As he was lost in his thoughts, suddenly, Wen Jianyan caught a strange scent of rust in the air.
“?”
He frowned and looked up.
—It was the smell of blood.
Wen Jianyan cautiously walked forward, looking around the office, searching for the source of the bloody smell.
The office was empty, not a soul in sight, but the air was faintly filled with an ominous aura.
Wen Jianyan suddenly stopped in his tracks.
His gaze fell on the doorway.
The office door, which should have been tightly closed, was now half-open. The blood-red light from the corridor shone in, painting the black floor.
“…”
Wen Jianyan’s brow furrowed tightly.
He knew that he didn’t have much of a stable cooperative relationship with Chen Cheng, Suo Suo, and the others. So, during the time he was taking his thesis assessment, it was perfectly normal for the other anchors to have left. But… leaving the door open?
This wasn’t right.
Just as Wen Jianyan was pondering, suddenly, a hand reached out from the side without warning and violently pulled him to the side.
“?!”
Wen Jianyan was startled at first, but a familiar voice soon sounded in his ear:
“It’s me.”
Wen Jianyan calmed down.
He patted the other’s arm, signaling that he wouldn’t make a sound, and the hand covering his mouth finally, slowly, released.
He turned his head and looked behind him.
Several people were sitting in the shadows behind a desk. Wen Jianyan’s gaze swept across their faces, recognizing the familiar ones—they were the anchors who had been with him earlier.
However, he keenly noticed that there were far fewer people than before, and they looked much more battered.
Even Chen Cheng looked sullen, with undried bloodstains on the front of his shirt.
Wen Jianyan noticed that in a corner of the floor, there was a small hourglass placed upright. The fine red sand flowed down from the glass neck, accumulating into a tall little mound, while only a thin layer remained at the top.
It looked like it was about to run out.
Seeing him, Suo Suo was like he had seen a savior. He had a pained expression and eagerly complained, “Big shot, you’re finally out! We almost thought—”
Suo Suo’s words were cut off by Chen Cheng.
He leaned against the desk and looked Wen Jianyan up and down. “You went to write your thesis?”
Wen Jianyan: “Mm.”
He was the only one who had been exposed to two subjects and had obtained a graduation thesis score with a high S rating. He was already very familiar with the “thesis” mechanism of this instance. Facing Chen Cheng, who had helped him before, Wen Jianyan didn’t mind sharing his experience.
He briefly explained the differences between subjective and objective questions, the three rounds of assessment and scoring, and the opportunity to leave after each scoring.
Suo Suo cautiously asked, “You know so much. Could it be that you passed all three rounds in one go—?”
Wen Jianyan nodded, not intending to refute it.
Although being unable to exit halfway was not his intention, and some small, unfortunate incidents had occurred in the middle… he had indeed passed all of them in one go.
The other anchors looked at each other, their expressions one of shock.
Truly awesome.
Chen Cheng gave him a couple more glances, then suddenly frowned. “How come your mouth is swollen?”
“…”
Wen Jianyan was at a loss for words.
In the “Integrity First” live room::
[Hahahahahaha! Good eye!]
[Holy shit, I just noticed! It’s true, the anchor’s mouth is really red and swollen, like it’s been kissed by someone…]
[It was me! I sucked on it, I sucked on it!]
[…]
[To those with delusions, I suggest you see a psychiatrist.]
The moment it was pointed out, the lingering hot sensation on his lips from being bitten and licked suddenly became impossible to ignore, even starting to go slightly numb.
“Ha, haha,”
Wen Jianyan licked his lips somewhat unnaturally and chuckled drily. “I probably bit it myself by accident.”
In the “Integrity First” live room::
[?]
[Who are you trying to fool, kid?]
[? Wait a minute, is it just my imagination? Does the anchor have some kind of mark on his neck?]
[Dammit! Is that a hickey? Is it!!]
[Ahhh, who! Who did it!]
[Ahhhhhhhhh, I’m even more curious about what happened in the few minutes the stream was down, ahhhhh!! I’m really dying of curiosity!]
However, fortunately, as a low-EQ, straightforward type of guy, Chen Cheng did not delve into this point.
