Ten Day Ultimatum

Chapter 406

Chapter 406

Ten Day Ultimatum

Chapter 406 Ignorance Is Death

“Strange…” The man’s gaze went vacant as he twisted his head toward Yun Yao. “And what did you just say?”

Yun Yao swallowed hard, her voice trembling. “I–I didn’t say anything…”

“His name was Chen Junnan?” the man muttered, almost to himself. “How strange… I don’t understand… You all clearly know, yet refuse to tell me? Are you all planning to deceive me?”

A chill seeped into the women’s spines; not one of them dared breathe a word. This man seemed to be able to hear people’s inner thoughts.

His eyes bulged as he swept his gaze across them, one by one. “You all know this Chen Junnan, don’t you?”

Realizing the situation was already spiraling out of control, Qin Dingdong shouted at the top of her lungs, “Run! He’s {Celestial Snake}!!”

But before anyone could react, vines erupted beneath their feet, coiling and lashing until every last one of them was pinned in place.

“I see… very good…” Celestial Snake’s face twisted with rage as he nodded jerkily. “So you’re all deceiving me, aren’t you? I treated you with courtesy, and you repay me with lies? You… you…”

He seemed to want to say something harsh, but stammered and couldn’t get the words out.

“W–Wait…” Lin Qin gritted her teeth against the pain in her right leg and spoke, “You–You’re looking for Chen Junnan, right? I’ll tell you where he is… there’s no use tying us up…”

“What?” Celestial Snake stared at Lin Qin for several seconds.

Lin Qin felt as if her very soul was about to be devoured by his gaze.

Celestial Snake slowly raised an eyebrow. “What is {Cats}? And where is that {Prison}?”

“I…” Lin Qin hurriedly closed her eyes, unwilling to be seen through. “You let the others go… once they leave, I’ll tell you…”

Such an overpowering mind-reading ability surely had restrictions, and chief among them was probably the necessity of eye contact.

“Why over-complicate…?” Celestial Snake twisted his head toward Qin Dingdong lying on the ground. “I’ll interrogate each of you… someone will tell me eventually…”

He slowly approached Qin Dingdong, then squatted down and began, “Please listen and respond…”

“Listen and respond…?” Qin Dingdong froze. “No, hold on… I have an idea… hear me out first…”

“What is the {Peak-End Rule}?”

“W-Wait a sec—” Qin Dingdong instantly panicked. “Even if you really want to ask… shouldn’t you start with something simple…”

“You have five seconds left,” Celestial Snake said.

“Y–You motherfu…” Qin Dingdong immediately shut her eyes. In her panic, even the giant clock behind her started to sway. She muttered hurriedly, “These vines… unfortunately are fake… so where are the real—”

A bead of sweat slid down her forehead.

What an absurd belief! Vivid green vines sprouting from the earth, smelling of soil…How could they be fake?

This was Celestial Snake’s method; how could it possibly be fake?

Celestial Snake sighed, then reached out and clamped his pale hand around Qin Dingdong’s neck. “Those lacking in knowledge are destined to die.”

His grip tightened slowly, and Qin Dingdong felt her tongue was moments away from being bitten off.

“I–I know the answer!” Zhang Chenze suddenly spoke, her voice trembling. “I’m with her… can I answer for her?”

Celestial Snake didn’t say a word, only turned his gaze toward her.

“The P-Peak-End Rule refers to how…humans usually remember only two things about an experience: the emotionally intense point (peak) and how it ended,” Zhang Chenze forced herself to stay calm. “If both are positive, it’s remembered as pleasant… and vice versa.”

Celestial Snake remained silent, his grip slowly tightening.

Zhang Chenze, unsure of his intent, hurriedly added, “For example, in some restaurants… if a dish tastes exceptionally good, leaving a strong impression, and when you pay the bill you see some complimentary candy… eating that candy triggers a typical {Peak-End Rule}. Since both the peak and the end emotions are {pleasant}, your overall impression of the restaurant is {good}, and people tend to overlook negative factors like slow service, noisy environment, or long queues. Many stores widely apply this principle… it’s also known as—”

{Crack}!

With a sudden force, Celestial Snake crushed Qin Dingdong’s neck in his hand.

Zhang Chenze hadn’t even finished speaking when she choked on the horrific sight.

Qin Dingdong’s facial features grotesquely protruded, and her mouth spewed a bloody, mangled mess.

Qin Dingdong had once crossed paths with Celestial Snake, but before she could even say how to deal with this ruthless man, her life was extinguished.

Crimson blood splattered across Celestial Snake’s white button-up. He blinked blankly, shook his hand, and then looked at Zhang Chenze.

Zhang Chenze swallowed hard, feeling death creeping near.

“You… are very knowledgeable," Celestial Snake said, nodding. “I like you. Will you become my assistant?”

“Your assistant…?” Zhang Chenze furrowed her brows. “You’re someone who kills simply because others {lack knowledge}. Who would willingly become your assistant?”

“Do the ignorant not warrant death?” Celestial Snake locked his gaze on Zhang Chenze. “Heaven gives every one of us equal time… I can acquire all this knowledge, yet they remain so ignorant… how lamentable is that? Rather than let them squander their lives, I’d sooner send them on their way.”

“But is this fair…?” Zhang Chenze knew she had no way out, so she mustered her courage to continue. "Just because you understand the {Peak-End Rule} and she does not, she must die? Heaven grants each of us the same span of time. If we did not spend it pursuing your so-called knowledge, then we have naturally done what you have not. By what right do you decide who lives and who dies?"

Lin Qin and Yun Yao were both startled by Zhang Chenze’s aggressive tone. She was speaking the truth, but at such a moment, should she really provoke Celestial Snake?

“I doubt it,” Celestial Snake sneered. “There’s no knowledge in this world that I don’t know.”

“Very well,” Zhang Chenze nodded. “Please listen and respond.”

“What…?”

Everyone around her widened their eyes.

“What punishment should be meted out for forging currency?” Zhang Chenze asked.

Celestial Snake paused briefly then answered, “This should be Article 170 of the Criminal Code: anyone participating shall face imprisonment of no less than three years and no more than ten years. If the offender is the ringleader of a group, or if the forged amount is considerable or other serious circumstances exist, imprisonment shall be ten years or more, or life imprisonment.”

Zhang Chenze swallowed nervously and searched her mind for an even more obscure question. “If someone helps safeguard another person’s property… but suddenly decides to appropriate it for themselves, how should that be punished?”

“Article 270: imprisonment of no more than two years. If the amount is considerable, imprisonment shall be between two and five years, with an additional fine,” Celestial Snake answered, this time noticeably faster than before. It seemed he had already grasped Zhang Chenze’s questioning strategy.

“As I said…” Celestial Snake slowly advanced toward Zhang Chenze, “there is no knowledge in this world that I don’t know. You cannot surpass me, so you are all fools—and fools must die.”