Chapter 24

【So every school's cats and dogs are your seniors?】

Although Shi Jian had already seen the eye-patched rose, the man-eating Butler Tang, and her mother full of tentacles... she had never seen a dog senior who could speak, one who, aside from its appearance being quite different from humans, was completely humanized, like Ah Huang.

Ah Huang, the senior dog, sat on a chair, shaking an ice fruit juice in its paw, wearing glasses that seemed to have been pulled out from nowhere, looking quite presentable.

"When I ruled Qing Shan No. 1 High School, you guys didn’t even know where you were."

The school beauty ghost leaned close to Shi Jian, showing a puzzled expression, "This sentence feels so familiar?"

Shi Jian reminded the school beauty ghost, "Don’t doubt it, it feels familiar because you said it before."

However, the school beauty ghost had said it back when they were in the art class.

Ah Huang, the dog senior, continued, "If you want to know anything about Qing Shan No. 1 High School, come to me. I know everything, but it does require a little bit of..."

It scratched its paw twice.

Shi Jian: ...

Even more humanized now, it knows to ask for a fee.

But anyway, as long as it could help answer Shi Jian's questions, the school beauty ghost’s attitude towards Ah Huang instantly became respectful. With the idea of backing up her sister no matter what, she took the first step and offered something in return.

"Senior, have a piece of chocolate. This chocolate is from '98, I haven’t even eaten it myself..."

Ah Huang senior didn’t look pleased at all. Instead, its dog face changed, and it looked panicked, "What’s going on? Are you... trying to murder me?"

Shi Jian stopped the school beauty ghost. "Forget it, sister. I appreciate the gesture, but dogs can’t eat chocolate."

Shi Jian began negotiating with the senior dog herself, "The fee won’t be small. How about five servings of pig knuckles? I just want to ask—if I want to get an A in the final exams, besides having good grades, which teachers’ good reviews do I need?"

Ah Huang senior made it clear that it knew the answer. "But can we swap the pig knuckles for spare ribs? The ones with more bones. I like the ones with lots of bones. More chewable."

Even though it could talk, the dog still loved chewing on bones.

Shi Jian was about to agree, but Ah Huang senior realized something. "Wait, are you asking me questions? I thought you were asking her."

The "her" referred to the school beauty ghost.

"If you’re asking me, then I won’t take any benefits. Just ask away," it said, wagging its tail.

The student ghosts were all stunned: "Old simp. This damn society that judges by appearance."

Shi Jian still intended to give the senior dog a fee. In fact, because it had such good insight, Shi Jian was happy and even wanted to give it an extra serving.

And Ah Huang senior didn’t keep them in suspense. It was a straightforward dog, "You need to get good reviews from the professional course teachers, the school doctor, the head of the teaching department, the school board members, and the senior year history teacher. You need all of them, no exceptions."

"Are you familiar with them?"

Shi Jian felt like all the blood in her body had drained away. She wanted to raise her middle finger to the sky.

Not just familiar—she seemed to have offended almost all of them, except for the professional course teachers. As for the others, after the speech, she had probably offended them too.

A perfect minefield.

【??? What kind of luck does this streamer have?】

【Oh wow, I thought just knowing who the teachers were would help turn things around, but I didn’t expect this to be a direct death sentence.】【I don’t want the streamer to die, how much fun would I miss without her?】

【What to do, what to do, what to do. (Because I have no brain, I can only repeat myself.)】

Ah Huang senior wasn't omniscient, at least not in terms of news, and he wasn't aware of Shi Jian's great act. He proactively gave Shi Jian advice, "Why not try to please these teachers, cater to their preferences?"

"I know the school doctor dotes on the big fat rat she keeps, you can start with the big fat rat."

Shi Jian felt this wouldn't work. She asked, "If I hit you, would you be willing to accept my favor?"

Ah Huang senior, as expected, refused with righteous indignation, "Hit me? How could I accept your favor... unless you give me ten tons of spare ribs!"

Shi Jian: Ten tons of spare ribs won’t be enough to bribe the school doctor. With the doctor’s crazy nature, she might have to apologize with her life.

Putting aside whether flattering would work, even if it did, Shi Jian wasn’t keen on it.

