Yu Deng was still gripping Dr. Lin's collar, their faces so close that their breaths intertwined.
The earlier complaint carried a faint hint of intimacy, making Lin Qingxu, already unsettled, even more agitated. The veins on the back of his hand tensed.
"…Baby, I'm not exactly made of wood."
Yu Deng felt his assessment was spot on. "You basically are. Alright, I've done my part to encourage—mm?"
The "wooden block" that had been frozen for quite a while suddenly moved. Dr. Lin gently clasped Yu Deng's hands and pulled him into his embrace.
Yu Deng instinctively released his grip on the collar and, following the other's pull, tilted his head back. His slightly parted lips were then kissed.
Lin Qinxu's movements of licking and biting were much more skilled than his. Yu Deng had just complained about Lin Qinxu not cooperating, but now he regretted it... Lin Qinxu was so eager to comply that Yu Deng was almost running out of breath.
"...Okay, no more biting me!"
Yu Deng's hands pushed against Dr. Lin's chest, only allowing him a few minutes of kissing before stopping.
Lin Qinxu didn't seem fully satisfied, but he stopped. "Alright, thank you, baby, for the encouragement."
Yu Deng snorted lightly, lying in Dr. Lin's arms to recover, then thought for a moment about how to set the exam questions, slowly getting off his lap.
Knock knock knock.
The door to the small office was knocked on a few times, and a voice came from the door.
"Deng Deng, are you in there?"
Yu Deng turned around and answered softly towards the door. Upon hearing Yu Deng's voice, the person outside quickly opened the office door.
Lu Yan and Zhuang Lin both arrived after efficiently completing the tasks Yu Deng assigned them, entering together.
"I've already adjusted the clock on the top floor to the time for the final exam day. The bell will ring in an hour... huh?" Zhuang Lin was halfway through bragging when his gaze landed on Yu Deng's face, abruptly stopping.
Yu Deng's lips were redder than when he had been in the self-reflection room, glistening with moisture. His delicate, fair face was tinged with a faint pink, and the corners of his eyes had traces of tears. It was obvious that he had been treated roughly.
And that troublesome school doctor looked disheveled, his shirt untidy as if he was deliberately showing off.
Zhuang Lin gritted his teeth. "...Baby, did he bully you?"
Yu Deng's tone was very innocent. "Ah? No, Dr. Lin said what you're doing is very dangerous, so I encouraged him a bit."
Zhuang Lin: "…"
Lu Yan: "…"
Tsk, that old man with his tricks, deceiving his naive baby. Out of the people present, only Yu Deng, who was clueless, could be tricked by such a clumsy lie.
After Yu Deng finished answering, he looked at the two boys who had entered. "So you've finished the mission?"
"That's right. Dr. Lin hasn't finished yet? It's forgivable, after all, he's older, and it's normal for his abilities to be lacking," Zhuang Lin said sarcastically. "Baby, look at me, I've finished! Can I get some reward too?"
"I've also printed the new countdown and calendar, and handed them to the class leaders," Lu Yan, feeling ignored, stated calmly. "Deng Deng, can I have a reward too?"
Reward? Yu Deng thought for a few seconds, feeling it was a reasonable request. After all, his big plan was quite dangerous, and these guys had helped him.
While Yu Deng was thinking, Lu Yan pulled him away from the cunning school doctor. Zhuang Lin, unable to grab Yu Deng, continued to direct his anger at Lin Qinxu, coldly warning, "We understand what you're thinking, so calm down."
"Hmm? I was just discussing the exam questions with Yu Deng," Lin Qinxu said unperturbed, proudly, "Even if I had such thoughts, what's wrong with that? It's normal to be obsessed with my baby. Besides, it seems like you're just like me."
Yu Deng looked at them in confusion, not understanding how they suddenly started talking about this. The air seemed thick with the scent of jealousy and gunpowder. The main system emitted a few electrical zaps, followed by a warning broadcast.
Yu Deng, increasingly skilled, began to make grand promises. "Alright, alright, once the exams are over, I'll reward you all. But don't bother me now... Dr. Lin, didn't you say you could help me? Hurry up and open the computer's exam question system."
He was about to start setting the exam questions!
In a normal school, of course, it would be impossible for a biology substitute teacher to set the entire school's final exam, but now that Guihuai High had changed, and with Lin Qinxu holding the authority to punish, he easily gave the right to set the questions to other teachers, who then passed it on to Yu Deng.
Yu Deng, a high school failure, was sitting in the exam question setter's seat for the first time in his life, sitting upright.
