It was already nearing lunchtime, and the campus, already quiet, was now even more silent.
Yu Deng stood by the flowerbed in the greenbelt. Behind him, the shrubs and locust trees looked somewhat withered, and even the distant buildings carried a dull gray tone. This made Yu Deng's jet-black hair and fair skin stand out all the more, making him appear stunningly beautiful.
The two vying for his attention stood on either side of Yu Deng, pretending to be docile while hiding emotions of obsession and possessiveness in their eyes.
Of course, there was also a deep-seated animosity towards their rival.
No one wants their beloved to have other "dogs" showing affection nearby, especially when they haven't fully secured their position and are still competing with said rivals.
If they weren't afraid of scaring Yu Deng, they might have already started fighting.
[Buzz... Mission target's destructive tendencies detected to be increasing. Player Yu Deng's special mission has made no progress. Please complete the mission promptly.]
Yu Deng was confused. "Hmm?"
Why did their destructive tendencies suddenly increase? Was it because he had broken up with Lu Yan and rejected Zhuang Lin, making them angry?
Admittedly, his side missions in this instance were a bit mean… But these were all tasks assigned by the instance! It wasn't his fault the instance kept giving him conflicting missions.
"I get it. I'll definitely finish the mission. I've perfectly completed every task before this, after all."
Thinking of this, Yu Deng felt confident in himself. He casually brushed off the main system and heard Lu Yan ask,
"So, if I do well enough, if I'm obedient enough, Deng Deng will give me a chance, right?"
Yu Deng thought about it. The mission only required him to break up and drive the targets away; it didn't say he couldn't string them along.
So Yu Deng nodded. "Hmm, something like that."
Looking at the two boys in front of him, he added to his persona, "Anyway, I'm telling you now—I have a really bad temper."
"No," Zhuang Lin finally managed to interject, his tone firm. "You're the most beautiful and adorable person I've ever met."
Yu Deng, flattered, coughed lightly and curled his lips into a slight smile. "Well, I'll see how you both perform."
With those words, the faintly visible anxiety and gloom surrounding the two finally subsided a bit.
[Ding. Side mission (5) completed.]
System 01 silently updated its database. Based on its big data analysis, under normal circumstances, NPCs treated this way would usually explode in anger, attacking the player on the spot.
But these two mission targets of its host? Tsk.
They didn't even dare to show their darker emotions in front of Yu Deng, only daring to hide their possessiveness and act pitiful and obedient in an attempt to win Yu Deng back.
System 01 thought its host had no reason to worry—these men would resolve everything on their own.
Yu Deng, unaware that his system had already labeled his mission targets as hopeless romantics, completed another mission and lazily started heading back to the teaching building.
"I can carry you back," Zhuang Lin offered enthusiastically, eager to seize the opportunity. "I'm very steady on my feet."
Feeling a bit tired, Yu Deng nodded. "Okay."
The ex-boyfriend, Lu Yan, who was a step too slow, clicked his tongue lightly, his face betraying no emotion.
Zhuang Lin's steps were indeed steady, and within minutes, he had carried Yu Deng near the teaching building. As they passed by, Yu Deng suddenly noticed a new honor roll displayed outside.
It hadn't been there earlier. Curious, Yu Deng asked, "Huh? Isn't the honor roll usually in the administrative building?"
"The senior-year teaching building has always had an honor roll, but the bulletin board was damaged recently and taken for repairs. It must've just been brought back," Lu Yan explained. "Though calling it an 'honor roll' isn't quite accurate—it's more like a total ranking board."
A total ranking board?
While they talked, they had already approached the so-called honor roll.
Yu Deng's eyes first landed on the results of the recent math test.
Thanks to having the grade's top student helping him cheat, he guiltily noticed that he'd managed to land in the top three—at least his persona hadn't collapsed.
Guihuai High School followed a rigorous review schedule, with humanities and science progressing at the same pace. This math test was unified across the entire grade. What Yu Deng hadn't expected was that the scores and rankings were out within an hour, with all the students' results posted for everyone to see.
Looking at the dense list of names and scores, Yu Deng felt a bit overwhelmed and even a little intimidated by the sheer speed of grading.
Terrifying. So terrifying.
He recalled that in his real-life high school, although they often had exams, the results weren't displayed like this—let alone for a single subject test.
Wait a minute. The order on this honor roll seemed different from the one he saw in the administrative building. Could it be that this ranking board updated in real time with each test?
"Zhuang Lin, move a bit closer. I can't see clearly."
