After thinking for a while, Earth-Dog still said, “Now I… will begin my action first.”

Su Shan knew Earth-Dog had no other choice.

He slowly took out a stick, as if choosing a direction. After pondering for quite a while, he finally aimed at Qin Dingdong.

“This ‘calamity’ is called—’wildfire.'”

He slowly inserted this stick into the hole facing Qin Dingdong’s direction.

“What?!”

Qin Dingdong was greatly shocked. Just as she extended a hand to curse Earth-Dog, several small pipes extended from the ceiling. Before she could speak, several tongues of flame instantly sprayed out.

Fortunately, her body was covered with water. The flames that fell in an instant didn’t injure her, but they forced her into the water.

Qin Dingdong covered her mouth and nose in the water, her eyes closed in pain.

“Please have the first person ‘draw a stick.'”

Su Shan had been prepared long ago. Before the “neutral stick” in front of her had fully appeared, Su Shan immediately pulled it out and tossed it aside, then accurately inserted “No Idle Fields Under Heaven.”

Zhang Chenze waited anxiously. Earth-Dog only slowly said “Please have the second person draw a stick” after several seconds.

“Damn it! Don’t delay time!!” Su Shan reached out and patted the glass. “I thought you were an upright person, but now you’re actually using such a despicable tactic…”

While looking at Earth-Dog, Su Shan constantly glanced at Qin Dingdong from the corner of her eye.

Since she had entered the water too hastily, she hadn’t had time to take in enough oxygen. The current situation was worse than imagined.

In her room, there was freezing water below and scorching fire above. Who knew what material the surrounding glass was made of—under these harsh conditions, it didn’t even have a single crack.

Qin Dingdong in the water felt the surroundings heating up. Moreover, her lungs that had just been injured by poison gas hadn’t recovered. Now after holding her breath, her entire chest cavity was in searing pain.

In the time ahead… would she be boiled alive, or would she drown?

Zhang Chenze hurriedly knocked away the flying suit jacket in front of her, then pressed down the “Hoeing Grain at Midday” that floated up. But Earth-Dog fell into silence again for several seconds.

She and Lin Qin also noticed the anomaly and were now forcefully pounding on the glass.

This time, Su Shan’s strategy was completely correct. If they had just removed the “flooding,” there would only be a small amount of broken ice in Qin Dingdong’s room now, and the flames falling from the ceiling would have already burned her to death.

It seemed the rules set by Earth-Dog prevented him from delaying time indefinitely, but each time he would delay about five seconds. This might be the “limit time” he could control.

He should also know that “Torrential Rainstorm” was in Zhang Chenze’s hands, so “wildfire” falling in autumn would have no effect. At most ten seconds later, summer would save her.

As for “spring” and “summer,” there was even less to say. These two seasons would act quickly at the start. Once they used their “sticks,” even if they died, it wouldn’t matter—Earth-Dog would still lose the game.

Considering everything comprehensively, Earth-Dog could only bring “wildfire” down in Qin Dingdong’s room.

Then he used the ugliest tactic—delaying time.

Qin Dingdong’s room was now the only one among the four people where experiencing the time-delayed “wildfire” wouldn’t result in being burned to death. The only hope now was that she could hold on.

“The second person’s ‘wish’ is complete… Please have the third person ‘draw a stick’…”

“Son of a bitch…” Zhang Chenze anxiously clenched her fist and forcefully pounded the glass. “What you’re doing isn’t fair!! We’ve already given it our all! You won’t die even if you lose, so why must you delay time?!”

Lin Qin had long been waiting by the hole. That “Rice Flowers Drift in Bountiful Year” was also pressed down the instant it floated up.

Now everyone’s eyes were focused on Qin Dingdong. She was tightly furrowing her brow, constantly kicking her legs in the water—clearly about to suffocate at any moment.

“Hold on…” Su Shan’s palms were completely sweaty with tension. “Dingdong… you are all our hope…”

But ethereal hope always leads to despair.

Although Qin Dingdong was covering her mouth and nose in the water, everyone clearly saw a large mouthful of fresh blood explode from between her fingers. Due to the continuously rising water temperature, this blood didn’t disperse strand by strand like ink, but instead dyed a large area like fireworks.

She was reaching her limit.

“The third person’s ‘wish’ is complete… Now please have the fourth person ‘draw a stick’…”

The “stick” in Qin Dingdong’s room slowly rose, but she couldn’t open her eyes at all. At this moment, she was fiercely pressing her mouth and nose with both hands. Since she had just spurted out a mouthful of fresh blood, if she loosened her hands now, she would immediately gulp down a mouthful of water.

“Not good…” Su Shan’s heart rose to her throat. She knew that once that “stick” floated to the water surface, it would be caught between the raging fire and cold water, making it difficult for Qin Dingdong to grab it again.

At this moment, all the girls in the rooms held their breath together with Qin Dingdong, able to hear only their own heartbeats.

Qin Dingdong slowly opened one eye at this moment. The turbid, freezing water made both her eyes sting with pain.

She couldn’t hear the broadcast at all. With a downward glance, she happened to see something unusual appearing at the table below.

Had the “stick” arrived?

“But I…” Qin Dingdong bit her teeth and let her body slowly sink down, but her vision began to darken and her whole body was in excruciating pain.

Now there was only one last method for her—when her hands left her mouth and nose, she would try her best to press down that “stick.” Although she would choke on water, it would also end this game.

Diving down to the table, Qin Dingdong aimed at the “stick’s” position and immediately reached out to grab it. But more bad luck came—just at this moment, that “stick” detached from the table and floated toward the water surface at extremely fast speed.

She gulped down a large mouthful of water, instantly feeling unbearable soreness in her mouth and nose. But she still steeled herself and extended her hand. Closing both eyes, she reached toward the position of the hole in her memory and forcefully inserted it downward.

This time, she could only bet all her luck on her own “conviction.”

The other several people stared at Qin Dingdong with wide eyes. They had clearly seen that “stick” had already floated toward the water surface, yet Qin Dingdong still inserted a “stick” down at the table surface.

Would they win?

Qin Dingdong had completely lost consciousness at this moment. Her whole body stretched out in the water, like another “stick,” also quietly floating toward the water surface.

The short few seconds of waiting made everyone feel like they had endured a century.

Finally, one of the lamps above Earth-Dog’s head went out, and cheerful music suddenly exploded.

Another year of abundant food and clothing—this time they had completely driven away the “Year Beast.”

The doors of all five people’s rooms opened at this moment.

The game was over.

The accumulated water in Qin Dingdong’s room instantly poured out. Carried by the water flow, she continuously struck the glass walls several times before finally sprawling on the ground.

Su Shan hurriedly ran toward her. Although Lin Qin was also somewhat worried, her right leg had completely lost sensation, so she could only support herself against the wall and shuffle out step by step.

Zhang Chenze forcefully pushed aside the animated jacket to one side. After exiting, she immediately turned back to close the door, then frantically shook her body. The locusts covering her body also scattered all over the ground at this moment.