In 2009, Haruki Murakami published a book called "What I Talk About When I Talk About Running," which is now a household name. This just shows the inherent advantage of intellectuals. If it were me, when I wanted to run, my colleagues and my lower back would only ask me, "What are you thinking?"
One of the strange phenomena of contemporary society is that when people enter the workforce and become employees, they often forget that their bodies have the function of "running," except in cases of urgent bathroom needs, catching buses, or being late for work.
The human body is quite奇妙, isn't it?
However, perhaps due to the saying "make up for what you lack," although few people have the urge to "run," they are quite enthusiastic about watching "others run." There may be no Forrest Gump in the real world, but we have countless high school students.
Pay attention. This man is named Xiao Ming, and he is tying his shoelaces in a hidden corner of the classroom. Five seconds later, when the bell rings, he will instantly vanish from the classroom, showing not a shred of mercy or respect for the teaching staff.
Xiao Ming's rival is Xiao Huang. From his clothing color, we can tell he's a man who chases the wind. He is subtly performing pre-run stretches in his seat, making thorough preparations for the fierce battle ahead.
From their skilled micro-management, everyone can see that they are battle-hardened veterans. What they are about to face is the most brutal, smokeless war played out daily in middle and high schools across the country—
High school students snatching meals.
Recently, first-person views of high school students snatching meals have become an undeniable "traffic password." As long as you can run with style in the video, getting millions of likes is a matter of minutes.
When my colleague mentioned this to me, I didn't take it seriously, replying that it would only remind me of my lost youth. For those of us who went through nine years of compulsory education, who hasn't shed sweat and passion on the way to the cafeteria? The more extreme ones even need to power up like shonen manga protagonists just to get a bite to eat.
But after watching video examples, I admit I was naive—
Contemporary high school students' meal-snatching has evolved to the level of an "arms race."
As soon as the bell rings, campus life immediately enters Battle Royale mode.
What is a classroom based on meritocracy? It's where only the fastest runners get to eat hot food.
The moment the cafeteria's rolling shutter goes up, the hungry youths already roll inside.
The last time I saw a similar scene was in "Kamen Rider Kuuga," though one was going in and the other coming out. I realized that the "cafeteria" is also a "besieged city": those who are hungry want to get in, while those who are stuffed want to get out.
School zones usually have "Speed Limit 20" signs. When drivers see the crowd rushing for meals, they probably wonder if these signs are still necessary.
For them, speed is seventy miles per hour, their mood is unbearable hunger, their hope is the special dish at the finish line, running with all their might, with the meal on the other shore.
Watching students from different schools march with reverse "Nike" steps, forming a surging wave, I can only think of scenes from "Train to Busan" or "World War Z," where zombies overwhelm the walls.
World War Z
As the bell for the last morning class rings, everyone gradually becomes like a compressed spring, just waiting for that moment to launch forward.
If you say this is disrespectful to teachers, it doesn't matter—because they don't just disrespect teachers; they'd rush past the principal too.
Moreover, if you observe the meal-snatching legion carefully, you'll find that the teacher from the previous class is also rushing for food.
Even worse, having suffered a crushing defeat in physical stamina against the "flowers of the nation's future" and the "sun at eight or nine in the morning," these teachers resort to despicable tricks, showing students the treachery of the adult world—
Go downstairs and start the electric scooter.
A gentleman is good at making use of tools.
Then get sanctioned for illegally driving on campus.
If you ask them why they exhibit such intense passion for snatching meals, they will list thirty benefits of arriving early at the cafeteria and eighty drawbacks of arriving late.
Some don't want to stand in long lines for cold food, while others want to save time for their precious lunch break.
Additionally, cafeteria food is considered China's ninth major cuisine. If you arrive late, who knows what the cafeteria lady will scoop into your bowl. Whenever I recall witnessing the dish "Winter Melon Stir-fried with Pig Nipples" with my own eyes, I understand the supreme driving force behind all this.
Of course, some people simply enjoy the thrill of the sprint. After all, even something as mysterious as "ONE PIECE," which no one really knows what it is, has spawned Four Emperors, Seven Warlords, and Eleven Supernovas. So imagine the drive for the cafeteria's big chicken drumstick, with its clear goal and consistent taste?
In short, if you don't want to be backstabbed by "Teacher Ginger" disguised as braised pork in the cafeteria, or if you want to successfully eat today's special dish, there is only one word left—
Charge!
Strong desires make this silent war particularly intense, especially for schools where the cafeteria feels worlds away from the classroom. If you don't want to end up reciting "as long as I can reach that place" while suffering through cold rice, you must calmly consider all possible accidents within the five minutes—or maybe less—from the bell ringing to reaching the cafeteria.
Besides a strong physique, tactics are synonymous with victory.
Tying shoelaces and warming up are merely the "entry tickets" to the "Battle Royale." Clear on-the-spot strategies and familiarity with the "map" are the keys to getting hot food.
On various video platforms, there are many first-person records of successfully getting hot meals, selflessly sharing how they achieved a "comeback from a disadvantageous start" despite a "disastrous opening."
The golden rule of "Back row by the window, the king's homeland" will be directly spurned. "Back row by the door, the meal-snatching immortal" is the new god among high school students.
Contestants with poor stamina constantly discover optimal routes by mastering the map: charging right if the left is crowded, taking small paths if the main road is blocked.
Young people with team spirit have continuously developed blood-pumping "Martial Soul Fusion Techniques" like "one clears the path, one blocks enemies, one charges forward" during their training.
Watching these meal-snatching videos where individuals achieve a "breakout from adversity" within two minutes, you can only marvel at the supreme street wisdom of the masses.
The college entrance exam is described as "thousands of troops and horses crossing a single-plank bridge," which isn't intuitive enough for them. Whether they can get the ladle with the most meat from the cafeteria lady first is the immediate tangible threat they face.
In such a complex battlefield, Usain Bolt is a thing of the past, Liu Xiang might doubt whether he could run this obstacle course, Su Bingtian would probably only get leftovers, and if Carl Lewis were to rejuvenate and attend high school in China, he might starve to death in the classroom.
Let alone thinking about how to break through when seeing the sea of people; when they see "Hand-holding Sister" on their path, they'd probably have to stop and shout "Foul!"
But ruthless high school students will show them the correct solution to this problem—
Elbow them away!
Five-star General MacArthur said that experienced sports coaches are already picking out track and field prospects at the cafeteria entrance.
But I think, rather than spending so much time and effort choosing, it's better to bring two fruit baskets during leisure time and ask the cafeteria lady who was the first to get served by her.
Every time I watch these young people run with enthusiasm and see their happy smiles as they devour three large bowls of carbs in the cafeteria, I, a thirty-year-old old-timer, feel greatly encouraged, and then I just turn over in bed.
But I don't think this fully explains why these videos are so popular.
Until I remembered the haggard faces and lifeless eyes of workers in the afternoon, I understood Everythinggj—
It must be to absorb yang energy.