Chapter 7: Such a Joyous Occasion Deserves a Big Toast with Some Side Dishes

Chapter 7: Such a Celebration Calls for a Big Toast and Some Snacks

Sheng Qingquan had no clue where the huge sum of Qiankun Coins came from.

But his protectors knew exactly what was up.

The first 66 Qiankun Coins were earned by preventing a warehouse fire.

The recent 88 Qiankun Coins were likely from Ning Luoxing's side, where he exposed the plot of Cannon Fodder B bribing the canteen staff, preventing Cannon Fodder A from making a public fool of himself and averting further tragedy. These were earned by altering established facts.

As for the final, staggering 6666 Qiankun Coins...

In fact, those in the know had been anxiously waiting for this sum to arrive.

Upon hearing the news, the tension that had been hanging over everyone finally dissipated.

One of the bodyguards couldn't help but speak up, "I wasn't even this nervous when I stood at my father-in-law's doorstep years ago with gifts in hand!" With their minds at ease, they were in the mood to joke around.

"True," someone chimed in, "The last time I was this nervous was when my wife was in the hospital giving birth."

"Thankfully, everything turned out fine."

The amount being so high, combined with the timing, clearly indicated that these Qiankun Coins were a result of the mastermind behind the apocalypse—the white jade ring disguised as a spatial ring—finally receiving a life sentence.

Unlike real-life life sentences that typically last only a couple of decades, this ring's sentence was truly without end; it would remain imprisoned indefinitely.

Previously, there had been some underlying concern that despite all the measures taken, the ring might still find a way to activate.

Even delving into conspiracy theories, did the spatial ring truly require a blood pact to activate?

If this ring had been deliberately created to trigger the apocalypse, was it possible that it didn't need a blood pact at all? Could it activate on its own due to other factors, regardless of whether blood was applied?

For instance, regardless of blood, once the predetermined time set by the mastermind arrived, the dormant spatial ring might automatically awaken and begin spreading the virus.

Even with all the precautions in place, while they could prevent outsiders from sabotaging the defenses and dripping blood onto the ring, could they truly contain the ring itself and stop the virus from leaking out?

Honestly, no one was entirely confident.

That was until they heard Sheng Qingquan's thoughts and learned that he had received a massive sum.

Frankly, when 'changing the course of events' typically only yielded 66 or 88 Qiankun Coins, suddenly receiving 6666 Coins could only mean one thing: they had successfully prevented the apocalypse.

Aside from this truly world-altering act of salvation, no other event could possibly warrant such a significant reward.

Clearly, everyone who received the news thought the same.

Their hearts were finally at peace.

They knew the truth, but Sheng Qingquan remained in the dark.

All Sheng Qingquan knew was that these Qiankun Coins had appeared out of nowhere.

"Who knows if they'll disappear just as suddenly as they appeared."

"No, I need to spend these coins while I still have them."

With this in mind, Sheng Qingquan didn't dare to wait and started buying frantically.

As he kept buying, Sheng Qingquan stumbled upon a little surprise.

"After spending 6,754 points, he still had some left—though just a measly 188 points."

"But having leftovers is better than running out later. Most importantly, I can finally jump ahead and see if there's a way to handle the space ring!"

Great, this is exactly what we’ve been looking for.

All the hard work everyone put into earning Qiankun Coins was worth it.

The bodyguards perked up, listening intently.

Earning 6,666 Qiankun Coins already hinted that the space ring wasn’t a threat anymore, but who wouldn’t want a better solution if it existed?

"Ugh, how could this happen?"

Sheng Qingquan suddenly screamed, his voice breaking.

"This lousy system—what’s the difference between this and a rushed ending?"

"What was the author thinking? Skipping the origin of the space ring is bad enough, but not even addressing how it was resolved?!"

Sheng Qingquan was seething with anger.

"Worst of all, the main couple never once suspected there was an issue with the space ring. In fact, they were thankful for it, as it helped them survive and even save others with the supplies inside."

"The couple believed the space ring made gathering supplies much easier after the apocalypse."

"It kept many hard-to-store items safe."

"Beyond food, there were critical items like high-tech virus research equipment. Moving these devices the usual way could ruin them. If zombies attacked during transport, the devices would be toast."

"With the space ring, they could just toss the instruments inside, keeping them safe. When retrieved, they’d be in perfect condition. They’d come out exactly as they went in—not a scratch on them."

"It sounds amazing, really reassuring."

"Maybe these instruments even played a role in ending the apocalypse. From this perspective, the space ring undoubtedly played a huge role. No wonder the main couple was so grateful."

But the more Sheng Qingquan read, the angrier he became, his eyes burning with rage.

"This is just like an ancient emperor, on his deathbed, exiling loyal officials to make them suffer the world’s cruelty, only for the new emperor to later show them kindness and promote them again, ensuring their loyalty."

"Disgusting, absolutely revolting!"

