Chapter Sixty-Six: Clues

As the girl stepped out of the subway station, a vision flashed through your mind.

You remembered something.

Her name was Lin Yin.

She was your classmate.

The representative for art class.

She was an extraordinarily lively girl, curious about everything, wanting to capture the world in her drawings.

Everyone in the class liked her.

Everyone was her friend.

You were no exception.

But after the experience at the subway station,

You sensed that something about this classmate seemed...

After listening to the narrator’s hints,

Yin Jian was already certain that this Lin Yin girl was a significant problem.

She must be deeply connected to the plot.

However...

He recalled the scene of her being dismembered in the subway.

His first instinct was to turn and keep his distance.

Before he figured things out, he didn’t want to have too much contact with her.

After all, to come back to life after being brutally killed, and yet act as if nothing happened, was ominous in every way.

Yet, as he saw Lin Yin, Lin Yin saw him as well.

She skipped toward him, radiating a cheerful energy.

Yin Jian wanted to avoid her, but it was already too late. He could only turn, forcing a stiff smile as she approached.

“What a coincidence!” Lin Yin patted Yin Jian’s shoulder as she greeted him. “We happened to take the same subway train.”

“By the way, I heard from the teacher your sister’s been sick. How’s she doing now?”

Hearing Lin Yin’s words,

You suddenly recalled that your sister was indeed ill.

Treating her cost a lot of money.

She seemed still to be in the hospital.

“She’s alright,”

Yin Jian nodded, trying to appear as normal as possible.

“There are always more solutions than problems. If you need anything, you can always come to me.” Lin Yin thumped her chest confidently, hesitated for a moment, then pulled out a few bloodstained bills from her small purse:

“Take these. Get your sister something nice to eat.”

Looking at the money in her hand, stained with blood, Yin Jian’s lips twitched. He didn’t reach out, but refused directly: “Thank you, but no need.”

“Alright then.” Lin Yin pouted, put the money away, and said, “Class will start soon. Let’s go to school together.”

Looking at Lin Yin’s innocent, harmless smile, Yin Jian nodded.

He followed her toward the school.

But on the way, he never let down his guard, watching her every move.

However, when they reached the school—

He hadn’t found anything abnormal about her.

She really seemed to be just an ordinary girl...

“Maybe something needs to trigger the relevant plot, or the conditions haven’t been met yet...”

With this thought, Yin Jian withdrew his focus, starting to observe the school.

A typical high school, old and worn, looking like it had been built years ago.

There were four buildings: three teaching blocks and one cafeteria.

His and Lin Yin’s classroom was on the fifth floor.

Grade 3, Class 11.

“Good morning, everyone!”

As soon as Lin Yin entered the classroom, she greeted the classmates who were busy with their morning reading.

Yin Jian scanned the room.

About fifty students, all giving off a lifeless, almost zombie-like aura.

After observing everyone, Yin Jian turned his gaze back to Lin Yin.

In this world, it seemed only she was special.

“Could the key to unraveling the mystery lie with her?”

With this in mind, Yin Jian tried to strike up a conversation with Lin Yin, hoping to glean some useful information.

Yet, just as he was about to act, the bell rang.

Everyone still chatting quickly returned to their seats.

In an instant, only the corner seat in the last row remained.

Yin Jian knew that must be his seat, so he went straight over and sat down.

Soon after, the teacher arrived and began lecturing.

“%@#￥%￥@*&&%￥#..”

The scene sped up.

It seemed this part of the story was just a transition.

Still, even in this fast-forwarded sequence, Yin Jian noticed something peculiar.

The students in the class kept glancing at him.

Disgust, indifference, hatred—negative emotions flickered across their faces.

You recall that, due to your family situation, everyone despised you.

So you only had one friend in the class.

As the narration ended, the accelerated scene paused.

Now it was afternoon, during the last class.

A test paper lay on his desk.

On the podium stood a stern woman with black-rimmed glasses.

This was Lei Min, your homeroom teacher.

She was a responsible educator.

But the school had a strange rumor about her.

Yet, since you had no friends,

You’d only heard vague mention of the rumor,

Knowing little about its details.

You only knew that, after school, you must never stay with her.

“Everyone, do your test seriously. You can leave early once you hand it in, but if you fail, you’ll have to stay behind.”

After hearing Lei Min’s words from the podium, Yin Jian looked down at the test paper.

He found it completely blank—not a single question, not even a word.

He glanced at others’ papers; they were blank too, yet some had already started scribbling furiously.

“Is this an exam of the mind?”

Yin Jian’s lips twitched; it seemed inevitable he would have to stay behind.

He simply scrawled nonsense on the white sheet and handed it in.

Sure enough, after reviewing his paper, Lei Min spoke the classic line: “Don’t leave after school.”

After the exam, he was the only one in the class who failed.

Clearly, this was a plot device.

“Come to my office.”

Lei Min collected the marked papers and spoke.

Yin Jian pondered for a moment, then nodded.

Since this was a set piece, it would surely offer important clues.

And indeed, as soon as he followed her out of the classroom, she began, “I’m saddened by what happened to your sister, but your life ahead is still long. You shouldn’t give up on yourself.”

“Saddened... Could it be she’s already dead?”

Yin Jian analyzed the meaning behind her words.

But at that moment, he suddenly felt the lighting around him dim.

He looked up in confusion, and his pupils contracted sharply.

Lei Min, leading the way ahead, was swelling as she stepped into the shadowed corridor.

In the blink of an eye, she was no longer human.

She had transformed into a grotesque monster covered with faces.

“Useless.”

“Brainless thing.”

“Even a pig is smarter than you.”

...

The mouths of these faces moved, spitting out all sorts of sharp, spiteful remarks.

“Why... aren’t you moving?”

Lei Min turned to gaze at the suddenly motionless Yin Jian, her voice echoing like a soul-binding call from hell.

Her original face remained unchanged, still carrying the intimidating authority of a teacher.

But only the face stayed as it was.

Below it gaped a massive maw lined with sharp teeth.

Watching the slick tongue reaching out from that monstrous mouth, Yin Jian didn’t hesitate. He switched off pain simulation and turned to flee.

“Damn! Isn’t this supposed to be a puzzle game?”

He felt utterly deceived.

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