Chapter 41: Gaoji Academy (Part Six)

Chapter 41: Gaoji Academy (Part Six)

Inside the mathematics office.

Tong Xinxin's right eye was bandaged, with faint traces of blood seeping through the cloth.

Her complexion was pale, and the lone remaining left eye harbored a fierce glint, clearly indicating her mood was far from pleasant.

Liu Hui glanced at her, "What happened to you?"

Tong Xinxin couldn't be bothered to elaborate, she pulled open the drawer that held her puppet doll from last night, "See for yourself."

Everyone's gaze shifted to the drawer, followed by a momentary stunned silence.

Last night when they left, Tong Xinxin personally placed a seemingly adorable red cloth doll in the drawer. Now, the doll lay dissected into several pieces by an unknown sharp object, revealing the stuffing inside.

It wasn't cotton, but miniature organs resembling those of a normal human being.

The puppet doll was a level 2 skill acquired through Tong Xinxin's "Bloodline Offering", composed of her own blood and partial organs. The doll's eyes were taken from Tong Xinxin's right eye. Despite its diminutive size, the doll possessed half the strength of Tong Xinxin herself.

Such a potent puppet doll met its end at the stroke of midnight, torn to pieces in the drawer before it could even open its eyes, with its eyes cut horizontally, causing Tong Xinxin herself to lose sight in her right eye.

Tong Xinxin's face held a grim expression: "'Teachers may tutor students independently, but please return to the dormitory before midnight'... It seems, the fate awaiting those who stay in the teaching building is akin to this doll's."

For a while, everyone remained silent.

Breaking the silence, Liu Hui spoke first: "Let's set this aside for now, shall we start assembling the student handbook from yesterday?"

Four out of the seven pages of the student handbook were in the possession of the language department; among the remaining three, one recorded the average score of the previous high school second-year batch.

Intriguingly, it matched exactly with the passing score they required: 562 points.

A disconcerting speculation suddenly surged within everyone... this might indeed be a competition volume.

The remaining two pages featured profiles of outstanding students.

Guo Siming paused momentarily when he saw the student ranked second, quickly realized by Tong Xinxin who asked promptly, "Is this student in your class?"

Realizing he was found out, Guo Siming could only nod affirmatively.

Tong Xinxin furrowed her brows as she studied the list.

Guo Siming had conducted tests for students in their class yesterday, with the majority of the scores hovering around eighty points, even the highest barely touching ninety.

How could a score of eighty in a single subject qualify as an excellent student?

Could it be a case of subject bias? But if so, how could all the students in a class exhibit this bias...

A spark of insight ignited in Tong Xinxin's mind, and she quickly articulated her realization: "I got it, each student has a fixed total score. If they are weak in mathematics, their scores in other subjects will compensate."

A wave of enlightenment swept over the group.

After her declaration, Tong Xinxin scrutinized the test scores of her class from yesterday that lay before her.

This meant that these students had not allocated scores to her.

Why? If it was because she was a new teacher, why then were there variations in the scores achieved in other new teachers' classes, with some faring well and others not?

How could she persuade these students to allocate scores to her?

Tong Xinxin's brow remained furrowed.

At that moment, the door to the mathematics office swung open.

Lifting her head, Tong Xinxin greeted the entering figure with a somewhat cryptic smile, "Oh, Teacher Zhang, been fostering relations with Director Wei again, have we?"

Zhang An's face was pale, resembling someone who had suffered substantial blood loss.

He nodded slightly, retreating to his seat with a demeanor that suggested a reluctance to engage in conversation.

Tong Xinxin's eyebrows knitted together further.

Due to her individual skill, Tong Xinxin could sense that this person had indeed lost a significant amount of blood.

Why? Had he been involved in some form of conflict last night?

Or was his individual skill somehow connected to blood?

Over there, Guo Siming had already begun to inquire.

Zhang An maintained his usual gentle demeanor, elaborating in great detail.

"Remember I was summoned to the student dormitory guard room last night? There, I encountered those seven students who had died. Their deaths didn't resemble a car accident; it seemed more like they had fallen from a building."

Falling from a building...

Tong Xinxin's mind raced: "That implies these students died within the school grounds..."

Her words hung abruptly in the air, yet the expressions of the surrounding players instantaneously turned vivid.

Everyone present had cleared numerous instances before; the implication behind her statement was clear to all.

