Chapter 9 I'm willing to believe the principal
Perhaps because many people are still exploring the watch's functions, or out of caution they dare not speak freely, the number of replies to the post is very small, and the replies are piling up very slowly, but the discussion is very serious.
From the initial jokes by a few lucky survivors, to their rebuttals and the emergence of conspiracy theories about the principal, to the eventual refutation of these theories, the winds of change shifted repeatedly within just a few dozen floors.
However, only a minority of people were still in the mood to joke; most were immersed in shock and worry.
...
43L: [So now it's assumed the apocalypse is real? I still think it's a bit fantastical.]
44L: [After what happened this afternoon, I'm no longer afraid of life and death, so I've decided to stay. If what the principal said is false, at worst it'll just be a year or two of delay, and I can retake the exam and go back to university. Anyway, I'm still young. But if this is true, we can prepare for the apocalypse a year in advance, which is like a huge golden finger. Only fools would give up.]
Besides... I almost hope it's fake; if it's true, it's truly terrifying.
46L replied to 44L: [I clicked it. I used to get so excited reading novels, always imagining what I would do if the apocalypse came... But when it actually happened, I realized I wasn't the protagonist at all, but just the unlucky guy in the novel who got bitten to death by zombies at the beginning, used to warn the main character.]
50L: [I won't drop out of school because I'm afraid to gamble.]
...
51L: [I'm speechless... You guys are so naive! Have you ever considered that this isn't a simple "doomsday or not" question? The reality is that the apocalypse might be fake, but the principal's conspiracy is real. Once you're in this school, even if the apocalypse doesn't come a year later, you can't drop out and go back to a normal school. Use your brain, okay?]
52L: [That makes sense, but I have just one question: what's she after?]
Reply from 53L to 51L: [If you want to drop out, then go ahead and drop out. There's no need for this sarcastic tone. Let's have a normal discussion. Don't act like you're the only one who's right when everyone else is drunk.]
56L: [But 52L is right too. I didn't want to drop out of school in the first place, but now I'm starting to hesitate TT]
58L: [Is it possible that if this really is a trap, then considering dropping out of school is pointless? Would the villain still talk about martial ethics?]
60L: [Help! Is there anyone who traveled back from the future who can give me a definite answer? Who should I listen to?!]
...
Neither academic pursuits nor life and death are trivial matters, so it's normal for students to feel lost.
If one's resolve is not firm enough to begin with, once a different voice emerges, one will immediately be swayed and fall into wavering.
Song Rushuang's fingers curled up slightly, and hesitantly placed them on the keyboard projected by her watch.
The forum page refreshed automatically at that moment, and a new reply popped up at the bottom.
The reply was very long, with densely packed text that startled Song Rushuang, but she was immediately drawn in by the content.
63L: [I am a victim of the evil deeds of one of the 21 people who were expelled today. I must say that I believe in the principal!]
During the drill this afternoon, I and three or four other classmates escaped to a secluded path on the side of the teaching building, where there were no zombies before. We planned to hide in a trash can and use the stench of the garbage to cover our own smell. After observing for half an hour, we initially deduced that zombies chase people using sight and smell. As long as they couldn't see us or smell our scent, there was a high chance of escaping.
But just as we lifted the lid of the trash can, the window of the classroom upstairs opened, and some bastard poked his head out and roared, attracting all the zombies not far away!
There were seven or eight zombies! If this wasn't a simulation exercise, I would have been dead long ago. And indeed, I was.
At that point, it was too late to hide in the trash can in front of the zombies, there were no suitable trees to climb, and the path was a dead end. So, the four or five of us were trapped there and died.
He was in such a panic before he died that he didn't even have time to see who did it.
I can't understand why he did that either.
Later, when we went to the auditorium, we learned from the principal's explanation that he had seen the zombies surrounding the entrance of the teaching building from a high vantage point and was afraid they would come in and threaten him. That's why he had the brilliant idea to use us to lure the zombies away.
The problem is, according to the principal, he was in a locked, safe classroom at the time, and there was no danger whatsoever. Besides, he could have waited until we crawled into the trash can before calling the zombies over; that way, we might have had a chance to survive!
But he was afraid that if the zombies found out there were no living people here, they would go back to the teaching building, so he deliberately chose to attract the zombies before we had hidden ourselves properly.
—He did it on purpose! He deliberately lured the zombies to attack us! He deliberately used us as bait to ensure his own safety!
While we were all caught off guard by the horde of zombies and busy trying to escape, with no time to think about what was happening, some people were already plotting to use their classmates' lives to pave a way for their own survival. Just thinking about it sends chills down my spine.
I believe everyone has witnessed the horror of zombies today, but I must say that compared to zombie attacks, the betrayal and framing from one's own kind is even more terrifying to me.
What's even more terrifying is that after he yelled, he shrank back into the classroom, hiding behind the curtains, watching us run for our lives, struggle, and die, just like when we were kids and we poured water on ants, watching them desperately try to survive.
However, due to the angle of view, none of us could see his face.
Without a principal, such a person would simply blend into the crowd, attending classes, going to and from get out of class, showering, and eating with us as if nothing had happened. They would even greet us when we passed by, and we would have no idea what kind of person they were.
When I woke up again, I felt desperate for a time, but you know what happened next.
For me, the luckiest moment of the day was when the principal called out his name, causing him to shed his carefully crafted disguise and rise from the sea of people.
Because of this incident, I am willing to believe the principal.
