Simulated Crime, This Criminal Doesn't Seem to Be Acting-Chapter 87

At sixteen, a young boy like Zhou Xue had a significant physical difference from men in their twenties or thirties.

Just as he was reaching his growth spurt, his body hadn't yet caught up with the demands of his growing frame, leading to most sixteen or seventeen-year-olds being relatively thin and frail.

Zhou Xue was approximately 1.72 meters tall and weighed about 60 kilograms.

In contrast, the men around him were mostly over 1.75 meters tall, weighing more than 70 kilograms, with muscular arms covered in tanned skin, clearly indicating they had undergone some form of training.

Facing off against these men, even with a stamina score of 10, Ye Sangsang had no chance of fighting back.

From the condition inside and outside the house, it was clear there were seven of them.

Under such circumstances, Ye Sangsang had to keep her cool and avoid resistance for now.

What intrigued her was that after the men surrounded her, they merely restrained her shoulders and didn't make any further moves.

It wasn't until a few seconds later that a Square-faced Man with a buzz cut appeared before her.

The way the others stepped aside showed that he was the leader of the group.

"Why are you treating him like this?" the Square-faced Man glanced around at the others, frowning, seemingly in disapproval, apparently disapproving of the rudeness of a few people.

Ye Sangsang, however, could sense that his words were insincere, as his eyes showed no real disdain or rebuke.

She realized that the man in front of her was playing the role of the good guy.

Before she could speak, a voice came from within the room.

"Is Zhou Xue back?"

It was the voice of Zhou Xue's mother, Cui Xue, whose tone was filled with anger but whose intonation was quite mild.

Ye Sangsang deduced that Cui Xue was not in any immediate danger, and her expression eased slightly.

Zhou Xue, at heart, was just a boy who wasn't too fond of studying, and in this situation, he would naturally be concerned about his mother's safety.

【Curious, what's going on? Such a big commotion?】

【Feels like Sangsang is already on guard, but then it took an unexpected turn.】

【Did these people come because of the mother? Considering the name of the scenario, is it to scare and punish the child?】

Upon hearing Cui Xue's voice, the Square-faced Man looked at Zhou Xue, "Come, let's go inside."

Ye Sangsang was brought to sit on the sofa, while Cui Xue looked at Zhou Xue, frowning with a grim expression, seemingly suppressing a blaze of anger within her.

Ye Sangsang was at a loss, as these past two days she had been doing her best to avoid the potential calamity that might befall the victim of the scenario by minimizing Zhou Xue's rebellious behavior.

Of course, this was based on the premise that Zhou Xue himself wanted to change and focus on his studies.

Yet, Ye Sangsang's confusion only seemed to make Cui Xue's chest heave more visibly, with her eyes filled with obvious disappointment and frustration.

"Parent, please don't be angry. Rest assured, we've taken in many such children, and many of them come back entirely reformed.” He paused, looking at Zhou Xue and then back to Cui Xue, “Just give it a few months, and I'll return you a well-behaved child.”

“That said, our teaching methods are indeed a bit strict.”

“You, as a parent, need to be mentally prepared.”

The man spoke with understanding and a look of heartfelt sorrow.

His gaze toward Ye Sangsang was filled with utter disgust, as if she were a societal scourge, a pariah among people.

Ye Sangsang was completely in the dark about why all this was happening, but her sharp instincts told her that something was off about these people.

Glancing around at the men surrounding her, she quickly stepped over the sofa and darted past the two watching her to make a break for the door.

No matter what, her first priority was to escape this predicament.

Ye Sangsang's sudden reaction caught everyone off guard, and the men quickly moved to grab her.

“Get him!” The man who had been talking to Cui Xue shouted loudly.

Seeing this, Cui Xue covered her head and collapsed onto the sofa. After a couple of seconds, pointing at Ye Sangsang's fleeing back, she shouted, “Catch him! I'll sign up immediately!”

By this time, Ye Sangsang had already reached the door. Their apartment was on the sixth floor.

