Chapter 35

Subsequently, the taskbar displayed this task: [Explore the mansion and find a way to escape.]

After reading it, Feng Jue said nothing and turned to open the main door. It was a double-leaf door made of solid wood. Feng Jue grabbed the handles on both sides and twisted them until they creaked, but it was clear that the door was locked and wouldn't open so easily.

Yongzhe Wudi snorted, "Amateurs are amateurs; how could this door be opened so easily?"

Creak, creak...

Wang Tanzhi joined Feng Jue, holding a kitchen knife and jabbing it randomly into the gap between the two door panels while also pulling on the handle, showing his support for Feng Jue.

"Mr. 'Panicked,' are you joking? I already told you..." Yongzhe Wudi said again.

Bang, bang, bang...

The two of them redoubled their efforts, each pulling on a door handle and struggling to move the door panels.

"Guys, you..." Yongzhe Wudi was running out of words.

Snap! Snap! Two consecutive sounds, and both door handles broke off, making it impossible to open the door even with a key.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Yongzhe Wudi exclaimed, his fear level inexplicably rising.

Bang, bang, bang...

They continued to ram the door with their shoulders, now handleless.

Finally, after a couple of minutes of commotion, Feng Jue turned around, straightened his collar, and cleared his throat. "It seems it really can't be opened."

Yongzhe Wudi inwardly screamed, "Damn———"

But he couldn't curse out loud, so he shouted, "Rubbish! Didn't I say that from the beginning?"

"You just said it," Feng Jue replied. "I proved it through action."

"Why don't you prove the feasibility of quitting the team and the subsequent system penalties?" Yongzhe Wudi shouted.

"Hmm... It seems the door is indeed sealed by some supernatural force..." Feng Jue mused, touching his chin.

"You're ignoring me now!" Yongzhe Wudi's anger flared up.

Si Yu watched for a while, then silently turned and walked towards the dark corridor on the first floor. Since someone had already proven that the door couldn't be opened, she saw no point in continuing to watch this farce. Beiling followed her, leaving the living room.

Seeing the two of them walking away, Long Ao Ming hesitated, and the angry Yongzhe Wudi also noticed their actions. He shouted, "Hey! Don't wander around, you might trigger something—"

"It's fine," Feng Jue suddenly interrupted. "From the task content, it seems the more we trigger, the better." He walked to a glass window next to the door. The window was rectangular, over a meter high and more than a foot wide, with a pointed top and a wooden frame. Looking out, the window seemed to be covered in a layer of mist, obscuring the view outside.

Feng Jue took out a wrench and swung it at the window. The heavy metal hit the glass, and Feng Jue felt a tingling in his arm, as if the wrench had struck a resonant metal object.

"Hmm... This window, like the door, has some kind of barrier on its surface," Feng Jue said.

Yongzhe Wudi shook his head and sighed, "You amateurs have no common sense... How could the system create a scenario where brute force can break through from the start?" He turned and walked upstairs. "You three are together, right? Please don't follow me. In an indoor environment, having three inexperienced players around could ruin my chances of passing. You take the first floor, and I'll handle the second floor alone."

Yongzhe Wudi had already decided that these three were terrible teammates. Except for Long Ao Ming, the [Team Guardian], who seemed somewhat capable, the other two were unreliable. The [Panicked Sneaker] was already questionable from his title, and the [Cold-Blooded Headshot Maniac] was unpredictable and ignorant.

What annoyed Yongzhe Wudi the most was when people asked about him being the first to reach level 20 in "Fearless Hero." Outsiders who didn't understand the studio often asked many questions. In fact, in the Order studio, leveling up quickly didn't mean much; it was just a result of different roles.

Professional gamers were a mature industry by 2055, with the most common and widespread being small studios. These studios often lacked planning and execution skills. The boss usually managed, handled finances, and led the game team, often still thinking like a player and doing things for personal gain. Such studios were numerous, frequently forming and dissolving, with unstable income. They formed the lowest tier of the industry.

Moving up, the middle tier consisted of medium to small studios with better management and talent reserves. Some small teams differed from the lowest tier only by having one or two "star players," experts in certain types of games. In competitive teams, a few such stars could elevate the studio's reputation. Most studios at this level had moved away from chaotic management and could plan and use resources more effectively.

In short, in any industry, long-term planning was essential. A game team without a plan was no different from a group of amateur players, just with more time to play.

At the top of the industry were elite studios like "Order." They had dedicated management teams and divided the game group into teams and shifts. In the six-person team focused on leveling up, each member had a clear specialization and role. Resources and information were shared in real-time within the studio, and all members had to prioritize providing equipment and skills to the leveling team.

Players like Yongzhe Wudi, who played solo, had specific tasks. For example, Yongzhe Wudi's level wasn't important; his main task was to improve his combat specialization and gather intelligence. Other specializations and equipment were secondary, as they could be improved through team play within the studio. "Order" needed first-hand intelligence, and Yongzhe Wudi's role was to test the practical effects of improving combat specialization.

So whenever strangers asked about the studio, Yongzhe Wudi found it "annoying." First, it was a business secret he had to keep. Second, even if he could talk about it, he had no interest or need to explain.

"Alright, but be careful, Brother Wudi," Feng Jue said with a friendly smile.

Hearing this, Yongzhe Wudi shivered, a strange feeling raising his fear level slightly, as if Feng Jue's words foretold something bad.

He glanced back at the three in the living room, pushed the strange thoughts aside, and went upstairs alone.

Watching his back disappear around a corner, Long Ao Ming said, "Brother Feng, why did you pretend to be so clueless?" He looked puzzled. "You can't be unaware of the system's thoroughness... The door and window were clearly unopenable. Even if you wanted to test them, you didn't need to be so exaggerated."

"Making it more convincing makes him think I know nothing," Feng Jue explained. "Then he'll react like this, ditching us 'burdens' and acting alone."

"Brother Jue, you're not planning to backstab him, are you? This game doesn't allow attacking teammates," Wang Tanzhi said. He had helped break the door, not to act but because he thought it could be opened.

"I'm not trying to harm him; I just think it's more efficient to split up in this scenario," Feng Jue said. "The two girls left on their own, which suits me. But this guy... He's not the type to discuss plans. In his view, he's the highest level and the most experienced, so he should have the most say in the team. If I suggested splitting up, he'd likely oppose it. He even tried to stop the other two from leaving when I pulled the door." Feng Jue squatted by a wall, examining something. "This is best; he left on his own." He gently peeled away the spider webs and dust on the wall. "Let's split up and search. We'll meet back here when we see the main task change."

Wang Tanzhi was surprised, "We're splitting up too?"

"Didn't I say it's more efficient?" Feng Jue replied, not taking his eyes off the wall. "Don't worry; this mansion is likely haunted, not infested with aliens. The main focus is on scares and puzzles. Most physical threats will be traps, so just be cautious."

Before he finished, the system prompt sounded again: [Side quest triggered]

All three checked their task menus. The original main task was still there, but a new one appeared below: [Find all six segments of the "Ghost Palace," current progress 1/6]