Forty minutes later, Tong Yang cleared the exam alongside the last few remaining candidates.
With a loud "boom," the floodlights on the sports field suddenly blazed to life. The abrupt brightness made Tong Yang squint in discomfort. After a few seconds of adjusting to the light, she glanced around—only to find the entire field deserted except for herself and one other examinee.
Their eyes met, and the other candidate burst into tears. "That was terrifying! What the hell was that?!"
Tong Yang didn’t respond. Instead, she gestured for the other to follow, and together they left the field.
By the time they reached the teaching building, they ran into the rest of the examinees. After hours of grueling trials, everyone looked pale and exhausted. After all, this ridiculous exam had reached its final stage, surrounded by those... things of unknown origin. Yet the moment the exam ended and the lights came on, they all vanished without a trace.
Sun Ye trudged along at the back of the group, his expression dazed. The moment he spotted Tong Yang, his eyes reddened instantly.
Standing on the steps, Tong Yang gazed thoughtfully at the faculty office building before turning to Sun Ye’s pitiful expression. She raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"That was too scary..."
"So how did you pass?"
Sun Ye wiped his face miserably. "No idea. All I know is that by the end, the empty classroom was suddenly packed with people."
"Did you get a good look at them?"
He shook his head violently. "Are you kidding? I didn’t even dare lift my head!"
Tong Yang gave him a disdainful once-over. Even after surviving life-and-death situations, he still had the same cowardly streak.
She walked with the group toward the cafeteria but abruptly stopped halfway, pulling out her spiked club and tossing her backpack to Sun Ye.
"Tong-jie?"
"Go ahead without me," she said. "Keep an eye on my stuff. If anything’s missing, you’re paying me back tenfold."
"Wait! Where are you going?"
Tong Yang turned and headed back toward the teaching building, throwing over her shoulder, "The broadcasting room."
"Huh?"
"Why are you going there alone?"
She didn’t answer. The others exchanged confused glances but were too exhausted to press further. Afraid of inviting more trouble, they decided not to linger and continued on to the cafeteria.
To them, Tong Yang was practically invincible—unfazed by the bizarre events, capable of handling anything alone.
Twenty minutes later, Tong Yang returned to the cafeteria.
She noticed the rolling shutter door wasn’t fully closed, leaving a gap of several dozen centimeters. They must have forgotten to lock it after entering. Bending down, she pulled the door open.
The metallic rumble echoed as she stepped into the pitch-black cafeteria. Inside, a circle of chairs and desks had been arranged, with people sprawled across the floor in exhaustion. After a night of relentless movement and emotional strain, everyone had collapsed into sleep.
Without a second thought, Tong Yang shut the door again, plunging the room back into darkness.
She moved toward her original spot when suddenly, faint whispers cut through the silence.
"One, two, three..."
Dozens of phone flashlights flicked on simultaneously from within the circle. Tong Yang instinctively raised an arm to shield her eyes.
"What are you—"
"Tong Yang, happy seventeenth birthday!"
Her expression froze. Slowly lowering her arm, she stared at the group in bewilderment.
Their phone lights illuminated the cafeteria brightly. Chu Shiyu stepped forward, holding two stacked hamburgers with a blue candle—wherever she’d found it—stuck on top. The flickering flame cast dancing shadows across her face.
"Sorry," Chu Shiyu said sheepishly. "I accidentally saw your birthday when your ID card fell yesterday. Didn’t expect it to be June 8th. What a coincidence."
"Tong Yang, I can’t believe you’re only seventeen."
"Yeah, most of us are already eighteen."
"Even though we’re stuck in this mess, we’ve been through life and death together. Happy birthday!"
Tong Yang watched them silently, emotions churning.
Birthdays? To her, they weren’t exactly cause for celebration—though she valued her life deeply.
For the past few years, Tong Le had made sure to celebrate with her, but Tong Yang never bothered remembering the date herself. Her memory was sharp; the fact that she "forgot" was more of a deliberate choice.
"Thanks," she said finally, meeting their eyes with genuine gratitude.
"Too bad we couldn’t get a real cake. Had to make do with a couple of packaged burgers."
"Go on, blow out the candle and make a wish!"
"How about wishing for us to pass the exam smoothly?"
"Shut up! That’s your wish, not Tong-jie’s!"
Tong Yang set down her spiked club, clasped her hands, and stared at the candle’s glow. She made a silent wish before blowing it out.
"Happy birthday!!!"
Given the "cake’s" modest size, Tong Yang was the only one who got to eat it.
"Tong-jie, you’re so young! Just turned seventeen—unbelievable."
She took a bite of the burger. "I skipped a grade in middle school."
"No way?"
"Of course you’re a genius. Even after skipping, your grades are still top-tier."