The final exams were also an opportunity. Couldn't he set some questions that would make the students think about the abnormalities in this place?
Of course, he also needed to set some questions that would widen the score gap, otherwise, he wouldn't make it into the top three.
Yu Deng sat in the office chair, staring at the computer in front of him, deep in thought. After a few minutes, he typed a few lines and set the final exam questions for Guihuai High.
The electronic sound of the copy system crackled a few times. Yu Deng warily emphasized, "The school rules only say cheating isn't allowed, they didn't say I couldn't set the questions. I'm not breaking any rules."
[...]Noticing the system's silence, the main system took over and ran a few checks, then scanned the computer screen in front of Yu Deng and saw the exam paper he had created.
[Guihuai High School Final Exam Questions:
1. Briefly analyze the harm of a daily schedule where one wakes up at 4:30 AM and rests at 11:30 PM.
2. Discuss the relationship between meal times, food taste, and student mood.
...
19. Scenario Question: In a certain castle, there is a tradition for a banquet... Please analyze the intent behind this tradition.
20. Scenario Question: A certain creature established an evil city and enslaved its residents... Based on the material provided, summarize the creature's actions and evaluate its behavior.]
The more the main system looked at it, the more it felt something was wrong, but Yu Deng's actions were indeed not against the rules.
The main system deleted the anomalous codes representing doubt and watched as Yu Deng continued typing the reference answers and grading standards.
[Question 20 Reference Answer: The creature forced the city's residents to partake in cruel activities, even compelling them to kill each other. It was evil beyond measure, deserving of death... This ugly face should be paraded in the streets for all to see!]
Main System: [??]Wait a minute, is Player Yu Deng subtly insulting me?
Yu Deng didn't care about the main system. He hit the enter key and finally finished all the questions and answers.
Yu Deng looked at the questions on the screen, his lips curling into a slight smile, clearly satisfied with the questions he had set. System 01 let its host freely express himself and chuckled lightly.
"Alright, I've finished setting the questions." Yu Deng announced in a cheerful tone, declaring his success in setting the exam.
Lu Yan, fully on board, didn't look at the computer screen: "Okay, I haven't seen anything."
Yu Deng nodded in satisfaction.
While Yu Deng was setting the questions, Lin Qinxu opened the campus's internal notification system. Yu Deng clumsily used the principal's authority to draft a seemingly formal message, asking all teachers to notify the students to prepare for the exam, and that after the exam, a school-wide meeting would be held.
...
Having taken care of the exam-related matters, Yu Deng nervously left Lin Qinxu's office, ready to return to the classroom to see the results.
Before leaving, Yu Deng glanced at Lu Yan's school uniform, which had become so washed out it was nearly white, and furrowed his brow.
"What's wrong?"
Yu Deng was reminded of the second-tier food chain. Given Lu Yan's poor background and even his accumulated debts, he must have faced a lot of criticism.
"Lu Yan." Yu Deng called out to him, reached into his school uniform pocket, and pulled out his meal card and bank card, shoving them into Lu Yan's hands.
Lu Yan was stunned for a few seconds. "Hmm?"
"I told you before, I'm very rich. If you stay by my side, I can support you," Yu Deng said generously, handing over the cards. "Though you look clean in those clothes, new clothes would be even more impressive."
The scholarly and refined Lu Yan was frozen for a long time, lowering his head to hide his embarrassment, then gently said, "Okay... thank you, Deng Deng."
The other two people, for once, didn't compete for attention, simply looking deeply at Yu Deng.
The domineering and willful little classmate was actually softer-hearted than anyone.
...
After setting the exam questions, the next class was Dr. Lin Qinxu's biology class.
Dr. Lin didn't immediately notify everyone about the final exam, but instead, after the bell rang, he wrote a question on the blackboard. If Yu Deng had in-depth knowledge of this subject, he would realize that this question was something that would only be encountered in college, something the students of Guihuai High, no matter how hard they studied, wouldn't be able to solve.
Dr. Lin smiled. "Does anyone know how to solve this question?" In the silence of the class, he called on Yu Deng. "Then, Yu Deng, please come up to the podium to explain."
Yu Deng: "??" What was this guy doing? Did he really think he could solve this?
Yu Deng walked up to the podium in confusion, not understanding why Dr. Lin was doing this.
But he quickly figured it out—Dr. Lin put a hand on his shoulder, leaned down, and whispered the answer and the approach in his ear.