Taking ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‍the elevator was out of the question, as she couldn’t afford to be caught. Ye Sangsang decisively headed for the stairs.

During her escape, someone briefly grabbed hold of her clothes, but she swiftly shook them off.

As she ran, she could hear the men discussing taking the elevator and those following her below.

It seemed they were planning to split up to cover all exits.

【It seems like it's just about signing up for an academy? But why do I sense danger in the air?】

This is so tense, sob sob sob, why does this scene seem eerily scary?

【Heavens, are these people from a school? Why do they look and act like bandits?】

Grasping the iron railing of the staircase, Ye Sangsang kept moving downward without stopping.

This scenario was better than previous victim scenarios as it involved a boy whose body was intact and full of energy.

This gave Ye Sangsang the determination to escape.

At the same time, she was recalling the speed of the elevator, estimating at which floor they might be now.

She was already on the third floor, while they had probably just entered the elevator.

However, the elevator was very fast, and if no one else was using it on other floors, she might not be able to outrun it.

Victims could have some deviations from their character backgrounds, but they couldn't prepare weapons beforehand, so Ye Sangsang faced a dilemma: she had no means of fighting back.

Therefore, her only option was to run.

Ye Sangsang speeded up again, her feet continuously stepping down the concrete stairs, sometimes even jumping down two or three steps at a time.

Behind her, the well-trained men pursued relentlessly, their footsteps quick and determined.

Hearing the sounds behind her, Ye Sangsang felt a chill run down her spine.

Fortunately, she was almost out of this predicament.

Reaching the ground floor, her escape route required her to pass by the elevator to get out.

Taking a deep breath, she estimated that the elevator doors would open in two seconds.

She took a small step back, then quickly accelerated and rushed towards the exit.

Just as she reached the elevator, it “dinged” and the doors opened.

The four men inside, clearly annoyed and furious, saw Ye Sangsang and immediately rushed out, joining the three who had followed her down the stairs.

In 2009, high school students did not widely carry mobile phones, and parents believed that having a phone would only distract them from their studies, so few students had one.

Thus, Ye Sangsang had no phone to call the police, and her first priority once outside was to seek help from the police.

She sprinted towards the entrance of the residential complex, with the seven men in hot pursuit.

The young body's explosive strength was remarkable, achieving an incredible speed.

Had it been someone with slightly less stamina, they would have been caught long ago.

Racing out of the complex gates, Ye Sangsang headed straight for the police station she had noticed in the past two days.

Passersby on the side also noticed her, but Ye Sangsang didn’t stop to ask for help.

It would waste time, and she couldn’t be sure the bystanders would call the police.

Destroying other people's property?

The only result of a two-second pause would be getting caught, leaving her no choice but to keep going.

Fortunately, the police station was close.

She thought her hope was within reach, but before she could get there, a minivan suddenly stopped beside her. The sliding door opened, and a man quickly jumped out, catching Ye Sangsang off guard.

Instantly, his rough, wide palm grabbed onto the back of her shirt.

Ye Sangsang's strides were momentarily slowed, and in the blink of an eye, she found herself surrounded by several burly men.

Their presence naturally attracted the attention of people around, and soon a crowd gathered to watch.

Ye Sangsang looked at the onlookers and shouted to them, “Call the police! Please help me, call the police! They’re taking me somewhere I don't know!”

Her voice, strained from the intense seven-minute run, was hoarse, yet filled with desperation as she looked at the crowd.

Some of the onlookers were swayed, ready to take out their phones to call the police.

Seeing this, the Square-faced Man from the group chasing Ye Sangsang appealed to the crowd, “No! We’re just helping the parents to catch their child! This child’s too rebellious, completely unruly, that’s why we’re helping her.”

“Don’t call the police!”

The crowd around hesitated, their hands lowering their phones. Ye Sangsang tried to speak up to clarify, but was interrupted by a voice from several meters away.