I know that in most people's eyes, it was the principal who attracted the zombies and the threat, but this experience gave me a different perspective.
On the contrary, I am grateful that the simulation exercise exposed this person, he was punished, and I no longer have to be his classmate. I no longer have to worry about being framed by him and losing my postgraduate recommendation spot after four years of hard work, or even worse, losing my life in the real zombie horde that will come in the future.
This is my opinion, and I've chosen to share it; how you interpret it is up to you to decide.
...
After this long reply was posted, there were no new replies for several minutes, whether because everyone was reading it carefully or was shocked by the content.
After a long while, a few more replies appeared, such as "pat pat," "oh my god," and "I feel sorry for the original poster."
To avoid wasting words, Fu Qing kept his reasons for dismissal very concise, but even so, they caused a stir in the auditorium.
Now, hearing the detailed and vivid accounts from those who experienced it firsthand, the flames of anger in everyone's hearts are completely uncontrollable.
Even those who oppose the principal would probably need to carefully consider their words before speaking.
Song Rushuang's feelings were more complicated than theirs. While reading, Shi Guangyao's smug face flashed through her mind more than once.
The bruise on her shoulder was still throbbing slightly when she left the cafeteria, but for some reason, it had completely healed by the time she got to the auditorium. Her body was perfectly fine, which made her even more certain that this was really just a "drill".
The principal did not harm them.
But she did punish those who did evil.
"..." Song Rushuang finally made up her mind.
She seized the moment of silence to organize the fleeting thoughts that had crossed her mind when she heard Zhang Han's words, and slowly typed them into words.
70L (you): Is it possible that only if the exercise is realistic and brutal enough can those with ulterior motives be exposed and the hidden dangers eliminated as soon as possible? Otherwise, once they find out that everything is fake, it will not be so easy to lure them out.
I know that the principal's approach of dragging us into the exercise without explanation and striving for absolute realism seems cruel and heartless. But looking at it from another perspective, a gentler approach might not have achieved the desired effect at all.
Almost simultaneously with her post, another reply appeared below.
71L: [I am also one of the victims, and I am very grateful to the principal.]
Song Rushuang's heart stirred, and she turned her head, just in time to see Shen Qingqing staring intently at the empty space in front of her.
Although the forum is anonymous, there are many default avatars to choose from before posting. Song Rushuang used a cat head, while 71L's avatar was a lush green bamboo leaf.
She guessed what was going on, pursed her lips, and raised a slight smile.
Replies began to appear below.
73L: [Holy crap, now that you mention it on the 70th floor, I think I understand why we need to conduct drills.]
74L: [A strategy I never thought of before, was it to lure out those 21 people? Suddenly I understand.]
76L: [I've also encountered backstabbing people before, though my experience is nowhere near as terrible as that of the person in post #63L, but I still deeply sympathize with them, and I support post #70L's statement.]
...
63L's description was so detailed that it even evoked deep-seated memories of hurt in some people, and many people changed their minds as a result.
...
77L: [Putting skepticism aside for now, haven't you noticed that if the principal didn't lie, then everything makes sense? Maybe we've been overcomplicating things from the start.]
80L: [I have reservations, but I've decided to stay.]
85L: [Me too.]
...
There were many more people who remained silent, but at this point, the discussion in the post seemed to have come to a temporary end, and Song Rushuang also had her own thoughts.
"What are your thoughts?" Zhang Han suddenly asked.
She was holding a pillow with the head of an unknown idol printed on it, looking at her two roommates, her dark, round eyes inexplicably resembling those of a pleading little dog.
“I want to stay,” Shen Qingqing said. “My family can’t afford for me to repeat a year. If I drop out, I might have to work to support myself while I study. I’m not even sure if I can get such a high score again.”
Zhang Han hadn't expected her family to be in such dire straits, and exclaimed in surprise.
Song Rushuang hesitated for two seconds: "I'll stay too."
She didn't give a reason, and Zhang Han immediately deflated: "You're all not leaving... then I'm not leaving either."
Perhaps it was because of his good family background that he felt confident, or perhaps because he hadn't actually been bitten by a zombie today and wasn't traumatized, but Zhang Han displayed a kind of reckless boldness, like a newborn calf unafraid of tigers. After thinking it through, he put the matter out of his mind.
She jumped out of bed and clapped her hands: "Since no one's leaving, let's go to the cafeteria for lunch! It's my treat on the first day of school!"
The word "canteen" triggered a key phrase, and Song Rushuang and Shen Qingqing's expressions suddenly turned strange.
I feel like I've overlooked something...
*
Fifteen minutes later, everyone sat down in the cafeteria with varying expressions.
As Song Rushuang left through the window with her tray, she inexplicably glanced down at the ground, still under the influence of her own mind.
Only after making sure the floor was clean did she return to her seat.
I had barely sat down when Zhang Han called me to go check out the forum.
Song Rushuang initially thought some emergency had occurred, but then she noticed that the forum homepage had been taken over by a new topic—
[The principal only mentioned that there would be punishment for being late, but he didn't say that the punishment would be cleaning the cafeteria covered in #￥%*……&!]
[Okay, it's confirmed again, the principal really is inhuman.]
[Waaaaah, I'm not clean anymore...]
[A nationwide manhunt for those who fled to the cafeteria before—what exactly did you do here? (smile)]
Song Rushuang: "..."
She accidentally clicked refresh, and the latest post popped up like a deafening shout.
—[Mom, this cafeteria smells!]
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