Chapter 64

Chapter 64

Hiding in the dormitory to avoid disaster was the best situation for No. 182, whose abilities were mediocre.

However, even though he found his fertilizer, he still had to take on the dual identity of both the flower and the fertilizer. Every day, there were rose tasks that he had to complete.

Additionally, with his unruly stomach inevitably growing hungry, this guy managed to last until around 11 AM, when he sneaked out of the dormitory building, planning to get something to eat at the cafeteria.

Unfortunately, things didn't go according to plan, and good luck always runs out.

No. 182 hadn't gotten far when a man and a woman stopped him aggressively. Although the three of them were strangers to each other, No. 182 immediately understood the situation when he saw the "111" embroidered emblem on the girl's clothes. He nervously greeted her, "Hi, Miss Fertilizer, we actually meet!"

No. 111 was the one who had been tricked by her, Fei Ling.

The cute little idol's expression was full of anger. "You still have the nerve to say 'hi'? Why did you do this? Do we have a grudge against you? Who are you, really?"

The rapid-fire questioning left No. 182 speechless.

The tall guy behind Fei Ling, however, didn’t want to waste words. He rushed up and immediately punched No. 182 in the face several times!

No. 182, with a weak body, inevitably fell to the ground, struggling to crawl as he pleaded, "Please don't hit me… Even if I don't become your flower, the system will make me your flower, sending you daily rose tasks! With someone like me trying to pick easier tasks for you, wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?"

Fei Ling completely ignored No. 182's nonsense. "Easier tasks? You forced me to expose my friend's information, and you call that easy?! I believe he will soon be targeted by others!"

The male streamer, No. 241, who was doing the beating, spat in disgust. "The rules aren't even fully announced, and you're over here setting up your own image? Do you think we're stupid?"

No. 182, feeling wronged, painfully raised his voice in protest. "Why are you yelling at me? Everyone clearly understands the rules! So tell me, where is Miss Fertilizer's loss?!"

No. 241 was momentarily stunned by his persistence.

At that moment, the system’s broadcast, which couldn’t have timed it worse, started ringing. A sweet, knowledgeable female voice brought new official news.

[Thirty streamers have been eliminated, and new rules are being announced.]

[When a streamer becomes the only flower for another streamer, as long as the fertilizer’s Bloom value reaches 100 points, the fertilizer’s flower identity will be confirmed.]

[Streamers, please make the most of this opportunity.]Hearing this, Fei Ling became even angrier. "Are you satisfied now? If you force me to complete the task five times, my Bloom value will definitely accumulate to 100 points, and then you can step up to participate in the official competition. Are you proud of that?"

No. 241 added, "Ridiculous. With his pathetic skills, it’s better for him to die early and be reborn."

No. 182 remained silent, his face filled with frustration.

Fei Ling, clearly unable to contain her anger, threatened, "Don't worry. No matter how hard you try to make things difficult for me with your tasks, I will never complete them. If I can't step up, neither will you!"

At this point, No. 182 struggled to get up, looking utterly frustrated. "But if you don't complete them, the system will punish you. Your Bloom value will instantly increase by 40 points. Doesn’t that bring you closer to stepping up?"

No. 241, the male streamer, was furious and threw another couple of punches. "You bastard! Why are you bullying a girl? If you have the guts, come at me!"

Weak No. 182 couldn’t withstand his assault and was kicked hard into a streetlight, his ribs shaking violently. He felt his internal organs hurt intensely and almost coughed up blood.

Luckily, at that moment, the system issued a regional warning.

[This round of the game does not allow streamers to resolve conflicts with violence.]

[No. 241, please stop beating No. 182. If you continue, your Bloom value will increase by 50 points.]

Due to the commotion, many streamers and NPCs had gathered around to watch.

Fei Ling then stopped her reckless companion and coldly said, "Let’s go. This is enough of a lesson for him. Since the rose task allows evasion, there must be a way to avoid it. We won’t let him succeed!"

