I’m A Little White Flower In An Escape Game ☆ 29

Arc 2: 《Deadly High School》 Ch15 — Ch29

[Another arc ended! What are you thoughts? Have you liked and commented on this post? ^^]

Ruan Bai's mind raced as she desperately tried to devise an escape from the perilous outside situation. The first thought that crossed her mind was to rid the vicinity of all students and teachers. She reflected on the academic records, the quintessential link between the students, teachers, and the school. A part of her still remembered when she retorted to the head teacher, imploring her to expel her swiftly so she could be free from the shackles of the school's restrictive rules. The headteacher had been furious then, but she didn't utter a word in response. Was she too angry to speak, or did Ruan Bai's blunt honesty hit too close to home?

As she pondered this, Ruan Bai's thoughts naturally veered towards the upper echelons of the school's administration. "Have you guys seen the vice principal and principal?" she inquired of her fellow players.

None of them had seen the senior school leaders, and the realization dawned on Ruan Bai that they were also missing in action. Did they escape, or were they hiding? It was easy to imagine that they would resign and flee after such a ghastly incident. Who would want to stay behind and clean up the mess?

This left the head teacher as the most powerful person in the school. However, there were limits to her authority. According to protocol, she could handle a student's expulsion or a teacher's resignation, but she couldn't do so unilaterally. Any such decision would have to be reported to the higher-ups. So, the question was, could the ghosts be connected to the academic records seemingly beyond reproach?

The notion gnawed at Ruan Bai's mind, and she fell into deep contemplation, lost in a labyrinth of thoughts.

Without hesitation, she shared her plan with the others, expressing her readiness to search the school archives and confront the outside ghostly presence through the files. The other players had no objections, for they were still technically students of the school. They would face a terrifying night ahead if they didn't resolve the situation.

After the discussion, the players clung tightly to the female ghost. They forged ahead, pushing through layers of ghastly apparitions until they reached the archive room. As time passed, the fear of female ghosts among the NPCs outside began dissipating.

Even as Ruan Bai and her companions used the female ghost as a shield to deflect some grasping arms, more appendages still clawed at them, attempting to drag them into the abyss. Ruan Bai and her team struggled to carry the female ghost through the crowd, but they managed to reach the archive room quickly.

[TN: If you are not reading this novel on puukkiss.wixsite.com/inkydragon, please support the original translator by visiting my website. Thank you! :)]

Upon entering, all movement from the ghostly figures outside stopped. They stood in rows outside the hallway, their tightly-packed bodies blocking out the light from outside. Their pallid, emotionless faces had black, lifeless eyes fixated on Ruan Bai and her group. The tree shadows from outside cast upon their faces, forming black and white patterns that added an eerie ambience to their already spectral visages.

Though Ruan Bai had mentally prepared herself for this, the sight before her still shook her. She gritted her teeth and marched toward the file cabinet, pulling out all the student records from 1988. Thick sheets of talisman paper were affixed to each file bag to safeguard the files from the ghosts.

As the file bag emerged from the dusty cabinet, a cloud of fine particles dispersed into the air. The ancient, yellowed documents inside appeared to be ancient relics, untouched for years. Ruan Bai tore open the seal with a sudden jolt, then forcefully ripped apart a stack of papers. A distinct tearing sound filled the air as the scraps fluttered to the ground, each one a bubble bursting in the hallway.

In the wake of the destruction, the apparitions haunting the premises began to vanish into thin air, their figures melting into nothingness. The spectacle stunned many onlookers, who remained motionless for a moment, dazed by what they had just witnessed.

"We can drive away those ghosts outside if we destroy this," Ruan Bai exclaimed as other players quickly joined her in tearing the files apart.

One after the other, the records of the students and teachers were shredded into a sea of fragments, each one causing yet another ghost to evaporate from existence.