Ye Sangsang furrowed her brows and looked over, only to see Cui Xue rushing towards her.

Ye Sangsang immediately exclaimed, “Mom... they...”

"Bang"

The rest of her sentence, "aren’t good people," was instantly stifled as Ye Sangsang looked in disbelief at Cui Xue.

Playing a victim in the game, she had experienced being hit by her father, being hit by villains, but this was the first time to be hit by her own mother.

“You’ve really disappointed me! I never thought I’d raise such a son who can’t tell right from wrong after all the effort I’ve put in!” Cui Xue’s expression was filled with fury, her eyes brimming with profound disappointment.

As if the person in front of her was not her child, but her mortal enemy.

Ye Sangsang recalled Zhou Xue’s information. He was indeed rebellious and had many bad habits. Drinking, smoking, hanging out at internet cafes—all the vices you could think of. But he never got involved in fights or illegal activities. In fact, he never stayed out overnight or skipped class. Judging from his daily behavior, he could even be considered quite obedient. From the perspective of his tutoring sessions, he seemed to have realized his mistakes and was gradually getting better. Not telling Cui Xue about it was probably meant to be a surprise.

Ye Sangsang felt the intense burning pain on her face and glanced at the expressions of the people around her. For a moment, she didn’t know how to react. Perhaps it was because she had never been struck by her mother, nor had she often seen such a scene elsewhere, so she didn’t know how to respond.

Though unsure of her facial expression, she instinctively realized something and quickly explained, “Mom, I’ve been studying seriously lately. I only went to the internet cafe for half an hour these past few days, and I—”

“You’re done for...”

Before Ye Sangsang could finish, Cui Xue cut her off with a sharp, shrill scream.

She looked at the few people around her, gritting her teeth as she said, “I’ll sign up for half a year! Take him away right now!”

Hearing this, the men surrounding Ye Sangsang smiled. The leader chuckled, “Don’t worry, we’re well-known and reliable.”

Before Ye Sangsang could react, the men pounced on her, grabbing her arm and shoving her into a minivan that had just pulled up by the roadside.

Ye Sangsang began to struggle frantically, looking around at the people.

“No! I don’t want to! Please, just call the police!”

No one spoke, no one moved.

After all, Zhou Xue’s biological mother was still there. Normal people wouldn’t intervene in what they assumed to be a family dispute.

And in most parents’ eyes, a mother would never harm her own child, so being taken away didn’t seem like a big deal.

However, Ye Sangsang’s cries did catch the attention of many people, who turned to look at Cui Xue.

“My child is too addicted to the internet. He smokes, drinks, and is even in a relationship. I just can’t control him. Don’t worry, everyone. These are from the Pei Cai Academy. They won’t hurt the child...”

As the minivan door was about to close, Cui Xue addressed the onlookers, explaining the situation.

A collective sigh of relief could be heard from the crowd.

“Well, that’s a relief. I was thinking, how could a mother be so cruel to her own child?”

“These kids with internet addiction are the hardest to deal with. You’re doing the right thing for your child.”

“I’ve heard that the Pei Cai Academy is really good at handling rebellious kids like that. Many of them come out much more obedient and stop going to internet cafes...”

After that, Ye Sangsang couldn’t hear much more.

But in her heart, she began to question: Was this really a good place?

Glancing around at the men surrounding her, they looked anything but good-natured.

【Do you remember? In this scenario... the case hasn’t been revealed yet...】

【Yeah! The information only mentions daily habits and details about the people around him.】

【The Criminal Archives really loves to play with suspense, huh? Or is everything supposed to be pieced together slowly by Sangsang, or is it left for players to interpret freely?】

Ye Sangsang herself was aware of this and had even asked the superintelligence about it. But all she got was that according to the scenario settings, the case hadn’t been triggered yet.

She wasn’t angry; she was just curious why the scenario was set up this way. Was it to prevent people from knowing the truth and then not playing the scenario? She felt that in some ways, she might have hit the nail on the head.

