Qi Xia recalled the situation just moments ago.
Chen Junnan had suddenly been overwhelmed with sorrow at a certain point, but if Earth Snake had really pulled some underhanded trick, why were the others unaffected?
Though Chen Junnan was the one primarily conversing with Earth Snake, Qi Xia himself had exchanged a few words with him as well. It probably wasn’t about *hearing his voice*—could it be physical contact?
When Earth Snake was about to hang himself, Chen Junnan had reached out and grabbed him. If there was a moment for something sinister to take effect, that was likely it.
“Try not to touch him later,” Qi Xia said. “I’ll ask a few questions, and once we’re done, we’ll head back to *Paradise Port*. Lingering here too long might invite trouble.”
“Got it…” Chen Junnan nodded. “So we’re skipping the old bastard’s game today, right?”
“We’ll see.”
Qi Xia pushed the door open with the other three in tow, confirming that this was indeed a bookstore—though the shelves held not a single book, just a few scraps of paper at most.
Earth Snake didn’t even glance back at the four of them. Once inside, he strode straight through another door without a word.
Following him in, they found a small reception area inside the bookstore, likely intended for book signings in the real world.
The room was furnished with a circle of chairs, while stacks of books were piled haphazardly in the corners.
“Take a seat, everyone,” Earth Snake said. “I lost my composure earlier. Ask whatever you want.”
“Anything?” Chen Junnan verified.
“Yes, *anything*—but I might not answer.”
Earth Snake dragged a chair over and sat down gracefully, crossing his legs.
Without hesitation, Qi Xia took a seat, and the others gathered around him. The four of them sat facing Earth Snake, the setup eerily reminiscent of a press conference.
“What exactly is the *Mutual Aid Society*?” Qi Xia asked.
“Hmm…” Earth Snake pondered for a moment before replying, “Technically, I shouldn’t explain anything without a proper introduction. But since you’ve already seen my shameful moment, I’ll tell you what the *Mutual Aid Society* is—as long as you keep my hanging attempt a secret. Deal?”
“Interesting,” Qi Xia remarked. “You were the one who chose to expose your own disgrace, yet now you’re using it as leverage against us?”
“Ha.” Earth Snake shot Qi Xia a polite yet slightly disdainful glance. “People should do whatever they want in the moment. Overthinking is exhausting. Earlier, I wanted to hang myself. Now, I want you to keep it quiet. Two separate things—no cause and effect.”
Chen Junnan frowned. “Damn, your logic’s pretty airtight, huh?”
“Naturally,” Earth Snake nodded. “I believe in following one’s whims.”
“Deal,” Qi Xia agreed. “But my questions aren’t limited to the *Mutual Aid Society*. What else will you demand from us later?”
“Doesn’t matter.” Earth Snake waved a hand. “Depends on my mood. If the conversation flows, I might answer for free.”
“Fine,” Qi Xia said. “Then let’s start with the *Mutual Aid Society*.”
“The *Mutual Aid Society*… is just a gathering where people share their suffering and comfort each other. I’m the host,” Earth Snake explained. “You’ve seen groups like this elsewhere, haven’t you?”
“This kind of thing…” Chen Junnan frowned. “It’s common in foreign films. Not so much here, right?”
“Exactly, exactly.” Earth Snake nodded, stroking his pale forehead. “But in this godforsaken place, there aren’t many ways to relieve stress. So I started this group, and surprisingly, it took off.”
“I don’t quite understand,” Qi Xia said. “This is the first I’ve heard of a *Zodiac* running an organization—let alone a nonprofit. What’s your goal?”
“As for my goal…” Earth Snake smirked. “You’ll get it the moment I explain.”
The group waited, expecting clarity—only for his answer to catch them off guard once again.
“I founded the *Mutual Aid Society* to *mock* these people.” Earth Snake’s eyes widened unnaturally, his grin stretching to his cheeks. “Who knew it’d grow so big? More and more clients…”
“*Mock* them?” Qiao Jiajin was stunned. “You created an entire organization just to ridicule *Participants*?”
“Exactly, *exactly*.” Earth Snake nodded earnestly. “Makes sense, doesn’t it?”
“*Makes sense your ass*,” Qiao Jiajin retorted, baffled. “What kind of mentality is that?”
“Because no one in this world *wants* others to succeed!” Earth Snake declared shamelessly. “Do *you* enjoy seeing people around you doing better than you?”
“What’s wrong with that?” Qiao Jiajin shot back. “If you’re jealous, work harder! What’s the point of mocking those who are struggling?”
“You think I *want* to?!” Earth Snake snapped. “Every time I check Weibo or WeChat late at night, someone’s bragging about earning tens of thousands this month, vacationing abroad, or dining at expensive restaurants—they post that crap just to flaunt, *‘I’m doing better than you!’* Don’t you wish they’d just *die*?”
“Then *stop going into those two shops*!” Qiao Jiajin argued. “People like that will always exist—why obsess over them?”
“T-Two *shops*?” Earth Snake blinked in confusion.
“Yeah! If those two shops bother you, go somewhere else!” Qiao Jiajin insisted. “Train boxing, hit the gym, make money—why keep visiting those two places?”
Chen Junnan and Qi Xia exchanged awkward glances before reaching out to pull Qiao Jiajin back.
“Old Qiao… hold on, hold on,” Chen Junnan muttered. “I’ve never seen someone derail a conversation this hard *and* sound so confident about it.”
“How is this derailing?!” Qiao Jiajin protested. “Look at this snake! He’s miserable when others succeed and *happy* when they suffer—how pathetic is that?”
“But—it *is* a little off-track… just listen—”
Qi Xia chuckled softly and nodded. “I don’t think it’s derailing. Keep going.”
“*Lao Qi*, you—”
Bolstered by Qi Xia’s support, Qiao Jiajin doubled down. “White-Scaled Snake, you spend every night *hanging out in bars*, yet you complain about people in those places living too well? What’s so great about *you*?”
Earth Snake rubbed his temples, visibly exasperated. “I think I’m lost… are we even talking about the same thing?”
“Yes,” Qiao Jiajin said firmly. “If the *Liar* says so, then it is.”
Qi Xia sighed inwardly. Whether it was Qiao Jiajin or Chen Junnan, they both seemed like natural-born snake slayers.
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