Chapter 36: High Achievement Academy (I)

Chapter 36: High Achievement Academy (I)

The bus travelled along a desolate road, surrounded by lush trees that seemed to be retreating continuously, as if heading up a mountain.

Players who chose a level two instance naturally possessed a certain level of strength. Soon, someone stood up after reading the available instance information and started chatting with the driver.

"Hello, how much longer until we arrive?"

The driver, a man in his forties with a friendly face, responded with a smile, "Hello, Teacher. It's your first time visiting our school, isn't it? The journey is indeed quite long, but we should arrive at the school in about five minutes."

The player who initiated the conversation quickly got into character, smiling, "May I ask your name?"

"Just call me Old Lu."

"Old Brother Lu," the player promptly corrected, "I've always heard that our High Achievement Academy is excellent, and I feel very honored to come to our school. You see, I... have never been here before, and I'm somewhat uneasy. Could you please tell me about the school?"

"No problem."

Through the driver's introduction, the players quickly understood the current situation.

The High Achievement Academy is a prestigious private high school occupying a vast area, with comprehensive facilities. The students are either from affluent families or are high scorers who earned their place.

The school believes that grades are everything. Within the school, the highest-scoring students can even enjoy the privilege of living in individual villas, while low-performing students must reside in basements, sharing rooms with sixteen others.

Moreover, teachers are also tiered based on their students' academic performances.

Teachers with high average scores from their classes enjoy better treatment, while those with lower scores must face corresponding punishments.

"If the class you teach ranks at the bottom, you'll need to undergo retraining," the driver said, smiling, "But you all are excellent teachers recruited by the school with high salaries. The students you teach will certainly achieve great grades, so there's no need to worry about this."

"What does retraining mean?"

The driver glanced at the inquiring player through the rearview mirror.

"Well, you'll find out once you get to the school."

Soon, the bus finally left the desolate road. After rounding a bend, a school standing on a mountain and spanning nearly three hundred acres appeared before everyone.

The school looked particularly majestic even from a distance. Upon closer inspection, each golden letter of the "High Achievement Academy" inscribed at the entrance was as tall as a person, standing imposingly.

Campus

The entrance.

Even from the outside, it was evident that the school was not only astonishingly large, but also extravagantly developed. The security booth at the entrance alone spanned about ten square meters. Through the window, one could see six or seven uniformed guards inside, intently monitoring the screens without blinking.

At the entrance, a middle-aged man who appeared to be a leader was standing. As the vehicle halted, the players disembarked one after another, greeted by the leader's warm smile.

"Welcome to your new position at Gaoji Academy. My last name is Wei, and I am the head of the educational guidance department in the senior second year division," Mr. Wei said, rubbing his hands together, "Time is of the essence, let’s walk and talk."

It was only upon entering the campus that everyone realized that this school was indeed extraordinary.

Six education buildings were scattered throughout the campus. Each structure boasted five levels, with each floor having a ceiling height of about three to four meters. The exteriors were clean and neat. The buildings were interspaced with flower beds blooming in vibrant hues. As the group progressed, they frequently spotted sophisticated glass conservatories near the buildings, where students in uniform were enjoying exquisite afternoon teas.

Noticing the players' gazes fixed on the glass conservatories, Mr. Wei explained, "Those are the top ten students from the last major examination. They have excellent academic performance and generally possess unique study methods. Our school encourages proactive and autonomous learning, so they have the freedom to choose whether to attend classes or to study in a more favorable environment on their own."

The players exchanged glances with each other.

True to its name, Gaoji Academy indeed granted remarkable privileges to students with outstanding academic achievements, even more exaggerated than what the driver had informed them.

Beyond the educational buildings, several small high-rises and a few villas were visible in the distance.

"Over there are the apartments for students and teachers," Mr. Wei continued, "In our school, the most academically excellent students enjoy the best living and teaching conditions. Everything in our school is based on students' examination results. This has led to an average college entrance examination score of over 600 points last year. Apart from a few who underperformed, everyone else was admitted to their desired universities. You will soon find that teaching such a group of students is a very fulfilling experience."