— The student NPCs could be killed.

The victory condition only required an average score, not the highest or total score, so... eliminating the lagging, low-score students would raise the overall average score, wouldn't it?

Zhang An merely cast them a glance.

Xie Fangcheng would tirelessly emphasize to the players the perils of this strategy, but Zhang An wouldn't.

Speaking out was futile; despite further discouragements, arrogant players would invariably venture down this path.

"Alright, it's about time. We should head to the class taught by the teacher who ranked first in teaching performance."

.

The class that secured the first position in average math test scores was Senior Year 2, Class 1, which also boasted the highest student average score.

However, when the time came to attend the class, the players realized that the bustling office teachers showed almost no interest in observing the class. Everyone still clutched a thick stack of student files, remaining engrossed in their documents even after reaching Class 1, heads bowed.

Class 1 was located on the second floor. Only upon entering did everyone notice that, unlike other classes which housed forty-five students, this class had only thirty.

The players exchanged glances.

The teacher in charge of teaching Class 1 was named Tao He, who also served as the class headteacher. Unlike the somewhat haughty teacher they had seen earlier at the cafeteria's golden window, Tao He appeared to be haggard. He had little reaction to seeing his fellow teachers sitting below for the lesson and began his lecture in a rather unremarkable manner upon ascending the podium.

Teacher Tao followed the lecture notes to the letter, almost as if he wouldn't tolerate even a single typographical error, adhering strictly to the book.

How could students of such pedagogical quality attain the highest average score?

Could it be... that this Teacher Tao had eliminated the weaker students, thereby sustaining the highest average score in his class?

As the players continued their speculations, the lecture progressed to a segment where the teacher posed questions.

The pallor and weariness in Tao He's face finally gave way to a hint of enthusiasm.

"Next, I'll select a student to answer this question."

The students in the front row sat quietly, with one boy in the front row even displaying a smirk, as if expecting an interesting show to unfold.

But the students in the back rows seemed palpably tense, one after another.

Soon, Tao He announced the next "culprit": "Let’s see... number twenty-eight."

A very frail boy timidly stood up from the last row, looking at the formula on the board with apparent fear. "Is it... zero? Zero?"

"Is it zero?" The previously emotionless Tao, while lecturing, now exhibited a somewhat exaggerated expression and tone, resembling a withered plant suddenly reviving, "Number twenty-eight, am I not the one asking questions here? Are you trying to question me now, huh?"

Tong Xinxin was seated right beside the answering "Number Twenty-eight." Faced with Tao He's gaze at this moment, even knowing that the student beside her was just an NPC, she couldn't help but furrow her brows uncomfortably.

Tao He's face suddenly turned stern: "Who gave you the permission to question the teacher during class? Stand and listen!"

Number twenty-eight had no choice but to stand there obediently.

Tao He's expression softened instantly: "Since number twenty-eight couldn't answer the question, how about number two?"

A student from the first row stood up with a proud look on his face: "The answer is zero."

"An absolutely correct answer!" Tao He initiated applause, "Shouldn't we all give number two some encouragement?"

The classroom echoed with uniform claps.

It wasn't over yet, Tao He shifted the focus back onto number twenty-eight.

"Number twenty-eight, you rank third to last in this class. Not paying attention during the class and daring to question the teacher, is there something wrong with your brain? Tell me, everyone, isn't what number twenty-eight said ridiculous?"

The students responded loudly, one after another: "Ridiculous!"

"Is it worth a laugh?"

"Worth it!"

"Then laugh!"

The entire classroom filled with roaring laughter instantaneously, even the students at the back were laughing.

The atmosphere turned eerily unsettling, the players exchanged glances once again.

Tong Xinxin recalled the rules written in the student handbook that the students needed to abide by...

【No loud disturbances within the school premises.】

She remembered the morning self-study class; the mathematics office was very close to the classroom, yet no sound could be heard.

The whole school was very quiet, perhaps these laughter and absurd responses were the only times these students could make noise within the school.

Soon, Tao He gestured for silence with a downward press of his hand.

In less than half a second, quietude was restored in the classroom almost instantly.

"Alright, let's continue with the next problem."

.

Third floor, Senior Year Two (Class 11).

While the mathematics teachers were attending the class of the instructor with the highest math scores, the group of language players was also attending the lecture by the teacher with the highest scores in language studies.

