Tang Hui lightly waved her fingers while speaking. At first, Lu Renyi thought it was a personal habit, but when a wave of energy enveloped him, he realized it was Tang Hui's ability.
"The wood element was never limited to controlling plants for attacks. High-level wood-element ability users can even communicate with plants, so their capacity for empathy is generally very strong. She must have developed that faculty to a deeper level."
"You can try it in the future too, Host. If you develop your illusion-type ability more deeply, you'll definitely be able to lay waste to everything around you!"
Lu Renyi had no interest in slaughtering his way across anything. He was more interested in how Zhou Cheng had disappeared.
One moment, Zhou Cheng had clashed with the protagonist; the next, he had vanished. Supposedly, someone had abducted him directly. Lu Renyi merely did not know whether this was connected to the Zhou family or to the protagonist.
Still, the protagonist truly lived up to his role as the person most likely to encounter danger. Only two months after the start of school, he had already run into something like this.
Lu Renyi asked Tang Hui whether they could watch the surveillance footage of Zhou Cheng's abduction. Tang Hui studied him for a while, as if confirming his motives. Lu Renyi openly allowed her to look, entirely unafraid of her scrutiny.
Tang Hui turned on the computer and let Lu Renyi watch for himself. Lin Shubei had not been present either and was equally curious. He simply had not expected Lu Renyi to remain this calm, even carrying a trace of the ease of an uninvolved spectator enjoying the show.
At that moment, Zhou Cheng's parents charged inside. Their hair was disheveled and their eyes bloodshot as they pointed at Tang Hui.
"How do you still have the nerve to sit here? How do you still have the nerve to call yourself the principal after something like this happened?! Where is my son? Where is he?!"
"I'm sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Zhou. We haven't found the culprit's trail, but we've already contacted the relevant departments. We will certainly give you an explanation as soon as possible."
"What explanation do we need? Those two are sitting right here! My son fought them and something happened the moment he came out. How can this not be their fault?!"
Zhou Cheng's parents were clearly far less composed than everyone else present. They had rushed over from their company the moment they heard the terrible news, praying throughout the journey that Zhou Cheng would be safe. But after receiving Tang Hui's call, they knew he had probably already met with disaster.
Before they even had time to grieve, they received another email. It contained a video with attached text explaining in detail the earlier dispute between Zhou Cheng, Lin Shubei, and Lu Renyi, as well as Zhou Cheng's abduction and entire struggle.
As his parents, their hearts felt as though they had been cut apart. Guided by the email, they had long since aimed all their rage at Lin Shubei and Lu Renyi.
"Are you trying to protect these two murderers? Are you?! Are they powerful? Are they in Class A or Class S? Even if the entire board of directors came here, I'd still make them die with my son!"
Tang Hui alone could not calm parents broken by grief over losing their child. Several teachers who had been watching from outside also entered and tried to divert their attention.
Lin Shubei slipped over to Lu Renyi at that moment. As he watched Lu Renyi's fascinated expression, he considered a way to escape.
Lin Shubei had not done it, so remaining here would not make him uncomfortable. If Zhou Cheng's parents needed to vent their grief on him, he could accept that too. But if the case remained unsolved for a long time and he had to live under the label of suspect, Lin Shubei would find it unbearable.
Perhaps they should revisit the scene and search for clues. They could not truly sit by helplessly.
"Do you want to examine the scene?"
Lin Shubei asked Lu Renyi first. After all, Lu Renyi had only been dragged into this turmoil because of him. Lin Shubei could hardly run off on his own now.
"Can you get out?"
Lu Renyi did not look up. He remained focused on the surveillance footage from immediately before Zhou Cheng's disappearance. He had watched it no fewer than five times, repeatedly jumping through one segment. When he heard Lin Shubei, he advanced the recording a little farther.
"Zhou Cheng's parents are in an emotional state, and it looks as though they've already decided we're the culprits. Right now, anything you do will agitate their fragile nerves."
Lin Shubei frowned and glanced over. Just as Lu Renyi had said, Zhou Cheng's parents were staring fixedly at them and repeatedly declaring that they would make the two students die with their son.
Seeing that the teachers were almost unable to restrain them, Lin Shubei clicked his tongue impatiently.
Troublesome.
Lu Renyi raised an eyebrow, not missing the irritation mixed into Lin Shubei's impatience. Then he captured a frame from the video and pushed Lin Shubei forward.
"Go on. Display your highest level of diplomatic skill, or neither of us is leaving today."
Lin Shubei was still bewildered when Lu Renyi pushed him in front of Zhou Cheng's parents. After instinctively dodging a fist swung at him, he secretly glared at Lu Renyi. But Lu Renyi remained bent over the surveillance image he had just captured, paying him no attention whatsoever.
