WTNL Chapter 405

(4/7)

Yuying University
Chapter 405: Wen Jianyan: Thank you

“Whoa!”

At the sight of Hugo, Orange Candy’s eyes lit up. She bounced over excitedly.

“Didn’t expect us to regroup so early this time, huh?”

Hugo glanced down at her and let out a soft grunt in acknowledgment.

“How’s your progress?” Orange Candy asked.

“Not much,” Hugo answered tersely, as usual. “You guys?”

Orange Candy shrugged. “So-so. Just going step by step.”

Wen Jianyan listened absently while raising his head to examine the tightly shut gymnasium in front of him.

The outer walls of the gym were weathered and patchy, with mold growing in the shaded areas. Besides the firmly locked main entrance, there was a narrow window higher up on the wall, also shut tight and caked in dust. Nothing could be seen through it.

“This gym,” Wen Jianyan suddenly asked, “have you been inside?”

Hugo turned his head, pausing his gaze on Wen Jianyan for a moment.

“No.”

He countered, “You want to go in?”

Wen Jianyan gave a noncommittal shrug. “A little.”

As someone who had personally experienced the Brave Richard instance, he was genuinely curious about the gymnasium.

However, his previous experiences in this dungeon had taught him that entering locked buildings without completing certain prerequisites was extremely difficult—Orange Candy had tried before and clearly had no luck.

Hugo gave him a long look. “Come with me.”

With that, he turned and walked toward the back of the gym.

Everyone was taken aback.

No way? Can they actually get in?

They stared at one another in surprise and hurried to catch up.

Soon, under Hugo’s lead, they rounded the gym’s oval-shaped exterior and headed to the rear.

The farther they went, the colder and more oppressive the air became.

Wen Jianyan instinctively hunched his shoulders.

With his current low SAN value, he was extremely sensitive to subtle changes—like sinking deeper into a frozen lake.

Hugo stopped. “Here.”

Wen Jianyan followed his gaze.

Not far ahead, partially hidden in shadows, behind layers of unkempt vines and mold-encrusted walls, was a narrow, easily overlooked back door.

It was shut tight, looking deathly still and sinister.

“!”

It really exists!

Wen Jianyan stepped forward and cautiously pushed at the door.

It was locked.

He leaned in and peered into the keyhole.

It was pitch black inside, and for some reason, it gave him an uncomfortable feeling. He didn’t particularly want to use his lock-picking skills here.

“Ten minutes,” Hugo said behind him.

“What?” Wen Jianyan turned, puzzled.

“You need a key to enter the gym.”

Hugo stepped forward, eyes on the lock. “But if you want to enter without a key, you’ll have to leave within ten minutes.”

Wen Jianyan immediately understood.

Clearly, entering the gym safely required a key as a prerequisite. However, Hugo obviously had a way to bypass the condition and enter early—just with high risk and a strict time limit. If they didn’t exit within ten minutes, irreversible consequences might occur.

Wen Jianyan thought for a moment. “Okay.”

“What do you want to do inside?” Orange Candy asked, puzzled.

Wen Jianyan shrugged. “Honestly? I’m not really sure.”

He knew Richard’s strange behavior was linked to the gym, but how the mechanics worked inside was still a mystery.

Still, this was a rare opportunity. If he missed it, there might not be another chance.

After all, there was only one PE class a week, and even entering the sports field outside of class hours was risky—let alone trying to find Hugo, who was usually as elusive as a shadow.

“Want us to go with you?” Orange Candy asked.

Wen Jianyan: “No need.”

After all, he didn’t have a specific target in mind. He also knew the chances of uncovering any key clues in such a short time were slim. It wasn’t so much about accomplishing a clear goal—he just wanted to probe ahead, get a sense of what direction he might need to go next.

“Wait,” Su Cheng grabbed Wen Jianyan’s arm, his brows furrowed tightly. “Your SAN value is too low. It’s not worth the risk.”

Hugo said nothing, watching them silently as he waited.

Wen Jianyan said, “Trust me—”

Su Cheng, deadpan: “I trust your big, lying head.”

Wen Jianyan: “…”

Damn it. The kid’s grown up and harder to fool now.

Yun Bilan: “I’ll go with you.”

Su Cheng shook his head. “No, your condition’s not great either. I’ll—”

“Oh come on, what is there to argue about?” Orange Candy cut in, rolling her eyes.

She didn’t think anything too serious would happen if someone as capable as Wen Jianyan entered the gym alone. But then again, she figured Su Cheng had a point too.

With SAN so low, going solo was definitely risky.

Thinking along those lines, Orange Candy lifted her chin and said:

“Hey, Wei Cheng, you go with him.”