A loud bang came from next door, but Sheng Qingquan paid it no mind, assuming something had just fallen.

"It feels like a hit-and-run accident, where the victim is taken to the hospital by a kind stranger. Upon waking up, the victim is so grateful to the stranger, thanking them profusely, giving gifts, and even presenting them with a banner, completely unaware that the kind stranger was actually the one who hit them."

"Just thinking about it makes my blood boil!"

"My blood pressure just spiked."

"The mastermind behind this must be thrilled to bits, probably overjoyed. Just thinking about their smug face."

"Ugh, the more I think about it, the madder I get!"

Sheng Qingquan was grinding his teeth in fury, wishing he could dive into the book and tell the main couple the truth.

Wait, isn't that exactly what I did by getting transported into the book?

"Bummer I can't tell the main couple. Barging in like this would probably make them think I'm crazy."

"If the main couple has already activated the spatial ring, they might think I'm scheming to steal their treasure."

"If the main couple hasn't activated the spatial ring and has genuinely donated it, they would think I'm talking crazy, that I've gone mad from reading too much fiction."

No matter how I look at it, it's pointless. Sheng Qingquan was deeply frustrated.

After fuming for half a day, he finally cooled off.

"Whatever, I'll just go back and reread the earlier parts."

"Whether the main couple is grateful for the spatial ring or not is none of my business. Yep, totally not my problem. I'm not even mad!"

Clearly, he was fuming.

But the bodyguards totally got it. If it were them, they would also find it hard to stay calm.

When they first heard it, some even lost it and angrily slammed the table.

It made a huge noise, but fortunately, it didn't make Sheng Qingquan suspicious.

"Done reading."

"Finished the whole book and got nothing out of it."

"Besides learning how ugly and beautiful human nature can be, I really didn't need to know how many times the main couple had sex, how loving they were, or how unbreakable their love was!"

"Can't we get anything useful?"

Sheng Qingquan wanted to chuck the book.

"Wait, hold up, I think I found something."

Sheng Qingquan dug out some information from the plot.

"So, after the apocalypse arrived, the first to be affected weren't plants or birds."

"Actually, the first to be affected were insects. The smaller the size, the more obvious the changes."

"Small insects like ants, after just a few hours of exposure to the virus, underwent obvious changes."

So that's how it is.

Sheng Qingquan suddenly understood.

"So, to check if the apocalypse has hit, I just need to catch some ants?"

"The ants on the lawn downstairs must have been the first to come into contact with the virus."

Thinking of it, Sheng Qingquan quickly ran downstairs and started searching through the green belt.

He was lucky because he didn't have to search for long before spotting a line of ants in the flower bed.

These little ants acted normally, quietly transporting a small piece of food debris.

Sheng Qingquan placed a piece of candied fruit in front of the line of ants.

The candied fruit was as big as a ping-pong ball, far beyond the carrying capacity of these ants.

But if they had mutated, they could easily carry the candied fruit away.

However, Sheng Qingquan waited there for a while. He only saw one ant leave the line, and soon, it called for more ants, and together they surrounded and carried the candied fruit away.

Watching the candied fruit being carried further and further away, a smile finally appeared on Sheng Qingquan's face.

"Awesome!"

"Doomsday is 99% not coming!"

"Although I don't know how it happened, I'm happy!"

"Such good news calls for a celebration with some snacks."

"Let's buy some marinated snacks to go with the drinks!"

With this in mind, Sheng Qingquan didn't rush home. He stood up, patted off the dirt he had just gotten on his clothes, and briskly headed towards the entrance of the community.

Halfway there, Sheng Qingquan had a sudden thought.

"If Doomsday isn't coming, then what about the rice I bought for a fortune last night, the cans I bought for a fortune, the..."

"What should I do with the supplies I just ordered? Was it all a waste?"

"Although it's great, fantastic, and amazing that I bought them for nothing, but some have already been shipped. Can I still apply for a return and refund now?"

"Will I be targeted by the seller?"

"Although I would be happy even if I were targeted."

The bodyguards, seeing Sheng Qingquan's happy demeanor, felt uplifted as well.

Wasn't it mentioned that they were going to give Sheng Qingquan a bonus?

Even if the Doomsday matter couldn't be openly discussed, the reward he deserved should still be given.

This bonus would eventually be awarded to Sheng Qingquan in the form of a lottery win.

It was a considerable amount. With this surprise bonus, he would surely be even happier.

This was what Sheng Qingquan deserved. When the time came, should they also be part of the celebration and witness this happy moment?

While they pondered these thoughts, the bodyguards' eyes never left Sheng Qingquan.

Even if they weren't looking directly at him, they kept an eye on him.

They saw Sheng Qingquan walking and then suddenly stopping.

"Wait, what is this?"

Sheng Qingquan realized he might have been celebrating too early.

"Why is there another new book, and it's about Doomsday again?"