Chapter 16: When the moment of choice arrives, it is always "better the fellow Daoist dies than I do

The large screens in Dragon Country.

Deliveryman A saw that Deliveryman B was already immobile, and then looked at the security guard with the cold, indifferent face.

That gaze was like that of a god or a demon; even the supernatural would be terrified by it, let alone a mere human.

Terrified, Deliveryman A fled frantically, without even a single thought of fighting back in his mind.

Zhang Yangqing's performance here truly chilled the audience to the bone.

He had never intended to let Deliveryman A leave.

Utilizing his advantage of knowing the terrain, he circled around to the front of Deliveryman A, intending to intercept him.

Unexpectedly, Deliveryman A saw the flashlight beam and, in a panic, hid inside a small exhibition hall, bolting the door shut behind him.

"Doing this actually saves me some trouble. You don't think the thing inside is any easier to deal with than I am, do you?"

Zhang Yangqing walked to the door, casually locked it from the outside, and then left.

Next, a series of violent pounding sounds erupted from inside the small exhibition hall.

This was followed by a burst of blood-curdling screams, and then, silence.

This scene caused many viewers to break out in a cold sweat.

Before Zhang Yangqing appeared, everyone thought the supernatural entities were terrifying.

But after Zhang Yangqing appeared, everyone felt that this guy was far more terrifying than the entities!

When other Chosen Ones went in, they were hunted and chased by the supernatural; when this guy went in, it was the supernatural that was being hunted!

In particular, the methods this Chosen One used were nothing short of spine-chilling.

Never mind the viewers in Dragon Country; the entire world was stunned by this move.

To think someone could find a perfect solution to such an unsolvable predicament.

It was just that this "solution" was not something an ordinary person could accept.

After a brief pause, the bullet comments surged in like a tidal wave.

This guy is not right. Can a human be this cold-blooded?

I admit this is the only solution, but the methods are too cruel. That delivery guy was clearly a good person, why hurt them?

Even if he survives this way, it's not honorable. He might as well have died a hero like John from Eagle Country.

Are you trying to kill me with that joke? If John knew you thought like that, he'd definitely want you to join him.

If he were a Chosen One from another country, I'd call him inhumane. But since he's from our country, he did the right thing!

What's there to criticize? The Ghost Story World ends once you clear it, but if he dies, we all die. So, he did nothing wrong.

Now I understand why we had nine consecutive losses. If any of the previous nine had been such a ruthless character, we wouldn't have lost nine times in a row.

I have a suggestion: this big brother will definitely clear the stage without much trouble. For the next Chosen Ones going in, don't carry any psychological burdens. Kill when you must! Do whatever you have to do!

I'll say it again: I am a die-hard fan of the big brother. Anyone who dares say he isn't—send me your address!

In contrast to the heated debate in the comments, the Dragon Country expert group was quietly recording data.

After all, the experts did not see anything wrong with Zhang Yangqing's actions.

In such a moment of crisis, even the high-IQ Professor John couldn't find a way and could only leave things to fate.

If their own Chosen One could find a way to solve it, that was a good thing—and a method that could be written into textbooks.

In the world of Ghost Stories, everything that can be utilized must be utilized.

"Old Hu, if it were you, would you have any other solutions?"

An expert looked at the data in his hands and asked Hu Liuchi, seemingly hoping he would add something.

At this moment, Hu Liuchi wanted to curse. You all just know how to throw these questions at me because you don't want to take the blame, right?

Understanding was one thing, but many experts did not want to be branded with the title of "cold-blooded and ruthless."

If Hu Liuchi affirmed this method, wouldn't it imply that he was that kind of person as well?

Despite thinking this, Hu Liuchi still spoke: "This is actually the optimal solution. If I were in there, I wouldn't have thought of this either. However, this method serves as a warning for future Chosen Ones. In fact, Chosen Ones worldwide will likely imitate it. Don't look at how loudly these people criticize from their moral high ground; when it comes time for them to make the choice, they'll all choose 'let the fellow die so I may live.'"

Hu Liuchi's words carried a double meaning.

First, by stating he wouldn't have thought of it in the Ghost Story World, he was telling everyone, "I'm not actually a cold-blooded person either."

He shifted the "cold-blooded" label onto Zhang Yangqing.

However, he had no intention of offending Zhang Yangqing; instead, he showed great respect for someone capable of such extremity.

Secondly, his second paragraph, which seemed to criticize others for standing on a moral high ground, was actually a jab at the experts present for being hypocrites.

As a veteran tomb raider of over ten years, it wasn't uncommon to spout words of brotherhood while entering a tomb, only to sell out one's teammates when danger struck.

Therefore, under normal circumstances, Hu Liuchi wouldn't believe the empty words of teammates, nor would he claim to be a "good person."

Everyone was simply trying to survive. Thus, he had no issue with Zhang Yangqing's actions; he only felt disdain for these hypocrites.

Hu Liuchi saw human nature very clearly.

Because he knew that only people like himself and Zhang Yangqing could survive in such a bizarre world.

If everyone thought, "I want to keep my good reputation AND clear the stage," such a thing wouldn't exist.

This wasn't a reality show; this was the Ghost Story World.

Those who hadn't entered wouldn't know just how dangerous it was.

Hu Liuchi calculated in his mind that if he were in Zhang Yangqing's position and could think of such a method, he would certainly implement it without hesitation.

In the Ghost Story World, Zhang Yangqing felt nothing of the commotion.

He was simply focused on playing the role of a vicious security guard.

As for the various theories outside, he had no way of knowing.

And even if he did, it wouldn't matter. "If you're so good, you try it."

But while the global audience was in an uproar, everyone agreed on one thing.

Some might think the Dragon Country Chosen One was heartless, cold-blooded, or fierce, but no one called him weak.

Contrary to the sentiment of the Dragon Country viewers, Zhang Yangqing's actions were actually met with massive admiration abroad.

Most of the foreign audience worshipped the strong, and they always maintained a respectful attitude toward strength.

Zhang Yangqing's global support rating instantly jumped from last place to the very top.

Almost everyone simultaneously turned to the large screens in Dragon Country, wanting to see what this man would do next.

Some were afraid, yet they still wanted to watch.

So far, of the 23 Chosen Ones who survived the previous round, only 16 remained.

In this round, seven unlucky Chosen Ones had eaten problematic steaks.

But people also began to notice a detail.

Aside from the powerful Chosen One from Dragon Country and the one from Ramen Country who had locked himself in to wait for death, the other 14 Chosen Ones were all at the level of human elites in terms of both physical fitness and intelligence.

After this trial of life and death, the fear in their eyes gradually faded, replaced by a determined gaze.

Just then, the clock struck four. The patrol time had arrived.

(End of Chapter)