Teacher Zhang and Zhou Yulong had just left for a short while when Li Ge returned to the cssroom.

  His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked both haggard and numb, like a lifeless shell.

  He had asked all of Mao Houwang's friends at school, but they all said they didn't know such a person.

  After a while, an angry Teacher Zhang also returned, followed by a dejected Zhou Yulong.

  Teacher Zhang stepped onto the podium and, with a cold snort, said, "Cssmates, this prank game should end here."

  "The college entrance examination is coming up soon. I haven't been strict with you because I don't want to put too much pressure on you, but that doesn't mean you can make a fool of your teacher!"

  "The books aren't being read for my sake, but for yours. Your primary task right now is to study, and I don't want to see this happen again!"

  Teacher Zhang continued his lecture from the podium.

  But to the students below, it was like a bolt from the blue.

  They looked at Zhou Yulong.

  "What's going on, css monitor? Didn't the surveilnce capture Mao Houwang?"

  "How is that possible? I just pyed Go with him the day before yesterday!"

  Zhou Yulong shook his head woodenly, a look of despair on his face. "Teacher Zhang and I reviewed the surveilnce from the past seven days, and we didn't see Mao Houwang."

  "There's no record of Mao Houwang's name in the student files in the office either. I can't find a single piece of evidence that he ever existed."

  Another student spoke up, "What about st night's surveilnce? And what about the bloody writing on the bckboard?"

  "The camera is mounted above the bckboard, so it doesn't capture the board," Zhou Yulong replied.

  In an instant, all hope was shattered.

  Some students even began to doubt their sanity. Was it all just an illusion yesterday? Did Mao Houwang really not exist?

  That was clearly impossible.

  How could so many people have mental issues at the same time?

  Besides, they hadn't been cssmates with Mao Houwang for just a day or two; it had been a full two years!

  They could even clearly recall any incident involving Mao Houwang.

  In front of everyone, Zhou Chang rolled up his sleeve to reveal several bruises on his arm. "These are from when Mao Houwang pinched me a few days ago. I've been his deskmate for as long as I can remember, and I've been bullied for just as long. How could he not exist?"

  It was somewhat ughable that the bruises on Zhou Chang's arm were now the only evidence they could find of Mao Houwang's existence.

  But it couldn't prove his identity.

  "Enough!" Teacher Zhang banged on the podium a few times. "It's css time now. Return to your seats. Your primary task is to study. Stop thinking about these nonsensical things!"

  Coincidentally, just as Teacher Zhang finished speaking, the bell for the end of the morning reading session rang.

  With a cold snort, he walked out of the cssroom.

  And the moment Teacher Zhang stepped out the door, the cssroom erupted.

  "What are we going to do now? No one will believe us!"

  "Even if they believe us, what can they do against ghosts?"

  "Are we all going to die?"

  "Didn't Su Yuan get picked yesterday, and he's fine? So, as long as we complete the bloody writing game, we'll be okay!"

  "Can everyone in the css answer yesterday's question? Besides, don't forget that the bckboard game isn't just about questions and answers. How can you guarantee you'll complete all the games?"

  As everyone argued, a female student named Yang Ruo asked a chilling question.

  "If we die, will we disappear like Mao Houwang?"

  Her words brought instant silence.

  Disappear from this world?

  The mere thought sent shivers down their spines.

  Their family and friends would forget them, and all traces of their existence would vanish...

  It was a hundred times more terrifying than death itself!

  Li Ge squatted on the ground, cwing at his head in agony. "No... I absolutely don't want this. I don't want to stay in this haunted pce. I want to go home!"

  His face was filled with fear and despair, and after a few cries, he dashed out of the cssroom without looking back.

  No one stopped him; they just watched his retreating figure, feeling a bit restless.

  But no one chose to follow.

  "Old Su, should we make a run for it?" Ye Haoyu looked somewhat tempted.

  Su Yuan remained silent for a moment before shaking his head. "Let's wait a few days. If he's fine, then we'll leave."

  No one dared to guarantee what terrifying things might happen if they left rashly.

  But at this point, it was good to have someone test the waters.

  Song Xiaoxia bit her lip and said, "Are we just going to sit here and wait to die?"

  Fear and unease lingered around everyone.

  "Don't worry." Zhang Yang, who had somehow joined them, said calmly, "My third uncle will take action!"

  "Your third uncle?" Song Xiaoxia asked, puzzled.

  Zhang Yang's lips curled slightly as he recounted his third uncle's "glorious deeds."

  After listening, Song Xiaoxia was a bit worried. "I've seen that fortune-teller on the bridge before. Last time, I saw him tricking a kid for some sachima, and the kid's dad chased him down. Is he really..."

  "Is that true?" Judging by Zhang Yang's shocked expression, he didn't know about this incident himself.

  Ye Haoyu seized the opportunity, sneering, "I told you your third uncle is a fraud, buddy!"

  "No!" Lin Yuan suddenly appeared from nowhere. "That's exactly what makes it possible. The experts in novels always have this carefree demeanor. I'm starting to believe his third uncle is a master."

  "Yeah, yeah, his third uncle will feed the ghost sachima, and the ghost will be too full to eat people."

  Su Yuan scratched his head.

  He realized that his friends were just here for fun.

  No matter how scared they were inside, they always managed to joke around when they were together.

  But that was better than constantly crying and shouting.

  ................

  After being scared by the "family members" st night, almost no one in the css slept.

  Despite their lingering fear, they couldn't resist the overwhelming drowsiness.

  As a result, the entire css was asleep for most of the morning.

  Only a few people were fiddling with their phones at their desks, trying to find the reason behind all this.

  The teachers who came to css were already used to it. They just did their duty and taught, regardless of whether anyone was listening.

  At Jiangyan No. 2 High School, each grade had a css like Css Ten.

  These csses were formed at the beginning of the school year, made up of the lowest-performing students from each css.

  These students were like pus being squeezed out, like decayed teeth being pulled.

  Teachers, schools, and parents had no expectations for them.

  "If they can learn, let them learn. If not, let them fend for themselves."

  That's what every teacher who came to css thought.