INSIDER Chapter 47

Before the time on the bracelet ran out, Lu Chu returned to his room.

Staring at the unchanging white space before him, Lu Chu remained silent. He walked to the floating square screens, sifting through the next task to undertake.

Soon, Lu Chu’s attention was drawn to a task.

“Requirement: Activities within the school Clue: None Hint: None”

This task was strangely intriguing, with no clues or hints and a restriction solely on the range of activities. It seemed to let the player improvise upon entering the scene, or perhaps there were hidden hints yet to be discovered. After pondering for a moment, Lu Chu decided to take on this task.

---

Yu Cai High School.

At seven in the morning, the early study session had just begun.

It was Tuesday, and the early study session was for Chinese. The sound of students reading and reciting text could be heard from Class 2-1 of the second year.

In the back row of the classroom, Meng Yu opened her Chinese book earnestly, setting it upright on the desk. Then, taking advantage of the book’s cover, she leaned over to whisper to Li Lan, who sat behind her: “Hey, Lanzi, did you know? Yesterday, Dorm 604 was haunted!”

“What?!” Li Lan, who had been dozing off while memorizing, immediately perked up, excitedly leaning forward. “What happened? Tell me everything!”

Stories about ghosts can easily spark curiosity about the unknown. Meng Yu’s desk mate, Zhang Cheng, and Li Lan’s desk mate, Gao Shimeng, also quickly leaned in. “What? I want to hear too!”

“Shh!” Meng Yu raised a finger to her lips. “Keep it down, or we’ll attract the teacher!”

The seating in the class rotated weekly, with two people per group moving diagonally to the right and downwards. This week, their seats were in the last two rows on the left side of the classroom, the perfect spot for mischief and whispering, but also the most likely place to be caught by a teacher entering from the back door.

Li Lan, afraid of the “Gaze of the Homeroom Teacher,” couldn’t resist her curiosity. She whispered, “Tell us quickly, what happened?”

Meng Yu pretended to be mysterious. “Before I tell you about it, you need to know something. Did you know that every school is built on a cemetery or an execution ground?”

Gao Shimeng responded with an “Ew,” while Li Lan asked in confusion, “Why?”

Meng Yu explained matter-of-factly: “Think about it, these places are heavy with negative energy. They were places where people were buried or executed. Who would want to build residential buildings or other facilities there? The feng shui is terrible, and people avoid them. But such large areas can’t just be left empty, so they build public facilities like schools instead.”

Li Lan realized, “Oh, I see…”

“Exactly, haven’t we heard enough school ghost stories? It’s because schools are built on these places with heavy negative energy. So, anyone who dies at school often turns into a restless ghost. The most haunted places at school are likely the girls’ dormitory and the bathroom. The former because girls have more negative energy, and the latter because bathrooms are places where filth is expelled. The scariest place is the girls’ dormitory bathroom!” Meng Yu was practically pounding the table in excitement by the end.

Gao Shimeng shivered, rubbing her arms. “That’s scary.”

Li Lan laughed, “If you’re scared, stop listening. If you can’t sleep at night, no one will keep you company.”

Gao Shimeng giggled, “No way, I want to hear.”

As a boy, Zhang Cheng puffed out his chest. “Keep talking, it’s broad daylight and there are so many of us. What’s there to fear?”

Meng Yu continued, “Alright, don’t interrupt me. This morning, when I went to fetch water for washing up, I heard about it. Their dorm is a mixed one, and there’s a girl from our class, Liu Qian.” She pointed to the girl with a ponytail sitting in the second row by the door, then continued, “I saw her in the water room, and she looked pale, so I asked her. She told me—” Meng Yu paused dramatically, then winked at the other three.

“What did she say!” Li Lan urged, her curiosity piqued, thinking Meng Yu was deliberately pausing for effect.

“Yeah, what did she say?” At that moment, a stern voice of a middle-aged man sounded from behind Zhang Cheng.

The four of them immediately straightened up, with Zhang Cheng quickly grabbing his Chinese book and reciting “Departure Announcement” with exaggerated pronunciation.

