Chapter 40: Gaoyi Academy (V)

Chapter 40: Gaoyi Academy (V)

In reality, Jie Fangcheng couldn't be bothered to dash down from the teacher's dormitory to find someone in the student dormitory's security office.

Mainly because earlier on, he couldn't figure out which room Director Wei was residing in.

From the sixth floor to the first, Jie Fangcheng knocked on each door in succession, calling out as he went: “Director Wei, Director Wei? Are you in there? Could you please open the door?”

Not a single response!

All the rooms were eerily silent. Manager Jie was a considerate person; he couldn't possibly break into someone's room in the middle of the night just because they didn't answer, could he? That would be extremely impolite.

Thus, after a futile round of knocking, just as Jie Fangcheng was about to give up, he raised his head in the corridor and noticed through the glass several bizarrely-shaped students at the student dormitory's security office window, each in a horrific state of death.

It suddenly dawned on Jie Fangcheng.

What a coincidence, isn't it!

Isn't Teacher Zhang lingering around the student dormitory's guardroom?

He often colludes with Director Wei, arm in arm, he should know which room Director Wei stays in, shouldn't he?

With this in mind, Jie Fangcheng leisurely made his way to the student dormitories, even nonchalantly dispersing a group of mischievous student NPCs along the way.

Then, he leaned forward and noticed that Teacher Zhang was sitting upright at the table, eyes closed.

"Ah! Teacher Zhang, Teacher Zhang?"

Jie Fangcheng reached out nonchalantly to shake him, but before his fingers could touch him, Zhang An, who had been closing his eyes, finally opened them.

Jie Fangcheng paused for a moment.

Zhang An usually wears glasses so it wasn't apparent, but now without glasses, Jie Fangcheng realized that his right eye was slightly lighter in color. It didn't look bad, but it gave off an indefinable cold and indifferent vibe, quite different from his usual gentle temperament.

"...Teacher Jie?" Zhang An spoke at this moment, his voice laden with a thick layer of fatigue, sounding as if he had just awakened from a dream.

Oh boy, did he fall asleep while sitting?

Jie Fangcheng glanced at the teaching plan laid out before him and couldn't help but marvel inwardly.

As a manager well-versed in the art of slacking off, it was hard for him to imagine someone so dedicated to their job that they would fall asleep at their workstation, especially in a scenario where there wasn't even any salary to speak of.

Working for free and still so committed, this is truly the ultimate corporate slave.

Jie Fangcheng said, "No big deal, just wanted to ask if you know which room Director Wei is staying in?"

Zhang An's expression froze for a moment, then he seemed somewhat troubled, furrowing his brows.

"I can't quite remember. Do you need him for something?"

"Oh, to fix a water pipe," Jie Fangcheng replied casually.

After he spoke, this time Zhang An genuinely paused, quickly regaining his composure soon after.

"Which pipe is broken?"

"The one at the staff dormitory."

After finishing his statement, Jie Fangcheng picked up a rod from the ground, which had a faucet attached to it.

This "rod" had been rather unlucky, having been used to thrash teacher NPCs to death at the staff dormitory earlier, and now again with student NPCs here. After going through numerous battles, the faucet was skewed and the rod had taken a wavy form.

Seeing Zhang An's gaze fixed on the wavy part, Jie Fangcheng stretched it straight, saying, "It's fine, see? Give it a pull and it seems usable."

Zhang An: "..."

Jie Fangcheng hoisted the rod onto his shoulder, very familiarly, "Come on, let's go find Director Wei to address this important issue. Besides, look at your living conditions."

Having said that, Jie Fangcheng stretched his head directly through the glass window. Zhang An moved back to avoid his head, facilitating Jie's ferret-like peeking around everywhere.

"Oh, isn't there an old man over there?" Jie Fangcheng exclaimed joyfully, "Hey, ask him, he should know which room Director Wei is staying in, shouldn't he?"

Li Bo kept his eyes tightly closed.

With this incessant "Teacher Jie, Teacher Jie," he wasn't sure whether the voices ringing by his ears were genuine or merely a prank orchestrated by the students. Regardless, pretending to be asleep seemed to be the right move.

Zhang An turned his head to glance at Li Bo before finally getting up.

He put on his glasses, reverting to his usual gentle and courteous gentleman demeanor.

"Li Bo is getting on in years, let's let him rest properly." Saying this, Zhang An donned his coat, "I'll go back with you to check."

