Outside the window is indeed not a ghost, but someone is taking advantage of the opportunity to play tricks.
While everyone was stunned, Yin Minglu did not say anything. He directly picked up Dong Peng’s police baton, turned on the switch, and aimed it outside the window.
Few people know that, besides self-defense, a police baton can also be used for illumination and alarm. Just press the switch, and it can emit a strong beam of light, causing instant blindness, commonly known as “flash blindness.” So, if encountering a criminal in daily life, you can aim it at the eyes of the assailant, causing a momentary blindness, and then take the opportunity to escape from the scene.
In the original plot, Dong Peng repeatedly succeeded in crime using this trick, even narrowly escaping from the hands of a murderer in the neighboring class. Unfortunately, he fell short in the end because the police baton ran out of power at a critical moment, rendering it useless. He was then killed in retaliation, proving the saying, “The police baton giveth, and the police baton taketh away.”
But now, with Yin Minglu holding the baton, it will naturally play a better role.
As he emitted a dazzling white light, the female ghost outside the window was caught off guard, blinded. She let out a sharp scream, her body uncontrollably tilting backward, disappearing from view.
The real voice of the female ghost was exposed, as they approached, a heavy sound hit the ground, making the classmates inside the bus instantly realize that outside the window was indeed something supernatural, but not a real ghost—it was someone playing a ghost!
With this sudden realization, fear dissipated, and everyone hurriedly followed behind Yin Minglu, getting off the bus to see where the female ghost had fallen. They discovered three people lying in a heap.
In other words, aside from the disheveled woman in red who seemed like a typical ghost, there were two others who had also fallen to the ground. They had created the illusion of an abnormally tall woman by stacking themselves like human pyramids beneath her. Under the cover of the night and mist, they became a formidable and intimidating figure, enough to scare everyone.
Now, without the need for instructions from Yin Minglu, everyone spontaneously captured the three robust female figures and expertly bound them using the rope techniques learned from the young professor.
During the binding process, the appearances of these individuals were revealed to everyone, startling them.
All three had their faces heavily painted with white makeup, giving them a ghostly appearance. If it weren’t for their moving eyeballs and the ability to produce sounds from their mouths, they would have looked like lifeless corpses, ready to be placed in a coffin at any moment. The makeup on the female ghost who had just frightened them outside the window was especially gruesome, with blood-red details. They dared not look at her again, realizing why they were initially so frightened—these real people were indeed terrifying in appearance.
“Are you… from Class Five next door?” A bold classmate, after taking a closer look, widened their eyes, evidently recognizing the girls. They loudly declared their identity, “They’re classmates from the next class, and they’re athletes from our school! I know them!”
“Ah, athletes, that explains why their arms and legs are so muscular,” another male student grumbled. In the process of capturing these three individuals, he had received a few powerful punches from their constant struggles, and the force was particularly strong, leaving him almost breathless.
“The problem is, why would people from the next class play tricks and scare us in the middle of the night? Is that supposed to be fun? We can’t sleep now,” others expressed their frustration, shaking their fists.
Indeed, they were delighted to know that there were classmates from other classes in this fog-covered ghostly place. However, the fact that these classmates immediately resorted to playing ghostly tricks dampened their joy. Instead, they felt their lives were being threatened and intimidated, a feeling of deep offense.
“Heh, at a time like this, you still want to sleep? That’s quite audacious,” finally, one of the three bound individuals spoke. She started with a mocking smirk, her face covered in a chilling white makeup reminiscent of the ghostly characters popular in the last century, making everyone uncomfortable.
They were also envious. Why were their classmates either on the verge of death, turning against each other, or struggling for survival, while the students from this class didn’t face the same dire situation due to water shortage? They hadn’t fallen into a predicament of internal conflicts, fighting each other for survival. Instead, they were alive and well, gathering in the intact compartment, eating, and sleeping peacefully.
They had warm blankets and pillows, delicious food and water. They laughed and joked with each other, shoulder to shoulder, resembling the joyful scenes before an impending exam. Clearly in the midst of an apocalypse, they still seemed untouched by the storms of the world, living as if in an ivory tower.
Why!?
They were all from the same school, so why were there such starkly different destinies? Some were forced to stain their hands with blood, while others were perfectly fine, with no severed limbs and no signs of impending doom on their faces. In the midst of their sorrow and anger, their eyes were also filled with intense envy painted in shades of crimson.
Tears flowed unconsciously, smudging their makeup.
In the narration of these three newcomers, as the cruel truth slowly unfolded, the classmates on the bus were left in shock, their bodies shivering with a cold sensation.
It turned out that the buses from Classes Five and Six had fallen into a valley. Out of over a hundred classmates, including teachers, almost everyone on the bus perished, except for the fortunate few—around twenty-something students. Furthermore, some individuals, well-informed about the impending assessment, had prepared weapons in advance. Consequently, a familiar heap of school uniforms and skeletons stained the soil red in the river.
In order to survive, the remaining people had no choice but to engage in ruthless killings or flee in fear for their lives.
It turns out they were incredibly fortunate. The expressions of the people were complex and dazed, with a lingering sense of fear. Without Yin and his classmates, their fates might have been similar. In the scenario of an island movie, what was always lacking was mutual assistance; instead, everyone tended to fend for themselves.
After hearing the story, everyone was unsure how to deal with these three individuals. With thoughts of killing them, the three admitted to spotting a makeshift shelter not far away. Inside, they saw a stove, pots, several blackened stones with lingering aromas, and even several vines between trees serving as makeshift ropes with some damp clothes hanging from them.
