Xingzhi Building is the school's administrative office building.
The easternmost part of the first floor was the security room. The two deliberately walked quietly. Xiao Lou looked through the window and, just as Yu Hanjiang had said, a security guard on duty was sleeping on the table. The large screen in front of him showed countless small squares, displaying the surveillance footage of the entire school. Some of them were blacked out, which were the blind spots in the surveillance cameras that Yu Hanjiang had confirmed were broken.
Inside Xingzhi Building, there are surveillance cameras only at the corners of the staircases; they are not installed in the corridors or offices.
The two exchanged a glance and continued walking forward.
Apart from the security room, the remaining rooms are all teachers' offices.
The first floor houses the teachers' offices for the first-year high school students. The entrance is marked with red maple leaf signs. Each of the nine subject teachers has their own office, including those for politics, history, geography, physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, Chinese, and English.
The second and third floors house the teachers' offices for the second and third year of high school, with an identical layout.
Starting from the fourth floor, there are offices for minor subjects such as physical education, music, art, and computer science.
The fifth floor houses the school's logistics office, student affairs office, finance office, academic affairs office, scholarship and loan center, psychological counseling center, and other functional departments.
The sixth floor houses the offices of leaders such as the Youth League Committee, the school's labor union, the vice-principal's office, and the principal's office.
The entire seventh floor is a multimedia conference center, large enough to accommodate hundreds of people for meetings at the same time.
Xiao Lou works at a university and is very familiar with the layout of this type of multi-purpose office building. After only one look, he memorized all the rooms and marked all the offices inside the building in the notebook that Yu Hanjiang brought.
The two carefully examined the layout of Xingzhi Building, even going into corners like the toilets and the water dispenser room.
After checking Xingzhi Building, Yu Hanjiang took Xiao Lou to the third...
They searched the entire teaching building and familiarized themselves with all the movement and escape routes.
In the first year of high school, there are no separate classes for arts and sciences, and there are a total of 22 classes. Judging from the seating arrangement, each class should have around 40 students. Starting in the second year of high school, students are divided into arts and sciences classes, with 6 arts classes and 16 science classes.
Every time the two walked past a school building, they would draw the layout of all the classrooms, restrooms, and corridors in their notebooks.
The library and gymnasium are closed on weekends, so we can't go in for the time being. We'll have to wait for another opportunity to explore them.
By the time the two had walked all over the campus, it was already dusk.
Standing on the sky corridor on the fourth floor of Chongwen Building, the senior high school building, you can overlook the entire school.
The sunset glowed like a raging fire across the sky, and blood-red maple leaves continued to fall, making the atmosphere on campus even more eerie.
A gentle breeze blew in, carrying the fragrance of the flowerbeds downstairs to my nose.
Seeing Yu Hanjiang frowning in thought, Xiao Lou asked softly, " Captain Yu, in your experience, the chances of a murder occurring on a high school campus in the real world are not high, right?"
Yu Hanjiang nodded: "High school students these days are almost frantic with work. They can't even finish their homework when they get home. Plus, their families are very strict. Even if conflicts occur between students, they rarely escalate to the point of murder. Of course, it's also possible for psychologically disturbed minors to commit crimes."
In the previous Red Heart 2 Secret Room case, surgeon Zhao Sen committed a double murder, ripping out his cousin's heart and taking his body with him, while turning his wife into a specimen on a bed of roses. This first case was so gruesome, seemingly hinting to Challengers that the killers in Card World are far more depraved than they imagine.
Therefore, the possibility of a psychopathic killer appearing on Card World's campus is extremely high.
Xiao Lou took a deep breath and joked, "I wonder if high school students in Card World need to take the college entrance exam?"
Yu Hanjiang's tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly because of his joke, and he said, "This place is similar to the real world. Politics, history, geography, physics, chemistry, biology, Chinese, mathematics, and English—even the students take the same classes."
Xiao Lou leaned against the railing, gazing at the distant maple forest, and said, "Yeah. I thought their classes were about card sorting and card battles."
Yu Hanjiang turned to look at him: "What will happen tomorrow is completely uncertain. Aren't you nervous at all?"
Xiao Lou smiled and said, "Isn't there a criminal investigation expert like you here? What do I have to be nervous about?"
The trust in the other person's eyes surprised Yu Hanjiang.
They weren't actually very close; they had only met four or five times in real life.
But... it doesn't feel bad to be trusted.