"Uncle, Auntie, we know you're suffering right now, but please don't worry. The police are already here, and they'll definitely find the culprit. Please believe us too. Zhou Cheng and we are classmates who never knew each other before today. How could we abduct or kill him over such a small conflict?"
Under the hostile gazes of Zhou's father and mother, Lin Shubei delivered the entire speech in one breath. When he saw that their anger had not diminished, he decisively pulled Lu Renyi over.
"Besides, Lu Renyi and I are both psychic-type ability users. If we wanted to teach him a lesson, we would have done it in front of everyone. There would be no reason to do it in private and cause ourselves so much trouble."
That was true. If they had really wanted to make trouble, doing it in full view of everyone would have made them less suspicious. But Zhou Cheng's parents still did not know which classes Lu Renyi and Lin Shubei belonged to. If they knew, matters probably would not be like this.
After all, in the public's eyes, Lu Renyi was from Class C and Lin Shubei from Class F. Neither seemed capable of hiding all traces of their ability use before a crowd.
Hearing Lin Shubei's words, Zhou's father and mother calmed down slightly. Tang Hui did not add anything.
Seeing that they had listened, Lin Shubei seized the chance to move to his next point.
"There's no use in us sitting here. Why don't we go examine the scene? Perhaps we can find a new clue."
But Lin Shubei had not expected Tang Hui to object first.
"No. The culprit is still inside the academy. Every student is confined to the dormitories and forbidden from moving around until further notice. Who knows which student will be targeted next? And you still dare return to the scene?"
"We..."
"We only found a minor problem and want to confirm it at the scene."
"What problem?"
Lu Renyi turned his phone screen toward Tang Hui and Zhou Cheng's parents.
"This segment of surveillance footage was spliced together. Did none of you notice?"
"Impossible. I personally installed every surveillance device in the academy. If anyone touches them, I can sense it immediately."
One of the teachers instantly rejected Lu Renyi's claim. His ability related to capturing images. After contacting a specific vessel, he could make it function like a surveillance camera, only more securely than an ordinary one.
"I never said anyone tampered with the surveillance device. Perhaps they altered the images instead?"
Lu Renyi put away his phone and ignored everyone's doubtful looks, gazing only at Zhou Cheng's parents.
"Someone sent you something while you were on the way here, didn't they? Would you mind taking it out so we can compare the two?"
"How do you know someone sent us something?"
Lu Renyi spoke far too casually. Zhou's father could not help thinking more deeply. Even the surrounding teachers had failed to notice anything strange about the video, so how had Lu Renyi seen it?
"You specifically demanded that Lin Shubei and I come here, so you obviously knew we'd just had a conflict with him. The teachers knew that Lin Shubei and I were completely innocent and couldn't have told you. Doesn't that leave only the possibility that someone else informed you?"
Zhou's father could understand such a simple argument. But his own child was involved, and his concern had thrown him into confusion, causing him to overlook many details. Looking back, their journey here had been far too smooth.
It was as though everything had been deliberately arranged. The moment they wanted to know who had abducted Zhou Cheng, an email arrived. It even contained numerous strongly leading statements urging them to make the academy arrest the two students immediately.
Seeing that everyone had understood, Lu Renyi greeted Tang Hui, then dragged Lin Shubei away. This time, Zhou's father and mother did not stop them. They first contacted trusted subordinates and ordered them to reach the family.
If someone had truly plotted this tragedy, then the ultimate goal could only be gaining control of the company. No matter how much they wanted to follow, they had to handle the matter before them first. Otherwise, the entire family might suffer, and more than one household would grieve.
"This is a completely undeserved disaster for me. If you hadn't dragged me into that match, I'd never have to return to the scene now and risk my life."
Lu Renyi spun a small sprig of asparagus fern he had just plucked from the principal's potted plant and began talking nonsense to Lin Shubei again.
"So remember to pay me extra. How else could you possibly compensate me for all this hard work?"
Lin Shubei did not put on the sunny, cheerful act he had used earlier. He behaved more like the aloof person he revealed in private.
He flicked a brief glance at Lu Renyi. After confirming that Lu Renyi was not joking, he revised his opinion of him.
Lin Shubei had previously thought Lu Renyi ordinary in every respect. Who would have expected him to possess some ability after all? It would be best if they were different kinds of ability users.
Lin Shubei liked being different and hated when anyone around him resembled him in any way. It applied to personality, what they wore, and even how they viewed their abilities.
