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After the monthly exams, in order to alleviate the students’ study pressure and to attract more enrollments for the next year, the school has sought sponsorship from various companies. These sponsors include brain-boosting milk, health supplements for refreshing the mind, or posture-correcting shoulder straps that help maintain an upright posture. Together, they have sponsored this excursion.

The students and their parents, being the main consumers of these sponsored products, naturally welcomed the sponsors’ support. Sponsors not only provided buses and equipment but also played a crucial role in connecting and facilitating the entire event.

Parents also allowed their children to go on the trip with a sense of reassurance, believing that the three-day, two-night journey would broaden their horizons and contribute to their physical well-being. Back in the day, these parents themselves participated in school-organized summer and winter camps without any issues. They understand the potential benefits of such activities and hope they will become cherished memories in their children’s lives. Entrusting their children to the school, parents have complete confidence in the safety of the experience.

The owner of the travel company managing the arrangements happens to be the school principal’s younger brother-in-law. Given his frequent business connections with the sponsors, he took responsibility for the students and guaranteed their safety. The parents, trusting both the school and the travel company owner, received firm assurances about the well-being of their children.

Parents trust the school, the school trusts sponsors, sponsors trust the travel company, and the travel company trusts the supply stations they’ve arranged along the route. If students need help or if the bus runs out of gas, assistance is assured.

With mutual trust, multiple buses, filled with laughter, set off smoothly. Before boarding, each young boy and girl carried a bag full of snacks and drinks. Boarding by student number, everyone wore smiles, expressing joy. They interacted lively, shoulder to shoulder, chasing and playing, full of energy.

Jokes naturally ensued. For instance, Wang Panpan pointed at Yin Minglu’s bag, sighed, and said, “You even have to buy the same style of backpack. Are you imitating my idol? It’s really a mismatch!” This time, Yin Minglu’s exam scores improved, no longer dragging down the class average. This pleasantly surprised their homeroom teacher, Ms. Wang. The girl’s overall attitude towards him seemed much more pleasant, and it seemed like occasional “imitations” weren’t as annoying anymore.

But when it came to imitation, Yin Minglu couldn’t help but show a somewhat awkward expression. His backpack was originally just a regular black hiking bag. However, because it had once appeared with the Young Hero N, its sales on a certain online marketplace instantly surpassed 100,000. Now, the same model could be bought for 29.9, and the sales volume was still quite high. Many internet celebrities even dubbed the Young Hero N as the “king of bringing in sales.” No need for a game plan—just show your face, and you could start a buying frenzy.

Always expecting to be exposed, he never deliberately concealed certain features, yet no one had noticed. Moreover, his authentic self had been counterfeited in various ways, and in the end, he became a counterfeit in the eyes of others.

There were also classmates who generously shared snacks as soon as they got on the bus. “Come, have some snacks! Cucumber-flavored potato chips, they’re so crispy and delicious.”

“Wow, they’re delicious! How about you try my shrimp snacks, they have a seafood flavor.”

“Chips should be paired with carbonated drinks. I’ve got Happy Fat Otaku Water¹It’s coke/coca-cola, dunno why they call it that but it’s coke and disposable cups here. How about I pour each of you a cup? Come on, this is a 2.5L bottle, feel free to drink, don’t be shy!”

“Add my fruit juice to the mix. Come on, let’s have a toast!”

Soon, a snack party started on the bus, and everyone indulged in eating and drinking as if following a lead.

Another classmate, holding their nose, complained on the bus, “Who put leek-filled buns in their backpack? Eat them quickly! It stinks!”

“And someone brought durian too. Please don’t eat it on the bus, okay? It could make the whole bus faint.”

“What’s wrong with durian? It’s so delicious! I haven’t complained about your stinky feet yet, almost like a chemical weapon, right? How can you take your shoes off as soon as you get on the bus?” The girl with durian couldn’t bear the embarrassment, so she couldn’t help but retort, and then a male and a female started arguing with each other.

The teacher in charge rushed over upon hearing the commotion.

Since Ms. Wang, the usual class teacher for Yin Minglu’s class, was pregnant and couldn’t lead the trip herself, the responsibility fell on the school’s newly hired art teacher. He was quite young, only twenty-five or twenty-six, with a gentle temperament that couldn’t quite handle a group of sixteen or seventeen-year-old kids.