Yu Hanjiang said, "As a Criminal Police Officer, I have indeed seen all sorts of murders." The man paused, leaned against the railing like Xiao Lou, and looked at the maple forest in the distance. "However, this world is completely different from the real world. Most importantly, in this world—I don't have law enforcement authority."
Xiao Lou was taken aback, but quickly understood what Yu Hanjiang meant.
In the real world, Yu Hanjiang is a police officer with a police ID. He can stop witnesses for questioning or take people he suspects to the police station for statements. People generally cooperate with the police investigation, and his identity greatly facilitates solving cases.
However, in this world, Yu Hanjiang, like Xiao Lou, is just a nobody.
He couldn't directly stop students to ask about the details of the murder, nor could he get the school to provide surveillance footage, and he couldn't be discovered by security guards—he could only deduce things as an observer.
Xiao Lou paused for a moment before saying, "Although we can't directly interrogate suspects as police officers, I believe Captain Yu has extensive experience in handling cases. If even you, a C-level secret chamber officer, can't solve the case, wouldn't the other Challengers be in even worse shape?"
Yu Hanjiang turned to look at him: "You have so much confidence in me?"
Xiao Lou replied without hesitation: "Of course."
Yu Hanjiang's originally cold face gradually softened, and a hint of warmth appeared in his deep eyes. He looked into Xiao Lou's eyes and said softly, "It's good that you can trust me. Just like you said, this is only a C-level secret chamber. If a Criminal Police Officer and a Forensic Doctor can't get through this chamber, then Card World is not giving anyone a way out."
Xiao Lou said, "Yes, so there's nothing to be nervous about. What's meant to happen will happen."
The two looked at each other and smiled.
The previously suffocating and oppressive atmosphere suddenly became much more relaxed. Xiao Lou noticed that Yu Hanjiang usually wore a serious and indifferent expression with sharp eyes, but when this man smiled... he was really handsome.
Yu Hanjiang quickly stopped smiling and said, "It's getting dark. Where are we sleeping tonight?"
Xiao Lou glanced around the campus and said helplessly, "I'll just find a place to sleep in the teaching building."
Due to limited resources, they could only make do for one night.
***
The sky quickly darkened, and the streetlights in the school came on.
The school's streetlights are uniquely designed, with soft lighting and several maple leaf-shaped decorations above them, making them look like artificially planted, glowing maple trees from a distance.
Xiao Lou was surprised to find that several streetlights near the maple forest were broken, and an area of nearly 100 meters was completely shrouded in darkness.
Yu Hanjiang clearly noticed this as well, and exchanged a glance with Xiao Lou.
Without saying a word, the two turned around and went downstairs in perfect unison to check the situation in the area where the streetlights were broken.
Yu Hanjiang stood at the boundary between warm light and darkness, frowning as he said, "Eight streetlights on both sides are broken."
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Lou stroked his chin thoughtfully: "The maple forest should be the key point of this locked room. The broken streetlights, does that mean the murder is very likely to have happened at night? After all, you can't see anything in the dark, which makes it easier to commit a crime."
Yu Hanjiang agreed: "That's possible. We need to keep a close eye on this area tomorrow night."
Searching in this place alone in the dark would definitely be terrifying. Fortunately, this is a two-person room. Having a companion allows you to exchange information and discuss things, which makes it much more psychologically comfortable.
In the darkness, Yu Hanjiang walked ahead, his steps steady.
Xiao Lou followed him around the maple forest and asked, "Did you find anything else?"
"Nothing unusual. It seems we're just using today to get familiar with the environment. Something will happen when school starts tomorrow." He turned to Xiao Lou and said, "Go back and rest first. Conserve your energy and wait until dawn tomorrow."
Xiao Lou nodded and followed him back to the teaching building. They sat down on the stairs at the corner on the first floor, each leaning against the wall to rest.
The previous escape room had left them both exhausted, and they quickly fell asleep.
Xiao Lou slept very restlessly.
In his dream, one moment his mother gently said, "You're an adult, you can decide your own things, your parents won't interfere," the next his younger sister excitedly said, "I'm going to apply to a school in Jiangzhou next year, I'll come over for a meal with my older brother!" and then his white-haired grandmother smiled and held his hand, asking him, "Xiao Lou, when are you going to bring your girlfriend home to meet Grandma..."
The kind faces of my family members were exceptionally clear in my dream.
Xiao Lou felt as if his entire body had fallen into an ice cellar, so cold that he shivered uncontrollably.
