Global Collapse-Chapter 490 - 461: Conscience Awakening, Prodigal Son Returns, The Radiance of the Holy Mother Illuminates the Earth_1
"Rules.
"Long-standing rules that are indelibly imprinted in our minds often don't need to be stated specifically. When you go to a supermarket, for example, there will be a sign at the entrance that says 'No Pets Allowed,' but there won't be one that says 'No Killing.'
"Because 'no killing' is deeply embedded in our minds, just like you can't rob a bank, just like you can't hold a rave in school..."
Gu Mian believed Chu Changge was right. He had never seen a sign saying "Robbery Prohibited" in any bank, nor a school rule that banned raves on campus.
At this moment, Gu Mian was still in the girls' dormitory, which he had entered without any hindrance.
Despite this, Gu Mian did not think his gender might be an issue.
It's just a glitch in the game program, he thought.
Chu Changge, however, was not in the dormitory. His voice was coming from the speakers on the corridor wall. It wasn't intentionally directed at Gu Mian; rather, Gu Mian discovered Chu Changge's voice was resonating throughout the entire school. Everyone could hear it through the school's loudspeakers.
Gu Mian guessed he might be in the broadcasting room, and judging by his tone... it seemed he had accidentally turned on the broadcast switch while talking to someone.
Chu Changge's voice continued: "...just like you can't cheat during exams."
Gu Mian was certain that other players would feel a chill down their spines, tears streaming uncontrollably, upon hearing this.
"Each candidate's test paper is different. This prevents candidates from copying others' papers and greatly reduces the chance of cheating. However, someone came up with a new idea: working on the problems together.
"For example, like during our usual exams, a group of people might gather to work on one problem, or you work on my problem and I work on yours. That is also cheating."
Chu Changge's voice paused at that point.
Gu Mian heard movement from the speaker, as if someone had taken a few steps in the broadcasting room.
Then he heard a noise from outside the window. Gu Mian leaned over to look and saw a group of candidates huddled together below, accidentally knocking over a trash can.
"I just came from the surveillance room next door. According to the footage, any candidates who interfere with another person's exam questions will die. Ghosts cannot arbitrarily kill their own designated examinee, but they can relentlessly hunt down others who interfere with exam questions. As long as you've interfered with someone else's exam questions and are still in this school, you will undoubtedly die."
A long silence ensued after this statement.
After about ten seconds, Gu Mian finally heard Chu Changge's voice continue: "Don't tell the other players about this. The more people who die, the higher our rankings will be."
Xiao Qiao took two steps forward, peering at the control panel behind Chu Changge. "But it seems like you left the broadcast switch on just now."
"Ah," Chu Changge turned his head to look at the control panel and switched off the broadcast. "It's off now."
"Don't tell other players? Yeah, right! I heard everything," Fatty muttered. He had just left Teaching Building No. 9 when he heard Chu Changge's voice echoing throughout the school.
He finally understood that he hadn't been caught by ghosts while solving the questions not because he was brave or cunning, but because he hadn't broken the rules.
There were also players in twos and threes on the path he was on, all gathered together.
These people visibly panicked; they must have been among those who had "worked on the problems together."
But Chu Changge's words didn't stun all the players.
"I think he did it on purpose," Anzhi Tianlan said, looking at her teammates beside her, who were already starting to get scared. They were currently near a green belt on East Campus Road. "How could he coincidentally say such things in the broadcasting room, and then coincidentally leave the switch on for us to hear?"
The Junior Sister frowned. "You mean he..."
"Wants to scare us off," Anzhi Tianlan said, looking towards the distant teaching building. "He deliberately mentioned, 'as long as you are still in this school, you will certainly die.' The exam has been going on for over an hour, and ninety percent of the players have worked together, interfering with others' exam questions. His choosing to say this now is obviously to drive people away."
Candidates could leave the school at any time, provided they handed in their papers first.
"Because if they hand in their papers early and leave, their scores won't be too high, right? That way, the players who stay until the end will get higher scores," the Junior Sister pondered.
"That's correct," Anzhi Tianlan nodded.
She remembered that Doctor again, the one they had met during the instance and the dragon boat event.
When the broadcast voice sounded overhead, she had subconsciously thought it was that Doctor causing trouble.
But listening closely, she could tell their voices were different. This man's voice was calm and steady, unlike that somewhat neurotic Doctor's tone.
"So, should we continue answering the questions?" The Junior Sister was also quite shaken. The man on the broadcast was right; most players did team up, just like she and Anzhi Tianlan had.
The two of them had gone to the question locations together, and now both had filled in an answer for one question each.
「At this moment, Xiao Qiao and Chu Changge were still in the broadcasting room.」
After separating from Fatty, Xiao Qiao had been exploring on her own and happened to run into Chu Changge in the broadcasting room.
Chu Changge, his back to the control panel, pushed up his glasses. "Unpredictable ghosts are what players fear most. More so than ghosts who kill according to rules, players are more afraid of ghosts who lack a pattern and can kill at any time.
