Global Collapse-Chapter 618 - 586: Onlookers Burst into Applause_1

Teacher Slaughter, his lips curled in a crimson grin, shooed the children away from the doorway.

It was worth mentioning that his expression didn't resemble that of an uncle coaxing children, but rather the big bad wolf from fairy tales, intent on tricking little girls.

Perhaps due to their profoundly distorted worldview, the smiles of these Upper Class People invariably sent chills down one's spine and made one's hair stand on end.

Before leading the children away, Teacher Slaughter glanced into the room. He had no intention of wasting his gaze on the despicable Lower Class People, merely wanting to ensure they were behaving.

Unexpectedly, however, he spotted a familiar figure.

Teacher Slaughter's pupils constricted.

That Lower Class Person… He's the one I noticed this morning.

A strange sense of dread washed over Teacher Slaughter. He froze momentarily, sensing a vague familiarity, yet no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't recall where he had encountered this person before.

For an Upper Class Person to feel fear towards a Lower Class Person was utterly inconceivable.

Damn it, why do I have this feeling, as if I've seen him somewhere before… Could he have participated in the Slaughter Game previously? No, only a few Lower Class People survived the more than one hundred installments of the Slaughter Game. My memory of those survivors is crystal clear, and he certainly wasn't among them…

If he takes off his mask… If he takes off his mask, perhaps I could recognize him.

Thinking this, Teacher Slaughter straightened up slightly, his gaze fixated on Gu Mian's mask.

However, his height of less than 1.6 meters made the scene somewhat comical; to stare at Gu Mian, he had to tilt his head up slightly, adopting an almost reverent posture.

Mr. Green failed to notice this.

He walked straight to Gu Mian, staring him down. "You, remove your mask."

The children looked up at Teacher Slaughter in confusion, and the Lower Class People also turned their gazes towards Gu Mian.

The atmosphere in the room instantly became strange.

007, who had been about to try and gather information, froze. She cautiously edged a few steps closer to Gu Mian, ready to hand over the chainsaw he had entrusted to her for safekeeping.

Gu Mian, however, was in a predicament.

He looked down at Teacher Slaughter standing before him.

Because he had removed his white coat and was wearing a mask, the "anchor" that marked his identity was gone, preventing Teacher Slaughter from recognizing him at a glance.

But if he removed his mask now, Teacher Slaughter would definitely recognize him.

Gu Mian had initially planned to secretly search for the high-ranking NPC in the instance without revealing his identity, but now it seemed his plan needed to change.

A new strategy was already forming in his mind.

If I remove my mask now, Teacher Slaughter will undoubtedly meet a grim end. My only option is to capture him and threaten him into leading me to the person I'm searching for. The process might be convoluted, but a good outcome is all that matters.

The children, who had already run back, were excited. They had been itching for trouble, and having their initial chosen target thwarted had clearly annoyed them. Now, seeing Teacher Slaughter target Gu Mian, they grew even more thrilled, craning their necks to watch the show unfold.

Gu Mian looked at Teacher Slaughter before him, then at the children at the doorway eagerly waiting for a spectacle. He sighed and raised a hand to the clown mask on his face.

Meanwhile, 007 had stealthily moved behind Gu Mian, ready to produce the chainsaw at a moment's notice.

In her mind, she was already fantasizing about the ensuing scene: "The deranged chainsaw serial killer, wanted in multiple nations, appears! A malnourished, dwarfish man and several innocent, weak children are viciously chased, while onlookers cheer wildly!"

Just as 007 was lost in her fantasy, about to join the imaginary crowd in cheering, a voice abruptly shattered her reverie.

"What's this? Instead of inspecting the facilities out front, our Teacher Slaughter is backstage, bullying these poor Lower Class People?"

The voice, clearly that of an older man, came from the doorway.

007, her fantasy interrupted, looked up.

A man was leaning against the doorframe, having appeared as if from nowhere.

Like Teacher Slaughter, the newcomer's skin was also deathly pale—a distinctive trait of the Upper Class People.

The man appeared to be in his forties or fifties and was somewhat heavyset. He wore a loose, light-blue shirt under a gray sweater vest, his paunch straining the fabric. Below, he had on baggy brown sweatpants and black shoes with white soles. A yellow hat sat atop his head, though thinning, light blond hair, streaked with a considerable amount of gray, peeked out from the sides.

"Team Leader Lu Yi," Teacher Slaughter said, turning to the man in the doorway, his tone provocative. "You always show such remarkable concern for these Lower Class People, don't you?"

Gu Mian looked at the new Upper Class Person. Lu Yi? Is this their mission target? He seems to be the ringmaster of the Circus.

"The audience loves their performances, so naturally, I value them," Lu Yi replied. "But what brings you backstage? Shouldn't you be inspecting the stage equipment? After the Forbidden Zone was destroyed, you were begging for a job here. I didn't expect you to grow restless so soon, wandering about at such a critical time."

Gu Mian could practically see Teacher Slaughter's hair bristle with anger.

The destruction of the Forbidden Zone was indeed a sore spot for him.

"I'm not wandering aimlessly. I've just found someone suspicious," Teacher Slaughter retorted, struggling to suppress his anger as he pointed at Gu Mian. "This man is very strange."

"Oh?" Lu Yi shifted his gaze to Gu Mian, his eyes lingering on the mask for a few moments. "Then pray tell, Mr. Slaughter, what exactly is so strange about this employee of mine?"

This question stumped Teacher Slaughter.

He couldn't very well say that the sight of this Lower Class Person filled him with dread.

And if he claimed familiarity, he still couldn't recall who this person was.

Teacher Slaughter frowned. "I feel like he's very familiar, that I've definitely seen him somewhere. If he takes off his mask, I'm sure I'll remember who he is!"

"You must be joking," Lu Yi said with a smile. He stepped forward and patted Teacher Slaughter's shoulder. "Over the years, the only time you've had contact with Lower Class People was during the Slaughter Game. Across more than a hundred installments of that show, almost no one managed to leave the Forbidden Zone alive. The few Lower Class People who did survive are accounted for, and you know perfectly well where they ended up. Other than those few, there are no other Lower Class People who could possibly be acquainted with you."