Electric Currents and Lingering Shadows

"Zhang Hao, are you out of your mind?"

Yang Zitian scoffed at Zhang Hao's obvious fear of Chen Yang. What was there to be afraid of—a sissy, after all? Ridiculous.

Lin Fan's lips curled into a faint smile as he gently patted Zhang Hao's shoulder before returning to his seat.

"Zhang Hao, what exactly happened between you and Chen Yang?" Yang asked.

Zhang Hao hesitated, unwilling to recount the terrifying events of the morning. Was this still the Chen Yang he once knew? Had he been possessed by some alien force?

First period. Chinese class.

Their teacher was also the homeroom teacher—a middle-aged woman who appeared capable but was secretly timid. She often pretended to be stern, wielding the authority of her position to intimidate students.

Only those seated at the back knew her true nature: all bark, no bite. She frequently summoned them to her office, pleading gently—not demanding academic excellence, but simply begging them not to cause trouble during class.

Li Xue had already returned and was sitting next to Lin Fan, her head bowed low. The invisible boundary line between their desks had long since flipped; she resembled an ostrich, too scared even to breathe audibly.

Occasionally, Lin Fan smiled at her kindly, but even that sent her trembling, her pale face drained of any color.

Standing at the podium, the teacher held her book and adjusted her thick glasses. "Chen Yang, recite this text."

Lin Fan stood. "Sorry, teacher. I didn't memorize it."

The teacher blinked, stunned. In her mind, Chen Yang was a model student—just a bit timid in personality, but otherwise flawless.

Hearing such a reply for the first time left her confused.

"Very well. Sit down."

"Thank you." Lin Fan sat upright, eyes locked on the teacher, calm yet chilling.

The teacher was accustomed to being watched by students, but now she felt a tingling numbness all over.

There was no choice.

She grit her teeth and endured until the bell rang.

"Class dismissed."

Gathering her things hastily, the teacher left, her first time feeling deeply unsettled by a student's gaze.

Lin Fan remained seated, lost in thought.

He liked life in Qing Shan asylum—there, at least, he had someone to talk to.

Here, he had found no one.

Watching classmates run and chatter about strange topics felt like a waste of time.

He moved to the back of the classroom and crouched by the wall, staring at the outlet embedded there—identical to the ones at Qing Shan.

Two holes.

Pitch black.

Nothing visible inside.

"Chen Yang, are you crazy? You've been staring at that thing forever. What's so fascinating about an outlet? Don't you dare stick your finger in there! That'll kill you," a classmate warned.

Lin Fan replied calmly, "Electric current can stimulate the human body. Once you get used to it, it means you're becoming stronger. And I can tell you, this level of current won't kill anyone."

"Nuts! Talk is cheap—why don't you show me?"

"Fine." Lin Fan pulled out a key and inserted it into the outlet. (Dangerous behavior—do not imitate, kids!)

Nearby students watched in awe. Someone patted Lin Fan on the shoulder, and after a brief exchange, turned back to watch him—still crouched in place.

"Forget it. You play with your little toys. You're nuts."

The hand fell on Lin Fan's shoulder.

A sudden crackling buzz—

Electricity surged through.

The classmate erupted into wild spasms, flailing theatrically.

"Holy crap! Gu Junjie, what kind of dance is that? You're too cool!"

"I'm talking to you."

Another student nudged Gu Junjie.

The moment they touched him, a relentless current clung like a desperate child to its father.

"Lalalala!"

Gu Junjie rolled his eyes and stuck out his tongue.

The classroom erupted into laughter. Those who were chatting at the front couldn't help but laugh at the back where their classmates were acting like lunatics. Some with a knack for dance even joined the impromptu chaos.

A round-faced, plump girl began performing a folk dance, her neck swaying fluidly as she approached the electrified boy and bumped her hips against him.

Crackle, crackle...

She convulsed wildly, her head shaking violently.

Meanwhile, Lin Fan remained focused, studying the effect of electric stimulation on the human body.

"Strange."

"The effect seems weak."

"Could it be that my frequent experiments have lessened the impact?"

His expression darkened with serious thought.

At last, the theories he and Old Zhang had devised were proven true—science validated by persistence.

He longed to share these results with Old Zhang.

But the thought of being trapped in this dull, unfamiliar place filled him with loneliness and longing.

When would he be able to return home?

Lin Fan withdrew the key, secured it to his keychain, and pocketed it.

He carefully reinstalled the outlet cover.

Just as he rose to return to his seat—

He noticed something strange.

Several students lay sprawled on the floor—some with singed hair, others foaming at the mouth, and some twitching inexplicably.

"Odd."

Lin Fan scratched his head, unable to comprehend these so-called normal people. Even the severely mentally ill in Qing Shan knew to lie on beds when they slept.

But here, they lay on the cold floor.

"Studying is truly taxing on the brain," he mused.

Wanting to fit in, not stand out, he decided to go to the restroom—his bladder was full to bursting.

Second period: Math class.

The math teacher was a vain young man who spent each day fussing over his sleek hairstyle.

One word:

Damn handsome.

The school's most dazzling figure and its most charming male teacher.

Women from sixty to fifteen alike found his charm irresistible.

Click clack.

Footsteps approached.

A figure appeared at the classroom door.

"Dear students, next up is your favorite—math class!" the teacher said, smiling as he struck what he believed to be his most handsome pose. But then, a blood-curdling scream tore through the room.

"Ahhh!"

"Someone's dying! Help! Oh my god!"

In an instant, the quiet teaching building was filled with heart-wrenching screams.

After some time passed—

Lin Fan touched his bladder, then his bowels, feeling remarkably relieved. Not only had he emptied his bladder, but he had also expelled some internal blockages.

His spirit was clear, his body light.

Clearly, the electric stimulation method was useful for expelling toxins.

As he walked back to class, he heard a chorus of sirens.

"Beep beep beep!"

One ambulance after another flashed their sacred lights as they sped out the school gates.

Lin Fan quietly watched from the fourth floor, scratching his head.

What a terrifying school.

(End of Chapter)