Twenty-five years ago, the news of the escaped murderer was known to outsiders, but the students in the closed-off environment were completely unaware. They had no idea that death almost arrived in a matter of seconds.
The boy waiting to board the bus outside, his school uniform merely a superficial layer, had a face that appeared ordinary and aged, concealing a heart full of trauma and scars.
Those who could watch the virtual images saw clearly, witnessed the murderer in the forest wielding his knife, slaughtering a group of students, and even finding refuge in a dilapidated carriage. Inside the carriage, he retrieved a razor for some unknown purpose, grooming himself by shaving off his tangled beard. Whistling a tune, amidst the stunned online audience, he discarded the clothes of a deceased student and wore the school uniform.
Nonchalantly tossing aside the black prison garb that symbolized the past, he smoothly underwent a transition of identity, appearing entirely seamless. With head bowed, he reached the highway, observing a bus approaching leisurely. A mysterious smirk crept onto his lips, leaving everyone puzzled.
No one could piece together each other’s inner thoughts, watching his series of actions, only feeling inexplicably horrified.
A thought flashed through their minds:
[Once this wolf in sheep’s clothing gets on board, the students are finished]
[The entire bus is falling into a countdown]
Before the anticipated scene of death arrived, time seemed infinitely extended, and the visuals appeared to be in slow motion.
Witnessing the defenseless bus, as it slowed down and the door gradually opened when passing the “male student,” everyone could no longer bear to continue watching.
After surviving these challenging but still hopeful fifteen days, is the conclusion still destined for a massacre? Witnessing firsthand the active efforts of these children during these days, they naturally don’t want these youthful and vibrant faces to be shrouded in gloom, turning into cold black-and-white photos.
No one else should die—
Unnoticed by themselves, they had subconsciously clasped their hands together, adopting a posture of despair and pity, silently praying.
Unexpectedly, the door that had just cracked open abruptly shut as if disturbed. Instead of stopping, the bus, burdened with too many passengers and appearing bloated, suddenly roared away at an unnatural speed, resembling a reckless dash for one’s life.
Onlookers: ???
Why is this script so different from what we imagined?
The “male student” left stranded in the original spot was also bewildered. He had just reached for the gun at his waist when faced with this sudden turn of events. By the time he regained his senses and tried to rush forward, he had already been thrown far behind, unable to catch a glimpse of the bus.
The driver had actually been replaced long ago. Noticing Mr. Luo’s slow reaction, Yin Minglu directly pressed the “close/open door” button and then slammed on the accelerator, speeding the car away.
【Oh God, hanging by a thread, it’s too terrifying】
【In that instant when the door opened, my mind was still pondering ‘life and death are fated, wealth and nobility are in heaven.’ It seemed these children were destined for such a fate, unavoidably marked by disaster. Yet, they immediately turned the tables, and the sudden reversal is putting a strain on my heart】.
【Is Student Yin cheating? How did he save a busload of lives again?】
Onlookers were on edge, frightened and bewildered, while those inside were still perplexed, unaware of what they had encountered.
Considering Yin Minglu’s usually gentle and calm demeanor, his sudden bout of “madness” startled everyone on the bus. After a period of staggering and swaying, people gathered around, expressing concern, “Classmate Yin, what’s wrong?”
“Classmate Yin, just now there was another boy outside the bus who hadn’t boarded yet.” Despite the thick mist, they all saw it—a silhouette in a school uniform outside the window. Though the clothes were dirty, it was indeed their school uniform.
The person was still waiting to board.
If they leave the boy behind like this, would he be scared? In the late night, could he be carried away by wolves? Soft-hearted classmates couldn’t help but think this way.
“Silly, did you all forget?” Yin Minglu said in a deep voice, grabbing everyone’s attention.
Being called “silly” by Classmate Yin, his voice, melodious and pleasant, even when scolding, carried a vague sense of intimacy and a touch of tough love. People only felt that they must have made a mistake again to be admonished by Classmate Yin.
“What? What?” They were genuinely perplexed, unaware of what they had forgotten.
Yin Minglu teased, “You’ve forgotten that we’ve reached the fork in the road called Devil’s Corner. In this place, we are prone to illusions. So, our classmates here might actually be…”
“Gasp!!!” With the eerie words, everyone took in a sharp breath, their minds filled with various imaginations. After the initial fear, they began to chatter animatedly.
“So the legend is true! We’ve encountered an illusion. While others encounter road-blocking old ladies, we run into classmates in school uniforms. I always thought I hadn’t seen that face before.” A male student patted his chest with fear, boasting about being a notorious “social butterfly” in school. He knew the faces of students from several classes; he could name them or recognize their faces.
Initially, he was bewildered by the unfamiliar appearance of the person outside the window. As it turned out, it wasn’t a real person! Not their schoolmate!
Another girl, both scared and curious, asked, “Classmate Yin, how did you realize that the person outside wasn’t real?” They had already believed Yin Minglu’s explanation. After all, Yin Minglu was reliable, never making mistakes. They naturally trusted him.
They now only want to know how Yin Minglu figured it out. After all, everyone on the bus was staring, yet no one possessed the “keen eyes” like Yin Minglu’s, effortlessly discerning that the figure outside the window wasn’t human.
“Because of his feet…” Saying this, Yin Minglu didn’t even furrow his brow, although he admired himself for continuing to weave an innocent and colorful dream for these kids. Consider it a well-intentioned lie. Since he had started, he might as well carry on.
