"Wait a minute..." The director keenly sensed something was amiss. "Shen Mingsu, tell me the truth, what are your feelings for Teacher Yan Chi...?"
"No, no, don't overthink it." Shen Mingsu denied it extremely quickly. "If you say anything more irrelevant, I'll deduct your salary."
The director sneered. He didn't think these things were unimportant. He'd known Shen Mingsu for so many years; how could he not know his personality? He seemed kind and friendly, but his heart was colder than a stone frozen for centuries.
Shen Mingsu's reaction precisely proved that he definitely had feelings for Yan Chi. Otherwise, why didn't he build an outdoor swimming pool for Xi Chang, who kept asking for it?
Yan Chi just needed a place to shop, and he went and built a commercial street for him? Was he really that kind-hearted? Just look at his exhausting work; Shen Mingsu was far from being "good."
But if he brought it up openly, Shen Mingsu would most likely silence him. The director wisely didn't say anything more, but his words were clear: he could only choose between building the base station and building the commercial street.
Shen Mingsu picked and chose, finally deciding to build the commercial street first.
After Shen Mingsu hung up the phone, the director felt utterly exhausted. He felt as if he had been transported back to ancient feudal times, becoming the chief eunuch of the emperor's inner palace, with a favorite concubine who he would do anything for.
The emperor and his concubine were deeply in love, while he, the chief eunuch, was stuck facilitating their affair.
Yan Chi was completely unaware of the director's predicament. He only taught two classes a day at most, but as the homeroom teacher, he often had to stay in his office to supervise the students.
It wasn't until the afternoon, when Xi Chang came to work and inquired about his group assignments, that Yan Chi suddenly remembered this task.
After finishing his last class, in the last few minutes, Yan Chi explained the matter to his class, "Two people per group. There are exactly ten of us in the class. You can form your own teams now and just tell me the results."
Yan Chi took out paper and pen, preparing to write down the list.
The ten students began to discuss it. Yan Chi went to the first group according to seating order; it was Mingcai and Sethia.
He asked, "Who do you want to team up with?"
Mingcai didn't hesitate at all, "I want to team up with Ahui."
Sethia looked a little disappointed, "...Okay, then I'll team up with Tan Mo."
Yan Chi noted down their groups, "Then Mingcai and Ahui will be on duty on Monday, and Sethia and Tan Mo on Tuesday."
He continued, except for the initial four whose order was shuffled, the others continued to team up with their deskmates.
"Li Huai and Feng Wang on Wednesday."
"Shen Chang Le and Xingluo on Thursday."
"Ning Zhu and Lian Deng on Friday."
The advantage of having fewer people was immediately apparent. In less than two minutes, Yan Chi had completed the groupings. He needed to hand the papers to the teacher in charge of patrolling, and then the students would begin their duty roster that evening.
"It's Tuesday today." Yan Chi looked at Sethia and Tan Mo, and instructed them with concern, "You two must listen to the patrol teachers and be extra careful. If you encounter any bad people, your first priority is your own safety, understand?"
His words surprised the students, but they knew Yan Chi's worrisome nature, and they all nodded, saying they understood.
Shen Chang Le rarely spoke, but his deskmate, Xingluo, was a chatterbox.
“This is the first time I’ve heard this,” Xingluo whispered to Shen Chang Le. “Our previous teachers would tell us not to torture those players, just catch them and kill them. But Teacher Chi actually told us to be careful! We’re being cared for!”
Shen Chang Le ignored him. Xingluo, used to talking to himself, stretched out his right hand with a serious expression. “Let me do some calculations. Will any players sneak in today?”
“Wow! There will be several tonight.” Xingluo’s interest was piqued, and he grinned, revealing his little tiger teeth. “Sethia and the others are so lucky! They encountered players on their first day on duty. I hope so many will come on our day; it’ll be so much fun.”
Shen Chang Le replied indifferently, “I hope so.”
School was over, and Yan Chi had to hand in the group assignments to the patrolling teacher. Before leaving the classroom, he didn’t forget something extremely important: “Sethia.”
Sethia had already packed his things. Suddenly called on, he looked bewildered. “Here.”
