Led by He Xiaofei, the members of the Explorers’ Association headed toward the old part of the campus, and because of the presence of Lin Tian, Xiao Manxuan and the others, they drew a lot of attention.

After the last duel between the two big clubs, even Qiao Xiaoyi had become something of a celebrity, not to mention hotspot figures like Xiao Manxuan and Lin Tian.

Lin Tian and his group arrived in front of the construction site. This time they definitely couldn’t cut through it, because the club had already applied to the school. On the other side, the school had temporarily opened the fence so they could circle in from the back, thus avoiding the construction area.

After going around to the back and just as they were about to go in, more than a dozen people came over from the other side as well. With one glance, Lin Tian saw Wu Xiuluo walking in front.

The First school beauty drew attention wherever she went. Even though she was only wearing simple casual clothes, her beauty still couldn’t be concealed. Her beauty was very special—empty and tranquil, like a lotus in the water, something to be admired from afar but not to be profaned.

Right beside her was Ning Wenbin. This guy usually looked jumpy and unreliable, but at Wu Xiuluo’s side he’d rarely become serious. Still, you could see the excitement and agitation in his eyes; this was probably the first time he’d ever walked so close to Wu Xiuluo.

Both groups noticed each other. Wu Xiuluo was clearly surprised when she saw Lin Tian and Xiao Manxuan; she obviously hadn’t expected the two of them to show up. But she quickly returned to her tranquil expression.

"Lin Tian, Xuanxuan, I didn’t expect you two would come to this place as well." Wu Xiuluo revealed a gentle smile and greeted the two of them.

"Sister Xiuluo, I didn’t expect you’d come in person either. This is the Mysterious Society, right?" Xiao Manxuan tilted her head slightly and glanced at the classmates behind her.

"I’ve just taken office, so this is an important organizational activity." Wu Xiuluo said. But as she spoke, she saw amusement flash in Lin Tian’s eyes, and she immediately knew Lin Tian didn’t believe a word of it.

Even so, she didn’t bother to explain, only said calmly, "You go in first."

Lin Tian’s side couldn’t be bothered with polite back-and-forth and walked straight into the old area. Because they’d gone around in a circle, they entered directly at the back, right by the few old buildings that hadn’t been demolished.

Even though the construction site was not far away and the work there was in full swing, this place felt like a different world—eerily quiet, as if even the sounds coming from the construction site had become distant.

All the students who came in shivered in unison, as if even the sun overhead couldn’t dispel that faint, almost imperceptible chill. It wasn’t that they were scared; it was instinct. A biological instinct told them that this environment was very uncomfortable.

Lin Tian turned slightly and looked back, just in time to meet Wu Xiuluo’s gaze. Their eyes met for a moment, and both of them sensed the confusion in the other.

"Hmph, flirting with the First school beauty—sure enough, you’re eating from one bowl while eyeing the pot." An annoying voice sounded.

Lin Tian turned his head and saw Zhao Weitao, his face full of envy, jealousy, and hatred. Clearly what he said and what he thought were two different things. He was jealous that Lin Tian not only had a close relationship with Xiao Manxuan, but also wasn’t on bad terms with the First school beauty, Wu Xiuluo.

"Idiot." Lin Tian couldn’t be bothered to explain anything and just tossed out a couple of words. That faint contempt made Zhao Weitao seethe with rage, but right now he had no way to deal with Lin Tian.

Just you wait, don’t let me find a chance, or I’ll make your life hell! Zhao Weitao thought viciously.

But at this moment no one was paying attention to him. After the sponsorship incident last time, his prestige in the club was far inferior to He Xiaofei’s. At the moment, all the members were gathered around He Xiaofei.

"Classmates, we’ll start filming and recording in a bit. I have a few requirements. First, don’t go to the construction site. Second, these old buildings have basements—don’t go wandering around there. Third, if you find any cracked sections in the old buildings, report it immediately and stay away from danger."

"I hope you all remember what I’ve said." He Xiaofei swept her gaze over the members one by one, emphasizing it again.

The students all nodded to show they understood, but at that moment a discordant voice rang out: "We’re the Explorers’ Association—this is not allowed, that is not allowed, how do we still deserve to be called explorers? Might as well stay holed up in the dorms. If you don’t have the guts, then don’t be the person in charge of this event."

Everyone turned and saw that it was Zhao Weitao, the head of the External Liaison Department, speaking.

Having successfully drawn everyone’s attention, Zhao Weitao continued, "We’ll be organizing more exploration activities in the future. If we’re this cautious and timid even on campus, how are we supposed to carry out bigger events later? How are we supposed to conquer greater natural barriers?"

"The mountaineering team from the school next door lost contact with one person while climbing Mount Everest, but did they ever show this kind of cowardice? An explorer should have a heart that craves adventure." Zhao Weitao spoke like an orator, vigorously promoting his viewpoint.

His speech got a response from a few people who agreed with him.

He Xiaofei turned to look at him and said in a deep voice, "If the person who went missing was a member of your family, would you still be talking like this?"

Zhao Weitao was instantly at a loss for words. If it were his family, there’s no way he could say that. People who say things like that are always those who feel no pain standing and watching.

He Xiaofei cut him off with one line and, without pausing, continued, "For this event, if you don’t want to follow the rules, you can leave right now. No need to participate any further."

"Ha, that’s ridiculous. This place isn’t your family’s property. You say leave and we’re supposed to leave?" Zhao Weitao said mockingly.

"I’m the one who applied for this event with the school. If you have a problem, go talk to the principal." He Xiaofei refused to back down. Zhao Weitao was purely stirring trouble; if you gave him an inch, he’d only get more arrogant.

"Brother Zhao, forget it. If this blows up to the principal, it’ll look really bad." A club member came up and lowered his voice.

"Hmph!" Zhao Weitao snorted coldly and walked off to the side with that student. He didn’t actually want this to escalate to the principal either, but he still refused to accept He Xiaofei. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

He Xiaofei waved her hand, telling the team leaders to take their members and move out. She no longer paid any attention to Zhao Weitao. The people from the Mysterious Society, having watched the show, also spread out in small groups.

"Lin Tian, I made you watch a joke." When the others had all left, He Xiaofei said, a little embarrassed.

"It’s fine. It’s not like Zhao Weitao has only just started going against us. Everyone knows what his deal is. Go do your thing, don’t worry about the two of us." Lin Tian said casually.

He Xiaofei nodded and went off to supervise the team leaders. Once she’d left as well, Xiao Manxuan laughed and said, "You sent Sister Xiaofei away too. Don’t tell me you’re planning to go into the basement again?"

"You know me best, Second Miss. Not only am I going into the basement, I’m going to check out that underground passage too." Lin Tian said with a smile.

"You’re breaking Sister Xiaofei’s rules." Xiao Manxuan said helplessly.

"That’s why I sent her away, so she wouldn’t be put in a difficult spot. Besides, the more people we bring, the greater the danger. I can’t be sure what’s down there, and at a critical moment I can only go all out to protect you." Lin Tian said honestly.