The large parrot flapped its wings, leading a group of new students around the corner into the depths of the corridor.
It chattered incessantly as it flew.
"This entire building is the School Affairs Committee office, and all the senior students know that."
"However, the building is subdivided into many offices with different functions. If you don't ask clearly at the front desk, we won't be able to take you to the right place."
"Are you the front desk of the office?" Zhang Jixin couldn't help but interject.
"What, looking down on birds?!" The large parrot landed on Zheng Qing's shoulder, tilting its head and glaring at the red-faced male student.
"He doesn't mean that, he means that the front desk should arrange two or three students to assist you," Zheng Qing quickly smoothed things over.
"Hmm, well said!" The large parrot flapped its wings and patted Zheng Qing's head, praising him in an old-fashioned tone: "There is indeed a Little girl helping us at the front desk, but she's not here today because she has something to do."
Everyone suddenly understood.
The corridor was very quiet, with not a single soul in sight.
Under the parrot's guidance, the new students passed by one closed wooden door after another. Copper plaques engraved with the owners of these wooden doors hung above the doorframes.
There were the Hygiene Supervision Office, the Comprehensive Archives Management Office, the School Newspaper Management Office, the Association Union Office, the Student Union Affairs Office, and so on.
The nameplates of each office flashed past Zheng Qing's eyes, dazzling him.
"How many offices are in this building?" Looking at the dazzling doorplates on both sides, Zheng Qing couldn't help but turn his face and ask the large parrot on his shoulder.
Perhaps finding it more energy-efficient to perch on a shoulder than to fly around flapping its wings, this large parrot had stayed put after landing on Zheng Qing's shoulder.
"Too many, even two wings can't count them all!" The large parrot raised one wing and said with emotion: "The first floor is the office area of the School Affairs Committee Internal Affairs Committee; the second floor is the office area of the External Affairs Committee; the third floor is the office area of the Security Affairs Committee. Each committee has more than a dozen functional offices under it."
"Even those Headless Horsemen patrolling the corridor can't tell you how many offices are on each floor—of course, they no longer have heads, so they can't speak even if they wanted to, caw caw caw caw."
Seemingly finding its own joke hilarious, the parrot flapped its wings and cawed with laughter twice.
Lin Guo, in the middle of the group, let out a short gasp.
A cold gust of wind swept past the new students.
Zheng Qing managed a couple of forced laughs, fearfully glancing around, lest the Headless Horsemen the parrot spoke of suddenly appear before him.
The large parrot seemed oblivious to the somewhat oppressive atmosphere that had settled over the group, continuing its explanation in a cheerful tone:
"These offices change constantly, there's no fixed rule."
"For example, a few days ago, the 'fishmen of Linzhong Lake Reserve Office' on the first floor was merged into the 'Campus Security Affairs Office' on the third floor—because in recent years, with the increase in fishmen numbers, incidents of cross-border fishmen injuring people have occurred frequently, and the Internal Affairs Committee believes this is the responsibility of the Security Committee."
"Also, after every Moonlight Council election, the External Affairs Committee on the second floor will increase or decrease corresponding offices based on changes in Council seats."
"So, that number is never fixed."
"Here we are! You need to report here." The parrot flapped its wings, leaving Zheng Qing's shoulder, and came to a wooden door, grabbing the doorframe and pecking the brass plaque twice heavily.
The surface of the copper plaque was pitted, with seven small black seal characters deeply carved into it: 'First Administrative Office'.
"Thump! Thump! Thump!"
The parrot pecked at the plaque with its sharp, round beak.
"I hear you! I hear you!" A muffled voice came from behind the door, full of helplessness: "Go easy! This is the last plaque this month, if you peck it bad, logistics won't issue a new one."
The dark red wooden door suddenly opened, startling the new students at the entrance.
"Follow me!" The large parrot flapped its wings and flew in first.
Several new students cautiously followed behind.
The light inside the room was very ample, forming a stark contrast to the dark and oppressive environment of the corridor.
There was no one behind the door; as far as the eye could see, there were rows of silver-gray metal filing cabinets. The cabinets were very tall, leaving almost no gap between them and the ceiling.
These cabinets were arranged in neat rows, each row appearing to number in the hundreds.
On the cabinet walls facing the door, bright yellow number plates were hung, arranged from left to right, from number one, number two, all the way to number nine.
The parrot's figure had already disappeared into the depths of the office; Zheng Qing could only hear the echoes of its flapping wings.
The few people who had entered the office hesitated and stopped.
The office door closed heavily behind them.
The new students were startled again.
"Walk along the aisle between file cabinets number one and two, towards the back." A voice came from the depths of the office: "Just keep walking forward."
Compared to when it was heard through the door, this voice was much clearer:
"Be careful when you pass the display cases, don't wake up those troublesome little imps."
Zheng Qing quickly understood what that meant.
Further down the aisle, the filing cabinets had some display windows. Inside the transparent glass display windows, many strange and bizarre items were placed.
Some exhibits could still be clearly identified, such as a clown mask with a snake tail for hair, a mottled oil painting, a dirty copper pot, a rusty dagger, a brass ring inlaid with an emerald, a greasy long whip, and so on.
Other exhibits were baffling, such as a piece of irregular black stone, a wooden stick with many small holes bored by insects, a few intertwined colorful cloth strips, and so on.
There were even skeletons of various strange creatures and eerie specimens immersed in unknown liquids.
These exhibits were categorized and neatly arranged, making Zheng Qing's skin crawl.
"Why are these things in an office?" He quietly asked Xiao Xiao.
"They should be magical items illegally brought onto campus by students, confiscated, and placed here," Xiao Xiao pointed to a label on a display case glass.
Zheng Qing leaned closer to the label and read it carefully:
Name: Human Skin Thangka (ID: Y-2006-007)
Quantity (Specification): One (75cm * 50cm)
Holder: Zaxi Duoji (Atlas 06th Rank)
Archived Date: September 1, 2006
Reason for Archiving: Black Magic Tools Strictly Prohibited by School Regulations (3-1-201)
Danger Rank: Three (Do Not Touch)
...
Another label next to this one had somewhat blurry handwriting, Zheng Qing could only barely make out the first few words of the name as 'Barbie Doll'.
In the corresponding display case, a Little girl with big, azure eyes was looking at Zheng Qing with a pitiful expression. She was wearing a crimson princess dress, with a pair of pristine little feet peeking out from under the skirt.
What's dangerous about this?
Zheng Qing couldn't help but rub the label with his fingertip, wanting to see it more clearly.
"Hurry up and follow." Xiao Xiao's quiet warning came from not far ahead: "Remember the prompt after entering the door."
Zheng Qing reluctantly glanced at the Little girl in the display case again, then jogged to catch up with his companions.
"I just found it quite curious," he explained softly.