Bai Youwei fixed him with a look of contemptuous distaste, and said coldly, hugging her rabbit: “Let’s go!”

— She had retrieved the rabbit just now when going back to the doll house to fetch Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin. Except for charging sessions, she normally kept it with her at all times.

Teacher Cheng pushed the wheelchair toward the exit; Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin fell in behind.

As they walked past Li Li, who was still collapsed on the floor, all three let out sighs, one after another.

Teacher Cheng: “Confucius said — one who cannot keep his word, I know not what he is good for. Xiao Li, we came with you because we trusted you. But you… alas, take care of yourself from here on.”

Tan Xiao: “I never thought you were this kind of person! Hmph, I look down on you!”

Pan Xiaoxin: “You…”

On second thought, a child probably shouldn’t be cutting into adult matters. Pan Xiaoxin followed along behind Tan Xiao and left.

……

Security personnel gradually converged around them, looking first at the group walking away in the distance, then at Li Li on the ground.

One person crouched down to check Li Li’s breathing.

Li Li was fine.

Having come through two sessions of the maze, plus Bai Youwei showing mercy, the degree of that shock was nothing more than deeply unpleasant — it posed no threat to his life.

“Organization leader, those people just now…”

“I saw.” Yu Yaqing raised a hand. “That must have been an item — first time I’ve seen one that releases lightning, and it appears to be reusable. No wonder the professor invited those people.”

“Ah… so, have we, uh — made enemies of them?”

“You’re afraid of them?” Yu Yaqing turned a displeased look on the subordinate, and delivered a sharp reprimand: “Foolish! Items only cause people to develop an endless dependence on them! What we must ultimately rely on is ourselves! Not items handed down to us by that wretched game! All of you — double the training load tonight!”

She raised her arm and clenched her fist hard. “Remember! Never grow complacent! What we can rely on is always and only ourselves!”

The subordinates answered in unison: “Yes, organization leader!”

……

On the other side, Yan Qingwen brought Su Man back to Kangding Road.

Although they had no items with healing abilities, they kept a regular supply of medicine — for pain relief, anti-inflammation, detoxification, and bruising, they had it all covered.

— They cut open the swollen skin to drain the clotted blood, applied medication, and re-bandaged the hand.

Yan Qingwen put a splint on Su Man’s hand.

An injury like this to tendons and bone would normally take at least two months to heal. For someone who had been through the maze, two weeks at most.

Once the wound was dressed, Yan Qingwen said to Su Man: “This organization has good intentions at its heart — but it’s only been built up for a short time, and isn’t yet stable enough to last for very long. Perhaps it will grow more and more complete in time; perhaps it will also grow… worse and worse. I know you and Li Li are childhood sweethearts who have never been apart, but I still have to suggest you think it over carefully — whether you’re able to leave the organization.”

Su Man lowered her head and said quietly: “Brother Yan, I’m going to join the organization, and not just because of Li Li. My family has all moved here — I have to stay and look after them.”

Yan Qingwen thought for a moment and nodded. “In that case, there’s nothing more to be said. Family is of course what matters most.”

Lu Ang heaved a sigh. “Haih… all this running around never bothered me before. Now that I want to go home, I don’t even know where my father and mother are.”

He turned his head toward Zhu Shu and asked, “What about your family — are they okay with you following us around like this?”

“My parents are both abroad.” Zhu Shu gave a faint smile. “Even if I wanted to go find them, there’s no way to get there.”

Su Man couldn’t help saying: “Are all of you really leaving? Brother Yan, you have ties with the Li family — why not stay? The whole world is in the same terrible shape right now. No matter how imperfect this place is, it’s still far better than living day to day out there, never knowing what tomorrow brings.”

Yan Qingwen was silent for a moment, then said something that seemed completely unrelated: “Today, at the exchange post, Bai Youwei was using items to trade for used puzzle pieces.”

—