The scene unfolded like a giant group photo; one by one, the faces of those trapped here were erased. Eventually, the students were sent away, leaving only a few teachers and the stern headteacher behind. The headteacher's gaze changed, revealing a tired and complex expression as if she had finally been freed from the constraints of the school.

Although they had committed crimes during their lifetime, they had already suffered from the consequences, succumbing to malaria and dying in misery. Now, they had been imprisoned here for decades, reliving the events of that year day after day. Their punishment had surpassed any reasonable limit.

Would they regret their past actions? Ruan Bai had no way of knowing, nor did she care too much about these things. She wasn't an overly empathetic woman, after all.

She yearned to dispel these people and successfully complete the game. As the students began to leave, the head teacher turned to Ruan Bai. Her lips trembled slightly as if she wished to impart something. Still, as her form gradually became transparent, she could no longer speak. In the end, she suddenly extended a few fingers just before vanishing entirely. She made an odd gesture, resembling a flying fish. As she gestured, she slowly shook her head at Ruan Bai.

What did the head teacher's gesture and head shake signify? Ruan Bai was stupefied and gazed at her with bewildered eyes. However, before she could recollect anything, the head teacher's form grew fainter and fainter. In a few breaths, she transformed into a spectre and disappeared into the air. Once everything was complete, they had cleared half the game's world.

Next, Ruan Bai and her comrades spent another night searching for the files of the five female ghosts. Since they could send the students away, the female ghosts must be freed earlier to avoid further catastrophes. After scouring the entire school, they chose to explore the detention room. Upon tearing off the talismans pasted on the basement wall, they eventually discovered the academic files of the five entombed female students hidden in the wall. Destroying this file, the grudges those five female ghosts held gradually dissipated.

Finally, Ruan Bai and her accomplices untied them, cleared their seven orifices, and allowed them to vanish into the air with the students and teachers. Observing the female ghosts depart and face the empty campus, Ruan Bai and her comrades knew that they had fulfilled the requirements for clearing the game. Now, they merely had to await the deadline's expiration.

In this game, the five female ghosts played a pivotal role, serving as a menace to the players and a safe haven. The game's A-level difficulty was designed to challenge players who never thought ghosts could protect them. But Ruan Bai proved to be a variable the game designer hadn't anticipated.

With time running out, Ruan Bai scoured the remaining documents, absentmindedly flipping through them. The head teacher's parting gesture gnawed at her like a cryptic message she couldn't decipher. As she sifted through the files, Ruan Bai stumbled upon Du Wen Shu's student record. The transfer application caught her eye. Apparently, Du Wen Shu had applied for a half-year leave of absence due to a severe injury and requested to transfer his student records to the next cohort of students. As a result, his file had already been moved before the incident occurred, and it wasn't among the students of the 1988 cohort.

It was a lucky break that saved him from certain doom.

While poring over Du Wen Shu's file, Ruan Bai felt a tingling heat emanating from the mermaid bell in her pocket. Suddenly, she had an epiphany and flipped to the last page of the file. On her first inspection, the previous page contained a scant few lines about Du Wen Shu's admission to X University's Biology Department in 1990 and the ominous phrase, "After that, there was no news." But now, the last page had undergone a mysterious change. As if by magic, the phrase "no news" vanished as if peeled off by an unseen hand.

A string of dark ink letters materialized and inscribed themselves upon the aged, yellowed file pages:

[TN: If you are not reading this novel on puukkiss.wixsite.com/inkydragon, please support the original translator by visiting my website. Thank you! :)]

"1990 Du Wen Shu accepted into the biology department at X University."

"1994 Du Wen Shu had completed his studies at X University and secured employment at Deep Sea and Spirits Technology Co., Ltd. (known colloquially as DSAS), becoming a research scientist at one of their prestigious research institutes."

Beneath these lines, a photograph abruptly manifested.

The snapshot captured an adult Du Wen Shu, donning black-framed spectacles and clutching a tome as he posed with a disinterested mien. In the background loomed the entryway to the DSAS research institute. Prominently emblazoned on the office building was the DSAS logo – a deep blue fish sporting wings and soaring through the heavens.