“Rewrite the homework you handed in today.” Yan Chi's lips curved slightly upward, still displaying a kind and approachable smile. "Do you need me to tell you the reason?"
Sethia replied dejectedly, "No need."
Yan Chi picked up his books: "See you all tomorrow."
The students chorused, "Goodbye, Teacher Chi!"
In the next office, Yan Chi returned to find a long-haired, black-clad stranger sitting at his workstation. Next to him was Xi Chang; the two seemed to know each other and had been chatting.
The man in black said, "I didn't see you yesterday afternoon."
Xi Chang replied, "I had class yesterday, so I didn't go back."
The man in black took out a package and offered it to Xi Chang. "There's a new snack out there, want some?"
Xi Chang said, "No, your snacks definitely won't taste as good as Yan Chi's."
"...That new teacher?"
"Um...Oh, he's here." Xi Chang greeted Yan Chi with a smile as he entered, then nudged the man's shoulder. "You're sitting in his seat, hurry up and give it to him."
The man in black stood up and moved aside. Yan Chi felt a little awkward. "And who is this?"
"This is Lin Heng," Xi Chang introduced to Yan Chi. "He's the patrol teacher. Just give him the group assignments you've written."
He's the mysterious patrol teacher? Yan Chi was surprised, looking Lin Heng up and down.
Lin Heng was tall and imposing, with a cold and aloof appearance. His eyebrows were unconsciously furrowed, revealing an imposing presence. His arms were muscular and strong; one look was enough to tell he was someone not to be trifled with.
Normally, Yan Chi would avoid people like him.
However, Yan Chi felt at ease having him lead the students on patrol.
He handed Lin Heng the slip of paper with the group assignments. Lin Heng grunted in response but didn't say anything else, appearing very aloof.
For the students' safety, Yan Chi tried to say a few more words to him, "Thank you for your help. If we encounter any danger, please make sure to protect the children."
Lin Heng finally gave Yan Chi a look, but it was a strange look, as if Yan Chi had said something absurd and incomprehensible.
After a long while, only after Xi Chang tugged at him did Lin Heng speak, this time adding a few more words, "I know."
...
[The Yunzhou instance is now open, currently selecting players.]
After the system announcement, all the players in the lobby simultaneously stopped what they were doing and stared intently at the large screen. Many players clasped their hands together, praying, "God bless me, ancestors bless me, God bless me, Amen, please don't let it be me."
A new player asked, puzzled, "Is there something wrong with this dungeon? I heard it's just a low-level dungeon, why doesn't anyone want to go?"
An experienced player scoffed, "Ha, you actually believe that rumor? Let me guess, you didn't die from stupidity, did you?"
The new player replied, "No, I was walking down the street and suddenly fell into a pit. I guess I died from the fall."
The experienced player: "...Idiot."
A kind-hearted experienced player offered some explanation, "The level of the Yunzhou dungeon is unknown, but it's definitely not the low-level dungeon rumored to be. To date, no one has been able to successfully clear it. It's said that even an S-rank player perished in it."
The new player gasped. A veteran player sighed, "No one would be foolish enough to choose this dungeon, so the system will automatically select players. But once you're in, it's a one-way street to death."
A few seconds later, the system continued its announcement.
[Players are ready.]
[Number of players: 5.]
[Dungeon Level: ???]
[Description: Yunzhou is a wonderful school, holding the students' fondest memories. The teachers and students are kind, friendly, and helpful. Everyone is welcome to visit the school.]
[Friendly Reminder: Due to the special nature of this dungeon, the player livestream system is disabled. Since there are new players this time, experienced players are requested to provide assistance and help build a friendly player community.]
In the bamboo grove at school, five furtive individuals met up. Three of them looked flustered, huddled together. The boldest, a middle-aged man, tentatively spoke up, "You...you're the veteran players the system mentioned?"
A man and a woman exchanged a glance. The short-haired girl chuckled, "What else did the system tell you?"
Seeing she didn't deny it, the three new players simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief, huddling around her as if they'd found their anchor, chattering away.
"The system said the dungeon's level was unknown, and told us to seek help from veteran players, then it stopped talking."
