The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 184: Search

“Can,” Gray Bear said with an amused smile, “Are you suggesting Captain go look for Li Zhuanghu as a student here?”

“Yeah!” Can said. “Then no one’s gonna suspect him even if he’s found out. He’ll fit right in as a student, right?”

Xiran smiled as well. “That seems like a good idea.”

Good idea my ass. I don’t feel safe acting on my own, especially not when I’ve become a useless muggle without Talents.

Of course, that wasn’t something Gao Yang could say out loud as their captain.

After some deliberation, he realized that there didn’t seem to be any other choice. But then there was an issue that needed addressing. “I’m fine with it, but I don’t have a uniform.”

“Easy enough to solve.” Lithe Snake stood by the door. “We can just ‘borrow’ it.”

Gao Yang and Nine Frost went up to the door to look outside. Not far from them, a few boys stood at the campus shop with drinks in their hands. One of them was holding a basketball.

Soon, the familiar bell rang.

Instead of going to the teaching building, the boys went the opposite way.

“They are heading to the running track,” said Gao Yang. “Must be going to PE class.”

“I’ll get one of them here,” Yellow Butterfly said as she ran a hand through her hair. Then she quickly rushed out.

Not long after, Yellow Butterfly caught up with a boy on his own at the corner of the shaded path.

The two of them exchanged a few words. Then Yellow Butterfly pointed at the construction site with an anxious look on her face.

The boy nodded and followed her over.

“Quick! Hide!”

They each picked a hiding place.

It wasn’t long until Yellow Butterfly led the boy into the basketball court.

“Thank you so much.” Yellow Butterfly smiled at him. “I really need your help.”

“Of course. What do you need me to do, Big Sister?” The boy looked eager. It was his honor to help a pretty woman like her.

“Take off your clothes.” Yellow Butterfly was still smiling.

“Huh?” The boy was stunned. For a moment, he wondered if she was joking or actually insinuating something.

“That, that, that’s too much...” The boy blushed.

Still smiling, Yellow Butterfly clapped, and more than ten people came out from covers, circling the boy.

“Who, who are you?” Finally, the boy realized that something was wrong. “What are you gonna do?!”

“Don’t be scared, boy.” Gray Bear smirked with his arms folded. “Uncle isn’t a bad person. Come on, take off your clothes.”

“No, don’t...!”

Gao Yang couldn’t bear to watch what happened next.

They soon peeled the uniforms off the boy and tied him up with a rope found at the construction site. Then they gagged the boy and locked him in the storage.

Gao Yang changed into the uniform and cleaned his face with bottled water.

“Haha, perfect! You’re like an actual highschool boy!” Can sounded overjoyed.

“Ahem.” Gao Yang glared at her and took the radio Gray Bear handed him. “I’ll go look for Li Zhuanghu. Wait for my contact.”

“Good luck, Captain,” said Xiran.

Gao Yang nodded and hid the radio in his pocket before walking out.

Not long after crossing the shaded path, he ran into a man. It was Dai Xiaojun, the director of academic affairs.

“Wait!” Dai Xiaojun called out to him.

Gao Yang stopped.

“Which class are you from? What’s your name?”

“First class of second year, Li Huaxu.” Gao Yang answered immediately. The badge on his shirt was sewn with the poor boy’s name.

“What are you doing here during class?” Dai Xiaojun demanded harshly.

“It’s PE class.”

“The PE class isn’t for you to idle around, but time for you to train your physique!” Dai Xiaojun yelled. “Go back to the running track!”

“Yes, sir.”

Gao Yang hurriedly moved toward the running track.

After taking a few steps, he made sure Dai Xiaojun had turned away and turned back before making a sharp turn, heading to the teaching building.

Where would Li Zhuanghu be?

There were only a few places on campus where people could hide: rooftop, restrooms, and dorm rooms. Gao Yang entered the teaching building and rushed straight to the rooftop through the stairs. Li Zhuanghu wasn’t there.

Then he checked all the boys’ restrooms from the fifth floor down. Still no signs of Li Zhuanghu.

That left the dorm.

Gao Yang cautiously went to the boys’ dorm, taking the long way. During class, the metal gate was closed, but it wasn’t difficult to vault over. Even without his Talents, Gao Yang was able to make it to the other side easily.

Usually, the more senior students would be living on the lower floors. Gao Yang thus guessed that Li Zhuanghu’s room should be on the first two floors.

From left to right, Gao Yang checked each of the rooms. Although the doors were locked, he could see inside through the windows.

The rooms were unassuming, each filled with six bunk beds for twelve people, and at the far side of the room was the sink and the restroom.

It only took a few minutes for Gao Yang to go through the rooms on the first floor.

He then went to the second floor for his search. To his surprise, the first room was unlocked, the door slightly ajar.

Just when Gao Yang was wondering why that was, he heard voices coming from the stairway right behind him.

Caught off guard, he had no choice but to open the door and dove in.

He closed the door, thinking he had gotten away with it. But then the voices came from the other side of the door.

“Brother Yu, the door isn’t locked! Li Zhuanghu must be hiding in his room!”

Gao Yang’s heart sank. Really? How unlucky must I be?!

Bam!

Two seconds later, Yu Pengliang kicked the door open.

The room was empty. Gao Yang had hidden under the bed at the last moment.

He saw three pairs of sneakers. The red pair rushed to the sink at the end of the room and kicked the door to the restroom open.

“Shit, he isn’t here!”

The owner of the red sneakers returned from the restroom before plopping himself down on the bed above Gao Yang.

“Where did the bastard go?”

“Out of the school?”

“That can’t be. If he skips school, he’s gonna get punished! He wouldn’t do that. As the only hope of his village, he needs to get into a renowned school hahaha...”

“Hahaha!”

“Then what do we do?”

“We wait. The monk may run away, but the temple won’t. I don’t believe he’s gonna stay out of his room the whole day. Hey, did you bring poker?” The red sneakers started jittering.

“I did.”

“Come on, let’s play.”

The three pairs of feet moved around in the room before a small foldable table was set up.

Clack.

The owner of the red sneakers sat back down on the bed, and the mattress sank, almost touching Gao Yang’s head.

Gao Yang took a deep breath, gingerly reaching for his radio and turning it off, lest his companions contact him and expose him.

“Seven-high straight.” Someone laid down a hand.

“Nine-high straight.”

“Pass.”

“Two pairs, eight and nine. Oh, do you think Li Zhuanghu has a crush on that ugly girl?”

“Pass. Do you mean Xiang Xiaoqin?”

“Ha, an ugly freak and a nerdy dweeb! They are a match made in heaven!”

“Hahahaha, you’re so mean, Brother Yu!”

“Brother Yu, won’t he bite back after all we’ve done to him?”

“What? Are you scared of the coward?”

“That’s not the case. But don’t you think the coward has been acting strange the past few days?”

Gao Yang pricked up his ears.

Hm, is this...a clue?