Chapter 3 Three Men Make a Crowd, and Disaster Begins

Jun Xiangbei's investigation was within Zhuge Jin's expectations, and was even the result of his deliberate guidance.

The attention of the original protagonist is the best protection and "audience" feedback at this stage.

He needs to throw out some "bait" at the right time to maintain the mystery and gradually solidify his "prophet" persona.

On the podium, the teacher had already begun explaining a math problem, the formulas written densely, his voice as steady as a stagnant pool.

But who among the players could concentrate on the lesson? The shadow of the recent point deduction and the upcoming exam weighed heavily on their minds like two mountains.

Everyone was on high alert, their senses amplified to the extreme, trying to glean clues for survival from the slightest hint.

Di Wenzhou's eyes darted around in a panic, Bai Muling forced herself to stare at the blackboard but was clearly distracted, and Shi Zihao was even more frightened, his body trembling uncontrollably.

Yue Qingqing's face turned pale, and her fingers gripped the hem of her clothes tightly.

Xin Yuan'er tried to observe by imitating Jun Xiangbei, but his shifty eyes betrayed his unease.

Zhuge Jin's gaze, hidden beneath his white veil, swept across the entire room, taking in everyone's reactions.

He knew that the first obvious rule trap was about to be triggered.

According to the original text, this lesson contains a hidden rule about "gazing".

Just as the teacher turned to write a complex formula on the blackboard, Zhuge Jin slightly tilted his head and uttered four words in a voice just loud enough for Xin Yuan'er beside him and Jun Xiangbei, who was slightly in front, to hear:

"Lower your head and do not look."

The voice was as soft as a whisper, yet it carried an undeniable certainty.

Xin Yuan'er was startled and instinctively wanted to look up to see what had happened.

But the shock from Zhuge Jin's earlier words "quiet" and "there's something behind you" hadn't subsided. A strange sense of trust made him almost reflexively lower his head and stare intently at his desktop.

Almost simultaneously, Jun Xiangbei on the other side, although he could not fully understand this abrupt warning, instantly weighed the situation with his superb calculation and analytical abilities.

Based on his previous assessment of Zhuge Jin's unusual calmness, he chose to trust his intuition and naturally lowered his gaze to the open, blank notebook, as if deep in thought.

The other players, Di Wenzhou, Bai Muling, and Shi Zihao, who were further away and still in a state of panic, either did not hear the warning or heard it but failed to react in time.

Just then, the teacher's hand suddenly stopped writing.

He kept his back to everyone, but his head suddenly turned 180 degrees in a way that no human could do!

His neck emitted a sickening cracking sound, his facial muscles contorted, and his once warm smile turned into a hideous grin.

“These new students,” the teacher’s voice was no longer gentle, but sharp and cold.

"The teacher is giving a lesson, but your eyes aren't on the textbook; they're wandering around. Is there something you're unhappy with about what the teacher is saying? Or... do you find the other 'classmates' more interesting than the teacher's lesson?"

The teacher's contorted head slowly turned back to face the teacher, his body following suit, regaining its "normal" appearance, with only a trace of cold anger remaining on his face. "Deduct 1 credit! Reflect on your actions!"

[Players Shi Zihao, Bai Muling, Di Wenzhou, and Yue Qingqing have violated the rules and have been deducted 1 credit.] The system notification sounded coldly again.

Shi Zihao was struck dumb, slumped into his chair, his face completely drained of color, tears streaming silently down his face, as if his soul had been ripped away.

It's him again! Why is it him again?! What did he do wrong? He only has three credits left, and he's one step away from death.

The other three people who had their credits deducted were equally fearful and anxious.

Hearing the teacher's stern rebuke and the system notification, Xin Yuan'er, who had her head down, felt her heart pound and her back instantly soaked with cold sweat.

He suddenly realized that if it weren't for Zhuge Jin's warning, he, who was also observing from all sides, would likely be the one who had lost points and faced even more terrible consequences.

The fear of surviving the ordeal and the intense gratitude overwhelmed Xin Yuan'er instantly. He secretly glanced at the still calm and composed silver-haired profile beside him, and his eyes changed completely, filled with awe and disbelief.

Jun Xiangbei lowered his eyelids; he too had heard the point deduction notification.