No. 241 sneered, "Hmph, we may have other ways to deal with him. Just wait and see."

No. 182, feeling completely wronged, lay on the ground watching them walk away, and then, groaning with pain, slowly sat up and muttered, "This is how the rules work. You can't blame me. I didn’t even expect to survive to the third round..."

By this time, Fei Ling and her friend had completely disappeared, and no one was left to listen to his useless grumbling.

No. 182 sighed deeply, neither happy nor sad, but filled with a sense of confusion.

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, shakily stood up, and stumbled toward the infirmary.

In another corner of the campus, Xiyu was walking alone, unharmed, through the misty rain.

It was impossible to go to the principal's office to crack the safe during the day, so he tried to gather more information about Xiaozhi elsewhere. Unfortunately, the student NPCs were only discussing rumors, which didn’t really advance his plot.

As he passed the library, Xiyu subtly walked in and politely asked the librarian, "Excuse me, has anyone borrowed 'The Blade' in the past couple of days?"The librarian was relatively polite to him and immediately checked the system, responding, "No, all four books are still here."

Xiyu blinked. "But when I came yesterday, they were all gone."

The librarian wasn't very concerned. "It's possible that another student took them and put them somewhere else. You can leave your contact details, and we'll let you know if we find them."

Xiyu nodded helplessly, about to leave for other places, when suddenly, it was exactly noon.

The system broadcasted ominous news as expected.

[No. 084, you selfish fertilizer, the rose master is ashamed of you.]

[You failed to complete today's rose task on time, which is utterly irresponsible.]

[Now, the rose master will punish you.]

[The punishment will last 90 minutes.]

[If you are wounded by the rose master, your Bloom will immediately increase by 40 points.]

The voice, which was still relatively gentle, faded, and everything around Xiyu was immediately enveloped in a distinct shadow.

He looked up at the lending desk: The librarian was gone, and the tables, chairs, and the entire library's furniture and walls looked like they'd suddenly aged twenty years, exuding a cold, eerie atmosphere.

The building was dilapidated, with spider webs everywhere, and it was clear that he had entered the space for a punishment instance.

Xiyu immediately became extremely cautious, observing his surroundings, and looked for a safe place to hide.

But before he could make a move, he clearly heard a peculiar clicking sound, similar to… the sound of a paper cutter being pushed.

This thought was quickly confirmed by fate, as the ghostly girl named Xiaozhi, covered in blood and flesh, emerged from the dark mist, pushing a huge paper cutter toward him!

As Xiaozhi approached, she spoke in a very sorrowful tone, so cold it felt like ice might fall from her words: "...No. 084, why didn't you carve your name? You swore to play the rose game... how can it be just me following the agreement... Come... let me carve your name... Xiyu..."

Her cruel words were slow, but her figure was closing in fast.

Without a moment's hesitation, Xiyu turned and ran, grabbing whatever books and decorations he could find to throw at her, desperately trying to slow Xiaozhi down!

However, Xiaozhi was not human but an incredibly powerful vengeful ghost BOSS that no one could defeat.She relentlessly pursued, filled with resentment: "Come! Let me carve your name... then your rose task will be complete..."

Just as Xiyu was swiftly climbing to the second floor, her figure, which had been behind, suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking his way and fiercely swiping the paper cutter toward him!

Xiyu had no intention of accepting the task willingly, so there was no way he would let himself be slashed and have his Bloom value increased by 40 points.

He snorted coldly, turned, and dashed back to the stairwell, without hesitation, grabbing the railing and flipping over it. He jumped down from a height of over four meters, landing gracefully with a roll to maintain his balance before turning and sprinting down another narrow path!

Xiaozhi followed relentlessly, like a death spirit crawling out of hell, refusing to give up even for half a second. She was determined to capture Xiyu and exact vengeance.

