Chapter 84

At 9:03 AM, in Snow City.

Ji Qing was jolted awake by the alarm he had set yesterday.

With eyes blurred by sleep, he reached out to touch the alarm on the bedside table and turned it off by instinct. Just as he was about to settle back for a catnap, another alarm went off.

The chaotic noise was incredibly irritating.

Ji Qing let out a heavy sigh in his heart, then got out of bed, walked to the desk, and turned off the alarm.

Now, he was finally wide awake.

Ji Qing lay back on the inn’s bed, staring blankly at the ceiling in a daze. Memories of yesterday were flooding back into his mind, and he knew without thinking that today would be just as tense as the day before.

"Time to go wash up."

Expressionless, Ji Qing stepped into his cotton slippers and walked toward the bathroom.

As he brushed his teeth, he mentally pre-planned his next moves: the World Book could wait a bit. The Dawn Society had waited an entire semester, after all; a little more time wouldn't hurt. For now, the most urgent matters were the Black Box and the situation at the school.

The sooner the Winter Break Practicum ended, the better.

Having made up his mind, Ji Qing quickly used his terminal to contact the staff of the Federal Railway Bureau. Since there were three Black Boxes to be collected, the staff members were currently waiting in Snow City. Ji Qing confirmed the meeting time with them and then prepared to go eat breakfast.

Compared to Yancheng, the region where Snow City was located was in the north. Many of the breakfasts provided by the inn featured northern characteristics, such as Hulatang, Roujiamo, and Youcha.

While eating breakfast, Ji Qing didn't forget to remind his teammates about the meeting time.

They had to write a mission report once the task was finished. To prevent his teammates from having nothing to write about, Ji Qing was being quite a responsible captain. He had even specifically chosen 1:00 PM for the meeting.

This would definitely not interfere with his teammates' plans to explore Snow City today.

After Jiang Cuo received the message from Ji Qing, his first reaction was to ask, "Where are we eating for lunch?" Ji Qing found this amusing; had this guy been completely enchanted by last night’s Chinese food?

On the other hand, Xie Chang’an’s response was a bit slow.

After Ji Qing and Jiang Cuo had exchanged at least ten sentences, Xie Chang’an briefly replied with a "Mm."

Mm? Just 'mm'? Ji Qing frowned.

To be honest, Ji Qing still hadn't adapted to interacting with Xie Chang’an. He could chat quite well with Li Yuan, so why was he so silent here?

It was truly bizarre.

Ji Qing’s morning was thus free, and he finally had time to check on the progress of the other two teams: Shao Huayu’s team was still on their way back to the city because they had encountered Infected and were quite far from Snow City; Song Xiaoran’s team was currently in Ding’an City, preparing to catch the noon train back to Snow City.

Both teams had successfully retrieved their Black Boxes.

This was quite normal; Ji Qing didn't think they would run into any accidents. After all, the manga’s protagonist was in his team; if a problem were to occur, it would definitely happen on his side first—though the problem had already happened.

Ji Qing suddenly let out a long sigh.

After finishing these tasks, Ji Qing sat at the writing desk. He planned to browse the manga tonight. A lot had happened recently, so it was time to check the manga, and he was quite curious about the readers' impressions of Li Yuan’s "curtain call" chapter.

Therefore, the mission report needed to be finished during the day, with at least half of it completed in the morning.

Ji Qing took a deep breath and began to honestly fabricate his report. He complained in his heart: This dual-identity situation was really challenging his time-management skills. If he added another persona next time, he didn't know if he’d ever be able to sleep again...

At 11:30 AM, in front of the inn.

Ji Qing successfully met up with his two teammates, and they prepared to go try other Snow City delicacies.

Since it was everyone's first time in Snow City, Ji Qing had included time for searching for places in the itinerary. Jiang Cuo specifically searched for highly-rated restaurants on his terminal, but unfortunately, the taste wasn't as good as the Chinese restaurant from last night.

"I'm done," Jiang Cuo grumbled. "My mood for the day is completely ruined. How about we go back to that Chinese restaurant for dinner tonight, guys?"

Ji Qing said slowly, "I have to write the mission report; I don't have time to go with you."

"Valedictorian, QAQ..." Jiang Cuo immediately looked at Ji Qing with teary eyes. Without Ji Qing, he really didn't want to go out. Xie Chang’an was an option, but he didn't speak most of the time, and how should he put it...

Ever since their dispute, Jiang Cuo had clearly noticed that Xie Chang’an seemed even more preoccupied.

Jiang Cuo found this very strange: Was my pep talk really that bad? Isn't everything as peaceful as I predicted? Wait, wait, wait—could the focus be on the Valedictorian? Is the Valedictorian really that popular with the Class S students?

Jiang Cuo’s gaze toward the two of them suddenly became subtle.

Ji Qing raised his eyes and looked at him flatly, while reminding him, "Don't think things you shouldn't think, and don't do things you shouldn't do."

"I haven't done anything, have I?" Caught red-handed, Jiang Cuo scratched his head awkwardly and then spoke to Xie Chang’an. "Right, buddy?"

