Bai La La couldn't speak, but she nodded in agreement.
For those of them who had to teach, the first thing they did was a roll call, and indeed, no one had requested leave.
Gu Yun's eyes widened instantly. "Then... then who on earth was he talking to?"
Nan Yue's voice was cold. "To whatever was leading him to his death, obviously."
Gu Yun felt sick upon hearing that, looking as if he were about to faint.
"So are the ghosts in this mission the children who were abused to death?"
Zhu Xi Ning had always been brave and wasn't afraid of such things; instead, she felt the mission's structure was becoming clearer.
"It seems so."
Jiang Xi Cheng also breathed a slight sigh of relief. Although the possibility of those who died becoming ghosts was always an option, having it confirmed was a good thing.
It meant they didn't have to be too wary of the living people in the school.
"Why would abused children want to kill us?"
Zhao Zhenzhen was on the verge of a breakdown. Two people had died in a single day, and both in such terrifying ways; her mental state was stretched to the limit.
Shi Yu glanced at her, appearing much calmer.
"Is there any logic to ghosts in these missions? It's perfectly normal for them to have a grudge after dying and want others to die with them. Didn't the academy teach you that?"
Zhao Zhenzhen didn't respond to the rebuke. Everyone's mental state was unstable right now, and tempers were short.
"It's almost... time for the Dormitory Inspection."
As soon as Zhao Zhenzhen said those words, everyone fell silent.
Two people had died today, and no one wanted to go for the Dormitory Inspection at a time like this. Zhao Zhenzhen's gaze shifted toward Jiang Xi Cheng and Gu Xiang Kai.
Although Jiang Xi Cheng wasn't a volatile person, being pushed forward like a fool over and over again would make anyone angry.
His face remained expressionless, yet the corners of his mouth curled up. "Wanting the veterans to go again? Sure, but aren't you afraid it will only get more dangerous the longer you wait?"
Zhao Zhenzhen instinctively explained, "No... it's because you veterans have experience and strong abilities. If you look after us newcomers more, we can be of some use."
Jiang Xi Cheng sneered. "Have you forgotten? You're the only newcomer left. Do you think the other veteran Scavengers are willing to let you use them as shields indefinitely?"
In truth, Zhao Zhenzhen's thoughts weren't directed at everyone. She just instinctively felt that people like Nan Yue and Jiang Xi Cheng, who seemed powerful, composed, and willing to look after newcomers, might compromise more often.
But by putting it the way he did, Jiang Xi Cheng made it seem like she was targeting everyone. Even Shi Yu and Xu Yuan looked at Zhao Zhenzhen with different eyes.
They had initially remained silent because they had similar ideas, but once the roles were reversed, they weren't willing to risk their lives for someone else out of some sense of morality.
Only then did Zhao Zhenzhen realize Jiang Xi Cheng had twisted her meaning, but it wasn't something she could easily explain. Her eyes turned red with anxiety, but she couldn't find the words when met with the cold gazes of the others.
Left with no choice, she could only turn her gaze toward Nan Yue.
Nan Yue no longer wanted to deal with her.
She understood the fear and the desire to rely on others as a newcomer, but there was a limit. However, she didn't plan to kick her while she was down.
But Zhu Xi Ning couldn't stand it.
"Stop looking. Is what Jiang Xi Cheng said wrong? You're the one benefiting the most. You share a dorm with Nan-nan, and you didn't even dare to look at the scenes of the two deaths today. Out of the four life teachers, you're the only one who can't provide a single clue."
Zhu Xi Ning was a graceful beauty when silent, but once she spoke, she became a machine gun.
"And you still feel wronged? You still want Nan-nan to talk to you? Everyone in a team should contribute their abilities, shouldn't they? You've done nothing, yet we share all our information. Have you ever been grateful? You have no basic psychological preparation for the mission, and you're the one who increased everyone's risk by letting Liu Kai scare you. Isn't that right?"
Zhu Xi Ning's mouth rattled on without a pause for breath, and Zhao Zhenzhen tried to interject several times without success.
"You've made zero contribution and do nothing but hold us back, yet now you want to be taken care of just because you're a newcomer. You've got some nerve."
"Weren't we all raised by the training school for twenty years? Didn't we all learn the same knowledge? And hasn't every veteran Scavenger's experience been accumulated through narrow escapes from death?"
"If your own ability is poor, don't use the 'newcomer' status as a cover."
Zhao Zhenzhen was driven to tears by Zhu Xi Ning's words. She tried frantically to explain herself but couldn't speak.
But no one else showed any sympathy. Shi Yu's expression twisted slightly as she realized Zhao Zhenzhen had fished many ideas and pieces of information out of her without her even noticing.
Seeing the group's attitude, Zhao Zhenzhen finally felt a sense of panic. If she lost the protection of the team, she really wouldn't survive this mission.
She apologized meekly, but she was still resentful. After enduring it as long as she could, she finally asked the question.
"I accept everything you said, Sister Zhu. But I'm not the only one who hasn't provided any clues yet enjoys the team's information."
"Why only pick on me?!"
Nan Yue watched the person Zhao Zhenzhen was pointing at with aggressive momentum and fell silent in her heart.
Gu Xiang Kai, who had been spectating the drama, and Zhu Xi Ning, who was ready for a rebuttal, also fell into an eerie silence.
Zhao Zhenzhen felt she had hit the mark. This was clearly unfair treatment!
Chi He blinked his eyes as he looked at the finger almost poking his face, putting on a wronged yet stubborn expression.
"You're right... I haven't made any contribution to the team either."
"The two of us are truly useless. I don't think we're fit to stay with everyone. We should be self-reliant and figure things out on our own."
A light of determination flashed in Chi He's eyes. "So, from this moment on, we are leaving the team!"
Zhao Zhenzhen: ???
Nan Yue: ...
Zhao Zhenzhen was completely dazed, even forgetting to lower her hand.
This wasn't how she expected this to go.
This was clearly a case of double standards, and Chi He didn't seem very brave either. Shouldn't he have been forced to join her so everyone would look after them both more?
Where did he get the courage to act alone!
Zhao Zhenzhen was put on the spot by Chi He and was momentarily unable to back down. She stood there stunned until Nan Yue, unable to bear the hidden, excited glint in Chi He's eyes any longer, broke the silence.
"The arrangements for tonight's Dormitory Inspection..."
"I'll do it."
Zhu Xi Ning was about to speak, but Gu Xiang Kai beat her to it.
At the same time, Bai La La, who was next to Nan Yue, also raised her hand.
She and Gu Xiang Kai exchanged a look, effectively confirming their partnership.
The others breathed a sigh of relief and found excuses to head back to wash up and rest.
Jiang Xi Cheng hesitated for a moment before staying behind. "The... risk factor for the Dormitory Inspection is extremely high."
Nan Yue glanced at him, somewhat surprised that Jiang Xi Cheng would offer a warning.
"I have a way to judge the most dangerous places in a mission."
Jiang Xi Cheng had a faint feeling that he wasn't the most capable person in this mission, so he was willing to share his exclusive clues as a gesture of goodwill.
Nan Yue accepted his favor. "Yes. Everything was normal when we went for the Dormitory Inspection yesterday."
Rate on N.U.
