Chapter 603: The Introverted Person
"Whoa!" Chen Junnan let out a mischievous laugh, looking at the giant rat before him. "You're pretty chatty, aren't ya?"
"You flatter me, Leader." Earth Rat chuckled humbly. "Compared to you, I should be the introverted one."
"Hey, what are you talking about?" Chen Junnan waved his hand. "I'm the number one social anxiety guy in the capital. I wouldn't even dare to burp outside. We're birds of a feather."
"Then the Leader and I really do get along. I'm also the type who wouldn't speak first for eight hundred years." Earth Rat bared his rat teeth in a grin at Chen Junnan. "Two introverts like us are best suited to be friends."
"Isn't that a coincidence?" Chen Junnan's face was also full of smiles as he walked toward the Zodiac, constantly sizing him up. "Because I've been introverted my whole life, and I still don't have any friends."
Earth Rat, in turn, scanned Chen Junnan from head to toe. Although the two were all smiles, the atmosphere felt strangely tense.
Qiao Jiajin, meanwhile, scratched his head lazily. "Are you two alarm clocks...? Why are you so noisy the moment you meet?"
"Hey, Lao Qiao, don't mind me. I'm making a friend here."
"Baa...?" Qiao Jiajin felt his strength mostly recovered and slowly got up from the ground. He looked at the two men gradually approaching each other, completely baffled.
Earth Rat bowed slightly to Chen Junnan. "Leader, since we hit it off so well, why don't you come in and sit for a while? I have some fruit in here."
"Aren't you being too polite? This fruit isn't cheap, is it?"
"You've made me speechless with that, Leader." Earth Rat shook his head. "How could I take your money? At most, I'll just take your life. You all were lying on the street playing dead, so 'life' must be worthless to you."
"Oh, so it's just my life? I thought you wanted money. What a misunderstanding!"
"Yes, yes! Hahaha!"
By the time they finished speaking, the two were standing face-to-face. Qiao Jiajin sensed something was off and quickly followed.
"Handsome Boy, what are you doing?" Qiao Jiajin looked warily at Earth Rat. His years on the streets told him that this smiling tiger type was not easy to mess with.
"I'm just chatting, aren't I?" Chen Junnan smiled. "This big rat wants us to play his game... What do you think, Lao Qiao?"
"I think..." Qiao Jiajin turned to look at the rat before him. "Doesn't matter. I don't like this guy, but since he's acting so arrogant with us, he's asking for it."
"Leaders, when did I ever say you have to play a game? Just come in and sit." Earth Rat opened his mouth, looking a bit embarrassed. "I really do have a lot of fruit. Won't you come in and have some?"
Chen Junnan and Qiao Jiajin exchanged a glance. Their expressions were calm, showing no signs of panic.
"Since you're inviting us for fruit, then we'll be coming in."
The two swaggered into Earth Rat's game arena. Earth Rat naturally opened the door to welcome them, then led them all the way to the "Rat House" inside the game.
"Leader..." Earth Rat looked at Chen Junnan's face and couldn't help but smile slightly. "Please come in."
Chen Junnan and Qiao Jiajin noticed that the building actually did have a sweet fruity smell. And in the "Rat House" where Earth Rat led them, there were indeed some fresh fruit placed on the table.
"Ah...?" Chen Junnan was stunned. "Big rat, are you really inviting us for fruit?"
"Of course." Earth Rat nodded. "My fruit here has a daily limit. I figure most of the participants died today, so no one will come to play the game. Rather than waste it, I might as well find a few people to share it with."
"What kind of weird logic is that..." Chen Junnan couldn't understand. "Couldn't you just eat it yourself or throw it away? You were watching us at the door all this time just for that reason?"
"Leader, I've always been this kind." Earth Rat smiled, then stared at Chen Junnan's face for a long time.
"What are you staring at?" Chen Junnan also smiled.
"Leader, I have to say, you're not bad looking for a human." Earth Rat said.
"Of course, one of us has to be presentable, right?" Chen Junnan shot back.
"Ha..." Earth Rat slowly bared his teeth. "I really do miss this..."
Chen Junnan frowned. The word "miss" gave him a bad feeling.
"To be honest with you two, besides inviting you for fruit, I also wanted to have a chat with you."
"A chat?"
Earth Rat nodded. After bringing them inside, he closed the door, then walked over and turned on a radio on the table. An unusually jarring rock music began blaring from it, the volume turned up high, making the two feel irritated.
The old radio's speakers were both loud and low-quality. The two could feel the floor vibrating under their feet along with the sound.
"What the hell are you doing?" Chen Junnan asked.
"What?!" Earth Rat cupped his hand to his ear over the noisy music. "Leader, speak up! I can't hear you!"
"Can't you turn off that damn radio?!" Chen Junnan shouted. "Weren't we going to talk?!"
"No can do, Leader!" Earth Rat shouted back over the music. "This is the only way to talk!! Don't you like listening to music when you're slacking off at work?!"
"I don't have a job!" Chen Junnan yelled.
"Leader, if you don't have a job, how do you support your wife?" Earth Rat shouted again.
"I... I don't have a wife either!" Chen Junnan felt that this rat in front of him was a bit strange— he gave him a sense of déjà vu.
"What...?" Earth Rat's expression showed obvious surprise. "Leader, what nonsense are you spouting? Don't you have a whole bunch of romance strategies?"
"I...?" Chen Junnan actually wanted to have a proper talk with Earth Rat, but the music in the room was too damn loud. "Who the hell are you?"
Earth Rat walked over to Chen Junnan, lowered his voice, and said, "Leader, I'm an old acquaintance of yours."
"Old acquaintance...?" Chen Junnan frowned at him. He had preserved nearly eight years of memories, but didn't remember knowing this person.
"There's a troublesome matter now that needs the two of you to help with." Earth Rat's voice grew quieter and quieter, but Chen Junnan heard it more and more clearly.
"What trouble...?" Chen Junnan paused.
"The plan you and Qi Xia are hatching has now entered the right track. More than a few 'Zodiacs' are involved in this. I suspect there are spies from hostile forces among them." Earth Rat smiled, his expression as if he were chatting about everyday life.
Chen Junnan and Qiao Jiajin exchanged glances, unsure whether to believe what the rat in front of them was saying.