Moreover, in this new era, art was still not considered a core subject, and the status of a teacher often depended on the prominence of their subject. Art didn’t hold the same status as Chinese, math, or physical education. Consequently, the students were naturally more carefree and less intimidated by the art teacher.

The teacher’s shouts were often drowned out by the noise, disappearing like a small stone thrown into the vast ocean, without a trace. Many times, the young teacher had to resort to seeking help from the class monitor, Fu Jinxiu. With one command from Fu Jinxiu, even if the classmates were reluctant, they would obediently listen.

Yin Minglu, carrying his backpack, was about to board the bus. For some reason, his eyelids kept twitching—left, then right. Coupled with the young teacher who couldn’t control the situation, he had a feeling that something unpleasant might happen.

However, the young teacher had a positive trait: he was good at listening to students’ opinions and had a good temperament for handling situations.

Thinking of this, he looked up at the teacher and said, “Teacher Luo, do we really have to go on this trip? Can’t we cancel the activity?” He had a persistent feeling that an accident might happen, and it would be best to cut losses and not proceed with the journey.

The young art teacher, Luo Yuan, had always been impressed by Yin Minglu’s artistic talent and romantic strokes. He liked this student who excelled in painting and showed respect to him on a regular basis.

He found the inquiry a bit strange, but those deep black eyes were incredibly focused, like two black pearls in a museum, radiating an earnest light that couldn’t be ignored.

Therefore, although he was helpless, he still answered earnestly, “Student Yin, look at how excited everyone is. How could we possibly stop our travel activity?”

Just after the three-day monthly exams, at the mention of the trip, the students went ecstatic. If someone were to suggest stopping it, they would definitely revolt. Each one would unleash a barrage of curses and complaints, and the school simply couldn’t handle that. Not to mention, the sponsors had invested a considerable amount of money in this event. If it were to be canceled, wouldn’t all that money go down the drain? Profit-driven businessmen wouldn’t allow the school to go back on its word and violate the contract like that.

Luo Yuan didn’t say anything, he handed a bottle of walnut milk from the bus to the young man, hoping he would understand. Holding the sponsored milk, the young man indeed grasped the situation. Abruptly canceling the event might upset the school and certainly displease the students, but it would irk the main sponsors even more.

Lost in thought for a few seconds, he subconsciously unscrewed the milk bottle and took a sip. The sweet aroma of milk slightly eased his tense nerves, but the cloying sweetness also reminded him that, despite its brain-boosting and energy-supplying qualities, excessive consumption of such drinks wasn’t advisable because sweetness couldn’t quench thirst.

And when thirst remains unquenched, people subconsciously drink more, accelerating the consumption of beverages and food.

Listening to the rustling sounds of classmates eating around him, it served as a wake-up call. He leaned in towards Luo Yuan and whispered a few words, expressing the hope that the teacher could advise the students to eat less during the journey, avoiding excessive indulgence. Perhaps he was being overly cautious, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

Luo Yuan looked a bit conflicted because he was self-aware. Despite having the title of a teacher, he lacked some of the authority and intimidation that typically came with it. The other teacher leading the trip was a good-natured middle-aged person, already in their forties or fifties, leading a retired lifestyle. With their calm and unhurried demeanor, they both had the appearance of kind individuals, lacking the forceful presence that would make students obedient.

“I know that if you directly say it like this, it might not have much impact, but if you approach it in this way or that way, it’s sure to…” The young man continued to mumble, and Luo Yuan listened attentively. Soon, he had a moment of enlightenment and chuckled, “Minglu, you’re really clever.”

He had accurately pinpointed human vulnerabilities.

So, Luo Yuan stepped forward and, as if casually reminding, said, “Let’s all drink a bit less. We’re on a rural road now, and it’s a two-hour journey to the next supply station. If you eat too much and get a stomachache or drink too much and need to use the restroom, there won’t be a place for you to relieve yourself, you know.”

“We need to stick to the schedule, and the entire bus can’t wait for just one person to use the restroom. Besides, we’re in the wilderness, and there are many wild animals. What if they attack you while you’re pulling down your pants and scratch your buttocks? That…” He spoke in a casual tone, following the lines given by Yin Minglu, but the students were genuinely startled.