Mr. Wei couldn't hide his pride when talking about the school's students. Though the players couldn't be certain about the veracity of his words, they noticed that students in the classrooms they passed were intently focused on the blackboard, with none turning around.

Even the students in the sun-dappled conservatories were engrossed in their exercise books, barely distracted by the fine pastries before them, indicating the truth in Mr. Wei’s words: the students here were highly studious.

Moreover, it was evident that the school was financially robust. The luxurious infrastructure, including the five-story buildings equipped with sightseeing elevators and artistically designed street lamps, emanated elegance and affluence, underscoring the superior conditions at the academy.

Yet when it came to elegance and affluence, the players knew someone who wasn't outdone by the school...

It seemed that Mr. Wei, leading the way upfront, couldn't resist stealing a few more glances backward.

He had been mulling over how Gaoji Academy always sought the best students and teachers, yet this batch of teachers didn't seem professional at all, with one even having a youthful face resembling a student.

However, this new teacher seemed perfectly suited for Gaoji Academy!

With that thought, Mr. Wei couldn't help but initiate a conversation with the one who looked most like a teacher.

"Excuse me... may I know your last name?"

The player who identified himself as Zhang An smiled and nodded at him, "You may simply call me Zhang."

Zhang?

Was there a teacher with the last name Zhang in this batch?

Mr. Wei furrowed his brows, but upon catching Zhang teacher's gaze, he believed him at least partially.

Mr. Wei offered a regretful smile, "I'm truly sorry for the inconvenience, teachers. Unfortunately, our computer system crashed this morning, causing the loss of all your resumes. Later, we will need to ask you to provide your teaching subjects again, as we have to re-enter the information."

While speaking, Director Wei led them to a room on the first floor of one of the educational buildings. A sign reading "Conference Room" hung above the doorway.

As soon as they entered, Director Wei began to say something, but a face appeared at the doorway.

"Director Wei, the principal is looking for you."

"Oh dear!" Director Wei said apologetically, distributing documents to each player, "Please wait for me for a little while, I will return in ten minutes."

Having said that, Director Wei quickly exited the room.

The conference room was clean and well-lit, devoid of any NPCs, allowing the players to relax slightly before they began to peruse the documents in their hands.

The information provided by Director Wei began with an almost exaggerated portrayal of the school, depicting a future where setting foot in Gaoge Academy almost guaranteed a position at a prestigious university.

Following the introduction were details on the school's regulations and salary benefits.

【1. Teachers are responsible for ensuring the academic performance of their students. Instructors of the class with the lowest average score in the weekly exams will be required to undergo retraining;】

【2. Teachers have the duty to foster a conducive learning environment for excellent students while also offering guidance to underperformers, but physical punishment is prohibited;】

【3. The teaching standard of instructors must gain the approval of students who are ranked in the top ten of the exam results, otherwise, these students have the right to request a change of teacher;】

【4. Teachers must be available at all times to address any emergent issues involving students;】

...

【10. Teachers may offer additional classes to students, but they should return to their accommodations before midnight.】

As some players read on, their brows furrowed increasingly.

This scenario seemed far from daunting at a glance; a prestigious school environment, friendly NPCs, and a completion criterion of a 562-point semester average grade.

According to what Director Wei mentioned earlier, the previous batch of students gained university entry with an average score of 600 points, with the second year's test scores being equivalent to the university entrance exam. Achieving a 562-point average should, therefore, be quite straightforward.

Yet, the highest success rate was only 15%.

Based on their current group of 15 people, at most only two individuals had previously succeeded in completing this scenario.

It's a universally acknowledged fact that scenarios which appear harmonious on the surface are oftentimes the most perilous.

The subsequent section detailed the salary and benefits package.

Gaoge Academy, with its lavish infrastructure, offered equally generous compensation packages for its teachers—however, all perks were directly linked to student performance.