Luckily, Xiyu had prepared in advance and was full of energy. He kept running in circles around the large library, turning the puzzle-solving game into a parkour challenge.

Due to the tricky path, Xiaozhi's teleportation was repeatedly interrupted, frustrating her as she waved the paper cutter and wreaked havoc on the already dilapidated library.

The intense chase continued for an hour and a half, as stipulated. Finally, Xiyu, exhausted from the frantic escape, collapsed onto the floor after falling from a bookshelf, his body aching all over.

Xiaozhi rushed toward him, pushing the massive paper cutter forward, emitting a blinding cold light!

Fortunately, at that moment, the system emitted a clear and crisp ding.

[The 90-minute punishment is over. No. 084, you successfully evaded the rose master's pursuit.]

[But please fulfill your role as fertilizer and hope to complete the rose task successfully tomorrow.]

At the same time, all the absurd and terrifying scenes around him immediately dissipated like smoke, and the library returned to its original state.

Xiyu, who had just been struggling to dodge, breathed a sigh of relief, leaning against the bookshelf, barely managing to sit up.

After such an intense sprint, his school uniform was drenched in sweat, and his throat was so dry that even swallowing saliva caused a burning pain.

The punishment was indeed tough, no wonder No. 009 had been injured yesterday. Anyone with poor physical fitness or slow reactions really wouldn't be able to defy the task requirements.

... Thankfully, he had passed the test.

Just as Xiyu was trying to recover, he heard faint footsteps approaching from the west side of the bookshelf.

He squinted his eyes, tensing his muscles, ready to strike as soon as the person showed themselves.

To his surprise, the one who appeared around the corner was the annoying No. 017.Xiyu immediately averted his gaze awkwardly.

No. 017 sized up Xiyu's disheveled appearance and then smiled. "I'll give it to you, today’s rose task was wasted for nothing."

Xiyu knew that streamers couldn’t harm each other, so he wasn’t worried about a surprise attack. He responded with effort, "Not just today. If you try to trick me, I’ll make sure you don’t gain a single advantage."

"Stop pretending," No. 017 raised an eyebrow and exaggeratedly sighed. "Ah, facing a little puppy yapping away, I don’t know whether to compliment your cuteness or tell you to face reality."

Xiyu responded with a complicated look, "Why do you always follow me around? Got nothing better to do?"

No. 017 sneered. "Because I’m smarter than you and didn’t get taken advantage of. So I don’t have anything else to do."

Xiyu wiped the sweat from his chin and lowered his gaze. "You heard the broadcast at noon, right? Don’t worry, I won’t let my Bloom value reach 100 points, so you won’t be able to torture me and win the game. If I were you, I wouldn’t be so proud, I’d be dreaming of deleting the code."

No. 017 said casually, "It’s fine, finding the delete code would indeed solve everything. But right now, I’m not in a hurry. It’s actually more fun watching you suffer."

... So annoying.

Xiyu leaned against the bookshelf, got up displeased, and pushed this guy aside to make way. He didn’t say another word and limped out.

But before he had even walked three meters, he stepped on a bloodstained badge on the floor, with the full name of the "Mind Society" written on it.

Xiyu bent down to pick it up and turned back, puzzled. "Did you drop this?"

No. 017 shook his head. "I was just here reading, didn’t expect to see this thing suddenly appear. I thought the system must have had a good time punishing you, so I came over to check."

... Could it have been dropped by Xiaozhi, that ghost? So, she's also a member of the Mind Society?

Xiyu wondered, and seeing that No. 017 didn’t seem to want to take the item, he kept the badge and walked away.

Although he was defeated, he wasn’t crazy, and certainly didn’t believe that No. 017 was just here diligently studying. He was clearly paying attention to Xiyu's punishment results.

From No. 017's behavior, Xiyu had already started to have some headaches about his identity.

But right now, there was no clue about the delete code, and Xiyu didn’t have the mood to argue with No. 017. He left the constantly unstable library and went outside. After finding a campus map, he trudged toward the History Department building.

