Deus Ex Machina: Chapter 10

Chapter 10

“Year One, Class Six, Ying Si Lan, Exam Over.”

Almost simultaneously with the broadcast, Fan Fan said to Yang Jin, “That little punk is out.”

“Yeah,” Yang Jin said in a low voice, “I know.”

Although Fan Fan was an annoying AI pest, its emotional detection for Yang Jin was spot-on. Long-term large-scale data simulations told it that Yang Jin was in a bad mood right now, so it was best to speak less.

Night fell, but Yang Jin’s eyes were still as bright as a wolf’s.

There was a small river in the valley, with the water flowing gently. The wild grass on the bank was half a person tall, and in the middle, there was a noticeable depression, where two people were entangled and lying.

Ying Si opened his eyes first, his gaze not focusing for a short time, the light in front of him was blurry. He lay there for a while like he was getting up late in the morning. After his consciousness returned, the pain swept over him.

“Uh…” He struggled to sit up slowly, moving his limbs to make sure his bones weren’t broken. But he fell too hard, and every movement felt like it would kill him.

Falling from such a height, fortunately, there were many plants to cushion the fall along the way, but surviving was truly lucky.

“Yi..Yixi.” Ying Si touched the person next to him, but Shi Yixi didn’t react. He shook Shi Yixi’s face hard, and Shi Yixi slowly opened his eyes, staring blankly at Ying Si.

“Are you dumb ah?” Ying Si said, “Did you lose your mind?”

“Ying Si…” Shi Yixi said weakly, “No class today.”

“Go to hell!” Ying Si said in frustration, “What class! There won’t be any classes soon! Damn it, that idiot Zhao Qinghe really wanted to kill us!”

After a moment of buffering in Shi Yixi’s brain, he recalled what had happened before. Ying Si helped Shi Yixi up, but Shi Yixi’s injuries were more severe than Ying Si’s, and it was difficult for him to even sit up, so Ying Si helped him lie back down and checked his body. When he touched Shi Yixi’s leg, Shi Yixi said dazedly, “It hurts.”

“Your leg seems to be broken,” Ying Si said.

“What should we do?” Shi Yixi asked.

Ying Si let out a sigh and said, “I got hit by Zhao Qinghe and have already dropped out of the exam. Given your current condition, you probably can’t continue either. To avoid ending up crippled, you should withdraw and call a doctor.”

“Can only withdraw by calling a doctor?” Shi Yixi asked.

“Yeah,” Ying Si said, “During the exam, teammates may not necessarily be of much help.”

“Teammates…” Shi Yixi silently muttered.

Ying Si hung his head in silence for a long time and reluctantly said, “Although I’ve always thought that guy surnamed Yang is a big idiot, but… he’s right.”

“What?” Shi Yixi asked.

“At critical moments, believing in anyone is useless. The only person who can protect you is yourself,” Ying Si scoffed and said, “Hmm, even though I always felt that guy surnamed Yang was a big idiot, he’s right.”

At this moment, the surrounding broadcast announced again.

Ying Si looked up at the sky and said, “It seems the exam isn’t over yet. We haven’t been unconscious for three days and nights. I have no hope, but Yixi, do you want to pass the exam?”

Shi Yixi looked at Ying Si in confusion.

“You weren’t hit by Zhao Qinghe and haven’t been ruled out. You still have a chance,” Ying Si said, “As long as we reach the endpoint.”

In the later stages of the exam, as the number of students decreased, they tended to hide to avoid being killed. Therefore, the rule was that everyone had to report to the registration point before the end of the exam, increasing the chances of encountering others, unless you were faster than everyone else.

There was only one path to the registration point, a narrow mountain valley trail known to students as the “Death Endpoint.”

“Let’s go; we’re heading to the endpoint,” Ying Si carried Shi Yixi on his back. Unable to move, Shi Yixi was pressed against Ying Si’s back and said, “You should go back. There’s no need for you to do this for me, and you’re injured too.”

