Even so, Zhao Zhenzhen knew that Nan Yue, who proactively included Bai La La, wouldn't use a newcomer as a guinea pig.
She had a strong premonition; there was no helping it, those three looked too righteous.
Nan Yue was a little helpless. “I’m not angry, but don’t put your hopes on me. In a mission, you can only rely on yourself.”
“Instead of following me all the time, you should go look for clues.”
Zhao Zhenzhen stopped awkwardly, looked confused for a moment, then went to search the beds.
The place was tiny, just a small room, and the three quickly compiled the clues they found.
First, there was a paper taped to the door with the Teacher’s Code of Conduct written on it.
The black printed text chillingly met their eyes.
“Teacher’s Code of Conduct
1. The teacher’s words are always right.
2. Disobedient children may be punished appropriately.
3. Conduct nightly room checks. Children are mischievous; simply record their absence from the room, they cannot escape.
4. The curriculum can be adjusted independently.”
Nan Yue fell silent. This indicated a serious problem with the school.
She knew that many mission cores in schools revolved around similar issues, with child abuse being one of them.
This was especially true for children with no family background, who were lonely and helpless. In mock missions, Nan Yue had dealt with many cases involving the exploitation of such orphans for various illicit profit-making activities.
Zhao Zhenzhen clearly thought of this too and breathed a sigh of relief.
There was a clock in the room, which now read 1:50, meaning there were 10 minutes until class.
Zhao Zhenzhen heard movement outside and opened the door to look. Nan Yue felt Bai La La tug her hand.
The notebook was handed over.
“Nan Nan, should we go out too?”
Nan Yue’s gaze swept around the room. “La La, can you fit under the bed?”
Bai La La’s eyes curved into a smile. She seemed completely unsurprised by Nan Yue’s question. She put away her notebook, and her small body squeezed between the bed frame and the floor.
When Nan Yue was in school, she was known for being the most thorough student in searches. She knew that clues could be found anywhere.
Bai La La emerged quickly, her expression unchanged. She scribbled something in her notebook.
“There is indeed something under the bed, dense with red pen writing.”
Nan Yue looked at the words in the notebook, her pupils contracting slightly.
“Don’t believe! Don’t believe anything! Liars! They are all liars!”
Although she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, Nan Yue could already imagine the scene.
“Let’s go out first; class is about to start.”
Nan Yue planned to come back and find an opportunity to flip over all the beds.
She wasn’t so trusting as to completely believe Bai La La’s words.
When they went out, there were only a few minutes left until class, but the school was still eerily quiet and empty.
This unsettling atmosphere made even the scavengers uncomfortable.
“What’s going on? Isn’t it time for class? Where are the students?”
Liu Kai, who spoke, looked tall and sturdy, but his courage was small, and his voice was weak.
The group wandered in the corridor, confused, for a few minutes before a harsh bell rang.
With a “whoosh,” all the room doors opened. Two children from each room stood side by side at the doorway, their faces sporting standard eight-tooth smiles, and their small hands hung straight at their sides.
“Hiss…”
Someone in the crowd gasped. Regardless of anything else, this scene looked utterly chilling.
The room at the end of the corridor also opened. Director Wu followed a man and a woman. The man was tall and thin, with somewhat terrifyingly protruding eyes.
The woman, though young, had a stern face, with deep nasolabial folds and tear troughs, looking very tired.
Director Wu led the two teachers to the main hall and raised her voice slightly. “Assemble!”
The children from the rooms emerged one after another in orderly lines, the entire process completely silent.
Director Wu looked at the neatly arranged children and nodded. “Let me introduce everyone to the new teachers.”
“From now on, they will be responsible for your classes and daily life. Remember that?”
“Understood.”
The children’s crisp, uniform voices echoed in the hall. They looked like very well-behaved children, but their excessive uniformity gave off a lifeless feeling.
“Now, everyone, please enter the classrooms and quietly wait for class to begin.”
The children turned and walked to the right corridor, making not a single extra sound throughout the entire process.
“Each of you, keep your class schedules safe,” Director Wu’s eyes peered through her glasses at the group. “You must keep them safe.”
“Next are a few reminders from an experienced person.”
Director Wu’s voice was low, but her words were clear.
“First, don’t trust these children; they are all devils.”
“Second, strictly follow the curriculum for work and daily life.”
“Third.”
Perhaps it was Nan Yue’s imagination, but she felt that Director Wu and the other two distorted for a moment.
“You must do your own work well.”
Perhaps these reminders were too disjointed, as even the scavengers couldn’t force a smile. The eighteen people exchanged glances, and the atmosphere seemed to solidify.
“This is Engineer Yang, who is in charge of logistics and the kitchen. Those assigned to the kitchen will follow him.”
Engineer Yang was like a thin bamboo pole. He showed no expression, and Nan Yue couldn’t even tell his age. His somewhat slack skin, due to being too thin, clung to his face like crumpled paper.
“This is Teacher Gao, who manages daily life. The life teachers will follow her.”
Teacher Gao forced a smile, but it looked strange in every way. The few life teachers silently averted their gaze.
“Now, it’s time for class. Monday is the most important day of the week. Everyone, work hard.”
Everyone paused. Nan Yue lowered her head to look at the class schedule in her hand.
Monday afternoon’s first class was Chinese Language and Literature, and her name was listed as the instructor.
She put away the class schedule. Seeing that Director Wu had no further instructions, she lifted her leg and walked towards the classroom.
She paid no mind to the worried, scrutinizing, or relieved gazes behind her.
She was just thinking that there were so many factions within this school.
How troublesome.
The students sat upright at their desks in the classroom, their hands folded on the table, like a row of dolls.
Hearing the movement, the children turned their heads towards the doorway, their large eyes flickering with curiosity and innocence.
Nan Yue had no particular like or dislike for children, but seeing this scene, her heart softened slightly.
Children who weren't monsters and were well-behaved would certainly be less trouble.
“Hello, teacher.”
Thirty-two students spoke in unison. Nan Yue saw that their ages indeed varied widely; the tallest ones were almost as tall as her, and some of the boys were nearly as tall as Gu Xiang Kai.
“Hello, students. I am your new Chinese Language and Literature teacher, Nan Yue.”
After writing her name on the blackboard, Nan Yue opened the Chinese Language and Literature textbook on the podium.
The so-called Chinese Language and Literature textbook was not a bound textbook but seemed to be a few thin pages, temporarily printed and stapled together, containing precisely the content to be learned today.
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