“Ahem,” Wen Jianyan coughed lightly and smoothly changed the subject. “Anyway, what happened here?”
“…You’re the one who should be telling us.”
From the side, a gloomy voice sounded.
Wen Jianyan was startled and subconsciously looked in the direction of the voice.
It was the anchor who had been at odds with him from the very beginning and had an injured arm.
Sun Qi clutched his arm, his face an extremely unhealthy, deathly pale gray. His clothes were mostly soaked with blood, layered light and dark, looking terrifying.
He stared at Wen Jianyan. “I saw it just now.”
“—The person outside the door who sold us out to the Student Union looked exactly like you.”
“…”
Wen Jianyan’s eyes darkened.
With almost no further explanation, he immediately understood the whole story.
He asked, “The person with him, was there also a little girl with orange hair?”
Chen Cheng narrowed his eyes at him. “Yes.”
That’s it then.
The person who had passed by the office door earlier and caused the anchors to be besieged, the one who “looked exactly like him,” should be his “mirror image.”
Wen Jianyan recalled the words the other had left before leaving last time—”We’ll meet again”—and couldn’t help but feel a chill, suddenly shivering.
Sun Qi’s words were sharp. “Shouldn’t you explain?”
Wen Jianyan was pulled from his deep thoughts by his voice.
He looked at the other, raised an eyebrow, and a playful smile suddenly appeared on his face. “Wait a minute. You don’t really think that was me, do you?”
“‘When that person appeared, you just happened to be gone. Now that the person is gone, you’ve appeared again,'” Wen Jianyan leaned forward, his voice low, and in an instant, he imitated the other’s voice perfectly. Even Sun Qi himself was startled. “‘And, you were the one who sold us out in the lecture hall before. Isn’t this just another little trick you’re playing?'”
“…”
Sun Qi stared at him, his face a mixture of green and red.
Clearly, Wen Jianyan had not only guessed his thoughts but had even guessed his reasoning down to the last detail. This feeling of having his mind read made him feel particularly embarrassed and annoyed.
“Tsk.”
Wen Jianyan’s expression changed, and he leaned back with a lack of interest.
Such a meaningless accusation, he couldn’t even be bothered to argue.
So, Wen Jianyan looked up at Chen Cheng and asked lazily:
“So what do you think?”
Chen Cheng glanced at Sun Qi and suddenly sneered:
“Idiot.”
“You…!” Sun Qi gritted his teeth, veins popping on his temples. It was Suo Suo who quickly held him down, comforting him, “Hey, hey, calm down, calm down—think about it. If the big shot had planned to harm us from the beginning, he wouldn’t have needed to open the door for us on the first floor, right? There must be a hidden story here.”
“…”
Sun Qi’s expression was uncertain, but he didn’t say anything more.
He clearly knew this logic too and was also aware that the person who had just walked past the office was likely suspicious. But the matter of being sold out in the lecture hall before still bothered him, and he couldn’t let go of his vigilance and hostility towards Wen Jianyan.
Even so, he still knew what it meant for the situation to be stronger than the person. So, no matter how angry he was, Sun Qi could only swallow his anger and remain silent.
“So,” Chen Cheng raised his chin. “What’s the deal with that?”
Wen Jianyan rubbed his head. “It’s a long story.”
It concerned the mirror image, involved too much, and was hard to explain in a few words.
“In short, although they look like people, they’re not good things. The level of terror is also unknown. It’s best to hide if you see them and not engage them head-on,” Wen Jianyan said.
Chen Cheng nodded, accepting his explanation.
“So, you guys are in this sorry state because you were ‘sold out to the Student Union’?” Wen Jianyan thought of what Sun Qi had just said and asked.
Chen Cheng’s expression darkened again. “Mm.”
“Where are the students?” Wen Jianyan asked.
Chen Cheng leaned against the desk and sneered, “They’re still outside, conducting a carpet search.”
Judging from the reduction in their numbers, this process was by no means as easy as Chen Cheng made it sound.
Wen Jianyan turned his head and looked at the hourglass on the floor that was about to run out—clearly, they had relied on this item to hide their presence and form, avoiding continuous conflict.
This was a very wise move.
