The meal was lavish. Perhaps because it was free. Jiang Cheng took a serving of everything. Jiang Cheng had a braised chicken thigh in his mouth while he peeled off the shell of a crabfish with his fingers. The shells on his plate piled up like a small mountain, “Fatty, you should eat some.”
Fatty sighed. He was helpless around Jiang Cheng. He had no appetite, so he picked up a piece of cornbread and munched on it slowly. “Doctor,” He looked around and whispered, “Do you think… This is the real world?” It sounded like Fatty had been holding this question in his heart for a long time. He pressed his lips and continued, “If it’s not… How come everything here feels so real? But…”
“But if it is, how can we explain the supernatural events that are happening, right?” Jiang Cheng spat out the bones.
Jiang Cheng used the free napkin and looked Fatty, “I’ve thought about it before. If the essence of the nightmare realm is an aberration of time and space, every time we push open the door, we come to a place that someone has experienced in their real life.”
Fatty was confused, “Doctor, what do you mean?”
“If everything is in the past, we can’t change the ending anymore. In other words, our arrival doesn’t affect this world.”
“I still don’t get it…”
Jiang Cheng interrupted him. He stared at the door.
Fatty’s pupils narrowed. “You mean someone has prepared this world for us?”
“I don’t know. I don’t have enough evidence to support my hypothesis.”
Jiang Cheng pulled out two clean napkins, folded them and put them in his shirt pocket. He was careful and precise. The man gave Fatty the feeling of a robot. His every axle and gear was operating perfectly.
“Fatty,” Jiang Cheng’s sudden words startled Fatty.
“Doctor,” Fatty nodded. “I’m listening.”
“Have you ever wondered… about the outside world?” Jiang Cheng stared at the door and breathed out a deep sigh.
“Yes.” Jiang Cheng pulled his gaze back. It had something Fatty couldn’t understand. “I mean places outside this school, beyond the street across the school. I mean… somewhere even further away.
“What kind of place… would that be?”
Fatty hadn’t considered any of these before. He finally realised his difference from Jiang Cheng. Most people only focused on how to survive the current mission. Their goal was close. They did everything they could to live and leave.
However, Jiang Cheng’s sight was beyond that. He pondered about things beyond the surface level. For example, the nightmare realms and the rules within the missions. The real rules.
Fatty was an honest man. Both in life and in his work, he was a follower of rules. He didn’t demand or dare to ask for more than what he was given. However, he was not dumb. It was undeniable that Jiang Cheng had opened a new door in his mind.
“I don’t know.” Fatty lowered his head in shame. Then, he shook his head. “I’ve never thought of these things.”
Then, there was silence.
Fatty heard the sound of beeping. He looked up in confusion. Jiang Cheng was sitting upright and calling a number through the phone he was holding in his right hand. The plates and leftovers had been pushed to the side. There was a piece of paper in front of Jiang Cheng. The paper was a page torn from a book. There was a tear line down the side. The paper contained a lot of names, and the names were linked to phone numbers.
Fatty widened his eyes, “This is…” He recognised the piece of paper. The material of the paper was similar to the graduation book they found in the files room.
Jiang Cheng placed the phone beside his ear. He was silent, and Fatty didn’t even dare to breathe. Jiang Cheng didn’t speak, but Fatty realised that as the call proceeded, Jiang Cheng’s expression slowly changed. As curious as he was, he didn’t interrupt Jiang Cheng. He had known from past experience that as befuddling as Jiang Cheng was, he was extremely reliable. At least it was because of Jiang Cheng that he was still alive.
Soon, Jiang Cheng closed the phone. He put the phone and the paper back into his pocket.
“Doctor,” Fatty asked urgently, “What did the other person say?”
Jiang Cheng stood up and slung the camera bag over his shoulder. “The call didn’t go through. The number is not within the service area.”
Fatty was stumped. How could that be? He didn’t count the time, but he was certain that Jiang Cheng had been on the call for more than one minute. Would he keep the call going for so long… if the call didn’t go through?
Despite his question, Fatty cleverly didn’t push the issue.
He knew Jiang Cheng had his reasons. After their time together, Fatty formed a basic trust with Jiang Cheng. Even though Jiang Cheng would say things like he was the best host at his nightclub, Fatty still found him trustworthy.
“Let’s go.” Jiang Cheng packed his stuff and announced as he walked away.
Fatty caught up to him. “Doctor, are we going back to our hostel?”
“No.” Jiang Cheng stood at the cafeteria entrance and pointed down the side. “We’re going to the Prop Centre.”
Fatty’s face dropped. “But… It’s already dark. If we go now…”
“Fatty,” Jiang Cheng turned around and asked seriously, “Have you met a student after we left the files room?”
Fatty thought about it, and then he trembled, “No.”
Fatty had a bad feeling. “Why?”
Jiang Cheng lifted his head to look at the night sky. The sky was dim and dark. There was no moon or stars.
“The sun is not going to come up again…” Jiang Cheng answered.