Breaking the Calamity

Barrett jerked his hand back at Jack Li's warning, but the damage was done. Chains rattled within the walls as the taut rope quivered. 

"Tony! Behind me!" Jack Li snatched a table plank, shielding the trembling writer. 

Barrett squinted at the rope. "What's the big deal, liar?" 

A metallic clang erupted from the wall. Two harpoons exploded from adjacent holes—one flopping harmlessly to the floor, the other ricocheting off the grandfather clock with a shower of sparks. 

"Shit—!" 

The deflected harpoon curved like a heat-seeking missile, skimming the ground before vaulting over Jack Li's plank. It caromed off the ceiling, homing in on Tony. 

Barrett moved faster than thought. Grabbing the chain still protruding from the wall, he yanked hard. The harpoon mid-air wobbled, losing momentum, and clattered to the floor. 

"Dancin' like a fucking rave in here!" Barrett spat, tossing the chain aside. 

Tony collapsed, drenched in sweat. "You… saved me…" 

Jack Li helped him up, studying the writer's steadying hands. *The trembling stopped.* 

"Still scared?" 

"A little," Tony admitted. "But… less, with you here." 

Disaster Beckoning

While the group examined harpoons engraved with cryptic glyphs, Jack Li pieced it together: Tony's fear wasn't paranoia—it was prophecy. Every twitch of his nerves mapped incoming calamity. 

"Officer Liu!" Jack Li called. "The harpoons—" 

"Right!" The cop brandished a bloodied shaft. "Inscriptions! 'Death descends where earth splits.'" 

Jack Li feigned epiphany. "The floor's the trap. Grab the ceiling pipes!" 

Emma clung to his arm. "Qi-ge, you're amazing! I *trust* you!" 

He peeled her off with a cold smirk. "How touching." 

As the ground groaned, Jack Li's mind raced. Tony's ability could predict dangers, but at what cost? Every avoided disaster might birth a worse one—Murphy's Law incarnate. 

Barrett hoisted Dr. Lee onto a pipe. "Move your ass, four-eyes!" 

Tony froze, staring at a crack spreading toward Candy. "Jack Li… the northwest beam—" 

"On it!" Jack Li lunged, shoving Candy aside as the ceiling collapsed where she'd stood. 

Rubble rained. The terminal's true game began—not survival, but bargaining with fate itself. 

The third game concluded without incident. Jack Li led the group hanging from the ceiling, silently awaiting the Human Snake's arrival. 

"Long time no see," the Human Snake hissed, slithering into view. "I am the Human Snake." 

"Snake your ass!" Barrett roared. "First a sheep, then a dog—you think I won't skin you alive?" 

"Calm yourselves." The Human Snake's tongue flicked. "You've reached the final trial. Pull this lever, and you descend safely. Fail…" 

Emma interrupted, "Will you pull it?" 

The Human Snake grinned, fangs glinting. "Let's play a game. Answer correctly in three tries, and I'll spare you." 

Jack Li shot the group a warning glance. *Stay silent.* 

The riddle came—a twisted variation of the classic pill dilemma. Last time, it had been truth serum; now, life-saving drugs. 

Emma blurted, "Do the pills have different colors?" 

"Two attempts left," the Snake replied. 

Barrett cursed. "Idiot! Three chances total!" 

Jack Li's mind raced. The Snake had altered the game. Why? 

"Crush all pills," Jack Li declared. "Mix evenly. Divide into ten doses." 

The Snake froze, covertly checking a notebook. "Ah… yes. Correct." 

As the lever lowered them, Barrett lunged at the Snake. "You freak—!" 

Officer Liu restrained him. "Not worth it." 

The group filed out, Jack Li lingering. 

"Till next time, Jack Li." The Snake's whisper followed him. 

Jack Li whirled. "You remember everything. Don't you?" 

The Snake's chuckle oozed malice. "Why forget? Our games are just beginning." 

Outside, the plaza sprawled under a sickly sky. The Human Dragon awaited, golden "Dao" orbs glowing in his clawed hand. 

"Ten days," the Dragon intoned. "Gather 3,600 Dao, or watch your world burn." 

Dr. Lee scoffed. "You expect us to gamble our lives?" 

"Don't you want to live?" The Dragon's voice cracked. 

Jack Li stepped forward. "What happens when we collect them?" 

The Dragon hesitated. "Someone… will find you." 

As the portal vanished behind them, Jack Li faced the fractured team. 

"I'm collecting Dao. Who's with me?" 

Barrett cracked his knuckles. "In." 

Candy and Taylor joined hesitantly. 

Emma simpered, "Brother Qi, take me too—" 

"No." 

The rejection hung sharp. Jack Li's gaze swept the group—Officer Liu's calculating stare, Tony's tremor-free hands, the bloody Zodiacs watching from shadows. 

The terminal's clock tolled.