Slightly differing from the mathematics group, those attending the class were not just teachers and players, but Director Wei was also seated among them.

In the morning, Teacher Zhang came to him, mentioning that this batch of new teachers seemed somewhat peculiar, to which Director Wei agreed, "Yes, that Jie Fangcheng, really is very odd!"

Zhang An paused in his movements, then quickly conceded with a "Yes."

Moreover, Zhang An furrowed his brow, listing a few instances where he believed certain teachers exhibited problematic thinking.

"Director Wei, students are the soul of the school, but if they interact with these mentally problematic teachers daily, how can we expect an improvement in their academic performance in the future? I believe this is a matter of great concern."

Consequently, Director Wei, who was initially planning to attend the mathematics class, disappeared somewhere, and upon returning, joined the group of new language teachers to sit in on a language class.

It also provided an opportunity to keep an eye on that Teacher Jie.

Jie Fangcheng seemed entirely unaware of being watched. While everyone else was neatly and appropriately dressed in their uniforms, he was somewhat casually attired - donning only a shirt without bothering to tie the necktie, and nonchalantly draping a suit jacket over his shoulder. His casual, swaggering gait even seemed to embody a more natural charisma compared to the average street loafer.

Director Wei felt a surge of irritation just looking at him.

"Teacher Jie, just look at yourself, where is the demeanor of a respectable teacher in you?"

Jie Fangcheng: "I certainly am not a good teacher, I am Teacher Jie."

Director Wei: "..."

Director Wei was grinding his teeth in anger, "You! Why haven't you tied your necktie?"

"I don't know how to."

If not for the fact that the first major examination hadn't begun yet, Director Wei would have seriously considered throwing him off the building as a warning to others.

No matter, no matter, the examination period was fast approaching, this Teacher Jie wouldn't be able to act so arrogantly for much longer.

Director Wei tried hard to console himself.

Upon reaching the classroom, he took a seat right behind Jie Fangcheng, only to find himself growing increasingly irked the more he watched him.

The students next to Jie Fangcheng were sitting with their arms properly placed on the desks and backs straight, waiting for the class to begin - a posture standard to the high-achieving academy.

Yet here he was, crossing one leg over the other, even striking up a conversation with a student.

"Doesn't sitting so stiffly tire you out? How far have you progressed in your studies? What's your name?"

The student darted a glance at him, but not daring to turn his head, remained silent, continuing to sit upright with straightened back.

"Oh, this kid, not even acknowledging people when spoken to, how impolite," Xie Fangcheng remarked, then turned to whisper to another teacher listening to the lecture nearby. His was the only voice filling the classroom, "What time is it? Only two minutes left, huh? Are you heading to the restroom? Isn't the timing a bit tight..."

Director Wei couldn't hold back, "Teacher Xie! Don't you see the students are keeping quiet? Why are you so talkative?"

Xie Fangcheng retorted, "Because I'm not a student, am I?"

Director Wei's fingers were trembling.

Thankfully, the bell signalling the start of the class rang at that moment.

The Chinese teacher of Class 1# appeared to be a stern middle-aged man. Upon reaching the podium, he only spared a fleeting glance at the seated teacher below before commencing his lecture.

This teacher adhered rigidly to the script during his lessons, his words almost an exact replica of what was outlined in the lecture notes.

Director Wei nodded approvingly.

"Look at this, this is the teaching process of a good teacher - so standardized!"

This was a review session, revisiting the ancient poems and verses that were covered in the previous class.

Quickly, the Chinese teacher began to call upon students to recite aloud.

"Number twenty-nine."

The girl seated at the very back row stood up nervously. Her recitation flowed quite fluently, but she was interrupted mid-way by the teacher at the podium.

"Number twenty-nine! Listen to your tone as you recite the text! This is a farewell poem, yet I could not detect any trace of sorrow in your recitation! Stand properly and listen to how others do it! Number one!"

The boy seated at the front row rose languidly. His recitation was also rather fluent, but let alone a sorrowful tone, his nonchalant expression and demeanor made him stand out as a misfit in such a school environment.

Or perhaps one could say... the students seated at the front appear more lively, more reminiscent of living beings.

Whereas the further one looks towards the back, the more the students resemble mere puppets.

