This is an antique, and it's quite valuable. With his experience in antiques, Emily Thompson immediately confirmed his suspicion. Although Emily Thompson's monthly income fluctuated between 4,000 and 10,000, with his financial situation, he really shouldn't be dabbling in antiques. Yet, he had an extraordinary passion for them. Once, just to buy a piece he fancied, he survived on instant noodles for three months. Although his exposure to antiques wasn't very deep, the jet-black jade ring before him gave him an irresistible urge to possess it.

However, what Emily Thompson couldn't decide at this moment was whether his own life was more important, or getting that jet-black jade ring. While Emily Thompson remained motionless, the strange snake didn't attack him, but its threatening posture was clear. As luck would have it, the very jet-black jade ring that kept Emily Thompson from running away was actually hanging from the tip of the strange snake's thin tail.

Snatching food from the tiger's mouth? Damn it, go for broke. If I turn and run now, this monster might just sneak up and take a big bite out of me. Focusing his gaze once more on the jet-black jade ring faintly glowing with a red light, Emily Thompson made up his mind.

Suddenly, Emily Thompson lunged like a tiger, completely ignoring the threat of the strange snake, his target naturally the jade ring looped around the snake's tail. Emily Thompson's desperate pounce was quite swift; after all, the martial arts foundation he built in his youth hadn't completely faded.

Just as Emily Thompson's fingertips were about to touch the jet-black jade ring, the strange snake finally moved. Its massive body surged forward, and its bizarre fish-like head lunged straight at Emily Thompson to bite him.

Glancing inadvertently at the snake's wide-open, bloody maw and its gleaming white fangs, anyone would know what would happen if they got bitten.

Oh my god, now Emily Thompson had no time to regret his earlier impulsiveness. At this point, retreat was impossible—he had to go all in. As the snake moved, the jade ring that was almost within reach was lifted into the air by its tail. At the same time, the snake's mouth was closing in on Emily Thompson's neck, and a foul, bloody stench nearly made Emily Thompson faint.

That pounce just now had used up all of Emily Thompson's strength, and his momentum hadn't slowed. In a moment of desperation, he simply rolled on the ground like a lazy donkey, covering himself in mud and weeds, barely dodging that deadly "kiss." Luckily, after that roll, the snake's tail was now only an arm's length away from Emily Thompson.

A great opportunity! Without hesitation, Emily Thompson quickly scrambled up, sidestepped half a step, shot out his right hand, and grabbed it—haha! The icy-cold jet-black jade ring was now in Emily Thompson's hand, snatched from the snake's tail.

No time to celebrate—a gust of foul wind swept over. The strange snake seemed enraged; its massive coiled body was now in full motion, jaws wide open. It looked like it wouldn't rest until it swallowed Emily Thompson alive.

With the jade ring in hand, Emily Thompson knew escape was the best option. Ignoring the snake's gaping maw closing in, he twisted his body, and like an American football player, used his shoulder as a shield and charged straight out of the weeds.

Whether it was the snake's bad luck or Emily Thompson's good fortune, his reckless charge hit the snake right on the lower jaw, and the momentum carried him out of the dense thicket. Once out, Emily Thompson didn't dare linger. Just as he was about to sprint away, his foot suddenly caught on something, and with a "thud," he tumbled to the ground.

It turned out the snake's tail had snaked out of the thicket and tightly wrapped around Emily Thompson's left ankle. Unable to break free, Emily Thompson pulled out his phone from his waistband and frantically smashed it against the snake's body coiled around his leg, hoping for a chance to escape. After several blows, the phone was reduced to a pile of parts. But it had no effect at all; instead, the tail only tightened, and his trapped ankle felt a bone-crushing pain.

When he saw the huge fish head emerge from the thicket, Emily Thompson was filled with despair. It's over. As the saying goes, "Man dies for wealth, birds die for food." Am I really going to die here for an antique, or end up as someone else's meal? Unwilling to just close his eyes and wait for death, Emily Thompson clutched the jade ring tightly in his hand, looked up at the sky, and a ray of sunlight broke through the gloomy clouds. The sky cleared.

Chapter Two: The Magical Ring

Sitting on the bus back to the company, looking at his mud-covered clothes, Emily Thompson couldn't help but feel overjoyed. I'm still alive, I didn't die, haha... He grinned to himself, and with his current appearance, he did look quite odd.

His strange behavior drew wary glances from the ticket collector and many passengers. Was this guy an escapee from a mental hospital?

The joy of surviving a brush with death made Emily Thompson completely oblivious to the dozens of stares. Thinking back to the thrilling scene in the "haunted house," all he wanted to do now was shout to the sky, "Oh sun! I love you to death..."

It turned out that just as Emily Thompson was about to receive the "snake's kiss," the long-lost sun finally emerged. When he saw the strange snake let out a sharp, miserable screech and then retreat into the dense thicket at lightning speed, Emily Thompson wished he could fly up and embrace the sun.