ATFBETIBM Chapter 657

New Arc: Graduation Project

Extra Chapters 657-669

“I really didn’t expect to know someone with such powerful connections.” Xia Chi was still struggling in the sea of memories. “Sun Ning is actually the CEO of the Sun Group. Besides my brother, the person I most want to see now is Sister Ning. I really want to ask her if she had already regained her memories after spending four years developing this game?”

“Hehe, I just arrived and I hear a young guy shouting to see me,” a slender, fair hand lifted the curtain, and a familiar yet slightly unfamiliar face appeared behind it. “I’m really flattered.”

The newcomer was a woman wearing frameless glasses. She had short, professional hair, a tall figure, and an elegant temperament, appearing around thirty years old.

Everyone froze for a moment, then suddenly stood up.

Xia Chi’s eyes lit up, “Hello, President Sun!”

Sun Ning’s mouth twitched. “Ahem, no need to be so formal, I don’t deserve such a big gesture.”

Li Cancan looked up and down at the woman in front of her. She seemed much older than her image in the game. In the game, she looked about twenty-four or twenty-five, but now she appeared much more mature and experienced.

Sun Ning glanced at the seats. “Mind if I join you?”

Xia Chi immediately moved inward to make room. “President Sun, please sit!”

“…”

‘This kid has grown a lot in these four years of university.’

“For you, it’s been four years, but for me, it’s been eight.” As an internal tester, Sun Ning had special privileges. Before the other players even had points, she had already used her privilege points to order several drinks. “We were pulled into the horror game at different times. You were pulled in during 2025, but I was pulled in during 2021.”

Everyone listened attentively.

Sun Ning continued, “After my brother and I returned to the real world, we initially resumed our normal lives. But later, I often had dreams, dreams of clearing levels in the horror game, dreaming of Cancan, dreaming of Xia Chi, dreaming of God Xin, dreaming of my brother turning into a monster, dreaming of myself turning into a monster.”

“Every day felt like watching a TV drama, it was both real and surreal.”

“By chance, we entered the online gaming field. We acquired a company that worked on brainwave technology, and I had the idea to combine brainwave technology with games, creating a brand-new game. The content of the game was the horror game. I oversaw everything, from the structure of the game lobby, the game modes, to the copy levels. It didn’t take much effort on my part; I was just recreating what I had seen in my dreams.”

“That’s why the game is called “Yesterday Reappears”.”

“It wasn’t until the game was fully developed and I entered as the first beta tester that I suddenly remembered everything.”

Liang Xi: “So, we’re not just lucky players; you deliberately sent the game cabins to us.”

Xia Chi gave a thumbs up. “President Sun, you’re so generous! Truly a goddess of fortune!”

Sun Ning was amused and laughed out loud, “This game made the Sun Group a lot of money. The world’s first fully immersive virtual online game, that title alone made the Sun Group famous internationally. Orders for our other businesses surged. 100,000 game pods are nothing, just a small token for you guys to play with.”

Li Cancan: “Sister Ning, you deserve all your success. I’m not envious at all of the money you’ve made. If you hadn’t developed this game, I might have forgotten this thrilling and unforgettable experience for the rest of my life. If I had taken that forgetfulness to the grave, I can’t imagine how much I would have regretted it.”

“Sister Ning, Sister Ning,” Xia Chi looked at Sun Ning excitedly, “Did you send a game cabin to my brother?”

Sun Ning: “I asked around about the name ‘Bai Lixin.’ There are more than a thousand people with that name across the country, but none of them is God Xin.”

Everyone’s enthusiasm diminished by more than half, but soon they heard Sun Ning continue speaking.

“However, I did find out something.”

“Five years ago, a kind-hearted person brought a booklet to the relevant authorities. The booklet was full of names, all of them people who had sacrificed their lives defending against foreign enemies. The country had already built a martyr’s cemetery for them, but because the war was so brutal at the time, many people had no names. This kind-hearted person donated ten million to renovate the cemetery and had the names of all these people carved onto a stone monument. There is a whole wall full of names now.”

