Chapter 57-58: Yucai High School
If not for Wang Zhiyuan’s earlier words, Li Zhi might have simply assumed Xie Cong was just another polite and gentle boy.
—Even someone like Xie Cong became obedient after coming back from the principal’s office.
Wang Zhiyuan’s terrified expression was still fresh in her mind. The Xie Cong he had used as an example must have been a troublemaking student who gave teachers headaches before visiting the principal. At the very least, he wouldn’t have been the flawless, impeccable version he was now.
Li Zhi studied his smile and eyes, suddenly realizing that Xie Cong resembled Xu Jingsheng and Zhang Shuai—the two she had encountered in the cafeteria earlier.
They were all polite, composed, and eerily subdued, lacking the youthful vibrancy typical of high schoolers their age. Like water poured into identical containers, they took the shape of whatever mold they were given, never rippling, never stirring.
Was this the result of being "educated" by the principal’s electric baton?
Perhaps because she stared too long, the smile on Xie Cong’s face gradually faded. "Classmate, class is about to start. Please return to your seat."
Li Zhi offered him a small smile. "Xie Cong, may I borrow a pen?"
He nodded and took one from his pencil case, handing it to her.
Li Zhi returned to her seat just as the bell rang. The English teacher entered, holding the morning’s dictation papers. The class representative distributed them, and Li Zhi found she had missed five words, while Tan Manyu had gotten every single one correct.
The English teacher’s shrill voice pierced the air like needles: "Anyone who got more than three wrong must copy each misspelled word five hundred times after school. No leaving the classroom until it’s done!"
The students quickly calculated the staggering total—nearly five hundred thousand words—and their faces turned deathly pale.
Li Zhi glanced at her own nameplate and Tan Manyu’s.
The scores remained unchanged.
What exactly was the test? After a full day of classes, the players still had no clue.
When the afternoon dismissal bell rang, the setting sun bathed the windows outside the classroom in golden light. Everyone rushed to the cafeteria for dinner before hurrying back to the classroom to start copying words. Fifty thousand words—there was no way they could finish before midnight. This was worse than physical punishment.
Tan Manyu, the only player exempt from the punishment, had continued investigating her special quest after lunch and only returned just before evening self-study began. Li Zhi looked at her, and Tan Manyu sighed, shaking her head.
Finding a way to exploit the system’s weaknesses in this instance wasn’t going to be easy. It was a long and arduous task.
Still, she didn’t lose heart. Instead, she asked Li Zhi softly, "Want me to help you copy?"
Li Zhi shook her head. "No need, I’m almost done."
Tan Manyu blinked in surprise. "Fifty thousand? Already?"
Li Zhi smiled. "Just the five I got wrong."
Tan Manyu stared at her, speechless. "Then how are you going to pass the English teacher’s check?"
Li Zhi twirled her pen lazily. "I’m kind of curious what the punishment will be if I don’t finish."
Would they send her to the principal’s office too? Perfect. She was dying to meet this legendary figure who had supposedly reformed the school’s education system in just two years and see exactly how he dealt with problem students.
Evening self-study hadn’t officially started yet, and the classroom still had a relaxed, post-class atmosphere—until the homeroom teacher suddenly appeared at the door.
"Wang Zhiyuan, come here."
The room fell silent instantly. Everyone lowered their heads, except for Wang Zhiyuan, who stood up pale-faced and trembling.
His random inspection time had come.
The homeroom teacher quickly led him out of the classroom. Li Zhi finished copying her last wrong word and peered out the window, just in time to see Wang Zhiyuan following the teacher toward the academic affairs building across the way.
The principal’s office was up there.
Li Zhi considered her options and whispered to Tan Manyu, "I’m going to follow them. If anyone asks, tell them I’m not feeling well and went to the infirmary for medicine."
Tan Manyu nodded.
After leaving the classroom, Li Zhi quickened her pace, sprinting toward the academic affairs building. Evening self-study had already begun, and the campus was deserted. As she approached the building, she spotted a security guard sitting in the reception area near the entrance, holding a walkie-talkie and guarding the only way in or out.
The players hadn’t mentioned a guard during their earlier reconnaissance. Did he only appear when the principal was in his office?
The principal’s office was on the top floor—the fifth. The row of windows there was curtained, making it impossible to see inside from any angle. Li Zhi circled the building, searching for another possible entry point, but every floor had protective railings on the windows, leaving no gaps whatsoever.
It seemed the only ways to enter while the principal was inside were either to force her way in or be escorted by the homeroom teacher. At other times, she’d have to sneak in and pick the lock—but that wouldn’t let her observe how the principal disciplined students.
With no better options, Li Zhi was about to leave when the homeroom teacher suddenly emerged from the building, leading Wang Zhiyuan. The outdoor area was empty, with not even a single tree for cover. Before she could retreat, she was fully exposed to the teacher’s line of sight.
Running now would only make her look more suspicious. Li Zhi turned her head, feigning confusion as she scanned her surroundings. The moment she spotted the homeroom teacher, her face lit up with relief, and she walked toward her.
"Teacher Liu."