Tong Yang frowned. "Not ‘even after skipping.’ It’s because my grades were good that I skipped."
"Hahaha, Tong-jie’s logic is airtight!"
"Seriously though, Tong-jie, aren’t you scared at all?"
She thought for a moment. "The first time something like this happened, I was. Then it just made me angry. Now? As long as I survive and finish the exam, that’s enough."
"Honestly, seeing you in action today was badass."
"Ugh, pretty, smart, top of the class, and a money-making machine. Comparing myself to you is just depressing."
"Hey, after all this, does that make us life-and-death comrades?"
"Absolutely! Let’s make a group chat later to reminisce!"
Tong Yang cut in, "If we make it out alive, keep everything that happened here a secret. Telling others might drag innocent people into this mess."
"Sounds fair."
"So we’re friends now? Any exam tips for tomorrow, Tong-jie?"
Unlike her usual sarcastic self, Tong Yang simply shook her head. "It’s the college entrance exam. And I don’t believe in cheating."
"Right, the gaokao..."
"What were you thinking? Cheating’s a terrible idea. Get caught, and they’ll disqualify you on the spot!"
Tong Yang added, "Just because you celebrated my birthday doesn’t mean you’re off the hook for payment."
"Pfft!"
"Don’t worry, we’ve got the money."
Ignoring their teasing, Tong Yang focused on finishing her burger before resting.
Chu Shiyu shuffled over awkwardly. "Tong Yang, about before... I’m sorry for bullying you."
"Bullying?" Tong Yang looked up, puzzled. "You bullied me?"
"Yeah, always picking on you and stuff..."
Tong Yang: "?"
"I thought you knew I was poor and were deliberately finding ways to support me without hurting my pride."
"Otherwise, what kind of idiot would bully me while giving me money? To be honest, half of my younger brother’s monthly allowance comes from you."
Chu Shiyu: "..."
"A-Anyway, I won’t do it anymore!"
"Ah..." Tong Yang made a regretful expression.
Chu Shiyu pressed her lips together, shot her a glare, and stormed off angrily.
Tong Yang lowered her head again and continued eating.
But no sooner had one left than another arrived.
"Tong Yang..."
Wang Xinyuan, the most injured in the class, shuffled hesitantly over to Tong Yang.
"Um, thank you for helping me earlier today, and also... I’m sorry about before."
Tong Yang lifted her eyes to look at him and asked, "Are you all lining up for a confession session? I didn’t help you for free—I charge."
"I know, I’ll make sure to give you the money as soon as I get back."
"Fine." Tong Yang nodded, accepting his words.
The commotion didn’t last long, and soon everyone sprawled haphazardly into their beds, fast asleep.
A few hours later, they woke up one by one, freshened up, and by the time they finished, it was nearly 8:30—only half an hour left until the exam.
When they rolled up the cafeteria’s shutter door, a golden beam of sunlight spilled onto the ground. Though traces of blood still stained the floor, they no longer seemed as glaring as the day before.
"All examinees... static... please proceed to... static... your exam halls..."
The broadcast crackled intermittently, laced with obvious static.
"Is the broadcast glitching? This is kinda funny."
"What’s wrong with the speakers? Cutting in and out like that—bad signal?"
Tong Yang, walking at the back of the group with a backpack slung over her shoulder and a piece of bread in her mouth, said expressionlessly, "I smashed the broadcast room last night."
Everyone: "..."
Damn, you dare act this recklessly even in someone else’s territory?
When they arrived at Exam Hall 1209, they stowed their belongings and took their seats.
The mood in the exam room now was a far cry from yesterday’s—fear and anger had faded, leaving behind only calm.
Before long, the three invigilators filed into the classroom.
"The third exam is English, lasting two hours. During the exam, please remain quiet and refrain from looking around or whispering."
"First-row students, please come forward to collect the test papers and scratch paper."
After distributing the materials, two invigilators took their usual positions in the corners of the room while Invigilator A stood at the podium facing the students and announced, "You may begin."
() The students looked up in shock, disbelief written across their faces.
That’s it? No additional conditions? No mention of any other tests besides the written exam?
Tong Yang frowned. The lack of extra conditions made her uneasy, but there was no time to dwell on it—completing the exam smoothly was the priority.
Time ticked by, and nothing unusual happened during the test. Even when only fifteen minutes remained, the three invigilators stood motionless, never once intervening.
The silence was unnerving.
Tong Yang had already checked her answers and was now lost in thought, trying to figure out why everything had become so eerily peaceful.
According to the news reports shared in the gossip group chat, they had all died in the terrorist attack on June 7th. Could it be that by surviving June 7th, they had altered the future and were no longer in danger?
But if they had truly overcome the crisis, why were they still trapped in this nightmarish place taking exams instead of returning to the real world?
