Chapter 22 Of Course…

“Of course… since it’s a special question worth double points, it will naturally be a bit more difficult. Please listen to the question…” Mr. You held up the question card and said, “Green Lantern… I presume everyone knows about them.” He glanced at the camera. “Their Green Lantern energy source is ‘willpower’.” He looked up at Feng Bujue and said, “In the DC universe, green represents willpower, so… what do the other colors of the lanterns represent? Please name at least four, and the clock is running!”

This kind of question was impossible to stump Feng Bujue. Even if it wasn’t to collect writing material, he had read quite a bit out of interest. So, at the moment, he only recalled for a moment before answering, “Um… I’ll list them in order of color. Red Lantern, rage; Orange Lantern, greed; Yellow Lantern, fear; Green Lantern, willpower; Blue Lantern, hope; Indigo Lantern, compassion; Violet Lantern, love. And there’s also Black Lantern, which represents death.”

The entire arena was silent. Mr. You looked at the answer in his hand, was silent for a few seconds, and then suddenly said in a quick and decisive tone, “Completely correct!”

A wave of applause, second only to the opening, erupted from the audience.

“Contestant Number One is truly erudite. After three questions, he has already obtained forty points, while the remaining three contestants have zero points after two rounds. Contestant Number One is basically invincible,” Mr. You explained. He turned his head and looked at the guest seats. “May I ask the three guests what they think of Contestant Number One’s performance?”

After the camera focused on the guest seats, Madam Arrogance actually spoke for the first time today. She only said two words: “Deadbeat.” After saying that, she turned her head again and snorted coldly.

Plague slumped in his seat, propping his cheek with his bony hand. The skin on his hand was so white that it was almost transparent, and the blood vessels under the skin were visible. This posture made him look even more sickly and haggard: “Speaking of… why isn’t there a color that represents plague…”

The cameraman (a semi-transparent ghost) turned the camera to Hephaestus again. This guy’s commentary was still inexplicable: “Tch… it’s just some lanterns and rings that collect stray energy, if you want to mass-produce that kind of thing, as long as the number of Cyclops laborers is sufficient…”

“Alright, thank you for the comments.” Mr. You snatched the conversation before that guy could finish speaking, and faced Xiao Tan. “Contestant Number Two, please listen to the tenth question.” He burned the previous question card and said to the next one, “Please spell out—phenylketonuria—accurately in English. The clock is running.”

Just as the sound effects of ticking started, Mr. You turned around to interact with the audience, “As everyone knows, in English, medical terms are a very troublesome area, those long and hard-to-remember…”

“Phenylketonuria, abbreviated as pku,” Xiao Tan replied. Then, he spelled out the entire word, letter by letter.

Mr. You was stunned for a few seconds, used the hand holding the microphone to lift the sunglasses on his nose, widened his small eyes, and carefully confirmed the answer on the question card, “Um… correct!”

Xiao Tan’s score increased by ten points, and the audience applauded.

“It seems that this question just happened to ask about Contestant Number Two’s professional field, or is his English particularly good?” Mr. You commented.

“This is actually quite simple…” Before Xiao Tan could finish speaking, Mr. You raised his voice on his own and said again, “So… next…”

Mr. You turned to Si Yu again: “Contestant Number Three, only you and Contestant Number Four have zero points now, this question is crucial.”

“Oh.” Si Yu responded indifferently, his attitude seemed to say, “It’s no big deal.”

“Please listen to the question…” Mr. You brought the new question card in front of his eyes, glanced at it, and said, “Please tell me, what does the chemical formula appearing on the screen represent? The clock is running!” After he said that, the same chemical formula appeared on the small screen on Si Yu’s console and on the big screen on site: C6h12o6.

“Glucose.” Si Yu thought for a moment, then replied.

“Correct!” Mr. You said.

The audience burst into cheers again.