The sight of this emblem momentarily startled Ruan Bai. It was the very same symbol that the head teacher had gestured towards her earlier.

Despite her best efforts, Ruan Bai could unearth no further information regarding DSAS besides the flying fish insignia. With the 72-hour deadline rapidly approaching, she reluctantly departed.

As the countdown reached zero, Ruan Bai squeezed her eyes shut and braced herself for the familiar sound of the system prompt resonating through her ears.

【Congratulations, player! You have successfully cleared the A-level game world, 《Deadly High School》!】

【Based on the evaluation from surrounding NPCs and players, your portrayal of Bai Lianhua is exceptional and deserves an A-level rating. Combined with the points earned from completing two random missions and gifts from other hosts, you have accumulated 7200 points. These points will be credited to your account upon leaving the game world.】

Ruan Bai's disbelief quickly gave way to unbridled excitement as she revelled in the glory of her A-level rating and 7200 points. The sheer wealth awaited her equated to a staggering 720,000 yuan - a sum that could grant her the luxury of retiring from three worlds of hard work. While the survival game was dangerous, the rewards were undeniably rich.

What caught Ruan Bai off guard was that both NPCs and players held her in high regard. Surprisingly, she had managed to maintain her reputation despite the countless times she had broken character to stay alive. Ruan Bai had given up on the hope of obtaining a high rating for her character portrayal, especially given how her actions were anything but simple, kind, and innocent. But perhaps her selfless love and compassion for the female ghost had moved the players, and they saw past her shortcomings.

Her mind drifted to her previous performances, and Ruan Bai gained a newfound appreciation for the innocent Bai Ruan Ruan's character. But before she could delve too deeply into her musings, the system teleported her out of the game world.

A violent, dizzying sensation overtook her as her surroundings blurred into a chaotic mess. And just as suddenly as it began, Ruan Bai found herself back in her bedroom, on her bed. It was still early in the morning - a reminder of how time stood still while she was in the game world.

At eight o'clock, the summer sun pierced through the gaps in the curtains and cast vibrant stripes of light across the room. Ruan Bai lay on the plush bed, basking in the warm scent of her pillow and releasing the tension that had been building up from hours of gaming. In the stillness, she drifted into slumber.

Ruan Bai slept for eight hours, from morning till afternoon, undisturbed except for a few visits from Gu Bu Zhao and his acquaintances. Despite his concern for her well-being, Gu Bu Zhao respected Ruan Bai's need for rest and didn't disrupt her repose after the first knock on her door.

As Ruan Bai woke up refreshed and energized, Gu Bu Zhao overheard her stirring and informed her of their team's plan for the night. "We're going to meet with the 'Badger' team for dinner," he stated nonchalantly. "They've set it for six o'clock, and you have enough time to prepare."

As a team member, Ruan Bai was obligated to attend the gathering. However, the name 'Badger' raised her eyebrows in curiosity. "Has the issue with the team member they tricked been resolved?" she inquired.

Gu Bu Zhao nodded and snapped his fingers. "Yes, I've been negotiating with them for days," he casually said. "Although we may be small, our team is not weak. Today, they're coming to make peace."

Gu Bu Zhao's exceptional talent for selecting talented individuals, like Ruan Bai, was evident in their composition. Each member possessed exceptional skills, integrity, and a robust network. The incident where one of their members was deceived was a regrettable mishap, quickly resolved by Gu Bu Zhao's diplomatic acumen.

In just a few days, Gu Bu Chao had wielded his abilities with such force that the once-dominant "badgers" had fallen hard. By the time Ruan Bai emerged from the game, they had surrendered completely, offering reparations and requesting a ceasefire. But Gu Bu Chao was wary of their seeming submission.

