Chapter 3: The Dangerous Guest

Entering the cafeteria through the main door, the stench of blood grew even stronger inside.

In the dimly lit hall, several private rooms appeared.

A few grotesque creatures, their bodies completely rotten, carried plates of red dishes as they moved back and forth between the dining area and kitchen.

The female manager of the creatures addressed Chen Mu and the others: "You have three minutes to change into the waitstaff uniforms."

After speaking, the manager pointed to a nearby room labeled "Changing Room."

Chen Mu nodded calmly, showing no trace of fear, and pushed open the door to enter.

Several girls exchanged nervous glances, trembling with fright, but gritting their teeth, they followed closely behind Chen Mu.

Inside the changing room, a pungent metallic smell filled the air.

Several uniforms hung on the wall, some stained with blood.

Chen Mu entered first, selecting the cleanest uniform to wear.

The other girls, arriving late, could only choose from what Chen Mu had left behind.

In just over a minute, everyone had changed into their uniforms.

The female manager nodded approvingly at their quickness.

Then, she led them to the door of a private room and said, "There is a guest inside. For the next hour, as waitstaff, you must fulfill the guest's demands."

With that, she opened the door and gestured for Chen Mu and the others to enter.

A round table sat at the center of the room, where a grotesque figure with only half a head was dining.

At that moment, the creature bowed its head, eating; the foul odor of decay emanated from its body.

It held a spoon, pouring a bowl of sticky soup into its shattered mouth, some of the liquid spilling onto the table.

"You—wipe up the spilled soup," it demanded, pointing a half-finger at one of the girls.

The girl, Zhao Mengmeng, was named. Her face turned pale, and she looked at Chen Mu with a pleading gaze.

Noticing her eyes, Chen Mu saw the pitiful expression she wore. She unconsciously pressed her body against his arm, softly whispering in a trembling voice:

"Chen Mu, I’m so scared, can you please help me..."

As a classmate, Chen Mu knew Zhao Mengmeng’s true nature.

Though she appeared innocent and adorable, she was cunning and adept at using her beauty to maximize her gain. She juggled several boyfriends across different classes, a master of time management.

Hearing this, Chen Mu showed a look of disdain.

Having survived five years in the grotesque apocalypse, he was no saint.

She wanted him to send himself to death for her? Only if Chen Mu were crazy.

Zhao Mengmeng had assumed Chen Mu was a naive young boy, easily manipulated by feminine charm like the rich boys in other classes she had toyed with.

This tactic had worked many times before, effortlessly controlling the wealthy heirs.

But Chen Mu was immune to such ploys.

After his blunt refusal, Zhao Mengmeng maintained a pitiful facade, but her eyes revealed a flicker of bitter resentment.

Helpless, she took a deep breath, gritted her teeth, and approached the grotesque creature.

Upon arrival, she found no cloth nearby.

Not wanting to defy the creature’s order, she used her uniform sleeve to carefully wipe the spilled soup from the table.

The cold liquid soaked her sleeve, releasing a foul stench that nearly made her vomit.

Suppressing her nausea, she finally cleaned the tabletop.

The grotesque seemed pleased, producing a spirit money note from its pocket and handing it to Zhao Mengmeng. "This is your tip."

Instantly, Zhao Mengmeng’s eyes lit up.

A month after the grotesque apocalypse began, rumors about spirit money had naturally reached her ears.

She had heard that in grotesque missions, spirit money was a powerful tool. Possessing it could solve many troubles during the tasks.

Some even claimed online that they had broken rules in grotesque missions but were spared by using spirit money.

Such a potent commodity naturally attracted many admirers.

However, obtaining spirit money was extremely difficult, making it scarce.

Online, some wealthy individuals had paid exorbitant sums—one million for just 100 spirit money notes!

Holding ten spirit money notes in her hand, Zhao Mengmeng treated it like a talisman, a thrilled smile curling at her lips.

She glanced at Chen Mu and the other girls, her eyes filled with mockery and disdain. In her view, holding ten spirit money notes already placed her leagues above the penniless Chen Mu and his companions.

The other girls looked on enviously, having only heard rumors of spirit money’s rarity and value, amazed that Zhao Mengmeng had actually received ten as a tip.

Yet Chen Mu remained calm, as if seeing through it all.

In grotesque missions, there was no such thing as a free lunch!

Chen Mu had once completed a midnight cafeteria mission; he knew well that accepting spirit money came with a price. Zhao Mengmeng’s joy was premature.

Suddenly, the creature at the table grabbed an empty plate and said to Zhao Mengmeng, "I’ve finished this dish. Take the plate away."

Caught up in excitement, Zhao Mengmeng didn’t hesitate, holding the spirit money in one hand and the plate in the other as she walked toward the exit.

But she failed to notice the creature’s foot stretching out from under the table, blocking her path.

Just two steps out, Zhao Mengmeng tripped over the foot and stumbled to the ground. The plate slipped from her hands.

With a crashing sound, the plate shattered into pieces on the floor.

A few seconds later, the private room door opened from the outside. Hearing the noise, the female manager entered.

Seeing the broken plate on the floor, her skeletal expression darkened. She glanced at the waitstaff and scolded in an angry tone:

"Who broke the plate? Damaging the restaurant’s property will be punished!"

Zhao Mengmeng’s face instantly turned pale as she looked toward the grotesque guest at the table.

The half-faced creature now wore a mocking grin.

Clearly, this grotesque was no friend; it had deliberately tripped Zhao Mengmeng, eager to watch the drama unfold.

Zhao Mengmeng glanced over at Chen Mu not far away. The shattered plate lay right by his feet.

Suddenly, she gritted her teeth and pointed at Chen Mu:

"It was him! He broke the plate!"

Chen Mu frowned, stunned by her shamelessness. After he refused to die for her, she harbored a grudge and now sought to frame him for her mistake.

Yet Chen Mu was not surprised. In five years amidst the grotesque apocalypse, he had seen such betrayals countless times—ingratitude, backstabbing...

He had witnessed the full spectrum of human cruelty and fickleness.

Zhao Mengmeng’s attempt to shift blame was mere child’s play to him.

Moreover, Chen Mu knew that the moment Zhao Mengmeng framed him, her own death sentence had been sealed.