“It seems that our contestants are all very powerful. Will the suspense be left to the last round? Or will it be ended by the next question?” Mr. You turned to Bei Ling’s direction.

“Hey! Are you implying that my answer to this question will turn into negative ten points?” Bei Ling squinted and glared at Fatty You. “Even if it really becomes negative ten points, I still have a chance in the next round, right?”

“Hehe… the reason I said that is because…” Fatty You held up the next question card in his hand, “This twelfth question is another special question.”

A clamor arose from the audience.

“Please listen to the question!” Mr. You read at the question card, “Please name three players who won the European Footballer of the Year title in the twentieth century, no need for full names, but… the three people cannot be from the same country. The clock is running!”

Bei Ling pouted again, with a troubled expression on her face.

“This question about the sports world may be very simple for male contestants. I think if Contestant Number One or Contestant Number Two drew it, these twenty points would be like a freebie, but unfortunately, our female contestant was asked this question.” As Mr. You spoke, he reminded, “There are thirty seconds left.”

“Beckenbauer, Platini.” Bei Ling actually said two of them.

“So far… correct.” Mr. You said, “Very interesting… the two mentioned by Contestant Number Four are not only outstanding players, but also served as officials later.”

“Ronaldo!” Bei Ling seemed to suddenly think of this name, and then said it.

“Contestant Number Four, may I ask… why do you think that a Brazilian has won the European Footballer of the Year?” Mr. You asked with a smile.

“Huh? Is he a Brazilian?” Bei Ling asked back.

“Uh… since you don’t know him, why did you answer this name?” Mr. You said.

“Because I have the impression that many football players are called this name, so I thought… maybe one of them would have won that something-or-other Man of the Year.” Bei Ling replied.

“Um…” Mr. You said, “Okay, in any case, the answer to this question… is correct!”

The audience applauded, and Bei Ling’s score suddenly came to twenty.

“Alright, ladies and gentlemen, and gender-neutral viewers…” Mr. You said emotionally, “The first round has come to this point. There are four questions left. Let’s take a look at the scores of the four contestants.”

“Contestant Number One is far ahead with forty points. Contestant Number Two has ten points, and still looks quite nervous. The calm Contestant Number Three also has ten points. And Contestant Number Four, with the lucky performance on the special question, currently has twenty points.” The camera followed Mr. You’s explanation and gave a shot to each of the four in turn.

“So… if nothing unexpected happens, the contestant who enters the arena will be produced among Contestants Two, Three, and Four.” Mr. You began to stir up the atmosphere and said loudly, “Now, please hold your breath and enter the last four questions of the first round!”

He turned to Feng Bujue and picked up the question card, “This question…” He paused deliberately, “is not a special question.”

“You mean, it doesn’t matter even if I answer incorrectly?” Feng Bujue said.

“That’s right, but I want to remind you that the player with the highest score at the end of each round will receive a mysterious advantage.” Mr. You made a “one” gesture with the hand holding the card, and the tone of his speech was extremely suggestive.

“Advantage…” Feng Bujue said thoughtfully, “In any case… ask the question first.”

“Please listen to the question!” Mr. You said, “Please tell me… ‘There is surely a secret—that meditation and dreams do prove it true in sleep. What, then, of ecstasy? shall I not call her knowledge—she, The Vision? Shall we not call her wisdom—she, The Presence? God is but a great will pervading all things by reason of his intensity of volition. Man, therefore, being but a type or first draft of God, is not God less, but more divine, than any essence of the spiritual realm. For angels have no wills, being merely the material instruments of an immaterial will. But man is not merely an instrument—he is responsible. Therefore God will love man more, man being less perfect than God, but in consequence more admirable.’" He paused here, “Who said the above passage? The clock is running!”

“Hmph… It’s finally the last round, this question is very insidious…” Feng Bujue sneered, judging from his attitude, he seemed confident. “At the beginning of the article *Ligeia*, the author quoted this passage from Joseph Glanvill, in order to cater to the central idea of the full text.”

