Chapter 52: Yucai Middle School

Tan Manyu blurted out, “Are you sure you don’t want to think it over?”

Li Zhi couldn’t help but smile wryly. “Since when did you start convincing me?”

Yao Mingfeng: "…………"

Tan Manyu gave an awkward chuckle. “You just agreed too easily. We weren’t expecting that.”

Li Zhi grinned. “I’ve got experience leading people.”

Like how she led Chi Yi and Pink Hair—leading was leading. And leading official personnel made even more sense. Their presence told her the government was finally taking action, and their plan to infiltrate replicas aligned perfectly with hers.

But now that she was a high-profile player, every move she made was under scrutiny. It wasn’t practical for her to handle covert operations anymore. That’s where these low-key official players came in handy.

Li Zhi was confident that as long as they weren’t complete liabilities, spending time with her would boost their visibility. If she could raise the popularity of the Pink Trio, training government-selected talents should be no problem.

Finally convinced of her sincerity, Yao and Tan, who had worn serious expressions since entering, finally cracked a smile. Tan pulled out a pre-prepared team card from her pocket: “Thank you so much, Comrade Li Zhi. Let’s bind teams right away!”

Li Zhi wasn’t surprised that Tan was the one she’d be teamed with. From the moment they revealed their purpose, she had guessed it. Feng used to say the country never went into battle unprepared. If they were here, they had everything planned.

After binding the team card, both visibly relaxed. Across the country, they weren’t the only ones carrying out this mission—officials wouldn’t risk sending just one player into a replica. But to maintain secrecy, each official player worked alone, unaware of the others’ identities.

There were many celebrity players like Li Zhi approached by the government. Since some had refused before, Yao and Tan were genuinely shocked at how readily she accepted.

With the mission settled, Yao turned serious again. “Comrade Li Zhi, you mentioned earlier that someone followed you a few days ago. What happened?”

Li Zhi recounted the incident at the mall. Yao mused, “Many organizations around the world have formed specifically to tackle replicas. They recruit top talent globally and are becoming powerful forces. You might’ve been targeted by them.”

He added, “If you agree, we can assign protection for your family. Or if you have any other requests, tell us. As long as it doesn’t violate regulations, we’ll do our best.”

Li Zhi had been worried about leaving her mother and younger sister alone while inside a replica. Yao’s offer solved her immediate concern.

As for other requests…

She pointed at the team card in Tan’s hand. “Can I bring another person?”

An hour later, White Hair—who won rock-paper-scissors against Gold and Brown Hair—rushed excitedly to Li Zhi’s house: “Big Sis Li! From now on, you’re my only big sis!”

After binding the team card, White Hair happily left. Yao and Tan discussed coordination strategies with Li Zhi for a bit before preparing to leave.

Before they departed, Li Zhi hesitated, then asked, “Have you already sent people into replicas before?”

“Yes,” Yao admitted. “We’ve had people inside since the show began. But the results… weren’t ideal. There’s too much to balance.”

Transitioning from behind the scenes to being scrutinized by billions of viewers wasn’t something anyone could handle with skill alone.

Li Zhi thought of recalled player Feng. Had he gone off for pre-replica training?

Seeing her fall silent, Yao said firmly, “Comrade Li Zhi, don’t feel pressured. While we hope you can safely guide our people through, we understand how dangerous replicas are. Accidents happen. Doing your best is enough. Sending official players with popular streamers is just one strategy—we have others.”

Li Zhi thought of what he said about those elite organizations recruiting for replicas. “Are you forming a national team?”

Yao was impressed by her insight. After a pause, he replied, “Yes. Entering replicas will be a major trend in the future. Whether understanding them, gaining clearance experience, or acquiring advanced tools—no nation can afford to fall behind. We’re currently training specialized talent, and will gradually send them in for investigation.”

This was a new battlefield. And on every battlefield, there were loyal soldiers.

“We can work together long-term. I can cover your agents, allowing them to investigate secretly without being eliminated or noticed by viewers.” Li Zhi met his gaze. “But I have one condition.”

Both became instantly serious. “Go ahead.”

“I want access to all your research findings on the [Ghost] system.”

Yao considered it. “That’s beyond my authority. Let me report to higher-ups first. When you return from this replica, I’ll give you an answer.”

Li Zhi smiled. “Sounds good.”

All preparations complete, the next afternoon arrived—Lian Qinglin’s scheduled entry time. He felt the signal half an hour early and immediately notified everyone. With plenty of time, Li Zhi even took a quick shower.