Compared to the older, more rustic Literature Department building, the History Department building appeared much more impressive. Although Xiyu immediately saw many antique decorations in the lobby, they were all new, likely having been recently renovated.

After cleaning the sweat off in the restroom and looking around, he approached a few students who had just come downstairs, smiling. "Excuse me, do you know a student named He Kun?"One of the boys responded eagerly, "Senior He? Of course we know him! He's a celebrity in our History Department!"

Xiyu made a frustrated expression. "I'm in the same club as him. I need to urgently contact him, but his number is not working, so I came to ask around here."

The students looked at each other, thinking for a moment. The boy who spoke earlier pointed upstairs and said, "Why don’t you check the study room? Recently, the seniors are all busy with their thesis, and the seats there are very competitive. Or you could ask a teacher about his dormitory."

Xiyu nodded. "Thank you."

The students said their goodbyes and walked away, laughing and chatting about Xiyu’s looks, carefree and light-hearted.

... If one day the Rose game and Xiaozhi come after them, will they still be this happy?

Although avoiding punishment was exhausting, Xiyu had an incredibly tough physique. After walking to the History Department, he was no longer bothered by the muscle soreness from running and his heartbeat had returned to normal. He naturally calmed down and began searching for rooms upstairs. Finally, with his sharp eyes, he spotted that jerk He Kun.

At this point, Xiyu didn’t care about the other NPCs who were still seriously studying. He barged in and grabbed him, saying, "Hey, where were you last night?"

He Kun was startled by Xiyu's intensity, dropping his pen in surprise. "I... I didn’t go anywhere..."

Xiyu gripped him tighter. "Come out with me, don't disturb others!"

Helpless and weak, He Kun panicked and struggled, shouting in the hallway, "No. 084, what are you doing?!"

"You tricked us into playing some 'Hero Game,' and when we five new members showed up, not a single old member from the Mind Society appeared?" Xiyu pretended to speak sternly. "Especially you, as the president, why didn’t you even return my calls?"

He Kun’s face turned awkward. "This... I did say I was busy with my thesis. The event was canceled last minute. Didn’t you get my text?"

If this had been the first quest, Xiyu might have been fooled by his honest appearance. But since a murder had already happened at the school, something extraordinary must have occurred. It was likely that the so-called "innocent student" was hiding malicious intentions.

Xiyu snorted. "Canceled? In the evening, you kept telling us to show up, and then suddenly decided to cancel? I don’t believe it."

He Kun seemed frustrated and tried to walk away. "Believe it or not, that's the truth. If you have a problem with the Mind Society, you can leave at any time."

Xiyu pressed down on his shoulder and sneered. "Stop pretending. If I’m right, you tricked us into the library at midnight for your Rose mission yesterday, didn’t you? Now that you’ve used us, you want to kick us out?"

He Kun’s eyes widened. "Stop talking nonsense. I never even touched that cursed game. I'm about to graduate! Who has time for that?"

Xiyu decided to push him further. "In that case, are you brave enough to confront Principal Huang with me? If we check your phone, everything will be clear. After all, the school now strictly forbids that app. I bet you don’t want to graduate."

He Kun’s expression immediately faltered, and he flatly refused. "You’re not the police. What right do you have to pry into my privacy?"Xiyu was not polite at all. He twisted He Kun's arm with force and even dislocated it!

He Kun had never endured such pain before. He immediately let out a miserable scream, but Xiyu covered his mouth, leaving him only able to cry out in pain and struggle.

"I don’t have time to argue with you." Xiyu whispered, "You better think carefully before you answer—why are you playing the Rose game? Who else is playing with you? Does this have anything to do with Xiaozhi’s death? If you keep talking nonsense, I won’t be gentle with you."

To Xiyu's surprise, He Kun, though not skilled, was very stubborn. Despite the pain, he shook his head and denied everything.

