Old Mo steered the escape boat forward at breakneck speed. The typhoon was now far behind them. The dark clouds overhead gradually dispersed, and the sky became a clear, deep blue, as if it had been washed clean. The bright afternoon sun shone on the sea, and everyone who had been soaked finally felt a touch of warmth.
Ye Qi felt extremely uncomfortable in his soaking wet clothes. He shielded his eyes with his hand, looked up at the sun, and said, "The sun is so bright, should we take off our wet clothes and dry them? It's so uncomfortable to wear them."
Shao Qingge smiled and leaned closer, saying, "There's a girl sitting behind you, isn't it inappropriate to take off your clothes?"
Ye Qi turned around and met Liu Qiao's gaze. Her face flushed red. "Sorry, I forgot that Xiao Liu is a girl."
Liu Qiao glanced at him expressionlessly: "Don't I look like a girl?"
Ye Qi hurriedly explained, "No, no, that's not what I meant."
Qu Wanyue smiled and smoothed things over: "Xiao Ye, you can take off your shirt and let it air out in the sun. We won't mind."
Ye Qi was embarrassed to take his clothes off; he was very thin, had no abs, and wasn't in a particularly good physique, and was afraid the girls would laugh at him. The others hadn't even considered the idea of "taking off their clothes to dry"—the sun at sea was strong, and they thought natural drying would be quick enough.
Ye Qi quickly changed the subject, asking Qu Wanyue, " Teacher Qu, what kind of dance do you teach?"
Music and dance are inseparable; many songs require accompanying dances, and Ye Qi also has some knowledge of dance.
Qu Wanyue said, "I teach Latin dance at an arts training center in Jiangzhou City."
Ye Qi nodded: "Oh, Latin dance includes cha-cha, samba, rumba, jive, and paso doble, right?"
Qu Wanyue smiled and said, "That's right, can you jump?"
Ye Qi said, "No, but I've learned some basic dance steps, hehe, I can dance the waltz."
Xiao Lou is also a teacher, but he's a government employee with a permanent position, so he's subject to more restrictions. Qu Wanyue, on the other hand, works outside the system, contracted with a training center, and has more freedom. He turned around with interest and asked, "Dance teachers usually teach on weekends, right?"
Qu Wanyue said, "Yes, Professor Xiao, weekends are peak season, with training classes scheduled from morning till night. On weekdays, I have an open class every night at eight o'clock, teaching an interest class for adults."
Old Mo turned around excitedly and said, "My daughter also learned Latin dance. I think people who learn dance really have a great temperament!"
Qu Wanyue smiled and said, "Many parents think like you, Lao Mo, so they send their children to learn dance."
Xiao Lou wholeheartedly agreed. Teacher Qu had a great presence, a beautiful figure, a swan-like neck, and an upright posture. She looked good even in casual sportswear. She had beautiful long curly hair, which she had tied up for ease of movement. The gentleness and competence of a woman were perfectly blended in her.
Long Sen isn't particularly handsome; his looks are a bit less striking than Captain Yu and CEO Shao. However, as a former athlete, he has a strong, muscular physique. With his short buzz cut, he looks very energetic, and his smile is honest and sincere. The two of them actually look quite well-matched sitting together.
Old Mo was slightly overweight, but without a noticeable beer belly. His face was round, and he was a very approachable middle-aged man. He was determined to go back for his daughter's sake, and he not only learned to operate a lifeboat, but also to fly a plane and operate a parachute. He was practically an all-rounder— Xiao Lou couldn't help but admire his perseverance in pushing himself to this extent.
These three new teammates were added temporarily, and Xiao Lou believes his decision was correct. The key to a good team is quality, not quantity; each member has their own strengths and can contribute effectively, which will allow them to face increasingly challenging tasks together.
Thinking of this, Xiao Lou asked, "Old Mo, what level of the fixed secret room on the card wall have you passed?"
Mo Xuemin smiled wryly: "I'm stuck on level 8. I've been in Secret Room World for half a year, and apart from the elite team from Distant Place Association who reached Hearts J, most of the Challengers ' progress is stuck at Red Heart 8 or Spade 8, which is A-grade Secret Room."
Ye Qi asked curiously, "If level 8 is an A-grade secret room, then are levels 5, 6, and 7 all B-grade secret rooms?"
Mo Xuemin said, "Yes, the B-level escape rooms 5, 6, and 7 are not particularly difficult. The difficulty increases sharply from the 8th level onwards. Our team went to Diamond 8 first and was almost driven to the brink of collapse by the difficulty, so we didn't dare to go to Red Heart 8 and Spade 8 for the time being."
Xiao Lou had already guessed that the difficulty of the later Diamonds levels would increase. If they encountered multiplayer mazes, coupled with a large number of penalty traps, it would indeed be difficult to find the correct path. He suddenly thought of a key point and said, "So, Old Mo has already completed all the B-level escape rooms? Then when we do levels 5, 6, and 7, can Old Mo give us a spoiler in advance?"
Mo Xuemin laughed and said, "Of course. Actually, the Intelligence Bureau also provides walkthroughs for low-level escape rooms. One walkthrough costs 1 million gold coins. We don't need to waste that money. I already know the storylines for these escape rooms."