.

The two returned to the staff dormitory building. Zhang An's gaze swept across the door of Director Wei's dormitory before shaking his head.

"I can't remember which room Director Wei is in."

"Alright then," Jie Fangcheng revealed his lack of real commitment to fixing the pipes with his swift change of tone, "At least I tried."

Anyone else might find it hard to understand why he made such a fuss about finding Director Wei, only to abandon the mission so quickly.

Now, Zhang An could vaguely guess his quirky thought process.

To put it plainly, adopting the mindset of a corporate drone adept at slacking off could precisely grasp the mental workings of Jie Fangcheng.

Finding Director Wei for a broken pipe resembled the actions of a seasoned corporate worker adept at shifting blame to superiors in case of work mishaps, didn't it?

Not finding him now was even better. He had looked; it was just that Director Wei wasn't around, making it entirely Director Wei's responsibility if the pipe issue escalated.

However, the average corporate drone wouldn't have the courage to shift the blame onto their superior, yet judging by Jie Fangcheng's skilled demeanor, he likely had substantial experience in such matters.

Jie Fangcheng's patience could only last so long. Yawning, he announced, "Alright, let's all go back to sleep."

Saying this, he swayed leisurely towards his dormitory.

After a few steps, Jie Fangcheng sensed something amiss. Turning around, he found Zhang An still standing in place, seemingly wrestling with a dilemma.

"What's the matter?" Jie Fangcheng asked.

Zhang An adjusted his glasses, his whole demeanor betraying the awkwardness of an intellectual, "I... Director Wei asked me to go to the student dormitory's security room, which is a rule I should abide by in this murder game. But another rule is that I cannot be wandering around after midnight."

In other words, if he adhered to the rules, he needed to stay in the security room, but heading there would violate the "no wandering after midnight" rule.

If it had been someone more empathetic and thoughtful, they might have felt moved hearing Zhang An saying this at this moment.

Look, despite worrying about these murderous game rules, he still followed back to the staff dormitory without a second thought, which showcased immense trust, didn't it?

But Xie Fangcheng only gave him a perplexed look, "Why do you even listen to him? Go back to your own room to sleep! It's rather stifling to sleep in that tiny guard room, isn't it?"

Zhang An lowered his eyes, concealing his expression behind the act of adjusting his glasses.

Xie Fangcheng seemed to have realized something, and he said with sudden understanding, "Oh, you don't dare to go back and sleep alone. You should have said so earlier!"

Xie Fangcheng had experience dealing with this kind of situation, "In that case, come and sleep in my room with me."

The hand Zhang An had been using to adjust his glasses paused mid-motion.

Xie Fangcheng had already taken the lead, not willing to part with the hard-won pipe he carried. He hefted it onto his shoulder at this moment, the misshapen faucet swaying behind him, resembling a string of ripe persimmons, with Xie Fangcheng moving with the adeptness of an experienced farmer.

"Come on, it's this room... Oh, right! I have a roommate!"

Since Xie Fangcheng had left the room, Wang Xi had been suffering from insomnia deep into the night.

At first, he thought this person was courting death. Hadn't Director Wei said that no one was allowed to move about after lights out?

Once this fixed rule was triggered, a fierce battle would ensue, even an NPC like Director Wei had to abide by it, yet this player called Xie Fangcheng just strolled out so brazenly? Clearly, he was a novice who had only cleared the game once, utterly ignorant of the peril he was in!

He just didn't know if he himself would be implicated.

As Wang Xi pondered this, he quickly heard some noise from the corridor, resembling someone hitting a sandbag.

But the noise disappeared just as swiftly.

Probably, that Xie Fangcheng triggered a rule and started fighting with an NPC.

This kid, having just cleared a dungeon once, dared to behave like this, really thinking himself to be someone significant, huh?

It would be good if he died, saving Wang Xi the trouble of taking action himself.

Just as Wang Xi was thinking this, sounds from the corridor came drifting in once more.

"...Director Wei? ...Are you there? Come... out..."

"Thud, thud, thud."

"Are... you... coming... out..."

Damn it!!

Wang Xi, wrapped in his blanket, thought: This voice sounds eerily similar to my roommate's!!

Did he die and turn into a ghost on the spot?? Is he going to creep up here in a moment???

Wang Xi knew his own abilities were not that strong; at this time, he could only hold onto his attack tools in his hand.