Xiyu was about to apply more pressure when another girl ran out of the classroom—Lü Xianxian, the journalism student who had been hanging out with He Kun before.

Lü Xianxian saw the situation and was terrified. She stammered, "Wh-what are you doing? I’ve already called the teacher!"

Xiyu smirked and quickly popped He Kun’s arm back into place. "Nothing, just chatting with my dear president. You two go ahead and work on your papers."

With that, he turned and walked away.

Lü Xianxian quickly helped He Kun and whispered, "Is this your new member? Do you think he figured it out?"

He Kun whispered in response, looking wary.

Lü Xianxian frowned and shut her mouth, her face dark with concern.

Actually, Xiyu had come to the History Department to confirm the situation from last night with the NPCs. He hadn’t expected He Kun to be such a treasure. Just a little digging had made He Kun look so guilty, so it seemed like he was hiding something.

Since violence hadn’t forced him to confess, Xiyu decided to change his approach and follow him instead.

If He Kun was truly a deep player of the Rose game, his behavior would likely have some suspicious traits. At that point, Xiyu could catch him slipping and get him to talk.

As for Xiaozhi’s badge, it wasn’t the right time to bring it out yet.

After about twenty minutes, He Kun, likely feeling uneasy from the unexpected encounter with the new member, left the History Department study room with Lü Xianxian.

Xiyu, who had been waiting quietly in a nearby corner, naturally followed them in silence.

The two NPCs wandered aimlessly around the campus before finally finding a very secluded flowerbed in the misty drizzle. They sat down together and whispered to each other.

Typically, when a boy and a girl end up in such an ambiguous corner, it’s for romantic reasons, right?

But He Kun and Lü Xianxian both had strange expressions, even filled with anxiety.At this moment, Xiyu missed the incredibly sharp-eared Su Ziyan. Unfortunately, without his little helper by his side, he could only rely on himself to push forward.

He crawled along, hiding behind a flowerbed, desperately controlling his breath to avoid being detected by the two NPCs.

Lü Xianxian, lost in her own troubles, showed no unusual reaction. She sighed and asked, "Is it because you made them go to the library at midnight, and now you're being suspected?"

He Kun impatiently replied, "Of course, ditching them will raise suspicion, but the person who was tricked into showing up wasn’t harmed at all. In fact, that person is filled with hostility toward me. I really don’t know how to handle this, so I just have to act dumb."

"Forget it, they don’t have evidence. A mere club activity won’t get to the teachers," Lü Xianxian mumbled. "I received a new task today. The Rose game master actually wants me to carve a rose on my wrist with a knife. How is that even possible? Even if my parents find out, they’ll think I’m crazy. I can’t stand the idea of leaving a scar!"

He Kun frowned. "But what can you do if you don’t do it? Do you want to become the next Xiaozhi?"

Lü Xianxian's body trembled. "We still need to find a way to end the game. Xiaozhi got deeper and deeper into it before she killed herself. A'Kun, we really shouldn’t continue. We should just tell the teachers about this."

"I also want to stop, but as long as we don’t finish the game, we’ll keep having nightmares every night. That’s Xiaozhi’s resentment!" He Kun furrowed his brows. "Besides, the teachers won’t believe our nonsense and will notify our parents, causing a huge mess."

Lü Xianxian lowered her head in frustration.

He Kun took the opportunity to put his arm around her shoulders. "Just hold on a little longer. After all, there are only fifty tasks. We’re almost done. This app definitely has some powerful mysterious force behind it, and we can’t easily go against it."

Lü Xianxian didn’t say anything else. The two of them just sat there, as if worrying about their fate.

As the sky darkened, Xiyu quickly slipped away to avoid being detected. He couldn’t help but sneer to himself: "He Kun is running some kind of spiritual phenomena investigation club, claiming to use scientific methods to solve supernatural events, but in the end, a virus app and the suicides of his classmates have him so scared. Seems like he’s just a fraud."