Li Lan also clutched her book, reciting a few lines before grinning at the man. “Teacher, we’re reciting.”

The homeroom teacher, Mr. Lu, glanced at them and said, “Take early study seriously, or you’ll write it on the blackboard in class.”

The four quickly responded, “Yes, teacher!”

Mr. Lu walked around the classroom a bit more before leaving.

After he left, Li Lan groaned quietly, “Meng Meng, why didn’t you warn me that ‘Old Donkey’ was coming in from the back door?”

‘Old Donkey’ was the nickname the students had given Mr. Lu.

Meng Yu pouted, “I was getting excited, just about to reach the climax of my story. I didn’t even realize he was coming in until I looked up and saw him. I tried to signal you.”

Li Lan laughed and poked her a couple of times, and the two started playfully tussling.

“Get on with it,” Gao Shimeng frowned. “What’s all the fuss?”

Meng Yu rubbed her nose, “Alright, here’s what happened. Liu Qian told me that one of the girls in her dorm, who sleeps on the top bunk, woke up around two in the morning and saw two girls in white clothes standing in the middle of the dorm. She thought they were just dormmates afraid to go to the bathroom alone, so they woke someone else up—”

At this point, Meng Yu lowered her voice, pretending to be mysterious. “But the two just stood there without moving. The girl, half-awake and unable to see clearly, was about to say something when she realized—”

“Everyone in the dorm was still in bed! She couldn’t see herself and the lower bunk next to her, but she heard someone turning over in her own lower bunk. In an instant, she was drenched in cold sweat, not daring to say a word, pretending to sleep as she turned over and wrapped herself in her quilt.”

Li Lan’s curiosity grew. “And then? What happened next?”

“Then the girl lay there, terrified and hot, eyes wide open until morning. She didn’t hear any other sounds. Only when the alarm clock rang did she dare to peek out. When everyone was awake, she asked if anyone had gotten up during the night, but they all shook their heads. She told them what happened.”

Zhang Cheng dismissed it, “She got scared for nothing. Maybe she was dreaming or just seeing things.”

Li Lan countered, “Seeing things for a moment is one thing, but for such a long time, how could it be just an illusion?”

Gao Shimeng sighed, “I’m glad I don’t live on campus. I’ll stick to commuting.”

“But speaking of which,” Li Lan grabbed Meng Yu, “I’ve heard some weird stories about our school too.”

Meng Yu was getting more intrigued, “What stories?”

Gao Shimeng and Zhang Cheng also perked up their ears.

“Our high school focuses on science, and our labs and equipment are the best in the city. Each lab has a teacher in charge. I heard that a few years ago, a biology lab teacher suddenly died while organizing lab equipment. When he was found, it had been a whole morning.”

Meng Yu shivered. “Lanzi, just hearing this is creeping me out. The labs are in the most isolated building.”

Li Lan continued, “Exactly. The first floor has big classrooms, and the second to fifth floors are labs. We don’t have experiments every day, so the building is always eerily quiet. The teacher’s lab was on the fifth floor. After his death, the fifth floor lab equipment kept malfunctioning. Students reported hearing strange noises during experiments. Every teacher who took over that lab got seriously ill and couldn’t work. Eventually, the school locked the stairs to the fourth and fifth floors and set up a new lab on the first floor with all new equipment, not daring to use the old ones.”

Zhang Cheng scoffed, “Why bother with a new one? Just leave it, then we wouldn’t have to do experiments or write reports.”

Li Lan rolled her eyes at him. “Do you even write your own lab reports? You just copy mine.”

Zhang Cheng quickly laughed, “You’re the best.”

“Ding ling ling—”

The bell signaling the end of the early study session rang, and the class representatives stood up, calling, “Group leaders, collect your group’s homework and bring it up!”

Zhang Cheng shouted, “Wow, Lanzi, Meng Yu, it’s all your fault! I spent the whole morning listening to ghost stories and didn’t copy my homework!”

“What did you say? Want me to turn in my homework now?” Li Lan threatened with her homework book raised.

Zhang Cheng quickly pleaded, “No, no! You’re the boss, I’m fat, I’m fat!”