Ye Qi scratched his head in confusion and said, "It seems like there are different versions of Heart Room, right? I remember going to Heart Room 3 with CEO Shao back then..." "When I was at Fenglin High School, the deceased's name was different from Professor Xiao's."
Mo Xuemin explained, "According to the analysis of experts on the Challenger forum, for escape rooms below level B, each escape room will have two versions, just like the A and B versions of an English exam. You draw one randomly after entering. Professor Xiao and his group drew the A version. If you have had contact with Professor Xiao, Guardian will find out and give you the B version, changing some details."
Ye Qi suddenly realized: "So, if Lao Mo draws the correct answer in levels 5, 6, and 7..."
"If it's Chapter A, then next time we go in, it'll most likely be Chapter B—the plot will be different, but the overall difficulty will be about the same?"
Mo Xuemin said, "That's right. With everyone's abilities, clearing the B-level secret room shouldn't be a problem. The key is the A-grade secret room starting from level 8, the three S-level secret chambers J, Q, and K, and the final SS-level secret room, which are more difficult than we imagined."
Xiao Lou looked at Yu Hanjiang and suggested, " Captain Yu, after we finish this Weekly Routine, why don't we clear levels 5, 6, and 7 first?"
Yu Hanjiang nodded: "Okay, with Lao Mo providing the strategy, passing the B-level secret room shouldn't be too difficult. Let's clear it as soon as possible and draw more cards to prepare for the later secret rooms."
Everyone sat in the lifeboats, drifting on the vast sea, and out of boredom, they discussed all the plans for the next step.
Old Mo also carefully explained the general situation of the fifth, sixth and seventh levels to everyone.
The difficulty of B-level secret chambers is slightly more complex than that of C-level secret chambers for two players. However, since B-level secret chambers can use the "Advanced Contract Book ", the difficulty will actually decrease as the number of team members increases.
Levels five, six, and seven are more like "mid-game transition" dungeons in the game, allowing newcomers to form teams after entering the main city, develop synergy with their teammates, and draw more cards to improve the team's combat power.
Starting from the eighth level, the game's main large-scale dungeons begin.
With Lao Mo, a senior member of the team, Xiao Lou was full of confidence for the upcoming challenge: "I remember that the lottery for the escape room is calculated by team, not by individual. So, I have an idea: the eight of us can split into two groups and clear the B-level escape room as quickly as possible."
Yu Hanjiang agreed, saying, " The people on the contract book will be forcibly pulled into the secret room. If we open two secret rooms at the same time, we can let everyone enter separately and choose the secret room they are good at to challenge. For example, I am good at hearts and spade, Professor Xiao is good at hearts and diamonds, Lao Mo is good at diamonds, and CEO Shao is good at plum blossom. We can form different teams for different secret rooms."
Mo Xuemin immediately nodded: "This is a good idea. As long as half of the team on a contract book passes a certain room, the card wall will be considered cleared. The group approach can speed up the process! We don't need to collect too many cards with fixed rewards. Those cards are common and can be bought with money. The perfect clear reward draw is calculated on a team basis. For example, Heart 5 always draws 2 cards, whether 4 people or 15 people pass, we still get 2 good cards. If we challenge in groups, the reward will not be less."
Shao Qingge stroked his chin and said, "So it seems that if it's a team of 15 people, they can be divided into 4 smaller teams to farm hearts, spade, diamonds, and plum blossoms at the same time?"
Mo Xuemin said, "Some people do it, but only a team with exceptional strength can accomplish it."
Xiao Lou was overjoyed: "Before the next Weekly Routine begins, let's split into two teams and get through all the Class B escape rooms as quickly as possible."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
The team chatted for a long time about the escape room. Casual conversation helps them get to know each other better and also brings the teammates closer together.
After some time, Ye Qi's stomach suddenly rumbled. He blushed and said, "Uh, I'm a little hungry. Do you want something to eat?"
Old Mo glanced at the time displayed in the floating window; it was 6:30 PM. He couldn't believe it: "We've been adrift at sea for three and a half hours? That's fast!"
Perhaps we were so engrossed in our conversation that we lost track of time, and before we knew it, it was evening.
Yu Hanjiang took the bag from Ye Qi: "Everyone, let's eat first. There are cookies, mineral water, and chocolate, just make do with that." Then, he took out a large plastic bag and said, "Put all the trash here."
Everyone started unwrapping and eating the cookies when Ye Qi suddenly exclaimed excitedly, "Look behind you!"
Everyone turned around at the same time.
In the distance, the sun was setting, and rose-colored clouds constantly shifted and changed shape in the sky. Golden beams of sunlight pierced through layers of clouds, illuminating the sea and bathing it in a golden glow. The shimmering waves looked like countless golden fragments. The magnificent sunset over the sea left everyone in awe.
Ye Qi couldn't help but exclaim, "So beautiful! This is the most beautiful sunset I've ever seen!"
Xiao Lou smiled and said, "If it weren't for Secret Room World, the scenery on this trip would have been quite nice."