As he held them, the sound gradually retreated, eventually fading into nothingness.

Wang Xi finally let out a sigh of relief.

Time had indeed advanced deep into the night. He closed his eyes, teetering on the edge of slumber in a drowsy haze.

Suddenly, a beam of light spilled in once again from the corridor, the door flung open.

Wang Xi's eyes snapped open abruptly. Glancing up, he was startled into an involuntary shudder.

Against the backlight, at the doorway stood his roommate who had just left moments ago, now with something elongated on his shoulder, garnished with a few growths resembling tumors.

Surprisingly, his voice sounded just as it did when he was alive...

"Click."

Xie Fangcheng reached to turn on the light in the room. The switch flicked without consequence - no power, no light. He paused momentarily, "A power outage? But weren't the corridor lights working?"

A gentle voice emanated from behind him, offering an explanation, "The wiring in the corridor is different from that inside the room. That's why the lights inside aren't working despite the corridor lights being on."

As the explanation carried on, another figure appeared at the doorway.

Internally, Wang Xi was screaming: Damn it! Why is he here too?

There he was, Zhang An, one of the primary culprits responsible for Wang Xi having to hand in his student handbook, currently supposed to be residing at the student dormitory guard post, now stood behind Xie Fangcheng.

Xie Fangcheng didn't quite grasp the explanation about the electrical circuits, but that was fine, it wasn't important.

As he entered, he casually placed the tumor-like strung-up tube on the rack by the door - only then did Wang Xi get a clear view. It wasn't tumors at all, but a series of faucets attached to a pipe from the restroom.

Wang Xi: "..."

Are you insane?! Why mess with such a thing for no reason??

Xie Fangcheng's gaze shifted to him, "Why haven't you gone to sleep yet?"

Wang Xi steadied his nerves, "Are you a human or a ghost?"

Xie Fangcheng was taken aback, and after a pause found the question utterly baffling, "What kind of question is that, do ghosts cast shadows?"

Wang Xi: "Yes, they do."

Xie Fangcheng: "??? You're talking nonsense, ghosts don't have physical forms, how can they cast shadows??"

Wang Xi stared at him speechlessly. But judging by this man's demeanor, the kind of tone that immediately aggravated anyone hearing it, and the simultaneously reliable and unreliable expression on his face, if he turned into a ghost yet remained exactly the same as when he was alive, Wang Xi was ready to concede.

He couldn't be bothered to argue further, lifting his chin slightly, "Why has he come as well?"

"Oh, Zhang An was too scared to sleep alone, so I brought him along."

With Xie Fangcheng's words hanging in the air, a profound silence enveloped the other two.

Zhang An, however, quickly broke into a smile, acquiescing with a nod that exuded amiability, "Yes."

Wang Xi: "..."

Since when have these two become so chummy?

But soon, Wang Xi felt that their relationship seemed just about average, nothing too extraordinary.

Xie Fangcheng scanned the amenities in the room, then casually pointed at the bench in front of the table.

"Considering how soundly you can sleep sprawled on the table at the guard room, you might as well make do here," he remarked.

After saying this, he seemed to reconsider, adding, "Of course, what I mean is you also have the option not to sprawl on the table... lying on the floor is fine too."

Wang Xi couldn't help but be astounded by the suggestion, hastily rebutting, "No way! He can't sleep in our room."

"Why not?"

"He was supposed to stay at the student dormitory guard room today, but if he sleeps here instead, who knows if it might implicate us in breaking some rule?"

"It won't," Xie Fangcheng dismissed with a wave of the stick he held, "even if it does, we just have to fight it off, right?"

"Damn! What are you getting cocky for?" Wang Xi exclaimed, genuinely perplexed.

Xie Fangcheng offered a faint smile, "I was merely stating a fact."

Is he out of his mind?!

Wang Xi wanted to continue his tirade, but noticed Zhang An's gaze had shifted onto him.

Wang Xi didn't find his roommate Xie Fangcheng particularly formidable, but this Zhang An did not seem to be just an ordinary player in any respect.

Now locking eyes with him, Wang Xi froze momentarily, before muttering begrudgingly, "Just don't drag me into this."

Having said his piece, Wang Xi wrapped himself in his quilt, lying down with his face towards the wall.

Meanwhile, Xie Fangcheng pulled a set of bedding from the cabinet, handing it to Zhang An.

"Here, everyone was given two sets, this one's for you."

