Behind her, the boy was holding a teacup, raising it halfway to drink water. The mint leaves1
floated into his mouth with the water, and the boy instinctively spat them back into the cup.
But in that moment, everything changed.
The mint leaves, previously showing just a hint of roots, suddenly sprouted uncontrollably, shattering the teacup in his hand in an instant. Glass shards, mixed with cold water, scattered across the floor. At the same time, the mint leaf on his lips began growing at an alarming rate.
In mere seconds, the mint leaves expanded violently from his mouth, puncturing his skull and forcing their way out from the back of his head. The blood-covered mint leaves, still wet and raw, resembled a flower blooming from his head—a gruesome “blood flower,” its petals mingled with yellow and white brain matter.
The boy’s mouth stretched grotesquely beyond normal limits, blood pouring out in torrents that seemed never-ending. His limbs twitched involuntarily as he remained sitting, jerking spasmodically, until finally, he collapsed to the ground.
“What the hell is that…” Wei Li turned to look behind her, her eyes widening in shock as her mind failed to comprehend the scene.
Zhao Linong, also looking, witnessed the mint leaves’ horrific transformation. She saw them growing on the dining table, slithering toward them. Her pupils constricted. Without a word, she grabbed Wei Li’s arm and began to run.
Wei Li, stumbling, was dragged along by Zhao Linong. In her haste, she knocked over the food in front of her, sending the stainless steel plate clattering to the floor.
They were too close. The mint’s mutation was happening too fast.
Zhao Linong’s gaze locked onto a mint root lunging toward her. Her heart pounded in her chest like a drum, her blood rushing as if it were flowing backward. Though her ears were ringing, her face remained unnervingly calm. Wei Li, still dazed, began to regain her senses and was about to shout, “Something’s wrong—”
But Zhao Linong yanked her behind again, grabbed the edge of the dining table with her left hand, and flipped it over to shield them. The mint root paused briefly when it hit the table, but in the next instant, it pierced right through it.
Zhao Linong, who had seen mutated ze lacquer plants before, knew how deadly they could be. She didn’t expect the table to stop the mutated mint, only hoping to buy a few precious seconds. She was already pulling Wei Li to the side as she did so.
Wei Li was stunned, words frozen in her throat as she followed Zhao Linong in a daze.
“Ahhh —”
“Mutated plant! It’s a mutant!”
The chaos finally registered with someone in the cafeteria, and the screams erupted.
“Guards! Call the guards!”
“Everyone, stay alert!”
Panic spread like wildfire as the cafeteria plunged into utter chaos. Alarms began blaring overhead, red lights flashing. With the crowd now fleeing, it felt like the end of the world had come.
Zhao Linong barely had time to register her surroundings. The root of the mint leaves had targeted them and was relentless, knocking over tables in its pursuit. It wouldn’t stop.
Just as they neared the cafeteria’s entrance, a student ran past them, causing Zhao Linong and Wei Li to lose hold of each other. Wei Li was knocked down, lying flat on the floor, trying to get back up.
“Stay down!” Zhao Linong saw the mint root lunging toward them. She sprinted back to Wei Li, grabbed her hand, and dragged her across the floor, pulling her out of the root’s strike zone.
Wei Li, now being dragged like a rag doll, slowed Zhao Linong’s pace. Just as the mint root was about to impale them both, someone charged in with a kitchen knife and chopped off part of the root.
But the respite was brief. The mint root writhed and, within seconds, regenerated—thicker and longer than before.
“What are you doing? Run!” He Yuesheng yelled, slashing at the mint root frantically.
Zhao Linong snapped back to reality and grabbed Wei Li again, ready to flee.
He Yuesheng rushed over and helped pull Wei Li to her feet, and together, the three bolted.
“Bang! Bang!”
Gunshots echoed across the cafeteria. The guards had arrived.
The root that had been chasing them finally halted.
“Guards,” He Yuesheng panted, turning around. “We don’t need to run anymore.”
Zhao Linong stopped, turning her gaze toward the center of the cafeteria.
The massive mint plant stood upright, nearly touching the cafeteria ceiling. The boy who had collapsed earlier was now standing, his head hanging low. Mint leaves burst from every part of his skin, obscuring his figure. His body had become nothing more than human-shaped fertilizer for the plant, his form barely discernible beneath the leaves. The roots of the mint had already pierced several others, draining them of their blood.
“Bang! Bang—”
Gunshots continued as the guards surrounded the mutant mint, firing relentlessly until the massive plant began to wither.
The cafeteria was a war zone—tables overturned, food strewn everywhere, the floor awash with blood. The mix of rotting food and fresh blood filled the air with a nauseating stench.
Somewhere in the distance, a faint sobbing could be heard—whether from fear or the overwhelming relief of survival, it was unclear.
He Yuesheng, still clutching his kitchen knife, turned to Zhao Linong and, now that the danger had passed, said with a forced grin, “You’re a lot braver than last time—you actually ran.”
Zhao Linong, not wanting to explain that she thought it had all been a dream, changed the topic. “Why were you in the cafeteria?”
“I was meeting someone to discuss a little business,” He Yuesheng sighed. “Bad luck, running into a mutant plant in the cafeteria.”
“Everyone, leave! We need to clean up this mess,” a guard called out as several teachers began ushering students out of the cafeteria.
Looking at the kitchen knife in his hand, He Yuesheng trembled, dropping it with a loud clang. “Linong, I’ve got something to take care of. I’ll catch up with you later.”
“Okay,” Zhao Linong nodded, watching He Yuesheng walk over to a boy who must have been the person he was doing business with.