Before Tong Yang could reach a conclusion, the bell signaling the end of the exam rang.
"Please put down your pens."
Everyone turned their eyes to Invigilator A, waiting for his next words.
After everything they’d been through, nothing he said would surprise them anymore.
Invigilator A swept his cold gaze across the room and stated, "Please gather your belongings and prepare to leave the exam hall."
"The final exam will take place from 3:00 PM to 5:30 PM. Examinees must arrive at least twenty minutes early."
"You may now exit in an orderly manner."
Stepping out of the empty school building, they walked across the overgrown grounds.
The students ahead murmured among themselves, while Tong Yang kept her head down, deep in thought.
The sudden tranquility left everyone unsettled.
"It’s so weird that there weren’t any other tests."
"Yeah, I almost don’t know how to react."
"Was last night the final test? Are we really out of danger now?"
"That’d be amazing! As long as we finish the science exam this afternoon, we can go home!"
"Wow! I’ll remember this experience for the rest of my life!"
"At least we can rest properly at noon!"
...
Some of the more optimistic students were practically bouncing with excitement, but others remained wary.
"Don’t celebrate too soon. I have a feeling it’s not over yet."
"If we’ve really passed the Independent College Entrance Exam, shouldn’t we be back in the real world already?"
"Let’s stay cautious, just in case."
"Tong Yang, what do you think?"
Suddenly, someone directed the question at her.
Tong Yang pondered for a moment before answering, "Since there aren’t any additional tests for now, you can relax a little—do what you need to do. But don’t let your guard down completely. Be mentally prepared for danger at any moment."
"Woo-hoo! Then let’s not overthink it and grab some food first."
"We’ve got until 3:00 PM—enough time for a nap!"
They returned to the cafeteria and, just to be safe, locked the door behind them.
Tong Yang slept for a while before waking up to review science materials.
Her grasp of physics and chemistry was solid, so reviewing didn’t help much, but biology was another story—she sometimes made mistakes, especially with descriptive answers, where she tended to include her own interpretations that strayed from the textbook.
She flipped through her notes, found a biology essay question, and wrote out her response. At one point, she had drilled herself relentlessly on neat handwriting, and now her answers were flawless—precise, without a single correction or smudge.
And so, time passed quietly.
At 2:30 PM, the broadcast bell rang, reminding them to head to the exam hall.
Perhaps because of the uneventful English exam, everyone woke up in much brighter spirits.
"Once we finish the science exam, we can go home. I’m so happy.()"
"And the broadcast didn’t go off all noon—no extra tests! Maybe we’re really safe now!?()"
"Ahhh, everything that happened yesterday feels like a dream."
"My parents would never believe me if I told them."
"I wonder what they think we’ve been doing these past two days. They probably haven’t noticed anything, right?"
"What should we eat tonight?"
"I'm craving hot pot. How about we grab a meal together after the exam?"
"Sounds good! But I think there’s a class gathering tonight."
"So what?"
...
They enthusiastically debated what to eat that evening, even arguing heatedly as if they were really going to go.
Tong Yang remained silent the whole time, an inexplicable unease gnawing at her. Something told her things weren’t that simple.
"How about we order a big cake tonight and celebrate Sister Tong’s birthday again?"
"Great idea! I know a place with amazing cakes!"
"Sister Tong, you’re free tonight, right? Let’s eat together!"
Not wanting to ruin the cheerful mood, Tong Yang thought for a moment and said, "I’m free, but I’ll have to bring my little brother. He’s back home for the holidays today."
"No problem!"
Amid laughter and chatter, they arrived at the southern teaching building. The desolate surroundings seemed to soften slightly under the weight of their joy.
"Last one to the exam room is a dog!"
Someone shouted, and the boys at the front immediately sprinted into the stairwell.
"Hey! Who wants to play such a childish game?"
"Damn it! If you’re not playing, why are you running?"
"I’m not being the dog—anyone else can take that title!"
Before Tong Yang could react, only a few people were left ahead.
"Tong Yang, hurry up! Let Sun Ye be last—he slept like a log and wouldn’t wake up no matter what!"
Chu Shiyu and another girl grabbed her arms, practically dragging her into the building.
Sun Ye, panting behind them, yelled, "Wait for me!"
Helpless, Tong Yang was pulled up to the third floor. As they turned the corner, they saw the students who had run ahead crowded outside Exam Room 1209, not going in.
"What’s going on? Why aren’t you entering?"
The moment Tong Yang saw it, she understood—the danger they thought had passed hadn’t.
"What the hell?! What is this?!"
Only then did the others seem to snap out of it, cursing loudly. "Bastards! I knew it wasn’t over!"
"Hah, just as I expected."
"So… are we still having hot pot tonight?"
