Chapter 582: Still Hiding Someone Like You

Inside Qiu Ce Yuan.

Lu Dou propped the White Umbrella, walking through the main teaching building's lobby.

Books, ID cards, and shattered water cups lay scattered on the ground.

Two security guards leaned against the wall, hands covering their faces, yet their mouths still twisted to the sides.

They wanted to stop.

They couldn't.

"Teacher."

One of them lifted his head, laughing until tears streamed from his eyes.

"I used to be scared of death."

"Now I'm not scared."

Lu Dou lowered his head, looked at him for a moment, then reached out to straighten his crooked collar.

"Fear shouldn't exist in the first place."

"You just received treatment earlier than others."

The security guard nodded, smiled, and stood up.

He grabbed the riot baton on the floor and turned toward the Stairway Entrance.

There were still a few uninfected teachers there, organizing students to retreat.

"Retreat to the Experiment Building!"

"Do not contact anyone!"

"Lock the doors!"

A female teacher shouted, and footsteps came from behind her immediately.

She turned back and saw the security guard.

"Why are you still here?"

The security guard smiled and raised the riot baton.

"Teacher, don't run."

"It's tiring outside."

The female teacher lifted her hand, and a barrier materialized on her palm.

She is an instructor at Qiu Ce Yuan, a B-grade Anomalous.

She normally handles students' combat training.

But just as she stepped forward two steps, Lu Dou looked up at her.

Ten meters away.

The barrier in her hand dissipated.

The female teacher remained where she was, her fingers still in the casting pose.

Her lips moved.

"You… what did you do?"

Lu Dou answered patiently.

"I stopped you."

"I stopped the fighting, stopped the anxiety, stopped those endless choices."

The female teacher clenched her teeth, trying to step back.

But as soon as she lifted her foot, her facial muscles spasmed uncontrollably.

She squeezed her own arm hard, drawing blood.

It was useless.

Her mouth still twitched a little.

That expression grew more exaggerated.

She looked down at her trembling hand, tears fell, yet laughter forced its way out of her throat.

Lu Dou approached.

"You've taught many children."

"They ask every day how to survive, how to become stronger, how not to be abandoned."

"It's hard, isn't it?"

The female teacher wanted to say it wasn't hard.

But after she opened her mouth, only a smile remained.

Lu Dou raised his hand and gently patted her shoulder.

"From today on, they no longer need to strive."

The female teacher lowered her hand.

She turned around and walked toward those students.

"Don't run."

"Everyone, don't run."

"Teacher Lu is right."

"Be a bit happier."

The students' faces turned pale.

Someone cried and stepped back.

Someone blocked the Corridor with desks and chairs.

Someone else raised a short blade used for containment training, their arm trembling.

"Don't come over!"

"You don't come over!"

The female teacher stopped in place, smiling as she looked at them.

"I won't hurt you."

"I just want you to be happy."

Lu Dou did not look again.

He continued forward.

The entire Qiu Ce Yuan is turning into a huge transmission field.

Teachers, students, researchers, security personnel.

Identity, duty, discipline lose meaning before Happiness.

Someone actively embraced their companion.

Someone choked their companion's neck while still comforting them with their mouth.

"Don't be afraid."

"It won't hurt soon."

Lu Dou held up the umbrella, his steps not fast.

He was very satisfied.

The three thousand people at the New Order Square are just a beginning.

The people of Qiu Ce Yuan are younger, their cognition more active, and their understanding of rules deeper.

After these people enter the single-consciousness network, they can make his cluster more stable.

More importantly.

Here there is the Federation's most complete Weird database.

There are Containment Objects, there are experimental personnel, and there is a new generation of Weird masters being cultivated.

As long as this place is taken over.

The teeth humanity uses to resist will first lose half.

Lu Dou raised his hand and pressed the umbrella handle.

Gray-white fine lines spread along the walls, passing through floors, passing through the ground, diffusing deeper into the campus.

He is expanding the network.

First Floor

Second Floor

Experimental Area

Student Dormitory

Perimeter of the Containment Area

Lu Dou suddenly stopped.

The White Umbrella tilted slightly to the right.

Building Three

Infirmary

The fine lines there disappeared.

It was not blocked.

It was not suppressed.

But after entering a certain range, it simply vanished.

Lu Dou raised his head.

In his single-consciousness network, at the location of Building Three's infirmary, a blank area five meters in diameter appeared.

No Infected.

No emotional feedback.

No pain.

Also no happiness.

There was nothing there.

Lu Dou remained silent for two seconds.

"Interesting."

He walked toward Building Three.

The other side.

Outside Qiu Ce Yuan.

Jiang Yuan stood before the gray barrier, the Dark Playing Cards in his hand hovering in midair.

He had already tried three times.

The first time, as the Shadow just seeped into the barrier, the Infected outside the school collectively coughed blood.

The second time, the Shadow bypassed the crowd and entered from underground.

As a result, the Gray Mist underground also connected to the Infected.

The third time, Jiang Yuan forcibly unfolded the Dark Shadow Court.

Faces crowded together rose on the surface of the barrier.

Every face was smiling.

Jiang Yuan withdrew his hand.

Cracks had already appeared along the edge of the panel.

"Can't get in."

Su Ming crouched on the ground.

Sweat covered his forehead.

He had already dismantled one layer of the gray barrier's rule layers.

Each time a node was found, the node would automatically restore itself.

This wasn't mere rule contamination.

Lu Dou fused the Infected's cognition, life, emotions, and actions into a closed loop.

There was no gap.

Su Ming looked up.

"His rules have changed."