Yu Deng, still not fully understanding, perfectly solved the question with Dr. Lin's assistance.
Dr. Lin's hand was still boldly resting on Yu Deng's shoulder as he gently praised him. "Yu Deng is really impressive."
Lu Yan internally scoffed, displeased that this old man was openly flattering Yu Deng and even touching him.
However, the man's purpose wasn't wrong—it would increase Yu Deng's prestige. Lu Yan closed his eyes, enduring and not stopping him.
The classmates in the class were probably stunned as well, all affirming Yu Deng's abilities.
Dr. Lin looked around at the class, confirming that most of the students were looking at Yu Deng with admiration, before making an announcement.
"Now, I have an announcement for everyone. The final exam is coming soon, so make sure to prepare."
"The final exam?"
The numb students were stunned, not understanding how the final exam was already so close, when there were still two months until the end of the semester.
Dr. Lin tapped the blackboard, signaling them to look at the newly changed calendar and countdown.
The date written above was unmistakably the date for the final exam!
The students were confused.
"Yes, the final exam is already here," Lin Qinxu's aura was impressive, "And this time, the final exam will consist of only one paper. The score from this exam will be your written score for the final evaluation."
The students were puzzled but accepted the announcement of the upcoming exam.
They must have been so overwhelmed that they had even forgotten the final exam date, which was still two months away.
This announcement didn't only happen in Yu Deng's class; all classes at Guihuai High School received the same notice. Everyone was preparing for the final exam.
Yu Deng anxiously waited to see if his plan would succeed.
Boom—dingling dingling—dingling dingling—
A few minutes later, the whole teaching building shook, the clock at the top floor spun, and the bell rang continuously.
[Did my wife's plan succeed?!]
[It should have, ahhh, so excited! Baby is so amazing!]
[Although we'll only be able to watch the baby for a little over ten days instead of two full months of livestream, I'm still so proud of my baby!]
The scene before Yu Deng's eyes changed, and when he opened them again, the teaching building had been arranged like an exam hall. He was standing outside one of the exam rooms.
It really worked, the exam was held early!
Yu Deng nervously looked around and saw Lu Yan not far from him. Lu Yan's school uniform had already been replaced with a brand new one. Zhuang Lin was also running down the hallway.
Lu Yan quietly blocked Zhuang Lin and asked, "Deng Deng wants to be first, doesn't he?"
Yu Deng modestly said, "Top three would be fine."
"You'll be first," Lu Yan said solemnly.
Zhuang Lin, who had rushed over and hadn't caught his breath, also promised, "No matter the area, you'll be first."
Even in the second tier of the food chain, Yu Deng would still be first because they were all willing to submit to him and follow behind him.
Yu Deng blinked and smiled at them, then walked into the exam room.
The exam paper he had personally prepared was already printed and quickly distributed to every student.
No one noticed anything unusual about the sudden switch from midterms to finals. They quickly took the papers and began preparing to answer the questions.
But soon, confusion appeared on everyone's faces as they looked at the questions in their hands.
This final exam paper was very strange—amid a few normal questions, there were many bizarre ones.
These questions had nothing to do with the subject matter and included all kinds of strange scenario-based questions. The highest-scoring question was an essay asking to harshly criticize a particular organism.
The students: "???" How strange, let's take another look.
Compared to the other students who were completely baffled, Yu Deng wrote with extraordinary focus. Especially when he reached the last question, he exhibited an unprecedented speed in answering. In just ten minutes, he wrote five hundred words, passionately condemning the main system and the infinite dungeons.
[Hahaha, I had imagined many ways for my baby to be in the top three, but I didn't expect it to be like this!]
[Sometimes, my baby's thought process is really creative.]
[Laughing to death, hahaha, the infinite world officials: ?]
[Oh no, my wife is writing with divine precision, forbidding the judges from participating!!]
Yu Deng had never felt so clear-headed while answering an exam. Three hours later, this special final exam was completely over.
As the students walked out of the exam hall, they were still filled with deep confusion and doubted their own performance. Of course, many students were also thinking about the strange nature of the school based on the questions.
Yu Deng walked out of the exam hall and unexpectedly bumped into a classmate from the adjacent dorm who had lost his head, along with a few classmates and the girl who had asked him for his head that day.
Whether it was because they sensed the storm that was about to come or were simply affected by Yu Deng's confidence, they quietly stood not far behind him, as if following him.
Not long after Yu Deng left the exam hall, several of his mission targets found him. These people still appeared calm and reliable on the surface, but their eyes betrayed their impatience—was Yu Deng about to leave?
