Chapter 35: A Transcendent Status in the Classroom

The next morning, Chen Mu woke up feeling refreshed and invigorated. The pressure that had been building up during the bizarre, apocalyptic era seemed to have vanished overnight, leaving his entire being revitalized and free from fatigue.

After getting dressed, Chen Mu had breakfast at the Midnight Canteen. At his explicit request, the dishes sold there contained no human flesh, using various animal organs as substitutes instead. After all, Chen Mu was human; the idea of his own business serving human meat made him uncomfortable. Moreover, human flesh was not actually the preferred food for supernatural entities; only low-level beings who could not afford other options resorted to it. The Midnight Canteen aimed to become a high-end establishment and the premier hotel of this grim era, so moving away from human meat was a strategic move for its future development. Because of this, Chen Mu could eat there in the morning with peace of mind, free from any sense of revulsion.

His breakfast consisted of steamed buns, fried dough sticks, and soy milk, all carefully prepared by the kitchen staff to his taste.

After finishing his meal, Chen Mu left the canteen and headed toward the school building. Returning to the familiar campus, he felt a sense of peace and relaxation. It was the time for morning self-study, and the playground was empty, with not a single student in sight. The students were all inside the building, and the sound of rhythmic,朗朗 reading drifted from the classrooms.

"Cherish these final moments of peace," Chen Mu couldn't help but sigh. "Once the 'Dark Night High School' instance begins tonight, this school will turn into a living hell."

Just then, a bald, pot-bellied middle-aged man walked over from the other side of the playground. It was the dean of students. Seeing Chen Mu wandering around, he was immediately incensed and bellowed, "You, student! Come here! What class are you in? I’m going to take down your name!"

However, as Chen Mu walked closer, the dean caught a clear look at his face. The face looked somewhat familiar. The student's name seemed to be... Chen Mu?

*Oh, crap!*

The dean was startled. Over the past two days, rumors about Chen Mu had been spreading like wildfire throughout the school—that he wasn't afraid of the supernatural, that he had bought the Midnight Canteen, that he had scared a monster to death...

The dean had heard plenty of these stories. Everyone in the school now knew that Chen Mu was no ordinary person. The dean had originally been hoping to find a way to get on good terms with him. After all, as the world grew increasingly dangerous, many had sensed the crisis, and having someone like Chen Mu as an ally would be like having a protective talisman in this hellish world. Even the school principal wanted to build a connection with him, but since Chen Mu hadn't returned to school and his phone was unreachable, there had been no way to reach him.

And now, here he was, appearing right before him. Thinking back to his shouting just a moment ago, the dean broke out in a cold sweat. If Chen Mu held a grudge and decided to do away with him, it would be effortless.

The dean quickly forced a smile and bowed flatteringly. "Oh my, isn't this student Chen Mu? Hello, hello! My apologies for my lack of manners. I am Jiang Chengzhou, the dean for the senior year. You can just call me Little Jiang. Chen, if you have any difficulties in school—if any student is bullying you or any teacher is treating you poorly—just let me know, and I will certainly resolve it for you."

Watching the dean’s fawning display, Chen Mu was left speechless. He had only been gone for a day, and the dean was already groveling? One second he was shouting, the next he was in full sycophant mode—he really knew how to adapt.

"Alright, Director Jiang. You go ahead and get back to your work; I’m just walking around."

"Yes, of course! Please, take your time. If you need anything, come straight to my office and tell me." The dean watched him leave with an unnervingly friendly expression.

Soon, Chen Mu arrived at his classroom: Class 27, Grade 12. It was Chinese morning reading, and the teacher, Ms. Song, was at the podium grading papers while the class recited their lessons. As soon as Chen Mu stepped into the room, the sound of reading instantly ceased. Every student put down their books and looked at him with a mix of awe and fear. Even Ms. Song, usually a stern woman, smiled when she saw him.

It was absurd. Chen Mu was stunned. He had been a frequent latecomer, and in the past, whenever he was late, Ms. Song would have given him a tongue-lashing and forced him to stand in the back for an hour. Today, however, she didn't scold him at all; she beamed.

"Oh, Chen is here! Have you had breakfast? If not, I can buy you something," the usually caustic Ms. Song asked with genuine concern.

"No, no, I've already eaten," Chen Mu waved his hands, feeling deeply uncomfortable with the attention.

Ms. Song had heard the rumors. Initially, she had refused to believe in the "apocalypse," thinking everything was normal. But as deaths mounted, fear had taken root in her heart. Especially when students in her own class had received the blood-stained notes demanding they participate in the Midnight Canteen’s trial—that was when her worldview collapsed. The apocalypse was real, and it was unavoidable. Hearing of Chen Mu’s exploits, she was shocked that someone could be so powerful. To her, he had transformed from a poor student into a formidable figure, and she, like the dean, was desperate to get on his good side.

The rest of the students shared this sentiment. Those who had previously looked down on him now kept their heads down, terrified that he might settle old scores. But Chen Mu couldn't be bothered; those were just trivial school conflicts, and as long as they didn't provoke him again, he had no interest in wasting time on them.

Throughout the day, a crowd of students surrounded him. "Chen Mu, is what happened the other night true?" "They say you scared those monsters half to death!" "More than that, I heard you bought the Midnight Canteen!"

Chen Mu’s status in the class had become transcendent. At noon, the principal himself, accompanied by a large group of teachers, arrived at the classroom carrying gifts to visit him. A principal bringing gifts to a student? It was unheard of. In all the years the school had existed, Chen Mu was the first to receive such treatment. The sheer audacity of the situation left even Chen Mu in disbelief.