A primary school boy, around the second grade.
The title "Mr. Ghost" is probably a self-designation.
"Hmm." After Wen Zheng responded, the scene next door indeed began to unfold. The little boy happily pushed a notebook through the wide gap, with a pencil stuck inside.
"Mr. Ghost, do you know how to play Go?" The little boy's tone was both timid and excited, and it was unclear why he was so determined to play Go here.
But Wen Zheng, a seasoned player, would never refuse an NPC's request. He picked up the notebook from the ground, opened it, and found that it actually contained a drawing of Gomoku (Five in a Row).
This notebook has grid pages, each grid being 0.3 centimeters square, separated by light gray lines. It's perfect for children to play a simple game when they're bored, using solid and hollow circles to represent black and white pieces.
But that was a "trend" two hundred years ago. Nowadays, children's entertainment is all high-tech. Even Wen Zheng, when he was a child, either didn't have time, or if he did have time, the games he played wouldn't be like that.
If it's not a retro timeline, it means this child is having a terrible time, unable to enjoy the entertainment that others have, and can only play chess with himself.
When Wen Zheng got the notebook, he had already filled half a page with his own notes, and it was unclear how long he had been locked up there.
Wen Zheng carefully placed a black stone, closed the book before handing it back, and the title page flashed by.
He froze, withdrew his hand, and then opened it again for another look.
Math notebook, Grade 3, Class 2, Yu Jin.
Yu Jin!
He was live-streaming, and his every move was under the watchful eyes of everyone. Wen Zheng reacted in a flash, enduring the chill as he closed his notebook.
It's as if glancing at the "protagonist's" name just now was a casual gesture, without any real meaning.
After all, the names of the Xia Kingdom have always been numerous and complex, making it difficult to make any associations.
Yu Jin.
Why would he create a tiny character in this game that resembles himself? And it seems he's not doing well.
The NPC Xiao Yu Jin in the game didn't notice anything wrong, happily filled in a hollow "white" piece, and then pushed it back.
Wen Zheng composed himself and played Go against the machine for ten minutes before finally defeating the little gatekeeper and receiving a soft compliment: "Mr. Ghost, you're really amazing."
That seemed to be a signal, because the door to the next cubicle slammed shut.
Someone is banging on the door!
"You little pervert, come out! We know you're in there, so come out if you dare!"
Bang bang bang, bang bang bang: "Hahaha, did he fall into the toilet?"
"Even if he falls in, we have to get him out. Big brother specially brought him a dress! This little pervert is so handsome, he has to wear a dress."
"Wow, the eldest brother is truly devoted to his brothers."
"The little pervert is lucky. This is the one that Big Brother picked for a long time. I even gave him my opinion? No, I mean suggestions, hehe."
"Yes, yes, the dress is pretty. It would be even prettier if Little Brother Yu didn't have a little brother!"
The group burst into laughter.
"Hey! You pervert Yu! What's it like wearing a skirt? I heard from my aunt that someone like you would like to cut off his penis, is that true?" someone asked.
“…No.” Xiao Yu Jin from next door finally spoke, but what he said was not what the people outside wanted to hear.
"I don't want to. It will hurt."
As soon as he finished speaking, the door to the next cubicle was kicked open, and a suppressed scream and the sound of several unruly children fighting were clearly heard, right next to him.
"Pervert! All he does is copy Yu Lan!" "Let's pull down his pants and see!" "Damn it, he even dared to fight back!" "Beat him to death—"
Wen Zheng pounded on the door repeatedly, but couldn't break it open. Even though he knew it was just a scene from a movie, his rising anger still burned away his reason.
Unlike reality, in a game, no matter how much strength he had, a door that was supposed to be impossible to open in the game's design would not work. Only when the sounds of punching and kicking outside gradually subsided did the door click open.
He pushed open the cubicle door with a gloomy face. The kids acted as if they hadn't heard him, and filed out after spouting their harsh words, passing right through Wen Zheng.
He really did become the useless "Mr. Ghost".
"Are you alright?" Wen Zheng squatted down, looking at the pitiful little Yu Jin.
Yu Jin's real appearance is as bland as plain water; he's not ugly, just not striking. The game model is more ordinary, but also more three-dimensional, bearing a resemblance to the real Yu Jin. I wonder if this was intentional.
He lay there pitifully, his head resting against the tiles in the corner of the wall, his clothes disheveled, and there was a bruise on the corner of his mouth.
Even the worst kids are only eight or nine years old and have limited strength.
However, such harm often leaves a greater psychological scar than a physical one.
"Thank you, Mr. Ghost." Xiao Yu Jin slowly got up, pulled up his pants, and took his schoolbag out from behind the toilet in the stall.
"I have to go now," he said politely. "Play Go with me again next time."
Wen Zheng looked down at him and said, "I'll go with you."
Chapter 77
The school's facilities are old, probably because they were replaced as soon as they broke. Some walls are broken, while some facilities are very new, creating a mottled and mixed mess.
It was getting late when Xiao Yu Jin, carrying his schoolbag and holding his notebook, slowly walked back to Class Two.
