Chapter 150: Staying Alive Is the Greatest Trump Card

"Qin Sheng, what exactly do you want?! Do not forget that this is a safe zone, and we are not your subordinates!"

The man kept emphasizing that he was not one of Qin Sheng's team members, as if repeating this would force Qin Sheng to realize she couldn't simply lash out at them without having to answer to their captain.

But Qin Sheng didn't seem to care in the slightest about what they were saying.

Qin Sheng walked slowly to the front of the group, leaned down slightly, raised an eyebrow, and let out a soft, mocking hum. "Rest assured, I am more than capable of clearing out a few useless subordinates."

Qin Sheng said this with a faint smile, and the eyes of those few men widened instantly. None of them wanted to lose their lives just for doing someone else a favor.

"Captain Qin... no, we are..." The men crumbled under the pressure radiating from Qin Sheng, on the verge of exposing Chen Er as the mastermind behind the scenes.

"Captain Qin certainly has a commanding presence. But threatening a few lowly subordinates doesn't sound very becoming, does it?" Chen Er interrupted, cutting off the man's words as he looked directly at Qin Sheng.

Qin Sheng turned to glance at Chen Er, her expression one of utter disdain. For a defeated opponent, she had little patience; even looking at him was already being generous.

Seeing that Qin Sheng had merely glanced at him without paying any mind to his words, Chen Er realized he had been thoroughly ignored. He was furious. If this were any other time, anyone who dared to speak to him like that would have been beaten half to death long ago, leaving them no chance to beg for mercy.

But times had changed. The person who looked down on him was someone he could not afford to provoke.

Regardless of whether Qin Sheng was a captain or not, he simply could not beat her.

However, his opponent today was not the unbeatable Qin Sheng, but Shen Shi, who was currently struggling with angina so severe he could barely stand.

Was this not heaven-sent?

Chen Er’s agitated heart finally found some solace. At the thought of this, he couldn't wait to fight Shen Shi.

"Shen Shi, are you ready? Today, on this life-or-death stage, it is either you or me." Chen Er knew Qin Sheng wouldn't pay much attention to him, so he refocused his attention on Shen Shi.

It was clear that Shen Shi had not yet recovered from his angina; beads of sweat were pouring down his forehead, showing just how much pain he was in. He was already struggling to stay on his feet.

Qin Sheng clenched her fists tightly. Watching Shen Shi on the stage, she felt an immense sense of distress, but this was his own choice. As his captain, she could only do her best to overcome all obstacles to support him.

With that thought in mind, Qin Sheng glanced again at the meddlesome men beside her.

It didn't matter. She would settle the score eventually; she was in no rush.

"I am ready..." Shen Shi took a deep breath, steadying himself before speaking to Chen Er.

"Since that is the case, the rules of the life-or-death stage are best of three. I assume you don't need me to repeat them; you understand them well enough."

Shen Shi nodded slightly. He knew Chen Er's goal perfectly well: he wanted him dead.

Qin Sheng could not tell what Shen Shi was thinking.

Was he really going to fight Chen Er to the death while suffering from angina? If he couldn't win, was he just going to die according to the rules of the stage?

Qin Sheng valued her own life above all else. She had always believed that being alive was the ultimate trump card. Only by staying alive could she do more and save more people.

"Shen Shi..." Unable to bear the overwhelming worry, Qin Sheng called out to him just as he was about to step onto the stage.

Shen Shi paused slightly, and only after pulling himself together did he look at Qin Sheng, clearly surprised that she had called out to him right before the match.

"Staying alive is the ultimate trump card!" Qin Sheng said, her expression grave and her voice firm.

Shen Shi seemed momentarily dazed, but after a few seconds, he nodded at her.

***

Even if Chen Er saw and heard this, he did not care. Fish on a chopping block would die regardless of how much they struggled.

Qin Sheng didn't worry about external factors; as long as Shen Shi didn't give up, there was still a chance. If he didn't give up, she would find a way, even if it seemed impossible.

"Go, take a chair to the Captain," Song Qing'an noted that there was no seat for Qin Sheng and signaled to Xiaoxiao to bring one over.

Qin Sheng hadn't intended to go back. Since those men had been so arrogant, she couldn't just let them off with a mere scare. She had been planning what to do next when Xiaoxiao arrived with the chair.

It was exactly what she wanted.

"Thanks, Xiaoxiao." Qin Sheng patted Xiaoxiao on the shoulder and sat down.

She didn't know who was so thoughtful as to place a piece of clothing on the chair as a cushion, but it was a kind gesture.

Qin Sheng sat right next to those men, nearly scaring them to death. They had already been forced to squat because Qin Sheng had smashed their chairs, and now that she had sat right beside them, they were terrified.

But Qin Sheng didn't even glance at them, as if they didn't exist. Her eyes were fixed on Shen Shi and Chen Er on the stage.

