Chapter Fourteen: Stopping (1/4)

As the doors of the school bus closed once more, besides the teacher Koichi Wisteria—whose hairstyle seemed plucked straight from a protagonist of the last century—six students, three boys and three girls, boarded in succession. The interior of the bus immediately became crowded.

“Miss Juikawa!” Shu Zhengdong shouted the moment Koichi Wisteria stepped on. Even the usually absent-minded school nurse understood the urgency of the moment; she stamped her foot on the accelerator. The bus lurched forward with a sudden jolt, like a rampaging beast, knocking down the zombies in its path.

With a loud crash, the iron school gates were rammed open.

By the window, Liu Mengchao watched the cherry blossoms lining both sides of the road. Petals fluttered down in waves, as if bidding them farewell.

“This isn’t good!” Qi Xiaoxiao abruptly shattered Liu Mengchao’s reverie, her tone anxious. “Did my earlier deduction turn out to be wrong?”

“Why do you say that?”

“The Lord of Trials still hasn’t issued the team formation prompt. I thought that once we all boarded the bus, we’d be able to form a team.”

As she spoke, Liu Mengchao noticed Qi Xiaoxiao’s cheeks gradually flushing.

“Even if your theory was off, there’s no need to blush all of a sudden—that makes me feel a little embarrassed,” Liu Mengchao teased lightly, though a frown had creased his brow.

When they’d first boarded, Qi Xiaoxiao’s face had been deathly pale, and before the bus even started moving, her complexion had changed so rapidly. The transition was too abrupt.

“Don’t stare at me…” Annoyed by Liu Mengchao’s mischievous grin, Qi Xiaoxiao forcibly turned his face away with her hand, compelling him to look at the commotion unfolding inside the bus instead.

“Mr. Xu, you’re the leader, aren’t you?” Koichi Wisteria stood before Shu Zhengdong, his black-rimmed glasses only making his face more disagreeable.

“No, I’m not.” Shu Zhengdong’s face was ashen; he still didn’t understand why the Lord’s prompt hadn’t arrived. All the characters were on the bus—what was missing?

“Oh,” Koichi looked askance at the students inside the bus, then raised his hand excitedly. “Regardless, we need a leader—someone who can guide everyone through danger! And if I’m entrusted with that role, I’ll do everything in my power to keep everybody safe. We can all survive this!”

Liu Mengchao noted that Koichi’s posture was the classic stance of a politician—raising his arm, chin held high, projecting vitality and the image of a leader rather than that of a superfluous fool.

Koichi Wisteria adhered strictly to this manner, eyes fixed forward as if tussling with an unseen adversary.

“And what do you propose?” Saya Takashiro folded her arms with evident displeasure. “We weren’t rescued from the school by you, you know!”

“Oh? Then, Takashiro, perhaps you can tell me, who is your leader?”

“Liu Mengchao!”

“Liu Mengchao, is it?” Koichi sneered as he glanced at Liu Mengchao. “Aren’t you an exchange student from China? Do you truly have the ability to lead everyone to safety?”

Liu Mengchao said nothing, his gaze fixed on his system panel.

Prize Pool Amount: 155,000.
The emotional fluctuation between anticipation and disappointment at the failed team formation had only increased the prize pool by two thousand. Clearly, he had overlooked something critical: suppression—suppression of emotion.

As a veteran, he had inadvertently put the newcomers at ease at the outset, amplifying their emotional swings. But in a relatively safe environment, their emotions would not fluctuate greatly. In other words, just as now, the newcomers all looked to him, quietly awaiting his decision.

If even making a decision was out of reach, how could he expect any significant emotional response from them?

This realization deepened Liu Mengchao’s frown.

“Aha!” Koichi Wisteria exclaimed as if he’d made a great discovery. “Mengchao, you agree that leading a group to survive in a foreign land is difficult, right? Trust me, I can guide everyone through this! I’ve lived in Chuangzhuang City all my life—if we follow the current route, we can cross the Jingchuan River and seek help from the Self-Defense Force on the other side!”

“You talk too much, pretty boy.” Liu Mengchao lifted his head, pinning Koichi with a glare sharp as a blade.

“You—”

“Every time you look at someone, the left corner of your mouth lifts slightly. That means you look down on every single person here.”

“I don’t look down on anyone in this bus—”

“Repeating the accuser’s words is a classic trait of a liar. And don’t fake a smile in front of me—when you do, the corners of your eyes don’t wrinkle.”

With that, Liu Mengchao stood. Even now, his brow remained furrowed.

The prize pool still hadn’t increased. His earlier deduction was correct: his presence as a senior participant was suppressing the emotional volatility of the newcomers.

He needed to find a way to leave the bus, to unleash the pent-up emotions of the others. After all, to Liu Mengchao, emotions were like fine wine—the longer they fermented, the more exquisite their flavor upon release.

“Mengchao…” Koichi Wisteria was visibly shaken. His hands unconsciously rubbed together—a textbook self-soothing gesture.

“You’re afraid.”

“Don’t get cocky, Liu Mengchao!” Before Koichi could retort, one of the boys who’d entered with him rushed forward. “I’ve had enough of you, and now you dare talk like that to Mr. Wisteria—”

Shing!

The boy hadn’t finished his sentence before a blade flashed forth—Liu Mengchao’s hidden wrist blade sprang into view.

“Say one more word, and see what happens.”

The sharp blade hovered just beneath the man’s Adam’s apple.

“Don’t even try to swallow—or you might cut your throat.”

“What was his name again?”

Liu Mengchao glanced at Koichi Wisteria, who stood frozen, trembling with terror.

“Itano…”

“Good. Itano, from now on, if you utter even a single word, I’ll kill you on the spot.”

With a flick of his pinky, Liu Mengchao’s wrist blade retracted.

“Liu—”

Shing! Shing!

Twin blades shot out from beneath Liu Mengchao’s wrists, one to the left, one to the right, each poised precisely at Koichi Wisteria’s temples.

“I don’t much care for your chatter, either, Mr. Wisteria.”

With a thud, Koichi collapsed onto the floor, unable to contain his terror, body trembling as he stared at Liu Mengchao.

The bus fell instantly silent.

“Ugh!” Suddenly, a retching sound broke the hush behind Liu Mengchao. He turned and saw that his earlier suspicion was correct—Qi Xiaoxiao was in trouble.

Gouts of blood spewed from her mouth, staining the white seat before her deep red.

Liu Mengchao glanced around the bus; Shu Zhengdong’s eyelids drooped, lips pressed tight. He was suppressing his emotions, much like Li Xin, whose face also betrayed a forced concern.

Both their expressions were slightly asymmetrical—an indication of concealed feelings, perhaps even schadenfreude.

Opportunity.

It was time to unleash the beast. If he slipped away for a while, these newcomers might finally let loose.

Liu Mengchao cast one last look at Li Xin and Shu Zhengdong, then stepped to Qi Xiaoxiao’s side. Meeting her pleading gaze, he bent down, wiped the blood from her lips, and whispered in her ear, “If your chest is that small, don’t try to show off in front of me.”

Then, scooping her up in a bridal carry, he was surprised by how light she felt.

Bang!

He kicked the bus door.

“Stop the bus!”

———

The eruption was about to begin in earnest… The next chapter comes tomorrow morning at ten.

Special thanks to Mengmeng Belia Debiluke for the 3,000-word update vote—I’m sure you didn’t misclick… And thanks to Linbei the Cat, Happy Kitten, Victorica8, Rainbow Shift, Madman the Fallen, Frozen Silent, Passerby the Base Guy, Starry Tale, Relieved Morning, and Passerby C3 for the generous tips—brilliant!