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"We are here to find Gou Baling for something," Gao Changze took it upon himself to handle external communication as the two ladies were not very talkative.

The students in the private room burst into loud laughter and pointed at Gao Changze's outfit.

"So chuunibyou! Even I grew out of that in elementary school."

"That outfit looks so ugly. If you can't afford something nice, then don't wear anything."

"Are there really people who think this looks cool? No way, no way!"

Perhaps a few held different opinions, but they didn't dare express them.

Hearing this, Gao Changze's forehead bulged with veins as he clenched his fists.

What was wrong with his aesthetic sense?

Yin Qingran was being hypocritical. Facing other people's bratty children, she would not have been so nice.

"Make them quiet down for a bit."

As her words fell, the doll on Gao Changze's head let out an eerie laugh. Fine threads shot out from Gao Changze's fingertips, soon clinging to the students' bodies.

The panicked students tried to brush off the threads only to find they were growing out of their skin...

Gao Changze moved his fingers and the threads swayed according to his motions.

Finally realizing something was wrong, the students were filled with shock and fear. They wanted to scream for help but found themselves unable to control their actions.

Behind Gao Changze,

Qi Yuan opened his silver-gold eyes.

In his reconstructed vision, the doll-like Yingying and Gao Changze's energies were connected as if symbiotic.

Yingying's manipulation combined with Gao Changze's multiplication achieved an effect greater than the sum of its parts.

This was more effective than he had imagined.

He couldn't help but smile. Nothing could beat having multiple identities. No wonder bosses liked multi-talented employees.

The only one not under control, Gou Baling, slumped weakly to the ground, trembling as she gripped the microphone tightly.

"W-What do you want with m-me?"

Yin Qingran crouched down to meet her eyes directly.

With certainty, she asked, "What do you know about Ye Yuan's disappearance?"

After Ji Kai had brought them here, they were slightly more convinced of her intuition. Even if Ji Kai's actions were premeditated, at least it proved this wouldn't be a wasted trip.

"She disappeared?!"

Gou Baling reacted strongly, leaning forward to grab Yin Qingran's hand only to be subtly avoided.

"Yes. Do you know anything?"

"I...I'm not sure. You'll save me too, right?"

Gou Baling instead asked about her own safety.

Her eyes shifted briefly and she forced an ingratiating smile.

She had taken care to groom an attractive appearance, exuding youthful vitality.

The four watched her performance coldly.

They read between the lines, understanding she wanted to exchange information for assurance of her safety. Classic villains were always reprehensible, but reality was often more piercing. Bullies usually had decent popularity and looks to boot.

Because of their popularity and appearances, some weren't even aware they were bullying.

Taking out moods on others wasn't a big deal, right?

Gou Baling was clearly highly skilled at interpersonal relationships, resting pleading gazes on Ji Kai and Gao Changze in turn.

But Yin Qingran's patience was spent.

"If you don't speak now, I have other ways of making you talk."

"No, no! I'll tell...I'll say..."

Gou Baling looked pitifully at Ji Kai and Gao Changze again but seeing no reaction, she grievously explained.

"We were on good terms. She invited me to watch the Awakening livestream together two days ago but I could only make the second half because I was busy."

Gao Changze didn't know whether to praise her courage or curse at her stupidity for bargaining in front of Awakeners.

Yin Qingran was completely out of patience. Standing, she coldly looked down on Gou Baling.

"So you choose to wait for death."

"Wait!"

Gou Baling hurriedly hugged Yin Qingran's legs, tearfully confessing, "We had a minor conflict. I ran into her watching the stream so my girlfriends and I watched too."

Yin Qingran couldn't stand it anymore. With one hand, she dangled Gou Baling up to stare into her eyes.

"You think I'm an idiot who's easy to fool?"

Professional trained Awakeners generally wouldn't resort to beating up ordinary humans...

Unless they couldn't help it!

Qi Yuan's group pretended nothing had happened while waiting for Yin Qingran's interrogation to finish.

Yesterday afternoon after school, Gou Baling had ganged up with friends to harass Ye Yuan again, locking her in the bathroom to mock her.

Ye Yuan's recent attempts at awakening had caught their attention over those days.

Apart from daring to resist them, they also felt traces of apprehension.

If Ye Yuan successfully awakened, they would be done for.

So they forced Ye Yuan to hand over her phone, successfully locating her awakening plans inside.

Gou Baling and her girlfriends made Ye Yuan demonstrate awakening in front of them to ensure safety before trying themselves.

"What was that awakening method?"

Under Yin Qingran's interrogation, Gou Baling learned better and obediently answered, "Nothing too risky for us to try. Just something the streamer told us about spiritual awakening...I think imagining there's a door in your mind representing locked potential. Then...describing what the door looked like, how to find the key in your heart to open it..."

Hearing this, the four looked at each other, strangely unanimous.

Eyes saying "really" "just" "that", foreheads shouting question marks.

Gou Baling had previously hemmed and hawed so they assumed something major was afoot...

If watching livestreams could establish connections, far too many humans would be left wanting.

Gou Baling keenly read their expressions and asked hopefully, "Could Ye Yuan have secretly met some shady people? I'm fine, right?"

"......"

If you weren't an ordinary human, believe I'd hit you or not?

The three student spectators coldly watched Yin Qingran bestow fists of care upon Gou Baling, also wishing to bestow some care upon this pitiable person.

Before leaving, Qi Yuan kindly left some parting words, "Recently, Ye Yuan hasn't secretly met any strangers. No one can say for sure why she disappeared."

He only said this to leave Gou Baling steeped in uneasy imaginings.

Yet somehow, it became true.

A few days later, Qi Yuan learned from Yi Shi that Gou Baling and her girlfriends had collectively vanished.

Yi Shi nattered away over the phone, "Apart from them, some others disappeared too. But the manner of disappearance differs so hard to judge correlation. Other transferred cases also revealed many issues so I'll be busy for a while."

Right before hanging up, Yi Shi uncharacteristically naggingly repeated a reminder.

"I'll say it again - if confirmed an S-grade monster, don't recklessly engage. Report to us first."

"Got it."