As school was about to end, the elementary school students were making a ruckus and chasing each other in the hallway.
As Xiao Yujin walked by, they all fell silent, some looking at him, others avoiding him.
"It's that younger brother..."
"Why did Yu Lan's younger brother go upstairs? Has Yu Lan already left?"
"I don't know, look how dirty he is, and his pants are torn."
"real……"
Why isn't he wearing a skirt today?
“He must have been beaten by his parents. If that’s the case, my mom said she’d throw me away.”
"Haha, then you can try it next time..."
A long, dark shadow was cast on the ground, its movements contorted, accompanied by soft whispers. NPCs with indistinct faces were scattered throughout the corridor, gathered in twos and threes, except for Xiao Yu Jin, who stood alone.
He kept his head down, his long-standing experience of being bullied made him look timid, and he accepted everything without question, swallowing it down and turning it into a pot of sour, rotten emotional garbage.
After walking down a long corridor to the third floor, the music signaling the end of school started playing over the loudspeaker. Some students who had participated in club activities hurried out with their belongings, while the students on duty who were watering the small potted plants in the classroom put down their watering cans and happily picked up their bags to leave.
Yu Jin stood at the door, stepped aside, and waited until the rest of the group had left before preparing to return to the classroom.
At that moment, five or six more people came from behind.
Wen Zheng stood outside the back door of the classroom, watching the group of elementary school students who were clearly key figures pass by.
They were all wearing school uniforms. Two of the boys were quite tall, but the one standing at the front leading the group was clearly a pretty girl.
Her hair was loose, and she wore a plaid headband. Her school uniform skirt looked like something out of a school recruitment brochure—she was a girl who had been pampered since childhood, exuding confidence that would make passersby feel good about her and praise her for her poise and grace.
Standing at the classroom door, Xiao Yu Jin froze, quickly lowering his head as if he dared not look at them. The girl in the lead seemed not to have seen him at all, only pausing briefly before walking past without glancing at him.
The corridor fell silent.
The scene seemed to freeze. Wen Zheng went over to talk to the NPC Xiao Yu Jin, but the other party remained silent.
There must be some plot point that hasn't been triggered.
Thinking this, I heard footsteps behind me again; the group of elementary school students were coming again.
It seems the key lies with these children.
Based on the information gleaned from the whispers he overheard on the way, Wen Zheng waited until they reached Xiao Yu Jin's side and then said, "Yu Lan."
It was indeed Yu Lan.
The cacophony of white noise on campus broke through the barrier and flooded into the flow of time. Yu Lan reacted, her delicate brows furrowing. She didn't see the "Ghost Mr." who had revealed her identity, but instead looked at Xiao Yu Jin: "What?"
Xiao Yu Jin shuddered, his head almost touching the ground. He wanted to say that it wasn't him who shouted, that he didn't... but the words stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter a sound for a long time. It was infuriating to see him like that.
Yu Lan grew impatient, tossed her hair, and said to the people behind her, "Let's go."
Then it disappeared into the orange-red afterglow.
The characters Yu Lan and Xiao Yu Jin in the game look so alike. Even if they are twins, it is rare for them to look so similar because they are fraternal twins.
Whether it was for the sake of the game's plot or because Yu Jin really looked like his sister, Wen Zheng thought aimlessly as he followed little Yu Jin into the classroom.
He slowly returned to his seat, poured some water on a tissue, and wiped the desk that had been scribbled on. After that, he tore off the tape on the chair, spread out his notebook, and copied the homework assigned on the projector. He worked for a long time and copied three lines when the classroom door suddenly clicked open.
Wen Zheng looked sharply in that direction, only managing to catch a glimpse of a few figures pushing and shoving each other as they left with wicked smiles.
Damn, are these kids never going to stop?
I'm so angry!
What kind of ridiculous plot is this? Are elementary school students these days really that bad? They don't understand any of this. This is evil! All the kids I know are angels!
-Some people think that if I don't exist, then the world is mine. You say cyberbullying has existed for hundreds of years and hasn't disappeared, but school bullying will still be around even ten thousand years from now.
-It's because children don't understand anything that they do such things.
-Stop arguing, it's just a script...it's not based on a live-action film, there's no need to make a fuss.
Holy crap, this is a copy of May's game! What do you guys think...?
-?
-Come on, art is above life. Do you guys, the god of Pharaoh's Wrath, really need to go deep into the pyramids for research?
-Everything appears dark to a gloomy person, I really hate this book.
-Wait, stop arguing!!! Zheng Ge is locked out again!!! And this time he's alone. I'm already laughing, hahaha, Mingzhu's not here, no one's looking for the key.
Even I, a viewer, have developed a Mingzhu dependency.
-Zheng Ge needs to learn to be self-reliant.
Wen Zheng glanced at the comments and said, "…………"
So, he didn't find the key when Bei Sining wasn't around?
Wen Zheng had just finished touching one of the drawers, refusing to believe it, when suddenly two people appeared in the classroom and stood directly on the podium.