It was the second time Zhao Linong had encountered death. She thought she could handle it, but as she stepped out of the cafeteria and felt something sticky beneath her shoe, she looked down to find a mixture of crushed white rice and blood clinging to her soles.
Her hands clenched tightly, but despite her best efforts, she couldn’t hold it in anymore. She rushed to the side, bracing herself against the wall, and vomited.
“You okay?” Wei Li caught up to her, about to offer a tissue when she suddenly realized her hands wouldn’t move.
“!!!”
Wei Li looked down in shock and cried out to Zhao Linong, “Junior sister, I can’t move my hands!”
Zhao Linong quickly regained her composure, examining Wei Li’s drooping hands. After confirming there was no external injury, she said, “We probably pulled too hard earlier. I’ll take you to the hospital for a check-up.”
And with that, they set off for the hospital.
Wei Li was in shock, staring at her own hands. They hung limply by her sides, completely unresponsive. She tried to lift them, but her fingers wouldn’t obey.
“Junior sister, I can’t move my hands!” she cried out to Zhao Linong, panic rising in her voice.
Zhao Linong, who had just finished vomiting, quickly steadied herself and turned to assess Wei Li’s condition. Seeing no visible wounds or signs of injury, she calmly replied, “You might have pulled something when we were running. Let’s get you to the hospital.”
Wei Li, still in shock, nodded but looked worried. Zhao Linong gently took her by the arm and led her through the still-chaotic scene outside the cafeteria.
As they hurried away, the sounds of emergency personnel and guards working to clear the area filled the air. The sight of the massive mutant mint plant, now withering in the middle of the cafeteria, stuck in Zhao Linong’s mind. The grotesque image of the boy’s body—covered in blood-soaked mint leaves—still haunted her, but she pushed it aside for now. Wei Li needed help.
Fortunately, they arrived at the hospital quickly. Inside, the staff was on high alert, handling several cases from the cafeteria incident.
Shan Shengchen, Wei Li’s uncle, was already there. His expression softened when he saw his niece, though he quickly noticed her unusual state.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” he said after a brief silence. “I heard about the cafeteria attack.”
“Thanks to Zhao Linong for saving me this time,” Wei Li replied, still rattled. “I turned around, and suddenly the boy behind me had mint leaves growing out of his head. I was so scared!”
Shan Shengchen looked at Zhao Linong with sincere gratitude. “Thank you for saving her.”
Zhao Linong nodded, her face serious. “She might have hurt her hand in the chaos. It’s best if she gets checked.”
“It’s just a fracture,” Wei Li said dismissively, trying to put on a brave face despite her worry. “It’ll heal soon, no big deal. Life is more important!”
Shan Shengchen guided Wei Li to get examined, while Zhao Linong lingered in the hospital corridor for a moment, feeling the weight of everything that had happened.
She eventually walked into the hospital restroom, where she splashed cold water on her face. As she looked at her reflection in the mirror, she saw someone who had been through a nightmare. Her face was pale, and her eyes were red from earlier vomiting. She looked exhausted, physically and emotionally drained.
This world, full of its strange crises, made her wonder—who would’ve ever thought that something as harmless as a mint leaf could mutate like that?
She rinsed her mouth and washed her face, trying to regain some sense of calm.
On her way back to the dormitory, Zhao Linong received several messages from her classmate, Tong Tong, who had heard about the attack.
Tong Tong: [Are you okay? I heard something happened in the cafeteria!]
Zhao Linong replied quickly: [I’m fine. Just on my way back now.]
Tong Tong, who was in the dormitory, was relieved and reminded her: [Be careful on your way back.]
Zhao Linong took a deep breath as she headed toward her dorm. The nightmare of the day hadn’t fully set in yet, but she could already feel its weight pressing down on her.
The next morning, at exactly 6:00 AM, the entire city was startled awake by an emergency broadcast blaring through every building.
[Attention all agricultural students, please report to the classroom in the round building immediately!]
The announcement repeated itself three times, its sharp tone waking everyone from their sleep. The dorms buzzed with students scrambling to get dressed and rush to the round building.
Zhao Linong and Tong Tong hurried to the building along with many other agricultural students. Confusion was written all over their faces, as no one seemed to know what was happening.
As they passed through the inner circle of the campus, they saw something strange. Armed guards were storming into the inner dorm buildings, searching through the rooms as if looking for something. The guards carried rifles, and some even carried special steel barrels.
“What are they doing?” Tong Tong asked, puzzled.
Zhao Linong watched as the guards searched every corner of the dorms. She could see them rifling through drawers and cupboards, their movements swift and deliberate. Suddenly, a guard inside slammed the window shut, cutting off her view.
Soon after, they arrived at their classroom, where other students were already seated, murmuring nervously about what might be going on.
He Yuesheng waved to Zhao Linong when she entered, gesturing for her to sit beside him. Leaning in, he whispered, “This might have something to do with those mutated plants from yesterday.”
Zhao Linong, still haunted by the memory of the cafeteria, nodded slowly. “Yeah.”
He Yuesheng added, “The first victim yesterday was a senior who was about to graduate. They were supposed to become a planting officer after graduation.”
Most agricultural students who frequented the cafeteria were wealthy. They could afford the best seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides, and even had access to private Q&A sessions with researchers and planting officers. Their futures as planting officers were practically guaranteed.
Zhao Linong wasn’t surprised.
Just as the classroom was filled with quiet speculation, Kang Anru, their instructor, entered the room. She stood at the podium and waited for silence before finally addressing the class.
“Yesterday,” she began, her voice solemn, “a Class-C mutated plant appeared at the Ninth Agricultural Base.”
