Chapter 13 Reflection Room

"Tap, tap, tap..."

The clear and rhythmic sound of leather shoes tapping on the ground, like a cold death knell, came again slowly from the end of the corridor.

The players, who had just recovered from Li Fei and Tan Nianci's tragic narration, felt their hearts leap into their throats once again.

Almost reflexively, everyone reacted instantly.

Jun suddenly retreated to the north, widening the distance between himself and Li Fei and Tan Nianci.

Di Wenzhou and Bai Muling quickly lowered their heads, pretending to organize notes that didn't exist, their bodies tense.

Yue Qingqing was so frightened that her face turned pale, and she bit her lip tightly, holding her breath.

Xin Yuan'er slid to a spot a meter behind and to the side of Zhuge Jin, silently muttering, "You can't see me, you can't see me..."

Zhuge Jin remained calm and composed, only slightly adjusting his posture. His wide white sleeves hung down naturally, as if he had never moved an inch.

His senses had already pinpointed the source of the sound; it wasn't Teacher Li, but another patrolling teacher whose breathing was slightly weaker.

The classroom door was pushed open.

A female teacher with a stiff face stood at the door, her cold gaze slowly sweeping across the classroom like a scanner.

Her gaze lingered for a moment on Li Fei's body, which was broken in two but still maintained a protective posture, then swept over the trembling Tan Nianci, and finally landed on the players who were scattered in various places and seemed to be "well-behaved".

There were no abnormalities.

At least, there were no ongoing violations.

The female teacher's wax-like face remained expressionless. She stood silently for more than ten seconds, as if completing a routine procedure, then stiffly turned around, and the sound of footsteps rang out again, gradually fading into the distance.

Only when the footsteps completely disappeared did everyone relax as if they had collapsed from exhaustion, their clothes already soaked with cold sweat.

This feeling of dancing on the edge of a knife takes all my energy and courage with each step.

"We need to summarize the rules and submit them to the system as soon as possible..." Bai Muling whispered, her voice trembling. "If this continues, we'll either be scared to death or lose points before the rules are even summarized..."

Di Wenzhou nodded heavily.

Jun Xiangbei's expression was cold and stern, and his gaze involuntarily fell on Zhuge Jin once again.

That silver-haired, white-veiled figure seemed to be the only stable beacon in this abyss of despair.

As Zhuge Jin felt Jun Xiangbei's increasingly dependent and focused gaze, his mind became as clear as a mirror.

He knew that simply pointing out the direction was not enough; he needed to provide more specific "bait" in order to completely scoop up the fish that was about to be pulled out of the water.

He didn't speak, but casually cast his gaze to the other side of the classroom, the white veil lingering briefly on a few ghost students.

Jun Xiangbei's observation skills were incredibly sharp; he immediately followed the barely perceptible clue.

His gaze swept over several ghostly students he hadn't paid much attention to before, his brain racing as he compared the location and features of the stains on the graduation photo.

Suddenly, his gaze settled on a seemingly ordinary male ghost leaning against the wall.

The male ghost appeared relatively "intact," without any obvious severed limbs or huge wounds, but he always had a slightly hunched back, his hands seemingly unconsciously folded in front of his abdomen, and the buttons on his school uniform jacket were fastened meticulously, even appearing somewhat tight.

Jun Xiangbei's pupils contracted slightly.

He remembered.

In the graduation photo, there is a large, irregular, dark brown stain on the torso of one student.

The student's name was also covered by stains, but the second character could be vaguely seen to resemble the character "望" (wang).

Combined with the name "Guo Wangfei" mentioned in Yan Ruxuan's previous narration.

The characteristics match closely, and those seemingly ordinary behaviors are likely a deliberate attempt to conceal the terrible scars beneath the school uniform.

“Next target,” Jun Xiangbei’s voice was deep and certain, drawing everyone’s attention.

"It could be Guo Wangfei. Characteristics: He may have suffered severe trauma to his torso, but appears relatively 'normal' and is good at hiding his condition."

He looked at the male ghost leaning against the wall.

The players were invigorated; they had a new goal.

Xin Yuan'er immediately perked up, rubbing his hands together eagerly: "Guo Wangfei? Boss, how do we go this time? Or should you go, Lord Jun?"

He habitually sought Zhuge Jin's opinion first.

Zhuge Jin did not answer directly, but said calmly, "Obsession is like a lock, and scars are the key. The heart is heavily guarded, but only sincerity can break through it."

Obsession is like a locked door, and scars are the key.

They have strong defenses; only sincerity can break them down.

This suggests that a more cautious, and perhaps more empathetic, approach is needed.

You understand his meaning by looking north.

This Guo Wangfei seems more "introverted" and "normal" than the previous ones.

“I’ll do it again this time,” Jun Xiangbei said.

He signaled everyone to be on guard again, then slowly walked towards the male ghost leaning against the wall—Guo Wangfei.

He maintained an absolutely safe distance.