The class erupted in chaos, and no one thought about the stories just told.

---

Yu Cai High School is the best in the city, focusing on science and encouraging students to stay in dorms for better management.

The dorms are standard high school dorms with eight beds per room, and students rotate rooms each semester.

Liu Qian moved to Room 604 in March this year.

That night, around 2 a.m., Lu Chu was on his phone.

Lu Chu noticed the door to the dorm bathroom slightly open, light streaming out. Someone seemed to be inside.

The door was opened just enough to see a figure but not the details. Lu Chu knew it wasn’t his roommates, as all were asleep.

He felt an unsettling presence, like someone was watching. Cold sweat formed as he lay still, fearing to move or make a sound.

The presence lingered until morning, only disappearing with the light of day.

His roommates woke, discussing the strange feeling, confirming his suspicions. The haunting was real.

Before the time on the wristband ran out, Lu Chu entered his room.

Gazing at the unchanging white space before him, Lu Chu remained silent. He walked to the floating square screens and began selecting the next task.

Soon, a task caught Lu Chu’s attention.

“Requirement: Act within the school.

Clue: None.

Hint: None.”

This task was peculiarly intriguing, devoid of clues or hints. The only requirement was a restricted area of activity, leaving it uncertain whether players were meant to freely explore or if there were hidden hints yet to be discovered.

After pondering for a moment, Lu Chu decided on this task.

———

Yu Cai High School.

At seven in the morning, it was time for the morning self-study period.

Today was Tuesday, and the morning self-study session was allocated to Chinese. From Class 2A came the sounds of students reading and reciting their textbooks.

At the back of the classroom, Meng Yu opened her Chinese book and set it upright on the desk. Using the book as a cover, she sneakily turned to Li Lan behind her and whispered, “Hey, Lanzi, did you know that Room 604 was haunted last night?”

“What?!” Li Lan, who had been drowsy while studying, perked up instantly and leaned forward excitedly, “What happened? Tell me everything!”

Ghost stories easily pique curiosity about the unknown. Meng Yu’s deskmate Zhang Cheng and Li Lan’s deskmate Gao Shimeng also leaned in eagerly upon hearing this. “What happened? I want to hear too!”

“Shh!” Meng Yu put a finger to her lips. “Keep it down, or the teacher will come over, and we’ll be in trouble!”

The seating arrangement in the class rotated weekly, with pairs of students moving downwards and to the right each week. This week, they were seated in the bottom left corner of the classroom, a spot perfect for mischief and whispers but also the easiest place for a teacher to catch them off guard from the back door.

Li Lan, wary of the “class monitor’s stare” but unable to resist her curiosity, whispered back, “Just tell us already. What happened?”

Meng Yu feigned mystery, “Before I tell you, you should know that every school is said to be built on either cemeteries or execution grounds.”

Gao Shimeng gasped, and Li Lan asked in confusion, “Why?”

Meng Yu explained, “Think about it. These places have heavy negative energy because they used to bury the dead or execute people. Who would want to build residential buildings or other facilities here? The feng shui is bad, and people avoid it. But leaving such a large area empty is impractical, so they build schools instead.”

Li Lan nodded in understanding. “I see…”

“Exactly. We’ve heard so many school ghost stories because schools are built on such negatively charged places. Anyone who dies at school often becomes a lingering ghost. The most haunted places are usually the girls’ dormitory and the bathrooms. The former because of the strong yin energy from many girls, and the latter because bathrooms expel human waste. Combined, the scariest place is the girls’ dormitory bathroom!”

Gao Shimeng shivered, “That’s scary.”

Li Lan laughed, “If you’re scared, stop listening. Don’t complain if you can’t sleep later.”

Gao Shimeng giggled, “I still want to hear.”

Zhang Cheng, being a boy, puffed up his chest. “Keep going. It’s broad daylight, and we’re all here. What’s there to be afraid of?”

Meng Yu continued, “This morning, I heard about this from Liu Qian in Room 604. She looked pale, so I asked her what happened, and she told me…”

Meng Yu suddenly stopped and winked at the other three.

