On the blood-red note, the task description was startlingly clear:
\[In the late-night campus, there exists a cafeteria that opens its doors at midnight. When the midnight bell tolls, the kitchen emits a strong smell of blood, with plates of red dishes arranged on the tables. Dim candlelight flickers in the dining hall, awaiting a group of strange guests... You are a waiter at the Midnight Cafeteria. Please arrive at the school cafeteria before midnight. Lateness is an unforgivable fault for a qualified waiter.\]
Chen Mu glanced at the time; it was currently half-past nine in the evening, with two and a half hours left before the task began. The journey to the cafeteria was no more than ten minutes, which was sufficient time to reach there.
In contrast to Chen Mu's composure, the other individuals appeared terrified. The classroom erupted into chaos. Over the past two weeks, rumors of bizarre tasks had circulated among the students, but nobody had expected it to happen right now, right here.
"Oh God, this is actually happening!"
"What should we do? Quick, call the teacher! I heard that bizarre tasks can be fatal!"
"What's the point of calling the teacher? Can't you see the head teacher sitting there? He can't do anything about it."
"Faced with such a terrifying situation, all we can do is hope for the best."
"Can't we just refuse to do the task? Sob, I want to go home."
"Refuse? Are you afraid of dying too slowly? A couple of days ago, in my residential area, a guy received a bizarre task and refused to go. Guess what happened? As soon as the task's start time arrived, a red line appeared around his waist, and he was torn in half. It took him over ten minutes of agony before he died."
"The ones chosen are really unlucky. With such a terrifying task, I wonder how many will survive till morning."
"I hope I'm not chosen; my luck has always been good."
Chen Mu noticed his deskmate casting a pitying glance at him, mixed with a hint of schadenfreude, then discreetly shifting away, fearing to be contaminated by Chen Mu's misfortune. But Chen Mu was already accustomed to it. That's human nature! Those who weren't chosen believed they could watch from afar, unaware that they were also involved.
Chen Mu knew that his deskmate would receive a bizarre task in two weeks and be torn to pieces by fierce anomalies within it.
As the school bell rang, students left the classroom one by one, their bags slung over their shoulders, running away as fast as they could, afraid that the Midnight Cafeteria task would find them.
The number of students in the school decreased steadily, classroom lights flickering off one by one until only Chen Mu's classroom remained lit.
Several classmates who had received the task gathered together, each holding a note, their faces showing fear and despair, their hands trembling.
Except for Chen Mu, all the others were girls from the same class.
To Chen Mu, this wasn't surprising, as he was in a humanities class, where there were naturally more girls than boys.
At this moment, the few girls were pale, trembling with fear, with two of them even whimpering softly. In contrast, Chen Mu appeared unusually calm. The five years of surviving in the apocalyptic world had strengthened Chen Mu's inner resolve. What storms hadn't he weathered? Moreover, with trillions of underworld currency in his possession and having completed this task before his reincarnation, what was there to fear?
Chen Mu's thoughts revolved around how to acquire the Midnight Cafeteria. If he remembered correctly, the Midnight Cafeteria was a hidden gem with significant potential for appreciation. In the later stages of the apocalypse, it had recruited many senior anomalous chefs, becoming a renowned upscale hotel in the area. Countless hungry anomalies coveted its reputation, even willing to act as enforcers for the chance of a good meal. Thus, Chen Mu planned to establish his dominance in the anomalous world, starting with acquiring the Midnight Cafeteria!
The cafeteria was located across from the school playground, and to avoid being late, they arrived early and waited at the entrance. The nighttime cafeteria was dark and silent, showing no signs of human presence. Time passed moment by moment. As three dull chimes rang out, midnight arrived. In the pitch-black cafeteria, several candles flickered, and faint anomalous shadows could be glimpsed darting about. Simultaneously, a subtle but unmistakable scent of blood wafted from the cafeteria's entrance.
"Welcome, young attendants, to the Midnight Cafeteria."
From the cafeteria's entrance emerged a figure dressed in uniform. Chen Mu knew her to be the cafeteria manager, a female anomaly. The cafeteria manager wore a red uniform with a tight skirt, and if one ignored the trace of blood at the corner of her mouth, she would be quite a beautiful woman.
The cafeteria manager glanced at Chen Mu and the others. Amidst the trembling girls, Chen Mu's calm demeanor seemed out of place. The manager appeared somewhat surprised by Chen Mu's composure.
"It's time to work. You newcomers, I am the manager of the Midnight Cafeteria. To ensure your work goes smoothly, I need to explain the cafeteria's rules. Please abide by them:
1. You must faithfully execute my orders without question.
2. The patrons are our guests. Treat them with courtesy, and fulfill their requests unconditionally, even if it's me.
3. The work period is two hours. During this time, you are not allowed to leave the cafeteria or damage any property. Violators will be punished."
After explaining the rules, the manager waved to the group, signaling Chen Mu and his companions to enter the cafeteria.