According to Guihuai High's tradition, the results would be announced soon.
Yu Deng was surrounded by a few of them, anxiously waiting for the results of his mission.
An hour later, the announcement board in front of the teaching building displayed the final exam results, and Yu Deng's name was at the very top.
The large ranking list then began to change, with the names of the other students rising and falling, while Yu Deng's name climbed to the highest position.
He was undoubtedly in first place.
[Ding. Congratulations, player Yu Deng, for completing the main mission: abiding by school rules and achieving a top-three result in the final exam.]
[Player Yu Deng still has unfinished special missions and cannot leave the dungeon for now.]
Yu Deng took a deep breath, nervously.
This was just fine. He hadn't wanted to leave the dungeon so soon… he still had to break it apart!
"…"
After the final exam results were announced, more people turned their attention to Yu Deng, silently expressing their stance.
—It's not only by bullying the weak that one can stand at the top of the food chain. The first in the grade, the school beauty, is of course worth following.
Yu Deng organized his plan in his mind and realized that he first had to fool the main system with the special mission, but he couldn't finish it immediately.
[ Host, do whatever you want, I will help you terminate the contract. ] System 01 spoke.
"Alright."
Yu Deng then called over his three mission targets and led them to a quiet, empty classroom.
"I told you before that you should listen to me." Yu Deng stood in the center, looking up at them, "You all promised to obey me."
"That's right."
Yu Deng received their affirmative response and paused for a few seconds, not speaking immediately.
He slowly realized what the side mission was about. It was probably meant to make him dominate those who were originally at the top of the food chain, wasn't it?
To insult them, demean them, and then seal them when they were at their lowest, giving them a heavy blow, all while making the terrifying rules of this food chain even more unbreakable… It was a terrible mission, and he didn't like it.
Yu Deng was surrounded by a few of them, nervously awaiting the result of his mission.
An hour later, the results of the final exam were posted on the bulletin board in front of the teaching building, and Yu Deng's name was at the very top.
The large ranking list changed as expected, with students' names rising and falling, and Yu Deng's name moved to the highest spot.
He was undoubtedly number one.
[Ding. Congratulations to player Yu Deng for completing the main quest: following school rules and achieving a top-three rank in the final exams.]
[Player Yu Deng has unfinished special quests and cannot exit the dungeon for now.]
Yu Deng took a deep breath in nervousness.
That's just right. He didn't want to leave the dungeon so soon anyway... He still needed to tear it apart!
"..."
After the results of the final exams came out, more people turned their attention to Yu Deng, silently expressing their stance.
— It's not only by bullying the weak that one can stand at the top of the food chain. The top student in the grade, the school beauty, is certainly worth following.
Yu Deng sorted out his plans and realized he had to first deal with the special quest to fool the main system, but he couldn't complete it immediately.
[Host, you can do whatever you wish, and I will help you terminate the contract.] System 01 spoke.
"Okay."
Yu Deng then confidently called his three quest targets and led them to a quiet classroom.
"I told you before, you must listen to me." Yu Deng stood in the center, looking up at them, "You all promised you would listen."
"That's right."
Yu Deng received a positive answer, paused for a few seconds, and didn't speak immediately.
He had just realized what the side quest was actually about. It was meant to make him dominate the person who was originally at the top of the food chain, wasn't it?
Insult them, belittle them, and then seal them when they are at their most miserable and in pain, giving them a heavy blow, all while making the terrifying food chain rule even more unbreakable… It was a terrible task, and he didn't like it.
But fortunately, he didn't create such an effect.
"So if you all are willing to surrender to me, completely obey my commands, that's fine with you, right?" Yu Deng looked at them, expertly describing his special quest.
The group was silent for a moment, and then the oldest among them, Lin Qinxu, spoke, "Of course. You are brave and cute, and you are always right."
"…Oh."
Yu Deng suddenly felt that domination didn't sound very nice.
Look, these men were more than willing to behave like obedient dogs.
He wasn't dominating them; this was taming.
"Then, make a contract with me." Yu Deng extended his hand toward them.
The three quest targets present were not stupid. They had long guessed Yu Deng's intentions and were also filled with the same anxiety and concerns. But at this moment, they chose to fulfill Yu Deng's wish.
After all, with this unknown contract, they were tied to Yu Deng in some way, weren't they?
Golden lines appeared, connecting Yu Deng with them. After a few seconds, System 01 intercepted the contract for Yu Deng, and the golden lines disappeared from sight.
