“A deer V: Hoping that one day, everyone can discover the true me beneath the ordinary appearance. I’m not a hero, but I also love life.”
This sentence conspicuously hangs on Yin Minglu’s social media homepage.
At this time, everyone hasn’t been able to glimpse various clues and details from the live broadcast. Yin Minglu’s online popularity is at the bottom, so naturally, no one pays attention to this sentence. When the identity of the youth is exposed, everyone turns back, only then realizing it all.
What is the true self beneath the ordinary appearance? This is the true self beneath the ordinary appearance.1No idea what this meant
However, at this moment, the students are still trapped in the mountains. After the accident, they support each other in shock. They have no idea about their privacy, including moments shared with friends, selfies, and comments from past quarrels – all are disclosed one by one, akin to public execution.
They are oblivious to every move they make, exposed to the pervasive microscopic dust of surveillance. Unaware that they are inexplicably involved in an assessment, every word they utter and every action they take during the assessment is scrutinized by a nationwide audience, subject to close examination.
Once they say something wrong, a clamor erupts on the internet within half an hour.
After the accident, which turned out to be a false alarm, they thought they were lost. Yin Minglu acted swiftly to save the entire group, and many frightened classmates couldn’t help but gather around, asking, “Yin, Classmate Yin, what’s going on? What happened to the driver uncle?”
How did he suddenly collapse? It’s so frightening! And he even had a terrifying expression as if he was genuinely scared.
In the midst of fear and hesitation, Yin Minglu, who was originally by the driver’s seat, reached out and gently checked the driver’s breath, shaking his head, “He’s gone.”
“What??? Dead??? Oh my god!” A commotion swept through the bus. Everyone was incredulous, and there were even screams of fear from some girls.
Fu Jinxiu, as the class monitor, spoke up to quell the commotion. He picked up a medicine bottle that had fallen to the ground due to the bus skidding. The label on the bottle was torn, but his intuition told him that this bottle didn’t belong to any student on the bus. The aloof young man furrowed his brows, opened it, and sniffed it from a slight distance.
“This is!” His expression showed a hint of shock as he looked at Yin Minglu.
Yin Minglu explained to him, “That’s right, it’s an emergency medicine for fatigue after driving, but taking too much can have consequences, such as hallucinations.” Initially, he suspected that the driver might have had some mental issues, but there were no problems in the employee profile from the travel company. It was only in the personal character description of the driver that he found a clue.
—An experienced driver, conscientious, and dedicated. Leading in business volume every month, far ahead of peers.
Leading in business volume means that this driver takes on a considerable number of orders every month, so much so that his peers are left in the dust, considering him an ‘iron man.’
The issue is, where in the world does one find an iron-willed person who never gets tired? They are often individuals putting on a strong front while enduring beneath the surface.
Exhausted by the demands of life, this sets the stage for potential driving hazards. After all, there are emergency medicines available on the market for those fatigued from driving. These medications are akin to a night owl’s savior—safe if taken in moderation, but excessive use can render them ineffective or even lead to side effects.
The bottle of medicine Fu Jinxiu is holding has an expiration date from last month, yet the contents have quickly depleted, indicating that the driver had a severe dependence on the medication. A person under extreme mental stress is prone to hallucinations, and Fu Jinxiu suspects that the driver saw something terrifying in the fog, leading to panic and, ultimately, death.
After Yin Minglu shared his analysis, the others, fearful yet enlightened, followed suit. They may not be doctors, but they felt the young man’s explanation held some truth and was likely close to the reality of the situation.
Luo Yuan also looked at his students, his expression filled with lingering fear, and raised a question, “So, when you spoke with the driver earlier, did you notice something wrong with him?”
Yin Minglu nodded, “I noticed that his expression was off, and I wanted to warn him, but he shooed me away.”
He merely stated the facts without any hint of complaint, but when these words were spoken, some classmates who had previously insulted the young man looked a bit uneasy. After a while, in a somewhat hesitant manner, they started nudging each other and quietly apologized, “Sorry, Classmate Yin, we misunderstood you.”
“It turns out you had good intentions, but we thought you were interfering with the driver’s work. Thank you for saving us.” Fortunately, the young man had remarkable observational skills and quick reactions; otherwise, the entire bus might have met a tragic fate, ending up in the valley, and they could have lost their lives.
After the apologies, someone asked, “So, the driver is gone. What do we do now? Should we call for help?”