【1. Teachers whose classes attain the highest average grades in their respective subjects across the entire school enjoy benefits such as standalone villas, private offices, the liberty to choose their preferred teaching materials, a chance to select their teaching class, and also the opportunity to choose students to join their class;】

【2. Teachers ranking second and third in student average grades can choose a two-person dormitory, have the opportunity to select their preferred teaching materials, and can also choose students to join their class;】

【3. Teachers who fall in the bottom three in terms of student exam performance are relegated to living at the guard stations of student dormitories;】

【4. Teachers receive respective rewards if the average student score increases; however, a decline in student performance results in corresponding penalties;】

...

These policies, in every aspect, demonstrate that the school genuinely aligns all its strategies towards the students' performance.

But now, these rules and regulations aren't the foremost concern—

A muscular man in his forties or fifties spoke up, "Let's not beat around the bush. When Director Wei returns, he will undoubtedly ask us to declare the subjects we intend to teach. I found this on the bus."

With that, he laid a half-torn advertisement paper on the table.

"Believe it or not, when I found this ad, only half of it remained. It states that Gaoge Academy is earnestly hiring nine Chinese language teachers and six mathematics teachers."

Everyone quickly passed it around to have a look, and after a swift round of examination, the paper returned to the muscular man.

"In other words, nine of us here need to teach Chinese, and six will be tasked with teaching mathematics."

Faces exchanged uneasy glances.

At that moment, someone raised their hand first, saying, "I scored thirty in mathematics during the university entrance examination; I am incompetent at it."

This sentiment immediately resonated with others.

"Damn! I can't either. Hell, I never even attended high school!"

"You think attending high school makes you proficient in mathematics? Are you kidding me?"

"I studied humanities."

"I might be able to bluff my way through teaching Chinese, but with mathematics, I wouldn't even be able to stutter a single word on the podium..."

Just then, a female voice chimed in, "I can teach mathematics."

Everyone swiftly turned their attention towards her.

She seemed to be a quiet, early-twenties young woman. Facing the crowd, she spoke calmly, "I was previously a student in the Mathematics department at D University. I scored full marks in mathematics in the university entrance exam and have experience tutoring students outside of school."

Having said this, the young woman methodically scanned her gaze over the faces of each player present.

"So... is there anyone here with teaching experience, capable of instructing Chinese?"

Silence enveloped the group of players.

The completion requirement is an average student exam score of above 562 points, which evidently pertains to the total student score.

Major subjects like Chinese and Mathematics have a significant contribution to the overall score. Considering the other subjects are taught by NPCs, and the performance discrepancy won't be substantial, it's evident that this young lady is highly confident in her capabilities to take up the role of a mathematics teacher.

She is seeking a partnership with a Chinese teacher of comparable ability to ensure she is not paired randomly with a less competent partner.

However, with such an impressive background, everyone exchanged dubious glances.

At this moment, someone actually raised their hand.

The player, who seemed to blend seamlessly with the school's elegant and noble ambiance, flashed a smile.

"I have worked as a teacher at a tutoring center for a while, so I do have the skills necessary in this area," he said.

The young lady was about to continue speaking when a teacher named "Zhang An" intervened: "But we all understand that the focus of the instance dungeon is not solely on teaching ability."

Suddenly, the players, who were being gradually led to focus on teaching skills as their primary concern, had a moment of realization.

Their success in clearing the instance dungeons relied on individual strength. Although some dungeons, like the current High Score Academy, seemed to be testing the teaching abilities of the players on the surface, how many of them have actually been teachers before?

Even if some possessed capabilities akin to the high-achiever from the D University Mathematics Department who spoke earlier, the rules and regulations within the dungeons allowed for a considerable degree of freedom.

Serious teaching? Letting oneself be led by the nose by NPCs? That's something only a newbie would do.

Finding the most suitable path to clear the dungeon based on its rules; that's what a veteran player should aim for.

Zhang An turned to the players in the conference room, smiling as he said, "Next, let's introduce ourselves to get to know each other better, shall we?"

