Chapter 45
Chapter 45
Question Two: How did you die?
Qiao Yu glanced at the students around him. Seeing them all scribbling furiously as if terrified they wouldn’t finish the exam in time, a look of confusion crossed his face.
At that moment, the female teacher placed a timer on the lectern, set it for thirty minutes, and pressed start.
As the countdown began, the students’ pens moved even faster.
Qiao Yu bit the cap of his pen, thought for a moment, and then began to write: I’ve eaten it-fried, deep-fried, steamed, stir-fried, braised, stewed, pickled, and simmered. Chinese cuisine is vast and profound.
Anyone can talk big. This exam clearly wasn’t serious, so he might as well play the rogue.
Question Two: How did you die?
Answer: Hit by a car. The tires rolled over my body, crushing my flesh and bones into a pulp.
Question Three: Is there anyone you are most grateful to in this life?
Answer: Sister Sadako, I suppose. She knew I was bored, so she even put on a movie for me in the middle of the night.
Question Four: How many people have you killed?
Answer: Just a small goal of a hundred million. I’ll keep up the good work.
Question Five: The most terrifying thing you’ve experienced.
Answer: Dying before spending all my money, then coming back to life only to find the money’s gone. That’s double the horror.
“Time’s up. Hand in your papers.”
When the countdown hit zero, the students stopped writing in unison and sat up straight. They followed every instruction to the letter. Because of this, as everyone sat there in dead silence, the sound of scratching pen strokes became exceptionally conspicuous.
Qiao Yu followed the sound and saw a girl sweating profusely, her wrist moving non-stop as she rushed to finish.
“I said hand in your papers. Do you treat your teacher’s words like wind passing your ears?” the teacher’s harsh voice rang out. With a sharp *clack*, the girl jumped in fright, and the pen slipped from her hand, falling to the floor.
“Improper conduct. Solitary confinement.”
The teacher watched the gel pen roll across the floor, then reached out and pressed a button on her desk.
A buzzer let out a short, sharp blast. Immediately, two burly men in black T-shirts with bulging muscles burst in. They grabbed the struggling girl and hauled her out of the classroom.
The students in the class watched coldly, remaining perfectly upright in their seats, not even bothering to spare her a glance.
The teacher glanced at Qiao Yu, who had belatedly straightened his back, and then sat behind the lectern to quietly grade the papers.
Before long, the grading was finished. “Number one, 70 points. Number two, 65 points. Number three, 80 points…”
Was she calling out student IDs?
Qiao Yu couldn’t figure it out. Then, the teacher picked up the last paper and looked toward him. She didn’t announce a score, simply declaring, “Everyone passed. Not bad.”
Immediately after, the sound of a bell signaling the end of class rang through the hallway, and then… the world started spinning.
When Qiao Yu opened his eyes, the horizon was already pale with the first light of dawn.
He checked his phone; it was only six-thirty, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep.
He got up to wash in the bathroom, then sat by the table and rubbed his stomach. He sent a WeChat message to Shang Yan: I’m hungry.
Shang Yan: What do you want to eat?
Qiao Yu smacked his lips and tapped the screen: Meat.
Having slept on his office sofa all night, Shang Yan rubbed his eyes. “Eating meat first thing in the morning? That’s some heavy taste.”
Despite his words, he splashed some water on his face and headed out.
Qiao Yu sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed and idly turned off his screen. He reached into the drawer and pulled out a pack of Marlboros.
There was only half a pack left, something he had swiped from his ‘ex-boyfriend.’
He flicked his lighter. The flickering flame wavered in the air for a moment before slowly approaching the cigarette.
Before he could even take a single puff, a familiar buzzing sound rang out. Qiao Yu’s vision was plunged into darkness, and the sensation of weightlessness hit him once again.
[Warning: No. 18 has violated the School Rules.]
What on earth?!
By the time Qiao Yu regained consciousness, he was standing in a desolate, uninhabited open space.
[Beep, beep, beep-Live Stream Room loading…]
[Loading complete!]
In the next second, the scenery before him slowly emerged like a mirage, transitioning from illusion to reality. Four large characters were inscribed upon the magnificent building in front of him: Yucai University.
[The name of this Instance is-Yucai University. This Instance is a Survival Live Stream; there is no Main Quest.]
[The survival period lasts until someone can reconstruct more than 90% of the Instance storyline. Only then can everyone escape. Failure will result in elimination.]
[Students who passed the Dream Exam are eligible to receive one Review Card as a priority. In addition, ten Review Cards have been scattered throughout the school. First come, first served.]
Instance start countdown: 4 minutes, 37 seconds.
At this moment, Yucai Academy was bathed in sunlight. In the very center of the campus stood a stone statue of the great philosopher, Confucius.
Qiao Yu glanced at the school motto carved into the exterior of the teaching building and read softly, “Respect teachers and their teachings; value virtue and cherish culture.”
Instance start countdown: 3 minutes, 59 seconds.
He slowly walked into the empty campus and stopped at the bulletin board.
Yucai University School Rules:
1. In this school, you only have a student number; you have no name.
2. Students must wear school uniforms while on campus and maintain a neat appearance.
3. Do not be late, skip class, or leave early. Everything must be strictly executed according to Yucai Academy’s official schedule.
4. Do not talk back to teachers. Respect teachers and their teachings; be polite.
5. Do not run, laugh, or play on the stairs.
6. Go to sleep on time at night…
Instance start countdown: 1 minute, 16 seconds.
Qiao Yu skimmed through the general rules and then shifted his gaze to the edge of the bulletin board. There, a row of tiny, cramped handwriting was scribbled-so small that Qiao Yu had to lean right up against the board to see clearly.
Yucai University School Rules, Additional Clauses:
1. In this school, you only have a student number; you have no name. (If someone calls out your real name, you must never respond.)
Qiao Yu tilted his head. What was that supposed to mean?
***
Meanwhile, Shang Yan had bought a portion of crispy fried pork and carried it toward the dormitory behind the Security Bureau. When he pushed the door open, he found the lights weren’t even on. The only illumination in the dark room was the faint glow filtering through the gaps in the curtains.
“Xiao Qiao?”
The room was exceptionally quiet; there was no response. Shang Yan walked forward and lifted the quilt piled on the bed, only to find it empty. There was still a lingering warmth within the bedding.
“Where did he go?”
He took out his phone and made a call.
“Hello, the user you have dialed is out of the service area. Please try again later.”
Shang Yan realized things had taken a turn for the worse!
The quilt was still warm, yet the person was out of the service area. Most likely, he had been pulled into an Instance.
Just then, the phone in his hand rang. He answered it instinctively, and Kong Xianya’s anxious voice came from the other end. “Director Shang, that Yucai Academy Instance has appeared again. Deputy Director Zhang is asking you for items; she’s applying to enter the Instance.”
The Yucai University Instance had already manifested for the third time. Each time it appeared, more than fifty streamers were pulled in, yet no one knew the true nature of the Instance because absolutely no one had ever made it out alive.
Qiao Yu was likely dragged into that very Instance right now.
Shang Yan thinned his lips and spoke calmly to Kong Xianya on the other end of the line. “No need. Tell Sister Zhang to get some rest. I’ll handle the Yucai Academy Instance myself.”
Holding the landline, Kong Xianya stood dazed in the hall. It took a long while before she looked up at the sky and muttered in confusion, “Did the sun rise from the west today?”