Trapped in a cramped seat, one man on her left and another on her right, they laughed and chatted about various topics.

As for Ye Sangsang, they simply ignored her.

This situation was unusual. On the surface, these men didn’t seem like the generous, forgiving type.

As it turned out, Ye Sangsang’s guess was correct.

The leader pulled out his phone and checked it before nodding to the man beside him.

“His mom just transferred the money. Half a year’s tuition is five thousand eight hundred.”

“Hmph, does he think he can escape from us? Don’t be ridiculous.”

One of the men sitting next to Ye Sangsang reached out and slapped her shoulder. It was a forceful slap, done with obvious dissatisfaction.

Ye Sangsang reached out to counterattack.

But before she could even make contact, hands from the backseat and the left side restrained her.

Her arms and neck were pinned, and no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn’t move.

The man she had almost hit seemed startled for a moment but quickly grew furious. He punched Ye Sangsang in the face, then followed it with another slap and some curses.

【??? This kind of treatment? That school doesn’t look legitimate at all!】

【Why would Cui Xue send her son to such a place? Couldn’t she just talk to him?】

【To be honest, I’m a little scared now.】

Ye Sangsang’s cheek stung, so she relaxed her tense body.

She lowered her eyes, pretending to have been briefly subdued.

In truth, the counterattack earlier had been intentional. She wasn’t entirely sure about her suspicions, but now that she saw how skilled they were, it was clear that this so-called Pei Cai Academy was definitely no good.

The van drove for about twenty minutes, eventually arriving at the outskirts of the city.

The road ahead was straight, with a nearly three-meter-high wall on one side and a ditch overgrown with grass on the other.

The wall, painted white, had educational slogans inscribed on it.

“Send your internet addiction here, and get back a good child.”

The wall was smooth, with the top capped with cement that formed a sharp slope. Green beer bottles had been smashed and embedded in the cement, turning into jagged bits of glass.

With a height of three meters and such a setup, this seemed designed to prevent anyone from escaping.

Ye Sangsang hadn’t been blindfolded, so she could see all of this clearly.

The van came to a stop.

Ye Sangsang looked ahead. The entrance was a gate made of white striped tiles, with a stone sculpture embedded in it that read “Pei Cai Academy.”

Beneath the stone was a heavy iron gate, with iron bars each about five centimeters thick, giving it an intimidating look.

“Creak.”

The van door opened, and Ye Sangsang was dragged out.

Or rather, she was yanked out forcefully, unprepared, staggering and nearly falling to the ground.

“Move it!”

The man dragging her barked sharply.

Ye Sangsang was roughly pulled upright and dragged toward the iron gate.

Only a small side door in the gate was open, and Ye Sangsang was shoved through it. As soon as she entered, she saw a cement screen wall, or zhaobi, as it’s called in Chinese architecture.

Once past the wall, she found herself facing a large open space that served as a playground.

There were quite a few people there, maybe over a hundred.

What was eerie was that aside from the sound of music, there was no other noise.

Everyone’s movements were so precise, so mechanical, without even a hint of slackness or laziness, as if they were puppets being manipulated.

Ye Sangsang watched, but her brow furrowed tightly.

This level of precision was unnatural.

In reality, even if a teacher was watching, people would inevitably lose focus and make small mistakes in their movements. Or, over time, fidget and relax.

Here, not a single person deviated from the routine. Every bow was exactly ninety degrees.

It felt too deliberate.

Her eyes scanned the area, and she quickly estimated that there were about a dozen people walking around, supervising.

They were holding what looked like thick, dark whips, with a metallic sheen to them.

Ye Sangsang lowered her eyes. This academy was likely a den of horrors.

Did Cui Xue know she was sending her son to such a place?

Ye Sangsang didn’t have time to think further before she was dragged toward the back of the main building.

Before she could react, she was released, and a strong electric current surged through her body, starting from her hand.

Ye Sangsang groaned, unable to handle the shock, collapsing to the ground.