"What's a dungeon? And what are players? I was clearly playing games at home, and suddenly I'm here. Can I go back?"
"Me too! Me too! I was doing my homework, and in the blink of an eye, I was in a different spot, and there was a system talking in my head..."
The new players were two men and one woman. The two youngest were the first to reveal their identities. Perhaps feeling safer with peers, they huddled even closer.
Boy: "Are you a student?"
Girl: "Yes, I just finished the college entrance exam."
Boy: "I just finished the middle school entrance exam."
The girl was a little surprised, glancing at the boy's 1.8-meter height, somewhat disbelieving. A quick glance at the "Little Genius" pendant on his wrist instantly dispelled her doubts, and the two immediately formed an alliance.
The middle-aged man, observing the experienced player opposite him, smiled after a moment, ignoring the girl, and walked straight to the male player. "Dude, what's the use of partnering with a weak woman? Come with me, I'm strong."
The male player was blind in one eye, as if slashed with a knife, a long scar running from the corner of his eye to his ear. He glanced at the middle-aged man's fleshy face and pot-bellied figure, and smiled contemptuously. "Who do you think you are?"
The middle-aged man remained unfazed, smiling. "Better than her, right?"
As he spoke, he went... The middle-aged man hooked his arm around the older player's shoulder, but the player stepped back, causing the man to miss. He chuckled sheepishly, "When you're out in the world, you rely on your brothers. As the old sage said, 'Women and petty men are hard to deal with.'"
The two older players exchanged a glance. The female player sneered and raised her chin. The male player's attitude changed. "Fine, then you'll come with us."
The two student players, who spent most of their time at school, had never seen such shameless flattery before, and yet he had managed to get close to them. For a moment, the two students were dumbfounded, disbelief written all over their faces.
No teacher had ever told them that this was possible.
But the two students simply couldn't bring themselves to act like the middle-aged man.
Boy: "We're doomed, we're going to die."
Girl: "Why don't you do what that old man did and beg them?"
Boy: "Then let's just wait to die."
But the veteran player didn't abandon them. The female player beckoned, and the two immediately scurried to her side. The girl, more affectionate towards her older sister, nestled close, "Sister, what do we need to do?"
Female player: "This is a survival dungeon. If we survive for three days, we'll naturally clear it."
The male student player was inexplicably optimistic, "Sounds easy."
The female player chuckled, "But no one has ever cleared this dungeon yet."
Male student: "Oh wow."
"So, what are your names?"
Boy: "My name is Xue Shun. My parents hope my life goes smoothly."
Girl: "I'm Ding Yang."
Female player: "You can call me Sister Yin."
Male player: "One-Eyed."
The middle-aged man's eyes darted around. "Call me Old Qian."
After hearing his companions' names, Xue Shun pouted and pulled Ding Yang, "Why are we the only two who told you our real names..."
Ding Yang noticed the other three were somewhat wary. "Maybe we're just stupid."
"Let's go, let's find a place to stay." Sister Yin led the way out of the bamboo grove. "Who knows what this place will look like after dark."
After leaving the bamboo grove, they realized they were in a school.
It was probably recess time. They encountered many students in school uniforms along the way, staring intently as the five players walked past.
Xue Shun felt a chill run down his spine and rubbed his arms. "Why...why are they looking at us like that?"
Ding Yang: "Maybe it's because we're not wearing uniforms. They can tell we're not from the school right away."
Xue Shun pointed to another boy walking towards them. "But he's not wearing a uniform either."
Yan Chi, on his way home from work, suddenly noticed the five people staring at him strangely. He paused, glanced at their clothes, and knew they were definitely from another school.
There were only a few teachers in the school, and he knew them all. In Yunzhou, even administrative staff wore specific uniforms, making them easy to identify.
"You..." Yan Chi was about to ask a question when Shen Chang Le pulled him back. "What's wrong, Chang Le?"
Shen Chang Le looked coldly at the five people from another school. "Teacher, people from other schools are dangerous. Don't come near them."
Is that even a thing?
Yan Chi was puzzled, but Shen Chang Le had already pulled him away quickly.
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