Seeing Yun Yao walk out of the room, Qi Xia turned his gaze back to Chu Tianqiu.

“Can you release my teammates now?”

“But that ‘Extreme Path’ person in your team…”

“I’ll handle it.”

Chu Tianqiu nodded. “I had originally prepared a ‘welcome party,’ but I suppose that will have to be postponed for now.”

He walked to the classroom door and opened it. Zhang Shan was standing not far outside.

“You done talking?” Zhang Shan froze mid-sentence, staring at Chu Tianqiu’s face. “Damn, how’d you get injured?”

“It’s nothing serious.” Chu Tianqiu waved his hand dismissively. “Zhang Shan, it was all just a misunderstanding earlier. Release Qi Xia’s teammates.”

……

Qi Xia followed Zhang Shan to the second floor of the school. In the equipment room at the very end of the hallway, he found his teammates.

Chu Tianqiu had been fairly cautious in his methods. He hadn’t locked anyone up—he had simply prepared some canned food and bottled water, then arranged for an older woman to keep everyone company with conversation.

The woman wore both a Buddhist amulet and a cross around her neck, suggesting rather complicated religious beliefs.

At that moment, she was holding onto Officer Li, telling him stories about how deities had helped the police solve cases in her village.

“Qi Xia, you’re here?” Officer Li spotted Qi Xia and immediately stood up as if seeing his savior.

“Are you all alright?” Qi Xia asked.

“What could possibly be wrong with us?” Officer Li looked at Qi Xia with confusion. “But what about you—why are you only coming now?”

“I went to see Chu Tianqiu.” Qi Xia glanced around at everyone after speaking, then asked, “Qiao Jiajin didn’t come with you?”

“Isn’t that hooligan with you?” Officer Li asked.

Zhang Shan, standing behind them, shook his head helplessly. “That mad dog is in another room. I already told him that if he didn’t fight back, I’d give him food and water, but he refused to listen no matter what.”

Under his guidance, Qi Xia went to find Qiao Jiajin.

He appeared to be perfectly fine, just extremely angry.

“Hey! Liar boy!” Though Qiao Jiajin was tied up thoroughly, his attitude remained extremely defiant. “Hurry up and untie me! Today I’m going to beat this big guy until he cries!”

Zhang Shan was getting rather annoyed by his words. “Do you really think I’m a paper tiger, you tattooed punk? If I don’t use my real skills, do you genuinely believe you can take me down?”

“How will we know unless we try?” Qiao Jiajin snorted coldly. “Liar boy, why are you standing with the ‘enemy’? Did they threaten or bribe you?”

“Not at all.” Qi Xia shook his head. “Qiao Jiajin, these people were originally planning to release you, but your condition has been extremely volatile, so they didn’t know what to do for the moment.”

“Volatile?! You’re saying I’m volatile?!” Qiao Jiajin shouted. “They tied me up, and I’m not allowed to be volatile?!”

“Qiao Jiajin, you also attacked people.” Qi Xia said. “Why don’t you apologize to them? Then they won’t have to keep you tied up so tightly.”

Zhang Shan found this hard to comprehend after hearing it. Qiao Jiajin had trouble even with ‘normal communication’—how could he possibly ‘apologize’?

“I’m sorry.” Qiao Jiajin suddenly lowered his head and spoke. “I sincerely apologize to everyone. Please untie me.”

“Huh?!” Zhang Shan froze, extending one finger to point at Qiao Jiajin. “I thought you were a guy with principles! How did you apologize so quickly?”

“I heard that if I apologize, you’ll untie me. Suddenly I feel like everything before was my fault.” Qiao Jiajin gave a simple smile. “That’s just how I am—I’ve always been able to bend and stretch.”

After Qiao Jiajin rejoined the team as well, everyone followed Zhang Shan’s directions and came to a room on the northernmost side of the first floor.

Chu Tianqiu had allocated one classroom for the nine of them.

The classroom had already been furnished with many daily necessities in advance.

There were several old but relatively clean quilts, a small amount of bottled water and canned food, plus two lighters and a flashlight.

This floor seemed to house many people, with each team occupying their own classroom as a unit.

As night was falling, many people sat chatting in their classrooms.

Life here was worlds apart from Qi Xia’s last experience of ‘wilderness survival.’

They entered the classroom and first laid out their bedding. Qiao Jiajin used a discarded metal basin to start a bonfire in the center of the classroom.

Officer Li brought over several cans, opened them for everyone, and placed them by the metal basin to heat up.

The nine people sat around together, waiting quietly. The atmosphere was somewhat silent.

Qi Xia raised his head to look at the men around him—Qiao Jiajin, Han Yimo, Officer Li, Doctor Zhao—while calculating something in his own mind.

“Getting used to things?” Zhang Shan walked in from outside, looking at the nine people in the room. “Our space is fairly limited, so I’m afraid the nine of you will have to make do together.”

“Brother Shan, thank you.” Xiao Ran stood up, smiling continuously at Zhang Shan.

Officer Li stood up and gave Zhang Shan a friendly nod, saying, “Brother, the arrangements are excellent, thanks for your trouble… Got any cigarettes?”

“Cigarettes…?” Zhang Shan fell silent after hearing this, then pulled out half a small pack of cigarettes from his pocket with a somewhat reluctant expression. “This is all I have…”

“No problem, no problem.” Officer Li very naturally took the half pack of cigarettes. “I don’t mind that it’s not much. Thanks.”

Seeing his ‘spiritual sustenance’ taken away, Zhang Shan became somewhat flustered. “Wait… brother, at least leave me one!”

“I’ve really been holding back for too long.” Officer Li pulled out a cigarette, placed it between his lips, and lit it.

“Fine then.” Zhang Shan shook his head. “You all rest well tonight. Tomorrow you’ll probably need to go participate in the games.”

After seeing Zhang Shan off, Xiao Ran gave Officer Li a cold look.

“What?” Officer Li asked in confusion.

“Could you not smoke in here?” Xiao Ran said.

“Oh, sure, I’ll go outside right now.” Officer Li nodded.

He then turned to look at Qi Xia and asked, “Want to smoke?”

Qi Xia pondered briefly before accepting a cigarette.

He had clearly told Officer Li that he hadn’t smoked in a long time.

“Han Yimo, do you smoke?” Officer Li turned to Han Yimo.

“Huh?” Han Yimo didn’t understand Officer Li’s intention and smiled awkwardly. “I don’t know how to smoke…”

“I’ll teach you.” Officer Li directly stuck a cigarette in Han Yimo’s mouth. “It’s not difficult—you open your eyes, close your eyes, and you’ll have learned.”

After speaking, he glanced at the remaining people and said, “If the three of us smoke here, it really wouldn’t be appropriate, since there are non-smokers present. Come with me.”

Qi Xia now understood Officer Li’s intention, so he put his arm around Han Yimo’s shoulder and followed Officer Li out into the hallway.

The three of them didn’t speak, keeping their eyes on their surroundings as they walked forward cautiously.

What they were about to discuss was far too sensitive. To guard against ‘walls having ears,’ they absolutely had to find a safe place.

But in this vast school, where exactly would be an absolutely safe location?

“Qi Xia, would the rooftop be safer?” Officer Li asked. “Or the basement?”

“No.” Qi Xia shook his head. “The center of the sports field is safest.”