Chapter 39: Gaoyi Academy (Part Four)

Chapter 39: Gaoyi Academy (Part Four)

Xie Fangcheng's words rang with an air of unquestionable certainty and righteousness. Not just Wang Xi, but all the surrounding players were silenced, if only for a moment.

Then, before anyone could react, Tong XinXin exerted force from her feet, propelling Wang Xi back into the room in one swift motion.

Before Wang Xi could regain his senses, his neck was already met with the prick of a crimson spike.

Tong XinXin's right hand transformed into a cluster of hard weaponry, resembling quartzite.

[Skill: Bloodline Tribute - Rare - Level 2/5]

[Description: The vampire prince has a wife with blood of exquisite taste. Are you the chosen one?]

[Warning: While the bloodline tribute is powerful, failing to offer an adequate amount of blood will incite the prince's wrath. So... will it be another's blood, or your own?]

[Effect: Allows you to shape blood into any desired form, with one's own blood being the optimum choice.]

[Level 2 adds a new skill: Little Puppet]

[Effect: Create a small puppet that can be linked to oneself.]

Tong XinXin's expression remained cheerfully smiling.

"Teacher Wang, keeping such a nice thing all to yourself and not sharing with everyone, that's not very nice, is it?" she cooed.

With a coy voice, Wang Xi raised his hand, feigning ignorance: "What thing? You believe just what he says?"

Before he could finish, the blood spike in Tong XinXin's hand was heading straight for his neck.

At that moment, someone seized Tong XinXin's wrist.

Being accepted by the Chaoyang Guild after only clearing nine times, Tong XinXin's abilities were unquestionably remarkable.

However, at this moment, despite exerting great force, the hand holding her remained steadfast and unmoving.

Slowly, Tong XinXin turned her head.

Xie Fangcheng was holding her wrist with his left hand, while his right hand held that battered apple, crunching it clean in two bites. Without even turning back, he threw it accurately into the trash bin behind him.

"Don't fight here," he said.

Tong XinXin looked at him, a cold smile forming in her heart.

Wasn't it said that this person had only cleared the game once?

As expected, no newcomer who has only cleared the game once would be foolhardy enough to venture into a level two dungeon.

It seems this person has lied; probably someone who enjoys playing the role of a fool to catch the wise.

After dying and entering this horror game, the original laws and morals have become things of the past. Many people have undergone psychological changes, giving rise to a plethora of different types of players.

It seems this Xie Fangcheng in front of us is one of them.

Meddlesome!

Just as Tong XinXin was about to exert more force, she heard him say, "If you want to fight, do it outside. That's my bed nearby."

Xie Fangcheng pointed to the bedding setup beside them, ready for someone to lie down and sleep.

Tong XinXin: "…"

The initially almost malicious expression on her face flickered for a moment, then returned to a blooming smile.

"I'm just a delicate young lady; I have no intentions of fighting with Teacher Wang."

Saying this, Tong XinXin retracted the crimson blood spike in her hand and helped Wang Xi up from the ground.

"Teacher Wang, where is the student handbook? Everyone is waiting for your response."

Wang Xi looked up and glanced around.

The players in the hallway formed a circle, quietly observing him.

Wang Xi had cleared more than a dozen instances. Although not particularly strong, he certainly wasn't a fool to have survived this long in the horror game. Now that he's been exposed, it wouldn't end well if he didn't hand over the item.

Wang Xi gritted his teeth, opened the Qiankun sleeve, and took out the thin student handbook.

"This is it."

Being the closest to him, Tong XinXin promptly took the student handbook from him and then waved the booklet in her hand for everyone to see.

"Lights out is soon, and I know that no one will be at ease knowing who holds onto this. So, let's do this."

With a swift motion of her right hand, Tong XinXin directly opened the student handbook.

The handbook only contained seven pages in total, which she tore out without hesitation.

There are fifteen new teachers in total: three females and twelve males.

The males are divided into six dormitories, and among the females, Xu Xiuxiu shares a dormitory with an NPC.

There are eight dormitories for the players in total, with one sheet of paper assigned to each dormitory.

Xu Xiuxiu received a half page, a part of which seemed to have been torn off—she exchanged a glance with Guo Siming, who matched it with the half-page advertisement for a teacher recruitment they had, fitting perfectly.

After the distribution, only the dormitory of Wang Xi and Xie Fangcheng was left without a single sheet of paper.