“Then your answer is Joseph…” Mr. You just opened his mouth.

Feng Bujue interrupted, “But!” He tapped Fatty You with his finger. “But… the author of *Ligeia* is Edgar Allan Poe, this drunkard cannot be trusted lightly.” He smiled and said, “Glanvill is a famous Theist, and Poe is taking advantage of this point… in fact, Poe himself wrote the passage just now, he fabricated these few lines, and then wrote a dash, writing Glanvill’s name, so that others would think that he was quoting the works of his predecessors, but in fact… this is Poe’s handwriting.”

Mr. You said, “So… your answer is?”

“Without a doubt. Edgar Allan Poe.” Feng Bujue said.

“Completely correct!” Mr. You waved his hand and burned the question card. The audience once again burst into applause and cheers.

“Phew…” Mr. You heaved a sigh of relief and said, “Contestant Number One answered all four questions in the first round correctly, including a special question, the current fifty points are enough for him to take the first place.” He turned to Xiao Tan’s side, “So what will be the fate of Contestant Number Two?”

Xiao Tan was already covered in cold sweat, and said with a dry smile, “Heh… hehe… I’m already prepared to go to that arena or whatever…”

“Is that so… Hoh hoh hoh…” Mr. You said with a smile, “But the questions in the last round are indeed more difficult, so… please listen to the question!” He looked at the question card and said, “We all know… there is a fictional character named Kick-Ass. When he takes off his superhero suit, his identity is a student. May I ask, what is the name of this student?” Mr. You put down the question card, looked at Xiao Tan, and said, “The clock is running!”

Xiao Tan was dumbfounded after listening to the question. He was a person who couldn’t hide things in his heart, and you could see from the expression on his face… that he didn’t know the answer at all.

“Um…” Xiao Tan had watched the entire series of this movie, more than once, but he just couldn’t remember what the protagonist’s name was.

“There are thirty seconds left.” Mr. You reminded him while saying some sarcastic remarks to the audience, “Ah, I see the expression of Contestant Number One and I understand, he knows the answer, it’s a pity that this question is not answered by him.”

The sound effects of ticking kept ringing, and Xiao Tan had no clue at all.

“There are fifteen seconds left.” Mr. You reported again.

“Okay, I don’t know.” Xiao Tan couldn’t stand the tense atmosphere anymore, he gave up without waiting for the time to run out.

A booing sound came from the audience.

“Unfortunately, Contestant Number Two’s score has returned to zero again, and he is currently the lowest score.” Mr. You said, then came to Si Yu’s console, “Contestant Number Three, as long as you answer this question correctly, you are safe, and as long as Contestant Number Four does not encounter a special question again, then even if she answers incorrectly, the result will not change. It can be said… that this fifteenth question will most likely determine the result of the first round.”

“Oh.” Si Yu’s reaction was the same as in the previous round.

The corners of Mr. You’s mouth twitched twice. He said so much, but the other party was still completely unmoved. He could only pick up the answer card and asked, “Um… please tell me, the legendary… Ten Kings of Hell, the second hall, the fifth hall, and the tenth hall, which three kings are they? The clock is…”

Si Yu gave the answer before the other party finished speaking: “King Chujiang, King Yama, King Zhuanlun.”

Mr. You burned the question card: “Correct!”

There was applause from the audience. At the same time, the cameraman was also very shrewd and aimed the camera at Xiao Tan in the second seat, taking a picture of a bitter face.

Mr. You returned to the middle of the stage, faced Bei Ling’s side, looked at the last question card in his hand, and said, “This sixteenth question…” He deliberately paused for a full ten seconds, “actually…” This guy seemed to have to pause every time two words came out of his mouth, “is another special question!”

The entire audience was silent again for a moment.

“Now Contestant Number Four, Bei Ling Xiaogu’s score is, twenty points.” Mr. You said, “If she answers this question incorrectly, the score will return to zero again.” His tone was full of ups and downs, “The suspense… is left to the last moment.”

