During the evening Chinese self-study period, the classroom had a much stronger studious atmosphere than before. Everyone had their heads down, leafing through books and silently memorizing passages.
The exam was tomorrow! If they didn't study now, when would they?!
As Ye Chu flipped through 64 Essential Classical Poems for High School, a question suddenly occurred to him. This school only taught four subjects, so why was the maximum score 750 points, just like the college entrance exam?
The next day, Ye Chu stared at an integrated science paper, deep in thought. Had anyone taught them these three subjects?
Sure enough, a chorus of wails rose behind him.
"What the fuck? Why are they testing us on things we haven't learned?!"
"They only teach math and Chinese, and they have the nerve to send students to take the college entrance exam? Fuck this shit."
"Are they insane?! Do they have no fucking clue what they actually taught us?!"
"I studied humanities in high school, damn it!"
"We're screwed. How are we supposed to get over 500 points?!!"
The barrage of curses only earned a sidelong glance from the invigilator, who held her scorebook.
"Student 'I'm a Dumbass,' two points deducted for swearing."
"Student 'Wu Hu, Granny Liu Went to Granny Liu to Buy Liu...,' two points deducted for swearing."
"..."
Once someone lost points, silence returned to the classroom. Everyone shut their complaining mouths, resigned themselves to their fate, picked up their papers, and started looking for questions they could answer.
Fortunately, Ye Chu still remembered what he had learned in high school. Though he stumbled here and there, he made reasonably smooth progress. At least he could score over 210 on the 300-point integrated science paper.
The exam seating followed the order in which they had entered the class. Wu You sat behind Ye Chu, still muttering curses under her breath.
Ye Chu tore a small strip off his scratch paper, wrote down his answers, and crumpled it into a ball. The instant the invigilator turned her head, he tossed it onto Wu You's desk.
The moment Wu You saw the little paper ball, she snatched it into her palm. She looked up to confirm that the damned invigilator hadn't noticed anything on their side of the room, then lowered her head and unfolded it as if nothing had happened.
"ACBBD CDBAA ACCDA. Written-response answers in a bit."
Wu You looked up again. Gazing at Ye Chu's back, she suddenly felt that he stood taller. For one fleeting instant, she saw light, she saw hope, she saw the Holy World Bodhisattva.
She couldn't let the Holy World Bodhisattva's efforts go to waste. Wu You immediately picked up her pen and copied away at full speed.
Ye Chu continued copying the written-response answers onto his scratch paper, preparing to toss them back to Wu You shortly.
He was so absorbed in copying that he momentarily forgot the invigilator's footsteps made no sound. A withered, bluish-white hand suddenly landed on his desk, making him flinch.
He jerked his head up and saw the invigilator staring at his name badge with red eyes, her bone-white teeth exposed in a stiff smile.
"..." She didn't know how to pronounce those characters.
"Student," she said, her voice rasping like broken bellows, "are you cheating?"
Ye Chu spread out the crumpled paper in his hand without batting an eye. "No, ma'am. I finished the exam and got bored, so I copied my answers again." He looked perfectly calm, as though things really were exactly as he had described.
"Oh." The invigilator seemed to believe him. Just as Ye Chu began to feel relieved, he saw two fingers tap his desk. "Come to my office after the exam."
Ye Chu: ...
He still hadn't managed to get out of it.
After the bell rang to mark the end of the exam, Ye Chu handed his paper to the student collecting them and followed the invigilator toward the office.
Wu You caught the hem of his shirt. Being called to the office alone couldn't mean anything good. Ye Chu patted her hand and gave her a reassuring look.
Ye Chu had already worked out a plan during the exam. Since he had no choice but to go to the office, he might as well take advantage of it and search for clues there.
If all else failed, he could use poison to save his life.
But he hadn't expected to see this when he entered the office...
The music teacher slumped over the desk. "Could one of you cover my class tomorrow?"
"Not me," the Chinese teacher said, adjusting their glasses. "I covered your class last week. It's your turn to cover mine this week."
"Really?" the music teacher asked uncertainly. "The school suddenly changed its teaching model. Neither music nor PE needs to hold classes anymore. Why don't you two go in our place?"
The PE Teacher nodded in agreement. He had inexplicably been beaten up during his last class, and his body still hadn't recovered.
"You don't need to hold classes anymore?" The math teacher gave them a sidelong look. "Then there's no reason for you to exist, is there? In that case, we shouldn't waste..."
The music teacher hurriedly retreated two steps. "No, no, no! I don't want to die yet. Eat the PE Teacher first."
The PE Teacher straightened indignantly. "Why should you eat me first?! Because I'm in bad shape and can't teach PE?!"
"What else?" The music teacher raised their voice too, two tentacles lashing out from behind them. "You got beaten up by a student and don't even know who did it. Aren't you ashamed to let people hear about that?"
"You have the nerve to criticize me?" The PE Teacher's serrated teeth ground together with a buzzing sound. "Your music classes are a pile of garbage too!"
"Who are you calling garbage?!"
"You!"
The tentacles lashed faster and faster. Suddenly, the two lunged at each other and began tearing into one another with their teeth, sending flesh and blood flying.
The math teacher frowned in disgust and silently moved her thermos farther away.
The Chinese teacher looked at her. "Aren't you going to stop them?"
As the homeroom teacher for this building, the math teacher naturally had the most authority. Yet now she watched the two fighting as though enjoying a show. "Why stop them? It'd be perfect if one died. We'd get another meal of meat."
Although the time they had joined forces to kill the English teacher had displeased that being and provoked its furious wrath, their colleague's flesh really had tasted delicious.
Monsters that remembered the meal but forgot the punishment.
Besides, those two were fighting now. It had nothing to do with her. She would merely take a share of the meat once they were finished.
Just then, a scrap of flesh suddenly flew over and landed with uncanny accuracy inside the thermos the math teacher had just opened.
Some of the blood inside splashed out onto the desk.
The math teacher: "..."
She stared at the scarlet liquid on the desktop in silence for a few seconds, then slowly stood and licked her teeth. "Who threw that piece of meat just now?"
Knock, knock, knock... The knocking interrupted everyone in the room, and the invigilator came in with Ye Chu.
The moment Ye Chu entered, he saw the PE Teacher and music teacher still waving their tentacles.
Ye Chu: "..." Should I pretend I didn't see that?
With her attempt to eat someone interrupted, the math teacher looked displeased. She glared at the invigilator with something close to fury, her voice rising sharply. "What are you doing here?!"
The invigilator trembled in fright and dragged Ye Chu in front of her, shielding herself from the math teacher's ravenous gaze. "This student is suspected of cheating. I..."
Ye Chu: "..."
The math teacher looked Ye Chu over, her anger subsiding a little. She licked her teeth again and said eerily, "Cheating isn't a good habit, you know."
Ye Chu felt a chill behind him. "I didn't cheat." Bone-white, ice-cold teeth stopped at the back of his neck. Just a little closer, and they would have bitten through his major artery.
Ye Chu felt the icy presence behind him gradually recede. He slowly let out a breath. He had nearly died right there.
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