Gu Xiang Kai stood at the back with a cold, handsome face, responsible for serving the meat. He knew how to cook, while the other three lacked that skill and were assigned to chores by Engineer Yang.
Gu Xiang Kai gave Nan Yue and Zhu Xi Ning more braised pork than the others. It was only after all the students were quietly eating that Gu Xiang Kai brought his tray over.
"I'm exhausted. Working in this cafeteria is a nightmare."
Fifteen scavengers gathered together, and Jiang Xi Cheng shared the clues in a low voice.
"This is clearly a team mission. Everyone should share their clues if we want to get out together."
"I'll go first. We life teachers washed the students' bedding today. While tidying the sheets, I found blood on a few of them."
"Based on the stains, it looks like it was rubbed on from an injury."
Jiang Xi Cheng's expression was grim. Even in a mission, human nature made him feel indignant at such things.
"I found a few small notes being passed around. It seems they aren't allowed to speak during sleep hours," said Guan Qing, who looked like a well-behaved girl with a bob cut.
"I saw them encouraging each other, saying they'll grow up eventually."
Zhao Zhenzhen didn't have much to report, but she was filled with shared indignation. "This school must be abusing the students! We have to watch out for Director Wu."
Jiang Mu and Gu Yun, who were helping in the cafeteria with Gu Xiang Kai, nodded in agreement, clearly thinking the same as Zhao Zhenzhen.
Jiang Xi Cheng didn't pay much attention to these three. Drawing conclusions on the very first day was exactly what a newcomer would do.
Nan Yue mentioned the words under the bed. Everyone except Jiang Xi Cheng and Gu Xiang Kai looked terrified.
Many of them had spent too little time exploring their rooms and hadn't thought to look under the bed yet.
Hearing that there was something so terrifying under their own beds made them all feel uneasy.
"Is that message real or fake?"
"Who knows."
"Then who should we listen to?"
"...The Teacher’s Code of Conduct, I guess."
Nan Yue didn't voice her own thoughts. There were too many people with varying abilities, and Chi He was present.
When one wasn't entirely sure about something, speaking out could make them a target. How they analyzed the situation and what they chose to believe was up to them.
Chi He, on the other hand, acted more terrified than anyone else. He was good-looking and appeared harmless, so Shi Yu comforted him with a few words. Chi He then clung to her, asking what they should do.
"For now... just follow the Teacher’s Code of Conduct. For everything else, watch what others are doing."
Nan Yue saw it clearly. Although Chi He looked obedient, his eyes were cold and even somewhat mocking.
Nan Yue remembered what Chi He had said at Everpeace Apartments. He hated people who entered a mission and relied on others instead of thinking for themselves.
"Um..."
Zhou Zhou had a small appetite and lost interest after a few bites. She put down her chopsticks. "During class today, a child asked me a question."
Everyone looked at her. "She said... could I give her a higher score this time? She didn't want to be like Sisi."
"Sisi?"
Many scavengers hadn't interacted with the children and didn't know them.
However, the faces of the others who had taught classes turned pale.
"There's... no one named Sisi in the class."
Zhao Zhenzhen's eyes widened. "Are you sure?"
Zhou Zhou stammered, "I'm sure. After she said it, I looked around the entire class. There's no one named Sisi."
"When I asked her more, she refused to say anything else."
"Is this school... killing the kids who aren't good?" Gu Kai's voice trembled. Combined with his hulking frame, Gu Xiang Kai found it hard to watch.
"What are you shaking for? It's not like they're killing you."
Gu Kai shut his mouth and squeezed closer to Gu Xiang Kai.
Gu Xiang Kai was speechless.
Jiang Xi Cheng spoke in a heavy voice. "The focus right now isn't these children. This is just a mission. Instead of worrying about them, you should worry about yourselves."
Guan Qing quickly asked, "Brother Jiang, what do you mean by that?"
Jiang Xi Cheng sighed. "What's the most important thing in a mission? Did the school teach you nothing?"
"...Identify the dangerous figures," several people answered in low voices.
Zhao Zhenzhen, being straightforward, asked directly, "Then it must be the school staff. We can't fully trust what Director Wu says either."
Jiang Xi Cheng was dissatisfied with the quality of the scavengers in this mission. He rubbed his temples. "The school abusing children is just the surface of the mission. Since when is the villain in a mission always the obvious one?"
Zhao Zhenzhen was instantly silenced. The newcomers finally realized that if things were as they seemed, the vengeful spirits of the children who died from abuse were more likely to be the ghosts.
"The situation isn't clear at all, yet you're all rushing to draw conclusions. How on earth did you pass your Qualification Exam!"
Nan Yue watched Jiang Xi Cheng scolding them and felt he was quite suited for a teaching position.
He wasn't a bad person. Although he wanted to seize the lead, he also had a strong sense of responsibility.
After being scolded, the less experienced scavengers hung their heads and remained silent. Jiang Xi Cheng glared at them before looking at Nan Yue.
"What's your take?"
Nan Yue didn't hold anything back. She first mentioned the content of the Chinese Language and Literature textbook, then stated her thoughts directly.
"I'm not sure about other things, but working diligently is definitely correct. Also, we need to do the Dormitory Inspection."
Before Nan Yue could say more, Gu Xiang Kai spoke up irritably.
"Look, look, all you do is look! Don't you have your own curriculum schedules?!"
Reminded of this, several people frantically searched their pockets for their schedules.
Nan Yue found it a bit distressing. She felt the survival rate this time might not be high.
There were too many newcomers.
Generally, after studying at the academy for so long, they should have the ability to handle missions, but too many newcomers gathering together led to panic.
In this mission, aside from the fraud Chi He, there were at least three or four other scavengers who were still in Nameless City, many of whom had only recently passed their Qualification Exam.
Nan Yue sighed softly. "Everyone should memorize the contents of their curriculum schedule. Work is arranged according to the schedule, so don't lose it."
She was willing to offer a few pointers, but that was as far as she would go. Whether they listened was up to them.
Zhu Xi Ning asked for Nan Yue's schedule, looked at it, and then quietly returned it.
"The content is different."
Nan Yue raised an eyebrow. Zhu Xi Ning whispered, "The order of the schedules is different."
Although everyone had classes every day, the contents were not identical. For instance, Zhu Xi Ning's Tuesday morning class should have been the first period on Nan Yue's schedule, but on Zhu Xi Ning's own schedule, it was the third period.
Nan Yue compared their schedules. The first class on Zhu Xi Ning's schedule was Mathematics. Nan Yue asked Chi He.
"When is your class tomorrow?"
Chi He let out an "Ah." "I left my curriculum schedule in the dormitory. I didn't bring it with me."
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