“What did she say?” Li Lan, her curiosity peaked, urged her to continue, “Don’t keep us hanging!”

“Yeah, what happened next?” Just then, a serious voice from behind Zhang Cheng startled the group.

The four of them froze and sat up straight. Zhang Cheng quickly picked up his Chinese book and started reciting it earnestly.

Li Lan also picked up her book and recited a couple of lines before nervously smiling at the teacher, “We were just studying, really.”

The homeroom teacher, Mr. Lu, glanced at the four of them sternly. “Focus during the self-study period, or you’ll be writing your lesson notes on the blackboard during class.”

The four of them quickly replied, “Yes, teacher!”

Mr. Lu made another round of the classroom before leaving.

Once he was gone, Li Lan whispered, “Meng Yu, why didn’t you warn me that Mr. Lu was coming through the back door?”

Meng Yu pouted, “I was really into the story and didn’t notice. I did try to signal you when I saw him.”

Li Lan laughed and playfully poked Meng Yu. “Keep going!”

“Yeah, continue,” Gao Shimeng urged.

Meng Yu touched her nose and continued, “Liu Qian told me that around 2 AM, a girl sleeping on the top bunk woke up and saw two girls in white standing in the middle of the dorm room. She thought they were her dormmates going to the bathroom together. But the two girls just stood there without moving. The girl, not fully awake, was about to speak to them but then realized…”

She paused for effect, “Everyone else was in bed! She could hear her bunkmate turning over below her. Terrified, she pretended to be asleep and pulled the blanket over her head.”

Li Lan, now fully invested, asked, “Then what happened?”

“The girl stayed under her blanket, scared and sweating, until the morning alarm went off. She didn’t hear any noise all night and only dared to peek out when everyone else was awake. She asked if anyone had gotten up at night, but everyone said no. Then she told her dormmates what she had seen.”

Zhang Cheng speculated, “Maybe she was dreaming or seeing things.”

Li Lan disagreed, “You might see things for a moment, but not for that long.”

Gao Shimeng sighed, “I’m glad I don’t stay in the dorms. I’d rather commute.”

Li Lan grabbed Meng Yu’s arm, “I’ve also heard some strange stories about our school.”

Meng Yu was intrigued, “Like what?”

Gao Shimeng and Zhang Cheng leaned in again to listen.

“Our school specializes in science and has the best labs in the city. A few years ago, a biology lab teacher was found dead one morning. Since then, lab equipment on the fifth floor kept breaking mysteriously. Any teacher taking over the lab would fall seriously ill. Eventually, the school locked the fourth and fifth floors and set up a new lab on the first floor, buying new equipment because they didn’t dare use the old ones.”

Zhang Cheng scoffed, “Why set up a new lab? They could’ve just avoided it.”

Li Lan rolled her eyes, “You just want an excuse not to do experiments or write reports.”

Zhang Cheng quickly grinned, “Exactly, you’re my hero.”

“Ding-ding-ding—”

The bell signaling the end of the morning self-study session rang. Group leaders began collecting assignments to hand in.

Zhang Cheng exclaimed, “Damn it, I spent the whole period listening to ghost stories and didn’t finish copying the homework!”

“What did you say? Want me to hand in your homework too?” Li Lan threatened, raising her assignment book.

Zhang Cheng immediately pleaded, “No, no! You’re the boss!”

The classroom bustled with activity, and the ghost stories were momentarily forgotten.

———

Yu Cai High School was the best in the city, focusing on science and encouraging students to stay in the dorms for better management.

The dorms were typical high school dorms with eight beds per room, balconies, but no private bathrooms. Each floor had shared bathrooms and water rooms at both ends. Not every room was full; some had empty beds due to students preferring to commute.

Li Lan and Meng Yu shared a dorm room but recently, Li Lan had been commuting, leaving Meng Yu and three others in the room.

Zhang Cheng was also a boarding student. After the morning classes, he grabbed Lu Chu and Qian Wenhao, shouting, “I’m starving! Let’s go to the cafeteria.”