Tong Xinxin still had a beaming smile: "Teacher Wang has been safeguarding this manual for us for so long, he must already be fully acquainted with its contents. Teacher Xie, if there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask Teacher Wang directly. I believe neither of you would mind this arrangement, would you?"

Not only did the surrounding players have no objections, but Xie Fangcheng, who had already settled back on his bed, had even fewer.

Wang Xi could only grit his teeth and shake his head.

Guo Siming, being rather straightforward, was quite upset at this point: "We are all newcomers here, still unfamiliar with everything. Regardless of whether there will be competition later on, our biggest enemy at the moment remains the NPCs. What are you trying to do?"

However, there were also players with a keener perception who had already sensed something amiss from Wang Xi's behavior.

The most common approach for players to clear instances is to unite during the early stages of the instance when everyone is still in the dark and unfamiliar with the pathways to completion.

Once they have a clearer understanding of how to clear the instance in the later stages, that's the time to pursue maximized benefits.

Wang Xi's demeanor seemed to strongly suggest that he had already determined this instance to be one involving competition amongst the players.

Currently, the players are acting as teachers, with a clearing condition of an average score of 562 - a score that seems attainable as long as they are devoted to teaching, implying that there shouldn't be any competitive dynamics at play.

Just then, the sound of hurried ringing echoed through the hallway.

"Lights out at eleven! All teachers, please return to your rooms and rest immediately!" the voice of Director Wei resonated from the far end of the corridor.

Tong Xinxin's gaze swept across the room, pausing momentarily when it landed on a player named "Zhang An".

This individual named "Zhang An" still maintained the gentle and courteous demeanor of a gentleman. What had provoked Wang Xi earlier?

Was it intentional, or merely a slip?

Sensing her gaze, Zhang An courteously offered her a smile and a nod.

Only then did Tong Xinxin retract her gaze.

The players returned to their respective bedrooms, and Zhang An loosened his tie slightly.

Due to the earlier altercation with Wang Xi, the button on his suit had come undone. Now, he lifted his hand and gracefully fastened it back in place.

Sharing a room with him was Guo Siming, who hesitated before asking, "Do you want to look at this paper tonight?"

Although Zhang An's performance hadn't been particularly eye-catching thus far, he possessed an inherent aura that simply couldn't be ignored. Guo Siming already considered him a member of his guild and was willing to seek collaboration with him at this moment.

Zhang An simply smiled, "No need, I have to take a shift at the student dormitory's security post. I'm not sure if it will trigger other events."

Guo Siming breathed a sigh of relief, reassuring him, "It won't. Generally, nothing fatal is triggered on the first day."

"Alright."

With that, Guo Siming returned to his room as well.

Zhang An turned his head.

Inside Wang Xi and Xie Fangcheng's dormitory, Wang Xi's face was alternating between shades of pale and green, intently staring at Xie Fangcheng, who was lying on the bed, seemingly lost in thoughts.

Finally, he seemed to have come to a decision.

At that moment, a voice resonated from the corridor.

"If I were you, I wouldn't lay a finger on him."

Wang Xi abruptly looked up.

In the dim yellow glow of the corridor lights, the slightly eerie Zhang An stood quietly, observing him. His face, which was filled with disdain just moments ago, now returned to his usual gentle and courteous demeanor. As he spoke, he sighed, maintaining a friendly posture under Wang Xi’s resentful and bitter gaze.

"This is just my personal advice," he paused, a rarity for him, and the next phrase was indeed sincere, "Perhaps, in this instance, your roommate might just be the strongest."

With that, Zhang An turned and left.

Wang Xi narrowed his eyes.

He sat on the bed for a while before finally lying back down.

.

Meanwhile, Zhang An quickly reached the student dormitory's security post.

The security post was manned by an old man who gave Zhang An an indifferent once-over upon seeing him.

"You're Zhang An? The teacher whose class scored only 19 points?"

"Yes," Zhang An replied, his temper still mild and his demeanor courteous as he placed his documents on the table.

The old man scoffed, remarking sarcastically, "What's the use of pretending to be diligent now? Our High Achievers Academy has always nurtured the best students. Since your arrival, the students' scores have plummeted to 19 points! What a disgrace!"

Before Li Bo could finish, the security office door opened and Director Wei walked in.

