Forty-nine rules of the end times

Chapter 4 The Eight Immortals Cross the Sea, Each Displaying Their Unique Abilities

Online, a post titled "Thank you, fire thief, for letting me leave in peace" is gaining popularity.

"These past few years battling cancer have drained my family's savings, burdening them and causing me immense pain. Several times I considered jumping out of the window to end it all, but I didn't have the courage... Now, I can just sleep it off peacefully, which is the best outcome for me. I'm grateful for the arrival of the fire-bringers and the rules of the apocalypse, thank you."

The post already has tens of thousands of replies. Some curse, some sympathize, and some imitate.

"Go ahead and die if you want! What are you thanking, Fire Stealer? He's a monster who's killed countless people!"

"The original poster's mindset is worthy of suffering."

"Have you ever thought about what will happen to other people who were originally healthy, even though you are free?"

"Alas... may you rest in peace, OP."

"Please understand. The original poster's opinion only represents his own, not everyone's."

"OP, I don't know if you're still around? I want to say that my choice is the same as yours. I'm a patient with severe depression, and I didn't have the courage to end it all... But now it's so convenient to end it all with a good night's sleep. I plan to have a nice dinner tonight, tidy up my room, snuggle in bed and watch a movie I like, and when I get sleepy, I'll close my eyes and go to sleep, and say goodbye to this world properly."

"If everyone thought like you, that it would all end with a good night's sleep, then humanity would be completely wiped out."

"Those fire-stealers, can't they just let those who want to die die, and let those who want to live live?!"

"I will absolutely not admit defeat! I will fight the Fire Thief to the death!"

The fire-stealer and the rules he brought undoubtedly provided many pessimistic and world-weary individuals with a peaceful and painless way to say goodbye to the world.

However, the majority of respondents were against it, and there weren't many such pessimistic posts.

Online discussions are largely focused on how to get through these 72 hours. Many of these posts have garnered hundreds of thousands of replies, showcasing a diverse range of approaches and strategies.

A post titled "Playing games with friends, my mom will no longer scold me for staying up all night playing games" has generated more than 100,000 comments and replies.

"Brothers, how are you planning to get through these 72 hours? I'm planning to team up with a few buddies in my dorm and play for 72 hours straight, until the end of time, until the end of the world!"

Most of the replies below were consistent.

"I'm planning to rely on games to get through the time, just like you. But I'm playing single-player games, and I'm aiming to complete a major title. I used to be too busy with work to play, but this time I do have the time. I just don't know if I'll be able to finish it alive."

"Just playing games isn't enough to keep me going. I'm planning to play and engage in intense flame wars with people for 72 hours straight, the pressure will be off the charts! Anyone want to join me? Leave a comment to sign up!"

"Let me recommend a game to you guys, Civilization. A cup of tea, a pack of cigarettes, and you can play a game of Civilization all day long. Maybe after 72 hours, you'll still feel like you haven't had enough and want to play another round."

Another post by an ID named "吾本良人" also received over 100,000 replies. The post was titled "The simplest way to stay sober, for men only, women please do not enter."

The number of replies to this post skyrocketed in no time, breaking the 10,000 mark faster than a rocket.

"OP, are you going against the grain? This is a serious matter of life and death, and you're here to offer advice?"

"Billion-Eye Frame Fixation has determined that the legendary host is suppressing his emotions."

"The root of all problems is related to repression, and the solution to all problems is to enlighten and guide."

"I understand! Master, please accept my bow!"

"It works! Thanks for sharing the secret!"

"I'm speechless. There are so many people praising it upstairs? Anyone with a bit of experience knows that you're tired afterward, right?"

"+1 to the comment above. There are a bunch of newbies in this thread who don't know anything. Sometimes when I can't sleep, I rely on the 'guiding' function, and I fall asleep very quickly after it's done. Doing what the original poster did is like courting death."

Shortly after the post was published, the original poster added more information in the comments.