During the brief moment he was eavesdropping, the light rain had turned into a downpour. By the time Xiyu made his way back to the main road, his school uniform was completely soaked.

His mind was consumed with the plot, and he was oblivious to his surroundings until the cold droplets stopped falling from above, snapping him back to reality.

Xiyu slowly looked up and noticed that Subject 017 had appeared again, wearing a strange smile.

He was holding a black umbrella, seemingly offering to shield Xiyu from the rain.

Xiyu withdrew his gaze. "What are you here for? You can’t give me any tasks today."

Subject 017 replied casually, "I came to discuss what we should do next, to avoid both of us ending up losing."

Xiyu was silent for a moment, then unexpectedly relaxed his brows. "Alright, I’d like to hear what you have in mind."

It was dinner time, and the cafeteria at Xiyuan University was packed. Most of the students seated were energetic NPCs, and the occasional streamer quickly grabbed a meal before rushing out into the heavy rain, as if they were afraid someone might notice their whereabouts. It felt nothing like the relaxed atmosphere on the first day.As the game progressed, the danger of being eliminated grew higher and higher. Player interactions became more frequent, and being discovered was no longer impossible.

Subject 017’s calm and composed demeanor stood out remarkably in such an atmosphere.

Anyway, the food at the cafeteria was free. He seriously wandered around the food stall for two or three rounds, gathered a large tray of hearty dishes, and sat down opposite Xiyu, offering a concerned smile. "You’ve spent quite a bit of energy today; you should really replenish yourself."

Xiyu gritted his teeth, suppressing his urge to curse, and just grabbed a bowl of white rice, eating as he spoke, "What exactly do you want? Stop beating around the bush."

Subject 017 leaned back in the plastic chair, his tone relaxed. "Well, originally, I wanted to gain some Bloom points from you to stabilize my ranking in the game. But yesterday, you were fine doing your tasks, and today, you decided to completely ruin my plans. Looks like the game designers’ goal of sowing discord has succeeded."

Xiyu frowned.

Subject 017 continued, "Of course, after seeing your performance in today’s punishment, I can tell you're quite capable. Even if tomorrow’s task is trickier, I’m sure you’d manage to escape the NPC’s pursuit."

Xiyu asked, "So?"

Subject 017 smiled and immediately pulled out a glowing note from his pocket, its appearance very familiar.

He seemed very generous. "So, as long as you follow my arrangements, whether or not you complete the task will be up to me. I can give you some fertilizer. As for the deletion code... Actually, I already have some clues, and we can work together to find it. Once we have it, it’s the ideal result—I'll make it through, and you will too. Neither of us will need to exert so much effort. Sound good?"

Xiyu unexpectedly curved his lips into a slight smile. "I didn’t expect it, but you really are a nice person."

Subject 017 shook the small note. "So, what do you think? Deal?"

Xiyu instantly turned cold. "No need. You can give me whatever tasks you want. If you manage to kill me, I might even respect you, but cooperation is impossible. Don’t bother me again."

With that, he quickly finished his rice, gulped down the water by his side, and stormed out of the cafeteria in a foul mood.

Subject 017, not even bothering to eat, quickly followed him and said, "Has no one ever told you that you have a bad temper? Why all this fuss?"

Xiyu suddenly turned around, speaking in a low voice, "Who exactly are you? I’m giving you a chance to confess."

Subject 017 just smiled. "Who do you think I am? I’ll give you a chance to guess."

Xiyu hesitated for a moment, then angrily said, "I don’t know you. I can be nice to others, but as for you, whatever happens is your own fault!"

With that, he dashed into the heavy rain, instantly drenched by the downpour.

Subject 017 sighed helplessly, touching the corner of his mouth and muttering to himself, "Is it really necessary? There’s no need to be angry over a little fun…"The person most qualified to speak on whether this situation is necessary or not is, of course, Xiyu himself.