Their dorm had no empty beds, but only four of them stayed regularly. Another dormmate was antisocial, rarely joining them.

After lunch, Zhang Cheng remembered the morning’s ghost stories and said mysteriously, “Lu Chu, Wenhao, did you hear? The girls’ dorm was haunted last night!”

Qian Wenhao scoffed, “Haunted? Did you sneak into the girls’ dorm?”

Lu Chu laughed, “You mean a pervert?”

Zhang Cheng clutched his chest in mock offense, “Lu Chu, how could you follow this moron’s lead!”

After some playful banter, Zhang Cheng recounted the morning’s ghost stories in an exaggerated manner.

When he finished, he asked, “Lu Chu, do you think ghosts are real?”

Qian Wenhao interjected, “Why not ask me?”

Zhang Cheng retorted, “You never have a constructive answer.”

Offended, Qian Wenhao started wrestling with Zhang Cheng.

“Click—”

At that moment, their quiet dormmate returned.

Everyone fell silent, the atmosphere becoming awkward.

Lu Chu broke the silence first, “I think gods might not exist, but ghosts could.”

This puzzled Zhang Cheng and Qian Wenhao. “Why?”

Lu Chu explained, “Gods might be imaginary spiritual support, while ghosts are manifestations of human obsessions. Spiritual support is illusory, but obsessions reside in everyone’s heart.”

He added, “Of course, that’s just my opinion.”

The two fell silent.

Zhang Cheng complained, “You shouldn’t say such things in the dark.”

Lu Chu chuckled, “Are you afraid of ghosts?”

Zhang Cheng responded with a smile, “Just in case!”

———

On Sunday, when no classes were scheduled, Lu Chu intended to explore the fifth-floor lab area.

The area was indeed deserted, and Lu Chu noticed that the doors and windows were locked, with locks that seemed newly replaced. Unable to access the area, Lu Chu returned to his dorm, deciding to explore other parts of the school at night.

———

During a short lunch break, Lu Chu went to the water room to wash up and found Zhang Cheng and Qian Wenhao still asleep, while another dormmate had quietly left for class.

Zhang Cheng slept on the top bunk. Lu Chu first woke Qian Wenhao and then called Zhang Cheng, “Zhang Cheng? Zhang Cheng?”

Zhang Cheng mumbled, “Hmm… What…”

Lu Chu chuckled, “Wake up, time to get up.”

“Get up…for what… just a bit more sleep…”

Qian Wenhao, now awake, shook his head to clear his mind, then kicked Zhang Cheng’s bed, “Wake up! It’s already 2:20!”

Zhang Cheng, startled, checked his clock, “It’s already 2:20?!”

He jumped down and dashed to the water room, shouting, “I’ll wash up first, you guys go to class without me!”

.

The bell for the first afternoon class rang just as Zhang Cheng, panting, entered the classroom.

Generally, the first two classes in the afternoon were subjects like music, art, or physical education, considering students’ lower energy levels. However, Tuesdays were an exception.

On Tuesdays, all classes had a thorough clean-up session and sang their class songs, followed by a class meeting where the homeroom teacher summarized the past week’s issues. This tradition was as important as the Monday flag-raising ceremony at Yu Cai High School.

Zhang Cheng entered just as the class song ended, drawing everyone’s attention.

The homeroom teacher, Mr. Lu, frowned, signaling that this incident wouldn’t go unaddressed.

Mr. Lu cleared his throat, “Zhang Cheng, you’ve been quite lively lately, even during morning self-study.”

Zhang Cheng looked to Lu Chu for help, but Lu Chu smiled and shook his head, indicating he couldn’t intervene this time. Zhang Cheng, grinning sheepishly, said, “Teacher, studying makes me happy.”

“Enough with the slick talk!” Mr. Lu reprimanded, “You’ll be giving a self-reflection at the class meeting later.”

Zhang Cheng stood at attention, “Yes, sir!”

The class meeting proceeded with the usual updates and plans, followed by Zhang Cheng’s self-reflection. Then Mr. Lu gave a passionate speech about balancing study and leisure, ending with, “Alright, that’s it for today’s class meeting.”