“The people at the cemetery had seen this kind-hearted person. They said he was a young man with a strikingly unforgettable appearance.”

After hearing this, everyone’s eyes reddened. “That must be Brother. He fulfilled the promise he made to Grandma Chief and truly brought all their names out.”

“God Xin has always been very mysterious,” Zhou Guang took a sip of black tea and said in a deep voice. “At least we can confirm that God Xin exists in our world, and he’s doing well. Otherwise, where would the ten million have come from? That’s enough for us.”

Li Cancan: “He remembered the names of those heroes, so he must still remember us. If he misses us, he’ll definitely come find us. If he hasn’t appeared, there must be other reasons. As long as we know God Xin is doing well, that’s enough.”

Xia Chi nodded but still couldn’t hide the regret in his eyes. “I understand all of that, but I still really want to see Brother. Everything ended so abruptly, I didn’t even get a chance to say more.”

Sun Ning glanced at the time. “It’s getting late. I should go backstage to check on the game’s operation. Add me as a friend, and I’ll send you my personal phone number. We can meet again when there’s time.”

As they watched Sun Ning leave, Xia Chi propped his chin on his hand. “President Zhou, what’s the plan next?”

Zhou Guang knocked on the table. “What else is there to do? Let’s play! Come on, let’s team up and enter a copy!”

[Ding! Welcome, players, to the newbie copy: [Graduation Project].]

[This is a ten-player copy. Game time limit: 72 hours.]

[The rating scale is divided into five levels: S, A, B, C, and D.]

[S-level: Players must complete all tasks issued by the system and survive until the end of the game time.]

[The other four levels will be evaluated based on players’ in-game performance at the end.]

[Since “Yesterday Reappears” is a fully immersive virtual online game connected via brainwaves, there is a noticeable time difference between in-game time and real time. One minute in reality equals one hour in-game. Thus, although the game time is 72 hours, only 72 minutes will pass in the real world.]

Xia Chi couldn’t help but sigh: [This setup is great, perfect for cramming before exams. You can stretch 36 minutes into 36 hours of use.]

Xiao Le: […Player Xia Chi, you’re truly eager to learn! You must be the teacher’s favorite student. This copy seems tailor-made for you.]

Xia Chi: [What do you mean by that?]

Xiao Le: [Introducing the background of the [Graduation Project] copy.]

[Poor Li Mi is about to face his graduation season after four years of university. However, due to various reasons, Li Mi’s academic performance is less than ideal, and he is at risk of not being able to graduate normally. Three days later is the final deadline for submitting his graduation project. Players need to find their own ways to help student Li Mi complete his graduation project and graduate on time.]

[Main Task: Help Li Mi complete the graduation project so he can graduate normally.]

[Side Tasks: To be explored.]

[Time Countdown: 72:00:00]

Xia Chi subconsciously touched his neck: [If I don’t complete the main task, will the punishment be… “Beheading”?]

Xiao Le: [Xia Chi, you’re really scary. This is a positive and uplifting game. How could there be such a bloody punishment? When players fail the game, there are varying degrees of punishment, but no beheading, please rest assured.]

Xia Chi: [Varying degrees of punishment, like what?]

Xiao Le: [For example, fewer points, deduction of certain points, learning punishment, sensory shock, etc.]

Xia Chi: [What’s a learning punishment?]

Xiao Le: [We’ll lock you in a little dark room where you’ll need to memorize a prescribed poem, formula, or finish a set of problems before you can leave the room and continue the game. If the player forcibly logs off, they’ll need to complete the dark room task when they log back in before resuming the game. After all, 1 hour in the game is only 1 minute in reality.]

[…] Xia Chi gave a dry laugh, [Turns out your development team had already considered my initial idea, huh. Hehe, aren’t you afraid of losing your player base by playing like this?]

Xiao Le raised a furry paw and gave a thumbs-up: [We’re confident enough.]

[Well then, I wish Xia Chi a happy game.]