As for Subject 017's identity, Xiyu gradually came to realize it. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that his worries and efforts over the past few days had been unnecessary. His mood, naturally, took a sharp turn downward, and he could no longer bring himself to smile.

At this point, Xiyu had no energy for anything. He just planned to return to his dorm and sleep until midnight, waiting to see what other tricks Subject 017 could come up with.

As he hurried along, a familiar soft meow came from the rose bushes.

Xiyu, a cat lover, couldn’t help but stop. He bent down and peeked into the dark underbrush, making eye contact with a pair of bright green eyes.

It was the same little black cat from before. It seemed to have been hurt, its front leg bending unnaturally. The cat was very wary and, after being observed, its meow grew slightly louder.

"I won’t hurt you. Let me see what happened to you," Xiyu said gently, then slowly extended his hand, reaching into the thorny bushes to gently stroke the little black cat's back.

The cat trembled in fear but didn’t run away, instead curling up.

Seizing the opportunity, Xiyu pulled it out, using his clothes to shield it from the rain while checking, "How did you break your leg? Come, I’ll help you bandage it."

The little black cat mewed pitifully: "Meow..."

It was hard to tell if it was doubting or thanking him.

Xiyu, who was fond of cats, immediately felt his frustration melt away, replaced by warmth from the little animal. He smiled and couldn’t resist bending down to kiss the little black cat on the head. But then, unexpectedly, he caught a familiar and indescribable scent.

...It was the smell of decay.

Xiyu furrowed his brows and let go, asking, "Where have you been?"

Of course, the little black cat didn’t answer, its green eyes still locked onto Xiyu.

At that moment, a pair of long legs appeared in front of Xiyu. The person kicked the little black cat mercilessly: "You kiss everything. Aren’t you afraid of being cursed?"

The cat, although not hit, was so frightened that it scrambled away. It broke free from Xiyu’s hands and darted into the bushes, limping deeper into the grass until it disappeared.

Xiyu stood up angrily: "What are you doing? It’s just a little animal."

Subject 017 remained unmoved: "I was about to ask you the same thing. Do you remember you’re playing a game? In the game world, what’s the difference between animals and ghosts?"

Xiyu couldn’t argue with him, but he also vaguely sensed that Subject 017 didn’t simply dislike the cat; he was deliberately trying to prevent Xiyu from making any intimate contact with it.He lowered his gaze and stood up: "I know exactly what I’m doing."

Subject 017 raised an eyebrow: "If you really knew, you’d focus entirely on the game. Otherwise, the plushie left on the cloud platform will end up as cat soup!"

Xiyu couldn't suppress his emotions and threw a punch at Subject 017.

Subject 017 nimbly dodged, still smiling at him, but didn’t admit anything.

Xiyu, filled with anger, grabbed his shoulder and made two more moves before finally landing a heavy punch on Subject 017’s stomach.

Subject 017 winced in pain, holding his abdomen: "Why are you being so ruthless?"

"Don’t know who’s being ruthless," Xiyu replied indifferently, pushing him aside and walking away.

Subject 017 raised his voice: "Hey! It’s the third day already, you need to find some fertilizer!"

Xiyu responded irritably: "Don’t worry about it."

Subject 017 shrugged helplessly, not caring about recovering his favorability, and quickly turned to head in the direction where the little black cat had disappeared.

[Attention all students, the sun has set, please return to your dormitories immediately, or bear the consequences.]

The system's announcement echoed throughout the campus, notifying the wandering students of the arrival of nightfall.

Subject 182 had received basic treatment for superficial abrasions in the infirmary, but the pain in his abdomen and his bruised face couldn’t heal immediately. In addition, the injuries from completing today’s rose task had added new wounds to his body. He was limping as he walked, struggling to move at a slow pace.

Just as the sunset was about to disappear, a shadow, who had been waiting for the right moment, suddenly rushed out from the flower bushes at the roadside. It swiftly covered Subject 182’s mouth and dragged him into the shadows.

