Chapter 671: 669 Chapter 671: 669 It was apparent that, in just this short amount of time, the average pressure among the crowd had skyrocketed.
But considering optimism and reason, these virtues, the level was obviously still not enough.
With his back to the burning mountain, Fu Qian watched the people who were still rushing over.
Spreading fear wasn’t that easy.
“Before that, I have a question too.”
Facing the emotionally charged Fran, Fu Qian didn’t immediately answer her question.
“With only an hour left until the apocalypse, and the infection that could rob you of your self at any moment, which do you find more terrifying?”
…
Faced with Fu Qian’s smiling question, Fran’s complexion turned even paler, and she remained silent.
But that’s okay, the question was meant for everyone anyway.
Humans have a good habit; when faced with options, they will involuntarily make a choice, even if all the options are absurd.
And even if it’s just an unconscious choice, it still has the effect of psychological suggestion.
“Answer her question,” Chief Jones suddenly raised his gun, standing up for Fran.
Oh?
Fu Qian turned and stared for a few seconds, only to see firmness in the other’s expression, his safety catch already off.
Seems like his mental state is a bit unstable too!
“No matter how you look at it, he’s just a young man who’s done wrong, trying to absolve himself by making up stories.”
Fu Qian displayed an exaggerated smile.
“I’ve said from the start that I came here looking for someone, even Laxik got a fine because of it.”
…
He would have been better off not mentioning it; as soon as he spoke, Chief Jones’s expression shuddered, forcefully recalling that eerie fine.
The fine that even its issuer had no recollection of.
Years of professional experience made him disbelieve any anomaly without a reason.
Could it be that the fine wasn’t supposed to exist at all? Merely the product of some mad delusion?
This seemingly most plausible explanation made Chief Jones feel a level of irritation he had never experienced before.
So much so that Fu Qian’s smiling face became increasingly repugnant to him, and he eventually couldn’t help but step forward, spinning the gun in his hand to strike.
Click!
With a crisp sound, his arm had twisted into a strange angle.
His handcuffs …
As the thought arose, Jones realized he was already restrained from behind.
Only now did the pain flood in like a tidal wave.
“When trying to deceive oneself, one tends to become irritable.”
Casually tossing the handcuffs onto the ground, Fu Qian pressed the gun against Chief Jones’s head, hiding himself behind the man.
Although limited to the physical abilities of an ordinary person, picking a pair of handcuffs was still a piece of cake for him.
Even if Chief Jones hadn’t approached, Fu Qian would have found a way to naturally get close enough to act.
“Let him go, you maniac!”
The officers in front of him, after their initial shock, quickly took aim at him.
Ha ha ha!
Fu Qian let out a series of dry, revealing laughs, clutching the arm tighter as though he were defiant to the last.
To anyone observing, this scene seemed to be that of a long-hidden mastermind, who, faced with overwhelming evidence, refused to give in without a fight.
As a result, the accusations he had previously denied suddenly seemed all the more credible.
“You have no idea of your own value.”
Fu Qian’s gaze swept over the trio on vacation.
“Facing a gift, and all you feel is fear?”
His tone was flat and devoid of emotion, yet for a moment, Fran and her companions dared not meet his eyes.
Snorting, Fu Qian shifted his gaze toward the crowd, only to find they reacted in the same manner.
Good, but not good enough.
The sole purpose of this performance was to make everyone believe they were infected, leading to universal paranoia and skyrocketing stress levels.
Once a large number of people crossed that threshold, the town would become the breeding ground for Laxik’s descent.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t much time left, and spreading emotions took time.
Especially when there was a pillar of strength in place, the spread would be even slower.
And Chief Jones, who didn’t appear to be very dedicated, was undoubtedly such a figure.
It was troublesome, but it also indicated something: if that pillar could be directly destroyed, the effect would be dramatically better.
Therefore, from the beginning, Fu Qian’s target had been Chief Jones.
