Infinite Nightmares

With a light wave from Ouyang, two zombie-like students walked over and helped the battered Zhang Wenda up from the ground.

"Don’t worry. You’re my student, so I won’t do anything to you. I’m just going to use Green Dam to erase your memories of the Internet World."

"You’re a student. You need to be a good boy. Everything a teacher does is for your own good."

Looking at the numb, expressionless faces all around him, the weakened Zhang Wenda let out a low, dry laugh.

’It’s like that day is happening all over again,’ he thought. ’But I’m different now. I’ve grown up.’

He looked down at the floor and said slowly, "I’m sorry, but I’ve never been the obedient type!"

After speaking, he placed his hand on the Yellow Core and pressed it lightly. The next second, his surroundings changed in an instant.

Like colors fading in the rain, the crowds of people were washed away.

Under the yellow glow of the setting sun, an old, dilapidated school hallway appeared before Zhang Wenda. Aside from the trash and dust littering the floor, all that remained were red "DEMOLISH" characters of various sizes painted on the walls.

The school hallway was completely deserted; the teacher and students from before were nowhere to be seen.

The moment he switched to the adult world, Zhang Wenda’s crisis was resolved.

He raised his hand to look at his watch and saw he only had two minutes of Yellow Core time left. He couldn’t worry about anything else and immediately hurried toward the school exit.

’Thank god for the Yellow Core. Otherwise, I would’ve been toast today.’

Still feeling rattled, Zhang Wenda pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and took a deep drag. He instantly felt much better.

Just as he was about to walk out of the dilapidated school gate, a woman with a hunched back blocked his path. It was Teacher Ouyang, but now she looked incredibly old, the porcelain-like cracks on her face like a web of wrinkles.

Zhang Wenda didn’t run. This version of Teacher Ouyang looked so frail, as if a gentle push would make her collapse.

Ouyang raised her head, staring at Zhang Wenda with cloudy eyes. "You need to listen to your teacher. This is for your own good."

His breathing growing heavy, Zhang Wenda put an arm around her shoulder and pointed toward the street outside the gate. Pointing at the people with their heads buried in their phones, he said, "Teacher, look! Look at their phones! The whole world is online now!"

"Go on! You tell them! Tell them they’re all committing crimes! Tell them they’re all prostitutes and hooligans! Say it! Do you dare?!"

"Yes, you’re a teacher, but that doesn’t mean everything you say is the absolute truth!"

However, Zhang Wenda received no response after he finished speaking. When he took a closer look, he realized that this Teacher Ouyang was merely a prefabricated person.

She kept repeating her old lines, as if she were stuck in the past, unwilling to accept anything new, no matter what Zhang Wenda said.

Seeing Teacher Ouyang in this state, Zhang Wenda didn’t waste any more words. He let go of her and quickly walked away.

This time, the Yellow Core’s effect was even shorter. Not long after Zhang Wenda left the school, the half-smoked cigarette in his mouth transformed into a half-melted lollipop.

Having escaped his predicament, Zhang Wenda stood at a corner, watching the school from a distance. He could see the teachers and students bustling about, searching for him inside and out as if it were a massive cleanup.

For some reason, Zhang Wenda had a feeling that he probably wouldn’t be able to go back to that school anytime soon.

After a moment’s thought, he hurried toward Song Jianguo’s treehouse. As he walked, he wondered, ’Why didn’t Song Jianguo tell me you can’t even mention the Internet World?’

"Why should I have said anything? Have I ever been to school? How would I know?"

Inside the treehouse, Song Jianguo shot Zhang Wenda a look as he ate dinner.

"What did I tell you? That place is dangerous. I told you not to go. Now look at you. Got yourself into trouble, didn’t you?"

"I didn’t even go! Can’t I just ask about it?"

Zhang Wenda felt completely wronged. He had just wanted to ask one more person to get their take on it, weigh his options carefully, and then decide whether to go or not.

He just never expected that in this bizarre, messed-up place, he could get into trouble just by asking a simple question.

"Hey, Haozi! Hey!" Pan Dongzi’s hushed voice called from outside the treehouse.

When Zhang Wenda poked his head out, he saw a few familiar faces. Besides Pan Dongzi and his own deskmate, there were a few others who had gone to the Youth Palace with them.

"How did you find me?" Zhang Wenda asked, surprised, as he shimmied down the utility pole.

"Ever since you got in that fight with the wild child, you’ve been coming to play with her a lot. I figured you’d be here." After speaking, Pan Dongzi glanced around and whispered, "Haozi, my mom told me not to hang out with you anymore. She said you’ve become a bad influence."

"If you’re not supposed to play with me, then what are you doing here?" Zhang Wenda frowned.

"My mom can say what she wants, but you treated me to a feast today. I’m not that ungrateful."

Pan Dongzi patted his chest, then leaned in and said furtively, "I came to warn you. The teacher has the whole class out looking for you. If you run into any other classmates, make sure you hide."

"This is ridiculous. What did I even do? Did I commit murder and arson? Why the huge manhunt?" Zhang Wenda was so frustrated he had to laugh.

"The teacher said you learned how to go online, and that you’re playing online games. She even said you’ll turn into a bad person in the future."

"Bullshit!" Zhang Wenda’s shout made Pan Dongzi jump.

Zhang Wenda paced back and forth, then looked up at Pan Dongzi. "You go back and tell her I’m not going to school anymore. She can go ahead and expel me."

"But... don’t you get hurt if you’re late?"

"I’d rather be tortured every day! I’ll tough it out with candy every single day before I accept what she’s saying! Wrong is wrong!" With that, Zhang Wenda climbed back up the pole.

Eavesdropping with her cat ears perked up, Song Jianguo said in surprise, "What’s gotten into you? You’re acting like someone stepped on your tail."

"None of your damn business! Pack your things. We’re leaving tomorrow. I’m fucking going to the Internet World, and that’s final!" Zhang Wenda said, grabbing his belongings and leaving in a hurry.

The Auntie petting a cat nearby saw this and said slowly, "That kid seems to be triggered. He’s got a lot bottled up inside."

"He’s always like this. He acted the same way when I asked about his parents before. Tch, like a total psycho," Song Jianguo said with a look of disdain.

Auntie set Black Coal down from her lap, came over to Song Jianguo, and rolled up her sleeves to show off her powerful muscles.

"Don’t worry about tomorrow. You don’t have to do a thing, just follow along. Auntie will protect her Mimi."

"Auntie, you’re the best," Song Jianguo said, touched, hugging the woman’s large belly. A second later, however, she was jabbed by another elbow from Auntie.

"Uhh... It’d be even better if you didn’t hit me..."