Still on Zhuang Lin's back, Yu Deng struggled to compare the order from the other day to this new honor roll, trying to spot any discrepancies.
The top students in good schools are usually at similar levels. Except for a few academic geniuses who can consistently hold the top spot, the scores of the rest of the top ten are often closely contested, with rankings frequently changing.
But the ranking fluctuations at Guihuai High School were really strange.
Yu Deng stared at the rankings in confusion, counting over and over until he felt dizzy.
Lu Yan was still in first place. But if every exam affected the rankings, how did he drop to ninth after just one test? Zhuang Lin, a student athlete whose academic performance was average, ranked surprisingly high as well.
Oh, and there was that boy who had tried to hit him with a basketball last time. Even though his test scores were still in the top ten, his ranking had fallen from third to somewhere outside the top fifty.
The more Yu Deng looked, the more baffled he became. Unable to hold back his doubts, he asked, "Is there something wrong with your ranking system?"
"No issues," Lu Yan replied quickly, scanning the list. "The overall rankings are based on comprehensive evaluations."
…
Yu Deng, a self-proclaimed academic underachiever, was thoroughly perplexed by this school's ranking method.
The library was closed at noon, so he decided to go back for a quick nap before enduring the afternoon classes in a daze.
The last class of the day was PE, but Yu Deng managed to get out of it by claiming his sprained foot was still recovering.
After some internal debate, Yu Deng decided not to have Lu Yan accompany him to the library. If he stumbled upon any unsavory clues or found himself in an unexpected situation facing his mission target, he wasn't sure he could handle it.
With his backpack slung over his shoulder, Yu Deng headed to the Guihuai High School library while it was still daylight.
On his way, he ran into the short, stout administrator who had spoken on stage during the recent grade assembly.
Yu Deng felt a bit apprehensive around this administrator. But perhaps because his test scores from cheating were impressive, the administrator greeted him kindly and let him go after a few words.
Suddenly, Yu Deng realized he had only ever seen this grade director and no other senior school leaders like the principal.
Shaking off his thoughts, he stepped into the library.
The library's exterior walls looked a bit dilapidated, but inside, the space was surprisingly vast. At this hour, when students were still in class, the library was silent and deserted.
Near the entrance hung a poster:
[ Library Regulations:
1. Teachers and students must register upon entering.
2. No loud noises.
3. Do not damage the books. ]
4. If you notice book contents appearing around you or experience a power outage, do not panic. Stop reading immediately and leave via the escape route.
"Book contents appearing around you… What does that mean?" Yu Deng wondered, memorizing the rule carefully before heading to the registration desk, where he found an elderly man nearing retirement age.
This must be the librarian, Yu Deng thought as he cautiously asked, "Uncle, can we read all the books in the library?"
The librarian glanced at him with murky eyes that betrayed no emotion but answered patiently enough, "All books except those in the archive room are available for borrowing."
Disappointed, Yu Deng muttered, "So I can't go there…"
"Indeed, don't let me catch you wandering into the archive room." The old man tapped the desk with his knuckles. "Here to borrow books? Let me see your student ID."
Yu Deng quickly handed over his student card.
The old man gave it a glance and said ambiguously, "You've been here less than a week… Oh well, go on in."
Something's off about this old man's attitude, Yu Deng thought.
[Random guess: There's probably a restriction for players entering the library, like needing to be here for at least a week. But Deng Deng's high popularity and great test scores let him bypass it?]
[Too many words, but sure, I'll agree. Anyway, my wife is number one!]
After registering, Yu Deng cautiously entered the library's interior and followed the map to the fourth floor.
This was where the archive room was located.
He inspected the archive room door. It wasn't a high-tech door with a keypad or alarms—just an ordinary wooden door.
But when he pushed it, the door didn't budge. Clearly, it was locked.
Out of options, Yu Deng turned his attention to the rows of shelves outside the archive room in the large hall.
Huh, was that… school newspapers and admission brochures?
He picked up a small booklet and flipped through it.
The first page of the booklet detailed the history of the high school's establishment and decades of academic achievements, including reports on the school's enrollment rates over the years. Beside it were photos of the bright and beautiful campus, with students beaming in the pictures.
Yu Deng flipped through the booklet and turned back to the cover, realizing it was an old admission brochure from several years ago.
He then picked up a nearby newspaper and found that it praised the diligence and studiousness of the school's students. One accompanying image showed students studying with books while getting flu shots at the school infirmary.
Yu Deng continued flipping through several school newspapers and promotional materials, discovering that there wasn't much that seemed out of the ordinary compared to regular schools.