"Guo Wangfei." Jun Xiangbei's voice was still cold, but he deliberately slowed down his speech, reducing its usual sharpness and adding a touch of imperceptible calmness.

The male ghost's body suddenly stiffened.

Her hands, clasped together over her abdomen, tightened unconsciously, wrinkling her school uniform.

He raised his head very slowly, revealing a relatively intact face that was filled with exhaustion, pain, and a deep sense of vigilance.

His eyes were a complex mix, no longer pure fear or madness, but a mixture of immense pain, a lingering anger, and even a hint of... bewilderment at finally seeing that someone had recognized him.

"You..." He opened his mouth, his voice hoarse and dry, "You know me?"

“We know you,” Jun Xiangbei replied calmly, without pressing for further questions, simply stating the facts.

"We know you've been through pain."

Guo Wangfei's body trembled slightly, and his eyes seemed to be red, but he held it back.

He looked around warily, especially towards the doors and windows, and asked in a very low voice, "What...what do you want?"

“We want to know the truth.” Jun Xiangbei’s voice remained calm. “About this school, about… Teacher Li. About… what happened.”

Guo Wangfei fell silent, his eyes filled with intense struggle, as if he were weighing something.

Ultimately, the desire to confide in someone, and perhaps the faint hope of being remembered, outweighed the fear of the rules.

He lowered his head, his voice breaking and suppressed, carrying endless sorrow:

“I saw it, I saw it all. Yan Ruxuan, she just cried out once, Sun Yifan, he just looked up, Li Fei and Tan Nianci were just standing closer… talking…”

“They were all taken away… they were all sent to that… that hell…” His voice trembled with sobs.

"I can't take it anymore, I... I ran to the reflection room. I wanted to ask Teacher Li, why did they do this? What did they do wrong?"

He became agitated, his breathing quickening: "He... he just looked at me and smiled... that smile was so cold... he said that my 'disrespect for teachers' and 'questioning the authority of teachers' were the greatest crimes..."

“Then…” Guo Wangfei’s voice was filled with endless fear and despair. He subconsciously pressed his hand tightly against his abdomen, “He said he wanted me to ‘deeply understand’ what ‘respect’ is…”

“He… cut me open… and… sewed me up again… over and over again…” He curled up as if he were enduring immense pain.

“He said that this way, I can forever…keep ‘respect’ in my heart…”

The players felt a chill run down their spines.

"Respect teachers"—this seemingly most ordinary requirement is, here, a bloody and cruel iron law.

Any form of questioning, theory, or even mere inquiry may be deemed "disrespectful" and subject to extremely cruel punishment.

Just then, Zhuge Jin's white veil suddenly turned towards the classroom door.

Almost simultaneously, Jun Xiangbei also sensed that familiar, cold aura rapidly approaching!

"Teacher." Jun Xiangbei shouted in a low voice, abruptly interrupting the conversation and quickly retreating.

All players instantly re-entered "camouflage mode" and quickly dispersed.

The classroom door was suddenly pushed open.

Teacher Li stood at the door, her face no longer bearing that standard smile, but rather a chilling, scrutinizing expression that was neither a smile nor a smile.

His gaze, like that of a venomous snake, slowly swept across the classroom, finally landing precisely on Jun Xiangbei, who had just finished his conversation with Guo Wangfei and had not yet fully retreated to a safe position, and on Guo Wangfei, who was still trembling slightly from pain and fear.

The air froze.

Jun Xiangbei's live stream:

"It's over, it's over. Jun Shen didn't retreat to a safe position. We've got a handle on him now."

"Lord, think of something quickly! Are we going to get points deducted again?"

"This teacher, Ms. Li, looks so normal, but her expression is terrifying."

"Are they going to deduct points? Will Guo Wangfei be in trouble?"

Teacher Li's lips slowly curled up, a smile that sent chills down one's spine.

However, just as he was about to speak—

"Ring ring—"

A bell suddenly and loudly rang throughout the entire teaching building, followed by a strange sound coming from the loudspeaker:

"Teachers of all classes, please go to the reflection room. Teachers of all classes, please go to the reflection room."

The sharp sound was like a mandatory command at the level of some rule.

The cold expression on Teacher Li's face froze for a moment, then receded like the tide, quickly replaced by that flawless, warm, and even fake smile.

He gave Jun Xiangbei a deep look, then glanced at the other players and Guo Wangfei, said nothing, and turned to leave the classroom.

Survived a disaster.

The players were almost paralyzed on the ground.

Jun Xiangbei took a deep breath and looked at Zhuge Jin.

Just now...did he sense it beforehand? Once again...

Zhuge Jin nodded slightly.

The ringing of the phone to save the day seems like a coincidence, but perhaps... it's also part of the "prophecy's" calculation?

As Jun Xiangbei looked at his calm demeanor, a strange tremor surged from the depths of his mechanical core once again, almost shattering his composure.

The fish was already struggling violently in the water, and it was only one step away from breaking free of the water.

Meanwhile, Zhuge Jin remained calm and collected, controlling the entire situation.