"Huh?" Xie Chang’an, who had been spacing out the whole way, said subconsciously.

Jiang Cuo fell silent. "..."

He now finally felt how out of place he was with Class S. There was only a one-semester gap; what exactly was going on? He really wasn't here to break up Class S; he was here to join them!

So, while Jiang Cuo was internally spiraling, he followed Ji Qing to the meeting point.

At 1:03 PM, the three successfully met with the Railway Bureau staff.

Due to the advantage of their distance and mission objective, the trio was the first team to deliver a Black Box. The staff praised the three of them extensively, but Ji Qing couldn't be bothered with small talk; he tactfully interrupted the conversation and made a quick escape.

Ji Qing took the opportunity to ask about the Hunter Guild accounts and learned they were being issued by the homeroom teacher.

Good, Ji Qing thought.

This would make it easier for him to inquire about the situation at the school afterward, especially since Ji Qing wasn't actually very confident about the final spiritual attack he had used. An ability user's combat primarily relied on their ability; spiritual energy only served as a supplement.

No one could say for sure what the effects after suffering a spiritual attack would be.

However, for a certain specific reason, Ji Qing chose to let his two teammates ask the homeroom teacher. If Li Xuehua revealed that the school had been attacked, Xie Chang’an and Jiang Cuo would learn this information without him acting as an intermediary.

This would greatly enhance the independence of the "Valedictorian" and "Li Yuan" personas.

While Ji Qing was secretly marvelling at his own foresight, he couldn't help but pity his teammates, who were being led in circles by him. He thought nonchalantly: It’s also time to handle Xie Chang’an’s sense of déjà vu.

In short, the summary was:

The fact that they are the same person can be exposed, but it cannot be exposed in the early stages of the manga.

Ji Qing couldn't play this trump card yet, especially when he himself was still confused about his own identity. At the very least, he had to wait until he figured out the reason why he had founded or joined the Dawn Society in the first place.

Information on "Qing" wasn't easy to investigate, but information on Li Yuan would definitely be easy to find.

At 2:13 PM, Ji Qing returned the off-road vehicle to the rental shop.

Up to this point, the only thing left for the Winter Practicum was "submitting the mission report." Their makeshift team of three was also on the verge of disbanding. Jiang Cuo asked with a look of reluctance, "Valedictorian, do you really not plan on hanging out together?"

"You know, the next time we meet will be... uh, for the next semester's registration, we should be going to the school?"

"I'm not sure about that," Ji Qing replied flatly.

"We’ve only been together for less than a week..." Jiang Cuo approached with teary eyes. " I feel like I haven't even gotten to know you well yet, Valedictorian. Can't we spend a little more time together?"

"We'll meet again in the future; don't make it sound like a life-and-death parting," Ji Qing said, stepping back coldly.

Despite having spent nearly a week on the Winter Break Practicum, Ji Qing still couldn't adapt to Jiang Cuo's intentional or unintentional transgressions. Every time he heard Jiang Cuo's babbling, he particularly missed You Xingluo's polite distance.

Ji Qing suddenly thought: It seems You Xingluo will arrive in Snow City soon.

However, Ji Qing did not intend to meet the other boy on purpose; they would see each other eventually. He wouldn't just run away after stealing the World Book like he did in the original manga plot.

So far, Ji Qing quite enjoyed his high school life.

Just as Ji Qing was about to wave goodbye to the two of them, Xie Chang’an, who had been silent the whole way, suddenly spoke up: "Um, Ji Qing..."

Ji Qing’s departing steps paused.

Xie Chang’an asked with a heavy expression, "Can I ask... do you really not have a brother who looks exactly like you? Even a distant relative would do."

Jiang Cuo turned back to look at Xie Chang’an in surprise.

He had heard Xie Chang’an ask this question back on the train. At the time, Jiang Cuo hadn't paid it any mind, thinking it was just Xie Chang’an’s way of covering up an awkward conversation, but asking it again at the moment of parting...

Jiang Cuo suddenly sensed a different flavor to it.

"But there really isn't one," Ji Qing answered in a normal tone.

Perhaps because the mission was over, Ji Qing’s attitude was slightly better than before. He said calmly, "I think you have the wrong person."

Xie Chang’an insisted, "Then can you tell me why you know such detailed intelligence from within the Infected circles?"

Seeing this, Jiang Cuo hurriedly pricked up his ears.

He had emphasized this point when he was counseling Xie Chang’an earlier, and now he finally understood why Xie Chang’an had suddenly become preoccupied. Jiang Cuo thought to himself: What's going on? So he really was made preoccupied by my counseling?

So, did Xie Chang’an meet someone who looks a lot like the Valedictorian and is very likely an Infected?

In that case, no wonder he’s so concerned... Jiang Cuo thought with a hint of surprise.

But the Valedictorian's attitude didn't seem fake either, so where exactly was the problem?

Ji Qing’s gaze turned cold upon hearing this. "I don't believe I have any obligation to tell you that."

"Yes." Xie Chang’an first nodded in agreement, then said firmly, "But I feel I at least have a right to know something, don't I?"

The gazes of the two clashed fiercely in the silence. Jiang Cuo, caught between them, was so nervous he forgot to breathe.