He always presented a calm and strong image to the Guardian, but the thought that he might be dead, and the thought of his family, still made him unable to control his sadness.
The dream ended with him playing Dou Dizhu (a popular Chinese card game) with his younger cousins. Suddenly, a voice in his ear said, "Welcome to Card World."
Xiao Lou was suddenly awakened.
When she woke up, she found herself wearing a dark gray coat— Captain Yu's. The coat still carried Captain Yu's warmth. Enveloped in this unfamiliar warmth, Xiao Lou was stunned for a moment, then picked up the coat, feeling embarrassed.
Yu Hanjiang looked at him, his gaze unusually gentle: "Had a nightmare?"
Xiao Lou nodded, took a deep breath to compose herself, and handed the coat back to Yu Hanjiang: "Thank you."
"You keep it, I'm not cold." Yu Hanjiang didn't accept it.
When Xiao Lou arrived at Card World, he was actually wearing a coat, but he threw it away in Zombie Town to make it easier to escape. He has a naturally low body temperature and is quite sensitive to the cold. At this moment, he was only wearing a thin sweater. In the late autumn weather, he was sleeping in the cold corridor after nightfall, and his teeth were chattering from the cold.
Yu Hanjiang saw that he was curled up and then covered him with his coat.
Xiao Lou, wrapped in her coat, asked softly, "Aren't you asleep?"
Yu Hanjiang said, "I also had a nightmare and just woke up."
Xiao Lou, who had been awakened by a nightmare, found it difficult to fall back asleep. He smiled and said, "Can't sleep? It's almost dawn, isn't it?"
Yu Hanjiang wasn't sleepy either, so the two chatted casually.
The east was soon tinged with the pale light of dawn. Gradually, a sharp ray of light pierced the darkness, illuminating the earth, and the golden-red sun slowly rose from the horizon.
At 6:30 in the morning, it was completely light.
The two exchanged a glance, immediately left the teaching building, found a secluded spot near the school gate to hide, and cautiously observed the gate.
The security guard on duty in Xingzhi Building woke up.
The overweight security guard yawned as he walked to the school gate and opened it.
Students walked into the school gate in twos and threes, carrying their schoolbags, and entered different teaching buildings; some teachers carried bags and walked quickly into the administration building; teachers on duty stood at the school gate checking student IDs; and cleaning ladies carried buckets and mops to clean the corridors and restrooms...
The campus gradually became lively.
what happens?
Neither of them had any confidence.
The first morning reading session at Fenglin High School begins at 7:30.
Between 7:00 and 7:30, a large number of students flooded into the school. All the students were wearing red and white sportswear. Even though Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou had excellent eyesight, they both suffered from face blindness at this time.
Thousands of students wearing the same clothes... how can anyone remember them?
Both of them looked somewhat bewildered.
In Red Heart 2's Secret Room, there's a dead body right inside, making the objective clear. In Red Heart 3's Escape Room, are the protagonists really expected to search for themselves in a vast crowd? That seems unlikely. Therefore, there must be some clues or hints.
At 7:30, the crisp and pleasant school bell broke the silence of the campus.
There was no movement at the school gate for a long time.
7:35.
Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang were about to leave when a girl rushed to the school gate in a panic. She wasn't wearing her school uniform, only jeans and a thin white sweater. Her cheeks were flushed, and she was panting. She had obviously run all the way here because she was afraid of being late.
The male teacher on duty at the school gate frowned and stopped her: "Which class are you in? Why aren't you wearing your school uniform! Where's your student ID?"
The girl hurriedly pulled her student ID card out of her pocket, handed it to the teacher, and said in a trembling voice, "I...I am Ying Xiaoya from Class 3 of Senior Three. I forgot...forgot to wear my school uniform..." She glanced down at her watch and said nervously, "Teacher, we have morning reading class today..."
"I need an English vocabulary test, please let me in quickly..."
The teacher waved her hand and scribbled a few notes in her notebook: "Tell your homeroom teacher that your class lost 2 points today. Go!"
The girl's face turned pale. She bowed to the teacher on duty and quickly ran into the Chongwen Building, which housed the senior students.
— Ying Xiaoya, Class 3, Grade 12. The first student whose name was revealed was not wearing a school uniform and had distinctive features.
Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang exchanged a glance and nodded to each other.
Without saying a word, the two turned around in unison, avoiding the security guard's gaze at the door, and quickly followed the late girl.
She's the key character in Red Heart 3's Escape Room!