“We can’t let that Zhao idiot look down on us,” Ying Si insisted, taking determined steps forward. “That murderer, I’m going to kill him! And that Yang guy, where the hell is he!”

Shi Yixi’s chin was lightly buried in the nape of Ying Si’s neck as he said, “Ying Si, I think what Teacher Yang said was wrong.”

“What did he say?” Ying Si asked.

“I will always trust you,” Shi Yixi said calmly. “No matter what critical moment, I will trust you.”

Ying Si fell silent, carrying Shi Yixi, and continued to move forward with a heavy heart.

As the exam time ended, Yang Jin saw Zhao Qinghe at the finish line. The little devil was in a sorry state, having killed someone near the reporting point.

Zhao Qinghe also saw Yang Jin and, shaking off his fatigue and gloom, came over to him with great enthusiasm. But Yang Jin asked, “What about those two?”

“Um… they’re out,” Zhao Qinghe added, “We encountered seniors.”

“Unfortunate,” Yang Jin said.

As the bell signaling the end of the exam rang, teachers at the reporting point tallied the results. Among the students who passed the exam and those who were out, there were still two missing.

“This student named Ying Si Lan finished the exam last night; didn’t he come to report?” the teachers discussed, shaking their heads as no one had seen Ying Si.

“What about Shi Yixi? His exam hasn’t ended yet.”

No one knew about him either.

Hearing these two names, Yang Jin furrowed his brow even tighter and turned to look at Zhao Qinghe beside him. Zhao Qinghe hung his head, avoiding eye contact with Yang Jin.

“Weird,” the teacher muttered, “Did they get lost inside?”

“Teacher, look!” a student called out.

A figure appeared on the path leading to the endpoint, struggling to move forward slowly. As the silhouette became clearer, it was Ying Si carrying Shi Yixi on his back.

Yang Jin unconsciously took a step forward.

Ying Si finally couldn’t hold on anymore and collapsed just a few meters away. Shi Yixi fell from his back. He tapped Ying Si, who smiled helplessly at him, and Shi Yixi slowly got up, dragging Ying Si forward.

“Teacher Yang, you can’t go back to the exam room!”

There was a commotion in the crowd, and someone stopped Yang Jin. Yang Jin pushed his hand away, saying, “You’re trying to stop me?” Normally carefree, his single sharp rebuke now carried a tsunami-like force that no one could resist. Everyone stared in astonishment as Yang Jin strode into the exam room.

He approached Ying Si and Shi Yixi, squatting down and asking softly, “What happened?”

“Teacher…” Shi Yixi said, “I’m sorry.”

Ying Si, exhausted, could only groan on the ground.

“Um,” Yang Jin said, “It’s okay, I’m here.” He reached out to lift Shi Yixi, but when he tried to pull Ying Si up, Ying Si patted his hand and said, “I can do it myself.”

“Get up, you little rascal,” Yang Jin said, helping Ying Si to stand.

The three of them slowly reached the finish line.

Doctors rushed over to take Shi Yixi and Ying Si for examination. Amidst the chaos, Yang Jin watched them leave before finally finding Zhao Qinghe in the crowd.

Zhao Qinghe’s brow furrowed as he stared over.

After the mid-term exam, some students needed to recuperate from injuries, and the school would analyze and evaluate the abilities of each student for final grading.

The week of waiting was unusually calm.

Ying Si’s injuries were much lighter than Shi Yixi’s; he was just too tired. After a good night’s sleep, he immediately made a full recovery. Shi Yixi had a leg fracture, but with the doctor’s implantation of a growth agent, he recovered quickly. In fact, he could have gotten out of bed immediately, but considering the just-concluded exam, the doctor ordered Shi Yixi to rest for three days before leaving.

Ying Si came to see him every day, and each time, he would angrily scold Zhao Qinghe. Shi Yixi’s ears had grown calloused from hearing it repeatedly.

In the meantime, Yang Jin came once, which surprised both Ying Si and Shi Yixi.