Xia Chi opened his eyes from the darkness and saw a classroom in front of him.

It was a small classroom, with around forty desks and chairs. On the blackboard above the podium were a few bloody words: No Delayed Graduation Allowed!

The words looked like they were written in blood, with red streaks dripping down from the letters, slowly dripping into the chalk tray below.

At the front of the classroom, facing away from him, sat a person. The person had a thin build, wearing a white shirt and was fiddling with something with his head down.

The sound of “scratching” came from the boy, but it didn’t sound like the frantic scribbling of writing. It was more like something hard scraping against wood. The boy was the only one in the empty classroom and Xia Chi could hear the boy’s helpless sobbing.

“Graduation project, graduation project, graduation project, what am I going to do about my graduation project?”

“Wuuuu, I can’t finish my graduation project, I’m doomed, I’m doomed, I’m doomed.”

This must be Li Mi.

Outside, the sun was shining brightly, and the window was open.

Warm wind blew through the window, making the white curtains flutter, just like scenes from an idol drama.

Xia Chi felt disdain in his heart. ‘That’s it?’

‘A crybaby who can’t finish a graduation project?’

He was a sharp and skilled player that had experienced the horror game. This little thing? He could finish it in no time!

With his chin slightly raised, Xia Chi walked confidently towards Li Mi.

“Scratch, scratch, scratch.”

The sound of rough scraping continued as Xia Chi walked up to Li Mi. Since Li Mi kept his head down, Xia Chi couldn’t see his face, only his fuzzy hair and constantly moving arms.

Clearing his throat, the confident Xia Chi decided to make the first move: “Li Mi, are you having trouble with your graduation project?”

Li Mi kept his head down, still sobbing: “Wuuuu, my graduation project, I can’t finish it, what am I going to do?”

‘The plot is starting, right?’

Simple, too simple. Everything was within his control.

Xia Chi showed a confident smile: “Do you need any help?”

The “scratch, scratch, scratch” sound suddenly stopped. Li Mi put down what he was holding but still kept his head lowered: “You’re willing to help me?”

Xia Chi looked down, and his smile suddenly froze.

Li Mi was holding a utility knife in one hand, and in the other hand, he clutched half of a long, thin arm. The arm had been sliced open, exposing the pale white bones underneath, and it was covered in crisscrossed knife marks.

Xia Chi’s throat tightened, and his voice rose: “Y-you, what do you want me to help with?”

“Wuuuu, I’ve run out of materials and still haven’t finished my graduation project.” The fuzzy head that had been lowered finally lifted, and hollow black eye sockets stared at Xia Chi. “Are you willing…to become my material?”

Poor Li Mi had a pair of hollow eyes without eyeballs, lips that stretched from the corners of his mouth to the back of his ears, a face thin like a skeleton, and hands like withered branches.

“Ahhh! A ghost!!!” Xia Chi screamed and ran away.

Behind him, Li Mi held the half-arm in one hand, the knife in the other, chasing relentlessly.

“Scratch, scratch, scratch!”

The eerie, rapid sound of scraping echoed behind him. Xia Chi glanced back in terror and almost cried.

Poor Li Mi was crawling on all fours, his body twisted in an unnatural position. His back was facing the ground and his abdomen was pointed towards the ceiling of the hallway. His head had rotated 180 degrees on his neck, the hollow eyes fixed on Xia Chi in front, while his hands and feet quickly scuttled along the floor in a dark, eerie crawl.

His blood-red mouth was grinning as he continued sobbed, “Wuuuu, will you help me, kind classmate? Help me, please? Become my material? Wuuuu, help me. If I can’t finish my graduation project, I’ll die.”

Xia Chi used all his strength to run: “…”

‘If I say yes, I’ll be the one who dies!!!’

‘President Sun!’

‘Didn’t you say this game was only mild horror?’

‘Come take a look yourself, this is far from mild horror!’

‘Help, please!’

‘Brother, brother, brother, save me!’

“Ahhh!!!” Xia Chi ran wildly down the dark hallway, “Brother, help me!”