Finishing his statement, Xie Fangcheng looked at him expectantly.

Zhang An paused before gracefully accepting, "Then I will return the unused set to you tomorrow."

Only then did Xie Fangcheng nod in satisfaction.

"Alright then, good night," he said, shaking out the blanket in his hands before closing his eyes.

Zhang An looked at the blanket in his hands.

Xie Fangcheng seemed both indifferent and slightly concerned about these things.

He didn't care about the patterns or such, hence the sleepwear and both sets of bedding were randomly selected. The blanket was a soft pink hue adorned with cartoon robotic cats, a stark contrast to his purple pajamas embroidered with a luxurious floral pattern.

But Xie Fangcheng cared significantly about cleanliness.

After some thought, Zhang An draped the blanket over himself, sat on the chair in front of the table, rested his cheek on one hand, and closed his eyes.

The instance was over for him; he had already clarified how things would unfold and what strategies to employ for a successful completion.

However, now a second, seemingly more interesting question had arisen.

...Who exactly is this player named Xie Fangcheng?

.

The next day.

Morning study sessions began at 7:00, but the dormitory building's bell chimed as early as 6:00.

The ringing of the bell signaled that the teachers could leave their dormitories. After freshening up, they could return to the teaching building to prepare for the day's instructional activities.

But this time...

"Hisss" — water gushed tumultuously from a rupture in the restroom, leaving the entire floor wet, and that wasn't the worst part.

The most problematic issue was that out of the original twelve faucets, only six remained functional today.

Soon, Director Wei rushed to the scene, his face a mix of shock, anger, and a hint of panic upon seeing the state of the restroom.

"Who did this?"

He cast his gaze towards the surrounding teachers.

The teacher NPCs remained silent, while the early-rising players exchanged puzzled glances, unaware of what had transpired the night before.

The only two in the know were Xie Fangcheng, who was still asleep, and Zhang An, who had already arrived. However, he merely adjusted his glasses, silently observing Director Wei.

Director Wei speculated that these teachers probably wouldn't dare to venture out at night. Could it have been the doings of those creatures?

It must have been!

Last night, in the dead of night while he was asleep, he had been awakened by a "thud thud thud" knocking on the door.

A somewhat familiar voice called out at the doorway: "Director Wei? Director Wei?"

In the middle of the night! Instead of seeking out the new teachers, they came to him. Had some mishap occurred?

Director Wei had a sleepless night.

...In fact, anyone whose door was knocked on had a sleepless night, meaning that throughout the entire building, only two individuals managed to get some sleep.

One was Xie Fangcheng, who slept incredibly soundly.

A person named Zhang An.

Besides them, even Wang Xi, who knew who was knocking last night, couldn't find rest.

He was constantly fretting that Zhang An's non-compliance with the rules might drag him into trouble, waking up sporadically throughout the night in a state of anxiety.

The surroundings were now eerily quiet, with Director Wei managing a strained smile.

"The restrooms are unusable today; please use the facilities on another floor," he instructed.

Having said that, he hurried off to find the principal, prepared to report the incidents of the previous night.

As he turned to leave, his eyes fell upon Zhang An.

Director Wei paused, startled, "Teacher Zhang?"

Zhang An pressed his lips together, his face bearing a hint of frailty, "Director Wei, I was actually looking for you."

Though Teacher Zhang was quite in sync with him, he reminded himself that, at the end of the day, Zhang was still just a teacher.

Director Wei frowned, "Let's talk about it when I return."

With those words, he turned and departed.

Tong Xinxin, for reasons unknown, had her right eye covered with a white cloth. She observed the scene with a smile that wasn't quite a smile, her gaze fixed on Zhang An.

"It seems Teacher Zhang's personal skills leave much to be desired," she remarked.

Zhang An merely nodded politely in response.

By the time Xie Fangcheng woke up, it was nearly seven o'clock.

Wang Xi and the other players promptly joined the teacher NPCs for breakfast before returning to the academic building to consolidate the student handbooks and contemplate the strategy to clear this instance.

Only Xie Fangcheng remained in the dormitory... along with Zhang An, who was seated at the table.

"Morning..." Xie Fangcheng emerged from his blanket, his hair a disheveled mess, squinting at Zhang An.

Zhang An had already changed into the school's uniform.

The school uniform was a suit, not much different from his usual attire, maintaining a stern and serious demeanor upon first glance.