Suddenly, the pace of the conversation was back in his hands.

The young lady, who had previously taken the initiative to showcase her teaching prowess in an attempt to control the situation and select teammates, gave him a glance. Her originally gentle and introverted expression vanished as she cheerfully raised her hand first, "I'll go first then. My name is Tong Xin Xin, representing the Chaoyang Guild, with 9 dungeon clears to my name."

As she mentioned "from the Chaoyang Guild", a gasp of astonishment echoed through the conference room.

#9, this number of dungeon clears wasn't exactly high.

But securing membership in the premier guild with only nine clears indicated that there must be something special about this young lady, who had been accepted by the Chaoyang Guild despite not having cleared dungeons even ten times.

Next up was the muscular man.

"Guo Si Ming, Lone Wolf Guild, 8 dungeon clears."

"Tan Chen, White Dream Guild, 13 dungeon clears."

"Yu Han Fei, Star-Filled Sky Guild, 10 dungeon clears."

...

One by one, everyone spoke up, each person sizing up potential partners, hoping to team up with someone of noteworthy strength.

Just then, a man with graying hair, who had been sitting quietly in a corner, spoke up.

"Liu Hui, Ronghua Guild, ... 37 dungeon clears."

The conference room suddenly fell silent once more.

In its heyday, the Ronghua Guild was as renowned as the Chaoyang Guild. Had it not been for the tragic loss of its guild leader and high-ranking members in last year's nationwide dungeon event, which led to its rapid disbandment, someone of Liu Hui's caliber with an impressive 37 clears wouldn't typically be seen in a mere second-tier dungeon.

It's rumored that those who remain in the Ronghua Guild now are quite downtrodden, as many witnessed their guild leader and high-ranking members perish during the nationwide dungeon event last year. At that time, many selflessly offered up their items and points in a desperate bid to save the leader, but to no avail.

While everyone was still exchanging uneasy glances, another voice chimed in.

"Xie Fangcheng, no guild affiliation, cleared dungeons once."

Silence.

The conference room became even quieter.

Sitting next to Xie Fangcheng was a young man with a similar small bun hairstyle, looking like a painter, who exclaimed in shock, "How is this possible? You dare to venture into a level two dungeon after only one clear? Have you lost your mind??"

Xie Fangcheng responded calmly, "If I can come, then why not?"

The crowd: "..."

"Damn!" the young man couldn't help but blurt out, dumbfounded, "You... You cleared only once, which means you only cleared a level one dungeon. Do you even realize that the difficulty level of a level two dungeon is not merely a double increment from level one, but a complete and overwhelming surge... You, sigh..."

It's too late to discuss this now.

At this moment, the muscular man was the first to clap his hands.

"Alright, now that everyone has introduced themselves, let's begin..."

"Wait a moment." Tong Xin Xin interrupted him, smiling warmly as she looked at the man who seemed unconcerned, seated in his chair, "There is one more person who hasn't introduced himself yet."

The man she was gazing at returned the smile.

"Zhang An, cleared dungeons four times."

A wave of uproar surged through the conference room.

Since entering the dungeon, everyone had been sizing each other up. Although it was hard to gauge individual strengths based on appearances, some players could immediately identify a seasoned veteran with just a glance.

Zhang An was one such individual.

Since entering the dungeon, his expression remained indifferent, seemingly unfazed by whatever occurred, embodying someone who had weathered many storms.

But nobody expected that he had only ventured into dungeons four times, four times! If all those were level one dungeons, he might not even have honed any personal skills yet! This was the fewest dungeon clears among all the players... wait, there was another player who had only cleared one dungeon!

What's the situation with this dungeon? How could there be two players with such lacking experience mixed in? Has the level two dungeon depreciated in value???

Even Liu Hui, who had been silently observing from a corner, couldn't help but take a second glance at him.

This person... appearing so formidable, could he just be a pillow with embroidery?

Only four dungeon clears?