It wasn't because of running, but because of "looking around" and "disrespecting the classroom."

Combined with Zhuge Jin's precise line, "Lower your head, do not look,"...

A vague rule began to take shape in his mind: during class, one must keep one's head down and not look at the teacher or anywhere else.

Or... are there specific moments when you shouldn't look at them?

He raised his eyes, his gaze falling once more on Zhuge Jin. This time, his scrutiny held a deeper, more thoughtful consideration.

This person is not only calm, but also seems to have a real ability to foresee danger.

How did he do it?

Superpowers? Special items? Or...?

At this moment, the chat room was buzzing with excitement:

"Holy crap?! Another point deducted?!"

"Was it because you were looking around? You can't look around during class?"

"These rules are so unfair! Who knows when you can watch them and when you can't?"

"Wait...did that silver-haired guy say something?"

"Was that said to the lucky one? With their head bowed or something?"

"Then the lucky winner and the North Star boss bowed their heads, and the rest who didn't were penalized!"

"A prophet! He really is a prophet!"

The number of viewers in "Zhuge Jin's live stream" has begun to rise quietly. Although there aren't many comments yet, speculations have already emerged:

"He predicted it! He definitely knew the rules!"

"Keep your head down and don't look; how did he know?"

"Is he cheating? Or does he have some kind of special ability?"

Whether it's a coincidence or not, I've decided to follow them first!

"Did the Seer card reveal itself?"

The atmosphere became even more tense in the next class.

Aside from the teachers' monotonous lectures, all that could be heard were the players' suppressed breathing and the occasional, chilling whispers from the ghost students.

All the players have learned their lesson and keep their heads down most of the time, only daring to quickly raise their eyes to check the situation on rare occasions.

Zhuge Jin maintained his posture, occasionally making very slight adjustments to his sitting position.

Finally, the agonizing school bell rang again.

This time, the players were like frightened birds, and didn't even dare to get up immediately.

The teacher's warm smile returned, as if he hadn't been the one coldly deducting points just moments before: "get out of class is over, students, relax a bit. Remember to follow classroom rules."

After saying that, he left with his lesson plan.

As soon as the teacher left, the remaining six players almost simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief, but the atmosphere remained so heavy it was almost palpable.

In just one class, two students lost points, with Shi Zihao losing two points in a row, leaving him with only 3 credits, putting him in a precarious situation.

“We…we need to talk!” Di Wenzhou’s voice trembled as he looked at the others, especially Jun Xiangbei and Zhuge Jin, his face pale.

"This can't go on! We don't know the rules at all, and we could get points deducted for the slightest movement!"

Bai Muling took a deep breath, trying to remain calm: "That's right, information sharing is essential. Was bowing your head just now the key point?"

Her gaze shifted to Jun Xiangbei and Zhuge Jin, with a questioning look in her eyes.

Yue Qingqing nodded timidly and whispered, "Mr. Polaris, and... Mr. Zhuge, have you discovered something?"

Xin Yuan'er immediately exclaimed excitedly, "It was him! He was the one who reminded me to bow my head! Master Zhuge, you must know something, right? Please save us!"

The group instinctively moved closer to Jun Xiangbei and Zhuge Jin, and Di Wenzhou, Bai Muling, and the distraught Shi Zihao also gathered around.

Just like in other instances, the six of them naturally formed a small circle and began to discuss things intensely.

"Points were deducted just now, once for running and once for looking up..."

"Is it that we can't look at the teacher?"

"Or do we have to keep our heads down during class?"

"Also, that teacher is so elusive, is it possible that he can't go out?"

They eagerly exchanged limited, fragmented information, trying to piece together a pattern of security.

However, none of them noticed that as the six of them gathered together, their voices rising slightly with anxiety, a figure was standing quietly outside the corridor.

She was a female teacher wearing the same teacher's uniform, but her face was stiff like a wax figure.

Her neck was twisted at an abnormal angle as she stared expressionlessly at the players gathered in the classroom through the glass of the back door.

A stiff, perfectly standard smile slowly spread across her lips.

Zhuge Jin paused slightly as he tapped his fingers on the table.

He "looked" towards the back door of the classroom, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly beneath the white veil.