After all, without him, the administration building was like an iron bucket, an enclosed space that couldn’t be left. In such a situation, continuing to conflict with the Student Union was tantamount to seeking death.
So, the best choice at this time was to hide in the nearest place while drawing the Student Union’s attention away, and wait for him—the only one who could lead them out of here—to appear.
Wen Jianyan lowered his eyes and pondered for a few seconds, then thought of something and asked, “So… after telling the Student Union members your whereabouts, where did that ‘me’ go?”
Chen Cheng shrugged and said very rudely, “Who the hell knows.”
Wen Jianyan blinked.
“Want to take a guess?”
Chen Cheng clicked his tongue impatiently, but he still suppressed his temper and added grudgingly, “Looked like he was heading to the third floor.”
…As expected.
Wen Jianyan’s eyes darkened.
The instance was an unfinished conspiracy.
As the instance began and mutated, the gears began to turn again, attempting to complete the once-unfinished conspiracy.
In other words, what had happened once in the [Memory] was now happening again in a different form.
If he remembered correctly, in the previous [Memory], after the mirror image crawled out of the living person’s corpse, it had gone to the principal’s office on the third floor of the administration building and had taken something from the hands of the shadow—and that was precisely the item they needed to obtain in this instance.
The mirror image going to the principal’s office on the third floor was a very bad signal.
First, it meant that the instance had entered its final stage. If not stopped in time, it could lead to irreversible consequences.
Second, it meant that the item they needed was no longer in its original place but had been taken by the mirror image.
Even if they went to the third floor now and found the principal’s office through the “door” in the vice-principal’s office, it would probably be useless.
Wen Jianyan took a deep breath and wiped his face.
To intercept the item before it was too late, no matter what, leaving this place was the first step.
“Let’s go?” Chen Cheng raised an eyebrow and said abruptly.
Wen Jianyan nodded and said solemnly, “Let’s go.”
Chen Cheng seemed to smile slightly. He leaned forward, picked up the funnel from the floor, and with a “crack,” the funnel shattered in his palm. The blood-like fine sand trickled down from between his fingers and finally disappeared completely.
“There are a lot of Student Union members, but they’re easy to avoid.”
Chen Cheng said,
“Follow me, don’t do anything extra, and I can guarantee you a smooth trip to the first floor.”
He patted the dust off his clothes and didn’t look at anyone else, just raised his chin at Wen Jianyan, as if he had already completely written off everyone else as roadblocks and dead weight.
After the previous direct conflict with the Student Union, the other anchors, besides Suo Suo, had also refreshed their understanding of Chen Cheng—this guy, although young, arrogant, and rude, indeed had the strength to match.
They stood up silently and followed.
“You, stop,” Chen Cheng looked at Sun Qi at the back of the group and said.
Sun Qi: “…”
His name being called, he seemed to have realized something, and his expression turned ugly as he stopped his steps.
Chen Cheng said with a blank expression, “I don’t care where you want to go next, just don’t follow me.”
He had already rolled his eyes in anger when he had spoken out at the door earlier. Due to the urgency of the situation at the time, he hadn’t made a fuss, but this guy’s later reaction had completely proven that he was just a useless piece of trash who was only controlled by his emotions and had no brain at all.
He arrogantly made an insulting gesture and sneered:
“Idiots don’t deserve to be on the same road as me.”
Wen Jianyan stood with his hands in his pockets, watching this scene as a bystander.
Getting to the first floor while avoiding the Student Union depended on Chen Cheng, and this was his decision. He had no right to interfere.
Besides, Sun Qi was not facing a dead end.
After all, if the door could only be opened with the help of a “non-human,” then for other anchors who hadn’t met him, the administration building would be a dead end. Therefore, Wen Jianyan estimated that the reason the door on the first floor didn’t open before was most likely because the anchors had not [met the conditions].
And after what had just happened, Wen Jianyan also had a guess as to the so-called “conditions.”
—Graduation thesis.
Students who had completed, or started to complete, their graduation thesis could leave the administration building.
And Wen Jianyan had already basically told the others the information and key points about “completing the graduation thesis” when he was behind the desk earlier. As for whether Sun Qi could realize this and seize the opportunity, it was up to him.
However, as for whether he would succeed, Wen Jianyan was skeptical.
