Chapter 27: I Am the Teacher

A knock echoed through the auditorium. A male student rushed in, his haste causing him to collide with a female student, their faces nearly meeting in an accidental kiss.

On the podium, the female teacher looked somber, continuing her recitation of the school rules. She emphasized, "Students of this school are strictly forbidden from engaging in romantic relationships. Violators will face severe disciplinary action, including expulsion!"

The two students who had fallen remained sprawled on the floor.

Suddenly, the auditorium speakers emitted a harsh, crackling screech of static. Everyone instinctively clutched their ears as the speakers began to loop the teacher’s announcement, the voice gradually becoming raspy and distorted.

"No dating!"
"No dating!"
"No dating!"

The female teacher tapped her microphone in confusion, turned toward Li Xuan, and said, "Teacher Li, please help me maintain order. I’m going to the broadcasting room to see what’s going on."

Teacher Li?

Only then did Li Xuan notice a name tag pinned to his chest, identifying him as a department head and mathematics teacher. Fortunately, he hadn't forgotten all of his high school knowledge.

He approached the podium, about to speak, when his black notebook suddenly appeared. Its pages flipped open on their own, revealing several lines of text: [Contact with key character established. Initializing world overview.]

Below that, more text emerged:

[School Grave: Nalan Mud High School. This is a cursed institution. Twenty years ago, the discipline mistress Ruan Shiyin was burned to death in the school office by the principal's wife after an affair was exposed. The principal subsequently hanged himself on the hill behind the school, forcing it to close for two decades.

Upon its reopening, the school made an exception by admitting four male students to boost enrollment. Fang Xiaoyi, niece of the former principal's wife, took over as the discipline mistress. Knowing the old school rules harbored a curse, she insisted on segregating the male students. However, the four boys repeatedly broke the taboos, leading to a string of bizarre murders. Behind it all was the vengeful spirit of Ruan Shiyin! Ultimately, Fang Xiaoyi and the principal's wife joined forces to burn down the secret office where the vengeful spirit resided, ending a twenty-year cycle of blood. But the curse within the school rules seems not to have fully dissipated...]

A final line appeared in the black notebook: [Please thoroughly resolve the curse of Nalan Mud High School.]

So, it was the classic Hong Kong horror film "School Grave." No wonder the auditorium layout and the female teacher’s face looked so familiar.

Li Xuan scanned the two hundred or so words of the introduction. The complete plot of the film surfaced in his mind. Looking at the hundreds of freshmen standing in the auditorium, they suddenly seemed less like students and more like a bunch of rebellious youths.

High school is the transitional period when teenagers move away from childishness toward maturity. Hormones stir, curiosity peaks, and the number of high schoolers engaging in puppy love is high. Most youth romance films and dramas are set in this era.

Li Xuan rubbed his forehead. While this transmigration had granted him an identity to blend into the school, the difficulty of the mission had increased significantly. Having once been a high school student, he knew how rebellious and stubborn they could be. They were harder to control than a three-hundred-pound wild boar.

The female teacher returned. She was Fang Xiaoyi, the niece of the former principal's wife. Though not exactly beautiful, her features were balanced, yet she hadn't smiled once from beginning to end.

After a quick trip to the broadcasting room, the speakers returned to normal without her having seemingly done anything. She stood on the podium, her gaze sweeping over the freshmen. She paused briefly on the four grinning boys, her brow furrowing slightly, before tapping the microphone and speaking in a cold, clear voice:

"Welcome to Nalan Mud High School. Due to technical difficulties, I will repeat the school rules. You must memorize them! Breaking the rules carries severe consequences! First, no dating! Second, skirt hems must not be more than two inches above the knee! Third, smoking and drinking are prohibited! Fourth, no staying in classrooms after 11:00 PM! Fifth, no leaving the dorms after 11:00 PM! Sixth, males are forbidden from entering the female dorms! Seventh, no going to the hill behind the school! These are the most important rules. Every student will receive a handbook; please study it carefully and, preferably, memorize it..."

As the rules were declared, the freshmen began to murmur, especially the rebellious ones, who started to argue back.

"I get no smoking or drinking, but why no dating? Isn't that suppressing our thoughts?"
"Exactly, it's unfair!"
"Change the rules!"

Seeing this, Fang Xiaoyi’s chest heaved slightly. She slammed her hand onto the desk with a loud *bang!*

She said coldly, "If that is your attitude, you might as well pack your bags and go home right now. This school has no need for such students."

The students went silent. It was one thing to complain, but if they actually went home, their parents would likely break their legs. Only the four boys continued to look around.

After the opening ceremony, the faculty held a meeting in a different room. The new principal, a woman in her fifties, was short, plump, and wore a kindly expression. She smiled at Li Xuan and introduced him: "Our school has added an excellent teacher. Let us applaud our new mathematics teacher, Mr. Li Xuan!"

The staff applauded. Facing the crowd, Li Xuan felt his face grow slightly warm as he stood to offer his thanks. He told himself he needed to strengthen his mental fortitude; if he were trapped in a similar illusion in the future, would he be completely at the mercy of the situation?

The principal didn't know the specifics of Li Xuan’s background, only that he had been placed by the Hong Kong Education Department. She assumed he was a child of a wealthy family out to experience life or pad his resume. As long as he didn't cause trouble, it would be fine. She found his polite demeanor quite satisfactory.

"Well," she said, "if there is nothing else, the meeting is adjourned."

Fang Xiaoyi stood up. "Principal, I have a proposal regarding the four new male students. They should be segregated and taught in a separate classroom! Their dorms must also be kept far away from the female dorms. We also need the school's disciplinary committee to evaluate their performance weekly."

The principal was taken aback. "These four boys are on a trial enrollment. If we do that, there's no point in them being here." Besides, keeping four students in a separate classroom sounded more like a new prison; did she really think they were gangsters from Stanley Prison? Would their parents agree?

Fang Xiaoyi stared into the principal's eyes. "As the discipline mistress, I value the rules, but I am also looking out for these four boys. Principal, our school hasn't been open long, and several students have already gone missing."

There was a double meaning in her words. The principal understood her perfectly; she had heard the horror stories involving the previous administration when she took over. Fang Xiaoyi was right. What was the point of being "good" to the students if something went wrong? If another incident occurred, the school would likely be closed down permanently, and heaven only knew if it would ever be allowed to reopen again.