Everyone ate their dinner quietly while looking back at the sunset.
The sun quickly disappeared below the horizon. Xiao Lou glanced at the sky and suggested, "Let's stop the boat and not go any further. It's getting dark, everyone take out the luminous pearls for lighting."
In the distance, many other lifeboats also lit up with the light of luminous pearls.
A voice called out from the left front, "Friends, it's getting dark. Aren't you planning to continue?"
A girl's voice came from the right front: "It's easy to get lost in the dark. If we encounter whirlpools, icebergs, reefs, or anything like that, we'll be doomed if the boat capsizes! I suggest everyone turn off the lifeboat's power system, float in place, and we'll talk about it tomorrow!"
A chorus of agreement rose from the surrounding crowd. The Challengers who had escaped from the cruise ship were all heading in the same direction at roughly the same speed, and they all gathered together at the same spot as darkness fell.
Old Mo lowered his voice and said, "Although there hasn't been any infighting within Challenger so far, we have to be careful. At night, some people might take advantage of others' sleep to kill or steal cards."
Yu Hanjiang's expression was serious: "We have to take turns on night watch, in pairs." His gaze swept over everyone, and he quickly arranged: "Old Mo worked hard sailing the boat today, you and Liu Qiao will sleep at 1 AM; CEO Shao and Ye Qi will be on watch from 1 AM to 3 AM; Professor Xiao and I will be on watch from 3 AM to 5 AM; at 5 AM I will wake Xiao Long and Teacher Qu, you..."
They stayed until seven o'clock, when it was dawn.
The most dangerous time at night is between 3:00 and 5:00 AM. Yu Hanjiang deliberately chose the most stressful time. Xiao Lou had been keeping watch with him before, so of course she had no objections.
After everyone finished eating, they cautiously moved the escape boat to the very back.
There were too many escape boats nearby, so Lao Mo made sure the escape boats kept a safe distance of more than 100 meters from other people.
At nine o'clock in the evening, the entire sea area was completely swallowed by darkness.
The luminous pearl on the escape boat and the twinkling stars in the sky reflected each other, as if countless stars had accidentally fallen into the sea.
A night breeze blew by, and Xiao Lou sneezed from the cold.
Yu Hanjiang looked at him and asked in a low voice, "Are you very cold?"
Before Xiao Lou could speak, Ye Qi and Shao Qingge behind him started sneezing uncontrollably—it was like a "sneezing relay" as Liu Qiao, Long Sen, and Qu Wanyue also sneezed one after another.
Qu Wanyue rubbed her nose and said helplessly, "We spent half an hour in the downpour today, and our clothes got completely soaked. It took us a while to dry them in the afternoon. If we have to endure the sea breeze all night, I feel like everyone will catch a cold tomorrow."
Yu Hanjiang asked, "Should we start a fire to keep warm?"
Old Mo said, "Isn't it inappropriate to start a fire directly on the lifeboat? What if the fuel tank catches fire?"
Xiao Lou thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said, "I have a way."
He took out the Compass card and started drawing circles. The metal rings of various sizes were quickly stacked together to form a ring plate the size of a "washbasin". Xiao Lou cut a ring with scissors and fixed the "washbasin" in place like a wire.
Then he summoned Bai Juyi to light a fire and put the embers in a basin: "That way the ship won't burn."
Ye Qi was dumbfounded: "There's such a thing?"
Xiao Lou said, " Bai Juyi's charcoal fire can only last for 90 minutes, and it still needs fuel." He looked at Mo Xuemin and said, "Old Mo, I remember you have a card, I think it's called [Solid Wood Flooring], right?"
Mo Xuemin was both amused and exasperated: "Yes, that floorboard can be laid on the water or between two buildings to serve as a bridge... Professor Xiao, do you want me to split the planks for fuel?"
Xiao Lou smiled and nodded: "Solid wood can certainly be used as fuel. Moreover, after your card is recycled, it can be summoned again just like before. This is equivalent to a top-tier fuel that can be used indefinitely and summoned anytime, anywhere."
Everyone: "..."
Professor Xiao is going to ruin the card.
Compass was used as a washbasin, Bai Juyi was used to start a fire, and solid wood flooring was used as fuel... How could he even think of that!
Immediately afterward, Yu Hanjiang began his strange act—he took out a military knife that could cut through iron like mud, chopped Old Mo's wooden plank in half, then split it into many small pieces, piled them in the middle of the boat, and said calmly, "The watchman, remember to add firewood to the metal basin in time."
Xiao Lou then made a concave basin out of Compass, leaving a notch, and placed it upside down on top of the fire basin, laughing as he said, "That way it won't be blown out by the wind."
Everyone: "..."
The ingenious Professor Xiao actually made a furnace out of various cards, which everyone admired greatly.
Xiao Lou's makeshift "furnace" was very useful. With the charcoal fire, everyone who had just been shivering from the cold immediately felt a warmth around them. Compared to the other Challengers on the escape boats who were shivering from the sea breeze, the eight of them huddled around the fire pit, feeling incredibly comfortable.
With Professor Xiao, the home improvement expert, around, no one will have to worry about the cold anymore, no matter the environment!