After number one finished his recitation, the teacher began applauding from the podium, "Listen to how he recites, how brimming with emotion he is; that's why he ranks first! Number twenty-nine, do you understand now why you can only rank at the very bottom? Compare the gap between yourself and him! How can you still exist in my class without feeling ashamed? Raise your hand and give yourself a few sharp slaps to wake up to reality!"

The standing girl hung her head low, biting her lower lip hard.

Yue Haiyang was absolutely furious listening to this, yet Director Wei's expression exhibited great satisfaction.

Look at the atmosphere during this class!

Good students should indeed be praised, while the bad students should be belittled!

Only in this way can students realize the importance of studying, allowing those with good exam results to feel honored, and those with poor results to experience a sense of shame!

Without this approach, how could these students possibly be motivated to study diligently? How could the philosophy of prioritizing academics at Gaoji Academy be embodied?

This is precisely what a good teacher should be doing...

At that moment, sitting in front of Director Wei, Xie Fangcheng gestured towards the teacher on the podium with a tilt of his chin, "Hey! Do you even hear yourself speaking like a human?"

This time, even the students in the front row, who usually resembled immovable logs, couldn't help but turn their heads, their faces reflecting utter astonishment as they looked at him.

The teacher on the podium froze for a moment, then sneered, "Oh, it's you, the teacher who granted the entire class 150 points in yesterday's pop quiz. Do you have any idea what giving those worthless students 150 points implies? Do they deserve it? You, you're..."

"I am talking to you," Jie Fangcheng interrupted him, "do you realize what you were just saying?"

"What was I saying?"

Jie Fangcheng stood up, stretching his arms and legs a bit.

"You wanted the students to recite with a sense of sorrow, didn't you? Come on, recite it for me now. I want to hear if you can imbue this poem with a sense of sorrow as you recite it!"

Director Wei's large, fan-like palm pressed down threateningly on his shoulder, his voice carrying a note of menace, "Teacher Jie, don't think you can act recklessly just because the first major exam hasn't occurred yet! Do you know the consequences of violating the school rules within this institution?"

As he finished speaking, the person he was holding turned to face him.

Jie Fangcheng looked at him, "Do you know what happened to the last person who tried to lay a hand on my shoulder?"

"Wha..."

There was a loud "bang."

Director Wei was sent flying through the glass window, crashing through without losing momentum, and hurled out of the glass in the corridor, exiting the teaching building entirely.

The classroom fell silent, followed by a student exclaiming, "Holy shit!" which seemed to awaken the others as if from a dream.

"Have you lost your mind?!" Yue Haiyang looked at him with a face of shock, utterly failing to comprehend the actions of the person in front of him, a newbie who had cleared the level once before.

It was genuinely incomprehensible.

In a second-level instance, an NPC who clearly seemed to be a minor boss... was just hurled out of the window like a bowling ball?

...No, that's not it.

It's a second-level instance, huh!

...No, not that either.

It's a BOSS, huh! An NPC, huh!!

Yue Haiyang had completed numerous rounds himself, and while it was common to see players being thrown out by NPCs, witnessing a player hurling an NPC out was an absolute first for him.

Since when did the game introduce this kind of strategy for clearing levels? This... can players actually attack NPCs like this now???

Jie Fangcheng's face remained devoid of any trace of a smile as he flexed his wrists slightly.

"I'm talking to you. Come, recite that poem from before, word by word, and let me hear just how rich the emotional depth a teacher like you can bring!"

.

Second floor.

Inside Classroom 1, devoid of the presence of Director Wei and Teacher Jie.

Zhang An sat with his hands crossed, his face expressionless as he gazed at Tao He on the podium.

Tao He was still berating student number twenty-eight.

The slender boy hung his head low, upon which Tao He yelled, "Why are you lowering your head? Did the teacher say anything wrong? Step up to the podium and tell everyone how you usually study! Let everyone hear how your study attitude led you to rank third from the bottom in the class!"

The expressions of the surrounding players varied, but the faces of the NPC teachers attending the lecture seemed remarkably unaffected, suggesting that this manner of "managing" students was commonplace for them.

Guo Siming couldn't stand the taste of what he was hearing any longer and couldn't help but speak up on behalf of the student, his tone polite, "Teacher Tao, shall we continue with the lesson?"

Tao He dismissed him disdainfully, "Who do you think you are? Where did you rank in the last exam? What right do you have to dictate how I educate my students?"