Through enhanced perception, he "saw" the chilling malice that had coalesced there.

He sighed softly, his voice so low that only he could hear it, like some kind of unconscious prophecy:

"When three people form a crowd, disaster is bound to follow."

His voice was very soft, but Xin Yuan'er, who was closer to him, and Jun Xiangbei, who had been paying attention to him, both heard it.

Xin Yuan'er was taken aback, not fully understanding the meaning of those words.

Jun Xiangbei's pupils constricted sharply as he instantly realized something, and he shouted in a low voice, "Scatter!"

But it was too late.

The classroom door was pushed open silently.

The stiff-faced female teacher walked in, her steps as light as a cat's, a standard, eerie smile on her face.

"Classmates, what interesting things are you discussing together?"

Her voice was like a broken phonograph, harsh and distorted, "A happy campus advocates unity and friendship, but..."

She deliberately dragged out her words, her stiff gaze sweeping over the six players gathered together.

"Forming cliques and gathering in private can affect campus harmony and damage the pure friendship between classmates."

"This is not good."

Her smile suddenly widened, almost reaching her ears, revealing her dark, gaping mouth.

"Each of you will lose 2 credits. I hope you will remember to be good students who get along well with others."

[Player Di Wenzhou has violated the rules and has been deducted 2 credits. Current credits: 2.]

[Player Bai Muling has violated the rules and has been deducted 2 credits. Current credits: 2.]

[Player Shi Zihao has violated the rules and has been deducted 2 credits. Current credits: 1.]

[Player Yue Qingqing has violated the rules and has been deducted 2 credits. Current credits: 2.]

[Player Xin Yuan'er has violated the rules and has been deducted 2 credits. Current credits: 3.]

[Player Polaris (Jun Xiangbei) has violated the rules and has been deducted 2 credits. Current credits: 3.]

A series of chilling system notifications rained down on every player's mind like a storm!

Except for Zhuge Jin.

Because even as everyone gathered, he remained alone in his seat, lightly tapping his fingers on the table, as if detached from the entire event.

He didn't even look at the group of players gathered together, nor at the female teacher who suddenly appeared, as if he had foreseen this scene all along.

"No...no!!!" Shi Zihao let out a desperate scream. 1 credit, he only had 1 credit left.

The next time, even the smallest mistake could cost him his life! He completely broke down.

Di Wenzhou and Bai Muling were also pale and cold-blooded.

Two credits deducted all at once?!

Just because they were talking together?

Yue Qingqing was so frightened that tears streamed down her face as she looked helplessly at Jun Xiangbei.

Xin Yuan'er was dumbfounded, and her legs went weak, almost causing her to sit on the ground.

Even Jun Xiangbei's face darkened instantly.

He didn't expect the punishment to come so quickly, so severely, and even to be so widespread; because he was in the crowd, he was also judged to have violated the rules.

The cruelty of this rule far exceeded his expectations.

He suddenly looked at Zhuge Jin, who was still unharmed, and his earlier whisper echoed in his mind: "When three people form a crowd, disaster is bound to follow."

He knew it all along! He not only knew not to look up, but also that large groups of people shouldn't gather!

Who exactly is he?!

At this moment, the live stream chat was buzzing with discussion—

"Holy crap! Two points deducted at once?! And everyone's getting points deducted?!"

"Gathering is a foul? What kind of ridiculous rule is this!"

"Shi Zihao is finished... He only has 1 point left."

"Even the God of War has been detained? This rule is too unfair!"

"Wait! Why wasn't Zhuge Jin detained?!"

"Because he didn't go over there, he just sat there alone."

"He was right again. 'Three men make a crowd, and disaster is the beginning of it.' He just said that."

"A prophet! It's confirmed! He's definitely a prophet!"

"Big shot! I need to be begged to be your leg!"

From the reader's perspective, however—

[Everyone gets points deducted? This rule is too harsh.]

Zhuge Jin has dodged it again.

This prophet character is kind of captivating.

Looking at the desolate scene before her, the female teacher's eerie smile widened, seemingly quite pleased with the effect she had created.

She turned around stiffly and left the classroom as quietly as she had come.

Author's Note:

Currently updating daily, but will be updated according to the rankings later. Daily updates will continue after it becomes a paid service.