I am a good person: "I apologize for not explaining things clearly in the main post, which led to some misunderstandings among my followers. As long as you control yourself and avoid causing any adverse reactions, you can maintain a clear mind. As for how to control yourself, my advice is to avoid using external aids such as videos, audio, pictures, or text when providing guidance. It should be purely natural and organic."

"?????"

"OP, you're unbeatable!"

"So the secret lies in the green pigment! I've finally figured it out again, my mentor!"

Fang Qian was too embarrassed to share these strange ideas with Guan Tong.

However, she soon came across a post on the leaderboard that caught her eye.

"Guan Tong, do you know Wenren Yizhi?"

The name "Wenren Yizhi" is very unique; once you see it, it will leave a deep impression.

Guan Tong thought for a moment and said, "I think I saw it in the news. Wasn't it that world Go champion who started playing Go at the age of 3 and broke the record for the youngest person to win the championship last year?"

"Hmm!" Fang Qian showed Guan Tong a post on her phone. "Look, she's launched a 72-hour Go challenge!"

"is it?"

Guan Tong was also somewhat surprised. After glancing at the post, she realized it was true.

Breaking News! Go prodigy champion Wenren Yizhi has launched a 72-hour Go tournament on her only social media account, with matches streamed live. Several professional Go players have already signed up to participate!

In the comments section below the post, many netizens expressed their admiration.

"A 72-hour series of Go matches? That's playing with your life!"

"Isn't Go very mentally taxing...? Even a champion couldn't handle playing for 72 hours straight, right?"

"Is this the prelude to martyrdom?!"

"Get out of here, upstairs! Don't jinx it! Sister Yizhi will definitely pull through!"

"As expected of the great Wenren! I'm going to the live stream and watch the whole 72 hours with him!"

"This is really outrageous... If Wenren Yizhi could really play Go live for 72 hours straight, she would be recognized as the God of Go from now on."

After reading a few comments, Guan Tong noticed Fang Qian's excited expression and asked her, "Do you really like Wenren Yizhi?"

"Yes! I really admire her focused attitude towards Go, and I've always used her story to inspire myself. However, I'm also a little worried... Go is so tiring, and it takes so long to play, is it really okay?"

“This whole thing is exhausting just thinking about it, but it probably isn’t as exhausting for her,” Guan Tong said.

"Just like when people are immersed in something they love, they don't notice the passage of time. I think that's what Go is for her... If she weren't allowed to play Go, she might not have been able to stay up for so long."

"That makes sense!" Fang Qian exclaimed, her eyes widening. "Then we should do something like that too!"

Yes. What do you like to do?

"I..." Fang Qian thought for a moment, "I really like watching TV dramas! Especially detective and suspense dramas. Last summer, one day I watched a whole twenty-plus episodes of a crime drama from morning till night!"

"Oh, I see. Then I'll turn on the TV and find a TV series of this type to watch."

Fang Qian quickly waved her hand: "No, no, not now. I'm not sleepy yet. I'll watch it tonight. Guan Tong, what do you like to do?"

"I'll just read some books, novels."

Guan Tong recalled that when she was most obsessed with novels, she would read for a whole day and night. This was undoubtedly one of the ways to fight off sleepiness.

"Buzz!"

"Ding dong!"

At this moment, both of their phones beeped with a notification, another message released by the official channels.

[Urgent Notice: From now on, going out is prohibited. Please stay in safe indoor places, maintain a peaceful state of mind with those in the same room, and avoid arguing or fighting due to emotional agitation.]

Guan Tong's expression changed slightly when she saw the notification, as if she had thought of something.

He immediately searched online for the keywords "apocalyptic rules" + "wake-up peppermint," but the results were simply "nothing." There wasn't even any distracting information; it was just pure "no results."

Guan Tong felt a chill run down her spine... It seemed that the hidden rule was real, and the official departments had discovered its existence and immediately blocked the news on the internet.

(End of this chapter)