While it's true that some individuals can possess formidable strength even with few dungeon clears, such individuals are exceedingly rare.

Of course, if someone could access Zhang An's clear record at this moment, they would be met with both surprise and irritation, unable to suppress an exclamation of "damn".

Because on his dungeon-clearing record, there was a stark and solitary '1'.

At this moment, he did not shy away from the gazes around him, instead shifting his attention towards the muscular man from the Lone Wolf guild.

"As for the guild," Zhang An hesitated momentarily, seemingly recalling something, a hint of helplessness crossing his face, "I am about to transfer to Lone Wolf."

The Lone Wolf guild, ranked seventh in the nationwide dungeon event last year, boasts five to six hundred members and is indeed a powerhouse in its own right.

Among the players present, aside from the now virtually defunct second-largest guild, Ronghua, only the guild Tong Xin Xin belongs to, Chaoyang, surpasses Lone Wolf in strength.

Although the strength of a guild doesn't necessarily reflect the capabilities of its individual members, the admission criteria for top ten guilds are indeed stringent.

Players who manage to enter these guilds only need to reveal their guild names as a strong testament to their capabilities.

"Really? I haven't seen you around!" Guo Si Ming looked bewildered.

Zhang An smiled gently, but his demeanor seemed somewhat distant at that moment: "I haven't joined yet, I still have some matters to settle with my previous guild."

Once again, everyone exchanged puzzled glances upon observing his expression.

Transferring to the seventh-ranked guild, and judging by his complex expression of helplessness... it felt as if he had no choice but to join Lone Wolf due to some unavoidable circumstances.

Having only cleared dungeons four times, was he really already of the caliber to reluctantly transfer to the seventh-ranked guild?

Considering his consistently unflappable demeanor... quite mysterious!

As Guo Si Ming was about to inquire further, Zhang An spoke again: "Now that we have briefly introduced ourselves to each other, let's decide who will teach math and who will teach literature."

At this point, Liu Hui raised his hand: "I'll teach math."

No one was surprised to see him volunteering.

Back when Ronghua was rightfully the second-largest guild, it was quite an anomaly in the game. In short, they had a principle: A community with a shared future for mankind.

Truly grand and noble.

Yet ironically, such a guild, which seemed unlikely to survive in the gaming environment, had indeed managed to secure the second rank, even surpassing Chaoyang guild in membership at its peak.

It seems that there are still plenty of people willing to march forward heedlessly in the human race.

Even now, when the guild is nearly gone, those who stand firm amidst the ruins of Ronghua still adhere to those unspoken rules of old.

After he finished speaking, Guo Si Ming also raised his hand.

"I guess I'll do it," the muscular man said with a naive smile, "I never attended high school, so both literature and math are Greek to me, I can't make heads or tails of either."

That makes three.

Surprisingly, at this moment, Zhang An also raised his hand.

"I am available as well."

After he raised his hand, Tong Xin Xin on the side blinked in surprise, "Aren't you going to teach literature?"

Zhang An smiled, "Teachers in our tutoring class are versatile."

Soon, two more players raised their hands after some thoughtful consideration.

"Although math seems a bit challenging, at least the answers are definitive. I can't handle literature; I copied the reading section for my essay during the college entrance exam."

This reason was utterly compelling, promptly causing another hand to rise.

"I'm not good at writing essays either; I'll teach math then."

Finally, the allocation was settled with nine literature teachers and six math teachers.

Just then, the door of the conference room opened once again.

Director Wei, who had left earlier, reentered wiping sweat from his forehead.

"I apologize for keeping all the teachers waiting. Now, shall we start by registering our personal information? Our students can't go a day without their teachers, so I'd appreciate it if everyone could quickly assume their posts after the registration. The uniforms have been delivered to your dormitories. Please change into them when you return for a break at noon. For the morning, please make do and commence with the lessons. Our next major examination is just two days away, and we can't afford any delays."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Seizing the moment, Tong Xin Xin inquired, "Director Wei, considering our urgent schedule and the students have already been attending school for a while, why are we recruiting teachers suddenly in the middle of the term?"