“Hello, teacher,” Shi Yixi greeted.

“Why are you here?” Ying Si asked.

“Can’t I come?” Yang Jin retorted. “Is this your family’s place? Besides, I’m not here to see you.”

“See me, pay up!” Ying Si reached out.

“Get lost!” Yang Jin kicked him.

“Hey…” Shi Yixi couldn’t get a word in. He just called out when Yang Jin kicked Ying Si, appearing concerned about Ying Si. Annoyed, Yang Jin said to Shi Yixi, “Aren’t you supposed to have slow perception? How come you reacted so quickly when I kicked him?”

“Teacher…” Shi Yixi didn’t know what to say.

Seeing his puzzled expression, Yang Jin decided not to continue teasing him. He said, “I’m just here to check on how well your injuries are recovering. Don’t overthink it. Oh, by the way, about the exam… Do you have anything to say to me?”

“We both failed anyway,” Ying Si interrupted, “But…” He wanted to complain to Yang Jin about Zhao Qinghe’s actions, but then he thought that if both he and Shi Yixi left the school, leaving Yang Jin with only Zhao Qinghe, it wouldn’t be a bad outcome. The story of two idiots being together always seemed particularly intoxicating.

So, at this moment, he kept his mouth shut and had no intention of exposing Zhao Qinghe.

“But what?” Yang Jin asked.

“Nothing. Regardless of the outcome, I’m mentally prepared,” Ying Si said, looking at Shi Yixi. “How about you, Yixi?”

“Me too.” Although Shi Yixi didn’t understand what Ying Si was talking about, he obediently agreed.

“It’s okay,” Yang Jin said, “You both did well.”

In the Nufeng Academy, such large-scale exams had publicized results. Each student couldn’t escape the judgment of their grades.

As usual, the results were posted and sent to each student. No matter what you were doing at that moment, you couldn’t avoid the sanction of the grades.

According to the overall class performance ranking, Class Six’s performance was not high. However, in terms of individual rankings, it was quite remarkable for Zhao Qinghe, a first-year student, to make it to the end and secure two eliminations. Additionally, among the two classmates in the same class, one failed the exam while the other didn’t complete it. After the comprehensive scoring, a unified passing line was set, and Ying Si and Shi Yixi’s names appeared on the expulsion list. Shi Yixi was relatively calm about it, but everyone wondered why Ying Si, with B-level potential, was expelled.

However, the expulsion of these two individuals was not surprising at all.

Ying Si felt relieved; he never wanted to attend school in the first place. Shi Yixi simply felt indifferent. If anything, he believed he deserved to be expelled.

Trash had no place in the Nufeng Academy.

The expelled students left the academy in batches, and Shi Yixi and Ying Si were among the first to depart. That morning, the two packed their bags, dressed in the same clothes they wore when they arrived, and bid farewell to Yang Jin at the school gate.

The farewell was just a formality; Ying Si didn’t even want to acknowledge Yang Jin. What was more annoying was that Zhao Qinghe was standing beside him, as if a victor looking down on the defeated.

The face of a petty person in triumph.

“Teacher Yang,” Shi Yixi said seriously, “Thank you for your help during this time. But I’m really incompetent. I’m truly sorry.”

Yang Jin felt like he should be the one apologizing. Whatever his motives were, he did indeed do some things similar to “helping” Shi Yixi, but it had backfired. As the two teenagers supported each other and walked the final stretch together, he suddenly found children not as annoying as he thought. His apology wasn’t just about what he did to Shi Yixi; it also included the midway of the exam. Perhaps if he hadn’t been so stubborn, the outcome wouldn’t have been like this.

He always tried to treat others with his usual habits, avoiding explaining the process and preferring to throw out a conclusion directly. But he always overlooked the fact that they weren’t capable of facing the rule directly, nor could they skip the process and accept a conclusion.

“What are your plans after leaving?” Yang Jin asked.