Engaged like an audience hearing a story, the others eagerly joined in, speculating on their own, “Is it because he has no feet?”
“So that’s it.”
No, it was actually because of the shoes on that person’s feet, a pair of worn-out, faded white cloth shoes that clashed with the school uniform.
If it weren’t for the alarm bells ringing in his mind, reminding him that outside the bus was an extremely dangerous individual, Yin Minglu himself would have been momentarily stunned. Only then did he recall that those shoes were, in fact, a pair of prison shoes.
Outside the door wasn’t a student but a prisoner wearing a school uniform, possibly a ruthless murderer. With such a dangerous individual, Yin Minglu planned to wait until the assessment was over, then capture him in the guise of Young Hero N and deliver him to prison.
【The person outside the window clearly has feet; why did Student Yin guide classmates to guess about ghosts?】
【Because Student Yin actually figured it out. He truly has a discerning eye, worthy of being called keen-sighted】
【When the murderer committed the crime, he took off the victim’s clothes and even considered taking their shoes. However, due to the mismatched sizes, he opted not to wear them, unwittingly encountering Sherlock Yin, exposing the flaw】
【I’m truly impressed; details determine success or failure. Well, I guess these students aren’t meant to meet their end. The entire bus is intact and unharmed】
【My friend’s child is a student at No. 1 High School, and the parents are devastated. They regret not placing their child in Class 1 or Class 2 during the freshman year. If they had followed the majority, their child wouldn’t have encountered trouble from the start, ensuring a safe and sound journey】
【Using the famous saying ‘Soldiers on the battlefield, with the right general, can reduce unwarranted sacrifices,’ the number of survivors in this assessment is nearly two hundred, a data unprecedented】
【The massacre from twenty-five years ago is still vivid in our memories. You can survive without killing; why didn’t anyone think of that twenty-five years ago? Or perhaps they did but couldn’t follow through? Clearly, twenty-five years ago, among the adults participating in the assessment, the number of evolved individuals was much higher than this batch of students. Could it be that adults are inherently more thoughtful and have darker hearts than young people? I doubt it】
【Maybe it’s because back then, there wasn’t a young man named ‘Yin Minglu.’ Protecting is far greater than slaughtering. While others were immersed in rivers of blood, he didn’t forget to guard the innocence of his peers. Perhaps he truly is some kind of angel descended to earth】
So, forcibly rewriting the script, reversing the outcome, reducing the mortality rate, formed a stark contrast with the total annihilation twenty-five years ago.
At this statement, all fell silent, and the world wept.
Anyway, once they walked out of this assessment, those kids, upon watching the video replays, would belatedly realize that they had narrowly escaped death several times. And they had someone silently guarding their ideal world, untouched by the ugliness of human nature and the struggles of contradictions.
【Who is the winner of this assessment, everyone knows, right?】
【No one】
【No one】
Even if they do, do they dare to oppose youths worldwide? Simultaneously, virtual images suspended over the floating city directly broadcasted the “Survivor List,” with the teenagers’ avatars continuously flashing on the big screen, capturing global attention.
【Those kids are coming out from the southeast corner; let’s go and welcome them!】
【It’s disgusting; the first to rush over are the media and gamblers carrying all sorts of weapons, not even the parents. Where was their enthusiasm when we were at war with the floating city?】
Indeed, as the bus, running on almost depleted fuel, swayed out from the southeast corner, students were met with an overwhelming reception, resembling a mountainous roar and an ocean-like wave. Flashlights competed in every corner, countless media reporters eagerly thrust their microphones toward them, asking for their opinions on the assessment.
In the crowd, many people accurately called out their names.
The students looked bewildered, not understanding why they were receiving such fervent acclaim. It seemed as if, after getting lost for a while, they had become household names, widely renowned. This exposure made them feel particularly unfamiliar and frightened.
Even as their parents cried and hugged them, they couldn’t find a genuine feeling. They could only say, “Mom, Dad, it’s all thanks to our classmate Yin. We could only survive these days because of him.”
The parents sobbed inarticulately, “We know, we know. Classmate Yin is truly admirable.” From the God’s-eye view, they could see more than the students’ perspective. The monumental achievement of saving the entire bus was beyond words. Holding their children, who had slimmed down but were safe and sound, they felt overwhelming gratitude.
When Yin Minglu walked out of the bus, the entire scene reached a climax. Flashlights were incessant, almost blinding, and the moment he spoke, he was immediately engulfed in a crowd.
Countless excited screams erupted, filled with praises like “great,” “kind,” and “angel,” along with expressions of fervent admiration.
True to his usual style, leaving the clamor to others and choosing understatement for himself, Yin Minglu quietly slipped away, avoiding the cameras. Yin Baiquan waited for him at the edge of the crowd.
As father and son met, before any words were spoken, their eyes were already halfway filled with tears.
Holding his son who returned safely, Yin Baiquan was both relieved and tearful, “Don’t mind those rumors and gossip. You’re fine, forever my pride, my hero.”
“You are a hero in your father’s eyes.” His son hadn’t changed; instead, he had become even better, always walking the noble path of justice and saving others.
The author has something to say:
I actually wrote two versions of this chapter, one positive and one negative. After much contemplation, I ultimately chose only one.
There are a few more plot points to conclude in this world (I’m not sure about the specific number of chapters).
As for this story, after finishing this world, it’s time to wrap it up and conclude. Probably around the week after next?
T/N: 6
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