章 2: Chapter 2: Food
After Tang Jing's analysis, everyone had some understanding of the current situation, but it also made them feel more hopeless. Going home seemed impossible, and even leaving the classroom was a challenge given the circumstances.
Chen Mu had never thought about this so deeply before and couldn't help but admire Tang Jing.
"What on earth is happening? Why did we shrink?!"
Clearly, these people had been arguing about the current situation for a while before Chen Mu joined them. Although they were almost adults in their senior year, they were still just students, and facing such a situation, it was hard for most of them to stay calm.
All eyes turned to Tang Jing again.
With a sigh, Tang Jing shook her head and said, "I'm not entirely sure, but one thing is clear: if we've simply shrunk physically, many things shouldn't be like this."
"What do you mean?" the others asked in confusion.
"For example, if people shrink, their brain capacity would decrease dramatically, and it's uncertain if their intelligence would remain the same. Also, if the bone strength remains unchanged, the burden on the body would be significantly reduced. The body's heat dissipation mechanism would also be disrupted. In short, body shrinkage would lead to a series of problems, and it wouldn't be as calm as it is now."
"Lastly, and most importantly, the clothes and shoes we are wearing have also shrunk with us..."
Most people in the room were puzzled.
"So, what does that mean?" someone asked.
Chen Mu chimed in, "It means that our bodies shrinking is not a biological or physical change..."
Tang Jing nodded and glanced at him, seemingly surprised that Chen Mu could follow her thoughts.
"So what kind of change is it then?" someone continued to ask.
Tang Jing shrugged, "Who knows? Superpowers? Magic? Or maybe there really are deities who felt that Earth's resources were being wasted by humans, so they created an apocalypse? The truth is, with our current scientific theories, it's difficult to explain what's happening."
As she said this, the atmosphere fell silent.
...
Time passed minute by minute.
It was getting close to evening, and everyone was still sitting in a circle, feeling helpless and uncertain about their fate.
"Gurgle..."
Someone's stomach growled.
The girl who had previously wanted to go home turned red in the face and said apologetically, "I... I'm hungry."
Everyone was already feeling desperate and anxious due to the life-and-death situation, so one boy couldn't help but say, "Zhao Xiaoyan, you're still thinking about food at a time like this?"
A girl named Zhao Xiaoyan hadn't spoken yet when Wei Dalei jumped up and said, "Gu Ping, what nonsense are you spouting? Is her being hungry offending you?"
Chen Mu knew that Wei Dalei had always had a crush on Zhao Xiaoyan. However, this guy seemed like a non-furry brown bear and spoke in a rough manner. Zhao Xiaoyan, on the other hand, was known to be a well-behaved girl, and she clearly didn't match with him. Besides, modern girls have a preference for fresh and attractive looks, and Wei Dalei's appearance probably wouldn't be popular even on Mars.
But at this moment, it seemed like everyone's mindset had changed.
In the desperation of the apocalypse, the sense of security that strength brought was irreplaceable.
Zhao Xiaoyan indeed looked gratefully at Wei Dalei.
Gu Ping raised his voice, "What's it to you?"
Wei Dalei didn't back down either and shouted back, "If it's about Zhao Xiaoyan, then it does concern me!"
Gu Ping and Wei Dalei had some minor conflicts over trivial matters before. Normally, such small disputes among classmates wouldn't be a big deal, but given the current situation, everyone's mindset was unstable, and with tempers flaring, no one was willing to back down.
"Enough, both of you, stop arguing. Fighting will only waste our energy."
Seeing the team becoming increasingly divided, Dong Junwei stepped forward and immediately separated the two.
Chen Mu spoke up, "It's getting late, and feeling hungry is completely normal. Besides, if we want to survive, food is our most basic need, and we should indeed start considering this issue now."
After the incident with the ants, Chen Mu's status within the team had risen significantly, and his words naturally carried weight.
Gu Ping snorted but didn't say anything further.
Tang Jing sighed softly, "It's a shame we're not allowed to bring snacks into the classroom. And even if we find food outside the classroom, who knows how long it'll take."
Everyone fell silent, and Chen Mu frowned slightly. The rule against bringing snacks into the classroom wasn't strictly enforced, but the problem was that snacks didn't have much appeal to students in their current living conditions.
Just then, a girl spoke weakly, "I... I secretly brought a piece of cake into the classroom, and it's on my desk right now."
At first, everyone was puzzled, but then they burst into laughter.
"Du Jiajia, you're a freaking angel! Hahaha."
"You should be awarded the title of the cutest rule-breaker of the year..."
"..."
Du Jiajia was instantly surrounded by the crowd.
A piece of cake, even if it was just a few crumbs, would be enough to feed this group for now, and they could even have some for the next few days.
But the happiness didn't last long before another problem arose.
The cake was on the desk, which was about seventy to eighty centimeters above the ground. With their current height, who could reach it?
"What if we form a human pyramid? One person stands on another's shoulders, and then we can reach it." Someone suggested jokingly.
"Are you crazy? That would be at least the height of dozens of people, not to mention that even if we manage to stack up, the person at the bottom will be squashed into a pancake!"
"Then, how about finding someone to climb up...?"
This suggestion seemed somewhat plausible, but who would do it? Eighty centimeters seemed like eighty meters to them now – as high as a twenty-story building. Who would have the courage to climb up?
"Well, someone seemed very heroic just now, right? Let him climb up." Gu Ping said in a mocking tone.
"If I get it down, you better not eat it!" Wei Dalei retorted immediately.
"I won't eat it if you don't eat it."
"..."
The two were about to argue again.
Suddenly, a girl held her head and squatted down.
"Ah! My head hurts!"
Everyone was stunned.
At that moment, the other girls also showed signs of discomfort.
Dong Junwei gritted her teeth, supporting her forehead, trying to endure the pain.
Tang Jing slowly sat on the ground, her expression pained, and her eyebrows furrowed.
The boys reacted a bit slower, but after five or six seconds, Gu Ping screamed and fell to the ground.
Shortly after, Wei Dalei and the others were not spared either.
In less than 10 seconds, everyone experienced the same headache symptoms.
Chen Mu looked at his classmates lying on the ground, feeling a bit overwhelmed. But just a few seconds later, it was as if a thunderbolt struck in his mind, feeling like his eardrums were about to burst.
The difference was that in just an instant, Chen Mu returned to normal.
The others were clearly more affected, and it took them about a minute to gradually recover.
Everyone looked at each other, unsure of what had just happened.
"What the heck is going on?"
Tang Jing slowly stood up and faced everyone's confusion, saying tiredly, "It seems to be an aftereffect of our bodies shrinking, but all of this is just too bizarre."
"This is freaking crazy!"
Wei Dalei's temper erupted instantly. He was already half-crouched, and now he fiercely pounded the ground with his fist.
"Boom!"
The ground beneath his feet seemed to tremble twice.
On the solid cement floor, a clear fist mark was left.
Everyone was startled.
Even Wei Dalei himself widened his eyes, unable to believe it.
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