Chapter 62: If You Can't See, I Can Make It Even Longer

Stepping out of the car, Jiang Ying eyed the “connecting rod” in front of her, barely thicker than her own thin arm—was this thing really safe?

“Actually… I don’t think it’s necessary. We could just drive out of here. Besides, if the cameras can’t see, then neither can I, right?” Jiang Ying was on the verge of tears. She knew too well what this was—a rod that could reach up to the seventh floor. One could only imagine how long it was. If she were to fall from up there, she’d be lucky to survive.

Lin Mu spread his hands. “But you’re the lightest among us, aren’t you?”

Jiang Ying glanced back at the group behind her. Shu Xin and the others wore embarrassed yet polite smiles, inwardly grateful that their own weights disqualified them. If they’d been lighter… Just thinking about that slender rod made them shudder.

“001, tie her up. Make sure it’s secure—I can’t afford to lose a teammate so easily.”

Teammate?! Jiang Ying wanted to protest—when did he ever treat her like a teammate? Whose teammate gets thrown outside in the blazing sun to test the temperature? Whose teammate is sent out without warning into unknown danger? Whose teammate is strung up as a human surveillance camera? Whose—?

Jiang Ying sighed. What was the point in thinking so much? She was being tied up anyway. Sure enough, as she mulled over her grievances, 001 had already fastened her firmly to the rod.

“Hold on tight to the axe. If you fall, it’s none of my business,” Lin Mu warned. After all, the iron rod attached to the axe was very smooth—even tied up, she could slip down along it. Still, 001 had looped the rope around the axe a couple of times, so it should hold.

Jiang Ying wanted to back out, but she knew escape was impossible. The others looked on at the scene, feeling a wave of relief—so long as it wasn’t them, it was fine. It probably wouldn’t come loose, but what if…?

“How long can this thing extend?” Shu Xin asked, puzzled. She and her sister had joined after the rod was modified, and weren’t familiar with it.

The chubby guy beside them thought for a moment. “About thirty meters, I guess. Definitely taller than a seven-story building.”

Shu Xin and Shu Yi’s mouths twitched. Once again, they were glad they weren’t lightweights.

“Sis, we should eat more from now on—even if we’re full. Otherwise, next time, it could be us up there.”

As for Gu Wanqing, as long as she maintained her current weight, she’d be fine. In truth, none of the girls were fat—they were just tall. Jiang Ying, however, was truly thin. That couldn’t be helped. If anything like this happened again, she’d probably be sent up once more.

Once the knots were checked and secured, Lin Mu activated the collector, sending it skyward.

With an extra collector carrying Jiang Ying, Lin Mu felt nothing unusual. But for Jiang Ying, suspended high above, the experience was utterly nerve-wracking. Watching the ground recede further and further, she went numb. This was way too high.

“Ah! That’s enough! Stop going up!” she screamed. They were now twenty meters above the ground, and the collector halted. The trees around weren’t very tall, just over ten meters. Twenty meters was plenty to survey the area.

“Hey! Can you spot a way out?” Lin Mu shouted from below.

Jiang Ying stared stiffly into the distance. How was she supposed to answer that? Lin Mu had driven so far that they were nearly at the center of the maze. From up here, all she could see was an endless sea of tightly packed trees. There was no end in sight. She was only about ten meters above the treetops, so she really couldn’t see much at all.

But… she didn’t dare say that aloud. Wouldn’t that—

Not that it mattered. The collector began to rise again. Seeing her silent, Lin Mu knew she couldn’t see anything, so he sent it even higher. If that still wasn’t enough, he’d just modify it again to go higher. And since she hadn’t said she couldn’t see, it meant a human eye should suffice.

Lin Mu shook his head. Too bad there weren’t any walkie-talkies. If only they had walkie-talkies…

Walkie-talkies?

“Everyone, back in the car. We’re moving,” Lin Mu called, settling in the driver’s seat and glancing at the multimedia display. He remembered the camera had an audio function. When Jiang Ying was hoisted up, the camera had been positioned directly above her.

Lin Mu adjusted the camera to face her, and her pale face filled the screen.

Up in the sky, Jiang Ying clung to the iron rod with all her might, not daring to loosen her grip even a fraction. Seeing the camera swivel towards her, she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“Can you see the way out? If the distance isn’t enough, I can extend it further,” Lin Mu said.

Jiang Ying’s pupils contracted sharply. Even higher?!

She’d rather die!

“I can see! I can see! I can see!” she shouted at the top of her lungs. Even if she couldn’t, she’d have to try her best!

The maze wasn’t actually very large. Though the view from afar was a little blurry, she could at least make out the boundaries.

“If you can see, then guide us,” Lin Mu said.

Guide? She’d have to figure out the path first! She’d only just started looking. Jiang Ying felt utterly drained.

“Give me ten minutes. Let me check which path leads out.”

...

An hour passed.

“This seems like a dead end. No worries, let’s turn around…”

Another half hour.

“I found it! This time it’s definitely right…”

Another half hour.

“Trust me, I’ll definitely find the way out!!”

Lin Mu’s expression grew darker and darker. Two whole hours, and they still hadn’t escaped this “not so big” maze. He was starting to doubt Jiang Ying’s intelligence.

Above, Jiang Ying’s face flushed bright red with shame. Such a small maze, and she couldn’t find the exit in half a day—how embarrassing.

But now she could see the exit. All she had to do was find the correct route. Silently, Jiang Ying mapped out the path in her mind.

“Go straight, then left, then right, right again, then left, then left again…”

Finally, after another half hour, the car emerged from the maze.

Looking out at the open grassland beyond, Lin Mu breathed a sigh of relief. Just this maze had cost him nearly three hours. He glanced at the time—it was already four in the afternoon.

What a waste—the so-called vehicle core battle, and he hadn’t secured many cores, but burned through a ton of fuel instead. But he had to admit, the moment he encountered another vehicle, he’d lost control.

Jiang Ying blinked, puzzled that the car wasn’t stopping now that they were out.

“Brother Mu, Brother Mu, put me down! The wind up here is too much…”

“Wait a bit. There’s a house up ahead. We’ll talk when we get there.”

Jiang Ying looked ahead. Fine. A few more kilometers—she could endure that.

Since that was the case, she might as well enjoy the view. No wonder they say the higher you stand, the farther you see. Up here, the scenery was far grander than anything inside the car. Except for one thing—her backside was killing her.

She was sitting on a bundle of chains, and after so long, it really hurt.

Huh?

“Oh my god!”