Would he need to go into the archive room to uncover the critical information?
"System, what should I do? The archive room is locked."
System 01 gently reminded him: [You could use some unconventional methods to access the archive room.]
Yu Deng blinked, trying to comprehend the system's meaning.
Pick the lock?!
[Hahaha, don't look so shocked, sweetie. This is a standard move for players in the Infinite Channel!]
[Awww, my sweet baby who doesn't want to do anything bad, let me give you a kiss.]
Yu Deng, distressed, said, "But… but I don't even know how to pick a lock…"
[You have tools. You can try using them.]
"Oh…" Yu Deng racked his brain, thinking about what tools he could use to unlock the door. Suddenly, a light bulb went on in his head. "System, is there surveillance here?"
[I've already scanned it for you. There are surveillance cameras, but I can temporarily disable them for you.]
"That's great! You're amazing, System." As Yu Deng spoke, he summoned two of his little paper figurines.
"Little Red, Little Green, you can slip under the door, right? Can you help me unlock it?"
The two paper figurines nodded and slipped under the door. Ten seconds later, the wooden door creaked open from the inside.
It actually worked!
Feeling like a thief, Yu Deng nervously looked around before leaving the paper figurines outside to keep watch and slipping inside the archive room.
The archive room was dark, with only a little light coming in from the door. Yu Deng didn't dare turn on the lights, so he searched for clues in the dim illumination.
Standing in the archive room, which was as big as two classrooms, Yu Deng looked around blankly.
What information was he looking for again? Oh, right. He wanted to learn more about the school's history. But there were so many files here!
Feeling dizzy from the sheer volume of materials, Yu Deng skimmed through the contents of the room and finally identified the organizational system. He pulled out a few older files.
His luck wasn't bad. The first file he opened was a record of a school meeting that analyzed why the college entrance exam results and admission rates for top universities had dropped so drastically in a particular year.
He pulled out another file nearby, which was a document about proposed reforms by the school leadership. The content described how the leadership believed a lack of discipline was to blame and outlined measures to strictly enforce rules, ensuring students focused solely on their studies.
This document also listed many school regulations Yu Deng had seen, as well as various academic assessment requirements. It seemed the root of the rules was to ensure absolute discipline among students?
While he was pondering, his vision suddenly blurred. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself standing in a spacious meeting room.
Yu Deng: "??"
He panicked for a few seconds before realizing that the people in the meeting room couldn't see him—or perhaps they were too busy arguing to notice him.
"No! This is too exhausting. They need time to relax!"
"For three consecutive years, we haven't produced a single top scorer. Even the number of generally outstanding students has decreased. Our student base is all flocking to School No. 1. Principal Tang, Guihuai's reputation can't take this anymore."
"That's right. It must be due to a lack of discipline among the students. They've become too lax. I support stricter management."
"Agreed, and we should provide more rewards for top-performing students."
"…"
The group argued fiercely, and the eavesdropping Yu Deng stood there dumbfounded. He belatedly realized that this was a scene from the meeting he had read about. But how was he seeing it?
Suddenly, one of the leaders turned his head and stared straight at him: "What do you think, student?"
Yu Deng: "!!" They could see him?!
Yu Deng froze for a moment, and just as the group was about to approach him, the system reminded him of the library rule:
If the content you're reading comes to life, stop reading immediately.
Yu Deng released the file in his hand, and the scene before him dissipated like a retreating tide. He closed his eyes and slowly processed the information.
So, this must be the background of the game instance, right?
Still, while these measures were harsh and extreme, they shouldn't have led to such bizarre outcomes. There must have been other events that completely changed the school.
Anxiously looking around, Yu Deng finally noticed a few sealed paper documents.
The game system's electronic voice made faint beeping sounds, reminiscent of fluctuating signals during data scans.
At that moment, he vaguely heard approaching footsteps, and the little paper figurines at the door frantically gestured to him.
Uh-oh. It seemed the administrator was coming, but he hadn't finished looking yet!
Yu Deng froze for a few seconds. At the system's urging, he frantically began gathering clues to take with him.
Although stealing wasn't right, he really needed these files. Sorry, sorry!
Like a bandit, Yu Deng started grabbing files from the shelves.
These appeared to be student records from his grade level. Oh, and these other files—they all seemed important. Take them, take them all.
Yu Deng stuffed the files haphazardly into his backpack. When he couldn't fit any more, he panicked and stuffed some into his school uniform jacket, hoping to conceal them.
The footsteps grew louder and louder. Yu Deng hurriedly grabbed a few files to cover the gaps on the shelves, pretending nothing had happened, and then limped out of the archive room with his sprained foot.
