After leaving Wang Mingzheng’s office, Lin Shuyue glanced at the remaining days of her life value on the system.

There were twenty-eight days left.

But the countdown timer for the timed mission had already started, and now, the numbers decreasing second by second made Lin Shuyue’s scalp tingle.

Time was of the essence. She had to get into the internet addiction treatment school as soon as possible to complete the system task.

However, she needed to make preparations before going.

Lin Shuyue first went to the management office, presented the equipment requisition form stamped with Wang Mingzheng’s seal to the custodian, signed for confirmation, and received the professional equipment needed for the undercover investigation.

The most important piece of equipment was the hidden camera, along with two voice recorders.

After that, she went to the finance department, following the same procedure as above.

Normally, according to the standard procedure, one would have to complete the investigation and then submit various invoices and application forms to the finance department for reimbursement.

Of course, that was the normal way.

With Wang Mingzheng’s support, the investigation Lin Shuyue was about to undertake was indeed not conducive to obtaining invoices. With his signature, seal, and backing, it was naturally a special case, and no one questioned it.

Even if they did, they had to hold it in. Right now, Lin Shuyue was the apple of the editor-in-chief’s eye. Without any outstanding reports to their name, who would dare to jinx it? The veteran employees who had worked at the newspaper for many years, as reporters, had seen all sorts of strange and bizarre things, and they were all shrewd and adaptable.

Seeing that Lin Shuyue was favored by the newspaper’s top leader, they naturally wanted to get along with her. Seeing her going to the management office and then to the finance department, someone asked seemingly casually, “Xiao Lin, what big news story is the editor-in-chief assigning you to investigate? Our finances are tight, yet he’s pre-approving investigation expenses for you?”

At this moment, Li Weisheng also came out of Wang Mingzheng’s office.

He walked straight to his workstation without looking sideways, but his body subtly shifted in Lin Shuyue’s direction, and his ears perked up.

The people in the newspaper office who hadn’t gone out yet all cast their gazes subtly on Lin Shuyue.

Who would have thought that Lin Shuyue, who had big, round eyes and looked guileless, would give a big smile and wink playfully? “It’s a secret.”

Everyone was greatly disappointed, chattering and complaining.

Lin Shuyue chuckled and walked out of the newspaper office.

After getting out of the elevator, she took out her phone and called Lou Fengqin and Lin Shuxing separately to inform them that she would be going on a business trip for the next few days.

The two didn’t react much, as they had gradually come to understand the special nature of Lin Shuyue’s profession since she became a reporter.

Lin Shuxing, in particular, had even seen her sister rush out in the middle of the night after receiving a phone call, hugging her camera. Therefore, they just told Lin Shuyue to eat regularly and take care of herself, and then went back to their own business.

After hanging up the phone, Lin Shuyue felt a little worried. If they knew that the reporter who had bravely captured the murderer in the Suishan Village case was her, they probably wouldn’t be so easy to talk to.

Oh well, she’d deal with it when the time came. “When the soldiers arrive, the general will resist; when the water comes, the earth will dam it.” (Meaning: Deal with problems as they arise.)

–

The original owner had a driver’s license, so Lin Shuyue went to a car rental agency and rented a Jetta. Following the address on the flyer, she drove from the bustling city center to the sparsely populated suburbs.

This area was lined with factories, and there were few people around. After driving for twenty minutes, she finally reached her destination.

Lin Shuyue turned off the engine and got out of the car.

By now, she had already changed her appearance.

She looked like she was in her thirties, with elaborate heavy makeup, wearing a pair of black-rimmed glasses, dressed in a well-tailored suit, and carrying a small bag with the LV logo. She exuded an aura of cold and imposing authority, like a school dean.

She looked at the school in front of her with a cold and indifferent expression.

Above the wide gate were the gilded characters “Pengcheng Superior Internet Addiction Treatment School.” Next to the gate was a guardhouse. A red piece of paper was posted on the window of the guardhouse—the school’s recruitment notice.