"It's like how students are more afraid of the class teacher who might press their face against the back door glass at any moment, than of the discipline teacher who inspects on schedule.
"More than half of the candidates in this school are already dead, and the rest are in a state of panic. They've discovered that the ghosts in this event seem to kill without reason. They can strike at any time, unbound by any rules... Unlike in instances and other events, where simply staying on the boat during the Dragon Boat event would ensure your survival, or where you could use reasoning to escape pursuit in an instance, it doesn't work here.
"And since I've just explained to them why they are being hunted so erratically, the number of people in the school should decrease further."
Xiao Qiao had a sudden realization. "You want the players to leave the school?"
So, that last sentence he said, "Don't tell other players," was also a lie, she realized.
Chu Changge paused for a moment, then took two steps forward in the darkness, leaving the broadcasting room. "I dislike crowds."
Xiao Qiao turned to look at Chu Changge's retreating figure. "But is what you said true?"
"It is true." Chu Changge took a few more steps, his figure disappearing into the darkness.
Gu Mian, in the girls' dormitory, had heard everything, including Xiao Qiao's "But it seems like you left the broadcast switch on just now."
He immediately understood. So, Chu Changge wants the players who fell into the trap to run? And then he added that bit about not letting others know...
Considering Chu Changge's usual way of doing things, he's probably trying to set someone up, Gu Mian thought.
Then again, maybe not. What if he's had a sudden crisis of conscience, decided to turn over a new leaf, and is now radiating the benevolence of a reformed saint? Gu Mian mused, turning to leave the dormitory. At that moment, his peripheral vision caught something outside the window.
From his position, Gu Mian had a clear view of the school fence not far from the dormitory building. When he saw what was outside, he froze as if struck by lightning.
Ghosts outside... and two of them... Gu Mian registered.
Xiao Hong had somehow climbed onto the fence. She was sitting there happily, reaching out to her brother who was still outside.
Gu Mian's mouth opened in serene shock.
007 was being relentlessly chased by an invigilator.
She had recognized Chu Changge's voice on the broadcast long ago. After hearing his announcement, she had decided to turn in her paper and leave.
Although 007 hadn't interfered with anyone else's exam questions, her intuition told her something was off about this event. So, holding a paper with only three questions answered, she had tried to return to the examination hall to submit it.
Unexpectedly, she ran into an invigilator beneath Building No. 6.
The moment she saw the invigilator, 007 turned and bolted, sprinting towards the No. 4 girls' dormitory directly opposite.
As she turned to flee, she saw several candidates poking their heads out of a window in Building No. 6, apparently watching her predicament for entertainment.
The candidates in the examination hall didn't need to worry about being caught by invigilators, which was why they dared to look.
007 had no time for onlookers. She ran desperately towards the main entrance of the No. 4 dormitory, hoping to rush into the building and hide.
But the invigilator was too fast. Just two seconds after she dashed through the dormitory entrance, the invigilator also reached the gate, less than five meters behind her.
At this distance, she knew she couldn't outrun them.
It seemed more and more people were looking out from the windows above.
But just as the invigilators outside the door were about to enter the girls' dormitory, 007 suddenly heard an extremely loud, furious voice from above her:
"ALL OF YOU, GET OUT!"
The voice was incredibly piercing, its source unclear from which floor, yet it seemed to contain boundless fury. The entire No. 4 dormitory now echoed with this sound.
At that moment, 007 saw the invigilators outside the door stop in unison. Then, they turned around, leaving her with the lonely sight of their retreating backs.
After watching a dozen invigilators depart, she instinctively looked up. Of course, 007 recognized the voice. Even though its owner sounded furious now, she had never seen that person angry before.
007 didn't think Gu Mian's shout was for her, because although it was very loud, she could tell it wasn't coming from nearby.
It sounded like it came from a few floors above... but how did Gu Mian even get into the girls' dormitory? 007 wondered.
The shout was so loud that several buildings around Dormitory No. 4 could hear it. The candidates in the Building No. 6 examination hall had been watching the female player being chased. Unexpectedly, this roar came out of nowhere, startling the unprepared onlookers.
But they soon realized they weren't the only ones startled. The invigilators who had chased the female player to the entrance of the girls' dormitory had actually responded to the call, stopping in unison... and then turned around and left?
"They left?" A player watching the spectacle through binoculars wiped his lenses. "My binoculars aren't broken, are they?"
Xiao Hong was also startled by Gu Mian's deadly roar. She literally jumped on the fence and then tumbled off, falling to the ground outside with a THUD.
Her brother's gaze followed the sound and locked onto Gu Mian. At that moment, he was crouching obediently outside the fence, as if he had never been involved in any wall-climbing attempt.
Seeing Xiao Hong fall outside, Gu Mian finally closed his mouth.
If those two came in, they might never get out again, Gu Mian thought.
