DSMC Chapter 160.1

[Want to be Human] livestream channel: 

“…”

“Who was it that just said Yan Weilan was the boss? The new main mission is completely revolving around him now!”

“Then what about the original main mission ? Who did that revolve around? What incident were the players supposed to investigate? Why can’t Yan Weilan still be the boss?”

“The story has already completely diverged from the original instance route… I think I finally understand something—”

“I think I get it too. Kitty Baby’s doing it again. He’s doing it again!”

“What are you guys talking about? What did Kitty Baby do?”

“The hidden NPC favorability must have gone up. Didn’t any of you notice? Every time Kitty Baby starts raising an NPC’s affection, the storyline immediately goes completely off the rails. This is basically Kitty Baby’s standard operating procedure in every instance! This is his sixth instance now, right? Well… counting this one where he’s carrying three newbies, it’s basically his eighth. His progression has always been different from other newcomers anyway. Hahahahaha.”

“So that’s why! The game has gotten crafty with Mimi now. It doesn’t even display NPC favorability anymore; it hides it completely.”

“I heard there’s a cat player here. I’m new to the stream. Players can actually raise NPC affection? Where do you even check the favorability?”

“The system has hidden the player-to-NPC favorability now, so even Kitty Baby can’t see it anymore. I want to submit a suggestion to the game: couldn’t they at least let the audience see the NPCs’ favorability toward the players? I’m dying of curiosity.”

[The system thanks the enthusiastic viewer for the suggestion. Calculating whether NPC favorability data can be made available to viewers.]

[Calculation complete. In 3 seconds, all viewers may choose whether to display NPC favorability toward players.]

“Holy shit, we can see it now! Yan Weilan’s favorability toward Mimi is already 50/100!”

“A Level 5 instance boss, and he managed to raise it that high? That’s insane! How did he even do that?”

“As expected of the cat streamer I’ve followed since the very first instance. I love him to death! Muah muah muah muah~ (╯3╰)!”

While the livestream audience was busy checking NPC favorability, Yan Jiyun was worrying about how to solve Yan Weiqing’s school bullying problem.

Using violence to fight violence wasn’t impossible. After all, this was just an instance. Besides, he’d already stomped one of Teacher Qu’s minor personalities out of existence. Stomping on a few more probably wouldn’t matter.

The problem was that he’d already used up his only Lucky Card. 

Yan Jiyun opened his pet inventory again. After a quick glance, he discovered that the Lucky Card he’d just used was still there. It was simply on cooldown and could only be used again after one day. 

So it wasn’t a one-time-use prop after all. That was a pleasant surprise! Which meant he could use another trial card tomorrow.

However, the Lucky Card was stored in the pet inventory, meaning it could probably only be activated while he was in cat form. Besides, he still had no idea what kind of “luck” the Lucky Card would actually grant. The uncertainty was annoying.

He couldn’t help cursing the trash game once again.

Although he was restricted by the main account, he also had something other players didn’t — a separate pet inventory. Pet items didn’t count toward the number of props players could bring into an instance. Looking at it that way, he wasn’t actually losing out. The difficult part was obtaining items like the Lucky Card. He’d only managed to get one after clearing four instances. The drop rate was absurdly low. Of course, if he worked a little harder, perhaps he could obtain more in the future. Ultimately, prop cards probably depended on NPC favorability.

After agreeing to help, Yan Jiyun immediately waved toward Qi Feng, who was standing nearby.

When it came to fighting, his pooper scooper had much more experience. 

After Qi Feng walked over, Yan Jiyun proactively shared the mission. “What do you think? Is this mission easy? I don’t really have any experience with this sort of thing.”

Qi Feng asked Yan Weilan and Yan Weiqing, “How do you want to resolve this? The simple and rough way, or something more complicated?”

Actually, the problem itself wasn’t difficult.

Yan Weilan answered, “I want to solve it peacefully. I don’t want to use violence. My Erge being extorted was already an act of violence. We shouldn’t answer violence with violence. It wouldn’t be good for Second Brother’s reputation. I hope he’ll still be able to study happily in class from now on and improve together with us.”

