【Records Department】
The Records Department within the Research Institute neither required regulatory equipment nor needed to handle experimental scenarios.
Their sole responsibility was to analyze in real-time and meticulously document the entire fieldwork process. Should they anticipate any potential dangers, they would immediately report them to higher authorities to ensure the overall stability of the practice.
The office was equipped with several movable blackboards.
On the central blackboard, the theme of this fieldwork was written: "Corpse Planting."
The difficulty level of this theme was variable and would be finalized before midnight based on the subjective actions of the participants.
At present, the staff of the Records Department were visibly excited, their minds and bodies gradually relaxing as the situation unfolded.
The subjective actions displayed by the four young participants had significantly reduced the difficulty of this theme, greatly increasing the stability of the practice. The estimated success rate now exceeded 90%, and they might even consider popping the champagne early.
The department head, wearing a satisfied smile, placed a red tag labeled “Ritual Interruption” onto the blackboard.
---
【The Mansion - Master Bedroom】
Two girls, drenched in a mix of sweat and rainwater, rummaged through their backpacks for spare clothes.
They had attended the same kindergarten, elementary, and middle school.
Unfortunately, they were supposed to be in the same high school as well, but an incident led Wu Wen to transfer schools. Over the past two years, their time together had been greatly reduced, limited to occasional weekends without cram school.
And girls at this age underwent the most significant changes.
As the two removed their tops in the master bedroom, Wu Wen was startled by the sight before her.
Anna not only possessed a height and muscle mass far exceeding the average girl but also displayed physical development that was equally above average.
"Two years apart, and you've grown this much!"
Though both girls usually carried themselves with confidence, Anna instinctively crossed her arms over her chest, casting a peculiar glance at Wu Wen.
Just as Anna was about to say something, she froze, her gaze fixed on something unusual on Wu Wen's body.
"Wenwen, what's going on with your body?"
"Huh? Oh, you mean these…" Wu Wen replied nonchalantly. "My dad arranged for me to attend the highest-level tutoring classes. The teachers are strict, and accidents happen."
"These don't look like accidents," Anna remarked.
While wiping the water off her body with a tissue, Anna leaned closer to examine the bluish-purple marks and scars on Wu Wen's skin, some of which had even left permanent traces.
Before Anna could get a clearer look, Wu Wen had already slipped on a black T-shirt.
"The human body is resilient, Anna. You should know that better than anyone. As long as it helps me grow stronger, I don't mind pushing the limits. After all, what we'll face in the future won't stop at just leaving scars."
"Wenwen~ Isn't your dad being too harsh on you?"
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"My dad's just concerned about me. After all, I made mistakes, and this is the only way to catch up with the top tier. If I had kept up back then, I could've gone to the same school as you… But it's not so bad. At least there, I wouldn’t have met someone as interesting as Luo Di."
"True, that guy is definitely something."
Anna also changed into a white T-shirt.
When the two opened the shared map, the dots representing the two boys were already moving toward the mansion.
The class monitor, now wearing a raincoat, took out two more raincoats to hand to the boys when they returned.
"Shall we go downstairs to meet them? If they’ve really dealt with the corpse, they’ll probably need to handle the tree in the backyard next. Luo Di’s chainsaw was definitely a good purchase."
---
【The Backyard】
When everyone regrouped in the hall, the class monitor quickly noticed a hint of discomfort lingering on Gao Yuxuan's face and curiously asked:
"How did you two deal with the corpse so quickly?"
"Tossed it," Luo Di replied.
The monitor nodded. "Found a slope and threw it down the mountain, huh? No wonder you were so fast. By the way, how are you planning to deal with the tree in the backyard?"
"Cut it down."
With everyone in agreement, they headed back to the backyard.
The sudden downpour had interrupted the feast of flies, masking some of the pungent odor.
Thanks to the rain, the heat generated during woodcutting would dissipate quickly, significantly reducing the risk of an explosion.
The monitor attached a light strip to the tree trunk to avoid creating a "corner" during the cutting process.
When the high-speed rotating saw blade touched the surface of the tree trunk,
(Ah!)
Everyone heard a faint scream, as if it came from the tree itself. The entire locust tree began to tremble slightly.
Luo Di didn’t stop. The cutting continued.
At times, foul-smelling sap splattered outward, resembling blood spurting from severed arteries.
At other times, large clusters of leaves suddenly fell, each one seemingly etched with a face contorted in pain.
In less than ten minutes, the entire locust tree collapsed with a loud crash.
The cross-section of the trunk revealed no tree rings. Instead, it was entirely rotten, riddled with countless small holes, the sight of which made everyone's scalp tingle.
The tree had decayed to such an extent that it should have withered long ago.
---
【Post-Cutting and Rest】
Four raincoats were hung in the front yard, left to the rain to wash away the filth.
Outside the master bedroom, the two girls waited while Luo Di and Gao Yuxuan changed inside.
Gao Yuxuan stuffed his discarded clothes into a trash bag and tied it tightly, as if the extreme filth on them made washing unnecessary.
As he stood up to place the garbage at the door, his eyes were drawn to a certain "spectacle."
It was a muscular back with contours akin to a painting or something one might only see on TV—a physique far beyond what was typical for someone of their age. At certain angles, the muscles seemed to faintly outline a menacing face.
Gao Yuxuan, though ranked third in class for athletics, was far behind the first and second places.
He never imagined that Luo Di would possess such a physique. No wonder Luo Di consistently ranked first. Knowing Luo Di’s modest family background, Gao Yuxuan realized that achieving such a body must have required immense hardship, and his heart filled with admiration.
---
【Dinner and Rest】
By 5:00 PM, the group had been active since early morning. Aside from a few sips of water, they had consumed almost no nutrients.
Even for exceptional young individuals, their bodies were nearing their limits, with fatigue and hunger setting in simultaneously.
Knowing the duration of the practice in advance, they had packed some supermarket-bought food in their backpacks, including self-heating meals and energy snacks.
"Luo Di, here’s yours."
Having just eaten two wafers, Luo Di was handed a steaming self-heating meal by the class monitor.
Of course, it wasn’t just for him—the monitor had prepared one for everyone.
"Thanks."
The warm, flavorful meal was a welcome relief. As Luo Di ate, he reflected on the day's events, trying to deduce the final threat level of the simulated practice. However, as his thoughts deepened, a worm-like fatigue wriggled through his mind. He was simply too tired.
Luo Di decided to abandon his thoughts for now and take a nap after finishing his meal.
On the other side, Anna seemed unsatisfied with just eating. She rummaged through her backpack and pulled out two bottles of high-proof vodka labeled in Russian.
"Anyone want a drink? After getting drenched in the rain, it’s perfect for warming up."
The others shook their heads. Being underage aside, most people found alcohol impaired their thinking and actions.
But for Anna, with her pure Russian heritage and a childhood spent drinking at home, a meal without alcohol was incomplete. For her, alcohol seemed to enhance her state and help her rest better.
"Ah~ None of you drink? Guess I’ll drink alone."
Unbothered, Anna uncorked a bottle and drank directly.
A fiery warmth coursed through her throat, turning her cheeks rosy. Her posture gradually became less ladylike.
As she took a few bites of food and prepared for her fourth sip—
Click!
A sudden, directionless "tongue-clicking sound" reached her ears, sending a chill down her spine. She nearly dropped the bottle in fright.
Anna glanced at the others, who were still eating as if they hadn’t heard a thing.
"Was it the alcohol?"
Without hesitation, she corked the bottle. Her drinking for the day was officially over.