Teacher Cheng couldn’t help but say, “While stepped reduction fits the game’s fairness, if there aren’t enough people, wouldn’t this pattern be disrupted? …For example, if only one person clears the maze the first time, do all five puzzle pieces go to that one person?”
Bai Youwei thought for a while and gently shook her head. “Not very likely. These two mazes give me the feeling they must require team cooperation to pass. When looking in mirrors, without companions to remind you, it’s easy to fall victim. And that maze just now—without someone to cooperate in luring away the gluttonous snake, we’d have difficulty coming out smoothly too.”
“Even if clearance numbers are lower than puzzle quantities, it’s not a big problem.” Shen Mo said. “Don’t forget, when we exited the maze there was also a sequence number. If the system wants to maintain fairness principles, it can completely distribute according to order. Like this time, five of us passed through the maze, but only the person ranked first received a puzzle.”
Bai Youwei added, “Not just our exit order having sequence numbers—the mazes themselves have numbers too. Number 2, Number 7… could there be special significance?”
Tan Xiao’s head hurt listening. He made a fuss, calling out a couple times. “What do we do now? We originally came to Hangzhou to collect puzzles, but the system only gave one piece. What now?”
Pan Xiaoxin knew puzzle pieces were very important. Hearing them discuss this, he couldn’t help but look down at the puzzle piece in his hand.
He’d gotten the puzzle piece because Tan Xiao had pushed him into the exit first.
This puzzle piece should have belonged to everyone.
Pan Xiaoxin raised his head, looking hesitantly at the adults before him. “This puzzle piece… who should get it?”
Bai Youwei was in a bad mood, lazily glancing at him. “You keep it yourself.”
“Ah?” Pan Xiaoxin’s eyes widened in surprise, unable to believe it. “This, this… can I really have it?”
However, Bai Youwei completely ignored him.
Bai Youwei pulled Shen Mo’s hand to complain, “Those five people you mentioned must be the second batch to clear the maze. If not for them, we could have gotten at least three puzzle pieces this time! So annoying!”
Tan Xiao also got fired up. “Brother Mo, what do we do? If they keep staying ahead of us, won’t we always be picking up leftovers?”
“But how did they determine the maze locations?” Teacher Cheng pondered. “Other cities definitely still have mazes. We don’t necessarily have to follow the same route as them…”
Pan Xiaoxin: “…”
Forgotten in the corner, the child nobody asked watched them.
“Right.” Tan Xiao remembered. “Brother Mo, someone’s going to rob us.”
Shen Mo frowned imperceptibly. “Rob us?”
This topic jump was rather large.
“Xiaoxin said so.” Tan Xiao looked at Pan Xiaoxin. “Right? Just before coming out, you said something like that, didn’t you?”
Everyone looked at Pan Xiaoxin.
Having been ignored, he’d hoped they’d pay him a little attention. Now receiving attention, Pan Xiaoxin felt extraordinarily constrained.
He kept a straight little face and nodded, somewhat nervous and uneasy, carefully observing Shen Mo’s expression.
Like a student turning in an exam secretly glancing at the proctor.
Shen Mo’s expression was mild as he asked, “Is it that group with Brother Fei?”
Pan Xiaoxin pressed his lips together and nodded again.
Shen Mo asked, “How do you contact them?”
“…” Pan Xiaoxin touched his neck. “With this… a whistle. They bought guns and bullets from someone surnamed Yan. They told me to blow the whistle when I came out, then they’d come over and shoot at you… then rob your items…”
His voice grew smaller and smaller. By the end, his chin was nearly touching his chest, not daring to raise his head.
“Damn! Vicious enough!” Tan Xiao couldn’t help but curse. “Brother Mo, we need to teach these people a lesson!”
“No rush about teaching lessons…” Bai Youwei lazily glanced at Pan Xiaoxin. “But I’m guessing they’ve stored a lot of gasoline, right, Xiaoxin?”
Pan Xiaoxin shuddered.
…