“But the phone has no signal!” At the time of the accident, they immediately tried to call for help, but in this remote and desolate area, there was no signal whatsoever. How could they call for help now?
“So, what do we do? Do we just stand here and wait for rescue? It’s been half an hour, and not a single car has passed on this damn road. It’s too eerie!”
“Wu wu wu, Mom, I’m so scared. I want to go home.” Another pretty girl cried in fear, tears streaming down her face, bringing about a heavy atmosphere and silence in the bus.
The crying girl’s reaction was quite normal, a reflection of human nature. Her tears even echoed the sentiments of many. However, she was unaware that her vulnerable response had become the target of harsh criticism on the internet.
【So annoying! These girls who only cry at critical moments are utterly useless. When something happens, they just drag everyone down.】
【Look at her selfies; this girl has had plastic surgery. Wow, she was so ugly before the surgery. Oh, she said she got plastic surgery because of low self-esteem, but I don’t see any improvement in her looks after the surgery.】
【I noticed this girl’s luggage; lots of food and bottled water. Hmmm, the guilty party often holds a precious gem. You know what I mean.】
【I bet a sausage; this girl must have been one of the first to die】
【I bet too. I’ve already placed a bet, wagered fifty thousand yuan, hoping that the classmates in this class won’t let me down】
Setting aside the act of extracting information in advance from Zhao Yazhi’s revelations, Yin Minglu speculated everyone’s potential response to the predicament of all of them being trapped here, possibly tied to the ongoing assessment. Observing the prevailing negative emotions among the group, he discerned the urgency of not merely sitting idly and awaiting an unfavorable outcome.
He said, “Just waiting here is not a solution. Let’s continue driving along this road; maybe we can spot some signs of civilization.”
“Huh?” After the initial surprise, the group found the suggestion reasonable. However, discussions ensued, and they recalled a crucial point, “But this is a government-modified vehicle. Apart from the designated driver, no one else knows how to drive it. The number of drivers for these government-modified vehicles is limited, and with fewer available, the driver who could operate it had the upper hand. That’s why, when the previous driver was still around and dared to berate his classmates, everyone hesitated to offend him because he had the upper hand.”
“Solutions are crafted by people. If we don’t know how to drive it, we can learn. People don’t come into this world with all skills mastered; everything is learned after birth,” Yin Minglu suggested.
Unaware of a group of online critics hurling accusations of hypocrisy and labeling his words as fake inspiration, he focused solely on the immediate situation. With his calm and confident tone, he inadvertently infected everyone on the scene with a sense of confidence, making them think, “Yes, that makes sense.” At this moment, Yin Minglu smoothly retrieved a driving training book from the car and handed it to Luo Yuan, saying, “So, we’ll rely on you, Teacher Luo, to learn it well!”
“Huh?” Luo Yuan was momentarily bewildered. “Me, learn?” Judging from the tone of Yin’s words, he thought Yin himself would personally take on the task. After all, even though he was the teacher, amidst Yin Minglu’s various self-demonstrations, his thoughts had subconsciously drifted away, feeling more like a student himself.
“Yes, Teacher. You’re the only adult here. Neither of us nor Classmate Yin are old enough for driving lessons. What if we get onto the main road, and the police catch us? What will we do?”
“Yeah, that’s right! We can only rely on the teacher. Teacher, you’ve got to give it your best!”
“If, by any chance, you get caught by the police uncle, we’ll all plead for you at the same time.”
A group of girls coquettishly cheered Teacher Luo on, while the boys clenched their fists to show support. Watching these pairs of eyes filled with anticipation, Luo Yuan, who had never been so eagerly anticipated by students, felt both touched and amused in his heart. He could only reluctantly promise to give it a try. Under the guidance of Student Fu, the first student with an excellent mind, he began to learn from the driving skills manual.
Observing this harmonious and pleasant scene, the online audience fell silent for a moment. Some subconsciously wanted to mock, thinking these kids were naive, believing they could actually leave. Did they think they could return to the main road and receive police rescue? Such thoughts were truly foolishly optimistic. However, as they looked at each bright and hopeful smiling face, inexplicably, they felt a twinge of reluctance.
【The way they’re racking their brains for solutions seems a bit foolish, akin to a dying fish struggling.】
【It’s okay; they’ll soon realize how brutal the assessment is. A survival rate of less than fifty percent is no joke.】
【The more hope there is at the beginning, the more disappointment there will be later. If you want to get out of this place sooner, you have to kill.】
In reality, Yin Minglu also knew the probability of getting out was slim. He marked a spot where he stood and observed that no matter how many times Teacher Luo drove, they always ended up circling back to the same place, realizing they were stuck in a dead-end loop.
