"Indeed, using someone else's student card to check in is the key to completing this mission!"
Zheng Zihao let out a huge sigh of relief, a relaxed expression spreading across his face. Now that he had a checked-in student card in hand, granting him access to the principal's office, he had become the safest among the four. Looking at Pan Long and Zhou Chuhan, he no longer found them so irritating.
On the other hand, Pan Long, Zhou Chuhan, and the others wore expressions shrouded in deep frost.
"This mission is all about us snatching each other's student cards. While others haven't caught on yet, we need to move fast and strike first!"
---
Meanwhile, in another classroom of a different teaching building, Dai Minghan spoke nearly identical words while making a downward chopping motion with his hand.
"No time to waste, I agree with Brother Minghan's opinion." Lin Tianheng nodded in agreement from the side. As long as the mission could be completed, he didn't care what he had to do.
"Hold on, let me think a bit more."
Using someone else's student card to check in was indeed a way to shift the ghost's hatred, but Chen Mo felt something was off.
"Chen Mo, stop overthinking it. This story is a team-level mission. In such tasks, the story's design is often meant to pit the groups against each other. If we don't strike first, by the time others figure this out, it'll be much harder to snatch the cards."
"But don't forget, the mission hinted from the start that this school has extremely strict rules. We need to keep that in mind with every move we make."
"In this story, all of us are students of this school. Once we realize that checking in attracts ghostly marks, others will likely think of using someone else's student card too. Since knowing your name appears on the check-in machine triggers a death trap, why would anyone easily hand over their life? So in the end... forced snatching is inevitable. Would this forced snatching be deemed 'fighting' by the school? Could the path we think is a way out actually trigger another deadly trap?"
"Chen Mo, you're overthinking this." Dai Minghan paused, surprised that the other had not only analyzed how to deal with the ghost's mark but also considered potential new dangers.
"Precisely because this is our seventh group's first team mission, I'd rather think more thoroughly. This isn't an ordinary game—every attempt is tied to our lives. If possible, I hope... no one dies this time!"
"Chen Mo, do you really think you can pull that off?"
Su Mu's face showed a thoughtful expression.
"Whether I can or not, I have to give it my best shot."
"Alright, let's give it our best together." Su Mu suddenly broke into a smile, but her tone shifted.
"Snatching someone else's student card to check in and shift the ghost's hatred—such an obvious way out, we can think of it, and so can others. But don't forget one thing..."
"In horror stories, the more obvious the escape route, the less likely it is the real one. Instead, it might be a trap set by the story."
"In my view... the true escape route for this team mission might not have been found yet!"
Before she finished speaking, a sudden change occurred. Dai Minghan's right hand instantly turned pitch black, shooting out to grab a pale white arm!
That arm was a ghostly hand emerging from the desk drawer!
Everyone gasped sharply.
First, it was unexpected—no one thought a ghost would appear silently while they were talking. Second, they couldn't believe Dai Minghan was so bold, not dodging when sensing the ghost's approach but instead turning his right hand into a ghostly form to touch the spirit!
Worried he might be in danger, Lin Tianheng immediately drew his exorcism dagger, ready to strike the pale arm, but a sharp female voice stopped him: "Wait!"
The pale arm struggled fiercely, but it couldn't break free from Dai Minghan's vice-like ghostly grip. His hand held the wrist, while the arm remained hidden in the dark desk drawer—a scene both bizarre and terrifying!
A ghostly hand emerging from a desk drawer—anyone else would have been scared to death. But Dai Minghan was so audacious that even Chen Mo and Lin Tianheng gasped.
Still, Lin Tianheng was puzzled, not understanding why Su Mu stopped him from cutting off the ghostly hand.
"You've caught this ghost. Let's see what it wants to do?"
Su Mu's voice suddenly turned icy cold, her entire demeanor shifting as if she were a specter standing in the darkness. At the same time, the blood-red jade bracelet on her right wrist glowed, clearly ready to release the female ghost within if the desk drawer ghost made any dangerous move.
That red-clad female ghost was likely an incredibly powerful entity!
"Wuwuwu, wuwuwu..."
After a struggle, realizing it couldn't break free, the ghostly hand gradually calmed down, and a pitiful sobbing sound came from the desk drawer. In the dead of night, in a silent classroom, a cry suddenly emerged from a dark desk drawer, sending chills down everyone's spines!
Dai Minghan remained unfazed, not only keeping his expression steady but letting out a fierce roar: "What are you crying for? So annoying, shut up!"
The crying stopped abruptly, and utter silence fell.
"Damn, not even that, Brother Minghan..." Lin Tianheng's eyes nearly popped out. "Even ghosts are scared of you? Are ghosts afraid of bullies?"
"It's not that ghosts fear bullies, but this ghost isn't one meant to kill. It should be... a hint from the mission!"
Su Mu's cold voice echoed like a ghost's, with a faint red shadow flickering behind her.
Su Mu was Su Mu—even judging that this ghost posed little danger, she never let down her guard.
After the crying stopped, the pale arm ceased struggling, held motionless by Dai Minghan. A moment later, a sinister, trembling voice came from the drawer.
"I didn't do anything... really didn't do anything..."
"Please... let me go... okay..."
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PS: Two updates today. Here's the first one; the second is still being written and will be posted later. As a new author, this book isn't performing very well, and I really need your encouragement. Please, if you can, throw in some free recommendation votes.