And there were viewers in the livestream! She cared about her face.

The school beauty ghost was anxious, "What should we do?"

Shi Jian thought for a moment. If flattery wouldn’t work, then... "What about threatening?"

She muttered in a devilish tone.

The surrounding ghosts and Ah Huang senior: ???

The school beauty ghost: Why does my sister suddenly have such a strong villain aura? Didn’t she always claim to play the protagonist?

After saying that, Shi Jian felt the plan was good to go.

Actually, if she had other options, she wouldn’t have dared to act so boldly. But if she didn’t struggle, was she supposed to wait for the school doctor to give her a bad review?

Shi Jian: "I’ve never received a bad review!" She couldn’t let the female ghost who thought she was "just so-so" give her a bad review.

Whether she was the protagonist or the villain depended on the audience’s perspective. If the perspective was on Shi Jian's side, then her actions could be considered a counterattack from the edge of despair.

Shi Jian asked the school beauty ghost, "You said before that the school board member and history teacher have an affair, where do they meet?"

The school beauty ghost replied, "In the small grove."

Shi Jian decisively said, "Then let's go to the small grove first, and then deal with the big rat."

This was her shining moment as a protagonist.

Ah Huang senior: "What you mean by 'deal with', doesn’t seem like what I meant by 'deal with'?"

...

The history teacher and the school board member were two ghosts with no sense of propriety, as shown by the fact that they started fooling around in the small grove before nightfall.

The two ghosts flirted openly, putting on a scene unsuitable for younger viewers.

It was at this moment that Shi Jian made her move. She first called out with a loud "Hi," and then stepped out of the bushes, holding up her phone.

The school board member shuddered in shock, "Damn, what the hell!"

The history teacher and school board member frantically adjusted their clothes, while Shi Jian, as if nothing had happened, introduced herself, "Hello, school board member, teacher. I’m Shi Jian, a student from the senior art class..."

Her self-introduction, combined with the absurdity of their movements, made the situation oddly amusing. Shi Jian wasn’t nervous at all—after all, she wasn’t the one who was exposed.The school board member finally finished dressing. Before he could investigate, this bold, reckless newbie had already exposed everything. The school board member was about to use his official microblog to intimidate her, but Shi Jian beat him to it.

"I accidentally filmed your actions. I’m not sure if I might accidentally upload it to the school forum. As for the final evaluation, the teachers should know what to do, right?"

After saying that, Shi Jian left the confused duo behind and strutted off arrogantly.

Shi Jian still had to proceed to the next step—

Getting the school doctor’s precious big rat.

This time, it wasn’t just Shi Jian working alone but a team effort.

The school doctor wasn’t in the infirmary, and the information was provided by one of the school beauty ghost's friends who had been keeping an eye out.

The school beauty ghost acted as bait, shaking her hand, "Little rat, want to eat? Come here, come here~"

The fat rat was completely drawn to the school beauty ghost's shaking finger, stepping down a path of no return; meanwhile, Ah Huang senior, who had been lying in wait, quickly subdued the rat.

Shi Jian also sought help from Ah Huang senior.

It turned out, a dog catching a rat—was quite effective.

Shi Jian "kidnapped" the school doctor's big rat and left her a note, which essentially said the same thing.

"Want to see your precious rat? Well, about the evaluation, you should have an idea by now."

The viewers in the livestream were dumbfounded, utterly amazed. It was spectacular!

This streamer was truly beautiful and daring, even threatening ghosts now.

...

The plan was going smoothly, but Shi Jian was surprised that Tang Tian, who was supposed to return the next day, came back early that evening.

Tang Tian returned just before the dormitory doors closed. As soon as she entered the dorm, she saw the large rat.

"Where did this big rat come from?"

"It looks like the one the school doctor has."

Shi Jian confirmed, "It’s the school doctor’s rat. Why are you back?"

Shi Jian had specifically planned for Tang Tian not to return tonight so that she wouldn't be caught up in the mess.

Tang Tian had requested to return early because she felt uncomfortable staying outside. After learning the full details of the situation, she couldn’t help but exclaim repeatedly:

"Damn, so many pits, it’s impossible to guard against them!"