He closed the archive room door, retrieved the paper figurines, and hastily grabbed a school newspaper, pretending he had been reading it all along.
His movements were so smooth that even Yu Deng was amazed at his own dexterity. He had never been so nimble before!
[Aww, my baby is adorable, fumbling like a kitten caught stealing a fish!]
[This isn't stealing; it's actively searching for clues!]
[Haha, so cute! Love you, sweetie.]
Yu Deng managed to clean up just in time as the administrator reached the fourth floor.
His heart raced wildly, and his breathing was erratic. He looked at the administrator and obediently greeted him: "Hello, sir."
The library administrator walked over, glanced at Yu Deng's innocent face, circled around him in silence, and eventually went back downstairs without suspicion.
Phew… Yu Deng let out a long breath and pulled the files from his uniform jacket, trying to stuff them into his backpack.
But before he could relax, the lights in the fourth-floor lobby suddenly went out.
Seconds later, Yu Deng heard another set of footsteps. He shivered in fear and tried to hide behind a shelf.
What now?
The footsteps stopped for a while, and Yu Deng cautiously peeked out, only to see a beam of light from a flashlight shining in front of him.
"Oh, it's you, Yu Deng."
It wasn't the administrator—it was his school doctor, Lin Qinxu.
Seeing someone familiar, Yu Deng felt a bit braver. "It's you! You scared me…"
"Don't worry. The library's electrical system often malfunctions," Lin Qinxu said as he walked toward Yu Deng. "Yu Deng, long time no see."
Yu Deng was confused. Long time? Didn't they just meet yesterday?
Although each day in this game instance felt incredibly eventful, making it seem like a long time.
Yu Deng glanced at Dr. Lin and noticed that he looked particularly cheerful, his smile brimming with good spirits.
"Why do you seem so happy?"
Lin Qinxu replied in an upbeat tone, "Probably because I'm no longer confined to the infirmary."
"Huh?"
Oh, right. Dr. Lin had mentioned before that he couldn't leave the infirmary freely.
[Oh no! The creepy, unethical school doctor is out!]
[Will he bully our baby again?]
[I don't think so. Last time he scared our baby, he panicked like crazy. Just now, I switched to a third-person perspective and saw that he immediately stopped being gloomy when he realized it was our baby.]
[He might not scare him, but that doesn't mean he won't deceive him. Our sweetie is so gullible and easy to trick!]
Yu Deng asked, puzzled, "Didn't you say you had to stay in the infirmary?"
"I was notified that I'd be serving as your substitute teacher temporarily."
A substitute teacher?
Lin Qinxu smiled. "The administration decided it would be fine for me to teach your review classes for a week. So, now I'm your substitute teacher."
Yu Deng nodded blankly. "Oh… Teacher Lin."
This way of addressing seemed to strike a chord with Lin Qinxu. The smile in his eyes deepened as he softly said, "But... let me take a look. These in your hands... they seem to be documents that students are not allowed to read?"
Yu Deng lowered his head and realized that when the lights went out earlier, he had been so nervous that he still held the documents in his hands, forgetting to hide them.
Yu Deng took a step back, nervously swallowed, and his pretty little face tightened: "W-what do you want?"
"Don't be afraid, I've told you I won't hurt you. But... Yu Deng, could you help me with something?" Lin Qinxu said calmly, lowering himself, "I haven't organized the high school curriculum in a while, and I might have missed something."
Yu Deng hesitated, looking at Lin Qinxu, unsure whether to agree.
Lin Qinxu gently coaxed: "If you take these away, the administrator might check. I can say I took them. Besides, I'm the school doctor and a temporary faculty member, so I can offer you a lot of convenience."
It sounded like there were many benefits...
Yu Deng, already caught in the web of this older, scheming doctor, was drawn in: "But you haven't told me what you need help with."
"Hmm... very simple." Lin Qinxu placed a hand on Yu Deng's shoulder, helping him hold the documents in his arms, "For example, assisting me in lesson preparation and helping me understand the class situation. You're such a little genius, I'm sure you can help."
Yu Deng, nervous after being caught doing something bad, felt even more dizzy from Lin Qinxu's coaxing. He tried to think it through, realizing it seemed very simple?
Moreover, as a student struggling in academics, this was the first time he had received such a request...
Yu Deng whispered, "Okay, but you can't tell anyone. I'll definitely help you."
T/N: Some of the gong's other soul fragments in the later instances are really pissing me off... they're just so... ahh, I want to slap them hard.