Director Wei sighed heavily, his expression indicating that the matter was somewhat unfortunate, "Just two days ago, fifteen of our school's teachers took the students for a relaxing outing down the mountain and encountered a car accident on the way. Fifteen teachers and seven students died...sigh."

Fifteen teachers, among them six math and nine literature teachers, went out for a trip with seven students??

Leaving other matters aside, the nine literature teachers must have come from at least nine different classes, and even if the seven students came one from each class, this pairing doesn't add up.

At this point, Director Wei's expression turned somewhat relieved, "Fortunately, our school responded swiftly, immediately recruiting outstanding teachers like yourselves. Otherwise, the academic performance of students in these fifteen classes would have plummeted."

Director Wei's words conveyed a lot of information.

Fifteen classes, implying that each player will be responsible for teaching one class, without an immediate opportunity for collaboration.

The rules also state that the teacher with the highest educational achievement will have the chance to choose a class to instruct.

Moreover, considering the substantial loss of teachers and students, Director Wei seemed utterly unconcerned about the tragedy, focusing only on the potential decline in academic performance of the fifteen classes.

Additionally, if the students were truly as studious as Director Wei suggested, a short-term absence of teachers might not necessarily lead to a decline in their academic performance.

Is the role of a teacher merely to impart knowledge?

Furthermore... a car accident occurred just two days ago, and new teachers have been recruited and appointed already today. No matter how one looks at it, this situation seems to have been premeditated.

Everyone had different thoughts, quickly following Director Wei to the senior second-year teaching building under his guidance.

"We have a total of 24 classes in the senior second year. Conveniently, the upcoming lesson is math, so I'd like all the math teachers to prepare."

Having said that, Director Wei led them first to the mathematics department's office.

The office was on the second floor, occupied by about a dozen NPCs, each engrossed in their work. Only occasionally did one or two raise their heads to glance at them before resuming their tasks.

At the last row of the office desks, there were six empty cubicles, with stacks of thick books and heaps of test papers on the tables, evidently prepared for them.

"Everyone, please prepare for your lessons; the teaching materials have already been marked to indicate where you should start."

The crowd promptly took their seats and began to sift through the materials in hand.

The pile of books included textbooks and teaching materials, and even a handbook as thick as a dictionary, which detailed even the "course process", allowing for a lecture straight from the book.

After a brief examination, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, quickly skimming to the marked sections to prepare for the upcoming lesson.

However, Zhang An merely glanced at the teaching materials before starting to flip through the test papers.

Guo Siming, who considered him a potential recruit for his guild, couldn't help but whisper a caution, "You may have taught students before, but these might not be the same as what you've taught, right? Aren't you going to check?"

Zhang An smiled, "Who starts teaching right from the first lesson?"

"Huh?"

Zhang An lifted the test papers in his hand, "The first lesson must certainly be used for a formative assessment to gauge the students' level, and then determine the teaching strategy accordingly."

The crowd nodded in sudden realization.

Meanwhile, in the Chinese office on the third floor, someone else had flipped through a few pages of the teaching material before moving to the test papers, swiftly finding the desired set.

Beside them, a player named Yue Haiyang, sporting a tuft of hair, admonished fiercely and with great frustration, "Look at you! Clearing a level one instance is one thing, but the difficulty of level two is not something to be taken lightly! You need to show some seriousness!"

Jie Fangcheng, slouching deeply into the leather chair, looked innocent, "But I am being serious!"

"Serious? If you were serious, why haven't you even flipped through the lecture notes? Do you even know what you're supposed to teach later??"

Jie Fangcheng shook his head, "No teaching, just having them do the papers."

However, unlike Zhang An's reasoned approach of "having students work on the papers not out of laziness but as a mark of a good teacher", Jie Fangcheng's justification was even more brazen.

He candidly admitted, "With my level of knowledge, I wouldn't even score ten points on this test. What's the point of me teaching them? They'd probably learn more efficiently studying by themselves!"

