Chapter 52

Xiao Xiao casually smashed a table, picked up a piece of wood with nails from the ground, and slowly walked to Qiao Jiajin's side.

"Hey!!" Qi Xia felt something was wrong, "What are you going to do?! Wait a moment..."

"These people are dead, so be it," Xiao Xiao said, "They are not worth pitying, I will show you."

"No!" Qi Xia shouted anxiously, "I understand! I will do everything you say, just put the thing down!"

Xiao Xiao, as if she hadn't heard anything, slowly raised the wooden board in her hand.

"Hey! I agree to all your conditions! You don't need to prove it to me!!"

Seeing Xiao Xiao acting like a madman, Qi Xia hurriedly called out to Qiao Jiajin: "Hey! Qiao Jiajin! Don't pretend to be dead! Get up!!"

As soon as the words were out, Xiao Xiao's wooden board came down, the side with the nails directly piercing Qiao Jiajin's skull.

"Long live the Yakuza," she said with a smile.

Qiao Jiajin's body trembled, his limbs convulsed several times, and then he fell silent.

"Hey... Qiao Jiajin..."

Qi Xia's eyes widened, his lips moved slightly.

"Speak, Qiao Jiajin... What the hell are you pretending... The bear didn't kill you... How could a nail kill you...?"

Qi Xia didn't get a response from Qiao Jiajin, but instead saw the spreading blood.

He knew that anyone who had a nail inserted into their brain would not survive.

Qiao Jiajin was dead.

"Qiao..." Qi Xia looked at the scene in disbelief, his mind echoing a phrase...

"You have the brains, I have the strength, let's work together?"

"Qi Xia, look," Xiao Xiao said with a smile, "They are not worth pitying."

"Ahhhhhh—"

Qi Xia suddenly let out a惨叫, feeling a sharp pain in his head. His hands and feet instantly regained sensation, but he could only roll on the ground, clutching his head.

Seeing Qi Xia suddenly able to move freely,

Xiao Xiao clearly paused.

This headache lasted for a very long time. Qi Xia felt as if the nail hadn't pierced Qiao Jiajin but had instead been driven into his own brain, stirring his brain matter, making him wish he were dead.

Two minutes later, Qi Xia's headache suddenly disappeared, and he stood up expressionless.

"Amazing, Qi Xia," Xiao Xiao said with a smile, "Can you ignore my 'Echo'?"

"I advise you to stop this..." Qi Xia said coldly, "If you have any issues, come at me..."

"No," Xiao Xiao said, "I need to make you understand that these people can be killed at will, and you can kill them too."

"Why would I kill them..." Qi Xia's eyes were extremely cold, his entire being devoid of emotion, "I am different from you lunatics, don't compare me to you."

"It seems you still don't understand," Xiao Xiao shook her head in frustration, then shook the wooden board, pulling the nail out of Qiao Jiajin's head. She shook off the blood and said to Qi Xia, "Once I kill them all, you will understand."

With that, she walked straight toward Tian Tian.

"Lunatic, that's enough..." Qi Xia's lips moved slightly, "We have barely survived this long, what right do you have to decide our lives and deaths..."

"That's why I say it's meaningless," Xiao Xiao raised the wooden board again.

This time, Qi Xia didn't give her the chance, immediately rushing forward, intending to knock her down. However, under the immense impact, the woman didn't budge.

Qi Xia had to change his strategy, hugging her thick waist like a load-bearing wall, pushing her backward.

Xiao Xiao took two steps back, her expression turning cold.

"Qi Xia, I am clearly helping you, but you are stubborn, and I am very disappointed," Xiao Xiao shook her head, grabbed Qi Xia's neck, and threw him away like a dog.

Qi Xia hit the wall, letting out a painful cry. He felt the woman's strength was abnormally strong, as if she had undergone rigorous training.

"Long live the Yakuza," Xiao Xiao smiled, and the wooden board fell again, piercing Tian Tian's skull.

Qi Xia heard Tian Tian's voice in his head—

"I came here because there was no place for me."

The excruciating pain swept over him again, and Qi Xia clutched his head, screaming in agony on the ground.

Tian Tian was also dead.

Qi Xia felt his head was about to split open.

His vision turned black, and his consciousness gradually faded.

Before he passed out, he heard a loud bell ringing in the distance.

...

"Xia, look," Yu Nian'an held up an old shirt, seemingly showing it off to Qi Xia, "Look here."

She extended her fair fingers, pointing to the pocket on the shirt's chest, where a cartoon lamb was sewn.

"I fixed the torn part for you! Isn't my work good?"

"Indeed, it is good," Qi Xia nodded while eating a bowl of instant noodles, "But why not buy a new one?"

"To save money!" Yu Nian'an smiled, "When we have money in the future, you can buy as many as you want, but for now, we'll make do."

Qi Xia paused, putting down the instant noodles, and said, "Xiao An, we will have money soon, if that deal succeeds, we will have two million..."

"I believe you," Yu Nian'an smiled and nodded, "Xia, there are many paths in this world, and everyone has their own. I believe you will succeed."

"Okay," Qi Xia nodded, feeling particularly reassured. He wanted to say something more to Yu Nian'an but suddenly noticed the sky outside the window.

...

The dark red sky was adorned with a dull yellow sun.

Qi Xia blinked, feeling something was off.

"What's going on..." He turned to look at Yu Nian'an, but her face had turned into Xiao Xiao's.

Xiao Xiao smiled and moved her lips, saying, "Long live the Yakuza."

The next second, two figures appeared behind Xiao Xiao, clearly Qiao Jiajin and Tian Tian.

Their foreheads were oozing brain matter and blood, and they were looking at Qi Xia with a mix of resentment and unwillingness.

"You, you... I..."

Qi Xia suddenly felt a wave of fear and immediately flipped off the chair, running out the door.

He wanted to escape this hellish place.

It was all a nightmare.

When he opened the door to his room, he felt an even deeper despair.

Outside was an endless corridor, with thousands of doors on both sides, and people wearing animal masks were continuously walking out.

...

"Qi Xia! Qi Xia!!" A frantic voice pulled Qi Xia back.

He slowly opened his eyes and saw Lin Ping's clean face.

"Lin..." Qi Xia frowned, feeling a splitting headache, "What's going on?"

Lin Ping's eyes were filled with tears, and she sobbed, "I was so scared... I thought you were dead like Qiao Jiajin and Tian Tian..."

Qi Xia recalled the terrifying experience, dazedly standing up and looking at Qiao Jiajin and Tian Tian's bodies not far away, momentarily losing his composure.

Although this wasn't a dream, it was a reality even more terrifying than a dream.

"Qi Xia... What happened..." Lin Ping choked, "Who killed them?"

Qi Xia didn't answer, instead looking at Lin Ping expressionlessly, and asked with a hint of confusion, "Why are you still alive?"