Seeing her reaction, the men said nothing and dragged her directly into a sealed room.

Before Ye Sangsang could stand up, they locked the door, and the sound of the lock turning signaled that she was trapped inside.

Then came the creaking sound of an iron door being locked.

Ye Sangsang tried to pull open the door, but it didn’t budge.

Outside, it was daylight, but the room inside was pitch-black, with only a small opening the size of a fist for air, providing a dim, ghostly light.

Ye Sangsang fell silent, wondering what kind of offense Zhou Xue had committed to be sent to such a place.

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She sat down right on the floor, first acclimating to the darkness.

Then she checked the room’s layout. There was only a bathroom, with a basic washcloth, toothpaste, and toothbrush, along with a squat toilet and toilet paper.

Everything else was missing.

It was hard to imagine what kind of person would remain sane after spending even a short amount of time in such a room.

Fortunately, Ye Sangsang wasn’t the type to be easily overwhelmed by such surroundings.

So after figuring out the situation, she simply sat on the ground, closed her eyes, and contemplated the details of this scenario.

On the surface, it seemed that the so-called *Rebellion's Punishment* revolved around Zhou Xue being locked in this unusual academy, facing certain events and making a move of some kind.

The goal of the game scenario was to escape from here.

Ye Sangsang got up and tried to pull on the door, only to find it completely immovable.

The ceiling was made of cement, as was the floor.

The window was only the size of a fist.

The only possible exit, the door, was locked extremely securely.

With a physical strength stat of 10, which was considered normal human strength, there was no way to simply kick the door open.

There were no tools in the room, so prying the door open was out of the question.

Thinking about the people she saw outside the house, Ye Sangsang’s only choice was to wait.

She found a spot to sit down and began to fast-forward through the timeline.

Half a day went by, and she was still there.

One day.

Two days.

In between, Ye Sangsang could only drink water from the room’s faucet. They were determined to keep her locked up until she submitted.

The feeling of hunger made her feel like her stomach was burning, her heart was racing, and her body was extremely exhausted.

She lay down outside the bathroom, forcing herself to minimize energy consumption and hold on a little longer.

By noon on the third day of being detained, when Ye Sangsang was on the verge of starvation, the door finally opened.

Her only thought was that these people were no better than human traffickers.

The light from outside flooded in, and Ye Sangsang’s eyes were dazzled to the point of being unable to open them.

Two men came in, and due to her extreme hunger, she was completely unable to resist and was dragged out.

Outside was a bright sunny day. Even with her eyes closed, the intense light made her cry.

Soon, Ye Sangsang was taken to an office and thrown onto a chair.

Ye Sangsang wiped the tears caused by the stimulation from her eyes and surveyed the scene before her.

“Eat first,” someone said.

Following this command, a tray of food was thrown in front of Ye Sangsang.

Instead of placing it on the table, the tray was thrown directly onto the ground, spilling a third of the food.

Ye Sangsang knew this was a test of obedience, to see if she had been "broken" during her confinement.

She immediately crouched down, picked up the metal spoon, and began to eat.

The food was disgusting—boiled vegetables and miscellaneous scraps, with the rice emitting a sour smell.

There were three people standing around, arms crossed, watching her eat.

After Ye Sangsang finished eating, the Square-faced Man stepped forward and spoke to her. “I think you realize by now that we’re not teachers from your school. We have all kinds of methods at our disposal.”

Ye Sangsang did not stand up but instead crouched down and nodded, her expression fearful.

Seeing this, the others seemed quite satisfied.

“The black room really does the trick. No matter who goes in, they come out obedient. I thought this troublemaker would come out yelling and screaming! But look, not even seven days in, and she’s already acting like a dog.”

“I wonder if we should keep her locked up longer.”

As these words were spoken, the room erupted in laughter.

The three of them were done laughing and seemed to remember their main purpose.

Ye Sangsang’s expression remained unchanged as she tidied up the tray and placed it on the coffee table.