As he passed by a classroom, a hand suddenly shot out from inside. Before Xia Chi could react, the hand had already grabbed him and yanked him into the classroom.

The room was dark. As soon as he was pulled inside, the door slammed shut with a loud “bang.”

A hand came over his mouth and pressed him tightly against the wall.

“Shhh…”

The person leaned close to his ear and whispered softly.

Xia Chi’s eyes widened, staring straight ahead.

In the darkness, he could only make out a vague silhouette. The person’s height was about the same as his, but those starry, bright eyes were exceptionally clear in the dark.

Xia Chi’s pupils slowly dilated, and he stared intently at the person in front of him.

Outside, Li Mi’s twisted, crying voice could still be heard: “Where did you go? Didn’t you say you’d help me? Come out, come out and help me.”

“Wuuuu, wuuuu.”

The classroom door suddenly shook with a heavy thud, followed by the eerie sound of scraping on the other side.

“Scratch!

“Scratch!”

“Scratch!”

“Are you in there? Come out!”

Xia Chi stayed completely still, his eyes locked on the person in front of him.

After scratching at the door frame for a while, Li Mi eventually left. The sound of his crying and crawling grew fainter and fainter until it disappeared completely.

The person let go of Xia Chi’s mouth, and in the dark, Xia Chi heard him say, “Alright, it’s safe now.”

The voice was clear and crisp, like the sound of a spring flowing through a bamboo forest—elegant and pleasant to the ear.

“Brother!” Xia Chi quickly pressed the switch on the wall, and the classroom lit up, revealing the person standing before him.

The young man was wearing a simple sweatshirt, and above his perfect and smooth jawline were stunningly handsome features.

A slight smile played at the corners of his eyes. He crossed his arms and leaned lazily against the wall. “You’re that excited to see me?”

“Ahhh!” Xia Chi let out a louder scream than when he’d seen Li Mi. He waved his arms frantically, then threw himself into Bai Lixin’s arms. “Brother, Brother, Brother, it’s really you! Ahhh, you’re back! You really came back! Ahhh, I want to cry!! I’m so damn happy!”

Xia Chi babbled incoherently, shouting with excitement.

Bai Lixin allowed Xia Chi to hug him tightly, but glanced helplessly at Li Mi, who had returned and was hanging upside down in the window frame of the door with his head twisted in an unnatural position.

“Hehe, I found you.”

“Wuuu, why are you hiding from me?”

“Wuuu, my graduation project, will you help me?”

Xia Chi snapped back to reality. In the next second, he skillfully hid behind Bai Lixin, just like he had countless times before in the horror game.

The moment Bai Lixin’s tall and straight shoulders shielded him, Xia Chi felt a lump rise in his throat.

Only now did he truly realize that Bai Lixin had returned.

The door rattled so violently that the dust on the door frame fell, and the door swayed as if it would collapse at any moment. This time, Li Mi didn’t leave. He kept crying and pounding on the doorframe over and over again, desperate to enter the classroom.

Xia Chi suddenly widened his eyes.

He watched as Bai Lixin stood up, walked to the door, and unlocked it.

Xia Chi never expected Bai Lixin to do that, and apparently, neither did poor Li Mi.

There was a heavy thud outside, and Li Mi fell to the ground.

Xia Chi mustered up the courage to glance over. Li Mi was on all fours, his head twisted awkwardly onto his back, having landed flat on his face.

Xis Chi: “…”

‘It was a bit terrifying, but also a bit funny. What was going on?’

Despite the fall, Li Mi was incredibly flexible. After twisting his limbs a few times, he quickly sprang up from the ground with a “whoosh”.

Grabbing the doorframe, he squeezed into the room. Even after all that running, he still held tightly to the utility knife and the severed arm. Large, clear tears poured from his hollow black eye sockets. “Wuuu, I won’t finish my graduation project. My professor will kill me, wuuu. I don’t want to delay my graduation. I want to graduate.”

“I’m out of materials. What am I going to do about my graduation project? Wuuuu.”

