Shen Mo inquired about everyone’s opinions as much as possible.

He knew well that getting everyone involved could improve cohesion and also allowed him to constantly grasp each person’s state. This was essentially the same method as training his former team members, with only minor differences in approach.

Old Teacher Cheng said: “Mazes are generally divided into single mazes and complex mazes. The walking methods can also be divided into two types—one is walking from outside to inside, the other is walking from inside to outside. We now seem to be located in the maze’s central area. If this is the maze’s starting position, then the endpoint should be at the maze’s outer edges.”

Tan Xiao also very rarely spoke seriously: “I have experience walking mazes. As long as you master three steps, you can get out of even the most complex maze—

First, after entering the maze, randomly choose a path and keep walking forward;

Second, if you encounter a dead end that can’t be passed, immediately return and mark that intersection;

Third, if you encounter a fork in the path, choose a passage you haven’t walked. If you’ve walked them all, return along the original path and mark the original fork.

Keep repeating the second and third steps until you find the exit.”

After finishing, he touched his nose and said even more quietly: “I searched for maze strategies on game forums. Using this, I cleared Final Fantasy’s Crystal Tower, Tales of Destiny’s Poker Maze, and Trails in the Sky’s Tetracyclic Towers…”

Shen Mo, who never played games: “What are those?”

Bai Youwei giggled: “RPG games from a hundred years ago.”

Tan Xiao gave Bai Youwei an appreciative look!

“…” Shen Mo was speechless. He withdrew his gaze and looked down at Bai Youwei. “What about you? What are your thoughts on this place?”

“My thoughts…”

Bai Youwei propped her chin in thought.

“I want…” She slowly began, “…to eat a barbecue meal first.”

Shen Mo: “Are you serious?”

Bai Youwei looked completely innocent: “Is it wrong that I want to eat something different after days of instant noodles and plain congee?”

Tan Xiao quickly said: “There was a Korean barbecue restaurant on the road we came from! The freezer in the shop definitely has meat!”

Old Teacher Cheng said: “Since the maze is this large, we won’t be able to get out anytime soon. We really should collect supplies first. Clothing, food, housing, and transportation—we need quite a lot of things…”

Shen Mo: “…”

Inexplicably felt like he’d been demoted.

From an expedition leader to a tour group guide.

…

Two hours later.

Premium snowflake beef and pork shoulder were sizzling with oil on the grill, with uncooked pork belly, tender beef tongue, squid tentacles, chicken wings, bacon, tendon, onions, potatoes, and enoki mushrooms arranged nearby…

Shen Mo sat amidst the busy atmosphere of cooking, feeling completely out of place.

“What are you daydreaming about?” Bai Youwei bit into a piece of chicken cartilage, crunching happily.

Shen Mo maintained vigilance watching the surroundings and said flatly: “No appetite. You all eat.”

Bai Youwei: “You don’t have to eat, but you can grill.”

Shen Mo: “…”

She stuffed a plate of beef spine into his hands: “Here, grill this.”

Shen Mo was silent for a moment, sighed inwardly, picked up the tongs, and also joined the grilling team.

The grill sizzled with oil, the barbecue gave off a steaming fragrance.

Tan Xiao ate until sweat poured from his head, then picked up the ice-cold beer beside him and gulped it down. It had been so long since he’d been this satisfied.

He bit into a piece of pork belly and said unclearly: “Us eating like this… isn’t it a bit, inappropriate?”

Shen Mo transferred the grilled meat into Bai Youwei’s plate, thinking: So you guys do know it’s inappropriate.

“Eat more.” Bai Youwei said. “Only when you’re full can you work properly.”

Shen Mo looked up at her.

Bai Youwei ate methodically and said: “Actually, I have an idea…”