Seeing this, the Square-faced Man smiled and grabbed her arm, pulling her up. “Your mother just called to ask about your situation. I told her she could call back later. I don’t think I need to tell you how to respond, do I?”

Ye Sangsang looked up at him and hesitated before nodding.

“I knew you were a sensible one,” he said, patting her shoulder. Then, with a venomous look in his eyes, he added, “Be careful with your words. If you let anything slip, you won’t want to know what other methods we have.”

【Ahhh, that’s terrifying!】

【What kind of monster academy is this? This is straight-up a demonic academy! This is illegal imprisonment!】

【Why can’t she tell her parents? Is it because they’re afraid of exposing what they’re doing?】

The livestream viewers were utterly shocked by what they were witnessing.

The biggest question on everyone’s mind was why the parents would send their child to such a place.

When choosing a school, wouldn’t they at least visit the place first?

The livestream was filled with confusion, as it was hard to imagine parents willingly sending their child to such a place.

【This is the infamous Pei Cai Academy! Ahhhhh, this school is absolutely horrifying—electric shocks, beatings, abuse, sexual assault, illegal detention—it’s all there!】

【Quick, I found information on Pei Cai! Just search “Pei Cai Academy”!】

【I just finished reading—I can’t handle it! The video and text materials are so devastating! I’m crying. The headmaster and instructors of this academy are straight-up monsters, and those parents aren’t innocent either!】

【They’re not human at all. No wonder there’s this scenario in *Crime Files*! No wonder it’s a victim scenario! There are so many victims, and they’re all so pitiful. Sangsang, please, just withdraw!】

While Ye Sangsang was unaware, the livestream viewers had already gathered all the information.

The chat was flooded with cries of despair, as they found it impossible to imagine what was happening.

These were minors! Even adults would find it unbearable to endure such cruel and inhumane treatment.

As the protagonist, Ye Sangsang, who wasn’t watching the chat, remained entirely in the dark.

In 2009, while mobile phones were becoming more common, many places still used landlines.

She picked up Cui Xue’s call and softly said, “Mom.”

Truthfully, she wasn’t willing to say it, but from Zhou Xue’s perspective, there would undoubtedly be a sense of desperation to escape, and he would likely try to appear obedient in hopes that his mother could rescue him.

“How are things? Are the instructors and teachers taking good care of you?”

Cui Xue’s voice carried a hint of stiffness, as sending her son to this disciplinary school still weighed on her conscience.

Ye Sangsang didn’t understand, nor did she want to.

As she felt the hand on her shoulder, she lowered her head slightly and said, “It’s… fine. The instructors are good, and I’m adapting…”

Her tone was clearly insincere. If the person on the other end knew and cared deeply for the child, they might have been able to detect the lie.

“That’s good…” Cui Xue paused.

Ye Sangsang clenched her teeth and, after a moment, whispered, “Mom… when are you going to come and pick me up?”

This was likely the one thing Zhou Xue wanted to say the most. He was desperately hoping that Cui Xue could manage to get him out soon.

The moment Ye Sangsang uttered those words, the hand on her shoulder tightened with enormous force, making her face turn pale.

Then, the phone was snatched away, and the Square-faced Man took over.

“Nothing’s wrong, the child is fine. Just a bit homesick after coming out.”

“Yes, yes, we understand.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll take good care of the child and ensure that he won’t be rebellious or addicted to gaming when he comes out.”

Meanwhile, Ye Sangsang was being muffled and punched in the stomach by the instructor.

She gasped in pain, but the person on the other end of the line couldn’t hear any of it.

“Click.”

The Square-faced Man hung up the phone.

Immediately after, the three men in the room released her.

But this wasn’t a reprieve. They picked up whips from the side and began to lash out at Ye Sangsang, hitting her repeatedly.

“You dare mention going home? You scum of society, game-addicted wastes, you think you can go home?”

The Square-faced Man spoke harshly as he struck her.

