Arc 2: Internet Addiction Treatment Center
Chapter 17: Go Against The Teacher
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5039729
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com
Luo Shu looked at her for no reason, as if she wanted to figure out her emotions.
She felt that the thin layer of ice gradually faded away. The smile at the corner of her mouth grew stronger. When Luo Shu hesitated and took it, a hand suddenly reached out, using the height advantage to wrap around that fragile waist. Before Luo Shu, full of caution, could push away, Qin Dongwan had already gathered her courage and leaned down:
"Oh right, I also know where the treatment room key is."
In the past, people either ran away in panic when they saw her or schemed against her. Luo Shu rarely got this close to someone without malice.
The girl's warm breath brushed against her ear, carrying a faint perfume scent. The pleasant fragrance was like a gardenia bud about to bloom in June, driving away some of the stench lingering in her nose.
The ice melted, and Qin Dongwan's hand on her waist was quietly pushed away. Luo Shu, stripped of all her cold killing intent, was like a little wild cat. Her sharp claws and fangs were hidden, but her unruly nature remained unchanged. She seemed surprised that someone actually thought of bringing her food. As she peeled the egg, she said:
"I checked most places. Only the basketball court said it was for men, so I didn't go. The confinement room smells heavily of blood. The person is probably already dead."
Luo Shu was talking about that reckless king of trouble, Chen Qinglong, from the morning. His level of courting death was no less than the little delinquent she saw earlier. Being dragged to the confinement room as a warning in that situation—if he could make it out alive, he’d probably become a legend. As long as the rules allowed it, ghosts and monsters wouldn’t hold back.
"And the lecture hall and the place labeled as a singing class. Aren't these places used to treat internet addiction? Why do they look just like a school?"
This book was set in an alternate world. As a character in it, Luo Shu probably didn’t know about the insane Professor Yang from Qin Dongwan’s previous world. She had read that news before, and because of her wild imagination, she couldn’t sleep well for days. Now, just hearing the words "treat internet addiction" made her scalp tingle. She quickly changed the subject:
"Let me show you the treatment room."
To save time, she directly took out the paper and pen she brought from the classroom and quickly sketched a rough map.
Qin Dongwan had a great memory. She could basically remember most of the paths after walking them once. Luo Shu watched as a broken pencil scribbled across the scrap paper, and in no time, a simple map was formed.
"It's right here."
A pale index finger tapped on a spot. Qin Dongwan marked it, folded the paper, and handed it to Luo Shu. "If we get free time in the afternoon, I can give you a detailed map of this place at night."
A map was always clearer than verbal directions. Qin Dongwan's smile deepened, and her tone carried a hint of flattery.
"And the basketball court is probably an important spot too. Within the next two days, I'll also get intel on that. If you're not confident in Tang Zihang and me working efficiently, you can come with us to get the treatment room key. It's with a teacher. And you really shouldn't keep moving around alone, right?"
The petite girl in front of her furrowed her brows slightly as she thought as if considering whether it was inappropriate to keep acting alone after binding teammates.
Qin Dongwan took the chance to glance at the schedule again. Every afternoon, after the lunch break, they had to gather at the field—except for Wednesdays, which allowed two hours of free activity. The rest of the time, they had to follow the arrangements.
She had no idea what day it was today. Seeing there were only three minutes left, she immediately pulled Luo Shu, and the two of them sprinted toward the field.
The girl beside her wore a complicated little dress and five-centimeter heels, yet she ran even faster than Qin Dongwan, who was in casual clothes. By the time they arrived, some people were already waiting there—naturally, that idiot Tang Zihang was not among them.
The clock’s hand stopped exactly at the end of the lunch break. A thin mist began to spread around the field once again. This time, the fog carried a lingering stench of blood mixed with the usual foul odor. A chill climbed up their spines bit by bit. Some temporary teams noticed that their teammates hadn't shown up and wanted to go look for them, but the thick mist trapped them in place.
"Did the ones who didn’t come… die in there?"
"Doesn't everyone have a schedule? Are those dumbasses blind?"
There were quite a few people in this instance, so naturally, some felt superior and started spouting nonsense. Qin Dongwan couldn’t be bothered with such weirdos. She simply ran straight into the mist.
Her sudden "confusing behavior" startled everyone.
Luo Shu, whose hand had been held the whole time, suddenly felt an emptiness in her palm. She turned her gaze and saw that the girl had already disappeared. Doubt flickered in her eyes for a moment before quickly fading. The corners of her lips curved up slightly.
****
Qin Dongwan took out her phone, which hadn’t been confiscated yet, and switched it to flashlight mode. She carefully watched her steps, avoiding the suddenly winding and spreading sewage as she made her way toward the dormitory building.