Qin Zhixia stood nearby, the metal joints of her mechanical prosthetic arm locked.

"Speak in human language."

"The previous grim smile was contagious."

Su Ming said.

"It isn't now."

"Now it's collective authorization."

Liang Wen frowned.

"Authorization?"

"Every Infected is helping him maintain the rules."

Su Ming swept his gaze over the smiling people behind the barrier.

"The more they believe in happiness, the more intact the barrier becomes."

"The more they are willing to abandon autonomous consciousness, the stronger Lu Dou becomes."

Liang Wen was silent for a moment.

"This setup is a bit cheeky."

L's projection floated in midair.

"Assessment correct."

"Current crack success rate is below 0.7%."

Qin Zhixia looked toward the campus.

"How many people are still in Building Three?"

L retrieved the data.

"Heat source detection shows at least twenty‑three Infected have entered the area."

Jiang Yuan furrowed his brow, recalling someone he cared about.

"Where's Dr. Chu?"

"School doctor Chu Che's identity terminal is still in the infirmary."

L replied.

"Life data is normal."

Su Ming lifted his head.

Chu Che.

The school doctor who always wore Gold Thread Glasses and spoke unhurriedly.

He wasn't good at fighting.

At least that's what the records say.

"Really can't get in?"

Qin Zhixia, thinking Chu Che was in danger, asked.

"Can't get in for now."

Jiang Yuan stared at the barrier.

"I'll try again."

Su Ming raised his hand to stop him.

"Don't try."

"It's useless."

Jiang Yuan gave no reply.

He fixed his gaze on the Gray Mist inside the school gate.

There were students inside.

There were teachers.

There were many people who had just signed up to join Qiu Ce Yuan.

They wanted to become stronger.

They wanted to protect their families.

Now, however, he is trapped inside, smiling as he waits to be remade into another person.

Jiang Yuan gripped the Card Bag.

"I can't watch."

Su Ming looked at him.

He found such people annoying.

He also envied such people.

In his previous life, he only calculated escape routes, calculated supplies, calculated who was worth saving.

Jiang Yuan was not like that.

Jiang Yuan would first think about how to save people.

Su Ming exhaled.

"Give me two minutes."

"I'll check again."

"If there's still no gap, we'll change our approach."

Jiang Yuan nodded.

"Good."

Building Three.

The school infirmary entrance.

Lu Dou stopped in his tracks.

Inside the Corridor, over a dozen Infected stood.

There were students, janitors, and a nurse responsible for delivering medicine.

They all faced the school infirmary.

None entered.

A female student reached out, wanting to touch the door handle.

As her fingers neared, the smile on her face vanished.

She froze in place.

The next second, she clutched her head, crouched down, and burst into tears.

"I'm so tired."

"Why did I bother taking the entrance exam?"

"Why do my parents always compare me to others?"

The nearby Infected also descended into chaos.

Some covered their faces.

Some knelt on the ground and retched.

Some stared at their blood‑stained hands, their eyes regaining a brief clarity.

"What did I just do?"

Lu Dou watched this scene.

The White Umbrella's canopy swayed gently.

His Rules, upon entering here, failed.

No.

Not ineffective.

It was erased.

Lu Dou walked to the door.

He did not rush to push the door.

The school infirmary's door was quite ordinary.

A white wooden door, with a plaque bearing three characters.

School Infirmary.

A hint of warm air seeped from the crack.

There was also the scent of flower tea.

Lu Dou raised his hand.

The door opened.

Inside, there was no barrier.

No equipment.

On the table lay a medical record, disinfectant cotton, a thermometer, and several boxes of common medicine.

By the water dispenser stood a young man.

The Doctor's Lab Coat was clean and neat.

His black hair was neatly combed.

With his back to the door, he was pouring hot water into a glass cup.

A few flowers floated in the cup.

Lu Dou stood at the doorway, silent.

He sensed no Weird fluctuations from this person.

There were no Rules.

No energy.

Not even any protective measures.

But the five-meter area outside the door was devouring his 'happiness'.

The young school doctor picked up his teacup and blew on the steam.

"Mr. Lu, come in and sit?"

Lu Dou narrowed his eyes.

"You know me."

"Now the whole Federation knows you."

Chu Che said.

"Your publicity is well done."

Lu Dou stared at his back.

"Aren't you afraid?"

Chu Che set down his teacup, raised his hand and pushed his gold-thread glasses.

"Doctors have seen many patients."

"Some fear pain, some fear death, some fear poverty."

"Your kind is a rather troublesome patient."

Lu Dou remained silent.

He walked into the infirmary.

Lu Dou raised his hand.

Gray mist gathered around the umbrella handle.

Chu Che finally turned around.

The gold-thread glasses reflected a sheet of cold white.

His features were gentle, even refined.

But when Lu Dou saw those eyes, his fingers stopped.

Chu Che did not release any power.

He made no movement.

He merely glanced outside.

A dozen or so infected collapsed all at once.

Someone knocked over a medicine rack.

Someone fell in the corridor.

And someone, before losing consciousness, finally had the smile on their face return to normal.

Most of the gray mist behind Lu Dou dissipated.

On the white umbrella's handle, a faint crack appeared.

Lu Dou's pupils contracted.

He stepped back half a step.

In the infirmary, Chu Che picked up his flower tea and took a sip.

"Sorry."

"I don't want to be disturbed."

Lu Dou quickly suppressed his emotions.

He gripped the umbrella handle tightly.

High-density gray mist forcibly gathered again.

"As it turns out, the Federation Investigation Bureau still hides a trump-card-like figure like you."