Chapter 967: Follow the Mistake
"Then I understand..." Bailan Dog slowly sat up straight, his expression cautious as he stared at the ground.
"Yes... the situation should be just like that. Brother Yang gave her a solo plan, and that plan likely doesn't include us at all," Ground Rat said. "So that Ground Ox wants to use us as cannon fodder to achieve her own 'great cause.'"
"Then are you saying..." Bailan Dog followed Ground Rat's line of thought. "Not a single word of that 'plan' those two women mentioned today can be believed?"
"That's not what I think." Ground Rat shook his head. "We've been in contact with that Frazzled Hen for several days now... She doesn't seem like the type to want us dead. So I can tentatively trust what she said. But that Ox leader... I'm not so sure about her."
"So in your view, the part of the plan from 'destroying the equipment' to 'boarding the train' might be real, but what happens after boarding the train is fake." Bailan Dog slowly shook his head. "Yet how I wish that 'matching kill' part were true..."
"I told you, Dog Leader." Ground Rat said seriously, "Even if this plan were real... it would be extremely difficult for us to pull off."
"Then what do we do now?"
"Now is the time to see how many smart people are in the team," Ground Rat said. "Dog Leader, I'm not that close with the others, so I'm only telling you this. As for whether they go after the 'Heavenly Class,' that depends on their own wits. But no matter what, we need to adapt to circumstances."
"What do you mean by 'adapt to circumstances'?" Bailan Dog asked again.
"Our goal is indeed to 'kill the Heavenly Class,' but we absolutely cannot recklessly walk into their rooms for one-on-one fights." Ground Rat leaned closer to Bailan Dog and spoke very quietly. "Since a 'wrong team' met 'wrong people' at a 'wrong time,' and mistakenly accepted a 'wrong plan,' then we should follow the mistake and make the best of it. We'll follow these errors forward and ultimately achieve our own 'rightness.'"
"You..." Bailan Dog pondered for a moment. "Elaborate."
"Everything proceeds normally in the early stages. If one day the Giant Bell and the Display Screen are destroyed, we'll rendezvous with those 'destroyers' and board the 'train.' But after that... we absolutely must not be the first to kill a 'Heavenly Class.'" Ground Rat explained carefully. "We have no chance of winning in one-on-one fights... so we have to wait."
"But what are we waiting for...?"
"The worst case is waiting for someone else to make the first move," Ground Rat said. "After all, even if we kill all the 'Heavenly Class,' we still have to face four 'Divine Beasts.' Moreover, the most powerful among the 'Heavenly Class,' the 'Heavenly Dragon,' won't be killed by anyone... We can only wait for others to create chaos for us. Then we can pretend to go help and see if there's an opportunity to strike."
"But will that work?" Bailan Dog thought it over. "This is clearly a 'Prisoner's Dilemma.' If someone really does make the first move, all the 'Heavenly Class' could show up, and that person won't be able to complete their task either. But if we all act together..."
"Then we all die together," Ground Rat said. "Dog Leader, you usually seem pretty lazy, but now you're throwing 'Prisoner's Dilemma' at me."
"Isn't it the case...?"
"Let me be clear about my stance first," Ground Rat said. "If you follow my plan, once the situation collapses, we can switch sides at any time. But if you choose to act immediately, whether you succeed or fail, your situation will be very dangerous."
"Does that mean you might betray Brother Yang at the last moment?"
"Leader..." Ground Rat's eyes rarely turned cold. "What are you saying? When it comes to a critical moment, I don't need to mention Brother Yang... even if it's you, I would betray you without hesitation."
Bailan Dog fell silent, staring at Ground Rat without a word.
"I can't be like Money-Losing Tiger." Ground Rat chuckled again. "He can die for Brother Yang without any reason, but I can't... I don't want to die."
After hearing this, Bailan Dog nodded slightly. "I understand..."
"I just want stability." Ground Rat patted Bailan Dog on the shoulder. "If this opportunity isn't good, I don't mind waiting for the next one."
"Although I can't put it as freely as you did..." Bailan Dog said quietly, "my thoughts are about the same. The reason I agreed to join Brother Yang's team is because of my teacher's dying wish... I can do a lot for that wish, but I can't die."
"In that case, Dog Leader, just follow my lead." Ground Rat stood up and said, "That Ox leader wants to use us, but whether we actually let ourselves be used... we'll decide when it actually happens."
"Alright, got it." Bailan Dog nodded.
"Besides, don't you think the true content of this plan hasn't fully surfaced yet?"
"Oh?"
"With so many 'Participants' boarding the train... what are they going to do?" Ground Rat asked again. "They can't beat us in terms of combat power, and they can't beat the 'Heavenly Class' in terms of 'Echo.' Yet Brother Yang still insists on letting these people on board..."
"You mean the 'Participants' have their own plans too..." Bailan Dog mused.
"Exactly. When the time comes, we'll act according to the 'general direction,'" Ground Rat said. "Don't rush to your death."
Bailan Dog nodded after hearing this.
"By the way..." Ground Rat changed the subject, looking back at Bailan Dog. "Dog Leader, what 'Echo' are you carrying exactly?"
Bailan Dog was stunned for a second, then slowly broke into a smile. "When did I ever say I had an 'Echo'...?"
Ground Rat frowned slightly, but after a few seconds, he too quickly smiled. "You're right. You're really too dog-like."
"Thanks."
Ground Rat stopped pressing the issue and said in a low voice, "Dog Leader, if I'm not mistaken, on the day of the plan, you will definitely be assigned some 'destroyers'... I suggest you think of a countermeasure in advance."
"I..." Bailan Dog's face drooped after hearing this. "I have to think about that in advance too? Such a hassle...?"
"We don't know exactly how many people you'll receive, but those people will definitely be hunted by the 'higher-ups'... You'd better consider how to safely get them to the 'train.'"
At this point, Bailan Dog seemed to think of something and quickly said, "Wait... Before, that Ground Chicken said that the 'Zodiac' would encounter a 'Death Gate'... In that case, could the 'Death Gate' be the 'Azure Dragon'? On that day, he will surely fly into a rage because of the destroyed Display Screen and Giant Bell, and then chase down these 'Participants.' Once he appears, the 'Zodiac' protecting these 'destroyers' will die on the spot."
Ground Rat followed Bailan Dog's line of thought and considered it, but still felt there were too many loopholes.
"'Azure Dragon' has 'Spiritual Hearing' and 'Warp'..." Ground Rat stroked his beard and said. "If 'Azure Dragon' really goes berserk that day, there won't be just one 'Death Gate.' He'll quickly locate all eight 'Zodiac' members and kill everyone."