Yawning out of boredom, Xie Fangcheng gradually sat up on his bed.

Zhang An greeted him with a warm smile, "Morning."

Xie Fangcheng picked up his washbasin to freshen up and returned considerably more awake, casting a curious glance at Zhang An.

"Everyone else left, why haven't you?" he inquired.

Zhang An, who was engrossed in a mathematics textbook, finally looked up at Fangcheng's question, "Thank you for helping me yesterday. I've figured out how to clear this level. Would you like to hear it?"

Xie Fangcheng let out a small "ah", his expression momentarily taking on a hint of distress.

But shortly after, it morphed into a look of reluctant courage, "Is it complicated?"

"Not complicated."

Xie Fangcheng breathed a sigh of relief, slouchingly settling into a cross-legged position on the bed, "Then go ahead."

However, as Zhang An began to detail the strategy he had found for clearing the level, the lax expression on Xie Fangcheng's face gradually faded away.

In the end, he stared at Zhang An, his face devoid of any expression.

"You mean, with my higher level of physical strength, I could kill off the students with poor academic performance in my class to maintain the average score of the class?"

"Yes." Zhang An gazed back at him unblinkingly, his demeanor still as gentle as usual, "Yesterday, I discovered the bodies of those seven students in the dormitory's security room. They probably weren't killed in a car accident."

Xie Fangcheng's face remained impassive.

Unperturbed by his change in demeanor, Zhang An continued, "Rather than assuming they died off-campus in a car accident, I am more inclined to believe that their deaths occurred within the school premises. It might have been a fall from height, an accident... but given that they died on school grounds, I suspect there might be a safer way to eliminate students without being disqualified from the game."

"In this school, the students' lives are seemingly more valuable than the teachers', and they hold greater privileges. The resources available to the teachers are quite limited, as you might have inferred from Wang Xi's behavior. The players in this instance are clearly in competition with each other. Achieving an average score of 562 isn't going to be a walk in the park for the students."

"Particularly — I'm not sure if you noticed, but Director Wei mentioned earlier that the average score at the Higher Achievements Academy during the college entrance examinations exceeds 600 points. How can these students, who find it somewhat challenging to score 562 in their second year, make such a staggering progress to surpass 600 points in their third year? The only plausible explanation seems to be that the underachieving students... won't be taking the exams, or rather, they won't have the opportunity to."

"The school itself seems to be weeding out the 'underachievers', much like those seven students."

Zhang An smiled, "This was the clue to clearing the game I discovered in the security room yesterday. I believe the next player who enters that room will come to the same conclusion about this method to clear the game. Of course, they might not dare to employ it, as the killed students will return to the security room seeking revenge on their murderer. But I think you can use this method, since you're not afraid of those NPCs, right?"

After listening, Xie Fangcheng just shook his head, "I understand what you're saying. You're suggesting that I kill these students to clear the level, right?"

Zhang An's expression momentarily showed a hint of surprise, "What's the matter? They're just NPCs. After being killed this time, they'll respawn in the next reboot, much like pre-programmed mobs in a game, capable of reviving after death..."

Xie Fangcheng gave him a cold glance. Zhang An ceased to speak, his eyes concealed behind glasses. Due to the lighting, Xie Fangcheng couldn't see the investigative curiosity reflected in Zhang An's eyes at that moment.

Suddenly, Xie Fangcheng stood up.

"Enough, Zhang An. It's time for you to go back."

Previously, whenever Xie Fangcheng would call out his name, he would pronounce the character "Zhang" with a third tone, resulting in a somewhat peculiar ending note.

This time, his voice was indifferent, and he pronounced the name “Zhang” with a first tone, just like everyone else.

Zhang An stared at him and finally began to rise slowly from his seat.

When he reached the doorway, Zhang An turned his head back.

"Teacher Xie, it seems you have a softer spot for these NPCs... even more so than for the players. Why is that?"

Xie Fangcheng gave a cold, derisive snicker, "Take care, no need for a send-off."

After the door closed in front of him, Zhang An removed his glasses, took a handkerchief from his suit pocket, and lowered his head to meticulously clean them before putting them back on.

He lifted his head, a faint smile gracing his lips, seeming to be in high spirits.

"It is indeed..."

He muttered something under his breath, casting a glance at the door before him and then turning to leave.

While Zhang An was in a great mood, Xie Fangcheng felt utterly miserable.

