It's late at night.

The newspaper also included a photo of the accident scene, where the ground was muddy after being washed by torrential rain, with fallen rocks and broken umbrellas scattered among the debris.

Although no body was visible and the black-and-white photos couldn't distinguish the bright red blood, they still automatically pictured 703's mangled head.

"So, it wasn't a construction worker who got hit, but... this old man?"

Chen Qi exclaimed in surprise, her face turning deathly pale instantly.

"We...we saw him again! Could he be coming to find us?"

"What did you say?" Liu Lili grasped the key point and stared sharply at Chen Qi.

Realizing he could no longer hide it, Zhou Zean finally laid his cards on the table.

"The gardener we saw in the flower field was this old man."

Silence fell, and the atmosphere became tense.

A dozen seconds later, Xia Yao spoke up to ease the tension, "Besides that, what else did you find out?"

Liu Lili sighed wearily, "That's all. They only said it was suspected, possibly, all hearsay, but the timing is too coincidental. It happened right when they were talking about money, so it's hard not to suspect something."

"Hey, what's so clever about it? If you ask me, it's the developer's doing. It's a way to intimidate and lower the price. This old man has no children, so he's saved some money."

Lu Qifa shared his insights amidst the swirling smoke.

Even the usually silent Lan Yuanshan nodded, "I think so too."

"Looking at the timeline, first the land acquisition, then the elderly man's murder, the construction of the scenic area being haunted, the developer allegedly hiring a Taoist priest to perform rituals, and finally now that the scenic area is in trial operation, the ghost has reappeared."

Xia Yao tapped the table with her index finger, connecting the clues.

"This suggests that the old man is very likely the ghost we encountered, and the manner of his death matches up. But what do the oranges represent?"

"I don't know," Liu Lili shook her head.

"Next, it would be best to find the original inhabitants who moved away from here and inquire about the old man, the orange grove, and the reporter the old man mentioned," Xia Yao said thoughtfully.

Just as they were about to begin discussing the details, a woman in a smoky gray suit suddenly appeared at their table.

"Good evening, everyone. I am the hotel manager. To express our welcome, we have prepared an outdoor barbecue for you tonight and cordially invite you to dine there."

The woman bowed politely, a standard smile on her face, her lipstick too bright, making her skin appear fair.

"Miss, we've been having stomach problems lately. We'd be happy with something light at the restaurant," Lan Yuanshan politely declined.

Upon hearing the refusal, the woman's face instantly fell. "No way!"

The sudden cold voice startled them, and the woman spoke with a stiff expression.

"The outdoor barbecue is included in the scenic area package ticket. If you do not experience it as required, it is a breach of contract. You should immediately terminate the tour agreement and leave the scenic area."

Oh no, oh no, they're coming for them.

Expelling them from the scenic area for not following the rules is tantamount to sending them to their deaths.

"One minute, to go or not to go?"

The woman's cold gaze swept over the six people present, as if she could immediately call security to throw them out if they uttered a single word of dissent.

My teammate mentioned that NPCs at night are always strange, sometimes they're no different from ghosts.

Left with no other choice, the group had to follow the woman out of the hotel.

The rain had stopped long ago, the weather was muggy, and the wind had dried the water stains on the ground, leaving only a layer of dark, soaked residue.

The ground of the open-air barbecue area was all sand and gravel, and I don’t know if it was designed this way to make it easier to handle the charcoal fire. There was also a simple water pool every now and then.

The charcoal stove is lit, and the marinated meat skewers are neatly arranged, ready to be put on the shelf.

But when Xia Yao looked closely, she saw that the flower maze where she had met the old man earlier that day was not far away!

This used to be some kind of orange grove, it feels like sending lambs to the slaughter.

Please have your meal.

The woman stood smiling to the side, showing no intention of leaving.

This is really confusing for them. Do they have to watch them eat?

"Let's have some barbecue."

After confirming that the meat was all normal, Zhou Zean was the first to put the meat skewers into the grill.

Xia Yao glanced back and saw the woman staring at them with a smile.

It was as if they were observing, seeing who would disobey.

The group proceeded to grill the meat with extreme caution and trepidation.

They were hungry, and although they felt a little uncomfortable, the aroma of the barbecue made them unable to resist taking a few more bites.

As they ate, and as they gradually relaxed, the woman suddenly spoke up.

"Dear tourists, in addition to the outdoor barbecue tonight, we would also like to invite you to experience our Rose Maze."

What was bound to happen has finally happened!

Xia Yao lowered her gaze and looked at the flower wall not far away.

The night breeze carried the fragrance of flowers, a beautiful thing, yet it made my heart flutter.

"It's too dark tonight, we can't really enjoy it properly. Can we try it tomorrow?"

Xia Yao tried to bargain, after all, he seemed to be the most dangerous one.

But the woman mechanically shook her head, "If you don't follow the instructions, you must leave the scenic area immediately."

"So, what kind of experience is needed?"

Since you can't refuse, you have to ask about the rules to see if there are any loopholes.

"Enter from the entrance, exit through the maze, and you can go back to rest after you've finished experiencing it," the woman replied expressionlessly.

It sounds simple, but who knows what might happen in the maze?

Xia Yao silently retreated behind her teammates. While pretending to tie her shoelaces, she grabbed two spare pieces of charcoal and stuffed them into her pocket under the cover of the grill.

Soon, the group arrived at the entrance to the Rose Maze.

The towering flower wall, like an open cage, exerts an invisible pressure on people.

"Please, everyone."

The woman stood at the entrance, gesturing an invitation.

The later it gets, the more dangerous it may be. Zhou Zean glanced at the time and went in first, followed by Xia Yao and the others.

The entrance was fairly well lit, but after just one bend, the light was mostly blocked by the dense flower wall.

Although there are lights every now and then, the roads are mostly shrouded in shadow.

The blooming roses climbed all over the barbed wire, their reds and greens weaving a beautiful picture.

When they reached the intersection, Xia Yao bent down and used charcoal to draw arrows on the gray-white stone pavement.

"Brother Su's idea is excellent."

Lu Qifa praised him generously, taking out his cigarette case, but then, remembering something, put it back in his pocket.

"By reducing the number of times we take the wrong route, we should be able to find a way out quickly."

Zhou Ze'an walked in front, turning slightly to the side so that he could see ahead while also keeping an eye on what was behind him.

It wasn't that he was particularly enlightened, but after meeting the old man, he felt that his situation wasn't much better than Xia Yao's.

The group walked on the dark stone path, thinking they would be out soon.

But an hour passed, and more and more arrows appeared, their expressions growing increasingly grave.

"How did we end up back here again?"

When the black arrow in the charcoal drawing reappeared, Chen Qi finally couldn't help but tremble and speak out.

"Let's try walking around some more."

Liu Lili, refusing to believe it, bypassed Zhou Ze'an and went ahead to lead the way.

But after passing a fork in the road, the arrow in the charcoal drawing reappears.