"These are my experiences in the game 'Wasteland.'
"The more I thought about it afterward, the creepier it felt. I looked up some information and did some verification..."
"So that's why I made this."
Yu Fei spoke softly, pointing to the densely packed handwritten draft paper in Yu Jin's hand.
With those words spoken,
Yu Jin, Old Cui, and Brother Gang all sank into silence.
A long while passed.
Old Cui broke the eerie atmosphere first:
"Maybe it's just some twisted Easter egg from the game developers, trying to spook players intentionally, right?"
Brother Gang nodded in agreement, "Very likely! After all, it's just some old man's one-sided story—no real evidence to back it up."
"Besides, that old man's death was way too hasty. Offering himself as a sacrifice just like that? Maybe you just triggered some hidden storyline, and the plot kill gave you an extra reward."
He paused, then added, "Game invading reality... that kind of thing is way too fantastical. Feels... kind of bullshit."
Yu Fei didn't argue.
He didn't fully believe in such bizarre things either, so what he'd written was just 'An Analysis of the Possibility of "Wasteland" Invading Reality.'
"Old Yu, what do you think?"
Old Cui and Brother Gang exchanged glances, turning to Yu Jin.
"I've never logged into 'Wasteland.' What opinions could I possibly have?"
Yu Jin shook his head, saying nothing more.
"Makes sense."
Old Cui nodded in realization.
For a moment,
The four in Dorm 615 each fell into their own thoughts.
Meanwhile,
As the four were discussing, the students in the auditorium were basically all here now.
Each class's homeroom teacher, just as the notice said, began calling roll and marking attendance one by one.
Ten minutes later,
The lecture officially began.
A middle-aged man who called himself a "survival expert," but was radiating a full military vibe from head to toe, stepped onto the stage.
"Hello, students of Jiangcheng University!"
This classic and cliché opening didn't catch the attention of many students.
Looking out over the hall,
Though the auditorium was packed, almost everyone was buried in their phones, some whispering quietly to each other.
In short, no one was actually paying attention to this so-called 'Wasteland Survival' lecture.
Time ticked by slowly.
This lecture lasted a full hour and a half.
The expert talked about everything: "What is Wasteland," "Basic wilderness survival knowledge," "Psychological adjustment for outdoor survival," "The importance of collective strength in extreme environments"...
He spoke at length, earnestly and with a serious attitude.
But...
No one cared.
After all,
These days are true peaceful times. Sure, carbon emissions are high, and global sea levels rising a bit, but the so-called 'Wasteland Apocalypse' still feels miles and miles away.
Swoosh swoosh—
Next to Yu Jin,
Old Cui, Brother Gang, and Yu Fei were all unusually focused, listening intently.
Especially Yu Fei, who was jotting down notes and sketching on his draft paper as he listened, as if recording important points.
"Storm's brewing..."
Yu Jin let out a sigh deep inside.
"That's it for my talk. I hope everyone remembers it in your hearts!"
At the front of the hall,
The expert, dry-mouthed, exhaled deeply and stood up.
Splat splat—
From below the stage,
Came scattered applause.
"Finally over!"
A student stretched and sighed.
"Where are we eating tonight?"
"Cafeteria or head out for a real meal?"
Some students started discussing after-lecture plans.
"Everyone!"
But right then,
Just as the expert stepped off the stage, a square-faced man in formal attire with gold-rimmed glasses stepped up.
"Jiang Haichuan!"
"The president's here?"
The students who were about to leave sat back down obediently.
Jiang University's president was famous for being strict. If he happened to notice you, your college life could get pretty rough afterward.
"Did you all remember what the expert just said?"
Jiang Haichuan's expression was serious, voice bearing a hint of pressure.
"We remembered!"
Scattered responses came from the audience, mostly from student council members and class reps.
Though they hadn't actually listened, everyone still acted like they'd 'taken it to heart.'
"Good."
Jiang Haichuan nodded, but his gaze didn't linger on the student leaders in front.
His eyes swept over the hall: row by row, row by row...
Wherever the president looked, whether freshmen or senior students, everyone quickly put away their phones and sat up straight.
Soon enough,
Jiang Haichuan stopped scanning.
His gaze settled on a section near the back, in the middle.
"Hiss—"
"Isn't he looking in our class's direction?"
Brother Gang realized, stared ahead, and let out a low gasp.
"Yu Jin!"
Right then,
Jiang Haichuan suddenly called out that name.
The packed auditorium of students and teachers instantly fell silent.
"?"
Yu Jin was confused as hell.
But out of basic politeness, he stood up from his seat.
Jiang Haichuan fixed his gaze on Yu Jin, with a hint of probing, which eventually melted into a friendly, approachable warmth.
"I heard you're organizing the Environmental Protection Club tomorrow to clean up garbage from the polluted river near campus?"
His voice echoed through the hall.
"Yeah."
Yu Jin nodded, unsure why the president would suddenly bring this up.
"Do you have enough people?"
Jiang Haichuan asked.
"We do."
Yu Jin replied.
"Need more?"
Jiang Haichuan asked.
"...?"
Yu Jin looked totally baffled.
According to the system's evaluation, the bigger tomorrow's river purification event, the richer the rewards.
But...
Why was the president bringing this up now?
Could this be part of Yin Yao's superpower?
"Alright."
Jiang Haichuan nodded.
Then,
He drew back his gaze and swept the lecture hall again, then announced in a deep voice:
"Yu Jin's river purification event tomorrow will greatly help our students build academic habits, raise environmental awareness, and strengthen their social practice abilities."
"Therefore—"
"Tomorrow, as president of Jiangcheng University, I suggest that if you have the means, time, and willingness, you should participate as actively as possible."
After he'd finished, Jiang Haichuan paused, then added:
"Students and teachers who take part in this event will receive certain advantages in this semester's comprehensive quality assessments, scholarship applications, and teacher performance reviews."
These words landed.
The hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Students, teachers—everyone stared wide-eyed, faces full of shock!
Just a small Environmental Protection Club event, but it got the president's personal endorsement?
And—
In this kind of official all-hands meeting!
"Alright, dismissed!"
Jiang Haichuan waved, stepping down from the stage.
Only when he reached backstage
Did he finally let out a long, deep breath.
"Today's cause, tomorrow's effect."
"If what Yaoyao said turns out to be true..."
"How many students from Jiang University will be forced to cross over to that hopeless wasteland apocalypse?"
"How many will survive, and how long can they last?"
"Even as university president, even without touching the helmet, I still have a chance of being forcibly transported."
"When that time comes, will I have to rely on 'Yu Jin' just to survive?"
Jiang Haichuan sighed quietly.
As president of Jiang University, his rank wasn't originally high enough to access all these secrets.
But...
His other identity was as Yin Yao's uncle.
Recently, Jiang Haichuan had bent the rules and gone out of his way to help Yu Jin, not just because of Yin Yao's request, but also out of his own selfish motives.