"Teacher Zhang, you've already arrived."

Director Wei generally had a stern face for other punished teachers, but with Teacher Zhang, his words always seemed to resonate profoundly with him, making him feel that among the large group of teachers, only Zhang was a true confidant.

At this moment, knowing that Teacher Zhang was being reprimanded and fully aware of Li Bo's temper, Director Wei had come to inspect the student dormitories and took the opportunity to speak to Li Bo.

Director Wei explained to Li Bo about Teacher Zhang's educational philosophy and the reasons behind the score of 19, gradually changing Li Bo's demeanor to a more amiable one.

"I was unaware of this, I'm truly sorry, Teacher Zhang!"

Zhang An remained gentle and composed. As he focused on Li Bo, his eyes radiated a sense of affection and trust.

"It's alright, I understand that you were only thinking of the students, which is why you were so angered. We are all working towards the students' best interests. What misunderstandings can't be resolved?"

Look at this! Listen to how they phrase it! Witness their enlightenment!!

Two NPCs and a player in the student dormitory's guard room are as close-knit as a family.

Director Wei quickly went on his patrol, leaving Zhang An seated at the table, earnestly pouring over the textbooks and drafting lesson plans. Anyone who saw his focused demeanor, adorned with glasses, couldn't help but utter, "What a diligent and responsible gardener he is".

Time ticked away, minute by minute, and soon it was eleven fifty.

Upon returning from his patrol, Director Wei noticed Zhang An still engrossed in his writing. He reminded him, "Teacher Zhang, our school experiences a power cut at midnight. Make sure to return to your bed to rest, and please refrain from wandering about, okay?"

Zhang An paused, "I'm almost finished here, if the power goes off..."

"Continue tomorrow, no rush. Just avoid moving around at night."

Zhang An hesitated for a moment before nodding, "Alright, thank you, Director Wei."

That said, the speed of his handwriting increased.

But ten minutes flew by in an instant, and Li Bo, who was watching, urged him, "Teacher Zhang, Teacher Zhang! Even if we are only a word away, we should stop here. It's time to get to bed and rest!"

"Almost done!"

Li Bo nervously eyed the clock on the wall, and with ten seconds left before midnight, he slapped the pen out of Zhang An's hand and forcibly dragged him to the bed against the wall in the guard room.

Zhang An had no intention of breaking the rules on the first day. If Li Bo had not intervened, he would have given himself a few seconds to get back to the bed.

Now being dragged to the bed by the seemingly frail and aging Li Bo, Zhang An only resisted briefly, finding the strength in those gnarly, branch-like hands astonishingly forceful.

This NPC is not to be trifled with, as expected, this is not a mission that can be cleared with brute force alone.

Zhang An ceased his struggle, complying and laying down on the bed.

Li Bo immediately returned to another bed near the entrance and quickly advised in the remaining few seconds, "No matter what you hear, do not respond! Close your eyes and sleep!"

Zhang An promptly obeyed.

【Thud, Thud, Thud.】

Soon, the clock chimed twelve.

From afar, the bustling sounds of footsteps approached — reminiscent of students being dismissed from school.

However, unlike the current high-achieving students, these footsteps were chaotic and vibrant, like jubilant birds freed from their cages.

Faint conversations also began echoing through the corridor.

"Hey, how come you only scored four hundred in the last exam? Your mom didn't scold you?"

"I just played during the vacation and didn't study properly... It's fine, my mom said to just do well next time!"

"Wow, Teacher Zhou changed his hairstyle! It looks pretty handsome, huh! We should ask him where he got it done during the next physical education class!"

……

At that moment, the glass of the guard room door was gingerly tapped.

"Uncle Li, I seem to have lost my meal card. Has anyone here found one, perhaps?"

"Uncle Li?"

"Uncle Li..."

"Well, I will come in and look for it myself, then!"

The door was pushed open with a soft "creak".

A chill breeze gushed in from the entrance.

A number of “students” entered, and Zhang An carefully tuned into the sound of their footsteps.

One, two, three...

Seven.

Seven distinct footsteps echoed, indicating the entrance of seven students.

These students were conversing in hushed tones.

"Huh? It's the new math teacher from class nine... wow, so handsome!"

"Zhou Keyang, come see, it's your class's new math teacher!"

A slightly sluggish set of footsteps approached from a distance.

Zhou Keyang.

