“Those aren’t ‘two shops’ at all—they’re two social media platforms,” Earth-Snake said. “If you don’t understand, can you please not speak nonsense?”

“Then can you please not randomly mock others?” Qiao Jiajin asked.

“How I act—do I need to listen to your arrangements?” Earth-Snake said with a displeased expression. “This is my own choice. Besides, everyone who joins the organization does so voluntarily.”

“That sounds nice,” Qiao Jiajin snorted coldly. “Do these old friends know you’re mocking them behind their backs?”

“Of course they don’t know,” Earth-Snake replied. “If they knew, how could I continue to laugh?”

“But these people think they’ve found redemption here, never realizing they’ve become clowns,” Qiao Jiajin said. “Don’t you hope someone will help you when you encounter difficulties in your own life? When you finally muster the courage to accept help from others, only to discover it’s all a scam, wouldn’t you collapse even more?”

“What does that have to do with me?” Earth-Snake said. “What ridiculous ‘Mutual Aid Society’… Would there really be saints in this world who wholeheartedly help others? I provide the venue, I provide the time, I provide emotional value. These people just need to come before me and pour out their bitterness, and many people will comfort them. How is this different from a pie falling from the sky?”

Qi Xia, who had been listening for quite a while, felt something was strange. He touched his chin and asked, “If I remember correctly, we just said we wanted to understand the ‘Mutual Aid Society,’ yet you directly revealed your hand to us. Is that right? What if we were Participants wanting to join the organization?”

“Stop joking,” Earth-Snake waved his hand. “You three—one has proud eyes, one has pure eyes, one has wild eyes. What kind of laughably pathetic sorrow could you possibly tell me?”

“What if there is some?” Qi Xia asked.

“If there is, then it’s not the kind of sorrow I can laugh at,” Earth-Snake said. “I only need the sorrow of people who are worse off than me. I don’t even want to hear the sorrow of people like you. If you’re doing badly, it’s as it should be—it’s heaven opening its eyes, it’s evil receiving retribution.”

“I roughly understand what kind of person you are now,” Qi Xia nodded. “But you’re now ‘Earth-level.’ In every respect, you’ve surpassed ordinary people. Why do you still need to hear others’ sorrow?”

“Because I’m truly so sorrowful!!” Earth-Snake stared wide-eyed. “Can’t you see the sorrow in my eyes?!”

“Sorry, you have snake-like eyes. I can’t tell,” Qi Xia said.

“You still have the face to talk about me…” Earth-Snake laughed coldly. “Are your eyes any better than mine?”

“I’m in a bad mood right now. I won’t answer this question,” Earth-Snake turned his head to the side.

“Fine, then just tell me why an ‘Earth-level’ needs ordinary people’s sorrow?”

Earth-Snake thought for a while, then answered, “What a conflicted person I am. Clearly cynical about everything, looking down on everyone, resenting the rich, the handsome, women, and the good-hearted. Yet once I hear a truly tragic story… I also feel sad with them, even deeply empathize…”

“So?” Qi Xia asked.

“So I need to hang myself…” Earth-Snake said. “When normal people encounter this kind of thing… they either jump from buildings or hang themselves, right… But every time I hang myself, I discover how powerful my body is. This act that can kill ordinary people can’t hurt me at all. I also realize that even if that sorrow falls on my head, I couldn’t possibly be defeated. So I instantly become happy again. This is what I repeat every cycle. I need ‘hanging’ to prove I’m stronger than them.”

After hearing this, Chen Junnan could barely sit still. “You’re living such a contradictory life—doing things, feeling sad, being afraid, attempting suicide, then becoming happy. Rather than this, you might as well just stay put.”

“Stay put…?” Earth-Snake said. “I told you, I do whatever I want. Even if every sudden impulse causes me profound consequences, that’s my own doing. Besides, if I truly did nothing, I’d go crazy very quickly… I really can’t understand why those colleagues can stand at the venue entrance every day. Don’t they get bored to the point of madness?! Don’t they have any thoughts in their brains?!”

“Maybe they have thoughts, but not as dirty as your heart,” Qi Xia said.

“Ha,” Earth-Snake was amused by Qi Xia’s words. “My heart has always been dirty, and I believe all human hearts in this world are dirty—just to different degrees.”

“Good. Next question,” Qi Xia said. “How’s your mood right now?”

“Passable, but I still want to hang myself a bit,” Earth-Snake replied.

“Hang yourself later,” Qi Xia said, then pointed at Chen Junnan. “What did you do to him just now? Can you control a person’s emotions?”

After hearing this, Earth-Snake looked at Qi Xia, then his mouth curved into a grin. “Come, let’s try it quickly.”

“Try?”

Earth-Snake stood up and came between the group, then extended his hand with the back facing down.

“Let’s all cheer together,” Earth-Snake said. “After we cheer, you’ll understand.”

“Are you out of your mind?” Chen Junnan asked. “Can’t you just tell us directly?”

“Where’s the fun in that?!” Earth-Snake laughed maniacally. “Come on!! This will improve my mood!!”

After hearing this, Qi Xia took a step forward and placed his hand on Earth-Snake’s. Seeing this, Qiao Jiajin and Chen Junnan also put their hands on top of Qi Xia’s. Qin Dingdong was the last to extend her hand, stacking it with everyone else’s.

Earth-Snake looked very happy. “I’ll show you my trick now!”

Then he counted “one, two, three” and shouted “Let’s go!”

From start to finish, only he was shouting.

“Qi Xia,” Earth-Snake called out. “Looks like you haven’t retained your memories. This is really going to make me die of laughter.”

“Oh?” Qi Xia’s mouth curved upward. “Hearing you call my name, I realize coming to find you was indeed the right decision.”

“Too bad I sometimes want to deal with you and sometimes don’t. What can you do to me?” Earth-Snake said. “Now you’ve even forgotten the consequences of touching me. Naturally, you’ll get what’s coming to you.”

“Then I’ll wait and see.”

Within just a few seconds, the expressions of the people beside Qi Xia gradually changed.

Chen Junnan and Qiao Jiajin both frowned at this moment, while Qin Dingdong’s eyes turned red.

They looked very sorrowful, all appearing heavy-hearted now.

“Hahahaha!” Earth-Snake laughed loudly. “It feels so good to laugh when I want to! No need to pretend at all—I just want to mock the sorrow in your hearts! If I want to make you cry, I’ll make you cry. What’s the difference between me and a god?!”

But after laughing for a few moments, Earth-Snake gradually felt something wasn’t right.

His gaze moved from the people beside Qi Xia to Qi Xia himself.

Qi Xia was standing there expressionlessly at this moment, saying, “This is your ability?”

“What…?” Earth-Snake was slightly stunned. “How is this possible… You were clearly the one who directly touched me… You… you…”

“It’s fine,” Qi Xia slowly extended his hand. “Let’s try again.”