Chapter 252: Online Dating Scam Record (15)
If the fraud case is the overt main plot of the entire exam, then the background of the headless ghost hidden within it is at least an extremely important subplot. As the clue between the two, Shi Qingqing's importance is evident.
Furthermore, if Li Qi hadn't just sent down a divine weapon, Zhang You and the others wouldn't have been able to crack the trap set by the NPC so quickly. Regardless of reason or emotion, 606 had no reason to refuse.
Only Tang Xin Jue raised a question: "But this way of finding it is too difficult. The dormitory building is so big, hiding someone inside is like finding a needle in a haystack. Isn't there an easier way?"
"No." Li Qi was very sure.
Her attitude was also very clear. If she wanted to find Shi Qingqing, she could only use the most time-consuming and step-by-step method, and there was no guarantee of success.
Tang Xin Jue frowned. "That means, even if we spend the entire time from now until evening study searching for her, we might still come back empty-handed?"
Li Qi saw her hesitation and said directly: "If you don't want to go, you don't have to go. This is just a request, not forced."
Anyway, whether she helps or not, it will not affect her actions and determination to continue looking for someone.
Guo Guo quickly interrupted them: "Of course we will help! Should we go separately or together?"
Zheng Wanqing also said: "Don't worry about me, just go find it, and report it anytime if there is anything."
Finally, in order to find Shi Qingqing as soon as possible, they decided to divide the work: the three people from 606, excluding Zheng Wanqing, plus Li Qi, were responsible for one floor each.
Perhaps the "words, laws" principle really was taking effect. When they left the building again, notices for evening study sessions were posted on every dormitory door. Suddenly, the air was filled with the sound of cursing and swearing, and countless shadows moved about the dormitory. But when they peered through the cracks in the doors, they could see nothing inside.
[Be careful not to be affected by the environment or be held back by other NPCs.]
Zhang You specifically emphasized the three words "NPC".
Even Zhang You sensed the situation was taking a dangerous turn, and Guo Guo had naturally sensed it long beforehand. She had already wrapped herself in a thick layer of protective gear, and along the way, she was so cautious that she tried not to make eye contact with anyone, searching precisely for Shi Qingqing's presence.
Fortunately, the mental connection was always open, allowing them to share information in real time. Zhang You was the fastest: [There's nothing on the second floor from the left corridor to the main entrance.]
Guo Guo followed closely behind: [There's no sign in the left corridor on the third floor either. I'm heading to the right.]
Tang Xin Jue: [I'm still searching the left corridor on the fourth floor. There are quite a lot of people on this floor, and they're all very agitated. I'm worried they might break into Room 404 and cause trouble for Wan Qing.]
After a moment, she continued, "Perhaps, have you ever considered another possibility...that it is absolutely impossible for us to find Shi Qingqing?"
Guo Guo: [??? What does that mean?]
Zhang You was silent for two seconds, then said, "Are you saying this is a trap set by the dungeon?"
So far, this dungeon clearly has many unknown rules. For example, the alternation between plot-based and non-plot-based content, the fragmented interior of the dormitory building, the confusing NPC movements, the unpredictable attitude towards the foursome, and so on... Just like they can never "actively find" certain students in the dorms, if the dungeon's premise is that "the escaped Shi Qingqing cannot be found," then even if they spend ten afternoons, let alone an entire one, they still won't find what they're supposed to.
Zhang You: [Even if we really can't find it, we still have to try our best. At least we can't let Li Qi down.]
Guo Guo nodded vigorously: "Yes! That's the truth."
…
Why can't I let her down?
After a moment of silence, Tang Xinjue suddenly asked this question.
She added in her usual calm voice:
[In terms of status, she is the NPC taking the exam, and we are the examinees. We have neither responsibilities nor obligations to each other.]
[From a standpoint, even if she has objectively helped us in the past, it doesn't mean that everything she does will be beneficial to us - don't forget, the sole right to interpret the rules of the dungeon belongs to the dungeon itself, not an NPC.]
[Most importantly, her purpose was to protect her roommate, but what does that have to do with us? Shi Qingqing isn't our roommate; our only goal is to pass the exam. Do you remember the name of this exam?]
Guo Guo: […A documentary about online dating scams.]
Tang Xin Jue: [So far, what about online dating? What about scams? We haven't even seen the shadow of the scam ring, have we? Has the true main plot of this exam progressed at all? Evening study is coming up soon, and no one knows what we'll face there, but now we have to waste so much time satisfying the needs of an NPC. Even if she is related to the hidden plot , I don't think this is a good deal.]