No one knew that the A grade not only depended on grades but also on teacher evaluations. If the director hadn’t been angry and let slip the information to make Shi Jian despair, everyone would have been happily waiting for the results, only to find out they couldn’t pass, which would have caused a complete breakdown.

"Threatening ghosts, you really have guts. It’s actually a pretty good idea."

"Don’t they plan on retaliating?"

If Shi Jian were to die, wouldn’t the school doctor no longer be threatened?

Shi Jian was prepared. "I knew that, which is why I also went after the school board member and the history teacher… oh, and the director too."

Tang Tian: ???After the evening study session, Shi Jian walked past the director’s office and quickly muttered, "I just love how you can't stand me but can't get rid of me either."

Tang Tian looked at Shi Jian with admiration, she knew this girl was someone who would do big things.

If you're seeking excitement, you have to see it through, right?

"Does this mean tonight we might have a scene where everyone comes looking for trouble?" That would be a grand spectacle!

Shi Jian: "…I think it's very likely." That's why she didn’t want Tang Tian to stay in the dorm.

Shi Jian glanced at her phone to check the time, "Do you still have time to go live with the sports class?"

It's probably too late, but Tang Tian didn’t want to leave. She said, "I can't miss this kind of fun!"

Shi Jian was all about keeping her beauty and image intact, even if it meant dying. Tang Tian, on the other hand, was about seeing the drama unfold and getting the juicy gossip.

Tang Tian confessed, "It’s a little embarrassing, but it seems like I was waiting for the gossip until I died of sleep deprivation. Originally, the dog-like boss had me work overtime, and it was already 2 a.m. Then, I saw the paparazzi posting about a big scoop in the morning. I was worried I’d miss the fresh gossip, so I just kept waiting."

Then Tang Tian’s heart started aching, and when she opened her eyes, she had turned into a horror game streamer.

Shi Jian: "..."

...

At Qing Shan No. 1 High School, the dorm lights went out exactly at midnight. The room was quiet, with only the sound of roommates breathing and a rat hopping in its cage.

Overall, it was still cozy, ignoring the rat, which seemed no different than usual.

Shi Jian and Tang Tian hadn’t fallen asleep. Shi Jian’s eyes were wide open. Even though she had prepared herself, nervousness and anxiety were inevitable.

Why was there no movement?

Had she overthought things?

Were the teachers at Qing Shan No. 1 High School truly so peaceful, silently accepting her threats?

Shi Jian didn’t believe that.

Sure enough, the next second, a strong wind blew, shaking the windows and doors violently. Outside, the wind howled, mixed with a piercing cry that made people shiver.

Shi Jian also heard footsteps in the hallway, the "tap tap" of shoes, followed by the sound of some sharp object scraping the floor, loud and grating.

The noise grew louder, meaning it was getting closer to Shi Jian’s dorm.

Even though she was inside, Shi Jian could imagine the scene:

The monstrous, pus-covered school doctor dragging two ten-meter-long surgical knives that gleamed in the dark, walking down the hallway. She desperately wanted to catch Shi Jian and slice her into pieces with those surgical knives.

Tang Tian’s face went pale, "They’re here!"

The footsteps and scraping noises stopped right at the door of Shi Jian’s dorm. Shi Jian began to sweat, breathing rapidly.

However, the school doctor didn’t break down the door. There were other visitors who had also arrived: the bloated, watermelon-like school board member and the history teacher, holding a ridiculously long, sharp globe, fond of making human skewers.

And that wasn’t all. The director also arrived as promised, holding a large iron hammer.

Everyone was eager to get rid of Shi Jian, but they hadn’t expected a staff gathering.

"..."The four ghosts gathered in the narrow corridor, looking at each other in silence.

The school doctor blurted out, "Leader, why are you here too?"

The school board member and the history teacher: "..." How should they respond to this?

The person they despised was on the other side of the door.

Shi Jian cleared her throat, her voice loud.

"Teachers, are you here to play Mahjong with me?"

"Sorry, but I can't. I'm a good student, and I need to sleep."

...

A lot of viewers were on edge, having witnessed Shi Jian threaten the "ghosts." They were excited to see her stirring up trouble but also worried that things might take a bad turn.