Continuing in this manner, aside from wasting fuel, served no purpose. So, he had to weave a lie, coated in honey, for these classmates who had once again become fearful, “Don’t worry, it’s not that we can’t get out; it’s just that the navigation in the car is wrong. If we follow the wrong direction, how can we find our way out?”
Initially a bit disheartened, the group began to perk up after hearing these words. “You’ve got a point. Our phones don’t have signals, so it’s normal for the offline navigation to be wrong.”
“That darn navigation! The old man made a mistake from the start. No wonder we kept going in the wrong direction! I even suspect if we’ve crossed the border.”
“The fog is too thick. Let’s stay here for a few days, wait for the fog to clear, and then drive. By then, we’ll be able to see the road clearly.”
“Teacher Luo, have a sip of water and take a break,” everyone urged. Luo Yuan, who had been driving for quite a while, finally felt a sense of relief and wearily pulled himself away from the driver’s seat.
As the new driver, Luo Yuan found the previous driver’s body curled up next to him. Despite driving for a considerable time, he couldn’t successfully lead this group of initially hopeful kids out of the forest. His mood was quite heavy.
“Fortunately, we didn’t indulge ourselves on the road today. Now we still have plenty of food; it should last us for a few days.” Some people patted their chests, grateful that they were scared by the teacher’s words and refrained from eating and drinking excessively on the road, leaving them with some food and water.
“Let’s get some rest early tonight and continue brainstorming solutions tomorrow.” Both class leaders from the two classes stepped forward, shouldering the responsibility of comforting everyone.
Nods circulated, and people began to lay out their sleeping bags. Fortunately, the sponsors had provided plenty of pillows and blankets, which surprisingly came in handy. In the chilly temperature, everyone huddled together, creating a sense of warmth.
There were bodies in the car, and the young teacher couldn’t hold the situation together. The mountains they couldn’t leave, contrary to the weather forecast, and the lingering fog—they all presented challenges. In truth, the students might harbor fears, and some clever ones might have considered the legendary assessment. However, under Yin Minglu’s guidance, they chose to feign ignorance.
At this moment, already extremely frightened, if someone was willing to comfort them, they would choose to believe.
“Do you think we can get out of here?” Huddled in his sleeping bag with the young man, Fu Jinxiu’s eyes shone remarkably in the dark. Coming from a diplomatic family, he knew some of the secrets of the previous assessments more than most students present. He wasn’t blindly optimistic; he had an answer in his heart. He just wanted to hear if the youth would give any different response.
“Maybe not…” After all, everyone was just an ordinary person. Who could go against a magnetic field that could conceal one’s presence or even disrupt the fabric of time and space? After saying this, the youth closed his eyes.
Just as Fu Jinxiu’s heart sank into silence, the young man in the sleeping bag suddenly opened his eyes again and said, “However, until the very last moment, we absolutely cannot give up. Effort may not bring miracles, but without effort, miracles will never come.”
Waiting to die is equivalent to waiting for death.
“Your pseudo-inspirational talk. It might work on girls, but not on me,” Fu Jinxiu’s mouth twitched slightly. At this moment, he didn’t realize that his sentiments strangely echoed the thoughts of most people in front of the camera.
Upon hearing this, the young man turned in surprise, facing Fu Jinxiu directly. Then, leaning in closer, he whispered, “Are you scared too?” He truly wasn’t observant enough; he didn’t discern the hidden fear behind his good friend’s indifferent expression.
“No, I’m not.” Before Fu Jinxiu could say it aloud, he felt himself being embraced.
There was even a gentle hand guiding his head toward the young man’s chest, the movement tender and soothing, rendering him immobile. He found himself enveloped by the youth, resembling a girlfriend being comforted and cared for by her boyfriend.
Especially when Fu Jinxiu shifted, the young man thought he was trembling and added in a soft voice, “Don’t be afraid. I’ll protect you.” I’ll protect all of you.
Clearly, this person was six months younger, with a slender physique, not particularly robust, and overly delicate hands, yet he spoke words of protection.
Fu Jinxiu fell silent. It wasn’t until the late night that he sighed, taking charge and bringing the soft head of the young man into his embrace.
It was strange; despite the casually messy sleeping posture of the other person, he couldn’t help but find it oddly familiar.
Love what you read? A little donation can go a long way!