[……]
Before Zhang You and Zheng Wanqing could even say anything, Guo Guo had already given up on thinking: "You know, I'm not good at this kind of logical thinking. So, you guys can discuss it yourselves, and I'll just be responsible for the execution."
After saying that, Guo Guo unilaterally severed the mental connection and never made a sound again.
As for the remaining three people, Zhang You insisted on checking the entire second floor before reluctantly saying, "There's really nothing. I'll check again. If there's still nothing..."
Tang Xin Jue advised her: "Sometimes, sacrifice is a necessary condition for success. There is no perfect situation in the world. Imperfection is the norm, isn't it?"
[……you're right.]
Zhang You finally made up his mind.
Li Qi's search area was on the first floor, but she obviously found nothing. When Zhang You found her to explain the situation, Li Qi's voice was no longer as firm and sharp as before. She agreed tiredly without saying anything.
There were still three or four hours left until evening self-study, and the closer it got, the more frantic the other students became. On their way back, Zhang You and Tang Xinjue would occasionally see anxious or angry girls appearing and disappearing at the end of the corridor. Some would stare intently at 606 and ask them:
"Did anyone come to school this afternoon? Did we submit our complaint form?"
Zhang You replied calmly, "Because the complaint forms were incomplete, they were rejected. However, we refuted the school's unreasonable demands and secured security protection. Now we need to find the few people who didn't submit the forms. Could you help find them?"
The person opposite looked at them with a complicated expression for a long time, but in the end did nothing. He just pointed in a random direction and turned around and left in a hurry.
Back on the fourth floor, Guo Guo was already waiting in dormitory 404. Seeing Zhang You and the others return, he whispered, "I feel like these people can tell what we did... They're not as aggressive as I thought."
In other words, after Guo Guo and Zhang You defeated the school NPCs at noon, the hostility displayed by these girls seemed to have subtly decreased. Amidst the ongoing chaos within the building, the foursome surprisingly didn't suffer any actual attacks. They even found two new complaint forms on the floor outside their dormitory around 4 p.m.
Using this time, several people thoroughly reviewed the copy situation and made preparations.
Evening self-study is undoubtedly the most dangerous activity at present. At least in this process, the school is the biggest enemy, and the danger of other student NPCs is not that great.
But at the same time, leaving the dormitory building means that many restrictions can be unlocked - such as mobile phone signals.
"Be more open-minded. Maybe this won't be a bad thing." Guo Guo said optimistically, "Maybe after we all have evening self-study, there won't be any Punishers attacking us in the middle of the night."
Zheng Wanqing chuckled softly: "I hope your idea comes true."
At exactly 4:30 in the afternoon , the building suddenly became quiet.
The four of them didn't even react and subconsciously walked out the door. When they went down to the lobby on the first floor, there were already more than 20 people lined up at the door. Every girl had a blank expression and their eyes were out of focus.
But what was somewhat surprising was that Shi Qingqing was standing next to Li Qi. It seemed that she had found her in time. Shi Qingqing tugged at Li Qi's sleeve, timidly, but did not scream or run away again. Instead, she stood quietly where she was.
The school teacher who led the team this time was a tall, serious middle-aged woman with a long face. She led everyone without saying a word, and drove them one by one to the track leading to the teaching building as if she were guarding a flock of sheep.
Zhang You and the other two, supporting the frailest Zheng Wanqing, walked at the rear of the group. They noticed a thin layer of fog outside the dormitory building. It wasn't thick, but it made it difficult to see the surroundings. They could only vaguely sense a large and vast campus, and the air was tinged with an uncomfortably cold chill.
[It's different from the last headless instance.]
Zhang You said in his sea of consciousness.
If the last time could be said to be a strange incident happening on a seemingly normal university campus, then this time, no part of the entire school could be described as "normal."
I walked quietly and at a steady pace for an unknown amount of time before the teaching campus slowly appeared before my eyes.
Guo Guo subconsciously looked up and saw a tall building so high that the top could not be seen suddenly came into view. At first glance, it seemed to have plunged into the clouds of unknown depth, and countless glass windows reflected the dark cold light uniformly.
[Look...?]
When she reacted, she was stunned. The building in front of her had turned into an ordinary teaching building, about five or six stories high. The building was shrouded in mist and the details could not be seen clearly.
"What happened?" someone else asked.
They hadn't seen what Guo Guo had just glimpsed, and their eyes were filled with confusion and hearing.
[Nothing, maybe my eyes are blurry.]
Guo Guo shook his head, took one last look at the teaching campus, and then followed the team into the teaching building.
Ding-ling-ling——
The familiar bell rang in the silent and empty teaching building, and everyone's heart began to beat wildly.
At five o'clock sharp, evening self-study is about to begin.