"Of course! Why wouldn’t we?"
Tong Yang squeezed through the crowd and glanced inside. Above every seat in Exam Room 1209 hung a thick, stiff rope, each with a noose the size of a head at the center. The ropes extended through the ceiling, seemingly connected to the fourth floor.
"Are they making us hang ourselves?"
"Thirty-three people all hanging together… that’s terrifying to imagine."
"Ugh, I just hope it doesn’t ruin our hot pot plans."
"Is that all you can think about right now?!"
"Pretty much. That, and downing some ice-cold cola before passing out."
They took out their exam supplies, placed their bags on the shelves by the door, and walked into the classroom as if nothing was wrong, chatting casually as they took their seats.
Tong Yang stood in front of her seat, following the rope up to the ceiling where a small hole allowed it to move freely.
Despite the banter, the poorly concealed tension in everyone’s eyes was unmistakable. The jokes were just a way to mask it—to ease their own fears and everyone else’s.
"Please remain quiet."
The three proctors entered, and the chatter died down.
Proctor A stood at the podium, forcing a stiff smile onto his pale face. "Congratulations, candidates, on making it to the final exam of the Independent College Entrance Examination—the Science Comprehensive Test."
"I will now explain the rules."
"First, this exam consists solely of a written test lasting two and a half hours. Second, during the exam, you must remain silent and fasten the noose above you around your neck. Third, you must select a representative. After the exam, their paper will be graded first, and the results will determine life or death for all of you."
The classroom erupted in chaos.
"Rest assured, your written exam scores will be counted in the rankings like all other candidates."
"Now, please choose your representative. The exam will begin immediately after."
"Wait! What do you mean ‘life or death’? Explain!"
Proctor A glanced at the speaker but didn’t reprimand him. "Simply put, everyone except the representative will wear the noose. If the representative’s paper has no errors, all of you pass. If there are errors—but fewer than thirty-two—random nooses will tighten until the corresponding candidates die. The rest, including the representative, will pass."
"If there are more than thirty-two errors, one person dies for each mistake. Everyone except the representative will be executed. Only the representative passes."
The room fell deathly silent.
"Are you… joking? Why should we be executed?"
"You’re insane! We’re just students—why do we have to go through this?"
"This is bullshit! Let us go!"
As the uproar continued, Proctor A remained calm. "Candidates may voluntarily withdraw. The school will immediately revoke your exam eligibility."
Revoked eligibility meant no chance of passing—no chance of ever returning to their world, their families, or their friends.
Tong Yang stared at the three proctors, her gaze icy, fingers tightening into fists.
"You have five minutes to discuss. Choose a representative, or forfeit and leave."
"What do we do?"
"What can we do? Stay in this hellhole forever?"
"Who should we pick? Only the representative is guaranteed to pass no matter what…"
"I want to pick myself."
"Me too, but what about everyone else?"
Chu Shiyu’s face was pale. "We should pick whoever’s most likely to get a perfect score…"
"I agree. Even if it’s not perfect, fewer mistakes mean fewer deaths. Then it’s just… luck."
In this exam room, there was only one person whose Science scores were consistently near perfect. Without needing to say it, all eyes turned to Tong Yang, filled with desperate hope.
"Tong Yang, what’s your highest and lowest Science scores?"
Her fingers clenched around her pen until her knuckles turned white. Lips pressed into a thin line, she answered, "This semester, my lowest was 294. My highest… 300."
"That means at most six of us die. And if those six points are from the same question, only one person dies. The odds drop a lot!"
"If anyone gets randomly chosen, it just means they’re out of luck."
"Does anyone have any objections?"
"If Tong Yang scores full marks, we’ll all pass the exam!"
...
Whether it was out of trust in Tong Yang or clinging to their last hope, their spirits suddenly lifted.
"But won’t this put too much pressure on Tong Yang?" Chu Shiyu frowned, her expression far from relieved—if anything, she seemed even more troubled.
Sun Ye nodded. "If we do this, aren’t we just dumping all the responsibility onto Tong Yang?"
At those words, the mood visibly cooled.
Though they had entertained the idea of volunteering as the representative—where passing or failing would at least secure their own survival—how could they bear the weight of others’ lives being lost because of them?
Maybe those who weren’t chosen would pass the exam unscathed, and the memories of those who died would fade with time. But what about the one chosen as the "representative"? Could she really return to normal life as if nothing had happened, knowing others had perished because of a single exam?
A heavy silence fell as they all began to wonder: Was being chosen as the "representative" really a blessing?
Tong Yang lifted her head slightly, her expression settling into its usual calm.
Was there a better option right now?
—No.
"If you’re not worried I’ll deliberately write the wrong answers," Tong Yang forced a faint smile, "then pick me."