Subject 182 panicked and mumbled, "Mmm... what are you doing...?"

Without saying a word, the assailant stuffed a cloth into his mouth, bound him tightly, and proudly said to their companion, "This guy will never give you any assignments again today! It’d be best if he just starved to death!"

Subject 182, terrified, struggled desperately, but couldn’t escape the restraints.

He couldn’t imagine anyone coming to his rescue, and the panic in his heart only intensified, causing tears to stream from his eyes.

Xiyu, drenched in cold rain, finally recovered in the warmth of a shower in his dorm. He lay down early, holding the book The Moon and Sixpence and started to daydream.

However, Subject 009 and Subject 006 returned very late, both covered in more injuries. Their moods were also much lower than before.Without saying much, the two quickly washed up and climbed back into bed to sleep.

What was even stranger was that, until the lights were turned off in the dormitory, the coward 182 never appeared again.

His bed was messy, but there were no suspicious signs left behind. He had simply disappeared without a trace, as if nothing had happened.

Could it be that this person encountered an accident and has already reached a Bloom value that led to suicide?

...Impossible. Behaviors that greatly increase the Bloom value are all risky, and 182 doesn’t have the guts for that. He’s definitely someone who prefers to survive, even if it means living miserably.

Xiyu furrowed his brow. He couldn’t confirm the truth, and given that he couldn’t even take care of his own affairs right now, he didn’t have the energy to worry about anything else.

Forcing his overactive brain to rest in light sleep, Xiyu opened his eyes just before midnight.

He took a deep breath, while thinking about how to get a hold of Xiao Zhi’s belongings, and unconsciously wondered how Subject 017 would arrange today’s task without cooperation.

A few minutes passed in the blink of an eye.

At midnight, the three phones in the room chimed one after another, immediately breaking the silence in Room 201.

Xiyu opened the app and first checked his Bloom value, which was still at 20, before touching the rose task icon that had started flashing again.

A line of blood-red text slowly appeared.

[Rare task!]

[Poor fertilizer, it seems you lack nutrients.]

[Subject 017 gives you 24 hours to find your exclusive fertilizer.]

[If you fail, your Bloom value will immediately increase by 40 points.]

...What kind of ridiculous task is this? Not even giving a chance to escape punishment?

Xiyu didn’t understand why Subject 017’s luck seemed to be improving, and even the system was helping him implement that guy's plans.

Feeling frustrated, he couldn’t help but touch the piece of paper with Guan Sheng’s name and number in his school uniform pocket. After a few seconds of hesitation, he decided not to use it so easily.

What he had said earlier about having a goal was not a lie.Although being fertilizer is a disadvantageous situation, being a flower isn't as easy as it seems.

Xiyu didn't have as big of a heart as Subject 017. He wanted to catch the person who would become the fertilizer, and that person was none other than his recent target, Mu Yuan.

Until now, the name that once stood out in Yuntai had not appeared in the discussions of the streamers. It seems that after Mu Yuan lost four of his companions, he became much more low-key, hiding in the shadows and trying his best not to appear recklessly.

Xiyu couldn't help but place his phone against his chest, silently pondering what method could bring Mu Yuan's tail out into the open.

Meanwhile, 182, who was locked in a small black room on campus, was trembling with fear.

He was tied up with ropes, and although he heard the system's prompt, he couldn't even manage to send out tasks, nor could he see what tasks he had received.

In fact, at the moment of becoming a flower, the Rose Game APP had already reminded him: as a flower, tasks had to be assigned. If the fertilizer was let go, he would immediately gain 20 points of Bloom value.

So if he continued being locked up like this, 111, Feiling, might be safe, while 182, who already had 40 points of Bloom value, wouldn't last much longer.

He desperately moved his hands, which had been bruised by the ropes, struggling in the darkness, his eyes bloodshot and filled with despair, much like a young trapped beast.