After everyone had selected their answers, Zhong Zhen slowly stood up, took off his suit, folded it neatly, and placed it flat on his seat.
He loosened his collar slightly, trying to make himself more comfortable, then stood and walked with a creaking sound to the center of the room, calmly gazing up at the ceiling.
“A giant iron ball…? Come on, kill me.”
He spread his arms wide, as if welcoming a storm.
A line of text gradually lit up on the screen—
“The final answer to this question is—**’Yes’.**”
Zhong Zhen smiled faintly. “Death is good… If only we could forget everything each time, people wouldn’t suffer so much.”
**BOOM—!!**
A deafening explosion suddenly rang out, leaving everyone momentarily stunned.
Yun Yao was so shaken by the sound that she couldn’t stay seated, toppling over with her chair.
Ignoring the pain, she scrambled up in horror and frantically pounded on the wall to her left.
The tremendous noise had come from that side.
But wasn’t the coordinate for this round’s death supposed to be **”4″**? Why was it **”-2″**?!
“C-Chen Junnan… Chen Junnan, you—” Yun Yao trembled as she knocked on the wall, but words failed her. At this point, any question felt unnecessary.
Within seconds, Yun Yao’s eyes reddened with desperation. Countless questions swirled in her mind, yet there was no one to answer them.
Why was this happening?
Who had cheated?
“Referee! Referee!” Yun Yao rushed from the wall to the door and slammed her fist against the wooden surface. “The equipment malfunctioned! Your rules are broken! Is anyone there?!”
A moment later, a gust of fierce wind howled from the other side of the door, followed by an icy chill that seeped through.
Xuanwu seemed to be standing right outside.
“R-Referee… The iron ball shouldn’t have landed here according to your own rules!” Yun Yao pounded the door again. “This is a life-or-death gamble—how can you pull such tricks?!”
After a brief pause, Xuanwu spoke coldly, “Shouting recklessly. Bold.”
Yun Yao instinctively took a step back. The aura of danger from Xuanwu was leagues beyond that of Earth Snake.
When she didn’t respond, Xuanwu continued, “The rules never specified when the iron ball would drop. The game proceeds as normal.”
“Normal…?” Yun Yao felt like Xuanwu had lost all reason. “The iron ball was clearly on the opposite side earlier, and now it silently crossed half the room to land right beside me—and you call that **normal**?!”
“Bold.” Xuanwu’s voice turned icy. “Continue this insolence, and you’ll lose your head.”
Yun Yao froze, all words dying in her throat.
Why…?
She had just found motivation to keep going, yet everything slipped through her fingers again.
Why couldn’t she accomplish even one thing in this cursed place?
The “Paradise Port” she had poured her heart into had already collapsed. Those who retained their memories were dwindling by the day. She had finally mustered the resolve to gamble her life against an **Earth-level** opponent and start anew—only for Chen Junnan to die.
His death meant the “participants” had lost their bet against Earth Snake.
Was it impossible to win against an Earth-level opponent?
But… why did Xuanwu insist **everything was normal**?
Yun Yao’s hands trembled with anxiety, her ears ringing. Why… why hadn’t she heard the toll of the bell yet?
“Wait…” She lifted her head in confusion, scanning the room.
The soundproofing here was too good—outside noises were nearly inaudible.
Could the **”Echo”** have already arrived?
After a moment of contemplation, a smirk tugged at Yun Yao’s lips.
She had anticipated this day would come, that she’d be completely cut off from the outside, unaware of where the **”Echo”** was.
But **”Fortune’s Favor”** was still **”Fortune’s Favor.”**
Yun Yao pulled out a deep-red lipstick from her small bag, twisted off the cap, and applied it lightly to her lower lip. She pressed her lips together, adding a touch of color to her otherwise pale face in the dim room.
“My **’Fortune’s Favor’**…”
Her eyes turned sharp as she tossed the lipstick into the air without hesitation.
It soared upward, tracing a perfect arc before plummeting back down.
**Thud.**
The open lipstick landed perfectly upright on the ground.
Yun Yao picked it up and threw it again.
Again, it stood upright.
After the third time, she was certain.
Her **”Fortune’s Favor”** had arrived—she just didn’t know **how strong** this luck would be.
Holding the cap in her left hand, she raised it high.
With her right, she grabbed the lipstick and hurled it violently at the wall with all her strength.
The lipstick ricocheted like a wild bullet, bouncing off multiple surfaces—each time landing base-first—before smashing into the screen in front of her and rebounding into the air.
Yun Yao closed her eyes, letting instinct take over. The next second, the airborne lipstick **slipped perfectly back into its cap.**
All by **luck.**
“Good…” She opened her eyes and tossed the lipstick back into her bag. **”The ‘Fortune’ is strong. I haven’t felt luck this powerful in a long time. I hope it lasts…”**
She lowered her head, reassessing her strategy. Chen Junnan was likely dead, yet Xuanwu claimed **”all was normal.”** Did that mean they had to wait until the game fully concluded?
Because Earth Snake was still in the game, they couldn’t force him to exit mid-session?
Or had someone else made a life-or-death bet, preventing Earth Snake from leaving?
Whatever the case, with **”Fortune’s Favor”** active, even if the iron ball hovered right above her head—**it wouldn’t fall.**
It would jam, break, crack—**anything but drop.**
That was the power of **”Fortune’s Favor.”**
—
Meanwhile, in Zhong Zhen’s room.
As the echoes of the explosion faded in the distance, Zhong Zhen slowly opened his eyes in disbelief.
“Was that… divine intervention?”
After a pause, a slow smile spread across his face. **”Someone acted at this very moment. It’s hard to believe this wasn’t the will of the gods.”**
A few seconds later, he turned and picked up his suit, draping it back over his shoulders.
If a one-in-a-million chance had come true, what else was impossible?
The **”Scapegoat”** was really here.
How infinitesimal were the odds of that?
Not only was he here—he had intervened at the perfect moment to save Zhong Zhen from certain death.
If this wasn’t **”divine arrangement,”** then what was?
“If the gods helped me… then it’s my turn to return the favor.” Zhong Zhen swept back his disheveled bangs, revealing a face brimming with malice. **”My dear neighbor… I’m coming for you.”**
—
The girl in white furrowed her brows slightly, sensing something was off.
She thought she had deciphered the rules—so why had the iron ball landed **there**…?
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