Shen Mo drove along, continuing to circle the city of Hangzhou. After a long loop, they encountered a few more residents.
The information they gathered was largely the same as what they'd initially learned from Fei Ge's group.
In short, the people who hadn't been rescued had nowhere to go, so they remained in the city. The food and water here could temporarily sustain them, as long as they were careful enough to avoid the game areas when gathering supplies.
However, no one knew how long this precarious existence could last.
Seeing that it was almost noon, Shen Mo chose a shady spot, parked the car, and prepared for lunch.
Bai Youwei reminded him again: "My loquats."
Shen, the designated grocery shopper, Mo: "…"
"It's fine, it's fine. You go pick loquats for Weiwei. I'll cook," Teacher Cheng said, expertly starting a fire and setting up the pot. He then muttered, "Aren't loquats supposed to ripen in May and June? How are there still some in August…?"
Bai Youwei said with a grin, "The dolls first appeared in May. Maybe time has stopped, and we just don't know it?"
Shen Mo glanced at her: "The lotus seeds you ate ripen in July and August."
"Then it's related to the fog?" Bai Youwei casually guessed. "There's no fog near Taihu Lake, so time is normal there."
These speculations couldn't be verified and were just idle chatter.
Shen Mo picked up his backpack and left.
He left quickly and returned quickly. When he reappeared before Bai Youwei, his bag was filled with golden loquats.
The meal was also ready.
Steamed rice, mung bean soup, sweet pumpkin, roasted sausage, and a dish of pickled cucumbers that Teacher Cheng had whipped up.
It was a simple, unpretentious meal, but the vibrant colors were appealing. A small table was set up under the shade of a large tree, and as they sat in a circle, they inexplicably felt a sense of home, their appetites stimulated.
"Oh, Old Cheng, this mung bean soup you made is so good~" Tan Xiao praised while drinking. "It's cool and refreshing even without being chilled."
Cheng Wei Cai smiled: "Weiwei put mint leaves in it."
Tan Xiao turned to look at Bai Youwei: "Weiwei, can you cook too?"
"No," Bai Youwei said calmly, picking up a piece of soft, glutinous pumpkin. "But for intelligent people, everything clicks easily. Nothing is difficult."
Tan Xiao thought for a moment, then moved closer with her bowl, humbly asking for advice: "Is there any way to become smarter?"
Bai Youwei: "Read more, use your brain more."
"No way, my head hurts as soon as I read!"
"Heh, then you're hopeless."
"Isn't there… a way to become smarter without using your brain?"
"There is."
Tan Xiao's eyes widened, and she leaned in closer: "What is it?"
Bai Youwei pointed her chopsticks towards the fog in the city center: "Enter the maze. The maze can improve a person's physical qualities. Maybe it can boost your IQ."
Tan Xiao pondered for a while. "Now that you mention it… after entering the maze last time, my memory seems to have improved a little."
"Yeah, I have that feeling too…" Teacher Cheng hesitated. "I thought it was because my body became younger, so my memory improved as well."
Shen Mo looked at them and said, "The maze's enhancement of our bodies doesn't seem to be balanced. For me, the biggest change is in strength, then speed, jumping ability, reflexes, endurance… My thinking has probably improved too, but not significantly."
Bai Youwei summarized: "This proves that growing a brain is much harder than growing muscles."
Shen Mo: "…"
Why did that sound like an insult?
On the other side, Teacher Cheng sighed: "In that case, it's good to take that child into the maze once. Even without props in the future, he'll have the ability to be self-reliant."
"Not quite~" Bai Youwei wagged a finger. "Teacher Cheng, I'm not taking him into the maze out of kindness. I really want him to join us."