Guo Siming wanted to retort, but someone tugged at his sleeve.

He turned around to find Zhang An looking at him, his expression gentle, "Wait a moment."

Wait? For what?

However, Guo Siming knew that arguing with these NPCs at this time would be futile.

This instance was structured in this way, and perhaps they would have to employ these methods in the future to clear the levels.

But even though he knew these NPCs were nothing but data, Guo Siming couldn't shake the discomfort he felt at this moment.

He had just turned around when a massive "bang" echoed from above, followed by a black object fleeting past the window and crashing onto the ground floor with a loud noise.

The players were stunned, and recalling Zhang An's words to wait, Guo Siming abruptly turned his head back.

Zhang An's face held a gentle expression, and upon a closer look, he seemed to be smiling, evidently in a rather good mood.

What's going on? What just happened???

Before Guo Siming could figure it out, a series of clattering noises resonated from upstairs.

Soon, a scream reverberated through the entire teaching building, leaving everyone stunned.

Gao Ji Academy was usually very quiet, but this scream caused even the students in the greenhouse on the first floor to simultaneously lift their heads, looking bewilderedly in the direction of the sound.

The players heard it even more clearly.

"...Not sad enough, recite it again."

"Cold... cold cicadas mourn."

"Cold? I didn't sense any coldness. Recite it again!"

One voice sounded pitiful and miserable, presumably belonging to an NPC, while the other... Why did the other sound so familiar? It seemed to resemble the voice that echoed through the entire staff dormitory building last night, didn't it?

Who is that person?

"Is it... Teacher Jie?" Guo Siming realized.

He then saw that the usually gentle Teacher Zhang had indeed a smile on his face at this moment.

A very exhilarated and amusing kind of smile.

"Yes," he said with a smile, "Teacher Jie has a different perspective on teaching."

"..."

This isn't a matter of different perspectives, is it??

The screams from upstairs subsided after a while. Tao He, who was standing on the podium, heard it too, but he quickly regained his composure, ready to continue the lesson.

After all, in Gao Ji Academy, all problems are resolved by the school leadership.

The sole purpose of teachers like them was to help improve the students' grades.

Just as he hesitated for a moment, contemplating whether to continue the previous humiliation, there was a knock on the door.

The person knocking was quite polite, "Hello, is a class in session?"

Tao He was taken aback, and before he could respond, the door swung open.

At the doorway stood Jie Fangcheng, holding his suit jacket. He looked somewhat like a teacher, but not quite.

He nodded politely at Teacher Tao and, without any interest in mingling with the crowd attending the class, he simply stood by the door.

"Are you teaching? Go on, then. I heard you are top in mathematics, right? I'm not good at math, so I thought I'd listen in. That's okay, isn't it?"

That voice sounded all too familiar!

Tao He took a step back, stammering, "No...no..."

Before he could finish, Jie Fangcheng shifted his gaze to the nearly tearful boy standing at the last row.

The frail boy was now looking up at him blankly, prompting Jie Fangcheng to stretch his limbs a bit.

"Why is there a student standing here? Your school still allows corporal punishment?"

Teacher Tao tried to explain desperately, "No, it was just that he was answering a question..."

"What question? Let me hear it... never mind." Jie Fangcheng had already stepped onto the podium, "Anyway, none of you teachers are up to any good, I might as well finish what I came here to do first!"

.

The last row of Class 1.

The players and the students dutifully remained in the classroom.

Yue Haiyang was counting.

"...That's the twenty-seventh one. Teacher Jie... Brother Jie isn't actually planning to beat up all the teachers, is he?"

The corridor was a scene of devastation. Jie Fangcheng had procured a stick from somewhere— a real, sturdy stick, possibly dismantled from some pipeline. A swing of that stick resulted in shattered walls and fallen bodies, a truly terrifying sight.

A moment ago, the airborne Director Wei returned only to rush back in with several security guards, all of whom were now face down amidst the flowers in the garden.

The players, initially shocked, then bewildered, had now reached a state of numbness, unsure of what to say anymore.

Everyone was whispering amongst themselves, speculating whether Jie Fangcheng was the president of the Chaoyang Guild, who topped the points leaderboard.

Tong Xinxin remained silent.

Because she indeed had unique abilities, with personal skills that could be upgraded. It was clear she would be formidable in the future. Thus, the guild's higher-ups had taken her on raids and spoken reverently of the president during their conversations.

