Doctor Zhao and Xu Liunian had already talked their mouths dry, but Chu Tianqiu merely smiled faintly.

He neither interrupted the two nor refuted their words.

“Why exactly is this?” Doctor Zhao said. “I haven’t participated in many games at all. Every single time has been a narrow escape from death, barely surviving… do you really have to choose me?”

“Because you’re strong,” Chu Tianqiu said. “Every time your ‘Echo’ is needed, you can release it accurately and flawlessly. Whether you admit it or not, your psychological fortitude surpasses most people here.”

“Isn’t that obvious…” Doctor Zhao said. “When I perform surgery on patients, the situation is even more exaggerated than releasing an ‘Echo’… A whole group of people are likewise staring at me. If I make even the slightest mistake, it will lead to the patient’s death, my reputation ruined, the family members pestering me for the rest of my life. Although I won’t die, it will definitely be more unbearable than death.”

“See…” Chu Tianqiu said. “This kind of mentality already surpasses the vast majority of people. Only under absolutely high-pressure situations can the strong be produced. You’ve already experienced enough high pressure. No matter how urgent the situation becomes, it’s very difficult for you to fail, right?”

“But I don’t want to!” Doctor Zhao said. “How worldly am I…?”

He stepped forward and said to Chu Tianqiu with a wronged expression.

“Everyone says ‘a benevolent heart of a physician.’ Every person who becomes a doctor says their dream is to ‘heal the wounded and rescue the dying’…” Doctor Zhao reached up and grabbed his own hair. “But I’m truly completely different from them. What I thought was only ‘doctors can make money’ and ‘doctors can easily marry’… that’s my reason for becoming a doctor. I’ve never been some noble and selfless person. Why must you force me to do noble and selfless things?!”

Chu Tianqiu chuckled lightly and placed his hand on Doctor Zhao’s shoulder.

“So you’re special,” Chu Tianqiu said.

“What…?”

“Even though everyone knows ‘doctors can make money’ and ‘doctors can easily marry,’ there are still many people who can’t become doctors,” Chu Tianqiu continued with a smile. “And among the remaining small portion of people, even if they became doctors because of this kind of goal, they’ll change their tune and say they have a ‘benevolent heart of a physician’ and that their dream is to ‘heal the wounded and rescue the dying.’ That’s the biggest difference between you and them.”

“Stop joking…” Doctor Zhao said gloomily. “Even if I truly have a difference from them, it’s a difference in the opposite direction.”

“No. No one in this world likes ‘hypocrites,’ but some people like ‘honest villains,'” Chu Tianqiu said. “And I like ‘honest villains.’ You have a very clear understanding of yourself. This is an advantage that many people lack.”

“Of course. People are no different from machines,” Chu Tianqiu said. “Every machine has its own flaws and defects, but some people will choose to face them, while others will choose to conceal them. Only those who face their own flaws will make the entire machine better. Those who conceal and don’t report will suffer greatly someday because of it. After all, after concealing for a long time, even they themselves are unwilling to admit those flaws exist anymore.”

Chu Tianqiu’s few sentences gradually made Doctor Zhao’s expression grow confused.

Although he had always been the “neighbor’s kid,” very few people had ever acknowledged him from this angle.

Most people in this world who acknowledge you will only say your studies are good, your work is good, you have prospects, you have a future, but they never understand what kind of person you are.

Is a person who is greedy for wealth and lusts after beauty but does their utmost to treat patients a good person or a bad person?

Is a doctor who accepts red envelopes when given them but still tries their best to perform surgery when not given any a good person or a bad person?

After all, gossip is frightening in this world. How dare one display their strengths and weaknesses before everyone?

“And you, Xu Liunian,” Chu Tianqiu turned and said. “Don’t you still have things you need to do?”

“Things I need to do…?” Xu Liunian’s eyes flickered for a moment, then she said, “I no longer have anything I want to do… I only know what I ‘cannot do.’ If I’m forced to participate in this game, that would truly be absurd…”

“Stop being naive,” Chu Tianqiu said. “How is your current state any different from a homeless dog… have you just accepted your fate like this?”

“What can I do…?” Xu Liunian asked in return. “Every method I can think of is impossible to realize. Now I can only accept my fate… I only ask that I don’t die miserably again. But whether it’s you or Qi Xia, neither of you is prepared to let me go.”

“Absurd,” Chu Tianqiu said. “Xu Liunian, the reason why I haven’t abandoned you all these years is precisely because you’ve always been resisting… but look at what you look like now?”

“Resist… how else can I resist?” Xu Liunian raised a pair of eyes that seemed dead and asked desperately, “Can you give me a reason to continue resisting?”

As soon as the words fell, everyone present felt some kind of strange oppressive pressure coming from midair. They looked up one after another and saw a strange figure wearing a long robe with ink-green hair flash into existence in midair before landing on the ground.

“Isn’t asking for a reason simple?” That person’s half-male, half-female voice suddenly rang out. “The reason is to go ‘home’… I thought of several jokes today. Do you want to hear them?”

Upon seeing this suddenly appearing figure, everyone was momentarily speechless. After all, most people were seeing Qinglong for the first time.

At this moment, Zheng Yingxiong instantly reached up to cover his nose, as if he had once again received a heavy blow.

The atmosphere that had just been normal conversation instantly plummeted to freezing point. Even those who hadn’t seen Qinglong before knew that danger had arrived.

“Whoooo~~~~~~”

Before anyone could react, a sound that tore through the air exploded, sweeping away the atmosphere that had just become tense.

Everyone was startled and looked toward Chen Junnan.

“Brothers, all of you stand properly!” he shouted. “Qinglong has come from afar to tell us jokes. We can’t let the atmosphere turn cold. In a moment, start laughing when you see this master’s signal!”

After hearing this, Qinglong furrowed his brow slightly, then after a few seconds still revealed contemptuous eyes.

“Showing off verbal cleverness…” Qinglong snorted coldly. “Mortals are like this… no matter how bitter their days are, their mouths are always tough.”

“Whoa…” After hearing this, Chen Junnan blinked and turned his head to look at Qiao Jiajin, as if pondering something.

“What, did I hit a sore spot?”

“Not really…” Chen Junnan shook his head. “I’m just not quite sure whether I should laugh now… after all, this joke really isn’t very interesting.”

“You…”

Just as Qinglong was about to get angry, Qi Xia spoke up and interjected, “Is there something wrong with wanting to ‘go home’?”

Qinglong paused, clearly showing an interested expression.

“What a foolish thought… Qi Xia,” Qinglong said with a smile. “Do you know… what’s the difference between humans and pigs?”