“I want to continue studying,” Shi Yixi scratched his head. “But I’m not very good at it. Exams are also difficult for me. Maybe this is all very simple for geniuses… I hope the teachers won’t expel me just because I’m too dumb.”

Yang Jin smiled helplessly, ruffling Shi Yixi’s hair with his hand. He said softly, “Shi Yixi, I don’t want to deceive you. You really are a waste. Geniuses exist everywhere, and many things have a very low entry threshold. Everyone knows how to add one plus one equals two. But some people who calculate it first will mistakenly think they’re geniuses. In reality, they’re not. It’s just blind confidence and wishful thinking. Even among the genius group, there’s always a ranking, and with rankings, there’s always someone at the bottom. Your only advantage is being able to recognize your own situation. Perhaps… without the gap between ideals and reality, you’ll feel a little better.”

Shi Yixi nodded vigorously and said, “Teacher, I understand.”

“What do you understand?” Yang Jin asked.

“I understand that I’m always at the bottom, no matter where I go,” Shi Yixi answered seriously.

He was so earnest that Yang Jin suddenly found it a bit hard to continue. He tentatively inquired, “However, you’re a cute waste.”

Similarly, it was also quite pathetic.

“It’s getting late, and the car is waiting for you two at the door,” Yang Jian patted Shi Yixi and Ying Si on the shoulders separately. “Let’s go.”

“Teacher, it was nice to meet you,” Shi Yixi waved his hand. “See you later.”

“Don’t say see you late,” Yang Jin said, “Meeting me again might put you in danger. Return to the peaceful world outside, live happily in peace, do what you love, be an ordinary person, and never see me again.”

Shi Yixi seemed to understand but also seemed confused. He nodded and shook his head at the same time. Ying Si raised his hand for a symbolic wave, and the two of them boarded the driverless car.

Their life at Nufeng Academy ended like this, a very calm and not noteworthy morning.

“Teacher,” Zhao Qinghe, who had been silent on the side, finally spoke, “Now that we’ve seen them off, let’s go.” He was in a very good mood. The two annoying guys had finally left, and he had broken free from the swamp of waste. Moreover, from now on, Yang Jin would only have him as a student, and he would surely receive the best education.

“Let’s go,” Yang Jin turned around, and the two walked together. Yang Jin said casually, “Feeling good?”

“Do… do I?” Zhao Qinghe felt a bit awkward.

“You’ve written it all over your face,” Yang Jin said. “Why, not happy about not being reported?”

“What… what?”

“I don’t like beating around the bush, let’s get straight to the point.” Yang Jin said, still smiling but giving off a somewhat sinister and terrifying vibe. “Did you intentionally injure your arm during the fight with Ying Si? Also, during the exam, did you really consider killing your teammate?”

Zhao Qinghe asked in astonishment, “Teacher, what are you talking about…”

“Actually, you’re very smart. You realized the loophole in the exam rules.” Yang Jin spoke with a smile, but it was a chilling smile. “To be precise, it’s the jungle law preserved in the exam rules. In necessary situations, you can sacrifice your teammate for victory. I emphasized this rule before leaving, never expecting you’d dare to do it. And you’re quite impressive, hiding until the end. Zhao Qinghe, you’re only thirteen, should I admire your ruthlessness? Or should I scold those two idiots—one with a knife-mouth and a tofu heart, and the other too foolish to realize anything? No, actually, I should apologize for my negligence. Maybe if I had rushed over when the three of you had an accident, the outcome would have been different. Although interrupting someone else’s show is not my style, the cost of this play was too high. It turns out a non-adult child really can have murderous intentions just because they dislike their classmates. But do you think I’m unaware of what you’ve done?”

Zhao Qinghe opened his mouth, but the words froze in his throat.

After a long time, he stammered, “But, Teacher, you said, in a crisis…”

“It seems you’re not really smart, unable to distinguish who certain words are meant for. People like you are the real trash.”

