After a brief moment of dead silence, action erupted with sudden intensity.
Inside the security booth, Lin Mo, who had been half-reclined just moments before, snapped upright as if a spring had been released beneath him.
Though the last report before the communications went down was riddled with harsh static, several key words—“…Ran”, “Xin Yu”, “Teachers’ Apartm…”—stabbed into his mind as clear and sharp as ice picks.
Lin Mo’s brows furrowed instantly, a glint of cold light flashing in his eyes.
Without any hesitation, his finger pressed precisely on the comms button.
His voice, calm to the point of utter stillness, traveled rapidly through the encrypted channel to every station: “Black Cat, White Cat, Social Cat, take your teams and head immediately to the male and female teachers’ dormitory areas! Rescue any personnel in distress!”
“Kung Fu Cat, come to the main gate and take my position at once!”
The orders were concise, clear, and left no room for doubt.
Before he had even finished speaking, he snatched up his security cap and pressed it onto his head, quickly adjusting the brim and mask, then pushed open the security booth door and strode out, merging with swift, determined steps into the bustling crowds of the school’s celebration day.
Almost at the same moment, outside the door of Class 9, Grade 2.
Chu You, leaning against the wall, tensed ever so slightly.
Hidden beneath her hair, the earpiece carried those broken, desperate cries for help, followed by a sudden communications blackout—making her heart sink like a stone.
As expected… the worst-case scenario still came to pass.
Lu Ran and Chen Xinyu—those two who already had one foot in the abyss of temporal anomalies—had indeed chosen to appear on this chaotic, mixed-bag of a celebration day.
That meant Lin Mo’s earlier suspicions were almost entirely confirmed—Professor must have something planned today, and whatever it was, it was definitely no trivial matter!
Now, with so many students, teachers, parents, and famous alumni gathered from all over, if anything happened, it would become the biggest headline in the capital.
…
“Chu You…”
While her mind raced, analyzing the confusion of the current situation, a voice suddenly spoke from behind her—her homeroom teacher, Xu Guangming, sounding clearly worried.
Chu You quickly collected herself, her face reverting to a slightly bewildered student expression as she turned to look.
Old Xu’s brows were tightly knit, his hand gripping his phone, his tone urgent: “Xia Ji called me just now… From her voice, she seemed to be crying, very unstable emotionally. You’re closest with Xia Ji, aren’t you?”
He paused, as if steeling himself: “Here’s what we’ll do. I’ll take you to the auditorium to check things out. In case—just in case something’s wrong, the two of us can look after each other and promptly call for help from the Law Enforcement Bureau or the Swordbearers.”
Chu You responded with a cooperative, serious look, then nodded without hesitation.
“Alright, Teacher Xu.”
The situation was critical; there was no time to waste.
Old Xu nodded and, without another word, immediately led Chu You at a brisk pace down the stairs.
However, the moment the two of them had barely left the teaching building, Old Xu’s phone blared again from his pocket—the urgent ringtone halting both their steps.
Old Xu quickly pulled out his phone.
The screen lit up, displaying the caller: [Xia Ji].
He immediately showed the screen to Chu You, then drew a deep breath and answered, his voice betraying his barely contained anxiety.
“Hello? Xia Ji? What’s going on? Where are you right now? Are you in danger?!”
Something was said on the other end, and Old Xu’s brows creased tighter and tighter, his face filled with mounting worry and confusion.
“Hmm? When did you go there…? Alright, alright, listen to me—just stay put, don’t go anywhere, don’t run around! I’ll come right away!”
With that, he hung up sharply, turning to Chu You with a look of grim resolve.
“Chu You, the situation has changed! From here on…I’ll go look for Xia Ji alone!”
Chu You’s gaze sharpened, immediately pressing for details: “Why? Where is Xia Ji?”
Old Xu looked agitated, rubbing his face with a shaky hand, as if forcing himself to a decision, muttering in a low voice, “…Xia Ji said she saw Chen Xinyu backstage at the auditorium. She got scared and ran off…”
“She’s now hiding near Teachers’ Apartment No. 3. I must go find her at once and make sure she’s safe!”
His voice grew even more urgent, filled with fear of the unknown and a teacher’s sense of duty: “Chu You, I’ll leave the rest to you! Go find help, or… or contact the Swordbearers directly. Chen Xinyu and Lu Ran are dangerous. Regular people like us can’t possibly handle them!”