They immediately realized that survivors must be nearby and decided to explore further.
Initially thinking about resorting to violence and cannibalism, they were taken aback when they realized the sheer magnitude of survivors in the area. This made them hesitate; they understood that a direct approach wouldn’t work, and they needed to be cunning.
The number of survivors was too large; they had to reduce it.
Not only did they have realistic appearances, but they had also scripted their actions for both day and night, intending to sow discord within the class. They even dug up a grave with the words “Driver, rest in peace” to stage a ghostly murder scene. After all, this eerie night with a bus full of students, the driver’s corpse hanging upside down from the window, and the sinister red-dressed ghost, was genuinely filled with a terrifying atmosphere.
However, they hadn’t anticipated that their plans would unravel so quickly, and they were exposed at first sight.
The leading young man had clear, intelligent eyes, and he spoke as soon as he looked at them, “There are more of you, right? Where are your accomplices? I find it hard to believe that just the three of you could script something so intricate and feasible. And… who did your makeup?”
They were startled.
Assuming these three girls are A, B, and C. Makeup is a skilled craft, especially when done so realistically. It’s highly unlikely that A did makeup for B, B did makeup for C, and C did makeup for A because the makeup style is clearly consistent, indicating the work of the same hands.
Yet, it’s also implausible that A mastered this skill and did makeup for both B and C, then turned around to do it for herself in front of a mirror. Yin Minglu observed the hands of these three girls carefully and found no traces of makeup stains. This suggests that they hadn’t come into contact with any cosmetic items. Once makeup touches nails or the surface of the skin, it’s challenging to remove without special chemicals.
Someone else was responsible for their makeup, and perhaps that same person wrote the script, orchestrating these three individuals to charge ahead while serving as the mastermind behind the scenes.
Faced with Yin Minglu’s analysis, the three girls naturally denied it vehemently, “No, it’s just the three of us. There’s no one else. You’re so good at making baseless guesses; why don’t you become a scriptwriter or write novels?”
This was the second person in this world to suggest he become a scriptwriter. Yin Minglu rubbed his chin, pondering if he indeed had such a talent. Since others were suggesting it, he continued his “baseless guessing,” saying, “To get such a unanimous defense from you three, that person is probably a guy and very good-looking, right?”
“…” As soon as these words were spoken, the three girls seemed as if their throats were instantly gripped, forgetting how to speak. It was evident that Yin Minglu had likely hit the mark.
“Having you three girls do the dirty work in the front while he just gives orders from behind. Intimidation, murder, all the dirty and tiring jobs—you do them. If we catch anyone, it’s you three, and he remains clean, without any involvement. Though you’re allies, it’s quite clear he’s using you three as his pawns.”
Seemingly provoked by Yin Minglu’s “nonsense,” one of the girls retorted, “You’re talking nonsense. He’s a good person!” He is the best person in the whole world!
“That’s right! Your mind is filled with plots and schemes, making you think everyone else is like that. He didn’t use us at all. Everything was voluntary! Stop defaming him!” He is pure and untainted, untouched by the dust of the world! They were willingly doing things for him, allowing him to lead them. It wasn’t exploitation at all!
“…” the other girl had a cold expression, turning her face away. Although she was also angry at Yin Minglu’s words, she knew that the other two companions were expressing their anger so vehemently, almost admitting they had an accomplice.
What fools, revealing everything with just a little deception.
The classmates who overheard this conversation had varied facial expressions. They had been wondering how a student-athlete could have such a mindset, and it seemed there was someone behind the scenes guiding them. Yin Minglu’s keen observations revealed this, making them shudder at the thought of a fourth person lurking outside with malicious intentions.
Despite Yin Minglu’s attempts to force them to reveal the whereabouts of their accomplice, the three girls refused to disclose any information. However, after making them turn around and observing the direction they instinctively avoided, Yin Minglu made an educated guess.
This person was to the southeast.
Sure enough, they quickly led a group to the riverside in the valley and discovered the fourth person. When they arrived, this person was washing their hands. Dressed in pristine white clothes, under the faint moonlight, they seemed exceptionally pure. When they turned their face, it revealed features akin to beautiful jade, with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes.
【666, Yin Minglu really has a sharp mind and is quite good at guessing. And he actually guessed it right!】
【The first saint and the first teenage murderer, Fu Enman, in their first-ever encounter. Truly thrilling!】
【Upstairs, you’re mistaken. He didn’t kill anyone; he’s pure and untainted. Others were the ones who acted.】
【Speaking of logic, isn’t instigating murder considered a crime?】
【Hehe, after the assessment, even if there’s a verdict, it’s likely his three lackeys who will be sentenced. Who cares about him? Some people just move their mouths, and there’s a never-ending line of people willing to sacrifice their lives for him, solving his problems. They’re so willing to lick him that they’d gladly do it even if it leads to imprisonment.】
【It’s a pity that the murderer has fallen into Yin Minglu’s hands. No more exciting plot to watch.】
【Hehe, if you want to watch murder, can’t you go to another livestream? You adults are so cold-hearted. I just want to see the proactive survival efforts of the students from Class One and Class Two.】
【+1 I also want to see how Yin Minglu manages to reform a teenage murderer.】
The author has something to say:
One update for now. The second update will come a bit later. Everyone, please also remember to keep warm.
T/N: 10
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