Ye Sangsang protected her head and quickly curled up on the ground.

These men were seasoned in beating others, their movements swift and merciless.

After three minutes of relentless beating, leaving Ye Sangsang in agonizing pain, they finally stopped.

Ye Sangsang lay on the ground, struggling to stay conscious.

The Square-faced Man ordered someone to drag her back to the black room.

Ye Sangsang found herself back in the black room.

After lying on the ground for a long time, she eventually began to recover.

Fast-forwarding through the timeline, four days later, she was finally released after being given a dry bun to keep her from starving to death.

After being locked up for seven days, they let her out.

Under the Square-faced Man’s orders, she was brutally beaten once more by the instructors before being taken to a dormitory.

Instructions were given to have those with experience teach her well.

Ye Sangsang was dragged, nearly lifeless, from the office to a dormitory in an adjacent building.

The two men holding her shoulders were turned away from Ye, unaware of the intense gaze she cast towards the bottom of them in a fleeting glance. However, their eyes were filled with a mixture of contentment and tension, reflecting the rigorous training they endured. Meanwhile, Ye felt a strong sense of openness as she observed the scene. The ground beneath her seemed to envelop her in a routine of resting, while the resolution of her center seemed intertwined with the uniformed figures around her. Countless stars whispered within the bustling square, creating a cacophony of sound. The atmosphere in the restroom had become an unexpected mixture of camaraderie and chaos, where principles collided, and the connection between individuals was both vital and intricate. Someone in the ambulance was filled with wonder, while others left, leaving behind an arrangement of emotions that felt both crucial and obstructive in nature.

Later, the instructor left the room.

After they left, all the eyes in the room fell on Ye Sangsang.

There was no sympathy or pity, because everyone was in the same boat.

Ye Sangsang adjusted her position and lay down on her stomach.

With so many wounds on her back, lying down would definitely cause her to wince in pain.

At this moment, a slender boy with a gentle demeanor walked over to Ye Sangsang. His features were somewhat androgynous, and he carefully sat down beside her, handing her a piece of paper filled with rules and regulations.

"You should take a good look at this and try to memorize it. Otherwise, you'll be locked up and beaten again. They even use electric shocks, and that... that's really terrifying..." His voice trembled as he sincerely advised Ye Sangsang to follow the rules.

Ye Sangsang stretched out her hand and took the paper.

Before being beaten, she had eaten something, so she suppressed the nausea rising in her stomach and began to read carefully.

The instructor shouted that anyone who did not stand up and respond loudly would receive five Dragon Whips.

Breaking classroom discipline: five Dragon Whips.

Attempting to inform parents: ten Dragon Whips.

Not following the schedule: ten Dragon Whips.

Confronting an instructor, teacher, or headmaster: ten Dragon Whips.

Planning to escape: one electric shock.

Executing an escape: three electric shocks.

...

The rules and regulations were followed by a series of punishments.

There were also rules designed to divide the students and prevent them from uniting, such as informing on someone to the instructors to be exempt from the next punishment.

Additionally, if one person tried to escape, the entire dormitory would be punished.

If one person did not follow the rules, the entire class would be punished.

The Dragon Whip was extremely painful. It was made of stainless steel with a fabric strip wrapped around one end, and the rest was a smooth rod.

When it struck a person, it felt like being hit by a real whip, leaving black-red marks instantly.

Why compare it to a real whip? Because it was made of twisted black iron wires, about the length of an adult's arm, and it wasn't flexible like a typical whip.

The injuries on her body were from this, incredibly painful but not to the point of damaging the bones. Perhaps they were also afraid of accidentally killing someone with a few blows, which would be hard to explain.

Ye Sangsang quickly scanned through the paper and then set it aside.

At this point, the others gathered around and asked Ye Sangsang why she was sent here.

"Playing games, smoking, drinking..." Ye Sangsang replied honestly.

Most of the others were here for similar reasons.

She also noticed that a few were not.

