Chapter 25: The Campus

Class monitor Wu Wen’s hospital room remains under lockdown, with all visits strictly prohibited. According to the doctors, she requires another two weeks of hospitalization. However, the surgery was a complete success, and there are expected to be no lingering side effects.

Luo Di was discharged the following afternoon. Upon leaving, he received a brand-new wristband, with all his personal data synced and secured via the cloud.

[District 13 Resettlement Housing]

With six days remaining of the National Foundation Festival, Luo Di spent his time alone at home, cleaning, cooking, watching films, and exercising. He also set aside time to search online for knowledge regarding "hell" and "symbols," and before sleep, he would read the exorcism-themed novel gifted to him by Gao Yuxuan.

In the interim, Anna called to invite him out, but Luo Di declined, citing household chores. He did not want his hard-won "normal life" to be interrupted by trivialities.

Soon, the fifteen-day festival came to an end. Without the need for an alarm, Luo Di maintained his habit of waking at six o'clock sharp. Once out of bed, he completed four sets of fifty push-ups in his bedroom. After washing away the sweat, he changed into his summer school uniform.

On the dining table sat a bowl of freshly cooked noodles topped with greens, a fried egg, and minced meat—a breakfast his mother had prepared specifically for him. While eating, Luo Di remembered to take the vitamin supplement the class monitor had given him. Before leaving, he dutifully fed the "Horn-Parrot" kept on the balcony.

Everything ready, he shouldered his bag and passed by the kitchen door, catching a glimpse of his mother’s back as she prepared more ingredients.

"Mom, I'm leaving."
"Take care on the road."

...

[Jupiter City Fourth High School], also known as [Io High], is ranked fourth in the city for overall academic performance. While it lags behind the First High School where Anna studies, it is considered an excellent institution for the average student.

The school boasts a comprehensive gymnasium and athletic field that meet high-school standards, earning it the nickname "Sports Center." Other facilities—the teaching buildings, laboratories, school infirmary, office buildings, and cafeteria—are all constructed around this central sports hub.

The most important course for students is [Physical Education]. In the advancement examinations—referred to here in the Huaxia Nation as the "Gaokao"—PE accounts for a daunting 50% of the final score. The remaining 50% is split between logical reasoning (30%) and academic subjects (20%). Of course, these proportions are not absolute and vary depending on a student's target institution and the ever-changing admission requirements.

Arriving in the morning, students gathered by class on the track for a mandatory thirty-minute run with strict lap requirements.

...

"Luo Di!"

As the morning run concluded, Gao Yuxuan approached to greet him, and the two walked back to the classroom together.

"The class monitor hasn't returned yet, so I’m still covering for her. It’s your turn for duty today; go straight to the security office later, no need to come back to the classroom."

"Understood."

After their brief exchange, Luo Di veered away from the stream of students heading toward the main building.

[Duty Students] at the school have a very specific set of responsibilities, unrelated to daily chores like cleaning the chalkboard. After the morning run, they must report to the security office. Led by fully armed guards, they patrol various areas of the school to eliminate potential "corner risks."

These duties include:
1. Inspecting the status of all lighting fixtures.
2. Feeding the Horn-Parrots kept at the ends of hallways, corners, and other areas prone to forming "corners."
3. Students who have requested medical assistance also head to the infirmary to help with the school-wide psychological screening process.

The entire day of duty is spent on patrol, exempting them from classes. Since the school's founding, there have never been any incidents. The duty system is primarily designed to cultivate students' awareness of "corner safety," ensuring that once they graduate and enter society, they can keenly identify and correctly address such risks.

Luo Di's "habit" had not faded with time; during the patrol, he would unconsciously click his tongue. In the blink of an eye, a week of school life passed.

[10:30]

PE class ended. Most students were exhausted, slumped over their desks to enjoy the hard-won break. Staring at the cultural subject scheduled next on their timetable, their faces were filled with joy and relief.

Luo Di, however, had no intention of resting. Using the empty space at the back of the classroom, he began his usual push-ups—a daily routine. Such "involution" often annoyed many, which was one reason most of his classmates preferred not to interact with him.

Gao Yuxuan, the deputy class monitor, used to be one of those people, feeling more or less irritated by Luo Di’s obsessive habits and trying his best to focus on his own books. But things were different now. Gao Yuxuan set aside his review materials, walked to the back of the room, lowered himself, and began doing push-ups alongside Luo Di.

The two maintained nearly the same tempo, though Gao Yuxuan began to struggle once he passed forty, finding it difficult to match Luo Di's perfect form. As they neared the hundredth push-up, someone stepped through the back door of the classroom. A pair of pristine white sneakers stopped right in front of them.

The heels pressed down, her calves bent, and she crouched.

"Hey! Can you two stop competing like this? It’s so much pressure for someone who just got out of the hospital! It's a huge loss!"

A familiar, gentle voice pierced their ears, stirring their nerves. Even Luo Di was taken aback. He pushed up for the final time and, as his gaze traveled upward, he met the eyes of the girl crouching before him.

"Class monitor!" Gao Yuxuan blurted out.

Luo Di remained silent, quickly shifting his gaze to the monitor's shoulders, though he could discern nothing through her school uniform. Moments later, the entire class swarmed over, concerned for her well-being. They were unaware of the "practical training" incident, knowing only that she had taken leave due to an accidental injury.

Seeing the monitor surrounded by the crowd, Luo Di instinctively retreated toward his desk.

*Ring-ring!*

The class bell rang, and everyone returned to their seats. As the class monitor sat down at her desk, she deliberately turned around, casting her gaze toward the window where Luo Di sat. The latter, however, stared only at the blackboard, preparing to carefully note down the important points from the teacher.

The school day soon ended. Luo Di, as usual, packed his bag slowly, timing his departure perfectly.

That dark shadow spread across his desk once more, just as it had on the eve of the festival. But this time, it was not just the class monitor standing before him; Gao Yuxuan was there, too, with his bag on his back.

"Luo Di, you don't have any other plans tonight, do you? It’s fine if you don't go home for dinner, right?"

"What is it?"

"What do you mean, 'what is it'? We had an agreement! Everyone is going to celebrate the success of our practical training. Besides, the Municipal Research Bureau contacted me, urging us to go over soon to discuss the 'compensation.' I’ve decided we should all take a car to the institute first, then go out for dinner together. How does that sound?"

"Fine. I’ll send a message home. Let's go."

As they sat in the ride-hailing car, watching scenery pass by that was very different from the road home, Luo Di did not feel the usual agitation at having his routine disrupted. Instead, a rare emotion surfaced. Though faint, it caused his entire body to relax.

His tongue clicked involuntarily within his mouth, giving the class monitor and Gao Yuxuan such a fright that they broke into a cold sweat and immediately begged him to stop.