Chapter 95: The Misremembered Puzzle
Gu Yu, waiting nearby, showed a look of shock. She had secretly tried this herself—ordinary prop knives couldn't cut through it at all!
"Your sword is even more powerful than my D-grade Rainbow Gun!"
Gu Yu hadn't expected to succeed on the first try. After all, a low-evolution-rate player like Xu Huo couldn't even get a bottle of potion, so how could he possibly have a powerful prop?
She had pinned her hopes on Lin Pei and the others. Those few were definitely holding back, but there was no rush—everyone wanted to get out. If their props didn't work, they'd have to force Lin Pei's group to reveal their trump cards.
She never expected such a pleasant surprise!
Looking at the unsmiling man under the red light, his previously stubborn and rigid demeanor suddenly seemed a bit more profound.
"No wonder you wanted me to come along. You're afraid Lin Pei and the others will see you have such a powerful prop, right?"
Xu Huo, who was dismantling the black metal, suddenly heard Gu Yu say, "You're on guard against them. You don't trust them either."
Her eyes lit up. "Don't worry, I'll never tell anyone about your prop. From now on, we're allies!"
Xu Huo, now a reluctant ally, lifted a piece of black metal and handed it to her. "It's a bit heavy. Hold it steady."
The two each carried a piece of black metal out, handing one to Shen Xin, then crossed the street toward the nearest cellar entrance.
"No wonder he didn't care about the door switch at all..." Lin Pei muttered, staring at the three-inch-thick metal block with its cleanly cut surface.
If they could lure the alien species away, maybe they wouldn't have to bother finding some mechanism or switch—they could just use props to get out!
Wu Qiuyi saw the signal Shen Xin relayed back, stepped past him out of the toy store, and said, "Go find the next puzzle."
They waited another two hours for the next opportunity.
As Wu Qiuyi began answering questions, the cellar passage Xu Huo and Gu Yu were guarding had fence after fence spring up, crisscrossing to seal the tunnel several layers deep.
Without needing a signal, Xu Huo and Gu Yu immediately lifted the metal block and placed it over the entrance. The block, slightly larger than the opening, fit perfectly to seal the rim. Gu Yu fired a shot at each side, watching the metal fuse with the edges of the entrance without fully sealing it. She hesitated, wondering if she should fire a few more rounds, but Xu Huo stopped her.
"Don't waste bullets."
Gu Yu nodded and followed him outside to find a few quilts to cover the metal block, hoping to muffle the sound.
Then Xu Huo improvised a few simple traps using local materials. If the alien species broke out, the moment it pushed open the metal block, the ropes tied to the four corners of the quilt would trigger the surrounding knives and the heavy object hanging directly above.
"Will these work?" Gu Yu asked, puzzled. "Even if all these knives stab the alien species, they won't be fatal."
Xu Huo checked the traps as he spoke. "If it can wound it, that's useful. When it comes down to life-or-death combat, even the slightest edge can be an opportunity."
Gu Yu immediately grew serious. She wanted to help, but she had no knowledge of traps and mechanisms. Her only impressions came from movies and TV shows—visually impressive but practically useless, since many seemingly clever mechanisms were impossible to pull off in reality.
But the small traps Xu Huo made were meticulous. He pulled one of the ropes, and a kitchen knife at the other end shot out, propelled by a spring he had extracted from a sofa.
Catching the flying knife midair, Xu Huo placed it back in position.
"You even know this stuff," Gu Yu said, eyeing him curiously.
Without looking up, Xu Huo replied, "I'm a background actor. I have to know a little bit of everything."
Gu Yu choked back a retort, muttering, "Even a prop master isn't as skilled as you," before falling silent.
After they finished setting everything up, they slowly retreated from the house.
On the other side, Shen Yi, who had already received the signal, had taken another piece of metal to the next cellar location. This time, Lin Pei and Wu Qiuyi were on lookout, while Xu Huo and Shen Xin handled the puzzle.
Their next destination was a household goods store. Following the notes on the slip of paper, Shen Xin found the one with a blue wreath placed on the clock and walked inside.
"Nine o'clock, nine o'clock, time for peaceful sleep. The good little ones should be in bed, while the naughty ones secretly answer puzzles."
"But Master Nicer, who loves puzzle games, has an unusual tolerance for fellow enthusiasts."
"Today's question is: What is Master Nicer's favorite game?"
Xu Huo's expression changed the moment he heard the first line. This puzzle wasn't among the ones he had scouted beforehand. Wu Qiuyi had told them that earlier, when the clock chimed, the original question was supposed to be Master Nicer's favorite shoes. But now, it was a life-or-death question right off the bat.
He had answered this one wrong at the town mayor's office.
Motioning for Shen Xin to stay quiet, Xu Huo prepared to quietly slip out of the household goods store. But unexpectedly, a wooden board in the corner slid to the floor with a clatter.
"Today's question is: What is Master Nicer's favorite game?"
Shen Xin looked at him in panic. Xu Huo raised a hand to calm her, then spoke up. "Will there be punishment for a wrong answer?"
But the clock didn't respond with the usual "Happy puzzle-solving time." Instead, it repeated directly: "Today's question is: What is Master Nicer's favorite game?"
"The puzzle-solver has five seconds remaining."
The second hand on the dial ticked. Only five seconds—not even enough time to run out and signal.
Shen Xin dared not speak. She knew a wrong answer would summon the alien species. Gripping her baseball bat tightly, she stared at Xu Huo.
Five seconds. Right or wrong, she had to give an answer. If they were lucky, the alien species would come their way, giving them a brief reaction time. But if Shen Yi and Gu Yu startled the alien species, they—right at its doorstep—would be almost like delivered rations!
Save my brother!
She mouthed the plea silently.
But Xu Huo wasn't looking at her. After gripping his sword and shield, he finally answered: "Making clocks."
"Beep beep! Correct answer!"
Both of them breathed a sigh of relief. Xu Huo nodded to Shen Xin, who immediately went to the window and signaled Wu Qiuyi to urge Shen Yi and Gu Yu to speed up.
"The puzzle-solver has given the correct answer. Master Nicer has decided to reward you with a gem-encrusted watch. This watch has a unique way of keeping time."
A small drawer slowly slid out from beneath the clock. Inside was a watch made entirely of square black gemstones. The dial was semi-transparent, revealing the watch's internal structure. The black hands moved silently, running about ten seconds slower than the clock on the wall.
The clock soon chimed again. "Clever puzzle-solver, the second question is: Who is the person Master Nicer hated most in his life?"