Evangeline said jokingly, "There's a lot of money on the betting table now, isn't there? If I die and can't participate, how much money will you lose?"

The man was silent for a while before answering. "I can't make that decision. I'll talk to someone first and contact you when I have an answer."

"I'll give you an hour and a half," Evangeline said.

The man said furiously, "How can I do that in half an hour?"

Evangeline scoffed. "That's your problem. Solve it yourselves. If I don't get a reply in half an hour, my life ends."

She explained, "They might send someone after me. They might kidnap me and threaten me to participate. Although that group of perverts is mainly abroad, they have connections and could bribe people here. Therefore, I can't give them much time to prepare."

The man roared angrily, "That's your own life! Do you think you can threaten me? Don't threaten us! You aren't qualified to fight against us. Behave yourself, or you'll suffer!"

Evangeline, annoyed, retorted, "Shut up! What are you barking about? If you yell at me again, I'll finish off your entire family before I die. Don't treat me like a pushover just because I was nice. The ones with money and power are behind the scenes. Why are you, a mere mouthpiece, acting so arrogantly, you son of a bitch? Talk to me after you've thought it over."

With that, she hung up. She then dropped to the ground and silently crawled away, down the stairs and out of the mansion, into the garden.

Arthur, appearing at the front, was shocked by her posture and rushed to her. Before he could speak, Evangeline rolled on the ground, performed a kip-up and backflip, kicking Arthur away, then ran across the field, executing a series of acrobatic moves—left hook, right hook, roundhouse kick, hurdle—before effortlessly replacing a uprooted tree. Arthur was speechless.

He pondered, "Wasn't she normal yesterday? Why is this happening again today? Who pissed her off again?" He realized a pattern: Evangeline only acted like this when extremely irritable and frustrated, like after being agitated by monkeys or prevented from leaving a press conference. He wondered, "What about today? Why is this happening?"

At that moment, Evangeline was back on the ground, silently crawling forward, backward, and sideways. Arthur, seemingly adept at this, crawled after her.

10:33 AM

He caught up and crawled beside her. "Evangeline, who provoked you again?" he asked.

Evangeline didn't answer. After crawling for a while, she stood, dusted her hands, and said calmly, "I'm exercising."

Arthur, slightly disappointed, stood. "Yes, and I was accompanying you," he cleared his throat.

Evangeline walked back to the mansion, followed by Arthur. "What are you doing here?" she asked without looking back.

Arthur said, "You said Xtreme Survival has targeted you. I was worried, so I came to see you."

Evangeline assured him, "Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."

As she spoke, her phone, left in the mansion, rang. Arthur picked it up and gave it to her. She answered.

The director's voice said, "Ms. Castillo, the investors agree with your request. Who do you want to join? Give me a list, and I'll arrange it."

Evangeline slumped onto the couch and said calmly, "The wind on the balcony is so strong."

The man choked, then said nervously, "Ms. Castillo, please calm down! Don't jump! We agreed to your request." He had watched her livestream and knew she was capable of anything.

"If I screw this up, the sponsors won't let me off the hook!" he thought. The director's voice trembled. "Ms. Castillo, I apologize for my attitude. I was reckless. Please forgive me. Please don't do anything reckless."

Evangeline said, "Don't be nervous. I'm quite nice."

The director breathed a sigh of relief.

Evangeline continued, "As long as you cut your tongue in half with scissors, I'll forgive you."

The director screamed, "What did you say? You're insane! I won't—"

Evangeline said indifferently, "Okay, I guess I'll jump."

"Don't jump!" the director shouted.

Evangeline sighed. "You can't even do that simple request. You're making things difficult."

10:33 AM

The director said in a trembling voice, "I only said a few things. Even if I was wrong, I shouldn't be punished so severely." She heard his fear.

Evangeline said, "Forget it. I should just die. No one cares about my request."

The director was furious and terrified. "Is there no room for negotiation?"

Evangeline smiled, "Yes. I die, and your whole family follows me."

The director's heart skipped a beat. "Who in the world are you? Why are you so clear about the forces behind the scenes?"

He was a mere mouthpiece, a chess piece. If he failed, those behind him would kill him and his family. Evangeline knew this, so she dared to threaten him.

The director felt a chill. Evangeline smiled, "How could I know? I'm just used to being arrogant."

Evangeline said, "Three seconds to think. Accept my terms and give me a video call. Otherwise, don't stop me from jumping."

The director had no choice. Cut his tongue, or his family dies. He was incredibly regretful. "Why was I so arrogant?" he thought. "Now I'm at a loss!"

The director soon gave her a video call. Evangeline answered, covering her camera. A blonde, middle-aged foreign man appeared on the screen, glaring fiercely.

Evangeline leisurely ate an apple, waiting for the performance. The director took a deep breath, picked up scissors, pulled out his tongue, closed his eyes, and cut it.

Ah! Blood gushed out. The director knelt, dropping the scissors.

10:33 AM

He covered his mouth and rolled on the ground, whining. Evangeline uncovered the camera and said, chewing her apple, "I was just kidding. I didn't expect you to actually cut it."

The director, bloodshot eyes fixed on the screen, saw Evangeline eating an apple, not jumping. He almost fainted from rage. He pointed at the screen, unable to speak.

Evangeline smirked, "You're an obedient dog. Since you're so obedient, I accept your invitation. I'll send you the list later."

She ended the call.

Arthur frowned. "Why did you agree? It's dangerous; you have a bounty on your head. Aren't you courting death?" He spoke solemnly. "Evangeline, you're not ordinary, but neither are the participants. The rules are unclear, there's no bottom line. The public only sees season 18. They know the veteran from Clusia was badly injured, but there's worse."

Evangeline looked at him without speaking.

Arthur hesitated, then said gloomily, "I used to participate in Xtreme Survival, but my season wasn't broadcast. All traces were erased. It was hell on earth."

Evangeline listened quietly.

Arthur continued, "I was 16. The rules were changed; there were contestants from several countries, including two from Clusia. A 15-year-old girl was beside me. She was beautiful and amazing. From the start, she excelled. No one could compete. Even if others ganged up on her, it was useless. I thought she'd winbut a nightmare happened!"