Boys and girls stayed in the same building. Tang Zihang had told her his room number from the start, so she found it quickly. The field wasn’t far from the dormitory, but in front of the low building, several blurry figures hesitated, unwilling to move forward. Yet, when Qin Dongwan shone her flashlight on them one by one, they vanished.
Her heart tightened, but since she was already here, she gritted her teeth and continued forward, carefully stepping through the gaps in the sewage.
It was clearly daytime, yet the closer she got to the dormitory, the darker it became. It was as if shadows curled up in a corner where sunlight couldn’t reach. Those figures trembled slightly, almost blending into the darkness.
With a creaking sound, the unlocked door of Room 102 slowly swung open.
A boy lay curled up on the bed, his posture resembling that of a baby in the womb. Sweat covered his forehead as if he were trapped in a nightmare. Seeing that something was off, Qin Dongwan quickly strode forward and delivered a rough kick.
“Hiss—”
A faint groan of pain slipped through his lips. Tang Zihang groggily opened his eyes, his entire body drenched in sweat as if he had just been pulled out of water. Through his blurred vision, a familiar figure came into view, making him jolt upright in a sudden motion. He yelled loudly,
“Dongwan, I was just possessed by a ghost!”
“I know. Get up now and move, or it won’t just be possession.”
Outside, the ghostly figures gathered with the thickening fog, their curled limbs slowly stretching out, each exuding the stench of burnt flesh. The entire internet addiction treatment center felt like a grotesque museum of smells—except every single one was pure, nauseating stench.
They didn’t have much time left. Qin Dongwan hadn’t expected to run into such bad luck on the very first day. Clutching her phone tightly, she strode out quickly, reminding Tang Zihang not to step into the filthy water flowing across the ground.
By the time they arrived at the field, panting, ten minutes had already passed. A male teacher, unfamiliar to them, was in the middle of roll call. The two of them emerged from the thickening fog and quietly slipped to the back of the line, hoping to go unnoticed. But someone with sharp eyes spotted them, and amidst the crowd, a voice casually reminded the teacher.
The NPC's sharp gaze immediately swept over.
Qin Dongwan cursed inwardly. She despised people like this—those who gain nothing but still choose to sell out their own kind to the game’s NPCs. Just as she was about to speak up in explanation, Luo Shu suddenly stepped forward, boldly positioning herself in front of Qin Dongwan.
The piercing scrutiny instantly shifted onto Luo Shu.
The dorm teacher was quite large, even a full head taller than Tang Zihang—probably over 1.9 meters. When he looked down at Luo Shu, it was practically from a commanding height. Yet the girl met his gaze fearlessly, arms crossed, her expression full of defiance.
His eyes swept over her elaborate Gothic-style dress, and his voice suddenly rose by eight octaves:
"If I see you wearing such strange clothing again, it will be strictly prohibited!"
Around them, gazes filled with either gloating or concern immediately gathered on Luo Shu. But she seemed as if she had already forged herself into armor, completely indifferent to the malice surrounding her. She curved her eyes slightly, her voice languid and careless, yet the three words she uttered perfectly embodied the essence of rebellion:
"I like it."
Dorm Teacher: "…"
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5039729
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com
The NPC was probably encountering a player who dared to go against them for the first time. After staying in place, stunned for a moment, they flew into a rage and reached out to strike Luo Shu.
Seeing that he didn’t seem like a ghost, Qin Dongwan reacted swiftly, blocking the attack. Their fists collided, and Qin Dongwan staggered back a step, nearly falling to the ground.
“You—you two—”
Like a firecracker ignited, he suddenly jumped up, waving his hands so dramatically that he almost jabbed his fingers into Luo Shu and Qin Dongwan’s faces. Luo Shu had a faintly mocking smile at the corner of her lips. Qin Dongwan, catching sight of it, suddenly recalled how on their way here, she had casually asked how to get into the treatment room. Without thinking, she had answered:
“Just go against the teacher, easy.”
She hadn't expected this person to actually dare to do it. In that case, she had no choice but to go along with it.
Just as she wished, the Dorm Teacher flew into a rage. After making a phone call, they were told to wait for someone to come and take them away.
Sensing that something was off, Tang Zihang weighed the idea of simply smacking the teacher on the head, but Qin Dongwan immediately stopped him with a sharp look.
Luo Shu was one thing—she was a true supervillain, decisive and swift in her actions. But if Tang Zihang got involved, he would immediately become a powerful double agent for the enemy.
As a familiar figure emerged from the thick fog, the old professor hobbled toward them. Qin Dongwan saw her plan succeed, but just then, a clear female voice rang out from the crowd:
“Wait, I want to go too.”
Author’s Note:
Luo Shu wants to go together.
Qin Dongwan: Okay, okay, hold your thighs tight
Others want to go along.
Qin Dongwan: If you don’t need your eyes, you can donate them to ghosts [smile.jpg]