Had they not left the principal's presence together just now, making it inappropriate for Lin Shubei to return alone, he would not have wanted to travel with Lu Renyi at all.
"Don't worry. I'm only Passerby B. My strength is ordinary and my ability is simple. I won't get in your way."
Somehow, Lu Renyi sensed the odd change in Lin Shubei's mood. As he looked around, he pressed down the irritation that had just surfaced within Lin Shubei.
"Sorry. It's a side effect of my ability. I often can't control my emotions."
No one knew how much truth lay in Lin Shubei's excuse, but the side effects of ability use came in every imaginable form. Lu Renyi merely assumed that the great protagonist was displeased because Lu Renyi had detected his thoughts so quickly, which was why he had said this.
"We're here."
Lin Shubei examined the surrounding layout. The incident had happened suddenly. Zheng Jue sent someone to look for Zhou Cheng after he left, and that person discovered clear drag marks near the restroom. When they checked the surveillance recording, they saw that someone had abducted him.
By sheer coincidence, Lin Shubei had gone off alone after the assessment to get some air. When he returned and learned what had happened, he was treated as one of the suspects and taken to the principal's office.
"Was there nothing unusual before Zhou Cheng disappeared?"
"No. He kept putting on a brave face, claiming he'd definitely get a good score and surpass me. Then he started provoking me. But before going in, he said he needed the restroom, and he never came back."
Lin Shubei described the earlier events in a few words. They matched what Lu Renyi had just seen.
"Will Zhou Cheng's parents agree to an autopsy?"
"What?"
Lin Shubei could not follow the leaps in Lu Renyi's conversation and did not understand how the subject had jumped here.
"You suspect Zhou Cheng is already dead? Do you have evidence?"
Of course Lu Renyi had no evidence. It was only a guess. But this was a plot point directly connected to the protagonist, so one or two deaths would be normal.
"I only think we should prepare for the worst."
Lin Shubei saw Lu Renyi looking left and right without the slightest urgency, more as though he were searching for something.
"Didn't you say just now that something was wrong with the surveillance footage? What was it?"
"I lied to them. How else were we supposed to get out?"
Lin Shubei closed his eyes and experienced the rare stifling frustration of being unable to speak.
Lu Renyi ignored his expressive face and circled the simulated exercise room several times.
"Can the simulated exercise room be moved?"
"Of course not."
"And we're the only ones who used it earlier?"
"Of course. Other people aren't as bored as Zhou Cheng, deliberately provoking strangers just to get beaten."
There was something interesting about Lin Shubei's remark. Lu Renyi could not help turning around to see how the man who had successfully taken the bait could say such a thing with a straight face.
"I did it to prevent future trouble. Class F has just as many cliques as the other classes. If I didn't show some ability, people would keep coming after me. Wouldn't that ruin my campus life?"
Lin Shubei grew annoyed at Lu Renyi's mocking gaze. The foolish persona he displayed could deceive others, but he did not believe Lu Renyi truly failed to see through it.
"I carry a major mission on my shoulders. I'm not like other people who spend every day thinking about how to compete with someone else."
"Oh."
Lin Shubei truly was different. He was merely afflicted with chuunibyou. Lu Renyi had thought the things he said earlier were part of his performance. Now it seemed the performance simply gave him an excuse to speak his true thoughts.
Before Lin Shubei could argue, Lu Renyi changed the subject.
"We need to examine the simulated exercise room. Perhaps Zhou Cheng's death really does have something to do with us."
"I told you, don't draw conclusions without any evidence..."
Lin Shubei pushed open the door and found himself face-to-face with Zhou Cheng's corpse hanging upside down from a tree.
Lu Renyi glanced at it, lowered his head, and sent someone a message. Then he stepped into the simulated exercise room, which remained exactly as they had left it.
Lin Shubei had only been startled by the abrupt sight. He soon walked several circles around Zhou Cheng.
Foam spilled from his mouth. His face was bluish-purple, and his eyes had rolled back. He looked poisoned.
Without anyone using an ability, the lush forest around them did not attack. But unlike before, every plant looked sickly and listless, as though too ill to raise its head.
"Looking at it this way, it seems, perhaps, maybe, probably, possibly, it really is because of me."
If the plants in this room truly carried poison, Lu Renyi had struck Zhou Cheng with a branch and bound him in vines before throwing him outside. Once the skin broke, the poison could easily have entered his body.
That meant Zhou Cheng might indeed have been doomed after his abduction. The culprit might even have returned him after discovering that he did not have long to live.
Lin Shubei reached the same conclusion. The two exchanged guilty looks, then simultaneously turned their gazes away.
They had searched for ages only to discover that neither had a strong defense.