Wei Cheng’s ability was quite unique—he could sense imminent threats of death.

When entering an unfamiliar and unpredictable environment, he was by far the most suitable companion.

Wei Cheng nodded. “Alright.”

Wen Jianyan looked at Su Cheng. “Feel better now?”

“……”

Su Cheng let out a long sigh. He released his grip, but still couldn’t help reminding him, “Be careful.”

Wen Jianyan shot him a strange glance. “You don’t seriously think I’m a kid, do you?”

Come on, he was the guild leader!

Was all this fuss really necessary?

Hugo: “Ready?”

“Yeah.” Wen Jianyan looked away and nodded. “Open the door.”

Hugo stubbed out his cigarette and stepped forward.

He placed his palm on the door handle. It wasn’t clear what he did, but within a second, the lock gave a soft click, and the door slowly creaked open.

The moment it did, a cold gust of air whooshed out from within, thick with the stench of mold and decay.

The clammy air grazed his skin, and the fine hairs on Wen Jianyan’s arms immediately stood on end.

He shivered slightly and instinctively rubbed his arms.

Hugo turned sideways. “Remember. Ten minutes.”

“Got it.”

Wen Jianyan nodded and waved at Wei Cheng. Without wasting any time, the two of them stepped quickly inside.

Behind the door was a pitch-dark corridor, almost entirely devoid of light, disorienting enough to make it hard to tell where they were.

The moment he entered the gym, a chill seeped up through the soles of his feet.

Wen Jianyan resisted the urge to shiver. He pulled out his phone, turned on the flashlight, and picked up the pace.

The corridor didn’t stretch far, and they soon reached the end.

A faint light trickled in through a narrow, sealed window above, casting a dim glow across the entire gymnasium.

It was obvious this place had been sealed for some time. The floor was thick with dust, clutter lay scattered about, and the space was dilapidated and neglected.

Yet, the interior of the gym was much larger than Wen Jianyan had expected.

“Come look at this,” Wei Cheng’s voice came from behind.

Wen Jianyan walked over.

He followed Wei Cheng’s pointing finger.

A dusty guide map was stuck to the wall. Despite the grime, some of the writing was still legible.

Zone A: Table Tennis
Zone B: Badminton
Zone C: ■■■

The text after “Zone C” was heavily stained with mold and impossible to read.

Wei Cheng said, “What’s there to think about? Obviously, we’re going to Zone C!”

Wen Jianyan: “…”

He let out a dry laugh, his eyes drifting slightly. “Ha, haha… yeah.”

In the “Integrity First” live room barrage:

[LOL, Zone C is clearly the most dangerous one!]

[And another thing—they’ll have to go back the way they came, but Zone C is the farthest…]

[Classic veteran anchor, always going for max risk!]

[I’m dying! His face is so pale right now!]

[Wen Jianyan: Thank you for your support :)]

Having battled through countless nightmare instances, Wen Jianyan knew full well that, by this logic, Zone C had to be the core area of the gym. And since they’d already committed to this risky venture, they had no choice but to press forward.

But still…

Knowing that didn’t make him any less scared.

Wen Jianyan took a deep breath and hid his true feelings beneath a carefully performed calm, then headed in the direction of Zone C.

One minute later, they arrived.

The moment they stepped into the area, a wave of foul, rotting stench hit them. Wen Jianyan couldn’t help but raise his hand to cover his nose and mouth.

Unlike the other zones, this area was clearly far more filthy.

The yellowing walls were covered with large patches of mold—bluish-black blotches that crept deep into the shadows.

At the very center of Zone C was a standard-sized swimming pool.

The two of them approached the pool cautiously.

It was mostly empty, with a layer of putrid black water at the bottom. Floating within were clumps of thick, dirty sludge. Clearly, this was the source of the stench permeating the air.

The pool’s inner walls were just as disgusting, encrusted with mold. The metal railings on either side were rusted and corroded. Just looking at it from a distance was nauseating.

Wen Jianyan and Wei Cheng exchanged a glance.

So the missing text after “Zone C” had been “Swimming Pool.”

In that case… was Richard’s reason for coming to the gym that day to swim?

“Come to think of it, in the film, Richard was terrified of water…” Wei Cheng had clearly thought of the same thing. “Could that be related to this pool?”

“Possibly,” Wen Jianyan replied.

Now that they’d pinpointed the location, the next step was to search for clues.

He didn’t hesitate. He opened his backpack and activated the [Guiding Hand] tool.

In the next second, a familiar red arrow appeared in the air, bouncing toward a specific direction.

Wen Jianyan followed its path with his gaze.

It pointed to the changing rooms.