The students clapped enthusiastically, relieved that it was over.

But Mr. Lu continued, “One more thing.”

Everyone held their breath.

“We have a new transfer student.”

The students sighed in relief — it wasn’t another lecture.

Lu Chu’s heart skipped a beat as he sensed something.

Mr. Lu announced, “Our new student will join us shortly. Please be welcoming and help them adjust.”

Just then, a steady voice came from the classroom door, “May I come in?”

Mr. Lu smiled kindly, “Come in.”

A tall, slender boy entered. His hair was dark with hints of brown, his eyes deep and clear, his brows sharp, and his expression calm yet distant.

It was 7.

Unlike his initial mature demeanor or the sickly look from the previous round, 7 appeared youthful and familiar this time, as did Lu Chu.

Mr. Lu introduced, “This is our new student, Li Bo.”

7’s gaze swept over the class and settled on Lu Chu. He spoke, “Hello, everyone. I’m Li Bo.”

He turned, writing his name on the blackboard with fluid strokes, then turned back to face Lu Chu, “Li as in dawn, Bo as in learned.”

The students applauded warmly.

Lu Chu, momentarily stunned, recalled 7’s gentle smile from the previous round, lying in front of him, bloodied.

“Lu Chu… Lu Chu!” His deskmate Liu Yang whispered urgently.

Lu Chu snapped back to reality, “Hmm? What?”

Liu Yang, a slightly chubby boy, remarked, “You were spacing out. The new guy looks good, huh? The girls seem excited.”

Lu Chu glanced at his classmates and smiled, “They’re just being welcoming.”

“Yeah, right. You don’t notice because you look good too. I’ve heard girls talk about you,” Liu Yang sighed. “It’s tough living in a world that values looks.”

Mr. Lu then said, “Li Bo, you can sit in the fourth row at the empty seat. We rotate seats every Monday, and the class president will explain the rules to you. Feel free to ask anyone if you have questions.”

Lu Chu noticed the designated seat was right behind his.

Li Bo nodded, “Thank you, teacher.”

He walked to his seat, carrying his bag.

“Ding-ding-ding—”

The bell rang, signaling the end of the class meeting. Mr. Lu said, “That’s it for today’s meeting. Dismissed.”

“Stand up!”

“Goodbye, teacher!”

Mr. Lu left the classroom, and it instantly buzzed with activity.

Liu Yang turned to Li Bo, “Hey, Li Bo, right? I’m Liu Yang! This is my deskmate, Lu Chu. If you need anything, just ask us!”

Li Bo nodded, “Thanks.”

Liu Yang beamed, “No problem!”

Lu Chu looked at Li Bo, eyes bright, “Are you boarding?”

Li Bo’s lips curved slightly, his tone restrained but familiar, “Yes, in room 316.”

“316!” Before Lu Chu could react, Zhang Cheng and Qian Wenhao, who had come over to meet the new student, exclaimed, “Wow, that’s right next to ours! Neighbors, huh? Isn’t that right, Lu Chu?”

Lu Chu smiled and said, “Yes, we are 318.”

After speaking, Lu Chu exchanged glances with Li Bo. “Feel free to visit anytime.”

Li Bo’s smile widened at this. “I will.”

---

After their afternoon classes, Lu Chu, along with his three roommates, went to the cafeteria for dinner with Li Bo. They walked around the playground to digest their food and then it was time for evening self-study.

Evening self-study at Yucai High School was mandatory for boarding students but more flexible for day students, who could apply to go home with parental permission.

Evening self-study started at 7:50 PM and ended at 9:40 PM, with a five-minute break in between. Although there were teachers on duty, they usually stayed in their offices preparing lessons and grading papers, only occasionally checking on the students. Whether or not the students studied seriously depended largely on their self-discipline. The self-study session was generally quiet, with occasional whispers among students. Zhang Cheng and a few others would often chat quietly at the back, sometimes breaking into laughter.

Lu Chu sat at his desk, opened a workbook, and held a pen, but he didn’t start writing for a long time. Liu Yang, being a day student, had applied to go home, so the seat next to Lu Chu was empty.

