Yun Yao raised her head, sensing the massive iron ball hovering above. She let out a soft sigh.
Yes, everything had unfolded exactly as Chen Junnan had predicted. But now, the problem was just as thorny. When the iron ball fell next time, the one to die would be either her or Earth Snake.
She couldn’t be certain that Earth Snake would be the one to perish.
Meanwhile, Chen Junnan slowly closed his eyes. All that remained was to wait—wait until the eighteenth question arrived.
Whether their opponent was a far-sighted strategist or a bloodthirsty demon would be revealed in the eighteenth round.
During the sixteenth round, the group passed the question as usual. When Yun Yao called, the message she relayed was brief—just two words: *Choose “Yes.”*
The best course of action now was to follow this unseen leader.
After all, Earth Snake’s day of reckoning was coming.
Chen Junnan picked up the phone and dialed Xu Qian, but to his surprise, the call was answered on the second ring.
Ever since “-2” died, his calls had always gone unanswered until the tenth ring or later. The sudden response caught him off guard, but he quickly pieced it together.
“Old bastard? So you live this close to me?” Chen Junnan laughed. “How’s your health these days? Still got that nasty habit of screaming for no reason?”
Earth Snake fell silent for a moment before speaking. “Can’t you… spare me?”
“Spare you…?”
“That’s right. I don’t want to die,” Earth Snake said. “Name your price—beautiful women, trained children… or if you need someone killed, I can do that too. Just let me live.”
Chen Junnan’s smile faded. His eyes turned icy as he spat, “You’re disgusting even when begging. What the hell do you mean by ‘beautiful women and trained children’? I swear, I’d love to storm into your room right now and rip your tongue out.”
“No—just listen to me! Everyone in the ‘Endgame’ has something they want. What’s yours?” Earth Snake pressed, voice grave. “There are no laws or morals here. I can give you anything—just ask.”
Chen Junnan stayed silent for a beat before chuckling darkly. “You know what? You’re right. There *are* no laws or morals here…”
“Yes, exactly!” Earth Snake nodded eagerly. “Don’t you want power over others? The women you couldn’t have before—once you become an Earth-level player, you can take them with ease. No one can resist you! If you want, I can even mentor you, help you start as a lesser Snake…”
Chen Junnan shook his head, sneering. “So you’re saying I should ditch this handsome face, squeeze into some rotting snake skin, and follow your lead—using game rules to threaten girls into submission?”
“What’s wrong with that?!” Earth Snake snapped, growing desperate. “In the real world, how many things truly go your way?! But here, we can have it all! As Zodiacs, we rule our games! Even the higher-ups have to respect our rules!”
Chen Junnan took a deep breath, visibly seething.
“Man, I’m *dying* to know—just how pathetic was your real life that you had to come to this rotten hellhole to feel important?”
“Me…?”
“Too bad for you, old man—I’m way too old-fashioned for your ‘modern’ tastes. I’ve beaten the crap out of countless people, but I’ve never once raised my voice at a woman. The heavens gave me this strength so I could help those in need.”
Earth Snake’s wrinkled face twisted in frustration. “Still spouting noble crap at a time like this?! We’re both men—don’t think I don’t know what you’re *really* after! You teamed up with that pretty girl to play the hero, didn’t you? But now you’re gambling with your life! You screwed up, but it’s not too late to change your mind!”
Chen Junnan grinned. “We’re both men, sure—but you don’t know a damn thing about me. You actually thought I’d side with *you*? Let me tell you, when I pick friends, I only care about two things: loyalty to buddies and respect for women. Take a good piss in a puddle and look at yourself. Which one do you qualify for?”
“Hah… So *righteous*,” Earth Snake sneered. “I’ve met plenty of hypocrites like you. And that girl you brought—wearing a short skirt? Who’s she dressing up for, huh? Don’t play innocent with me.”
Hearing that, Chen Junnan knew there was no point in talking anymore.
“Oh, excuse me—are your eyeballs *pissing* out of your bladder or what? Why does everything look ‘slutty’ to you? She dressed like that *for you*? You’re out here barking like a dog and chewing grass, talking shit with a mouth full of crap while pretending to be a sheep. If I strip down to my underwear and barge into your room, can I sue *you* for harassment?”
Chen Junnan tore into Earth Snake over the phone, leaving him utterly speechless.
“What? Blood pressure spiking? Cat got your tongue?” Chen Junnan jeered. “Where’s all that big talk from earlier? Go ask around the alleys of Beijing—I might be second best with my fists, but my mouth’s unbeatable.”
Earth Snake exhaled sharply, defeated. “Enough. Last chance—will you cooperate or not?”
Chen Junnan paused, then said, “Tell you what, old man. Do one thing for me, and I’ll back off.”
“What?”
“Those women and kids you mentioned—where are they now?”
“So you *are* interested,” Earth Snake chuckled dryly. “They’re locked up in this building. Let me live, and they’re yours.”
“Great. That’s just perfect.” Chen Junnan nodded. “In that case, you can die in peace.”
“W-what?!” Earth Snake stammered. “You little bastard—you tricked me?! You’re not teaming up?!”
“Sorry, old man. I *would* leave you alone—but there’s someone else gunning for your life now. Can’t help you.”
“Someone *else*?!”
“Yep. Lucky me—someone rolled up in a tank, aiming the barrel straight at your mouth. And just to be safe, I hopped on board to help him finish you off. As for who gets the tank afterward… well, that’s between us. Have a nice trip to hell.”
Without waiting for a reply, Chen Junnan hung up.
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