More specifically: the women’s changing room.

“……”

The two of them exchanged a glance, their expressions a little odd.

Richard was male. If there were any hidden items related to him, they should logically appear in the men’s changing room. So why would it point to the women’s?

“Let’s go,” Wen Jianyan said.

No matter what, they had to take a look inside.

Since it had also been abandoned for a long time, the air in the women’s changing room was thick and stagnant, carrying a faint musty, decaying odor.

They needed to pass through the shower area to reach the actual changing room.

The women’s shower area was tiled, and the moment Wen Jianyan stepped onto it, he shivered. He could clearly feel the air growing colder and more sinister.

“This place feels weird.”

He spoke in a low voice.

Wei Cheng was startled. “What is it?”

His ability allowed him to sense imminent death threats—but if danger wasn’t immediately fatal, he wouldn’t feel a thing. If Wen Jianyan said something like this, had he noticed a terrifying clue—

“It’s just,” Wen Jianyan added calmly, “this place is abandoned, yeah, but two grown men walking into a women’s shower room is still pretty weird.”

Wei Cheng: “…”

Wow. Way to completely miss the point.

With the [Guiding Hand] floating in front of them, the two of them passed through the derelict shower area and entered the changing room.

The air grew thicker, and the lighting was very dim. The beam from the flashlight cut through the dusty air, faintly illuminating the surroundings.

At the center of the changing room was a long bench covered in dust, flanked by rows of lockers. The locker numbers were barely legible, and some of the doors hung open like gaping black mouths, giving off an eerie feeling.

Up ahead, the red arrow bobbed steadily forward.

Wen Jianyan followed it at a brisk pace.

Soon, he stopped in front of one of the lockers.

It was a tall, tightly shut cabinet.

The surface was rusted and locked tight.

The number was faint but still visible—321.

Wen Jianyan tugged at it. It didn’t budge.

“Can you open it?” Wei Cheng asked from the side.

Wen Jianyan replied, “Don’t know. I’ll give it a try.”

As he spoke, he crouched down and smoothly pulled out a short piece of wire from the bottom of his shoe. With a slight bend, he inserted it effortlessly into the keyhole.

“??”

Wei Cheng stared in disbelief.

In the “Integrity First” live room barrage:

[New viewer here—is the anchor always this skilled?]

[LOL yes, always this skilled!]

[Welcome to the signature performance of the ‘Integrity First’ stream! Lockpicking 101!]

[Wei Cheng: Bro?? Since when do you know how to do that?]

Wen Jianyan: “It’s not one of those plot-lock doors, so it should be doable.”

[He’s even evaluating it like a pro lmao.]

[That lock’s kinda jammed though, might take a bit.]

Wei Cheng: “How long will you need?”

Wen Jianyan: “A minute or two.”

Wei Cheng glanced at his phone.

They’d already been inside for four minutes, leaving six more before their agreed-upon exit with Hugo.

That should be more than enough.

“Alright, be quick.” He gestured behind him. “I’ll look around nearby to see if I can find anything else.”

“Okay.”

Wen Jianyan replied.

Wei Cheng’s footsteps gradually faded away.

The young man didn’t lift his head. His dark brows were lowered, eyes focused. His sensitive fingertips gently twisted and felt for the smallest movements, patiently probing for the right moment to lift and flick the mechanism.

In the “Integrity First” live room barrage:

[He’s not picking a lock—he’s unlocking my heart 😭]

[onestly… if you forget what he’s doing, he’s actually kinda hot.]

[Please, someone take the rose-tinted glasses off that last commenter.]

[Like hello?? He’s picking a locker in a moldy abandoned bathhouse, focus!!]

Almost there.

Just as Wen Jianyan was about to finish the last step, a strange, hollow gurgling noise echoed from above.

“Gurululu!”

“?!”

Wen Jianyan jolted, instinctively snapping his head up and glancing around like a startled animal.

The area around him was completely empty.

Wei Cheng…

Was out of sight.

After that weird rumble passed through the pipes above, it went completely silent again. But Wen Jianyan had already broken out in a cold sweat. He swallowed and glanced at the time—only one minute had passed.

“……”

Damn. Better hurry this up.

Twenty seconds later—

Beads of sweat formed on Wen Jianyan’s brow.

“Click.”

The lock gave a soft sound.

It had opened.

Wen Jianyan exhaled deeply and pressed a hand to the locker door. Raising his voice, he called out:

“Got it open!”

Then, he reached out and pulled the door open.

Inside the locker—

A face, upside down, was staring back at him.

“Ahhhhhhh!” Wen Jianyan nearly had his heart stop, a scream tore out of his throat. His hand trembled so much his phone almost slipped to the ground.