He withdrew his gaze and turned to follow Chen Cheng.
—In the Nightmare, any kind of crime could be tolerated, but only stupidity and shallowness could not.
People tainted with these two things were beyond saving.
Just as Chen Cheng had said, the Student Union members had all come out.
They wandered in the blood-red corridor, watching everything with cold, malicious eyes, searching for the students who had broken in here.
Fortunately, Chen Cheng did have a few tricks up his sleeve.
On the way from the second floor to the first, they were almost exposed several times, but in the end, they were always able to turn the situation around.
After a tense ten-plus minutes, the group finally returned to the first floor of the administration building.
“Go.”
Chen Cheng said in a low voice.
The group quickened their pace.
And just then, a sudden change occurred.
On the ground, in the mirrors that were originally scattered, a dark light suddenly flashed. Their reflections appeared on the cold surfaces, and then, a strange feeling of being watched came over them.
Wen Jianyan was startled and subconsciously opened his mouth to warn them, but it was already too late.
From the darkness behind them came a cold and terrifying voice:
“They’re here.”
That voice cut through the dead silence, carrying a chilling malice that made one’s heart clench.
“Quick, don’t let them run!”
The moment the voice fell, the atmosphere in the air suddenly changed. The sound of hurried footsteps all ran in this direction, and an invisible rope immediately tightened.
“Quick! Let’s go!” Wen Jianyan said urgently.
As if to strangle their hope, as they ran with all their might, the security room, which had been tightly closed not far away, suddenly let out a “creak.”
The door slowly opened, and an invisible darkness poured out from within.
Dammit!
Wen Jianyan cursed silently.
It was just one thing after another!
Their running had violated the rules, and at this critical juncture, they had actually activated this hidden menace in the administration building!
An idea struck Wen Jianyan. He gritted his teeth, took two sharp steps back, turned around, and began to bang on the closed doors of the adjacent corridor—the doors opened, revealing pale, cold faces.
They were the club members.
“Block the security guard,”
A strange light flickered in Wen Jianyan’s eyes. “This is an order!”
Compared to the pursuit of the Student Union, the formless security guard blocking the path ahead was a greater threat.
More importantly, compared to the Student Union, the club members and the security guard had had almost no conflict and no direct way of harming each other. Because of this, a stalemate was more likely to form.
In the “Integrity First” live room:
[What a great dog-eat-dog situation, using all available resources!]
[It’s getting exciting, it’s getting exciting!]
Under Wen Jianyan’s short command, the club members were forced to move. They rushed towards the security room. Even though Wen Jianyan and the others couldn’t see the security guard’s true form, they could tell from the club members’ positions that the erosion of darkness had been forcefully stopped, creating a precious lifeline for their escape.
The group rushed forward, crossed the hall, and arrived at the main door.
Wen Jianyan stepped forward, gripped the doorknob, and pushed hard—
The heavy door creaked and slowly slid open.
Outside was a morbid, dark red sky and the cold air mixed with a sweet, metallic smell.
Wen Jianyan propped the door open with one hand, letting the others pass in front of him. He urged them on anxiously:
“Quick, quick, quick!”
The anchors filed past him, and soon, the last person had also rushed out of the administration building.
Wen Jianyan let out a sigh of relief.
He let go of the door, just about to leave the administration building himself, when suddenly, a strange, cold feeling rose from his heart.
But unlike before, the feeling that appeared this time was not painful at all.
In its place was a strange…
alien feeling.
It was as if everything was starting to move away, as if he was beginning to transform from body to soul.
“?!”
Wen Jianyan’s pupils shrank.
A familiar numbness took over his limbs. By the time he reacted, he was already gripping the doorknob, kneeling on one knee.
Damn it… it’s… the side effect of the club badge!
According to his prediction, this was his last attack.
After this attack, he would completely become a part of this instance, with no room for reversal.
The thin glass door, at this moment, was like a natural chasm, separating the outside and inside into two different worlds.
Behind him, the club members had all stopped moving at some point.
They turned their heads, their expressionless faces facing Wen Jianyan, their eyes flickering with a fanatical and fearful light.
They were waiting.
Waiting for the arrival of their true club president.
NONONONONO where’s your husband