Suddenly, Lu Chu felt a shadow blocking the light. He turned to see 7 sitting beside him with a book.

7 turned to him and asked, “Can I sit here?”

Lu Chu smiled warmly as always. “I’d be honored.”

7 opened his book and flipped through it casually, the soft rustling of the pages somehow calming Lu Chu. Finally, he started writing and completed his assignments.

.

Halfway through the second evening self-study session, Lu Chu tore a piece of paper into small squares, wrote a few sentences, folded it, and pushed it onto 7’s desk.

7 looked slightly surprised, then his expression softened. He opened the note, revealing Lu Chu’s elegant cursive handwriting.

— Don’t you need to do your homework?

7 picked up a pen and wrote back.

— I don’t feel like doing it for now.

— Do you want to copy mine? I just finished.

— Okay.

After writing this, 7 thought his response might seem too cold, so he pulled the note back, added a few more words, and then handed it to Lu Chu.

Lu Chu opened the note and couldn’t help but smile at the serious-looking smiley face 7 had drawn next to the word “Okay.”

Despite sitting next to each other, the two enjoyed passing notes, finding simple joy in the mundane. The notes were just about daily life and study matters. They avoided discussing anything related to the “rules” and the “game” on paper to prevent unnecessary trouble.

When evening self-study ended, Lu Chu and his three roommates walked back to the dorm with 7.

7’s dorm was also a mixed one with students from various classes. After helping 7 settle in, Lu Chu and the others went to the water room to wash up, returning just as the lights went out.

At the door, Lu Chu bid 7 goodnight. As he returned to his room, he couldn’t help but think it was a pity they weren’t in the same dormitory, even though they lived next door separated by only two doors.

---

The next day, Lu Chu and his roommates had breakfast with 7 before heading to their class for morning self-study.

Wednesday’s morning self-study was dedicated to English. The class representative had written the day’s tasks on the blackboard early on, and the day’s duty students quickly completed their chores and returned to their seats.

The bell rang, signaling the start of morning self-study.

Lu Chu opened his English book to the page indicated on the blackboard and was about to start reciting when he noticed an empty seat in the class. After thinking for a moment, he recalled it belonged to Liu Qian, whom Zhang Cheng had mentioned the previous day.

At that moment, a classmate sitting across the aisle called his name and handed him a note.

Puzzled, Lu Chu opened it and recognized Zhang Cheng’s handwriting.

— Wow! Lu Chu, did you know? Yesterday, I told you about Liu Qian’s dorm. They all got sick and had high fevers! It’s so spooky!!!

After reading, Lu Chu frowned and looked towards the back of the classroom, seeing Meng Yu, Zhang Cheng, Gao Shimeng, and Li Lan gathered, discussing animatedly. Their voices grew so loud that they drowned out the class’s reading, prompting frequent glances from other students. The class monitor, eager to study, finally called out loudly, “Please focus on memorizing vocabulary and reciting the text during morning self-study. No whispering!”

Finally, when morning self-study ended, Zhang Cheng pulled Qian Wenhao to Lu Chu’s desk, looking astonished. “Wow, it’s so scary. Meng Yu told me that all eight girls in Liu Qian’s dorm got sick!”

Lu Chu frowned slightly. “What illness?”

“High fever,” Zhang Cheng said, looking spooked. “Meng Yu saw Liu Qian last night and thought she looked unwell. After washing up, she went to check on Liu Qian’s dorm and found that all the girls looked sick. Meng Yu had a thermometer, so she took their temperatures. All had high fevers. This morning, none of them came to class; they were all taken to the hospital.”

Qian Wenhao found it hard to believe. “Really just a fever?”

“Yeah, just a regular high fever,” Zhang Cheng confirmed. “It caused a stir last night. The dorm supervisor initially thought it was something contagious and told everyone to stay away. Then they called 120, and the girls were taken to the hospital overnight. The supervisor went with them and contacted their homeroom teachers. The supervisor came back this morning. Meng Yu was so worried she barely slept, and she asked the supervisor first thing. It was just a high fever, but it’s strange that the whole dorm got sick suddenly.”