Everyone: "…"

Damn! What kind of defeatist reasoning is this?!

...But it seems somewhat logical???

For a moment, everyone seemed somewhat persuaded.

Fortunately, someone in the player's Chinese group with a bit of teaching experience stepped forward to support Jie Fangcheng.

"Improving language arts scores is not an overnight process. During our first class, we are not exactly sure of the current situation. It might be best to have the students take a test. Once they finish, we can collect the tests and assess their performance."

"Absolutely!" Jie Fangcheng wholeheartedly agreed.

Yue Haiyang almost wore out the teaching guide flipping through it, his face displaying a kind of bewildered expression: "Is that so?"

Jie Fangcheng placed the test paper in front of him: "Take a look at this paper, do you know all the answers? If you don't know them, how will you teach the students? Come on, let me test you, 'Lian Feng Qu Tian Bu Ying Chi,' what is the next line?"

"Uh... Ku, Ku Song Dao Gua Yi Jue Bi?" (Note ①)

"Oh? Good job, young man. 'Ai Wu Sheng Zhi Xu Yu'?"

"Xian Chang Jiang Zhi Wu Qiong?" (Note ②)

"Duo Qing Zi Gu Shang Li Bie?"

Yue Haiyang answered with newfound confidence: "Geng Na Kan, Leng Luo Qing Qiu Jie!" (Note ③)

The crowd watched in speechlessness as the two of them exchanged questions and answers.

Do these two even realize that they are currently in a dungeon? Do they know that fifteen teachers just died a couple of days ago?

Despite the school appearing bright and harmonious, it's a level two dungeon with a clearance rate of less than 15%!

Looking at the surrounding teacher NPCs, even with guides that detail nearly every sentence for instruction, they didn't show any signs of relaxation. Not even lifting their heads when the players entered, each immersed in their work, as if being chased by something.

The attitude displayed by these teacher NPCs clearly indicated that the school's danger level was even more severe than they had anticipated.

How could someone, who had never taught before, have the leisure to engage in an ancient poetry recitation here?

Tan Chen and Xu Xiuxiu were both young ladies. After entering the dungeon, they quickly joined up with Tong Xinxin. Now that Tong Xinxin had gone to the mathematics group, only the two of them were left.

Xu Xiuxiu couldn't help but exchange a glance with Tan Chen.

Jie Fangcheng, after all, was a newbie who had only cleared the dungeon once. It might be best to give him a reminder.

Time is precious; they shouldn't be wasting it playing this kind of recitation game.

Just as Tan Chen leaned in, Jie Fangcheng asked another question: "Chui Si Bing Zhong Jing Zuo Qi?"

"Xiao Wen Ke Cong He Chu Lai!" Yue Haiyang replied instantly. (Note ④)

Tan Chen couldn't stand it anymore: "It's 'An Feng Chui Yu Ru Han Chuang'!! Stop polluting the DNA with these internet memes!!"

Xu Xiuxiu covered her face with her hands in disbelief, standing behind them.

...

Soon, after the mathematics class ended, it was time for language arts. Everyone proceeded to the classes they were assigned to teach according to the class rosters they received.

For many, this was their first time teaching. Although they were individuals who had struggled amidst life and death situations numerous times, this first time felt rather special in its own way.

Xu Xiuxiu was somewhat introverted in nature, and at this moment, she felt quite nervous.

She watched, wide-eyed, as the player named Jie Fangcheng beside her seemed utterly at ease — efficiently organizing his papers, and casually picking up the insulated cup from the office — a facility that even boasted a coffee machine, a tea brewer, and an assortment of high-end teas.

While everyone else was hustling, making last-minute preparations and identifying potential issues for the impending task, this Jie Fangcheng strolled leisurely to fetch himself a cup of milk tea. After a sip and a pondering hum, apparently dissatisfied with the flavor, he proceeded to try the coffee instead.