The homeroom teacher stared at her darkly. "Evening self-study has already started. Why are you here?"
Wang Zhiyuan stood behind her, eyes slightly downcast, his expression blank and lifeless. Li Zhi quickly scanned him but saw no signs of physical punishment.
She looked earnestly at the teacher. "Teacher Liu, I got lost."
"—?" The teacher’s face twisted into an indescribable expression. "Lost?"
Li Zhi nodded sincerely. "Yes, I just transferred here and don’t know the school well. I came from the infirmary but couldn’t find my way back to class. Somehow, I ended up here. Since I ran into you, Teacher Liu, could you please escort me back?"
"From the infirmary?" The teacher didn’t seem entirely convinced, the corners of her mouth curling into a mocking smile as her sharp gaze swept over Li Zhi from head to toe. "What’s wrong with you?"
Li Zhi didn’t bat an eyelid. "My stomach hurt, but the medicine helped. I’m much better now."
The teacher studied her for a moment before suddenly smiling. "In that case, let me accompany you back to the infirmary to check with the school nurse. If it’s serious, we might need to take you to the hospital." She turned to Wang Zhiyuan. "You go back to class first."
Her tone and attitude toward Wang Zhiyuan were noticeably gentler now, a stark contrast to her earlier sternness. He nodded and murmured, "Goodbye, Teacher Liu."
He headed toward the teaching building, looking completely normal.
The teacher withdrew her gaze and looked at Li Zhi, her expression hardening again. "Let’s go."
Li Zhi smiled and followed her.
After passing through a small greenbelt, the sign for the infirmary came into view. The teacher walked ahead and knocked on the door. "Teacher Li?"
Li Jianxi, dressed in a white coat, soon emerged. Her expression remained as indifferent as ever upon seeing them. "What is it?"
The teacher glanced at Li Zhi beside her, her eyes gleaming with mocking triumph, clearly delighted at the prospect of exposing her lie. Her speech even quickened. "This student says she’s not feeling well and came to see you earlier?"
Li Jianxi looked at Li Zhi, then back at the teacher, nodding. "Mhm."
The teacher’s smile faltered slightly, uncertainty flickering across her face. "Just now?"
Li Jianxi’s tone was flat. "Yes, she had stomach pain. I gave her some medicine."
Li Zhi looked obedient. "Thank you, Teacher Li. I’m feeling much better now."
Li Jianxi nodded. "Remember to take it on time."
The teacher stared at Li Zhi for a long moment before finally giving up, her expression darkening. "Then go back to class."
Li Zhi feigned distress. "What if I get lost again? Could you please escort me back, Teacher Liu?"
The teacher’s final attempt to trap her had failed. With a resigned sigh, she said, "Let’s go."
As they left, Li Zhi walked behind her, her hand hidden behind her back as she raised two fingers in a victory sign toward Li Jianxi, who was watching them from the doorway. She wiggled them back and forth.
Li Jianxi pursed her lips, only turning back into the infirmary once Li Zhi was out of sight.
The audience watching from outside the screen erupted in commentary:
[The homeroom teacher had no idea her own NPC had already defected for love!]
[Xiaoli and Xiaoli, you two are so good at lying with straight faces—you could be married!]
[Before, you could say Li Jianxi was just playing her role by helping the players, but now you’re blatantly favoring them without any reason. That’s hard to justify!]
[Did she max out her favorability points? Did she? Did she?]
[If this doesn’t end in a happy ending, it’ll be criminal.]
[Li Zhi’s reflexes are insane. Respect to the mastermind’s brainpower. But how did she know Li Jianxi would play along?]
[It’s almost like Li Jianxi is a player-planted mole in this instance.]
[The more we see of her, the more I suspect she’s not just a regular NPC.]
...
While the chat exploded with theories, Li Zhi returned to the classroom with the homeroom teacher. The room was silent, the players frantically copying words as they saw her re-enter with the teacher. Some looked smug, others panicked, and some were deeply worried.
Li Zhi walked past Tan Manyu and Lian Qinglin, who were watching her anxiously, and returned to her seat. Once the teacher gave the room a cursory glance and left, everyone bent back over their papers.
Class time wasn’t the moment for conversation. They had to wait until the bell rang before Lian Qinglin and the pink-haired player hurried over.
"Zhi-jie, what happened?"
Li Zhi’s attention was still on Wang Zhiyuan. She gave them a brief explanation before walking over to him.
He sat near the back, still working on problems despite the dismissal of class. Li Zhi stood beside him and called softly, "Wang Zhiyuan?"
He slowly looked up, his dull eyes rapidly flicking up and down twice before he slowly offered her a polite smile. "Classmate Li Zhi, what can I do for you?"
Li Zhi frowned.
Wang Zhiyuan had definitely changed.
She asked casually, "What happened in the principal’s office?"
"Oh, that?" Wang Zhiyuan smiled. "I wasn’t working hard enough before and let down my parents’ and teachers’ expectations. The principal taught me a lesson. From now on, I’ll be a model student—top grades, good behavior. You should work hard too, Classmate Li Zhi."