Zhou Lin appeared to be lost in thought, but this very action made Hu Miao feel even more uncomfortable.
Tears instantly poured out, like a river bursting its dam, flowing uncontrollably.
The viewers in the livestream chat felt a pang in their hearts listening to the student's cries.
"These are all people in pain; everyone has moments of sadness. Listening to this crying makes me feel so uneasy."
"Me too, I want to cry. I went through something similar back then. This kind of suffering is truly unbearable. It's your own kin, yet they stab you with the sharpest knife."
"Oh my, this crying... how much grievance must there be? And it's a man, to cry like this."
"I just feel heartbroken watching this."
...
Inside the tomb.
Zhou Lin watched as Hu Miao's tears finally fell to the ground, large drops of crystal falling onto the earth.
Then, the runes beneath their feet began to glow.
"Correct."
A figure emerged from a pale blue pillar. This figure had grown, and its voice was vastly different from before.
Seeing this, everyone snapped back from their sorrowful emotions.
Then, they watched as a key fell into Zhou Lin's hand.
Everyone was bewildered.
"Professor Zhou Lin, you mean..."
"The answer to this riddle was tears?"
Guo Liang was initially confused, but upon seeing the tear on the ground, he instantly understood.
So, they had deliberately made it so emotional just for this tear?
"Sometimes strong, sometimes weak, isn't this what tears are? They are one of the expressions of human emotion."
"They can be strong, they can be weak, they can be fearful, or they can be dread, all expressed through tears."
Zhou Lin nodded first, then explained.
Only then did everyone understand. It turned out everything before was just a buildup.
It was all to make this person cry.
"I have a feeling we were tricked."
The Professor of Metaphysics whispered to Guo Liang beside him.
He said, perplexed.
"I have the same thought, but I don't know how to put it. I just feel sorry for that student."
Guo Liang nodded in agreement. He was paying more attention to this student.
"This is your key. You can leave here now."
A pale blue key landed beside Zhou Lin.
Then, the flames and pavilions around them vanished.
It was as if the scenes from before were just a dream.
Hu Miao didn't know whether to cry or laugh now.
"Don't be sad anymore. As a man, you need to make your own decisions. Even family shouldn't use kinship as a reason to hurt you, so you need to work hard to earn money."
"Money is king. Take me as an example."
Zhou Lin looked at Hu Miao earnestly.
Hu Miao initially found it logical, but as he listened, he felt something was off...
Why did money come up again?
In the livestream chat.
"Haha, our boss is still the best. He's genuinely advising someone, and it still comes down to money."
"I really don't know if I should be sad or not."
"Don't be sad. What Boss Zhou Lin said is a bit off, but it sounds very reasonable. Indeed, only money can solve things."
"In this moment, I feel like the boss was trying to trick people into crying. It's so difficult."
"Shouldn't your focus be on how amazing this is? The boss has already found the answer."
"Haha, yes, yes."
...
In the dean's conference room.
Several professors were wiping away tears haphazardly, their eyes moist.
"Don't say it, Zhou Lin is truly clever. He could even think of this."
Professor Hu said, feigning lightness.
"Indeed. At least I didn't think of what the answer was."
Professor Wen chimed in.
"Now that we have the key, can we move on?"
The dean had no other thoughts; he was solely concerned about whether they could get past this environment.
...
Inside the tomb.
Zhou Lin walked towards Tai Peng, holding several keys.
"Very impressive. See that statue? If you insert this key and open the inside of the statue, you can leave, and I can leave too."
Tai Peng pointed to the statue opposite them.
"Why are you here?"
Zhou Lin was very surprised.
"It's a misunderstanding. I came here unconsciously, and my divine sense was sealed here. Now I need your help."
Tai Peng said helplessly, but he showed no signs of anxiety or dissatisfaction due to the situation.
"You're so calm? Aren't you angry about being trapped here?"
Zhou Lin didn't quite understand these immortals.
"Accept what comes, why get angry? It won't do me any good. Now that you're here, you do what you need to do, and I should go to my place."
After speaking, Tai Peng waved his hand.
Zhou Lin suddenly understood that these immortals possessed a very high level of attainment; he certainly couldn't compare.
Zhou Lin walked towards the back and saw five keyholes at the base of the statue. These keyholes were very precise.
Zhou Lin then inserted the keys, and the statue began to move slowly.
White smoke emerged from within.
The statue began to descend backward, eventually sinking into the ground and disappearing.
Seeing this, Tai Peng's body began to turn transparent. With a wave of his hand, the mountain peak also vanished.
"Young friend, we shall meet again if fate allows."
Tai Peng said, then completely disappeared.
The scene before Zhou Lin changed. The previously empty cave reappeared before everyone.
The mercenaries and students on the side felt the temperature improve significantly; they were no longer feeling cold.
"Finally out. It was cold one moment and hot the next, I was freezing to death."
"Who wasn't? Fortunately, the professor was here. But that golden apple is truly tempting."
"I think so too. I want to try it."
The students chatted amongst themselves.
The Professor of Metaphysics and Guo Liang rubbed their arms, feeling a chill.
In the livestream chat.
"Haha, our boss is still the best. He's probably the first person to have a conversation with a divine being!"
"This is truly... I also want to chat with a divine being, even if I'm not very familiar with them."
"I'm not thinking about anything else, but that apple. It looks so delicious. I saw several students swallowing their saliva earlier."
"It must be delicious, that's what I think, haha."
"When our boss comes out, I must ask for the technique. I'll plant fruit trees too; this will definitely make me rich!"
"Haha, you're greedy, but I think the same way."