Old Xu’s face showed a tangled mix of worry, fear, and determination.
At that very moment, a beep sounded in Chu You’s earpiece, followed by Gu Qiancheng’s voice…
“This is Fat Cat, reporting to Cat’s Den.”
“Target No. 7, Xia Ji, not found in either the auditorium front hall or backstage, repeat—”
“Target No. 7, Xia Ji, not found in either the auditorium front hall or backstage. All other observation posts, keep an eye out for Target No. 7’s whereabouts. Over.”
Hearing this, Chu You’s pupils contracted.
There was no time left for pretense!
She acted without hesitation, pulling a dark-colored credentials wallet from the inside pocket of her jacket, flipping it open smoothly to reveal the badge of the Swordbearers, complete with Lin Mo’s signature, and held it up for Old Xu to see.
Chu You’s voice remained calm but rang with unquestionable authority: “Teacher Xu…I am a Swordbearer!”
I was sent here undercover to investigate.
The situation is urgent, and I have no choice but to reveal my identity.
“Xia Ji is in real danger; please lead the way immediately.”
At her words, Old Xu’s expression froze.
First stunned, then swiftly morphing into disbelief and confusion, then that confusion was swept away by overwhelming shock.
His eyes darted between Chu You’s youthful face and the insignia of special authority, as if struggling to connect the two.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, he only took a deep breath and looked at Chu You with a complicated expression.
“You… You’re actually… All right! Xia Ji’s in danger—there’s no time to talk! Come with me!”
Without another word, he turned and dashed off, nearly running as he headed away from the auditorium and toward the teachers’ apartment area.
Chu You remained in place for a moment, staring sharply at Old Xu’s slightly frantic, even somewhat disheveled back as he retreated.
Her gaze was as keen as a blade, lingering on his figure for an instant.
Then, without hesitation, she strode quickly after him.
Their figures—one ahead, one behind—soon disappeared down the narrow path leading toward the teacher’s apartments, tranquil by day but now brimming with hidden danger.
In the air, all that remained was a flurry of hurried footsteps, pounding urgently, as if demanding answers from the shadows.
Old Xu led Chu You at a quick pace through a series of little-used, secluded paths.
The usual festive clamor faded away, muffled by distance.
Soon, a somewhat old, five-story building appeared before them, the paint peeling from its walls—Teachers’ Apartment No. 3.
The apartment building was silent, starkly contrasted with the noisy festivities elsewhere.
Old Xu led Chu You around to a discreet door at the back of the building, an old-fashioned padlock hanging on it.
While frantically searching through his keyring, he explained in a rapid, breathless voice, “It’s school anniversary today. The administration was worried about too many people, so they had all the teachers’ apartment unit doors locked from the outside for safety… Only this back door can be used now.”
Upon hearing this, Chu You kept her expression unreadable, her gaze quickly sweeping over the windows of each floor before falling on the key in Old Xu’s hand as he tried to fit it into the lock.
Suddenly, she spoke—her voice calm but cutting the silence like a stone dropped into a lake.
“Then what about Xia Ji? How did she get in?”
The question, sharp as an invisible needle, instantly pierced the anxious air.
Old Xu’s hand froze mid-motion, fingers suspended over the lock.
With his back to Chu You, his shoulders tensed almost imperceptibly.
He let out a soft, helpless sigh. “…Sigh.”
Without turning around, his voice dropped lower, tinged with complicated emotion.
“Actually… Xia Ji has a key to this apartment.”
“Click.”
As he finished, the latch snapped open with a crisp sound.
Only then did Old Xu turn to Chu You, his face a mixture of worry, resignation, and a certain indescribable bitterness.
“I… I can only do so much to help her,” he said quietly, “but at least if she ever gets bullied at school and has nowhere else to go… she’ll have a place to hide.”
With that, as if unwilling to explain further, he pushed open the heavy unit door and stepped first into the dimly lit apartment corridor, his figure quickly swallowed by shadow.
Chu You remained at the threshold, not following immediately.
She watched Old Xu’s anxious—almost frantic—back as he disappeared inside, her pupils contracting slightly, like a cat making minute adjustments before pouncing on its prey.
Then, no longer hesitating, she stepped forward silently, slipping into the shadowy depths of the apartment building as well.
The unit door slowly closed behind her with a soft scrape, as if sealing away the noisy world outside—and marking her entrance into a realm unknown, filled with the scent of danger.
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