A familiar teleportation sensation later, Li Zhi found herself standing in an old schoolyard.

Golden sunset light bathed the red rubber track, giving off a strong scent of cheap synthetic materials. On either side stood common school facilities—parallel bars, ping-pong tables, and a small basketball court.

Judging by the surroundings, this replica was school-themed.

Li Zhi was still scanning the environment when two figures emerged from the greenery beside the yard—Pink Hair and White Hair, waving enthusiastically.

“Big Sis Li! We’re here!!”

Li Zhi watched them approach, eyeing their hair critically. “Your version of this replica might be rough.”

Their excitement faltered. “Why?!”

Li Zhi gestured around. “School theme. With those hair colors, you might get scolded by the discipline master.”

Pink and White Hair clutched their heads in despair.

They kept their colorful hair because it helped them stand out in previous replicas. Never did they expect the next one to be set in a school!

Pink Hair groaned, “Is there a barber in the replica? Maybe I should dye my hair before starting the mission…”

Just then, Lian Qinglin ran over from the basketball court. “Big Sis Li!” Seeing Pink and White Hair, he smirked: “Looks like you two are gonna get caught breaking school rules.”

Pink/White Hair: "…………"

The four reunited. Viewers following the stream received notifications that the players had gone live, rushing in:

【Li Zhi! Hooray! Li Zhi! Yay! Li Zhi! Woohoo!】

【WOW! School replica! This horror fan LOVES it!】

【Whoa! Longtime dream come true—seeing Lian Qinglin reunite with Milky Way members! Rumors said they fell apart after disbanding, but they seem fine now!】

【This MK fandom is LIVING! The group variety show never happened, so I’m treating this horror show as our reunion special!】

【Li Zhi led Chi Yi, then Lian Qinglin—next up, Mr. Zhu the Actor? So the山村葬尸 team is reuniting?!】

【Lian Qinglin’s leg looks totally normal! That limb regeneration item is insane—I saw him cut off his own thigh!】

【I love seeing familiar faces! Go Li Zhi and Xiao Lin!】

...

Other players began appearing one by one. Following Li Zhi’s prior instructions, Lian Qinglin and the others pretended not to know they were actually a five-person team. Tan Manyu also acted unfamiliar, posing as a solo player—part of the plan decided before entering.

Seeing Li Zhi and Lian Qinglin in the group, each player wore a unique expression. Being in the same replica as high-profile players had its pros and cons—easier clearing, but fiercer competition for MVP and popularity.

Li Zhi calmly scanned the players—fifteen in total, the largest number she’d ever seen in a replica. Forum users on Horror Variety Show speculated that larger player counts meant higher difficulty. By that logic, this replica was the most dangerous yet.

Her gaze remained calm, indistinguishable from the others’ curious stares. She looked away casually.

In the crowd, a man in a leather jacket—athletic build, sharp demeanor—spoke up: “We’re all here by fate. I’m Zhou Jianzhang, former PE teacher. Since this is a school-themed replica, may I take leadership for now?”

A PE teacher in a school setting fit well.

But someone scoffed, “There are Top 100 ranked players here. Why would we need a PE teacher as leader?”

Everyone’s eyes turned to Li Zhi and Lian Qinglin—the only two in the group ranked in the overall Top 100.

Zhou flushed slightly, but quickly responded: “Either way, we need a leader to avoid chaos.”

His appearance and tone were reasonable enough that someone chimed in support: “Teacher Zhou isn’t bad. Letting him lead makes sense.”

Lian Qinglin shrugged. “Sure, Zhou Teacher can lead.” He turned to Li Zhi: “Right, Big Sis?”

Li Zhi smiled. “Right. Zhou Teacher leading is great.”

With the top-tier players agreeing, no one objected. Zhou brightened: “Then let’s check out the teaching building first. The mission probably triggers there.”

Just as he finished speaking, a piercing school bell rang—

Ding ling ling.

Ding ling ling.

From the dormitory across the yard, students suddenly poured out, all rushing toward the teaching building. One called out anxiously as he passed: “What are you standing around for? It’s evening self-study! Hurry!”

Players exchanged glances. Zhou led the way: “Let’s go.”

Following the student, they sprinted toward the teaching building under the harsh ringing. Before entering the classroom, Li Zhi glanced at the sign on the door:
<Senior Two, Class One>

Inside, the classroom was just like any real one—students already filled the seats. Near the window, they found name tags on desks matching their names.

Li Zhi sat at her assigned seat. The plastic tag on the desk bore her name, and below it, a space labeled “Score”—currently blank.