Ten Day Ultimatum
Chapter 226

Chapter 226 Coercion

What is the next logical course to follow? The crowd exchanged uncertain looks.

Lawyer Zhang and Tian Tian standing by, seemed deeply startled. What was happening here? What were these people doing?

"Damn..." Qiao Jiajin was utterly at a loss. "What now? Are we just supposed to sit here and wait to die?"

Lin Qin and Officer Li both looked at Qi Xia, their hopes pinned on him. Things had become dire, and now they could only trust that Qi Xia had a solution.

Yet Qi Xia, at this moment, wore a dazed expression as he gently held Yu Nian'An’s hand, gazing at her in silence.

“An... your hand is freezing. Are you feeling cold?”

“No, I’m fine.”

"Yu Nian'An..." Lin Qin's gaze darkened as she frowned, a growing realization that everything had unfolded due to the appearance of Yu Nian'An.

"Give me the gun." She turned to Officer Li. "It seems there is but one course of action now..."

Qiao Jiajin saw the look Lin Qin gave him, and an uneasy feeling crept over him. “Psychologist... are you playing with fire?” he whispered with worry. “If you kill that leng-mui... Swindler lad won’t let you off. I have a feeling things will get even more complicated after that..."

"But he's on the brink of madness!" Lin Qin exclaimed. "I don't care if he hates me. What matters now is snapping him out of it! Otherwise, he’ll end up forever living here with this Yu Nian'An—as just another indigenous inhabitant!"

Officer Li and Han Yimo exchanged a glance, both realizing the gravity of the situation.

Han Yimo and Doctor Zhao threw the handgun and magazine back to Officer Li, who swiftly reassembled it, then quickly released the safety before tossing it to Lin Qin.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Qin slowly raised the handgun and aimed it at Yu Nian'An.

Regardless of what You Nian'An truly was, she seemed to be a normal person. A normal person, upon death, would inevitably be resurrected in the next cycle.

"I'm sorry, Yu Nian'An..."

Just as Lin Qin raised the handgun to fire, a voice slowly rang out beside Yu Nian'An.

"Lin Qin, put the gun down."

Everyone froze, realizing that it was Qi Xia who spoke.

"What?"

Qi Xia turned his head, his cold eyes locking onto Lin Qin.

"I said, put the gun down."

"You..."

Everyone could sense that Qi Xia was acting strangely. He typically had a clear logic behind every action, yet now, he seemed to be letting his emotions dictate his behavior.

"Qi Xia, if we don't kill her, you'll—"

"Killing my Yu Nian'An is utterly pointless," Qi Xia said coldly, casting a glance at the Mortal Goat lying on the ground. He then continued, "You’re pointing your guns at Yu Nian'An because you want me to offer a solution, don’t you?"

Lin Qin knew that Qi Xia's words were correct. In her attempt to make use of Qi Xia's intellect, she was now considering the act of killing his most cherished person.

"You selfish, self-centered people." Qi Xia said, his face etched with displeasure as he swept a scornful gaze over the room. "To make me provide a solution, you actually have the audacity to point a gun at Yu Nian'An, don’t you?"

Qiao Jiajin felt a surge of discomfort at his words. "Swindler lad, how could you think of us like that?"

"You're right, that's exactly the situation," Lin Qin said without any attempt to conceal her thoughts. "If pointing a gun at Yu Nian'An can lead to a solution, then communicating with you would be far easier."

Qi Xia stared intently into Lin Qin’s eyes before speaking slowly, "Stop pointing the gun at Yu Nian'an. Lower it, and I will share the solution with you."

Lin Qin, after hearing this, slowly lowered the gun.

"Excellent," Qi Xia nodded. "As I mentioned before, killing my An won’t accomplish anything. The priority now is to ensure the Mortal Goat dies."

"What?" Lin Qin was taken aback.

"Throw the gun to Mortal Goat," Qi Xia commanded. "As he just stated, the contract stipulates that if he fails to commit suicide, a higher-up will personally come to kill him, and that’s when we’ll face real danger."

This sparked a fresh perspective for the group.

Qi Xia further explained, "Yu Nian'an’s presence in this room means it could be considered a {violation}. If a higher-up comes to eliminate us here, the consequences for us will be far worse."

Upon hearing this strategy, the group exchanged uncertain glances. They were all too aware of Qi Xia's calculating nature, and while his words sounded reasonable, the truth of the statement was impossible to verify.

"I have no intention of deceiving anyone," Qi Xia said. "Every time the Mortal Goat dies, we are free to act. But if you use the last remaining bullet to kill Yu Nian'An, we will remain bound to these chairs, helpless, waiting for the harpoon to come."

Though his eyes seemed somewhat vacant, the logic behind his words remained impeccably clear, making it impossible not to believe him.

"He's right," Officer Li nodded. "I’ve also seen that contract..."

Though the others had no idea what {contract} Officer Li was referring to, it was evident that the Mortal Goat was following the stipulations laid out within it.

Lin Qin deliberated for a moment before deciding to adopt Qi Xia's strategy. Under the watchful eyes of the others, she threw the handgun to Mortal Goat.

Though the Mortal Goat could neither hear nor see, the weight of something heavy dropping into his arms was unmistakable.

He looked down, and felt its shape—a handgun.

"Great... great!!" Mortal Goat raised his head, his bloodied eyes wide with excitement as he shouted, "I can die now!! I can finally die!!"

In the next moment, Mortal Goat raised the handgun and aimed it at his own heart, pulling the trigger without hesitation. The deafening gunshot reverberated through the sealed room, gradually fading away, along with Mortal Goat’s agonized scream.

At that instant, everyone was finally able to stand on their feet.

Lawyer Zhang quickly rose, staggering backward before collapsing heavily onto the floor.

Tian Tian rushed over and helped her up. "Are you okay?" she asked, concern in her voice.

"What... what is this place?" Lawyer Zhang asked, her gaze frantic as she looked at the people before her. "What’s going on here? Do you all know each other? How can you all remain so composed when someone just committed suicide right in front of you?”

Officer Li slowly walked over to Lawyer Zhang and spoke calmly, “Lawyer Zhang, please, take a moment to collect yourself. I will explain everything to you shortly.”

“How do you know my surname...?”

Qiao Jiajin moved to Tian Tian’s side, his voice soft and reassuring. "Leng-mui, it's going to be dangerous later. Stay behind me, and once we’re out of this room, I’ll explain everything to you."

Tian Tian eyed him warily. The man in front of her had a rough, almost rogue air about him, his arms tattooed with colorful designs, and his first words to her were {leng-mui}. It was hard to believe he wasn't a bad person.

Lin Qin approached the Mortal Goat’s lifeless body and began rifling through his pockets. Sure enough, she found a stack of A4 paper and a few pens. Before long, she unearthed {identity cards} from one of his pockets.

After a moment of contemplation, she turned and handed the pen, identity cards, and papers to everyone. "Although this is our first time encountering such a situation, for safety’s sake, let’s all write down Mortal Goat’s name."