This was truly reckless.

No one expected things to turn out this way, and the atmosphere in the live stream was filled with excitement.

【Hahahahaha, Mahjong. Sorry, I admit my sense of humor is a bit low.】

【"Good student." Let's take a new look at these three words. (Funny)】

【No problem here, the streamer is just abiding by Qing Shan No. 1 High's rules. She hits teachers, but she's still a good student. She threatens teachers, and uses a rat to control the school doctor. How is she not a good student? (Dog head)】

【What a lively scene, everything's coming together.】

【Shi Jian is insanely charismatic, she’s accounted for everything. It’s indeed thrilling, iconic scene.】

Shi Jian waited for a while but didn’t hear any reaction from outside. She knew they were probably reluctant. She raised her voice again.

"Or, if you really want me to get up, then the video... and the rat..." She said half of it, but it was enough for the ghosts to understand.

The director didn't understand, "What?"

He still wasn't willing to leave. His eyes were fixed on the thin dormitory door, seemingly considering if he could just smash it down.

The school doctor, school board member, and history teacher were losing their footing. They hurriedly interjected.

"It's nothing, nothing."

The school board member coughed twice. "Shi Jian, calm down. We're just here to check on the dormitory."

Although he was trying to find someone outside, if this matter spread everywhere, it would be troublesome. The video could ruin his future, and his wife’s family had quite a bit of power too.

The school doctor, worried about the rat she raised just like her son, pinched her nose and agreed, "Ah, yes, yes, yes."

The director hesitated, looking at the other three. Their sudden change in attitude made him suspect they were hiding something from him.

The four teachers stood in the narrow corridor. The other dorm students could sense the tension, and not far away, a dormitory door quietly opened. A rotten egg was thrown at them. The darkness and chaos served as perfect camouflage.

The history teacher screamed first, "What smelly thing hit me?"

"Who did this?"

While enduring the disgust, she jumped up and down. The school board member subconsciously tried to comfort her."What's wrong? Are you okay?"

The school board member had a large belly, and as he moved, the school doctor's ten-meter-long surgical knife stabbed into him. After crying out in pain, the school board member became very frustrated and scolded.

"Move that thing away, what if you hurt a ghost?"

The school doctor mentally cursed the fat guy, but still put on a forced smile. "Sorry, my bad."

The school doctor took two steps back, trying to put some distance between herself and the school board member, but her shoe got stuck to something on the floor, causing her to scream.

"Who’s the uncultured one putting glue in the corridor? These shoes are new! *&...%"

She cursed loudly.

The director's head was throbbing painfully, and the chaotic scene felt like a dream, bringing back memories from the morning.

Shi Jian and Tang Tian were both listening carefully to the sounds outside. Gradually, the noise quieted down, and the director and the others had left.

The teacher team of Qing Shan No.1 High had caused quite a stir, but their departure was both hurried and awkward.

...

Shi Jian and Tang Tian both sighed in relief. Shi Jian got off the bed, listened for a moment, and confirmed, "They're gone."

Tang Tian quickly followed behind her, and the two of them quietly high-fived.

Yay!

Shi Jian took the initiative to confess, "I didn’t put the glue in the corridor." She had indeed planned for everyone to make a dramatic entrance, but the things that happened afterward weren't her doing.

So, where did the eggs and glue come from?

It wasn’t that Shi Jian didn’t want to do it; she just didn’t expect it.

Tang Tian thought for a moment, "Maybe it was some classmates acting on their own?"

Shi Jian's speech in the morning had really stirred things up, and the students’ rebellious sides had been triggered. They had already been dissatisfied with the teachers, and now, with the teachers clearly looking to cause trouble for Shi Jian, they had taken matters into their own hands.

Shi Jian and Tang Tian were both a little amused. The next day, they shared with the other streamers that passing the assessment was not just about grades but also depended on the teachers' evaluations.

【This streamer’s approach is pretty bold.】

Although Shi Jian thought the other streamers were quietly focusing on their studies and hadn’t offended as many teachers as she had, generally speaking, they wouldn’t be stuck on evaluations like she was.