“I’m not!” Zhao Qinghe yelled, “Clearly, I’m the outstanding one! But why do you always pay attention to those two? Especially Shi Yixi! He’s the real waste! Does he get rewarded for pretending to be weak and pitiful?”

“Yes, that’s right. I don’t deny your assessment of him as useless,” Yang Jin said. “But I hope you understand that in my eyes, all three of you are worthless. According to my original thoughts, I hoped all three of you would be expelled together. None of you are suitable for Qianfan, and each of you would hold the others back. Didn’t you understand my previous words? Some people think they’re geniuses just because they can solve simple math problems like one plus one, simply because the entry threshold is too low and they’re blindly arrogant. In the world of real elites, you would be crushed to dust.”

“But… but I really was bullied by Ying Si. I was just protecting myself,” Zhao Qinghe continued to argue.

“Then haven’t you bullied Shi Yixi? He’s a fool who doesn’t know how to complain, and you thought I knew nothing? You’re incapable of resisting others yourself, yet you project your anger onto the weak and feel proud of yourself. Stop pretending to be an A-level potential. You’re just garbage without respect for life,” Yang Jin said expressionlessly. “Garbage should be decomposed and buried, not wasting resources here.”

In the driverless car, there were only Ying Si and Shi Yixi. They were the first to leave the school. Ying Si looked boredly at the scenery outside.

It was desolate, with nothing around. There was a very long desolate buffer zone separating Qianfan’s territory from the outside world, where ordinary people couldn’t enter.

After undergoing identity verification, the car slowly drove out of the area. The Qianfan base became smaller and smaller, and the two returned to real life.

“Ying Si, I’m sorry,” Shi Yixi suddenly spoke. “Actually, if it weren’t for me, you could have stayed.”

“Shut up, you’re annoying,” Ying Si said indifferently. “Who likes to stay here and suffer?”

“What’s your potential?” Shi Yixi said, “I have some vague guesses, but I can’t be sure.”

Ying Si thought for a moment and said, “You have to beg me before I tell you.”

“Please,” Shi Yixi said frankly. “Please tell me.”

“Tch…” Ying Si couldn’t find any joy in annoying Shi Yixi, “Well, since we’re leaving anyway, I’ll tell you honestly. My potential lies in intelligence. Specifically, I’m more sensitive to mechanics, so at that time, I was able to reassemble that gun… But it doesn’t seem like a very impressive skill. In plain terms, I’m just a mechanic.”

“No, you’re amazing,” Shi Yixi said. “You saved me. You’re a genius.”

Ying Si hummed a few perfunctory words, but being praised always made him happy, and the corners of his eyes couldn’t help but curl up.

Suddenly, the car stopped.

“Are we here?” Shi Yixi asked.

“No, we’re not,” Ying Si was also puzzled. He got out of the car and looked around. The car had just left the boundaries of Qianfan, but it hadn’t reached the designated stop; it inexplicably stopped on the side of the road.

“Is it broken?” Ying Si tapped the controller. “Shi Yixi, you get out first, I’ll check what’s going on.”

“Okay,” Shi Yixi got out of the car and waited for Ying Si. Ying Si checked the system and found no problems, then ran down to check the hardware. He was very skilled in this area, but he didn’t want to show it at school.

The two didn’t speak, and there wasn’t even a breeze around, it was very quiet, eerily quiet.

Then, a huge roar came from the direction of Qianfan, shaking the earth, and a huge airflow rushed out, sweeping up everything in its path!

“Be careful!” Ying Si pulled Shi Yixi to the back of the car, the violent shaking preventing them from maintaining a normal posture.

“Is it an earthquake?” Shi Yixi asked, “Or a tornado?”

“I don’t know!” Ying Si shook his head.

This process lasted for a while, and the earth returned to calm, the dust that had been stirred up slowly settled. The two boys, covered in dirt, walked out from behind the car and faced the direction of Qianfan, witnessing the most terrifying scene they would ever see in their lives.

It was clearly morning, but the sky was dyed a bloody color, and the entire Qianfan area had been leveled.

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