"Brother, the chair has been delivered to the Captain," Xiaoxiao reported to Song Qing'an upon returning.

"Did you cover it with the jacket?" Song Qing'an stood up to check on Qin Sheng’s position, but he didn't see his jacket draped over her.

Xiaoxiao scratched the back of his head and said helplessly, "The Captain didn't cover her legs with it; she used it as a cushion for her seat."

Song Qing'an: "..."

He had intended to be romantic, but he had run into the ultimate romantic-killer, Qin Sheng.

Song Qing'an laughed helplessly. "It doesn't matter, as long as she's sitting comfortably."

He comforted himself, only to hear Xiaoxiao behind him failing to hold back a burst of laughter.

Hearing the laughter, Song Qing'an immediately uncrossed his legs and turned to glare at the snickering Xiaoxiao.

Xiaoxiao met Song Qing'an’s "I could eat you alive" stare and immediately covered his mouth, making a zipping motion. Only then did Song Qing'an turn back, looking with interest at Chen Er and Shen Shi, who were about to start their match.

He had some memory of this Shen Shi. Back when they had taken Qin Sheng from the Zombie Forest, the boy seemed to have more than ordinary feelings for her.

Song Qing'an’s expression became increasingly intriguing.

"Why is there such a strong smell of vinegar? Whose vintage vinegar jar tipped over?" Lin Xing had been observing Song Qing'an from the shadows. When their "Grandma" had been encouraging Shen Shi before the fight, Song Qing'an had looked like he was about to grind his teeth into dust.

Song Qing'an snorted coldly, too busy to deal with Lin Xing’s teasing as the match on the stage began.

As soon as the fight started, Chen Er launched a fierce attack on Shen Shi. Despite the angina, Shen Shi still had some strength left and managed to dodge most of the blows, avoiding injury at the start.

Chen Er, naturally, didn't let the opportunity pass and launched another violent assault. However, Shen Shi couldn't withstand a second rapid-fire attack, and his chances of dodging were significantly lower this time.

Blood began to seep from the corner of Shen Shi's mouth.

Chen Er didn't seem to want to end this one-sided crushing so easily. He flexed his wrists, looking even more excited at the sight of the blood on Shen Shi's lips.

"Shen Shi, you can't take it. How about we make a deal? Kneel down, kowtow, and beg me, and I might show mercy and let you live while we put on a show. How about that?" Chen Er never missed an opportunity to humiliate Shen Shi.

Shen Shi’s expression was cold. He raised a trembling hand to wipe away the blood and said softly, "Keep dreaming."

"Stubborn fool." After muttering this, Chen Er lunged at Shen Shi again. Compared to the previous two attacks, which were like child's play, this time every punch landed with bone-crushing force—either to his abdomen or his jaw.

Shen Shi couldn't dodge any of the blows, forced to endure the immense pain racking his body, compounded by the persistent angina caused by psychological strain.

By the time Chen Er stopped, Shen Shi was slumped on the ground, completely drained of strength, with no power or opportunity to resist.

Looking at Shen Shi’s battered, bloody form, Chen Er felt no pity; instead, he felt a sense of immense satisfaction. The frustration he had felt from Qin Sheng finally found an excellent outlet.

Watching Shen Shi motionless on the stage, Qin Sheng stood up instantly, her heart racing. She clenched her fists so hard they ached, fighting the urge to jump onto the stage and beat the arrogant Chen Er to a pulp.

"How about it, Shen Shi? Not considering what I just said?" Chen Er noticed Shen Shi hadn't passed out yet and leaned down, asking with a grin.

Shen Shi’s eyes, usually bright and clear, were now clouded as if covered by a thick fog. The excruciating pain made it impossible for him to recover quickly.

Echoing in his ears were the words Qin Sheng had said to him.

*Staying alive is the ultimate trump card.*

But he had no strength left. How could he survive?

Shen Shi gritted his teeth, steadied himself, and crawled up from the ground, swaying. He wiped the blood from his face and whispered, "Continue."

Chen Er was instantly intrigued. He backed away, widening the distance between them, and attacked again. This time, he didn't even need to wait for a final kick; Shen Shi collapsed to the ground once more.

He trembled, attempting to crawl up again, but his strength failed him. He lay paralyzed, slowly closing his eyes, as if awaiting his final fate.

Yet, his heart was filled with intense reluctance.

Shen Shi’s consciousness began to drift. The world he saw when he opened his eyes seemed to be shaking, becoming increasingly blurred.

He had no strength left. He couldn't get up.

I'm sorry...

I listened to what you said, but I just can't do it.

"Shen Shi! Staying alive is the ultimate trump card..."

That sentence still echoed vaguely in his ears.

"Shen Shi..." Qin Sheng stared at the blood-soaked figure on the stage, her heart aching.

What should she do? Her abilities could only save herself; she couldn't save anyone else.

"It is not over yet..."