The more you can’t sleep, the hungrier you get.

Close to ten o’clock, Ryan Bennett was under her blanket, opened the chat window, and tapped on Brian Carter’s profile picture.

A “tap” notification immediately popped up in the chat interface.

She thought for sure Brian Carter would already be asleep at this hour, but unexpectedly, he replied with a “?”—and replied very quickly.

- You’re actually still awake? Why are you up in the middle of the night, what are you doing!

He replied instantly.

- Playing games.

Ryan Bennett: Oh, then go ahead and play.

迟狗: Aren’t you going to sleep?

Ryan Bennett: I can’t fall asleep.

Ryan Bennett typed weakly: I’m too hungry to sleep.

After sending that, she couldn’t help but complain about the instructor: He’s honestly a psycho. He wouldn’t let us eat lunch. I told him that health is the foundation of revolution, and after I said that, he got even angrier.

Brian Carter didn’t reply again.

Ryan Bennett figured he must have started a game, so she didn’t bother him anymore.

-

Meanwhile, in the boys’ dormitory building.

“Damn, you used your ultimate too slow.”

“The other side flashed, chase them.”

“Yao-ge, help! Why aren’t you moving in the jungle? Did your internet lag?”

Brian Carter: “Replying to a message.”

“You can actually tab out to reply at a time like this? Is this the confidence of a true pro?” The game was at a critical moment, and the guy said, “Even if someone came at me with a knife right now, I’d stand my ground, finish this round of damage, and then run.”

Another guy said, “No way, you still need some sense. If it were me, I’d run while finishing my damage.”

“……”

After they finished talking, the next second, they got a notification that a friend had left the game.

There was a bit of noise from the top bunk.

Brian Carter pushed himself off the bed, didn’t bother with the ladder at the side—his legs were long enough to get down from the top bunk directly: “I’m heading out for a bit.”

“?”

“At this hour, you’re going out?”

“Where are you going? And isn’t the military training base gate locked? We’re not allowed out, right?”

Brian Carter pushed open the dorm door and walked straight out.

-

It was quiet in Ryan Bennett’s dorm for nearly twenty minutes.

Everyone was trying to fight hunger by sleeping, but after twenty minutes, the silence was suddenly broken by a loud stomach growl.

Emily Brooks opened her eyes: “My stomach just growled.”

Olivia Turner opened her eyes too: “I can’t sleep at all.”

No one knew who started it, but a few of them burst out laughing because of the stomach growl, completely losing any desire to sleep.

Ryan Bennett laughed for a long time too.

At that moment, the phone she’d left by her pillow suddenly lit up.

It was a new message notification.

She unlocked her phone and saw that Brian Carter had only sent two words:

- Come downstairs.

Come downstairs?

Downstairs for what.

Her first reaction was confusion.

The military training base had strict rules—no leaving the dorm after lights out.

And it was already this late…

What was the point of going downstairs.

But knowing Brian Carter, even though he often acted like a jerk, he wouldn’t just send her a message like this to mess with her.

So Ryan Bennett asked the others, “Is the door downstairs in our building locked?”

Emily Brooks: “I don’t think so, I heard it only gets locked at midnight. Why?”

Ryan Bennett: “…I might have to go down for a bit.”

After saying that, she got up, changed her clothes, grabbed her phone, and snuck out of the dorm as quietly as a thief. Before closing the door, she left a message: “Comrades, if I don’t make it back, remember—the culprit is Brian Carter from Class 1, Grade 10.”

At this hour, neither the hallways nor the lobby had any lights on. Only a few street lamps outside were lit, their faint glow illuminating the area around the building.

Ryan Bennett was wearing oversized pajamas and a pair of baggy blue-and-green shorts.

This outfit was completely casual, not the least bit presentable.

After stepping outside, she looked around—there wasn’t a soul in sight.

The rubber path in front of the dorm was empty, the boys’ dorm next door was dark too, not a single person around.

- You better

- Not be messing with me

- Or you’re dead

Ryan Bennett squatted down, stabbing at her phone screen, typing each word with force.

- I’ll make sure you don’t see the sun tomorrow

- I’ll kill you

- I! Really!! Will kill you!!!

She didn’t dare get too close to the light, afraid a patrolling teacher would spot her, so she could only squat by the side of the building.

It was pitch black all around, with mosquitoes everywhere.

After she’d slapped two mosquitoes to death, Brian Carter replied.

Again, just two words:

- Turn around

Behind the dorm building was a wall that enclosed the entire military training base.

Ryan Bennett stared at the words “turn around,” stunned, and a wild guess popped into her mind.

She turned around, and in the darkness, saw a blurry figure climbing over the wall from outside. The figure stepped onto the top of the wall, and the next second, using his height, landed easily on the ground.

When the person got closer,

She finally saw clearly—he was holding a plastic bag in his hand.

“…Brian Carter?”