"All right, your dormitory is Room 301. Just a reminder, when in danger, remember to light two candles at the same time. Oh, and here's another box of matches for you."
The Dormitory Manager handed over a key and a box of matches.
Matches: An ordinary box of matches that can be lit anywhere.
Key: An ordinary key that can open the door to Room 301.
"Thank you, Sister Liu," Mu Rufeng expressed his gratitude, then turned and walked inside.
Those co-workers who had been watching all shook their heads in pity.
"It's Room 301, what a pity it wasn't allocated to me."
"Although it wasn't allocated to my dormitory, he's right next door to me, hehe!"
"Big Head is lucky, getting assigned to the same dormitory as him."
"Yeah, yeah, Big Head hasn't come back yet, let's wait for him here. He should save some flesh and blood for us."
"The taste of living flesh, truly unforgettable."
"You've got to admit, the guy made a pretty penny at the vending machine."
"Right, he actually bought so many candles; it's going to be a bit difficult to take him down tonight."
"Big Head, I'm doubtful. He's probably going to fall into the Dormitory Manager's hands."
...
The outside had already darkened, but since it was not yet dinner time, the streetlights along the roads kept the Scarlet Logistics Park from being pitch-black.
Even inside the dormitory building, there were dim lights, allowing one to see the way without too much difficulty.
There were many staff within the dormitory building, and as Mu Rufeng walked by, the stares from those people made him feel uncomfortable, though not fearful.
Mu Rufeng reached the third floor and stood in the middle of the corridor.
Looking left and right, he saw only darkness, with light from the streetlamps at the balconies at both ends of the hallway.
It looked so gloomy and frightening.
Room 301 was situated at the very end of the third floor, on the leftmost side.
Mu Rufeng walked down the corridor to its end.
Along the way, there were several sinister co-workers lurking in the darkness, silently staring at Mu Rufeng.
If it had been the old Mu Rufeng, he would have been scared stiff.
Mu Rufeng stood in front of Room 301.
Next to Room 301 was Room 303, and across was Room 302.
He glanced at the balcony again and noticed it was sealed off with iron bars.
Mu Rufeng took out the key and inserted it into the lock, giving it a gentle twist; the door opened with a click.
The room was completely dark, so much so that one couldn't see their own hands.
Mu Rufeng immediately began feeling along the wall.
He quickly found a switch and pressed it.
With a "click," an old bulb flickered on, casting an orange glow.
The room wasn't very large; there were two beds on either side against the walls.
In the center was a square table covered in dust.
At the end of the room was a door and a window.
The window was nailed shut with wood and covered with red cloth, completely sealed off.
If his guess was correct, there should be a small balcony behind the door, with the bathroom to its right.
A very standard bedroom, which would be considered luxurious in the real world.
"I don't like the light on, turn it off," a voice suddenly said.
Mu Rufeng was slightly startled and looked over to see that a person was sitting on the bed to his left—a familiar face wrapped in bandages, the Bandaged Woman.
"No rush, I'll just pick a bed first," Mu Rufeng said with a smile, then casually shut the door.
"Which beds here are vacant?" he asked.
"The one next to you, and this one, they're both empty," the Bandaged Lady said.
Mu Rufeng glanced at the two beds. One was to the right as she entered, with only a mattress on it.
The second was the one on the left, near the balcony. It also had a mattress, but it was covered with many miscellaneous items, including clothes.
"Then I'll pick this one," Mu Rufeng said decisively and sat down on the right-hand bed.
At that moment, the Bandaged Lady stretched out her hand, pointing behind Mu Rufeng.
Mu Rufeng was momentarily stunned and immediately turned around to look.
She found that some text had appeared on the wall behind her at some point.
[Dormitory Rules]
1. Please maintain silence.
2. Do not go out between seven o'clock in the evening and five o'clock in the morning.
3. Please try to avoid turning on the lights in the dormitory.
4. After turning off the lights, remember to lock the door.
5. If someone knocks at the door, do not open it under any circumstances, not even for the dormitory manager.
6. Ensure everyone in the dormitory is your roommate; if not, you can throw them off the balcony.
7. When there are no outsiders in the dormitory, it is absolutely safe.
"Hmm?" Mu Rufeng was slightly surprised, it was actually the dormitory rules.
"Thanks," Mu Rufeng said to the Bandaged Lady, expressing her gratitude.
"Can I turn off the lights now?" the Bandaged Lady asked.
"Of course, no problem," Mu Rufeng replied as she stood up and turned off the light directly.
The whole room once again was plunged into pitch-black darkness.
The darkness had little effect on Mu Rufeng.
For a zombie, darkness was like a comfortable habitat.
"By the way, I saw that bed – should there be another roommate?" Mu Rufeng inquired, turning to the Bandaged Lady.
"Hmm," the Bandaged Lady replied, lying back down on her bed.
"What is your job?" Mu Rufeng asked further.
Since the work permit was hidden in the bandages, Mu Rufeng was unaware of the Bandaged Lady's job position and name.
"Please follow the rules and keep quiet," the Bandaged Lady responded.
"Sorry, sorry," Mu Rufeng apologized, then fell silent.
In the pitch-black darkness, Mu Rufeng felt the onset of sleepiness.
She had been tired from an entire day before coming into this instance world.
Now, after busying herself for another day here, she was genuinely sleepy.
However, just before falling asleep, Mu Rufeng remembered something and immediately rose to lock the door from the inside.
"There's one roommate who hasn't returned yet. I've locked the door; that should be okay, right?" Mu Rufeng asked the Bandaged Lady.
"It's fine. That guy hasn't been back to the dormitory in several days anyway; he might as well be dead outside tonight," the Bandaged Lady said after a moment of Silence before finally responding to Mu Rufeng.
Since there was no problem, Mu Rufeng wasn't worried.
She then lay on the mattress and fell into a deep sleep.
It wasn't long before Mu Rufeng's even breathing filled the room.
In the darkness, the Bandaged Lady slowly turned onto her side, facing towards Mu Rufeng.
The eye beneath the bandage stared intently at Mu Rufeng, making the scene suddenly eerie and frightening.
...
Time slowly passed, and soon it was seven o'clock.
Seven o'clock was also when dinner ended.
The lights were all extinguished.
At this time, Crimson Preferred was completely shrouded in darkness without a speck of light.
The moonlight in the sky was also obscured by the thick fog, casting everything into a world of Darkness.