Gather at the Gymnasium

"What? Let Lin Qiye give orders directly to Hongying and Xiaonan? Captain, isn't that inappropriate?" Wu Xiangnan's eyes widened in disbelief.

Had the captain fallen under Lin Qiye's spell? Qiye was a rookie who had been a Nightwatcher for less than a month. Letting him take part in this mission was already an exception. If he didn't know No. 2 High School so well, and if Old Zhao weren't bedridden, Wu Xiangnan would have stopped the captain no matter what.

"Follow your orders!"

"Yes! Qiye, the captain has just appointed you acting commander for this operation. Hongying, Xiaonan, you're to follow Lin Qiye's lead from now on! Qiye, this operation is of the utmost importance. You must remember a Nightwatcher's duty: eliminate the mysteries and protect innocent civilians!" Wu Xiangnan immediately shouted to the team over the communicator.

"Leng Xuan, use Boundless Airspace to cover the entire school and keep the monster from escaping!"

"Yes, Captain Wu!" The team members' answers came through the communicator at the same time.

Although Hongying and Si Xiaonan were somewhat puzzled, the captain's orders had to be carried out to the letter. Obeying a superior's orders was a Nightwatcher's duty.

The two had just taken Lin Qiye's advice and were heading to investigate the girls' dormitory when the new orders came through, before they had even reached its entrance.

"Hongying, Xiaonan, don't go into the girls' dormitory yet. Just keep watch outside. The monster's true body might be in the dormitory building, but I've got a new plan now. We can't alert it," Lin Qiye said over the headset.

"All right, we'll do as you say. We'll stay on standby for now!"

"Li Yifei, go to the infirmary and find me a few sets of earplugs. Cotton balls will do if they don't have any!" Lin Qiye continued issuing instructions.

"Huh? Earplugs? Okay, but wait, are the staff in the infirmary monsters?" Li Yifei was a little confused, but since he was now a temporary Nightwatcher, he naturally had to do as Lin Qiye said.

"I just checked. The infirmary staff are all fine. Hurry up, then find Hongying and Xiaonan and give them the earplugs. Put some in yourself, too."

After hearing that, Li Yifei raced off to the infirmary.

Lin Qiye himself quickly went upstairs to the principal's office.

Although several school administrators had already been infected, the principal had not, which gave Lin Qiye considerable room to act.

When he had still been a student, he had been somewhat wary and respectful of the principal's position. But now he was both God's Agent and a Nightwatcher, no longer in the same world as these ordinary people who lived in ignorance. He therefore had nothing to fear from the principal.

Lin Qiye pushed the door open and went in, startling the principal.

"Can I help you, young man?" The principal was a middle-aged man who looked refined and cultured, but he was clearly not doing anything work-related. He clicked his mouse several times in a fluster, apparently closing a few web pages or programs.

Ignoring the strange moans that had just come from the computer, Lin Qiye gave him a direct order. "Principal, I want you to make an announcement. Everyone in the school is to gather in the auditorium now, including teachers, students, and all staff. Tell them you have something important to announce."

No one at this school had ever bossed the principal around like this before. Lin Qiye had also interrupted his "important business," and anger flared up inside him.

"I'm the principal of No. 2 High School, not you! What class are you in? Why aren't you in class? What are you doing in the principal's office? Take me to your classroom! I'll issue a school-wide reprimand against you!"

But was Lin Qiye still the same Lin Qiye who had run around in terror of a monster on his way home from school half a month ago? Faced with the principal's fury, he merely gave a quiet scoff. Then golden light flashed in his eyes, and he grabbed the principal's arm.

"I don't have time to bullshit with you. The safety of hundreds of people at this school is at stake! I'm carrying out a mission! Hurry up and do as I say!" Under Michael's divine might, Lin Qiye's voice was filled with unquestionable authority.

The principal was only an ordinary man. How could he withstand Michael's divine might? His legs went weak, and he nearly fell to his knees to kowtow to Lin Qiye.

"All right, young man—oh, no, comrade, I'll make the announcement right away!" Obeying the orders of one's superiors was one of every living creature's instincts.

"Attention, all teachers, students, and staff. Stop what you are doing immediately. Teachers, lead your students to the auditorium. The school has something important to announce to everyone! I repeat, everyone is to gather in the auditorium!"

After delivering the announcement to everyone on campus through the principal's dedicated channel, he released the button, his forehead drenched in sweat. He cautiously asked Lin Qiye, "Is that all right now? But, young comrade, what are you gathering everyone to announce?"

"Don't worry about that. I'm saving the lives of everyone at this school! You're coming with me to the auditorium now. Oh, right, if you have earplugs, put them in later." With that one warning, Lin Qiye went out the door.

Earplugs? What was he planning to do?

The principal didn't understand, but, in awe of those intensely oppressive golden eyes he had just seen, he hurriedly retrieved the earplugs he wore for his midday naps from under his desk. Lin Qiye then dragged him off toward the auditorium at the back of the school.

In the classrooms, all the teachers and students were baffled by the announcement, which had come out of nowhere.

"Why are we going to the auditorium?"

"Are classes canceled?"

"Great! We don't have to recite the text this period!"

"Ugh, there goes gym class again."

The students all talked at once.

The teachers were somewhat confused as well, but this was the principal's order, after all. Since he had personally made the announcement over the loudspeaker, it had to be very important. They hurriedly organized their classes into lines and led them to the auditorium.

"The auditorium? An announcement with no explanation, that little disturbance during the flag-raising ceremony, and a flag bearer who wasn't supposed to be onstage today... It looks like something unexpected really has happened at the school," An Qingyu, who was in class, muttered thoughtfully to himself.

Interesting. It looks like something interesting is about to happen!

As Lin Qiye hurried downstairs, he didn't forget to tell Hongying, Xiaonan, and Li Yifei, who were still on standby, the next part of his plan over the headset.

"Li Yifei, give the earplugs to Hongying and Xiaonan, and put some in yourself. Remember, make sure they're firmly in place! Ideally, you shouldn't be able to hear anything outside! Hongying, Xiaonan, the auditorium only has two entrances. Once everyone is inside, you two must block both exits. Don't let anyone out."

"But, Qiye, there are monsters mixed in with the crowd. If you do that and the monsters start slaughtering people, won't an enclosed space like the auditorium become their hunting ground?" Hongying questioned him with a frown.

"Getting the monsters together is exactly what I want!" Lin Qiye said firmly. "Sister Hongying, trust me. The captain has already put his faith in my plan too. Nothing will go wrong!"

Hongying hesitated for a moment before deciding to trust Lin Qiye's judgment after all. But she was on the highest possible alert. If something really did go wrong, she could not treat the lives of those innocent teachers and students as a joke.

Still dragging the principal along, Lin Qiye hurried to the auditorium, only to find Li Yifei standing outside in a daze.

"What are you doing out here? Why haven't you gone in? Didn't you hear what I just said?" Lin Qiye was this close to kicking him.

"Huh? Qiye, I was waiting for your next instructions. Why did you go quiet? Why are you moving your mouth without making a sound?" Li Yifei looked in confusion at Lin Qiye behind him.

"You idiot! Why were you in such a hurry to shove the earplugs in?"