Extra 11: The Principal's Punishment
Sure enough, although the door was still gorgeous and cold, the strange patterns on the door panels no longer seemed so spiritually polluting, and the bronze plate on the lintel also became clearer.
It is indeed [Principal's Office], but there is a line of small words below [also the Academic Affairs Office].
The horrifying friction sound and the soul-freezing resentment just now receded like the tide, as if it was really just an illusion caused by cognitive confusion.
"but……"
Feng Tianning's voice sounded again, with a hint of solemnity.
"The door is unlocked, which means 'it' already knows you're here. The rules inside are more direct and dangerous than outside. Try not to break them, or you'll trigger an even more terrifying backlash."
Her voice was like a stabilizing force. Although it informed them of the danger, it also gave them a glimmer of hope.
At this moment, the dark golden door that had opened a crack suddenly opened completely inward.
There was no sound, no changes in light and shadow, just like a huge silent mouth completely opened.
Inside the door was not the office as imagined, but a huge, spacious, and extremely high circular hall.
The floor was a mirror-like black marble, reflecting the sky above—there was no ceiling above, only an endless, swirling gray mist, like an inverted whirlpool.
In the middle of the hall, there was a huge desk that looked like it was made of dark red wood. Behind the desk was a high-backed chair with an extremely high back. The chair was completely turned around, facing the door, so it was impossible to tell whether there was anyone sitting on it.
The desk was empty, with only an old-fashioned green desk lamp on, casting a dim halo of light that barely illuminated the desktop.
Apart from the light, the rest of the hall was submerged in thick, seemingly living shadows.
There was a very strange smell in the air—the same sweet, decayed smell, but mixed with an extremely ancient, archive-like dust.
A calm and emotionless voice came from behind the high-backed chair, echoing in the empty hall:
"Latecomer. Come in."
The voice was not loud, but it carried an invisible pressure that acted directly on the depths of the soul, making it impossible for people to have the slightest thought of resistance.
The three of them looked at each other, gritted their teeth, and stepped over the high threshold.
The moment they all entered the hall, the dark golden door behind them closed silently and quickly, completely blocking their escape route.
"Go forward. Stand in the light." The strange voice sounded again.
They could only bite the bullet and walk towards the only light source in the center of the hall. The sound of their footsteps echoed in the empty hall, seeming unusually small.
When they were about three meters away from the desk, the three of them stopped, their hearts almost jumping out of their throats.
The high-backed chair still faced away from them.
"Name. Class. Reason for being late." A strange voice asked.
Li Mu took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and answered according to the words he had prepared before:
"Principal, we are students from Class 1801: Li Mu, Gao Meng, and Zhao Sha. We... got lost, and that's why we're late."
He deliberately ignored the previous conflict and what happened on the sixth floor.
"get lost."
The principal repeated the word without any change in his tone, but it made people feel an inexplicable chill.
"The layout of Yucai Middle School is meticulously designed, and there's no chance of getting lost. Your excuse is invalid."
They suddenly reacted to the principal's words.
Yucai Middle School?!
Rule 8 states, "This school is an elementary school. If you discover any middle school, high school, or university-level subjects, please report it to the principal."
They looked at each other and tacitly chose not to believe this weird principal.
Li Mu's brain was thinking rapidly, but he didn't dare to pause:
"We know we were wrong and are willing to accept any punishment."
"Punishment."
The principal seemed very interested in this word.
"Yes. If you violate discipline, you must accept the punishment."
The high-back chair finally moved.
It began to rotate extremely slowly, with a slight sound of wood rubbing against each other that made your teeth ache.
Little by little, the side of the person sitting on it was revealed.
The first thing I saw was a hand resting on the armrest, pale, slender, with distinct finger bones.
Then, there were the sleeves of the crimson Zhongshan suit, ironed without a single wrinkle.
Then, the thin shoulders and the neatly combed hair...
Finally, the whole face turned.
The eyes behind the glasses were narrow and cold, without any emotion, exactly the same face as the previous class teacher.
But the difference was that this face had no expression, the skin was as pale as wax, and the lips were tightly pressed into a bloodless thin line.
His eyes swept over the three people, as if he was examining three inanimate objects.
"Punishment needs to be based on the rules."
The principal spoke, his voice still cold, but with an unquestionable authority.
"You have violated Article 17, Paragraph 3 of the Yucai Middle School Student Code of Conduct: Unexcused Lateness and Absenteeism. According to regulations, the punishment is..."
It paused slightly, and its cold eyes seemed to wander over the three people, as if it was choosing something.
"…after-school detention."
Bu******* was stunned and didn't understand what this meant.
The principal slowly raised his pale hand and pointed to the thick shadow on one side of the hall.
Following the direction of its finger, the shadows there squirmed, and slowly and silently, three old wooden student desks and three equally old chairs emerged.
There were open exercise books and pencils on the desk, as if they had been prepared long ago.
In front of the three desks, the shadows began to wriggle again, and a blurry figure wearing red work clothes, with his head lowered and a huge wooden ruler in his hand, slowly took shape.
A cold, numb, and desperate pressure emanated from the figure in work clothes.
"Go ahead."
The principal's voice was calm, "Finish your tutoring. Teacher Liang will... guide you well."
The figure in work clothes known as "Teacher Liang" slowly raised his head.
The shadow covered most of his face, and one could only see the corner of his mouth turned down with a bitter expression, and the shiny ruler in his hand, which looked like it had been used to punish countless people.
Don't confront teachers, and don't trust them. They are its minions.
[The classroom is a place for learning. Please do not do anything unrelated to learning in the classroom.]
[Please keep your eyes on the teacher during class. If you do, the teacher will think you are disobeying discipline.]
Although this is not a classroom, "tutoring" obviously falls under "learning".
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