The president was incredibly powerful: he had over a hundred personal skills, with more than forty of them being rare ones. His system backpack had over a thousand slots, each holding extremely precious items. Moreover, the president... he could escape alive from the clutches of a level five dungeon boss— all by himself!

A level five dungeon boss! What a horrifying entity! And the president managed to escape from it!

That's what Tong Xinxin had thought before.

But now...

The president has over a hundred personal skills!

Here was a brute capable of throwing a BOSS down with his bare hands.

The president possesses over forty rare personal skills!

Here was a brute capable of throwing a BOSS down with his bare hands.

The president's system backpack holds over a thousand slots, each containing incredibly valuable items!

Here was a brute capable of throwing a BOSS down with his bare hands.

The president can single-handedly escape from the clutches of a level five dungeon boss!

...Here was a brute, whom even NPCs feared to confront directly, preferring to jump out of a building to escape him.

Having cleared the second floor, Jie Fangcheng slung the stick over his shoulder and looked up towards the upper floor from the corridor.

Given the commotion, a bunch of teacher NPCs had gathered on the third floor, peeping down below.

Seeing the seemingly benign head popping out, the teachers instantly withdrew their heads, screaming and scattering in all directions.

The once tranquil atmosphere of the campus was shattered.

Oddly enough, the students in the class, who had been disciplined for a long time and had school rules ingrained deep in their bones, remained seated at this moment. However, many were half-turning their heads, curiosity clearly written on their faces.

Jie Fangcheng realized that his pace was a significant issue, not aiming to clear everything in one swoop. After dealing with the teacher NPCs in one corridor, he wiped off his stick and immediately turned back to classroom one.

The players sat stiffly, utterly unsure of his next move at this point.

Jie Fangcheng swept his gaze over them and directly asked the students, "Where is the principal's office?"

The players: "..."

Damn! Is he not satisfied with the beating and now aiming to confront the final BOSS directly?

Who the heck is this guy? How can he be so brazen?!

The students remained silent.

Jie Fangcheng glanced back to find that the teachers in the corridor had already helped each other up and fled hastily.

In his mind, Jie Fangcheng cursed. If he had known, he would have asked first, then started the fight.

That Director Wei should know, right? He decided to find him.

"I know."

Just then, a familiar voice echoed in the classroom.

Jie Fangcheng lifted his head, momentarily stunned, his expression becoming a tad sheepish.

"Oh, uh... Zhang... err, what's-his-name."

Zhang An stood up with a smile.

He seemed entirely unfazed by their argument earlier in the morning, now stepping to Jie Fangcheng's side.

"Let's go, I'll take you there."

"Okay, okay, okay."

Jie Fangcheng, holding his stick, followed him out.

The players watched their retreating figures, utterly bewildered.

Yue Haiyang murmured to himself, "What on earth are these two up to... They surely aren't planning to kill the principal and take over his position, right?"

Of course, Zhang An asked him this question on their way.

Jie Fangcheng shook his head fervently, resembling a pellet drum, "No, no, no, I have no intentions of becoming the principal."

What's so great about being a principal? You have to manage teachers, oversee this and that; it's entirely unsuitable for Jie Fangcheng.

However...

"I think the role of a principal would suit you quite well," Jie Fangcheng said sincerely, "Your mind works better than the average person's."

Zhang An just smiled, changing the topic: "Was breakfast alright?"

"Yeah, it was." After responding, Jie Fangcheng realized, "Wait, you were the one who left that stuff, weren't you?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Oh, thanks a lot, bro."

Then, Jie Fangcheng asked again, "But how did you know where the principal is?"

Zhang An didn't reply, but gently pinched something in the air with his fingers.

It was only then that Jie Fangcheng noticed a thread, finer than a hair strand, between Zhang An's fingers.

He wasn't lying about one thing; since entering the instance, he indeed allocated his personal skill to Director Wei.

【Skill: Red Thread of Fate - Damaged】

【Description: Sometimes the red thread doesn't connect destined lovers, but could potentially be a thread of murderous intent!】

【Notice: Although the red thread is endless, the material available to create the thread on your person is limited.】

【Function: Turn the thread on your body into a line of pursuit, but it's quite difficult to kill someone with the damaged red thread. Perhaps it's merely a tracking tool now?】

The "thread" required for this skill manifested on Zhang An as his blood vessels.

