Everyone talked over each other, on the verge of arguing.

Bai Youwei quietly observed the bespectacled man, seeing annoyance and contempt flash between his brows. Presumably this person was also helpless—to survive, he had no choice but to rely on this group of vulgar, selfish humans.

Bai Youwei turned her face to give Shen Mo a look, as if saying: See, I told you this group was unreliable.

Shen Mo smiled faintly without comment.

The so-called planning meeting gradually changed flavor. At first it was discussion, but later became a group of people blaming each other. If not for the bespectacled man occasionally stepping in to mediate, they’d probably really start fighting.

Just then, the room suddenly went dark!

The timid ones screamed first.

Then someone cursed: “What are you screaming for! Just a blown fuse, don’t scare yourself!”

After a moment, their eyes adjusted to the darkness. Everyone fumbled their way out of the restaurant in confusion. The bespectacled man called two people to check the circuit breaker with him.

Without electricity, everyone waited outside with nothing to do.

Bai Youwei raised her head, looking at the moon and stars in the sky. The vast firmament shrouded the earth, clear and boundless. The people beneath the night seemed especially small.

The darkness seemed to contain mysterious power. Gazing too long always made one’s heart palpitate.

The crowd stirred.

The returning bespectacled man told everyone the circuit breaker was fine—the entire service area had lost power. Perhaps soon the water would cut off too.

The atmosphere immediately became heavy and oppressive.

Bai Youwei thought these people were truly beyond help. Apart from the bespectacled man, not one had any backbone.

“I say…” an old man in the crowd hesitantly spoke up. “How about everyone tries to figure out a way to leave?”

Someone nearby said: “Teacher Cheng, haven’t we been trying to figure out a way to leave all along? What you’re saying is basically nonsense.”

The old man called Teacher Cheng was around sixty, graying at the temples, his thin body wearing an old-fashioned coarse cloth shirt, his spine slightly hunched—looking quite unremarkable.

After being mocked, his old face turned sauce-red as he stammered: “What I mean is… without driving, just… just walk. We’re trapped here precisely because the road is blocked and cars can’t get through, aren’t we?”

The old man gestured with his hands. “We could go in pairs, one group leaving every 10 minutes. That way we could largely avoid turning into dolls…”

“Teacher Cheng, please stop causing trouble. How can we walk without driving? So many of us, families with children, so much luggage—you want us to walk to Yangzhou on just two legs?”

“Right, your armchair strategizing won’t work.”

Everyone chimed in one after another, complaints rising higher and higher, as if venting their frustration about the power outage on the old man as well.

The bespectacled man remained silent in the crowd. Facing the old man’s pleading gaze, he chose to ignore it. Perhaps he thought the old man’s words made sense, but at a time like this, what obligation did he have to help others shoulder the anger?

Survival pressure had accumulated for too long. Someone had to become the group’s outlet.

Bai Youwei didn’t want to wade into muddy waters. She silently mouthed to Shen Mo: “Let’s go.”

Shen Mo stood unmoving.

She tugged at him lightly again, but he walked forward two steps and said to the complaining crowd: “Everyone, quiet down…”

Bai Youwei immediately wanted to roll her eyes!

Everyone looked over.

She and Shen Mo suddenly became the focus of attention. It felt like being stared at by a group of starving ghosts—quite frightening.

But Shen Mo didn’t even move an eyebrow.

He said calmly: “It seems a car is coming.”

People fell silent.

Once the talking stopped, various sounds in the air became especially clear.

A faint rumbling approached from far away. At first like wind, then as it drew near, the sound of wheels grinding pavement became distinct and clear.

Finally, a large vehicle drove into the service area through the darkness, its bright headlights shining directly on everyone—

Braking.

Stopping.

Several agile young men jumped down from the vehicle. One of them whistled and said: “Hey, what’s going on? Why is everyone standing outside?”