The school was recruiting a driver, male only, between 30 and 50 years old. It was also recruiting a janitor, female only, around 45 years old.

The security guard in the guardhouse had seen the car long ago. Seeing the woman who got out get out to look at school, he quickly made a phone call and then ran out.

“Hello, who are you looking for?”

Lin Shuyue’s gaze fell on the security guard. “I’m from Yangcheng. I saw your school’s recruitment advertisement online, so I came to take a look in person.”

The Superior Internet Addiction Treatment School advertised heavily and well. Some parents, worried about their children’s studies, wanted to come and see the place in person.

The security guard had seen this many times. “This parent, please come in.”

From the moment Lin Shuyue got out of the car, the hidden camera installed in the handbag she was carrying had been activated.

Lin Shuyue nodded indifferently and walked inside with the security guard.

Xiao Changxin, the principal of the Superior Internet Addiction Treatment School, had taken a page from the schools in Shandong and Henan provinces.

The rented factory building was very large. Upon entering, there was a small front yard, where several vans and a small box truck were parked. Past the parked vehicles was the office building.

The office building had two floors. The first floor was for offices, and the second floor was for staff dormitories.

Lin Shuyue was led into the office building. The walls were covered with many articles about Confucianism, looking very cultured.

A woman in a professional-looking outfit walked over, smiling broadly, and led Lin Shuyue into the principal’s office before quickly leaving.

There was no one in the principal’s office. Lin Shuyue sat down on the guest sofa and looked around critically.

The principal’s office was tastefully decorated, with all-redwood furniture, even the guest sofa had redwood armrests. The walls were adorned with many Chinese-style paintings, mostly famous sayings and admonitions about studying.

Behind the desk was a redwood curio cabinet, displaying many ornaments.

Lin Shuyue continued to look, and then she saw a steel bar, about a meter long, in the corner behind the curio cabinet. Just as Lin Shuyue was about to examine it more closely, a middle-aged man with a slightly receding hairline pushed open the door and walked in, smiling amiably.

“Madam, I apologize. I had some business to attend to just now. I’ve kept you waiting, I’ve kept you waiting. Please, have a seat, have a seat.”

Lin Shuyue adjusted the glasses on her nose, her face still lacking any smile. “You haven’t kept me waiting. Principal Xiao, you’re too kind.”

Xiao Changxin sat down in the host’s seat opposite Lin Shuyue and poured her a cup of tea.

Lin Shuyue picked up the teacup, touched it to her lips, and said, “Principal Xiao, my time is limited, so I won’t beat around the bush. I have a son, fifteen years old. Since the beginning of the year, he’s become addicted to online games and online socializing. His father and I have repeatedly tried to educate him, but he still doesn’t listen.”

“To be honest, I was very moved when I saw your school’s recruitment brochure on TV. I also asked a friend about it, and they said that after their child was sent to your school, they changed dramatically when they came home, and they don’t even touch the computer anymore.”

“After careful consideration, I came to your school to do this undercover visit. My son’s father was also supposed to come, but he had a temporary work commitment and couldn’t get away, so I came first.”

Xiao Changxin’s smile widened when he heard that Lin Shuyue had a friend whose child had been “rehabilitated” at his internet addiction treatment school.

“Parents are always worried about their children. It’s only right that you come to investigate. After all, parents always want to make sure every step is right for their children. Since Madam Lin is busy, I won’t take up too much of your time. Come, let me show you around the campus.”

Xiao Changxin said, standing up and leading Lin Shuyue outside.

Entering from another exit of the office building was like stepping into another world.

A concrete playground came into view. In the middle of the playground were two basketball hoops, and a synthetic running track encircled the basketball court. Along the edge of the running track was a high wall, estimated to be five meters tall, with many broken glass shards embedded on top.

On either side of the office building were two other buildings, one labeled “Teaching Building” and the other “Dormitory Building.”

It was now afternoon, and the sound of students reciting in unison could be heard from the teaching building. Lin Shuyue listened carefully; it was the Analects of Confucius, an essay about encouraging learning.