It seemed as though he had never tasted such a beverage before, for after a single sip, he scrunched his eyebrows, sniffed the liquid inside the cup curiously, and having ascertained that no one was watching, decisively poured the coffee into a waste bucket.

He then rinsed the cup and brewed a cup of tea instead.

With a pleasant aroma wafting around him, he returned to his seat in a relaxed manner, sipping the tea and leisurely perusing through the captivating essays and stories in the language textbook, his demeanor akin to being at home.

Xu Xiuxiu was astounded witnessing this entire sequence.

His adept slacking-off demeanor resembled that of seasoned corporate workers who, despite a twenty-year contract, have no ambition for promotions, resembling 'lazy fish' colleagues.

Why wasn't he feeling any pressure at all?

A profound question arose in Xu Xiuxiu's mind.

She wasn't the only one puzzled. Yue Haiyang kept glancing at him, finding that Jie's relaxed posture, with papers under his arm and an insulated cup in hand, eerily resembled his father who had been a veteran in bureaucratic institutions — even his walking style mirrored that of a seasoned official, showcasing a remarkable familiarity and ease with the environment.

How could someone so young exude such a palpable aura of someone content with merely getting by?

Yue Haiyang leaned closer to inquire, "Hey, aren't you nervous?"

Jie Fangcheng looked at him oddly, "Nervous? About what?"

"Ahem," Yue Haiyang straightened his attire, "this is our first time teaching, you know."

Jie Fangcheng chuckled, "So what? The students are the ones being tested, not us. Shouldn't they be the nervous ones?"

"Damn... That makes sense!" exclaimed Yue Haiyang, both astonished and pleased, followed by a hint of worry, "But what do we do when we collect their papers later?"

Jie Fangcheng replied with even more conviction, "Isn't there an answer key? Have the students on the left exchange papers with those on the right for grading! They can even sign their names afterward, encouraging them to experience being a 'mini teacher'. It's a win-win."

"..." Yue Haiyang felt that this method seemed somewhat familiar, possibly employed by his teachers during elementary school, yet in this high-stakes simulated environment, no one expected to hoodwink the NPCS in such a manner.

Xu Xiuxiu overheard the conversation from a distance.

This man... clearly was a master at slacking off at work! He had perfected the art of bluffing and coasting!

Strangely enough, listening to this Jie Fangcheng, Xu Xiuxiu felt her nerves gradually easing.

Everyone reached their assigned classrooms, and as the bell signaling the start of the class rang, they simultaneously pushed open the classroom doors.

Entering Class 2-7, Jie Fangcheng too opened the door to his assigned classroom.

Silence.

Although there are forty-five students seated in the classroom, not a sound can be heard.

As Xie Fangcheng steps in, he notices that all the students are wearing identical school uniforms, sitting up straight with their arms on the desks, their eyes the only things moving to watch the newcomer.

Their youthful faces still retain traces of curiosity, yet they appear as disciplined and rigid as marionettes.

How could they seem even more well-behaved than some of the ghosts he has encountered before?

Xie Fangcheng places the papers on the desk, and as the students catch sight of them, their faces display a myriad of expressions. The ones sitting at the back even show signs of outright panic.

It's easy to imagine that in this school, where everything is measured by grades, the seating arrangement of these students might be directly tied to their academic performance.

Sitting at the back possibly indicates poor grades, and in this school, having poor grades seems to be a rather terrifying prospect.

"I am your new Chinese language teacher, my surname is Xie. For our first lesson, we will take a test to assess everyone's abilities." Seeing the pallor and trembles overtaking the students in the back rows, he quickly adds, "This is just a classroom quiz, it won't count towards your grades."

At his words, the entire class freezes in unison.

A girl sitting at the dead center of the first row raises her hand methodically, and Xie Fangcheng nods at her.

"What is it?"

The girl stands up, "But the principal said that we must grade and rank every test, as it helps to determine our positions."

"Oh, I'm not following that rule," Xie Fangcheng replies as he starts distributing the test papers, with a smile, "Just do your best, let the new teacher see how strong you all are."