There wasn't a Zhou Keyang among the students of class nine... no, to be precise, there wasn't a Zhou Keyang in class nine anymore.

Seven students.

The new mathematics teacher.

Could it be those students who met with a “car accident” and passed away?

A cold, lingering breath hung in the air, as if someone was intently scrutinizing him from a close distance.

Zhang An lay motionless on the bed.

The student called “Zhou Keyang” was fixated on him.

"Good evening, teacher. Are you the new math teacher for class nine? What is your name?"

He repeated this phrase many times, yet the person lying on the bed remained silent.

"Zhou Keyang's" voice grew progressively raspier, until it sounded as if there was a hole in his throat.

If anyone were to open their eyes, they would witness a hole indeed piercing through "Zhou Keyang’s" throat, created by a long rose stem planted beneath the student dormitory building.

His whole being didn't resemble someone who died in a car accident, but rather looked as if he had fallen from a great height, his body shattered into a morass of gore.

The sluggish sound of his footsteps was due to his broken legs.

Following him were seven other “students”, similarly reduced to pulpy wrecks.

"What is your name?"

"What is your name?"

"What is your name?"

Zhou Keyang's voice grew more frantic, seemingly desperate to know the answer.

At that moment, one of his companions behind him urged, "Zhou Keyang! Director Wei is coming for inspection soon! Hurry, back to the dormitory!"

The cold breath gradually receded from Zhang An's face.

The guard room door opened and closed again.

Yet, no footsteps were heard leaving the guard room.

Zhang An continued to lie quietly on the bed, appearing to have drifted into sleep.

One minute passed, then two...

A full ten minutes later.

At last, Zhou Keyang's voice echoed in the guard room once again.

"You won't speak? But sooner or later, I will find out your name."

"I have memorized your face, hehe."

"Hehehehe—"

Following a burst of laughter, the door of the guard room opened once more.

This time, six sets of footsteps finally retreated from the guard room.

"Uncle Li's" voice called from the other bed, "Teacher, teacher? They have left, you can open your eyes now."

Zhang An remained silent, seemingly fast asleep.

"Uncle Li" called out a couple more times.

This time, finally, the last sluggish footstep regretfully retreated from the security room.

Uncle Li, who was lying on the bed near the entrance, breathed a sigh of relief.

This Teacher Zhang truly embodied excellence as Director Wei had described, as if he were created specifically for their prestigious academy.

The next moment—

Zhang An abruptly rose from the bed, returning to the seat in front of the desk.

The seven "students" nearing the staircase slowly turned their heads back.

.

Inside the teacher's dormitory.

Following the resonant tolling of the twelve o'clock bell, the teachers swiftly retired to their beds.

Contrasting with the requirement to rest in bed after midnight in the security room, there were virtually no nighttime rules here, save for the guideline to remain within the dormitory at night.

The players, enhanced countless times by the system, had vision clear enough to read text in the dark. Nearly everyone was engrossed in studying the paper they held.

However, the information at hand was still scant, no one could pinpoint the focal point of this instance.

Teaching proficiency? Relations with NPCs? The ability to manage students?

As everyone found themselves in the throes of insomnia, Wang Xi envied the even, unmistakably slumberous breathing of a player named Xie Fangcheng in the same room.

It was clear that sleep would elude Wang Xi tonight. The student handbook he had found was now distributed to everyone but him.

Just then, a pained scream emanated from Tong Xinxin's room.

What happened?

A spark of joy ignited in Wang Xi’s heart, prompting him to sit up immediately and press his left ear against the wall.

Tong Xinxin’s room was adjacent to his. That woman almost killed him earlier... although Xie Fangcheng had rescued him at the time, it was because of this youngster that his student handbook had been discovered.

Now, this youngster was enjoying a deep sleep; surely, he didn't think that saving him would offset his earlier mistake?

As Wang Xi strained to catch sounds from beyond the wall, his mind seethed with indignation.

But at that moment, his right ear picked up a creaking "squeak," resembling the sound of a door opening.

...The sound of a door opening?

Before Wang Xi could ponder the origin of this sound, he unmistakably heard from the direction of their dormitory entrance, the lethargic, lazy utterance of “ah” from Xie Fangcheng.

The corridor lights came on in response, flooding the dormitory with sudden brightness.

Wang Xi: "..."

Wang Xi: "!!!"