After changing his clothes, he swayed towards the dining hall, only to find it deserted upon arrival.

The food counter was still open, though. The lady serving food stared at him in bewilderment: "Sir, you're quite late. We have already closed up for the morning."

Xie Fangcheng looked lost: "Isn't breakfast served until 7:00 for morning reading?"

The lady shook her head, speechless: "The teachers here are all diligent, completing their meals before 6:30 to prepare for their lessons in the teaching building."

"But there must be exceptions, right? You should consider those who are not early birds!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the lady's expression changed, her tone turning frigid: "Teachers who are here to coast along are not welcomed at our school!"

With that, she shut the food counter window with a resounding "snap".

At this hour, the supermarket hadn't opened yet. Missing a meal wouldn't kill Xie Fangcheng, but he felt it could well starve him to debt.

With a series of sighs, he moved back to the office with a sluggish, elderly pace.

Today's morning reading session was for English, but the teachers in the language office were all present, gathered and discussing how to clear the game level.

Yue Haiyang, who was on good terms with him, waved enthusiastically upon seeing him: "Brother Xie, come over here quickly! We have devised a technique to clear the level!"

The mere mention of "clearing the level" gave Xie Fangcheng a headache at this point. He sighed heavily, wandering over to his desk, where he let out a surprised "eh".

"Whose breakfast is this?"

Yue Haiyang turned back: "I'm not sure, it was already here on your desk when I arrived."

Xie Fangcheng opened the plastic bag.

Inside was a box of chicken egg and sausage fried rice, a peeled tea egg, and a cup of soy milk.

Xie Fangcheng turned around to inquire: "Whose is this? Is it really for me? Who left it here?"

No one knew when the breakfast was delivered; everyone shook their heads.

The aroma was enticing. After barely a moment of hesitation, Xie Fangcheng opened the chopsticks and began devouring the rice.

Having something to eat lifted his spirits, and he found himself able to tune into the players discussing the strategies for clearing the game level.

Contrasting with Zhang An's approach earlier today, which was clear-cut, well-substantiated, and precise, the players' strategy was filled with "probably", "likely", and "should be".

"It seems that as we can see now, these teacher NPCs are engrossed in studying the students rather than focusing on teaching every day. Clearly, the students' performance is not significantly related to the quality of teaching, but likely has a stronger connection to each individual's personal circumstances. This implies that our strategy to clear this level should primarily revolve around addressing the issues faced by the students."

"In a previous level I managed to clear, which bears some resemblance to this one, the setting was a village where players had to survive for three days. Our key to success was engaging with every NPC, helping them overcome their challenges, and only then were we able to clear the level. This level seems to follow a similar pattern: although every student should ideally perform well, their lackluster grades might be a result of familial issues or personality conflicts."

However, there were dissenting opinions: "This isn't a child's play, how could a mere conversation with the NPCs possibly be the key to clearing the level?"

The player who proposed this strategy remained serious: "What if the root of an NPC's problem is her conflict with Director Wei? If eliminating Director Wei would lead to her scoring 750 points, wouldn't that introduce a substantial challenge to this level?"

The group found themselves both nodding and shaking their heads, creating a noticeably divided atmosphere on site.

"But at the moment, we don't have a better plan. Understanding the students is undoubtedly a correct approach."

"So, let's have meaningful conversations with the students..."

At this point, Jie Fangcheng finished his fried rice, wiped his mouth, and pondered.

That person might not be particularly likable, but they do have a functioning brain.

Such a resourceful mind shouldn't be wasted... primarily because what that person said earlier had piqued Jie Fangcheng's interest.

"Anyone who has spent time in the guard room will consider improving the average score by eliminating the underperforming students."

"Um... I have a thought," Jie Fangcheng cleared his throat and joined the discussion.

For the first time, he found himself reiterating someone else's ideas... Ironically, despite Zhang An not being particularly pleasant, his articulation of the clues was much clearer and concise than Qi Chanyang, compelling Jie Fangcheng to absorb some of it, whether he liked it or not.

He roughly relayed the clues Zhang An had found... which were not much, just analyzing that the total score assigned to students is fixed, and students weigh how many points to allot to each teacher, prompting the teacher NPCs to strive to understand their students better.

After explaining this, the previous 'probably' and 'perhaps' became obsolete, making it imperative to understand the students and potentially focusing on enhancing their own teaching skills as another strategy to clear the level.