Xia Chi: “…”

He was crying so pitifully, but Xia Chi didn’t feel the slightest bit of sympathy.

This was too scary. This wasn’t poor Li Mi; this was terrifying Li Mi.

He silently took two steps back.

“Why didn’t you prepare enough materials for your own graduation project?” Bai Lixin immediately threw the question at Li Mi with a sharp retort.

Big tears continued to gush from Li Mi’s eye sockets. “I did prepare. I even prepared two sets of materials. But they destroyed my materials, wuuuu.”

Bai Lixin: “Who are they?”

Li Mi: “They’re my friends, wuuuu, but they didn’t mean to. They just thought it was fun and accidentally ruined them. They even apologized to me.”

“Those aren’t friends at all,” Xia Chi retorted from the corner where he was hiding. “They knew how important your graduation project was, but still thought it was fun to destroy your important materials. You shouldn’t be asking us for help, you should go straight to those friends! Make them replace it!”

Li Mi’s crying quieted a bit. He nervously scraped at the utility knife in his hand. “But I… feel embarrassed to ask. Can you help me?”

[Ding! Player has received a side task—Li Mi’s Request 1.]

[Please assist Li Mi in retrieving his graduation materials from his friends. Upon completion, players will receive mall points and performance points.]

[Refusing or failing the task may result in failure of the main task. Please choose carefully.]

[Accept/Decline]

A prompt suddenly popped up in front of Xia Chi’s eyes.

He knew with his toes what Bai Lixin would choose, so Xia Chi decisively pressed [Accept].

Then he saw Li Mi stretch his crimson lips into a smile at him. The mouth which was already reaching his ears stretched even further, almost pulling to the corners of his eyes, taking up half of his face. “Thank you. You’re such a kind person.”

Xia Chi shivered and looked at Bai Lixin in confusion. “Brother, why is he only smiling at me?”

Bai Lixin: “Did you receive a side task or something?”

“Yes,” Xia Chi realized something was off. “Wait, don’t tell me you didn’t?”

Bai Lixin shrugged slightly. “Maybe I’m not as lucky as you.”

Xia Chi: “…”

‘Can I give this luck to you instead?’

Li Mi waved to Xia Chi with a creepy smile. “Kind and good person, let’s go quickly.”

Xia Chi: “…”

His legs felt incredibly heavy.

Luckily, with Bai Lixin by his side, Xia Chi’s courage gradually grew.

He stayed far away from Li Mi, who was crawling and twisting on the ground ahead, and wished he could hang his entire body onto Bai Lixin.

To distract himself, he started making conversation.

“Sun Ning’s game design is really immersive,” he forced a laugh. “For a second, I felt like I was back in the horror game.”

Bai Lixin: “It’s indeed excellent. I heard she developed this game, so I was quite interested and joined as soon as it launched.”

“Brother, where have you been these past few years? We all died in that final game back then. What happened afterward? How did we all return to the real world? You must have saved us, didn’t you?”

Bai Lixin: “I’ve actually been here the whole time, but you just couldn’t see me.”

Xia Chi suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Bai Lixin turned to look back in confusion and saw Xia Chi’s eyes well up with tears.

“Brother,” Xia Chi’s voice choked with sobs, “don’t worry, even if you’ve turned into a ghost, I won’t be afraid of you. Why are you so foolish, sacrificing yourself to save us? Brother, I’m such a terrible person. You’ve been by my side all this time, but I forgot you even existed. It must have been so lonely, watching us live our lives and study all these years. Brother, Brother, Brother!”

“……” Bai Lixin pointed to his feet. “I have a shadow.”

Xia Chi’s crying came to an abrupt halt.

Bai Lixin then pointed to his eyes. “I’m a player.”

Xia Chi: ?

Bai Lixin: “A player with a human identity.”

Xia Chi: …Oh.

Bai Lixin added in a serious tone, “Please don’t curse me to death, thank you. You’re crying over the wrong grave, Xia Chi.”

Xia Chi: …… I’m sorry!