"Be cautious," he warned Ruan Bai on their way. "Their actions betray their words. Remember, female players are their primary targets. If they bully you, fight back without hesitation. Don't worry about me. Just hit them where it hurts."

Ruan Bai nodded solemnly, taking Gu Bu Chao's advice to heart. Now that she was back in the real world, she could shed her guise of weakness and confront her enemies head-on. If the badgers dared to come after her, she would slap them down, even toss them over her shoulder if need be.

With that settled, Gu Bu Chao wasted no time escorting her out. The rest of the team had already departed, but he had lingered to wait for Ruan Bai. The badgers had arranged a meeting at a remote restaurant with a local reputation. By the time they arrived, night had fallen, and few people were about. But the restaurant was bustling with activity.

Just as they were about to enter, Gu Bu Chao's phone buzzed in his pocket. He withdrew it and read the message, his expression darkening with each passing moment.

"Damn it," he muttered, his lips pursed tightly. "Those badgers are definitely up to something. And this time, they've brought along their vice-captain."

Ruan Bai looked at him in puzzlement. "What's the matter? Who is this vice-captain, and how dangerous is he?"

Gu Bu Chao gave a slow nod, "Hm, the vice-captain is one of the early elders of the badger gang. Unlike the other badgers who must appear in groups, he alone has completed the game seven or eight times, including many A-level difficulties." Gu Bu Chao's voice grew heavier towards the end of his statement, "I heard that today was the day the vice-captain entered the game. I didn't think he would show up, but he unexpectedly appeared at this meeting."

The vice-captain wasn't a formidable opponent, and his strength was average at best. His position as vice-captain was mainly due to his seniority and some undisclosed connections. But he had some sway within the badger gang, which made his presence at the meeting significant. It was possible that his appearance could determine the Badger team's stance.

Gu Bu Chao had come prepared for any potential trouble caused by the badgers. Unfortunately, Ruan Bai, a recent addition to the team, might get caught in the crossfire this time. Gu Bu Chao expected her to be on high alert, but to his surprise, Ruan Bai smiled slightly and said, "Brother Gu, don't worry. My intuition tells me that the badgers won't cause trouble for us this time."

**

Meanwhile, in a nearby restaurant, Shen Qing Yun sat with a proud expression, waiting for the arrival of Gu Bu Chao's team. He had heard that it was a small team of six or seven people, led by Gu Bu Chao, who was rumoured to be a wealthy second-generation.

Despite their limited numbers and lack of toughness, the team had some strengths that could be ground down with a hard enough bite. Shen Qing Yun was well-versed in these situations, knowing that the badgers had only developed by cheating and asking for points from weaker teams. As a result, he felt rather bored coming here today. But, having just suffered a great deal in the game, he relished the chance to bully others into venting his anger.

As the footsteps of two people approached, Shen Qing Yun adjusted his glasses, sneered, and said to the Gu Bu Chao team members, "Is your captain so slow that he doesn't even consider us a threat?"

Hearing this, the Gu Bu Chao team members seethed with anger, but they could not act due to their suppressed position, so they could only swallow their pride.

Shen Qing Yun looked at this group of weaklings who dared to be angry but remained silent and shook his head disapprovingly. What was the use of being arrogant when they still had to bow their heads to the Badgers? Life, it seemed, always had its ups and downs. Fate presented him with a new and brighter path when he felt frustrated elsewhere. Thus, he was eager to see how much the legendary Gu Bu Chao could handle.

However, Shen Qing Yun never expected that when they pushed open the door, it was not Gu Bu Chao who walked in first. Instead, a girl in a stunning white dress with a delicate and beautiful appearance entered the room.

As Shen Qing Yun's surprised and angry gaze met the girl's raised eyebrows, she showed a gentle and innocent smile. "Brother Qing Yun, it's been long since we last met. I didn't expect to see you here again."

Shen Qing Yun: "......"

Shen Qing Yun: "!!!"

——— Translator's Notes ———

Table of Content | ☆| Next chapter>>

My other Translations