Yan Jiyun hadn’t expected Yan Weilan to have such a strong understanding of proper principles. “Then… transferring classes?”

Yan Weilan shook his head. “I’ve already transferred once. The teachers probably won’t agree.”

Yan Jiyun understood. Since Yan Weilan was the owner of this personality world, his answer itself was the answer. Yan Weilan wanted to resolve the matter peacefully.

Yan Jiyun lightly poked Qi Feng’s hand with his finger. “How about we challenge them to a fight? Whoever wins, nobody gets to bully anyone ever again.”

Yan Weilan hesitated. “But—”

Qi Feng interrupted him. “I think that’ll work. We’ll make a pact. If I win, they’ll all have to call me Boss from now on. There can only be one boss in this school, and that’ll be me.”

Yan Jiyun hadn’t expected Qi Feng to catch on so quickly. He instantly understood exactly what Yan Jiyun was thinking. Wasn’t this basically what soulmates were?

Yan Weilan still hesitated. “But if—”

Yan Jiyun wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “Why not? Think about it, if we solve this problem once and for all, everyone can spend the next several years studying peacefully. Do you have a better solution?”

He knew Yan Weilan was very smart. Perhaps he already had his own plan. It was just that those methods were probably things he’d only resort to after being driven into a corner. Right now, Yan Weilan resembled an easily frightened little rabbit, but even rabbits bit when cornered. They absolutely couldn’t let his personality develop in that direction, nor could they allow the Teacher Qu personality trying to destroy this world to take advantage of the opportunity.

Yan Jiyun now understood the rules of this world. Qi Feng had probably figured them out as well. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be cooperating so naturally.

Sure enough, Yan Weilan seriously considered Yan Jiyun’s proposal. None of the alternatives he came up with seemed any better. Finally, he shook his head. “Then… let’s do it your way.”

Yan Weiqing immediately became excited. “But there are only three of us! There are so many of them!”

Yan Jiyun casually draped an arm around Qi Feng’s shoulders. “Besides the two of us, we’ve got three more teammates. No matter how many of them show up, we’re not afraid.”

Qi Feng’s entire body stiffened. He leaned close to Yan Jiyun’s ear and whispered, “I’m scared, they’re all NPCs.”

Yan Jiyun quietly replied, “I’ve already bragged this much, so just cooperate. If we can’t beat them, we’ll just run.”

Qi Feng nodded. “Mm.”

He had known it would end up like this. Still, there wasn’t anything wrong with what he’d said. Among the Thirty-Six Stratagems, retreating was the best option. There was no shame in running away.

After finalizing their plan, they decided to send Shao Xin and the tall boy a formal challenge, and Yan Weiqing was assigned to deliver it.

With a challenge letter, the whole thing instantly became a fair duel. As for what methods each side would use during the fight, well, that was another matter entirely.

The group agreed to meet in the small woods behind the dormitory after lunch. 

Two hours before the appointed time, Qi Feng and Yan Jiyun split up to find Lan Mo and Gu Wenzhu.

Yan Jiyun decided to hide somewhere first; he couldn’t afford to keep wasting his Human Form Time Card while waiting. 

After turning back into a cat, he leaped onto a tree near the boys’ dormitory. The path beneath led directly toward the small woods behind the dorms. From this spot, he could also observe both students and teachers coming and going.

The NPCs naturally returned to class. Meanwhile, the players wandered all over campus. 

The current main mission had become very clear. Some players had also triggered corresponding side missions. At the moment, the most popular investigation was still the food poisoning case.

Lan Mo, Gu Wenzhu, and Qiu Xi were currently following that lead, their investigation was nearly complete.

Yan Jiyun already had a rough idea of the truth behind the food poisoning, and he also had his own suspicions. It just wasn’t the right time to bring them up yet.

He loved bright, sunny weather. Basking in the sunlight filtering through the leaves felt wonderfully comfortable.

He decided to remain hidden here until classes ended at noon.

