Chapter 7: Hiking Adventure
After everyone had finished eating, Dong Junwei gathered everyone again.
"So, Tang Jing, Chen Mu, and I discussed it earlier. We feel that staying in the classroom is not a long-term solution. We should venture outside and find another safe spot. What do you all think?"
"Why? Wouldn't it be better to stay in the classroom and wait for someone else to rescue us? It could be even more dangerous out there. Any random bird could just swoop down and snatch us away."
Clearly, everyone was deeply troubled by Luo Hui being taken away by a swallow.
Dong Junwei sighed, "It's been over a day since we shrank. If someone was coming to rescue us, they would have done so by now. The lack of any response suggests that everyone else has shrunk like us. Who do you think would have the time to come and save us?"
Everyone fell silent, feeling a bit disheartened.
"And besides, the most crucial issue is that there's no food in the classroom," Dong Junwei continued.
"But we have cake! We can eat it for a long time," someone chimed in.
"Don't forget, it's summer now. Without refrigeration, the cake will go bad in just a couple of days."
"There's also a bigger problem – water," Tang Jing added.
She didn't mention it earlier, but as soon as she brought up water, everyone, including Chen Mu, felt their mouths parched.
"We have a water dispenser in the classroom," someone called out.
"The water dispenser is still too high. Do you expect Chen Mu to climb up again?" Dong Junwei said.
Tang Jing added, "Even if we manage to climb up, water won't last as long as cake. How do we bring it down? If we spill it on the ground, can we even drink it?"
As everyone contemplated, they realized the validity of these concerns.
"So, for now, it seems the only choice is to leave the classroom," Dong Junwei concluded.
"But where should we go?"
"That's where we need everyone's ideas and brainstorming."
Once again, silence fell upon the group.
Tang Jing spoke up, "I need to remind you all that we can't stay here any longer. With so much cake on the ground, it will soon become a paradise for ants and various insects. Dealing with one or two ants is already difficult for us, but if they come in large groups, we might end up becoming their food."
Everyone shivered in response.
"Don't scare us like that! No one said we're not leaving," someone retorted.
"Class monitor, do you have a plan? We'll just follow your lead."
Dong Junwei glanced at Tang Jing and Chen Mu.
Tang Jing seemed prepared and said, "First, we need to find an indoor location to protect us from sun and rain, and it's best to have a stable food source..."The origin of this chapter's debut can be traced to N0v3l--B1n.
The sky was clear and vast.
For Chen Mu and the others, the sky now seemed higher and broader, making them feel even smaller.
Though they were on the ground floor, there were two steps between the classroom floor and the hallway outside.
Thankfully, there was a ramp nearby, which they could use to get down. Otherwise, the thirty-centimeter-high steps would have been like a wall for them.
"I'm wondering how the students in the upstairs classrooms will come down," Wei Dalei suddenly thought out loud.
"And those on the grassy field of the playground, there must be so many insects and things there..." someone added.
As soon as this was mentioned, everyone felt uneasy.
Chen Mu, Tang Jing, and Dong Junwei exchanged glances, then turned away at the same time.
Clearly, the three of them had already considered this issue.
But the answer was destined to be tragic.
Because they were utterly powerless, they tacitly avoided discussing it.
For now, they could only say, "We are all separated, and we can't help them. We can only pray that someone among them awakens powerful abilities and leads the others out of trouble."
This was just a comforting thought, and everyone understood that.
In this post-apocalyptic world, death had become all too commonplace.
Just think about Luo Hui.
For a moment, everyone felt sadness and sorrow weighing heavily on their hearts.
"Thankfully, we still have a good chance of survival," Dong Junwei knew they couldn't let the team continue being pessimistic, so she changed the subject, saying, "Let's push ourselves harder; it's only about six or seven kilometers to go. Let's try to reach our destination before it gets dark."
It was noon, and the ground was scorching hot. The path from the classroom to the cafeteria was all concrete, making it even hotter.
Nevertheless, Tang Jing insisted on continuing at this time because ants and insects would also find it hot, which made it safer for them.
With the thought of possibly becoming food for ants, no one complained about the heat anymore.
However, no matter how well they considered things, reality was still unpredictable.
As they came down the slope and turned the corner, they were confronted by a monstrous creature lying across their path, resembling a giant python.
"Holy... a big... snake!"
A few people turned and ran in fright.
Although Chen Mu was also scared, he tried to remain composed and shouted, "Don't be afraid, it's just a worm."