“Eek!!! Teacher, please stop talking!” The girls, with thin skins, immediately hurriedly packed away their snack pockets upon hearing this and tightened the bottle caps, too scared to eat or drink anymore.

When it comes to using the restroom, it’s easier for the boys; they have thick skin, can stop the bus on the roadside, and handle it with a quick pee. But the girls are more reserved. Going to the restroom in the wilderness is something they can’t easily do. Moreover, it delays the journey and makes everyone in the bus aware that they need to use the restroom, which is embarrassing and awkward. Not to mention the teacher mentioned the presence of animals.

In reality, the boys are also concerned about losing face and are wary of animals. They thought the teacher was talking about wild boars, monkeys, tigers, and other ferocious beasts, so they naturally felt some apprehension.

As they contemplated these things, the biscuits and potato chips in their hands suddenly lost their appeal.

Forget it; they’ll eat at the picnic site.

So, as the convoy of buses set off, only the first and second buses, where Yin Minglu was located, had the maximum preservation of food.

Since they couldn’t eat or drink, and there was still a long journey to the picnic site, what could they do? Naturally, some slept while others played on their phones.

“Damn, what a crappy mountainous area! It’s too remote. How is it possible that there’s still no network coverage after so many years?” complained the student playing on their phone, putting it down in frustration. They had hoped to play some games to pass the time.

“No online gaming anymore. Boring. Let’s just sleep!”

“I wanted to call my parents to let them know I arrived safely, but I can’t send texts, and the calls won’t go through. I’ll just call them when we reach the destination.” Another student opted to close their eyes and sleep.

“What is this place? It’s so damp, and there’s a lot of fog outside,” a girl said, gripping her companion’s hand. She pointed outside, where the mist-covered weather and the dense forest, damp enough to block out the sky, made the day look dim, and visibility had decreased significantly.

Whether she had watched too many horror movies, causing a psychological effect, she always felt that some monster would emerge from this cold mist, giving her an eerie feeling.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Just this stretch of road,” her companion reassured her. “Before we set out, I checked the weather forecast. It said there would be light rain from 2 to 4 in the afternoon, so it’s normal for it to be humid and foggy.”

“Take a nap. Who knows, it might be sunny when you wake up,” the companion suggested. With some luck, they might even see a rainbow in the mountain valley.

“Yeah!” The comforting words of her companion somewhat calmed the girl’s fearful heart. The more she looked at the fog outside, the more she felt she was scaring herself. Plus, drowsiness is contagious. With half of the bus already in deep sleep, she naturally thought of leaning on the pillow provided by the sponsors and taking a little nap.

“Is it getting foggy?” The fog was quite dense. Watching the faint streaks of water outside the window, Yin Minglu furrowed his brow. Subconsciously muttering to himself, the uneasy feeling in his heart grew stronger. He looked at the sleeping faces of everyone and then at the driver diligently steering the bus ahead.

Unable to hold back, he leaned over and said, “Uncle²This was supposed to be master, which I guess is what’s commonly used to call drivers(?) but anyway I changed it to uncle, the fog is so thick. Can you find the way?”

Being questioned by a young lad, the driver’s face showed displeasure. “What are you talking about, young man? I’ve been driving for over ten years. This bit of fog might reduce visibility a little, but it won’t affect my driving. Besides, the bus is equipped with navigation. I’ll follow the navigation, can I get lost? Rest assured, I’ll definitely get all of you to the destination safe and sound! You probably haven’t even passed driving school, right? You don’t understand cars.”

So, stop interfering with my driving!

The middle-aged driver’s directive was particularly blunt, and his loud voice almost woke up half of the students on the bus. They stirred from their dreams, looking with cold faces at the apparent dispute between the two.

The students from Class One were more understanding, blindly supporting their fellow classmates. The students from Class Two, unfamiliar with Yin Minglu, sneered.

“Some people don’t even know how to drive themselves and want to interfere with the bus driver. It’s ridiculous,” one of the Class Two students scoffed.

“Quiet, can you stop making noise? It’s so annoying! The driver can handle the driving; where does he need someone else pointing things out?” They just wanted to get to their destination quickly, even though it was early autumn, it was freezing inside the bus.

In the end, even the students from Class One felt a bit embarrassed. They whispered, urging Yin Minglu to come back and stop causing a scene.