Zhang Cheng lowered his voice. “Remember what I told you yesterday? Some girls think there’s something unclean in the dorm. The school gave these girls a few days off to rest at home.”

Before Lu Chu could respond, Qian Wenhao interjected, “Zhang Cheng, you know a lot.”

Zhang Cheng looked proud. “Of course, I keep up with the gossip.”

“But this is really creepy,” Qian Wenhao said. “Better safe than sorry. Maybe I should pray for good luck.”

“Come on,” Liu Yang, who had been listening, couldn’t help but join in. “It sounds exciting, but we live in a law-abiding society. We’re the future of the country and should approach things scientifically. Any paranormal event can be explained by science; we just haven’t discovered that science yet.”

Zhang Cheng rolled his eyes at him. “I don’t believe a word from you, a slacker.”

“Who’s a slacker?” Liu Yang retorted. “I have hidden potential!”

“You?!”

“Yeah, me!”

As they argued, the bell for the first class rang, and Zhang Cheng and Qian Wenhao returned to their seats.

.

The morning classes passed quickly, but Lu Chu couldn’t stop thinking about Liu Qian.

Could Liu Qian’s situation be the beginning of this “game”?

7 had completed all the solo tasks, which meant he must have experienced this game and knew its beginning and end. However, Lu Chu wasn’t prepared to ask him directly. Like in previous games, 7 protected and guided him without revealing all the results. The reason was simple: 7 couldn’t guarantee he would always be around Lu Chu, so he needed to cultivate Lu Chu’s abilities, helping him become stronger.

Lu Chu understood that 7 was doing it for his own good. So, despite knowing 7 had completed all the solo tasks, he had no plans to ask for help. Instead, he was ready to follow the game’s progression and unravel all the mysteries himself.

After lunch in the cafeteria, they planned to return to their dorm to rest. As they reached the dorm entrance and were about to bid Li Bo goodbye, they saw 7 entering their dorm.

Zhang Cheng was excited. “Are you here to visit?”

7 shook his head. “I’m moving into your dorm. Is that okay?”

“What?!” Qian Wenhao asked first. “What’s going on?”

7 took out a slip of paper. “I applied to change dorms and discussed it with Fan Yiming. We’ll switch places, and I can move in today.”

Fan Yiming was a boarding student in Lu Chu’s dorm who rarely stayed in the dorm since the first day. His bed had nothing but a mattress, a sheet, and a pillow, without even a blanket.

“Wow! Really?” Zhang Cheng was thrilled. “That’s great! Our dorm will be livelier with one more person. Let’s help you move your things!”

“Yes, let us help you move your things. By the way,” Qian Wenhao said, “Should we move Fan Yiming’s bed sheets and pillows to the next room?”

“No need,” 7 shook his head. “Fan Yiming said he won’t live in the dormitory anymore. Just throw away the sheets and pillows. He will apply to transfer to a day student in a few days. Otherwise, he will have to pay hundreds of dollars more for accommodation every semester.”

Qian Wenhao said: “That’s right.”

Several people started to help 7 move things.

Boys don’t have the same variety and quantity of things as girls. Amid the cheers of the four, 7’s bed and daily necessities were quickly moved from next door to 318.

Lu Chu’s bed was on the upper bunk on the east side near the window, and Fan Yiming’s bed was on the upper bunk on the east side near the door, right next to Lu Chu’s bed. During lunch break, Lu Chu climbed onto the bed and found that he and 7 were sleeping with their heads touching, separated only by two short iron railings at the head of the bed.

The iron railings were wide enough for arms to be stretched in and out at will. Lu Chu lay on the bed with his eyes closed to rest, and could hear 7’s gentle breathing in his ears.

This made Lu Chu, who had no habit of taking naps, feel sleepy for some reason. Just when he was about to fall asleep, 7’s hand reached out and gently touched the soft hair on Lu Chu’s head.

“Go to sleep.” 7 said.

Lu Chu closed his eyes and fell asleep peacefully.