Zhang Chenze arrived at the square where she had previously parted ways with Yun Yao and the others with a nervous heart, only to find the dark and slender Li Xiangling waiting there in advance.
Beside her lay the bodies of Qin Dingdong and Su Shan neatly arranged. It seemed Li Xiangling had taken great care in tidying them up, even covering their faces with two relatively clean scraps of cloth.
At that moment, Li Xiangling was kneeling before the two, hands clasped in devout prayer.
Hearing footsteps approach, she turned her head sharply, her eyes instantly alert—until she realized it was Zhang Chenze.
“Sister Zhang!” Li Xiangling chuckled softly, brushing the dust off her clothes as she slowly stood up. “I was afraid you wouldn’t know how to get to Earth Snake’s game venue, so after settling them, I waited here for you. How did it go on your end? Any progress on Wen Qiaoyun?”
“About Qiaoyun…” Zhang Chenze’s expression visibly darkened.
The words Xu Liunian and Chu Tianqiu had spoken earlier echoed in her ears, leaving her mind in turmoil, unsure how to respond.
Should she follow Chu Tianqiu’s plan and not interfere, letting things take their natural course… or heed Xu Liunian’s arrangement, using Qi Xia’s subconscious to create an entirely new Wen Qiaoyun?
“Xiangling, let’s go see Yun Yao and the others first… There’s something I need to discuss with all of you.”
Li Xiangling nodded in agreement and led Zhang Chenze toward Earth Snake’s game venue. Before leaving, the two glanced at the large screen nearby, which displayed an unusually high number of “Echoes”—names they barely recognized, like “Crimson Flame,” “Gigantification,” “Forget Sorrow,” and even… “Break All Laws.”
Unfortunately, now wasn’t the time to discuss such things, as a far more pressing issue had already presented itself.
Upon entering Earth Snake’s game venue, Zhang Chenze was immediately struck by the pungent stench—a mix of rot and foulness so overpowering that even a few seconds made her grimace.
Luckily, Yun Yao and Tian Tian had already cleared most of the debris, leaving the interior relatively tidy. Lin Qin was resting on the floor at the center of the room, though her right leg still looked concerning.
“Lawyer Zhang?” Yun Yao wiped the sweat from her forehead, her face smudged with dust. “You’re back?”
“Yeah…” Zhang Chenze’s expression remained heavy, unsure where to begin. “Even though you’ve all just finished working hard… there’s something urgent I need to discuss with you.”
The others quickly pulled out chairs, forming a circle in the main hall of Earth Snake’s venue, silently waiting for Zhang Chenze to speak.
From a completely neutral standpoint, Zhang Chenze recounted everything she had seen and heard during her visit to “Paradise.” Out of professional habit, she even included every word spoken by Old Lü and Auntie Tong.
As she spoke, the expressions of those listening shifted repeatedly.
Whether it was Chu Tianqiu’s words or Xu Liunian’s, both were difficult for them to fully grasp.
“I think I get it now…” Yun Yao nodded. “At its core… Tianqiu’s ultimate goal and Liunian’s are completely opposite.”
“Exactly.” Zhang Chenze nodded, looking at Lin Qin and Yun Yao. “The two of you understand the ‘Land of the End’ far better than I do, so I really want to hear your opinions.”
Lin Qin and Yun Yao exchanged glances. Even with their vast memories, they had little constructive input on such matters.
One sought to “become a god,” while the other aimed to “create a person.”
“Perhaps we should first clarify the direction of our discussion…” Zhang Chenze straightened in her chair, leaning back slightly before crossing her legs. “First, we need to decide whether we should help either of them—and if so, who? Second, if we choose not to get involved… what should our next course of action be?”
“There’s a third question,” Lin Qin interjected. “Qi Xia.”
“Right.” Zhang Chenze nodded. “Qi Xia is another thorny issue… The old man from the White Tiger faction once said, ‘Qi Xia is the one closest to godhood,’ implying even the management here values his abilities. They believe he has the highest chance of success. From the most rational standpoint, we could also choose to help him.”
Yun Yao took a deep breath, seeming to have something to say but shaking her head slightly before turning to Lin Qin.
“What…?” Lin Qin noticed her movement and turned to ask.
Yun Yao carefully chose her words. “Lin Qin, I haven’t interacted much with Qi Xia… What kind of person is he in your eyes?”
“He…” Lin Qin pondered for a moment before speaking candidly. “To be honest, my first impression of him was ‘dangerous.’”
“Dangerous…?”
“Yes.” Lin Qin nodded. “There’s something very unsettling about him… Even with my background in psychology, I could never read his thoughts. I might notice every micro-expression and gesture, but I could never predict his next move or words, let alone decipher the hidden schemes in his mind. At times, I felt like I was dealing with an extremely dangerous figure—someone who could kill me without me ever seeing it coming.”
Yun Yao nodded. She had briefly interacted with Qi Xia during the “Human Dragon” game, an experience still fresh in her memory. His behavior had been bizarre back then.
On the seesaw, he had seemed panicked, his voice even trembling. But the moment Tian Tian slit her own throat and bled out, Qi Xia’s demeanor shifted entirely. Once she died, all his fear and sorrow vanished, leaving only a cold remark:
“Watch. We’re going to win.”
Thinking back, this aligned perfectly with what Lin Qin had described. Had Qi Xia truly been panicked?
Had he really been so overwhelmed that he couldn’t think of a solution?
During that game, Yun Yao had begun doubting Chu Tianqiu—but wasn’t Qi Xia just as questionable?
“I think you’re right…” Yun Yao said solemnly. “Qi Xia can indeed be a dangerous person at times…”
Seeing Yun Yao’s grave expression, Lin Qin suddenly smiled. “But later, my perspective changed.”
The others turned to her again.
Lin Qin paused before continuing. “I don’t know how advanced artificial intelligence is in your era, but Qi Xia is like a machine programmed solely to win games. His ‘algorithm’ is written only for ‘victory.’ Such AI has clear strengths—it’s unstoppable—but also glaring weaknesses. If necessary… for the sake of victory, he would calculate everyone around him into his plans.”
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