They didn't hide it; some were shy, others because they were homosexual.

The instructors had pointed this out during the brainwashing sessions when they first arrived, so there was no point in hiding it.

Ye Sangsang's gaze fell on everyone's hands and foreheads, noticing distinct blackish-brown marks.

These were... traces of electric shocks...

Almost everyone had bruises.

From talking with them, Ye Sangsang felt that this place didn't actually recruit the real troublemakers.

The kind who would dare to pick up a brick and smash a teacher's head, leaving them bloodied.

Most of the people here were internet addicts or simply didn't want to study. Just next door, there was a girl who was sent here simply because she was rebellious and resented her family's preference for boys over girls.

No real troublemakers?

It seemed like they were also afraid of such tough individuals?

After learning all this, Ye Sangsang closed her eyes, and the others saw this and took the opportunity to rest.

As for medicine for treating wounds? This academy didn't provide any; if you were injured, you just had to endure it.

Soon, the next day arrived.

As the bell rang, everyone quickly got up and assembled on the playground.

Ye Sangsang found a spot to stand.

The first order of business was a speech by a middle-aged man who had a somewhat kindly appearance.

His words were simple: brainwashing these students.

Ye Sangsang followed the others' example, enduring the pain as she listened.

To her right, a girl swayed slightly.

The next moment, a whip immediately struck the girl's frail body.

One strike after another, and the girl collapsed to the ground.

She was then dragged away.

Ye Sangsang looked over and saw it was toward the office, not the black room, meaning she would be further brutalized.

Even someone as twisted as Ye Sangsang found it hard to imagine and comprehend the cruelty of these people.

"I know some of you are upset, but you're nothing but trash! You're scum, societal garbage..."

He spoke with passion, as if these students were hideous trash, and he was a pioneer brave enough to educate them.

The scene fell silent.

After the morning exercises, it was time for breakfast.

The food was terrible; some was even spoiled, with an obvious stench.

But they had to eat it all, as leaving any would result in being beaten.

During this time, whenever an instructor called, they had to respond.

It was strict, cruel, and utterly inhuman.

Ye Sangsang took advantage of the movement of the crowd to observe the layout of the academy.

Most of the area outside the academy was wasteland, covering a few thousand square meters, with a teaching building, a co-ed dormitory, a cafeteria, and several small black rooms.

The other buildings included the Dean's and the Square-faced Man's offices, as well as the so-called Disciplinary Room.

During meals and when returning to the dormitory, she also observed the attendance times of the dorm supervisors and cafeteria staff.

She didn't ask anyone; she gathered all the information herself by paying attention.

Because anyone could betray her.

These instructors were also interesting, seemingly targeting troublemakers like Ye Sangsang.

That night, the instructors came to the dormitory and ordered Ye Sangsang to recite all the rules and regulations.

Ye Sangsang obediently recited them, and the instructors looked at her.

"See, a beating will make anyone behave."

Then, without any reason, they proceeded to beat Ye Sangsang again.

Ye Sangsang had never seen such a situation before and almost laughed in disbelief.

Luckily, the beating wasn't too severe, and they left.

The others in the dormitory helped her back to bed.

Ye Sangsang lay there, starting to recall the layout of the academy.

Of course, she couldn't just sit and wait for her fate; she had to escape.

To survive and complete her mission, right?

The only concern was the lack of weapons.

Ye Sangsang's gaze lit up as she remembered where she had seen the dorm supervisor keep the keys earlier that day. It wouldn't be easy to get, but it wasn't impossible.

The dean surely had weapons, or at the very least, Dragon Whips.

With a plan in place, Ye Sangsang began to mentally skip through time.

But before she could start, an unexpected event occurred.

A commotion broke out outside.

Screams and curses echoed through the air.

Everyone in the dormitory crowded by the windows to peek outside.

Soon, Ye Sangsang understood what was happening.

Someone had beaten her to the punch and was attempting to escape.

Judging by the commotion, they were likely about to be caught...