Beep, beep, beep—

Someone's terminal suddenly rang.

Jiang Cuo scrambled to cover his terminal and let out a forced laugh. "Sorry, sorry, I just set it back to vibrate, haha... It should be the teacher looking for me, hahaha. You two keep talking, keep talking, don't mind a small fry like me, hahaha..."

However, his forced laughter did not receive a response from either of them.

Both Ji Qing's and Xie Chang’an’s terminals lit up without exception. This was undoubtedly a group message sent to the three of them by the teacher, or perhaps the teacher had posted directly in the class group.

Jiang Cuo’s expression immediately became serious.

He lowered his head to open the communication software on his terminal and quickly spotted the latest class announcement posted by Li Xuehua:

[The Third Ability Academy was infiltrated by Infected at 8:00 PM last night, and dangerous ability items from the Collection Vault were stolen. The school has already reported this to the Federal Government, and the Federation is currently sending people to investigate the losses.

During this period, the school will be under lockdown!

All Class S students are requested to go directly home after finishing their Winter Break Practicum. If there are any items that must be brought home, the teachers will mail them to your respective towns once the lockdown is over! Thank you all for your cooperation!!!]

As soon as Li Xuehua’s announcement appeared, it instantly sent ripples through the class group like a stone dropped into water:

Song Xiaoran: [Infected? Stolen?]

Zhou Que: [Eh, so things like this can actually happen?]

Shao Huayu: [@Li Xuehua, are there any casualties? Which ability items were stolen? Do you need our assistance?]

Ji Qing: [?]

You Xingluo: [?]

Ling You’er: [I'm so scared QAQ]

Li Xuehua: [@Everyone, please do not panic. There are currently no casualties at the school. The stolen ability item is one related to prophecy; currently, the purpose of the organization’s theft cannot be determined. I hope everyone remains calm, does not return to school, and does not spread this news.]

Li Xuehua: [Registration for the start of the next semester is still required at the school. If you have valuables left in the school dorms, you can retrieve them when you come to school then. Unless it is an item that must be retrieved immediately, teachers do not recommend using courier services.

Additionally: The Hunter’s Guild accounts will be delayed due to unavoidable reasons and will be issued to everyone by the end of next month at the latest!

Thank you all for your cooperation! I wish all students a happy winter break!!!]

Feng Youyou: [Understood.]

Liu Mu: [Understood.]

Zhou Que: [Teacher, can you not sound so official every time you speak?]

...

Xie Chang’an had no heart to browse the subsequent messages in the group.

Xie Chang’an’s fingertips trembled slightly as he scrolled back to the initial announcement. Although Li Xuehua’s description was quite vague, how could Xie Chang’an, who had once been part of the plan to seize the World Book, not read the truth hidden beneath her words?

Li Yuan had taken action at 8:00 PM last night... No, how was that possible?

Xie Chang’an thought distractedly: If the Valedictorian and Li Yuan are the same person, how could the Valedictorian, who was sharing a closed space with us at 8:00 PM last night, suddenly appear somewhere else? But if they aren't—

He simply couldn't explain why there were so many similarities between the Valedictorian and Li Yuan.

Not just their appearance, but their manner of speaking, temperament, and even their experiences were very similar. If there were only one similarity, Xie Chang’an could call it a coincidence, but for everything to be similar was extremely strange. He could only make sense of everything if he treated the Valedictorian and Li Yuan as one person, but...

But Li Yuan isn't the Valedictorian.

In truth, Xie Chang’an actually couldn't understand why Li Yuan would intentionally change his identity to meet him. This sounded quite strange, and he had been thinking about it the whole way back. So, are these two really not the same person?

But how could there be two people so similar? Does the Valedictorian know about Li Yuan's existence?

The myriad of thoughts in Xie Chang’an’s mind instantly became entangled.

He was a simple-minded person to begin with, and now that he had unexpectedly encountered such a profound mystery, he even forgot to manage his outward expression. Thus, Ji Qing saw Xie Chang’an’s face shift from confusion to bewilderment to hesitation.

Ji Qing felt a firm wave of pity for Xie Chang’an in his heart.

This was indeed his fault, but who asked Xie Chang’an to be an intuition-based protagonist? In a sense, it was a self-inflicted consequence.

Ji Qing raised his eyes once more. "Let’s part ways here then."

"Alright, Valedictorian!" Jiang Cuo waved enthusiastically.

Although Jiang Cuo was also curious about the answer, he had more self-awareness. Based on his time spent with the Valedictorian, the Valedictorian was only willing to tolerate harmless jokes; it was better not to test him on extremely sensitive topics.

I believe I’ll find out sooner or later! Jiang Cuo thought with confidence.

"Oh, uh... alright." Xie Chang’an was first taken aback, then nodded with a complex expression.

His expression was still dazed; he seemed to be struggling with the previous question. His earlier obstruction was entirely based on the premise that "Ji Qing is Li Yuan," but if that premise were lost, he also lost his reason for preventing Ji Qing from leaving.

The relationship between the two wasn't great—at least not as good as the one between him and Li Yuan.