He stumbled back several steps, his back pressed against the locker behind him, gasping for breath in fright.

His face went pale, frozen for several seconds before he could finally gather his thoughts.

The changing room remained deathly silent.

Trembling, Wen Jianyan slowly raised his eyes toward locker 321.

That upside-down face was still there.

The eye sockets were hollowed out, the mouth wide open as if screaming in terror before death. The flesh was already rotten, shriveled tight against the stark white bones. Sparse hair made the sight all the more horrifying.

As the locker door opened, a stench of rot wafted out.

Dead… dead?

Above him, the red arrow kept blinking, pointing into the locker.

The corpse inside maintained that gruesome posture, completely still.

It really was dead.

Only a few seconds had passed, but Wen Jianyan felt his shirt soaked with sweat at the back, and his heart raced to 180 beats per minute in a flash.

He steadied himself and stood up in front of the locker.

Damn! That scared the hell out of him!!

He truly didn’t expect that such a small locker would hide a corpse.

Mainly, the locker was too small—no matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t imagine an adult skeleton packed so tightly inside it.

Wait.

Thinking of this, Wen Jianyan suddenly paused, instinctively stepped closer, and carefully inspected the skeleton under the dim light.

Leg bones, arms, thoracic vertebrae…

All the bones were bent at impossible angles, as if every joint had been shattered in reverse and forcibly shoved into a locker less than forty centimeters in all dimensions. Even the neck bone was completely twisted, the entire skull upside down.

Chilling to look at.

Wen Jianyan swallowed hard.

He didn’t know why this person had been stuffed into the locker in such an inhumane and cruel way, or why they died so miserably, but what he did know was…

The [Guiding Hand] prop was still active.

That meant, besides the corpse, there was an important hidden item inside this locker.

Moreover—

Wen Jianyan turned his fingers and shone the flashlight into a corner of the locker.

Near the bent thigh bone of the corpse, half-buried under decay, was a crushed schoolbag strap.

Judging from this, the prop was most likely in there.

“…”

Wen Jianyan took a deep breath, steeling himself, and carefully leaned in.

After confirming the corpse was just a corpse and not going to suddenly move, he squeezed his eyes shut tightly, muttering quietly, “Sorry, sorry, sorry,” as he stretched his hand inside.

The corpse’s touch was slippery and disgusting. Although Wen Jianyan had faced many challenges testing human physiological limits in past missions, he couldn’t help but feel his stomach churn.

Finally, his fingers felt the schoolbag strap.

Wen Jianyan carefully tugged, trying not to touch the corpse, slowly pulling out the schoolbag soaked with corpse fluids.

The moment the bag came free, Wen Jianyan exhaled in relief—but at the same time, something else was pulled out too.

“Plop.”

It fell to the ground.

“?”

Wen Jianyan looked down.

In a pool of yellow-brown rot, soaked was an old student ID card whose surface was faded from age.

He paused, bent down, and picked up the card.

As the foul liquid dripped from the card’s surface, he made out the letters.

It was very similar to the one he had seen before—no photo, blurred student number and class, but the student’s name was mostly legible…

He wiped the card.

Under the flashlight’s beam, the text became clear.

Name: Wang Ni

“…?!”

Wen Jianyan was shocked, goosebumps rising on his arms and back standing on end.

In the “Integrity First” live room barrage:

[Wang Ni? Wang Ni? Why does that name sound so familiar…]

[You guys have been watching the wrong livestream! This was a film from that film appreciation class!]

[Oh! Damn! I remember now! ‘A Day in the Life of Wang Ni,’ right??]

Just as Wen Jianyan was staring blankly at the student card in his hand, another gurgling echo passed overhead, yanking him back from his scattered thoughts.

He was startled, instantly alert.

At that moment, Wen Jianyan suddenly realized something was off…

Wei Cheng hadn’t spoken for a long time.

Though he had just called out to Wei Cheng, not only had Wei Cheng not appeared, but he hadn’t even responded with a sound.

What was going on?

Wen Jianyan became wary.

In such a dangerous place, Wei Cheng could only be nearby looking for clues—not wandering far off. Had something happened to him?

A bad premonition grew in his heart.

Wen Jianyan shoved the student card into his bag and prepared to leave, but at that moment—

“Click-click.”

The sound of bones rubbing together echoed.

“???”

Wen Jianyan was shocked and whipped his head around.

Inside the locker, the female corpse’s skull—no one knew since when—had begun turning. Bit by bit, the head started righting itself.

Those hollow, deeply sunken eye sockets stared unblinking at Wen Jianyan.

“Click-click, click-click.”

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