Suddenly, Wang Xi completely forgot about Tong Xinxin, swiftly turning his head with a face of sheer astonishment: "What are you doing???"

Xie Fangcheng had his hands tucked in his pockets— it should be noted, the facilities at the high-performance academy were indeed top-notch. Every teacher was allocated three sets of uniforms and two sets of pajamas, with the luxury of choosing the color and pattern of the latter.

Xie Fangcheng didn't fuss over this, casually picking two sets before returning.

At this moment, he was adorned in a set of silk pajamas, with a purple background embellished with red flowers, radiating opulence. His semi-long hair flicked softly here and there, presenting a figure of a lethargic landlord who owns multiple properties, exuding a kind of leisureliness that was almost irritating.

At that instant, he even yawned, his voice sounding even lazier than his appearance: "I'm heading to the restroom..."

The teachers' dormitory lacked private bathrooms, offering only communal facilities.

"You! You can't leave the dormitory after the lights are out!! Didn't you hear what Director Wei said just now?"

Xie Fangcheng responded with a disdainful snort, swaggering away without a care.

The well-mannered Manager Xie did not forget to close the door behind him as he left.

Drip...dah.

The corridor was incredibly quiet, with only the faint sounds of water and Xie Fangcheng's footsteps resonating.

Xie Fangcheng, wearing slippers, quickly finished his business in the restroom, and then conscientiously washed his hands at the sink.

As he was washing, a muddy hand reached out from behind him, attempting to land on his shoulder. Xie Fangcheng, engrossed in washing his hands, didn't lift his head.

"Don't touch, it's so dirty, I would have to wash my clothes again if you do."

The hand hesitated, then continued its trajectory towards his shoulder.

Xie Fangcheng twisted his body, swiftly grabbing hold of the approaching hand.

The touch wasn't pleasant... the visual was even worse.

It appeared to be someone who had fallen head-first to the ground, missing half of their head, with a gruesome face that revealed a pulsating brain within the remaining half.

"I told you not to touch, not to touch, you this person," Xie Fangcheng paused, "you this corpse, why don't you listen?"

The "corpse" before him looked at him with its remaining eye.

"...You are, the new teacher for class seven?"

"Yes."

"What's your name?"

"Xie Fangcheng."

Even with only half a face remaining, the "corpse's" bewildered expression was vividly displayed.

He never imagined that a new teacher would actually respond to his question.

Xie Fangcheng released his grip, emitting a disgusted "ugh": "Just died? Why is the mud on your hand still wet? Look at the mess you made on my hands."

"..."

"Will you hit or not? If not, I'll wash my hands, just don't touch me again, okay? It's quite bothersome to wash hands again."

The corpse remained silent, finally speaking up, "You're the new teacher for class seven?"

"Yes."

"How are... the students in class seven...?"

Xie Fangcheng pondered for a moment, "They are quite well-behaved."

The "corpse" standing behind him widened its eyes, the trembling brain inside its head betraying its excitement, "Well-behaved??"

Its voice turned shrill, "Well-behaved? They are the most terrifying beings!! I taught them sincerely! Yet at the slightest disagreement, they would throw me out!! They resist discipline! They knowingly risked my death! They still threw me out!! And you say they are well-behaved—"

The "corpse" lunged forward, its hand reaching to strangle him: "Then go keep them company!"

In the next moment, Xie Fangcheng kicked the assaulting corpse away.

At times like this, he dearly missed the staff from his previous instance.

That staff was so sleek, so perfectly sized, and so convenient to use!

After the kick, Xie Fangcheng, ever the clean-freak, scraped his shoe against the floor, leaving two muddy prints on the previously clean surface.

Meanwhile, the "corpse" was sent flying against the wall, leaving a streak of mud marks on the pristine surface.

After being kicked away, the "corpse" screamed and lunged again.

Disliking the touch and feel of the attack, Xie Fangcheng swiftly turned his head, scanning his surroundings, when suddenly, his eyes lit up!

The next second, Xie Fangcheng reached the sink in two strides.

Compared to the newly built student dormitories, the place where the staff resided seemed to have a bit more history.

The sinks in the communal bathroom were not modern; it was a long row of faucets, with the pipes exposed above the basin.

Xie Fangcheng stretched out his hand, firmly grabbing the water pipe, and yanked it forward!