Xiao Changxin led Lin Shuyue to the teaching building to have a look.

The teaching building was very clean, spotless. It had two floors. The first floor was classrooms. A group of boys and girls wearing physical training uniforms sat upright at their desks, their eyes fixed on the blackboard in front.

Lin Shuyue kept her role in mind at all times. Seeing this scene, she showed a smile.

Next, Xiao Changxin took Lin Shuyue to the second floor to see the multimedia classroom and the activity room. The activity room had four or five rows of bookshelves, filled with books. In the open space outside the bookshelves were many desks, with some books scattered on them.

Coming out of the activity room, Lin Shuyue’s gaze fell on the two innermost rooms at the end. She asked Xiao Changxin, “Principal Xiao, what are those rooms?”

Xiao Changxin glanced in that direction. “That’s the infirmary and the art room. Teenagers are at an age when they’re very active, especially boys. They like to play basketball during their free time, and bumps and bruises are inevitable. Having an infirmary on-site makes both parents and teachers feel more at ease.”

Lin Shuyue went over to take a look.

The infirmary was divided into two rooms. The outer room had shelves stocked with many common external injury medications, and a doctor in a white coat was quietly reading a book inside. The door to the inner room was also open, but a white curtain with a red cross was hung over it. Through the lower half, Lin Shuyue could only see a few metal-framed beds.

The door to the art room was locked, but she could still see the paints and easels inside through the window, as well as some half-finished paintings.

After touring the teaching building, they went to see the dormitory building.

Each dormitory in the dormitory building had its own bathroom. Each dormitory housed twelve people. The beds, sheets, and everything inside were neatly arranged. In the girls’ dormitories, not a single item commonly used by young girls could be found. It was so rigid that it felt oppressive.

Xiao Changxin rubbed his hands together. “Funds are tight, funds are tight, so the dormitories aren’t as good as they could be.”

Lin Shuyue nodded indifferently. “Understandable.”

After looking at the cafeteria, Lin Shuyue, with a satisfied expression, followed Xiao Changxin back to the office.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with Xiao Changxin and promising to send her child over on the weekend, Lin Shuyue walked out of the school. An instructor hurriedly walked into the principal’s office.

Lin Shuyue got into the car, started the engine, and backed out of the driveway. As the security guard was closing the gate, she saw Xiao Changxin and the instructor, one holding a ruler and the other holding half a steel bar, walking inside.

Lin Shuyue drove away.

She returned to the city, returned the car to the rental agency, and then hurried to the shopping mall.

She strolled the three-story mall from the first floor to the third, spending hundreds of yuan on a bunch of cosmetics. Then, at the digital city on the third floor, she spent all the rewards from the system and the bonus from the newspaper, and even dipped into a few hundred yuan of the original owner’s savings, to buy several more hidden cameras.

Now a pauper, Lin Shuyue didn’t go home either. She randomly found a hotel on the street and checked in.

She slept soundly through the night. Early the next morning, Lin Shuyue got up and put on makeup.

As a post-2000s generation, Lin Shuyue had grown up immersed in the internet. In the summer vacation of her first year of junior high school, she became very curious about makeup. Her grandfather, who doted on her, knew she wanted to learn and even secretly bought her cosmetics behind her grandmother’s and father’s backs.

Over time, short video platforms became more and more developed, and makeup artists became more and more numerous. Lin Shuyue began to get into special effects makeup. She was particularly interested in it and learned it with great enthusiasm.

After entering university, her grades in the makeup and disguise course were always excellent!

Lin Shuyue skillfully applied various tools to her face. Two hours later, a forty-five or forty-six-year-old woman, dressed in plain but clean clothes, appeared at the entrance of the internet addiction treatment school.

After a body search and ID check, she successfully became a janitor at the internet addiction treatment school.

Her monthly salary was three hundred yuan, with room and board included, no days off, and her responsibilities included cleaning the school, serving meals to the students, and also working as a dormitory supervisor.