Only Yin Minglu noticed the somewhat unfocused pupils of the driver, the cold sweat on his forehead, and his overly tense mental state. Initially worried that the driver might be misled by the dense fog, now he had to add concerns about the driver’s health.

But everyone was somewhat resentful of his intervention. Yin Minglu furrowed his brow, didn’t say much, and returned to his seat. He took out the employee manual and roster placed by the travel company on the bus, intending to investigate whether the driver had any hidden physical or mental illnesses.

As the time on the phone passed, the destination still hadn’t arrived. Several students who had awakened were already whispering.

“What’s going on? Did we pass the supply station? Why didn’t the driver remind us? I really need to use the bathroom,” one of them said, having held it in for a long time.

“Is the driver in a rush? He hasn’t stopped the bus halfway. Doesn’t he know that people eventually need to relieve themselves?” Someone grumbled a few words, but upon recalling the fierce-looking and harsh-toned driver and the previously scolded Yin Minglu, they complained but dared not inquire with the driver.

“I shouldn’t have drunk so much water. I’m about to burst.”

“Let’s all ask together. We all really need to use the bathroom,” a girl whispered, hoping everyone would go together so that even if the driver scolded them, he couldn’t scold everyone at once.

“Alright, let’s all go together.”

Just as a few people were about to inquire, the bus suddenly swayed, and those people screamed as they were thrown to different places. Amid the chaos, the familiar alarm bell rang in Yin Minglu’s mind. He saw the driver in the front seat, seemingly exhausted, drooping his head. Although his hands still gripped the steering wheel, he was no longer paying attention to the direction.

Everyone saw it too, and they began to scream, “Uncle! Uncle! Drive, uncle! There’s a bend ahead!” Below the mountain was a steep slope! And below the steep slope was a turbulent and rapid river! However, the person being shouted at seemed to be in a daze, completely unresponsive.

Yin Minglu immediately rushed over, turned the steering wheel, and also kicked away the driver’s unconscious feet, forcefully stepping on the brakes.

Fortunately, all’s well that ends well. The bus front scraped against the mountain and couldn’t move forward anymore. Watching themselves narrowly avoid the landslide and the cliff, they didn’t fall off the mountain or into the river. The people were scared to tears, their legs weak as they helped each other.

When the school received feedback from the travel company that the students hadn’t arrived on time, it was already half a day later. The entire city only then became aware that the school buses had gone missing! They disappeared in the fog-covered roads and forests, the nationally recognized triangle area most prone to accidents due to fog.

Even with helicopters from the government and the military patrolling the city skies and the missing locations along the travel route, they couldn’t find the four or five lost buses. It was as if some mysterious force was preventing them from locating the people. How could this be possible?

“They’ve entered a magnetic field! The magnetic field is concealing their information!” someone exclaimed in realization.

“This, this is the assessment! We haven’t escaped; it has arrived! It didn’t choose well-trained adults; it chose a group of unprepared children!” It’s over!

At this moment, the hazy sky, the Floating City obscuring the sunlight above the city, suddenly appeared like a virtual shadow, flickering a few times, capturing everyone’s attention.

They projected a massive virtual image, displaying numerous headshots of people, more and more, hundreds of them, densely filling the eyes of the citizens.

At first, everyone was bewildered, climbing up the tall buildings constructed in the city to get a closer look at the images above, wondering what this was. But as more and more young, innocent faces appeared, they realized that the headshots on top were photos from the missing students’ list!

Wherever the Floating City with the virtual images went, everyone couldn’t ignore it. The photos on the list, some were in color, but some had already turned gray. What could this mean?

Soon, text appeared on the virtual image: “This is a brutal selection, lasting for half a month, fully broadcasted, with the entire competition process made public, eliminating any covert operations. The person who stands out will gain the qualification to visit the suspended city in the new year. Our king welcomes the arrival of the victor.”

Everyone felt as if they were suffocating. Was this an attempt to trap unarmed and frightened students in one place, forcing them to turn against each other for survival? Would the victor ascend to honor, status, and fame by stepping on the blood-soaked bodies of their peers? It seemed like a replay of the script from twenty-five years ago!

Would history repeat itself?

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• 1
  It’s coke/coca-cola, dunno why they call it that but it’s coke
• 2
  This was supposed to be master, which I guess is what’s commonly used to call drivers(?) but anyway I changed it to uncle