After all, the hint did mention that students would not favor teachers with inferior teaching skills... doesn't this also imply that if the teaching quality is high enough, the points assigned by students to teachers would proportionally increase?

Jie Fangcheng hesitated before adding that the rumored car accident involving Director Wei was likely fictitious, and both students and teachers met their end within the school premises.

No sooner had he finished speaking, someone quickly responded: "Does this mean we can eliminate students within the school? Why not just get rid of the students with poor grades?"

Not a single player present showed any signs of disagreement, with many even exhibiting expressions of sudden realization.

A chill ran down Jie Fangcheng's spine.

"We can't!"

All players turned their attention to him.

Jie Fangcheng spoke up: "These students are still minors, none of whom have committed any wrongdoings. It's one thing to consider someone like Director Wei, but how could you contemplate harming these innocent students?"

After he spoke, the players exchanged bewildered glances.

Even Xu Xiuxiu, who appeared to be a young girl prone to compassion, displayed a somewhat lost expression on her face: "But they are just NPCs..."

Xie Fangcheng fell silent for a moment.

In the first instance, the doctor NPCs were all quite despicable, and the patient NPCs looked rather sanity-draining for normal people. Coupled with the fact that the group was mostly novice players, most were afraid of the NPCs, so Xie Fangcheng didn't find it surprising.

But at this moment, Xie Fangcheng obviously felt a kind of barrier.

However, looking from the perspective of the players, it seemed quite normal for them to have such thoughts.

The NPCs in the instance are regenerative; they would revive after dying, with no memories from the previous round, making them mere horror game NPCs in the eyes of ordinary players.

Xie Fangcheng could only try a different approach.

"After those student NPCs die, they return to the dormitories at night seeking vengeance on the teachers who killed them. They are immensely powerful, far surpassing the current student NPCs."

To prevent these individuals from harboring such wrong ideas, Xie Fangcheng emphasized again: "Their strength is extremely, extremely, extremely terrifying, far worse than Director Wei!"

After he provided this rationale, the players around him finally began to show contemplative expressions.

"It seems this method is indeed very dangerous."

Armed with this vital information, the players gathered once again to discuss.

Xie Fangcheng watched them, somewhat disinterested, and returned to his desk.

At this moment, Yue Haiyang nudged him with an arm and said, "Thanks, bro. But you don't seem the type to ponder over such issues. What made you think of all this suddenly?"

Xie Fangcheng paused for a moment, then vaguely replied, "Someone... um, suggested it to me."

"Oh, okay." Seeing that he didn't wish to elaborate, Yue Haiyang didn't press further.

Xie Fangcheng sat at his desk, somewhat lost in thought.

The fact that these players could instantly think of the method of "killing the student NPCs", and were quite accepting of this idea... perhaps it wasn't entirely fair to blame them.

They were unaware that these NPCs weren't just data generated by a horror game, but were actual people who had once existed.

After dying, these individuals were attracted by the power of the Book of Life and Death, eventually becoming instances NPCs due to the machinations of an unknown thief.

The players were not aware of this; they simply regarded the instance NPCs as data.

Who hasn't killed a minor monster while playing a game? Did the monster do anything wrong? Were the players in the wrong?

Xie Fangcheng opened his mouth, pondered for a moment, and then closed it again.

Informing them about this not only raised doubts about whether they would believe it, but even if they did, the survival rate in this horror game was very low, with hardly any players who hadn't killed innocent NPCs making it this far.

In the end, it was the person who stole the Book of Life and Death who deserved punishment, not the innocent individuals burdened with this knowledge.

The murderer is guilty, not the weapon used.

Nevermind, better not to say anything.

Xie Fangcheng sighed with a sense of melancholy.

After sighing, he thought of Zhang An.

He paused for a moment.

...Had he been a bit too quick to judge someone this morning?

As Xie Fangcheng was pondering this, within Director Wei’s office, Zhang An appeared pale and markedly frail.

"What's going on?" Director Wei asked, his face registering shock.

Zhang An held his head, offering a feeble smile, "Nothing much, I heard some unusual noises in the guard room yesterday, and it frightened me a bit, Director Wei."

"Hmm?"

"There's something I'd like to report to you."

"What's the matter?"

Zhang An peered at him through gaps between his fingers, covering half of his face, "I noticed, in our new batch of teachers... there seems to be someone who is behaving rather peculiarly."