With a cacophony of "crack and clang," the nails anchoring the pipe to the wall were ripped away, and a long section of the pipe, along with five or six faucets, came off in his hand. Water spurted out from the broken section, shooting across from one wall to the other.

Dodging the stream of water, Xie Fangcheng lifted this newly fashioned pipe-staff and smashed it onto the "corpse" NPC.

The NPC was struck precisely where the water pipe had broken.

Taking advantage of the NPC blocking the pipe, Xie Fangcheng quickly dashed out from the area being assailed by the water.

The water washed the mud off the pitiable NPC, filling the entire public restroom with blood and mud, creating utter chaos.

Realizing it couldn't defeat the teacher before it, the NPC shrieked and darted past Xie Fangcheng at a fast pace, flinging water droplets in the process. Unable to dodge in time, Xie Fangcheng got sprayed on the sleeve, with two mud spots appearing instantly.

"Damn it!!" Xie Fangcheng exclaimed furiously, taking off in a two-step sprint.

Yet, it should be mentioned, befitting a level-two instance, this NPC ran at a pace faster than those in level-one.

"What kind of person is this, where is your sense of decency?!" Xie Fangcheng, looking at the mud spots on his sleeve, cursed angrily.

Turning around once more, he gazed at the uniquely designed restroom behind him, falling silent for a moment.

However, when it came to dealing with such situations, Manager Xie had ample experience.

Xie Fangcheng hoisted the staff, which was attached to the faucet, onto his shoulder.

"Director Wei? Director Wei? Which room are you in?"

.

Inside the student dormitory's security room.

Students coming and going were crowded around the tiny glass window of the security room, fixating their gaze on the individual seated before the desk.

"He's awake! He hasn't slept!"

"No, no, no, he hasn't opened his eyes... What is he doing?"

"This guy is really odd, he hasn't even opened his eyes, how is he still preparing lesson plans?"

"Who is he? Zhou Keyang—"

Zhou Keyang was also staring at him: "I don't know..."

"Ah, you're a student from class nine, how can you not know your own teacher's name?"

Zhou Keyang spoke softly: "But he's the new teacher."

"Oh right! We got a new teacher!"

"New teacher... we, we shouldn't..."

Someone comforted him: "It's alright, it's alright. As soon as the new students arrive, we'll know his name sooner or later!"

"Yes, yes, the teachers will surely introduce the new students!"

"Don't worry Zhou Keyang, you will know his name sooner or later!"

The person sitting at the table seemed blissfully unaware, his eyes closed, not wearing glasses, yet with slight reddish marks on the bridge of his nose where glasses usually rested.

Zhou Keyang held his head in his hands: "Ah, but I'm so hungry, so hungry—"

"Teacher, teacher, I'm so hungry—"

"Could you let me eat just a little bit? Just a little—"

The glass in front of Zhang An echoed with increasing sounds of impact, initially faint but gradually escalating in volume as time went by.

That should be about right.

Thought Zhang An.

Today he had gathered all the information he needed... no, for this instance, he had completed all the necessary information collection, understanding fully how to clear it.

From the moment he entered this instance, he realized it was a competitive scenario amongst players.

A completion rate not exceeding 15% — the game tallies completion rates every 5%, meaning, the maximum completion rate for this instance lies between 10-15%, with fifteen players entering the game and a maximum of two managing to clear it.

Two, a peculiarly coincidental number.

Players were assigned to teach either math or language arts, the top player in each subject had the opportunity to re-select their teaching assignment, and the top ten students could request a teacher change.

All signs indicated that players had the chance to form teams of two, teaching the same class.

— And only this one class could prevail.

According to the Pareto principle, about eighty percent of the wealth is held by approximately twenty percent of the population. As time goes on, it becomes less likely to find good and bad students mixed together, especially in this school where students wield significant power, being able to actively request changes in classes or teachers. These "good students" gravitate towards "better classes", leading to an increasing gap where the good become better, and the poor become worse, leaving hardly any middle ground.

Moreover, this morning, he guided the player teaching math to administer a test to the students. Upon receiving the results, each class's student performance exhibited a peculiar tendency towards an average score distribution, without any particularly good or extremely poor performers.

It was to be expected, as the students were pondering how to allocate marks to this teacher.

They needed to provide a score that wouldn't be the lowest, but at the same time, the score couldn't be too high, as it would compromise their marks in other subjects.

The instance hinted that each student had subjects they excelled at and others they struggled with.

