled Wen Li forward, throwing her ahead but was pushed back by the huge counterforce.
Wen Li fell to the floor of the cafeteria, while Wen Qi was dragged back by the tentacle.
She was devoured right in front of us.
Wen Li got up to rush out but was held back by us.
12:30.
The cafeteria doors opened, and we saw Lee Ye again.
He told us the truth.
24
Lee Ye, standing firm, is the embodiment of the free will of all students forever trapped within this study center. His strong yearning for freedom and the future became so intense that it gave birth to his existence. This overwhelming will twisted the school's original intent, turning this inescapable death trap into a sliver of hope for life. The tug-of-war between these two forces created the complete Wangshan Study Center, crafted two sets of student rules with diametrically opposed goals, and tore apart this space, creating a neutral zone and an escape rift: the cafeteria.
The cafeteria symbolizes the rules. To intervene in the five-day cycle, both the school's will and the will of freedom must abide by the rules. For the first four days, the dormitory monster could only appear within the dormitory building and not before lights out. Lee Ye, however, could only regain his memory and find the key to escape on the last day after hearing the answer to the crucial question from a teacher.
Lee Ye, being the collective will, has no blood. The pale blue smoke is the color of the sky, representing all the perished freedom, dreams, and futures. It's something even the 'good children' long for. Lee Ye is all the students who stayed here, using their lost futures to build a bridge of life for future students.
"There's not much time left, you should go," Lee Ye said, looking at Wen Li, "You need to live well."
"I..." Tears flowed down Wen Li's face again.
"Let me tell you a secret then," Lee Ye adjusted his glasses.
"The teachers are students who once escaped from here.
"All the teachers are familiar loved ones or friends who have forever stayed here.
"After death, they chose to return in spirit to Wangshan to protect new students."
Wen Li was visibly moved by his words. She looked up eagerly, her lips trembling, but all she managed to say was a simple 'thank you.'
"Let's go," Lee Ye waved his hand, "Leave this place."
We took off our school uniforms, climbed through the food serving window into the kitchen, and pushed open the only door in the back kitchen.
Blinding white light burst forth, engulfing me.
"Keep walking forward to leave this place," Lee Ye's voice echoed, "I'm not alone; we are thousands and thousands of free wills forever remaining here. We are the guiding lights in the darkness for those who come after us."
In the midst of the white light, I faintly saw five figures standing side by side in front of the academic building.
From afar, I bowed deeply to them once more.