Shi Jian also asked Tang Tian to get promises from the school board member, history teacher, and school doctor for good reviews, just in case Tang Tian got stuck as well.

The school doctor had even tried to make Shi Jian return the rat early, but Shi Jian hadn’t listened. She wasn’t going to give up the rat until the very last moment.

The school doctor looked at Shi Jian with a gaze that could almost burn her alive with hatred, wishing she could devour Shi Jian whole without needing a surgical knife.

Shi Jian: She’d better come and bite her then!

Shi Jian was relying on the fact that the school doctor didn’t dare to offend her right now. She would take care of the big rat before the school doctor could get to her.

These three were taken care of, and now it was just the last one, the director. Shi Jian needed him to back down, or all her efforts would have been in vain.

However, the director was indeed a tough nut to crack.

...Tang Tian, "When I was in the bathroom, I overheard the students complaining about the director being very strict, but it seems like there’s no gossip about him. There’s no way to get in."

Senior Ah Huang also agreed with Tang Tian’s observation. This time, Senior Ah Huang couldn’t help Shi Jian.

"The director has no lover, no children, and no hobbies."

Shi Jian did know of one hobby the director had — he liked to knock on students' bones. But she couldn’t exactly steal his hammer, right?

A hammer isn’t a living creature; you can buy one anytime.

The situation became clearer, but it seemed to enter a new deadlock. Shi Jian even considered reusing the school board member, but that idea was completely shattered when she found out the school board member couldn’t influence the director.

The days to the final exams were rapidly approaching, and everyone started to get anxious.

The director probably knew Shi Jian couldn’t do anything to him. His smile became brighter, and now he even took the initiative to greet her. A ghost from a game instance somehow became this annoying.

He was intentionally trying to block Shi Jian from getting an A grade.

Tang Tian couldn’t stay optimistic under these circumstances. A worried expression appeared on her face, but she forced herself to hold it in because she was afraid that Shi Jian might be under too much pressure, so she avoided bringing it up.

The school flower ghost asked Tang Tian, "If we don’t get an A grade, will it be a big problem?"

The school flower ghost knew that both Tang Tian and Shi Jian were working hard to get an A.

Tang Tian smiled bitterly, "We’ll be stuck in Qing Shan No. 1 High forever, and never be able to leave."

But the school flower ghost suddenly got excited, "Does that mean we can be with my bestie Shi Jian forever?!"

Shi Jian and Tang Tian: ???

The school flower ghost was overjoyed, thinking it was no big deal. She linked arms with Shi Jian, "Qing Shan No. 1 might not be great, but at least we’re here… Plus, you can always be the school beauty of Qing Shan No. 1, isn’t that great?"

Shi Jian had actually been somewhat ready to give up, but hearing the school flower ghost say she could always be the school beauty of Qing Shan No. 1, Shi Jian straightened up quickly.

This was too scary.

Shi Jian refused, "No, no. The title of school beauty in Qing Shan No. 1 is too small." It wouldn’t be able to hold her.

The title of school beauty should be returned to the little flowers in the future.

Shi Jian took out her phone. It was only recently that she discovered a contact had a note marked as [Mom] in her contacts list.

When she first got the phone, the contact list was empty. Later, Shi Jian added Zhang Dong and Tang Tian.

This [Mom] appeared suddenly one day, and Tang Tian had also mentioned that her contact list had a “Dad” entry.

Shi Jian asked Tang Tian, "Do you think... can I get through on this number? Is it the monster mom assigned to me from the instance?"

Tang Tian instinctively shook her head, "I don’t know."

Then she suddenly got what Shi Jian was implying, her mouth wide open, "You’re going to call monster mom?"

Shi Jian nodded, "Mm."

Shi Jian had already placed her finger on the string of numbers, with no other options left.

The phone rang twice—

Beep beep.Perfectly synchronized with Shi Jian's heartbeat.

The call went through!

Shi Jian and Tang Tian exchanged a glance, and Shi Jian made a shushing motion. She quickly heard the monster mom's gentle voice from the other side.

"Baby, what happened?"

Shi Jian loudly complained, "Mom, the director is bullying me. He’s purposely not giving me a good rating and won’t let me get an A for the final!"

When in doubt, ask mom for help.