Chapter 1226: A Favor
After hearing this, Chu Tianqiu looked at Qian Wu; his condition was clearly not good. After all, he wasn't born with a dwarf's body—he might have already used the "Twin Flowers" many times.
"I heard that the 'Cat' has already killed both the Black Tortoise and the Vermilion Bird. Is that true?" Chu Tianqiu asked.
"Just luck," Qian Wu replied. He wanted to take out a cigarette, but found his pockets completely empty. A few seconds later, he remembered he'd already given the remaining half-pack to Officer Li.
He patted his pockets, then, in frustration, turned his head to look at an Earth Dog standing in the corridor—a large, thick-headed bulldog.
Qian Wu just stared at the Earth Dog, without saying a word from beginning to end. But that look made the Earth Dog extremely uncomfortable. His eyes darted away several times, and in the end, he forced out a wry smile.
"Hey... what's this about...?" the Earth Dog asked. "Boss Qian, me, I..."
Qian Wu still said nothing, just quietly watched him.
The Earth Dog let out an awkward, fawning laugh, then wisely walked over. He reached into the pocket of his suit, pulled out a crudely made hand-rolled cigarette, and respectfully stuck it into Qian Wu's mouth. Then he took out a lighter.
*Click.*
The flame of the lighter flickered once, illuminating Qian Wu's cold face, and then lit the cigarette in his mouth.
Everyone nearby, including Qiao Jiajin and the others, was baffled by this scene. They stared at Qian Wu for a long time but didn't know where to start asking.
"Boss Qian..." The Earth Dog put away the lighter and handed all the remaining hand-rolled cigarettes in his pocket to Qian Wu. "Don't look at me like that... You know, we just made a deal, not signed a contract..."
Qian Wu grabbed the Earth Dog's hand and also took the lighter from him, pocketing it.
"Dog," Qian Wu said. "In the 'Land of Finality,' if someone owes me, Qian Wu, a favor and doesn't repay it, even if they're a 'Zodiac,' I won't let them off easy. You know that, right?"
"I know... I know..." The Earth Dog nodded. "I've done business with your Boss Song. I know your rules."
"You, this dog, are worthy of mentioning Old Seven?" Qian Wu exhaled smoke and said. "Old Seven is steady. He knows how to save everyone's face—he's the 'Cat's' diplomat. But I'm different. I only remember grudges."
Qian Wu turned back and glared coldly at the Earth Dog. "I told you to cause some trouble for the Vermilion Bird. But I feel like you did nothing at all."
"Boss Qian..." The Earth Dog's eyebrows twisted into a fawning inverted V. "You're really putting me in a tough spot... When you stormed up to us 'Zodiacs' and said we owed you a favor, how could any of us dare refuse...? If we had refused, you would have taken our bodies right then and there..."
"Doesn't 'Dog' represent loyalty?" Qian Wu flicked his ash. "This attitude of yours is a bit unexpected."
"What does 'Dog's' loyalty have to do with me?" The Earth Dog said with a grin. "LOL, the theme of my game is 'loyalty,' but the name of my game is 'The Messenger.' At most, I can deliver messages for you, pass on words. Ask me to risk my life... I'll have to think it over carefully."
The Earth Rat in the distance couldn't help but laugh at the bulldog's demeanor.
"You dog bastard..." the Earth Rat muttered. "I've never seen you act so sycophantic. This time, I really underestimated a dog with my human eyes."
"LOL, you're not any better, are you?" The Earth Dog frowned at the Earth Rat. "You've done plenty of brown-nosing yourself. I'm literally dying of laughter."
Qin Dingdong felt extremely uncomfortable listening to the Earth Dog talk like that. She seldom saw someone incorporate so much internet slang into everyday conversation.
"'Brown-nosing'? That's debatable." The Earth Rat shook his head. "At least I act this way with everyone I meet. With you, it's a whole different story—day and night."
"Could you please use fewer of those terrible idioms?" the Earth Dog said. "We're discussing serious business here. Don't interrupt."
The Earth Rat naturally had no patience for such a two-faced person. In his view, this guy was even more of a weathervane than he was. People who say one thing and mean another are scary anytime.
"Boss Qian..." The Earth Dog turned back to face Qian Wu. "I really never thought you'd make it onto this 'Train'... I'll admit defeat, okay? From now on, whatever you say, I'll listen."
Hearing this, the corner of Qian Wu's mouth lifted slightly. "Good. You said that."
Seeing Qian Wu's expression, the Earth Dog suddenly realized he had made a mistake.
Who was Qian Wu? How could he not know this Earth Dog's character?
To put it nicely, the Earth Dog had indeed failed to repay Qian Wu's favor and was now forced to agree to his demands. But looking at it now, this had all been within Qian Wu's expectations.
Even without the Earth Dog causing trouble for the Vermilion Bird, they had still killed it. So this plan had never needed his participation from the start.
And this Earth Dog was destined to be a pawn, forced to help him on the "Train."
"Boss Qian... are you digging a pit for me to jump into...?" The flesh on the Earth Dog's face quivered as he spoke in displeasure.
"Digging a pit?" Qian Wu shook his head. "Can't say that entirely. If you had chosen to 'flee in panic' to mess with the Vermilion Bird back then, you wouldn't be under my command here now."
It was impossible to read the expression on the Earth Dog's bulldog face, but his mouth kept drooping downward, making it clear he wasn't happy.
Although Qian Wu was being so aggressive, the Earth Dog had no way to punish him. After all, trying to kill him would mean touching him, and then he might just forcibly take him along.
"You..." The Earth Dog thought for a moment and then asked in a frustrated tone, "What do you want me to do? Let me say this in advance—no suicide missions."
"I need time," Qian Wu said. "Starting now, I and these people will rest in your room for a while. You are responsible for protecting our safety."
The Earth Dog slowly narrowed his eyes, then stuck out his tongue to lick his nose.
"Boss Qian... This is really strange..." The Earth Dog looked at the many "participants" standing before him. "Was all this planned out long ago?"
"What makes you ask that?"
"Everything is too coincidental," the Earth Dog said, frowning. "It's as if you had calculated everything in advance, and now you're methodically making me fall into the trap step by step. This kind of 'see three moves ahead' operation really baffles me..."
"Then just think of it as a spur-of-the-moment idea," Qian Wu said. "Stop thinking about what you can't understand."
Hearing this, Chu Tianqiu slowly nodded. Qian Wu's strategy seemed like another brilliant move.
No one would ever think that they would next hide in the room of an Earth Dog with whom they had almost no prior association. Even if the Azure Dragon sent people to investigate all the "Zodiacs" who might potentially "rebel," it would be hard for them to trace it back to this Earth Dog.
"You two, come with me." Qian Wu threw away his cigarette butt, then looked at Qiao Jiajin and Zhang Shan. "We need a quiet place to get you ready for 'battle preparations.'"