"Alright, now... it's time for the meeting."
...
The students who had finished the exam were already heading to the auditorium according to the notice.
Yu Deng followed behind the crowd, pausing for a few seconds when passing the honor roll. He reached up and tore down the ranking sheet.
As expected of something from the dungeon, it was a lightweight piece of paper, and even after tearing it from the bulletin board, the rankings continued to change in real-time.
Auditorium.
The students from the three grades had already seated in the auditorium, and the school leaders were present too, although they, along with the teachers and students, were just as confused.
— This meeting notice had been sent with the principal's authority, and in the strictly hierarchical Guihuai High School, organizing a meeting was more than easy. Even though the school leaders didn't know what was happening, they still appeared in the auditorium.
As the one punishing, Lin Qinxu was the first to take the stage, expressing his boredom and disdain for his punishment work. Then, Lu Yan and Zhuang Lin took the stage to say a few words.
The school leaders, along with the main system, had begun to vaguely realize something. The school leaders had already turned their hostile gaze toward these few individuals.
They actively drew the attention away from themselves, gently pushing Yu Deng onto the stage.
Yu Deng froze.
Huh? Was he supposed to give a speech? He wasn't prepared for this, what was he supposed to say at a time like this...
The simple blue-and-white school uniform didn't affect his proud aura at all. His beautiful features, under the stage lights, resembled a mesmerizing and enchanting creature.
Yu Deng was the top of the grade, the school beauty, and absolutely at the top of the food chain.
He stood in the center of the crowd's gaze. Though he wasn't tall, his bright eyes held endless vitality.
Facing the darkened crowd in the auditorium, Yu Deng's mind went blank, and his palms started to sweat nervously. He tried to calm himself and cheered himself on inside.
"Hello, everyone, my name is Yu Deng. I have something very important to say."
Yu Deng awkwardly greeted everyone.
Although his voice was trembling, and he was so nervous he felt his legs might give way, his delicate, beautiful face did not carry the calm expression of a master strategist.
But he was different from everything here. He was so lively, so bright, and so resilient.
Facing these NPCs, Yu Deng never had the sense of superiority players typically have over NPCs. Standing on the auditorium stage, he attracted everyone's attention.
Yu Deng spoke, word by word: "I don't like it here."
He didn't like the twisted obsession with grades, the harsh and suffocating rules, the clear hierarchy of the food chain, oh, and he didn't like the cafeteria here either.
At Guihuai High, effort had lost its meaning. Even if one fought desperately, everyone remained trapped in painful memories, struggling.
It was stifling here, making Yu Deng feel like he couldn't breathe.
"I don't like it here," Yu Deng said softly, lowering his lashes, "This kind of Guihuai High makes me feel sad. Do you all really like it here?"
The auditorium fell into a long silence, with many people, prompted by Yu Deng's question, quietly asking themselves.
Do they really like it? Do they really want to continue living this way?
The dungeon finally understood Yu Deng's intentions. The ground rumbled, and dark mist appeared in the air. The walls of the auditorium squeezed inward, as if displeased that the teachers and students here might want to resist. The teachers and students who had already been assimilated by the dungeon revealed terrifying appearances.
The teachers and students of Guihuai High were in excruciating pain, repeatedly falling into terrifying nightmares, but Yu Deng's voice was so clear that they couldn't completely fall into the abyss.
One after another, students began to change their expressions, staring around in confusion and shock.
"I don't like it…"
"I don't like it either… I'm so painful…"
"What happened to Guihuai? How did it become like this?"
The shaking grew stronger, and the murmurs of countless people became louder, accompanied by the growls of monsters.
Yu Deng watched as the light in the auditorium dimmed, feeling afraid in his heart. While preparing for a potential fight, he continued to persuade the teachers and students.
The sound system carried Yu Deng's voice to the entire auditorium and even to all corners of the school.
"I think, Guihuai High shouldn't be like this."
Yu Deng slightly raised his hand, pulling out the ranking sheet he had torn down.
Rip—
This deep red paper, the physical manifestation of the cruel food chain ranking list, was torn in half by Yu Deng and fell to the ground.
Whether it was his own name as number one or the names of other students, whether they were top students or struggling students, everyone's rank and names fell to the ground and turned into ash, equally and without distinction.
The stage lights pierced through the spreading darkness, landing on Yu Deng's brow. His clear, bright eyes opened wide as he tried to straighten his back and said to everyone:
"If you all don't like it, then let this all… end."