Morning exercises had taken place after second period, and third period was about to begin.

Curled up on the tree branch, Yan Jiyun became drowsier and drowsier. Before he’d had enough rest, however, he felt a gentle breeze. At first it was pleasant, as it reminded him of an early autumn wind. But after third period ended, the sky gradually darkened. Feeling that something was wrong, he immediately opened his half-closed eyes.

What was going on? Just moments ago the sky had been perfectly clear, so why had a violent storm suddenly begun brewing? Who had upset one of Teacher Qu’s alters? 

Someone must have done something to Yan Weilan, causing his emotions to fluctuate drastically. Sure enough, children’s moods really did change as quickly as June weather.

Yan Jiyun immediately jumped down from the tree.

There was no doubt that Yan Weilan was this world’s personality. Had the person lurking behind the scenes finally run out of patience and decided to target him?

It seemed they could no longer sit still.

It happened to be the break after third period; therefore, whoever it was wasn’t in Yan Weilan’s class. So they had to be another student.

Yan Weilan was a model student, there was no reason any teacher would dislike him. Which meant the person making things difficult for him couldn’t be a teacher. Then who else could it be?

A child’s figure flashed through Yan Jiyun’s mind.

He crossed the pathway and arrived beneath the classroom building. At this hour, NPCs were everywhere. His teammates were all occupied investigating the poisoning storyline. Until he changed back into a human, returning to the classroom wasn’t convenient. 

Yan Jiyun crouched inside a flower bed near the building, hoping it wouldn’t start raining. Otherwise he’d end up soaked like a drowned cat again. Very soon, he found out why the weather had changed.

A student loudly shouted, “The teachers found out why the other class monitors collapsed! It was Class 3’s monitor, Yan Weilan! He poisoned the other students! The principal just searched his desk with his homeroom teacher and found a packet of poisonous powder!”

“I heard it started after the other class monitors all went out together one weekend without inviting him.”

“Really? Yan Weilan actually did something like that?”

“I never expected our class monitor to be this kind of person. He’s always looked gloomy whenever he stares at people. I never even dared argue with him.”

The plot was so melodramatic that Yan Jiyun could hardly believe such words were coming out of elementary school children. 

Someone had struck first, pinning the entire food poisoning incident on Yan Weilan. Now he finally understood why Yan Weilan had been characterized as exceptionally intelligent. Because intelligent people were capable of using science to commit crimes. As long as someone planted the evidence inside Yan Weilan’s desk, he would have no way to defend himself. Whoever framed him clearly understood that Yan Weilan wasn’t the type to argue for his own innocence.

So this was what “Yan Weilan’s Request for Help” truly meant.

What had suddenly provoked the mastermind into directing all suspicion toward Yan Weilan? Was it because they had challenged Shao Xin and the others to a duel, throwing the plan completely off course? Could an elementary school student really orchestrate something this elaborate, and why had the principal personally led the search?

Yan Jiyun remembered that Shao Xin was the principal’s nephew. Perhaps that relationship could be used somehow. Still, children’s problems ought to be solved by children.

At least, that was true everywhere except inside this instance. Teacher Qu’s split personalities were another matter entirely.

The weather continued deteriorating, violent gusts swept across the campus, sending discarded plastic bags spinning high into the air.

Among the countless voices, Yan Jiyun finally picked out Yan Weilan’s. It was coming from the teachers’ office.

Yan Weilan frantically explained, “Laoshi, it wasn’t me! I didn’t do this! Laoshi, I—”

The homeroom teacher said, “We’ll check the surveillance footage, so don’t be nervous. As long as we find that it has nothing to do with you, you won’t receive any punishment.”

Yan Weilan asked, “Will you call my parents?”

He seemed rather afraid of having his parents called.

The homeroom teacher replied, “Of course. You’re still a minor. Matters like this have to be handled by adults.”

Yan Weilan said, “But, Laoshi, I didn’t do anything. Why do you have to call my parents? Someone framed me.”

The homeroom teacher said, “Just stay here and wait. The teachers will figure something out.”