Zhang An used it to monitor Director Wei, understanding the usual places where Wei tended to spend his time.

Director Wei was the head of the sophomore year, and his general route was around the sophomore building. This morning, Zhang An had a serious chat with him, reporting the "problematic thoughts of the new teacher" as a grave matter. After hearing it, Director Wei immediately left his office and headed to a building at the back.

Jie Fangcheng nodded continuously, thinking that following this Teacher Zhang would suffice.

However, upon reaching the ground floor, Zhang An suddenly halted.

"You go ahead. I'm not strong enough to go up there," he said.

This was exactly what Jie Fangcheng had in mind.

He rolled up his sleeves and ascended the stairs.

Unfortunately, this building was quite distant from the sophomore building, and the teachers inside hadn't heard the screams and shrieks emanating from the sophomore building; they were still "teaching."

As Jie Fangcheng passed a classroom, his ears twitched, and he couldn't resist; he kicked the door open with a loud "bang."

Zhang An stood in the shadows on the first floor, hearing the continuous exclamations of "Come, come, come and talk to me" resounding from within the building.

Zhang An's expression was excessively cheerful, and soon, the limping Director Wei hobbled over from not too far away.

He was heading to report to the principal! He intended to ask the principal to send reinforcements! To dismember this rule-breaking, school leader-assaulting, and unruly Teacher Jie into eight pieces.

However, upon reaching the ground floor, Director Wei saw his confidant standing there.

He seemed to be in a good mood, apparently tilting his ear, listening intently to the noises coming from the upper floor with great patience.

Director Wei paused, somewhat startled, "Teacher Zhang? What are you doing here?"

Zhang An saw him and sighed, "Director Wei, just now... sigh. Perhaps you might want to check upstairs?"

"What happened?" Director Wei said, about to hobble up the stairs, but then he heard Zhang An sigh again.

"Just now, Teacher Jie insisted on going up, mentioning something about discussing student education issues with the principal. No matter what, I couldn't stop him. I was really out of options..."

Director Wei retracted the leg that was about to step on the stair, his facial expressions fluctuating, eventually forcing out a dry laugh.

"It's alright, every teacher has the right to express their opinions, so... I, I'll head back first."

With that, he turned and fled without looking back.

Zhang An adjusted his glasses slightly, continuing to gaze upwards at the building.

After quite a while, a frustrated Jie Fangcheng finally descended from the upper floor.

By now, this building resembled the sophomore building, with various NPCs hanging in the corridors, most of them sporting bruised faces.

"There was no one in the principal's office."

Jie Fangcheng twirled his stick, creating a flourish like a sword dance. Zhang An glanced at him briefly before withdrawing his gaze, subsequently offering a gentle smile, "Shall we head back first?"

"You go ahead."

Jie Fangcheng made a shade with his hand, counting the educational buildings in front of him.

"I will take a stroll around those two buildings. Once I'm done, I'll return," he said, and then, with his stick on his shoulder, he swaggered off towards the buildings he had eyed.

Soon, a voice emanated from the building, "What are you doing? Which class do you not want to attend... ah!!"

In high spirits, Zhang An returned to the office, where the players were already engaged in a frenzied discussion.

At this point, the office only housed players. The NPCs were either still stunned in the corridors or helping each other, reportedly heading to the infirmary.

Without the NPCs, the players' discussion became much more vibrant and lively.

"Damn! Who is this person? Only cleared the level once?? Even the top players on the leaderboard couldn't do this, right?"

"What's his personal skill? A Super Saiyan?"

"It's definitely a BUG!"

At that moment, Yue Haiyang was the first to notice Zhang An's return and quickly inquired, "Teacher Zhang! Where did Teacher Jie go?"

Zhang An pointed towards the glass windows along the corridor behind him.

Everyone immediately crowded onto the corridor, opening the hallway windows.

The wind carried the screams from the opposite building to the second year floor.

Everyone marvelled, their hearts experiencing an unparalleled shock.

Even Tong XinXin, who had been acting like a she-devil since entering the instance, now displayed the vibrancy befitting her age.

"How have we never heard of this kind of person in the game before? Nor heard of someone clearing levels like this? Who is he?"

Tong XinXin turned her head.

Zhang An spoke calmly, "Someone involved."