Of course, the method to deal with him couldn’t be as simple as shooting him in the forehead, as the human heart is very delicate and that might have the opposite effect.
“Logically, you shouldn’t be so irrational. It seems you chose to believe your instincts over science,” Fu Qian said, dropping all pretense.
“It’s a shame you didn’t start trusting sooner. We could have talked much more.”
“I know people like you, accustomed to understanding everything in their own way. You never get confused and refuse to be deceived.”
“But in these past days, hasn’t there been a moment when some inexplicable things challenged your common sense just a bit?”
Hiding behind Jones, Fu Qian pressed the gun against his head.
“The sharper you are, the more stubborn. You see, Mr. Harold accepted it much quicker.”
“What do you mean?”
“For instance, is it possible that Mr. Harold, who fell from the bridge, was just pretending to be knocked out?”
…From beginning to end, everything was directed by Harold himself. This explanation was indeed more reasonable, as long as one admitted he had been “infected” as well.
Jones was silent for a moment.
“Everything has its motives and logic.”
Fu Qian’s voice was like a demon’s murmur.
Everything has its motives and logic…
All the events of the past two days flashed rapidly through Jones’s mind, and previously ignored contradictions emerged one after another.
“How could it be…”
The next moment, there was finally a hint of confusion in his eyes.
Ah!
A piercing scream rang out.
Fu Qian turned towards the sound, only to see Mrs. Mary crouched on the ground, covering her face.
Since a while ago, her emotions had been unstable, and just now she had clearly felt the foundation of her mental support become confused.
This scene, without a doubt, put great pressure on the onlookers; everyone around was frightened.
But just a few seconds later, she actually stood up slowly again.
“Let him go!”
Mrs. Mary’s face no longer showed the slightest hint of hesitation or fear, but was regarding them with a cold posture like never before.
“Let him go, and you can leave safely.”
“Mary…”
This sight, on the contrary, made Jones’s tone even more solemn.
“It seems you’ve learned to embrace this gift.”
Fu Qian, with a smile on his face, did not release his captive.
“Sometimes I really envy you guys. You don’t need to know anything, and yet you receive such unbelievable rewards.”
“An extraordinary being is awakening within you.”
“Embrace it, discard the boring and ridiculous definition of self, isn’t being reborn wonderful?”
Fu Qian twisted the muscles of his face bit by bit, making an extremely maniacal expression.
This feat was not easy unless your mind was already buzzing to the extreme.
“All great creations require sacrifices to forge them!”
…
For a moment, the indifference on Mrs. Mary’s face shattered like glass, turning once again into panic.
And yet another person had received the gift.
Without looking, Fu Qian knew someone else had triggered a superhuman state.
One operation after another had finally reached the detonation point.
Even in the next moment, an indescribably frenzied roar came from the mountain.
The already panicking crowd couldn’t help but look up in unison, yet they saw no one at all, as if the sound had emerged from the Void.
Was it Laxik from a certain cycle?
Listening to the roar filled with pain and despair, Fu Qian had an idea.
It seemed the mold had indeed increased.
And the chaos was far from over; the first roar had not even ceased before another echoed from the direction of the town.
Then another and another…
Soon, the waves of frenzy converged from all around, enveloping the crowd as if countless Laxiks were howling in despair.
Ah!
This incomprehensible scene quickly squeezed out the first scream.
Very good, next comes the chain reaction. Laxik was about to start his spinning and leaping.
[Current mission completed, containment successful for No.2-205]
Finally, among the falling ashes, the long-awaited notification sounded.
And the countdown before Fu Qian’s eyes was now less than thirty minutes.
The last thing he saw was Mrs. Mary screaming as she rushed over, trying to grab the gun in his hand.
Fu Qian did not pull the trigger.
After all, he was now the villainous Boss, the mastermind behind the curtain.
And as everyone knows, in the end, it’s the bad guys who die, and the good guys mourn.