“Hey, fatty, if I and him both become zero points, then who will enter the arena?” Bei Ling suddenly asked.

“Uh… fatty…” Mr. You looked sad, “Okay, it seems like you are calling me…”

He couldn’t deny it. There was only one ghost photographer in the middle of the stage besides him. Putting that photographer on a scale would probably weigh about 21 grams.

“Ahem… if there is a tie for first place, then there will be an extra question in a race to answer.” Mr. You cleared his throat to hide his embarrassment, “And if there is a tie for last place, then the two players will enter the arena together.”

“Oh?” Bei Ling smiled slyly, “Heh… then I’ll just abstain from this question.”

The audience was in an uproar, but Mr. You just smiled and said nothing.

On the other side, Feng Bujue looked at Bei Ling and gave her a thumbs up, one to praise her strategy and the other to praise her loyalty.

Xiao Tan was simply grateful, no matter what that arena was, he felt much more at ease with two people going together.

“You gave up without even listening to the content of the question… it seems that I don’t need to ask you if you are sure.” Mr. You said with a meaningful smile, “Then… two of you are invited, the arena!”

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Tan and Bei Ling’s seats rotated and sank downwards. After falling into the dark space under the floor, the two were once again pulled away from their original positions by an invisible traction force and came to two slides again, rushing towards the unknown area at high speed.

The picture on the big screen switched at the right time, and a vast desert appeared in the lens. Before long, in this vast yellow sand, Xiao Tan fell from the sky and fell on all fours. A few seconds later, Bei Ling also fell from the sky, stepping firmly on Xiao Tan’s stomach, landing safely.

“Who will be the first executioner to appear in the arena today?” Mr. You said, “Although these four contestants of ours can’t be considered very high-level existences, the spectacle of any level of life struggling on the edge of death is unparalleled.” He used a high-pitched tone to mobilize the emotions of the audience, “Who or what will be responsible for this one-versus-two bloody task?” He took a few steps closer, staring at the camera lens, and the music on site became eerie and tense.

Suddenly, Mr. You’s expression changed, and he recited in a rapid speed: “Before that, viewers who are watching our show, please note that you can still participate in the activity of guessing the final winner through the interactive methods below the screen, by sending a text message or logging on to our website, you will have the opportunity to receive exquisite gifts worth 1,000 ghost coins provided by Scare Box! Do business, come to Scare Box! Win prizes, watch Death Question! Thank you for your support!”

“Hey! Why are you inserting an advertisement at the most critical time!” Feng Bujue shouted.

“Hehe… it seems that our Contestant Number One is a little anxious.” Mr. You said with a smile, “However, before I announce the first executioner of the arena, let our three guests first comment on the first round of performances of the contestants, and by the way, talk about their predictions for the executioner.”

The camera once again gave it to Arrogance. She looked down at Fatty You in the distance with a haughty gaze and said, “If I’m going to comment, can you go find a corner to kill yourself or something?”

“Why would you make such a request… Has your contempt for me reached this level?” Mr. You wiped his sweat and replied, “Uh… I’m afraid not.”

“Hmph…” So Arrogance stopped talking.

Then, the camera was directly given to Hephaestus. It seemed that the cameraman had seen through it and should let the more reliable Plague speak last.

“Will the executioner be a Cyclops?” Hephaestus’s comment was indeed still a scam.

“If it is, then you should go find a corner to kill yourself!” Fatty You shouted.

Finally, the camera was given to Plague. He slowly opened his mouth to Mr. You: “The performance in the first round basically shows the areas of knowledge that they are each better at. It is worth mentioning is Contestant Number One, who can be said to be very comprehensive. As for the executioner… there’s nothing to predict, ah cough, cough cough… I am a knight, naturally I already know what is in that desert, so… let this host be responsible for announcing it.”