In Virtual Reality

ond and third reasons for selecting Liu Xin have been revealed.”

“Secondly, because Liu Xin has an unblemished record and has not committed any errors,” Ah Ma stated.

“Thirdly, because Liu Xin took the initiative to approach Zhou Xiao Han and volunteered to assist her,” Shen Jia added.

“It seems that there is no issue.
Did I misconstrue something?” Xu Jin Yi inquired.

No, based on her comprehension of the plot twists in Horror Game, there will undoubtedly be an unexpected turn of events.

Xu Jin Yi's eyes flickered coldly.

“Let us first locate the seal that Zhou Xiao Han concealed,” Xu Jin Yi stood up.
“As for the truth, you all can ascertain it yourselves.”

At present, she simply wanted to get THE HAPPY ENDING as expeditiously as feasible!

The simulated treadmill called out to her from a distance, tempting her to take a step forward and embrace its challenge.

As for the TE (True Ending)….
it can remain unexplored for now.
It wasn't too late on her second, third, fourth, and Nth playthroughs.

Xu Jin Yi turned to Shen Jia and posed a thought-provoking question, “Shen Jia, if you were in Zhou Xiao Han's shoes, how would you have dealt with the situation?”

**

In the principal's office, she carefully retrieved the Dark Virtue University seal from the left-hand drawer and deftly concealed it within her pocket.
As she stepped out into the hallway, she was met with a swarm of patrolling ghosts and long-armed teachers filtering into the first-floor lobby through a zigzag corridor.

While relaying voice messages to Shen Jia, she approached the secluded fifth-floor library.
As she heard footsteps drawing closer, she retreated to a quiet nook.
She secured the seal on the bookshelf before sending another message to Shen Jia.

With the fifth floor sparsely patrolled, she descended to the fourth floor, only to find it heavily monitored.
With no other choice, she stashed her phone within a vending machine.

**

“I'm here.”

Shen Jia opened his eyes to find himself in a dimly lit corner.
As he surveyed his surroundings, his gaze fell upon a green book that stood out amidst the others on the shelf.

“The Tea Culture,” he whispered as he plucked it from the shelf and noticed a seal hiding behind it.

“This is it.”

Xu Jin Yi retrieved the seal, explaining its functions to Ah Ma.
“This seal works with the Exclusive Ink Bottle and can only grant permission for certain actions.
It allows us to open the cafeteria window and shoot promotional videos, but it does not grant permission to leave the university directly,” she clarified.

’

“Why not?” Ah Ma inquired.

“Because these actions directly benefit Dark Virtue University.
Enhancing the cafeteria's quality can improve the students' impression of the university, and promotional videos can attract more students to enroll,” Xu Jin Yi elucidated.

However, granting students permission to leave was too direct and outside the university's best interest.

“You must complete the final exam and submit a stamped application to be granted permission to leave.
” Xu Jin Yi concluded with a chuckle while brandishing the seal.
“Outstanding students can actively recruit new students, you see.”

“Have you ever met the president of Dark Virtue University, senior?” inquired Ah Ma.
Her expression was complex, and a chill ran down her spine as she recalled Xu Jin Yi's words.

“The principle…” Xu Jin Yi remained poker-faced.
“I haven't had the pleasure.”

But she already had a theory brewing in her mind.

“Now that we have the seal, we can accumulate more study hours and apply for early exams.
If we pass, we can leave sooner.”

Amid her plans, she suddenly halted.
“Oh no, I forgot to retrieve the coffee powder!”

The others also remembered their primary goal: to retrieve the coffee powder!

Together, they pivoted on their heels…

“…”

Ah Ma bit her lip and swallowed the scream threatening to escape her throat.

A member of the Student Union was peering at them through the windowpane.

“That's Zhou Xiao Han!” exclaimed Shen Jia.

“It's Vice President Zhou,” corrected Xu Jin Yi, interrupting his excitement.
“Don't forget how we were chased last time.”

Shen Jia's frenzied mind finally settled, and upon looking back at the window, Zhou Xiao Han was no longer there.

“Perhaps she still has a slither of sanity left, but not much,” muttered Xu Jin Yi.
Her emotions were tangled when it came to the storyline and character of “Zhou Xiao Han,” her feelings were tangled.
“Now that we have obtained the seal, she probably has no reason to visit this library.”

But if NPC 【Liu Xin】 was the one who betrayed 【Zhou Xiao Han】, what made her trust her at the time?

**

After Xu Jin Yi's unyielding efforts, she finally obtained the 【Coffee Powder】.

Now, she stood in the cafeteria, testing her new product: 【Coffee Powder Water】.

’

…Granted, based on her ratio, it was mostly water with a dash of coffee powder.

Regardless, with 80 study hours' worth of coffee powder, she concocted 100 cups.

Ah Ma stood beside her, silently scrutinizing the so-called “coffee” so faint it resembled water.

Could this really be sold?

Yet the senior had sold it, even for eight study hours a cup.

Ah Ma: “…?”

Wouldn't this be cause for complaint?!

“Rest assured,” Xu Jinyi beamed with a radiant smile.
“The impact of 【Functional Beverages】 on Yinde University students is immense.
And compared to the adjacent cafeteria's meagre combo meal that offers no real advantages and only fills you up, my coffee, at the very least, provides two additional hours of study time.”

Ah Ma did not comment on this since this could greatly help others.

The senior had clarified that only study hours earned from their exams would be taken back.
At the same time, the remainder could be distributed among themselves.

【Coffee】 instantly became a popular commodity at the cafeteria.
Ah Ma asked some of her classmates to follow Shen Jia to the school's vending machines to purchase 【coffee powder】 while she busied herself mixing the coffee powder with water.

Truly, she vowed to never turn into such an unscrupulous vendor after leaving this place.

Ah Ma felt both regretful and elated as she mixed one hundred cups.

“Ah Ma, have we switched professions?” the newcomer inquired as they stood by the cafeteria window.
“What are we selling?”

“Coffee,” Ah Ma instinctively replied, then realized something felt off.

Liu Xin, a member of Dormitory 2, Room 503, curiously leaned over Ah Ma, her eyes glistening with the same radiance she had shown when she saw Shen Jia at the cafeteria.

Although Ah Ma didn't want to prematurely assume Liu Xin was the werewolf in the game 'Werewolf Game'…

From Ah Ma's current perspective, the light in Liu Xin's eyes was genuinely terrifying!!!

What was Shen Jia's frame of mind when she smiled so tenderly back then?!

 

——— Translator's Notes ———

“Criticism and self-criticism” is a form of self-reflection and criticism used in Communist Party organizations in China.