Wang Xi interpreted this as meaning each student had the same total score, with higher marks in some subjects offset by lower marks in others.

But Zhang An's explanation was: Although every student had the same total score, the coefficients applied to each subject varied amongst students.

For example, a student with a total score of five hundred might allocate a hundred points to math, considering it their "strong subject", with a coefficient of 1.2, making their allocated hundred points amount to a score of 120 in math.

But if they are weak in language arts, having only a coefficient of 0.8, the same allocation of a hundred points would only yield a score of 80.

This theory had been successfully verified by him.

The test papers he distributed were math-oriented, but some students were tested on knowledge learned two months prior, while others faced material they had not yet studied.

Logically, if the students in the class were self-motivated and proactive learners, there would certainly be conscientious students who would have grasped both the knowledge learned two months ago as well as potential future material.

But that wasn't the case.

Not a single student in the class – in this place where academic excellence was lauded above all, every student appeared diligent and committed, yet none had “mastered” the material.

Moreover, the scores derived from the test papers from two months ago and those with unfamiliar material were strikingly similar among the students.

This would not occur in a conventional school with normal students.

Even if previously learned material was forgotten quickly, it should still retain a certain familiarity when compared to unknown material; it's implausible that the scores would be nearly identical whether the material was previously studied or not.

The only plausible explanation is that they are “weak” in both previously learned and unfamiliar material, with both having low coefficients.

This was a straightforward instance.

If one were ruthless, a clever player could quickly eliminate all other players from the game – all that's needed is a slightly clever accomplice.

Two players could collaborate, directing students with high mathematical coefficients to allocate more points to mathematics, and those with high language arts coefficients to allocate more to that subject.

Like Zhang An at this moment, the report card in his hand, with an average score of only 19, had enlightened him as to which students had high or low math coefficients.

The students must have awarded the highest scores they possibly could for this occasion, because the “difficulty” was too high; without boosting the scores, the grades would be outrageously low.

Following his strategy and coordinating well with his partner, they would soon elevate their class's average score to the highest rank.

Once elevated to the first position, they could then trade for students with higher total scores.

Who were the students with the highest cumulative scores?

Even with his eyes closed, Zhang An could fathom that it wasn't those who excelled academically, but the children of affluent individuals who invested heavily in the school.

— Total scores.

What exactly does this term aggregate?

In such a grandiose, affluent school... is there any need to ask what constitutes the "total" in the total scores?

Indeed, a competitive relationship exists among the players.

But no one has realized yet... or rather, they would soon realize, that the initial level of competition lies within the language arts group.

Out of the nine individuals in the language arts group, only six can pair up with players from the math group.

Inevitably, three individuals would be unable to form teams with other players and would have to partner with NPCs instead.

Would NPCs heed the commands of players?

Certainly not.

The players in the language arts group would vie first for the attention of players in the math group. During this pursuit, if a player is astute, they would discover a second possible path to victory, albeit a perilous one.

— Eliminate the students with poor grades.

There won't be any repercussions... at least not initially.

As long as the average score does not decline, the players will not venture to the guardroom, and thus will not encounter the deceased students.

However, excessive slaughter comes at a cost.

Perhaps the good students would be provoked to the point of abandoning the class.

Or perhaps... as mentioned in the scenario details: You are a teacher, hence, you can undoubtedly make your students admire and adore you.

It's probable that there is a collective satisfaction level among the students; if the satisfaction level plummets too low, the teacher would likewise be ousted.

Zhang An put down his pen.

The aspects he intended to test have all been examined, now he can retire to his bed for some rest.

These NPCs, not being killed by his own hands, would not retaliate against him.

With this thought in mind, as Zhang An was about to rise, suddenly, the glass shattered violently, sending fragments flying.

Sounds of a scuffle emanated from the doorway.

A shard of glass grazed the back of his hand, causing him to freeze momentarily.

The student NPCs at the doorway started screaming in chaos, swiftly being chased away by something unknown.

About a dozen seconds later, Zhang An perceived a pleasant fragrance, akin to some kind of flower rooted in the person opposite him, mingled with a faint scent of blood, wafting towards him.

Then, under the moonlight, within this terrifying game scenario, a voice resonated from the window, a voice bearing a smile, both crisp yet gentle, inquired:

“Hey, Teacher Zhang, are you alright?”