The Decaying Dream of America: I Assemble Corpses and Confront Madness

Lin Zheng leaned against the obstacle and took a deep breath.

My heartbeat transitioned from extreme panic to a state of calm that was almost numb.

There's no point in passively hiding anymore.

He scanned the classroom, his gaze sweeping across every corner, searching for even the slightest possibility of a turnaround.

Finally, his gaze settled on the inconspicuous vent above the back wall of the classroom.

It was a square opening concealed by a metal grille, hanging high on the wall.

His thoughts raced instantly.

Many university buildings have complex and extensive ventilation systems that often connect maintenance passages between floors and even extend to the basement.

In most universities, basements serve as storage for discarded teaching materials and as the main switch for campus equipment.

There is a complex network of pipes there, which may be a potential exit to the outside world.

"Pipeline," Lin Zheng said in a low voice, his voice a little hoarse, but clear enough to penetrate the stagnant air in the classroom.

"This pipe likely leads to the building's maintenance access and then to other rooms."

His words were like a bolt of lightning, piercing through the oppressive gloom in everyone's hearts.

The students, who had been sitting slumped over, suddenly focused their unfocused gazes.

A faint but real hope flickered in everyone's eyes like a flame.

Smith looked at the ventilation vent, then at Lin Zheng, his eyes filled with inquiry and contemplation.

Sam's massive body seemed to gain strength as well, and he struggled to move slightly.

"We have to give it a try," Smith quickly decided.

"Hurry!" Lin Zheng nodded.

He directed several strong boys to pull out a few table legs from the makeshift obstacles.

The heavy wooden table legs were transformed into simple crowbars in Smith's hands.

Smith handed a table leg to Lin Zheng.

"You," Smith pointed to a muscular, bespectacled boy next to him, who was startled.

"You guys give me a hand and pry this open," Smith instructed again.

The boys cautiously but also raced against time to gather around and exert force on the metal grille of the ventilation duct.

The metal scraped against the cement wall, making a harsh "squeak" sound.

Lin Zheng and several boys put in all their effort, leaning slightly forward, each exertion accompanied by muscle tension and panting.

The fence, welded shut by long-term dust and rust, appeared exceptionally sturdy.

With their combined efforts, the screw fixed to the wall finally gave way and made a "pop" sound.

The entire metal grille began to shake.

"Give it your all!" Smith growled.

Finally, with a "crash," the metal grille landed with a thud, bouncing twice on the ground amidst the rising dust.

As a cloud of old dust was stirred up, a pungent odor instantly filled the entire classroom.

It was a nauseating smell of mold and the stench of rotting dead rats, mixed with the odor of some kind of industrial lubricant.

It was suffocating, making the already tense atmosphere even more stagnant.

Everyone instinctively covered their mouths and noses; the physical discomfort was far more intense than the olfactory sensation.

Through that dark vent, the inside of the narrow pipe was completely exposed.

The interior was filled with sharp iron edges and sticky grime, far more cramped than Lin Zheng had imagined.

A tall boy volunteered to be the first to try to enter.

He seemed to be blinded by his recent victory and failed to fully assess his relationship with the pipe dimensions.

The boy adjusted his body to the angle that made it easiest to pass through, and then slowly crawled deeper into the pipe.

His back rubbed against the rough inner wall of the pipe, making a soft rustling sound.

The boy had just squeezed his upper body in when his shoulders were firmly stuck, leaving him in a dilemma.

He tried to take a deep breath, tried to twist his body, tried to do anything that would get him out of trouble.

However, the more he struggled, the tighter the grip became.

Panic instantly overwhelmed him.

A suppressed sob came from deep within the pipe, tinged with a cry.

His legs were kicking wildly in the air.

Each pedal stroke produced a dull thud from inside the pipe, exceptionally clear in the deathly silent school building.

"Don't move!" Smith hissed, realizing that his voice might give away their location.

But he was too nervous to listen to any advice.

His struggles became more intense, and his sobs grew louder.

"Quick! Pull him out!" Lin Zheng realized the danger and quickly called to the boys around him.

Several people worked together to pull up the boy's exposed legs and waist.

They used all their strength, but the boy's body remained motionless inside the pipe, as if he had been poured into it.

The sharp edges of the sheet metal rubbed against the boy's skin.

He let out a pig-like scream, the sound echoing through the pipes and making people's eardrums ache.

This was enough to clearly expose the location of all of them to the gunmen who were out hunting.

Lin Zheng knew they couldn't continue like this.

In the eyes of that killer outside, life and reason are commodities that are cheaper than they imagined.

He absolutely cannot allow the entire team to be wiped out because of one person's mistake.

Lin Zheng rushed forward and, together with Sam, grabbed the boy by the collar and forcibly pulled him out with almost violent force.

However, the pipe collapsed and deformed under the weight, making it impossible to enter any further.

"Stop! You've hurt him!" a girl exclaimed, tears welling up in her eyes.

After being dragged out of the pipe, the boy collapsed to the ground, soaked to the bone, and his face was deathly pale.

His shoulders and arms were scratched by the sheet metal, leaving bloody marks; in some places, the white flesh was even turned inside out, and scarlet blood was gushing out, staining the grime at the pipe openings.

The stench of blood, mixed with the putrid smell of the pipes, permeated the classroom.

The smell was so strong and pungent that it instantly shattered everyone's illusions of escape.

All of everyone's hopes were utterly shattered in that instant of pulling and screaming.

The vents were wide open, and the wind howled out of the ducts, emitting a deep, silent mockery.

The escape plan was completely ruined, and despair once again enveloped the classroom.

Every face bore the same expression: deathly stillness, dejection, and a deeper fear.

The commotion and noise from just now could probably be heard quite far in this deathly quiet teaching building.

The fat boy's pig-like screams were a clear provocation to the gunman.

Their "safe house" has already attracted a lot of attention.

Silence descended once more, this time heavier than ever before.

They strained their ears and listened with all their might.

No one spoke, no one acted, as if awaiting the pronouncement of fate.

Lin Zheng could hear his own heart pounding, clearly audible in his ears.

An unnamed anxiety spread through his chest.

This anxiety does not stem from a fear of death, but rather from a sense of powerlessness in passively waiting.

A stone pushed into an abyss can't go back; it can only fall faster.

Just then, a frantic stomping sound suddenly came from the next room.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The sound was so close, so violent, each note carrying destructive power.

Even through the wall, he could feel a faint vibration coming from it.

Everyone in the classroom jolted, their eyes instantly fixed on the wooden door.

My breathing became more rapid, and my heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of my chest.

The Grim Reaper's scythe seems to be truly about to arrive.