Tiger saw a group of people approaching from a distance, his face instantly filled with impatience.
The word “Dang it!” was already on the tip of his tongue when he spotted Monkey leading the group.
“Hmm…?” Tiger slowly stood up, his towering figure and furious expression making the distant “Outlaws” halt in their tracks.
At that moment, an uneasy feeling crept into everyone’s hearts…
Was Monkey taking advantage of his mobility to lure people here just to kill them?
But how did he even know about the “boarding” message?
“You…” Tiger eyed Monkey. “What’s this about? Bringing me extra work?”
Hearing the phrase “extra work,” Old Sun glanced at the small building behind Tiger. The place radiated an aura of danger, and considering the “Tiger’s” game rules, if the other party wasn’t an ally, the Outlaws behind him would only be waiting for death here.
“Teacher,” Monkey whispered, “there’s a special situation right now…”
She stepped forward and stood beside Tiger, who bent his head down slightly. The two exchanged a few hushed words.
“What the hell?” Tiger frowned. “Why should I help him?”
“Teacher… this isn’t about helping him! Isn’t this more like—”
Monkey leaned in again and whispered a few more words, leaving Old Sun and the others in even deeper silence.
They glanced at the sky—dusk was approaching. If they couldn’t convince the massive white tiger in front of them soon, they’d have no choice but to resort to force and try to seize a “door.”
With that in mind, Old Sun turned back, signaled the others, and gathered them to briefly discuss possible tactics.
Though Earth-level “Zodiacs” were ferocious, they were ultimately just brute strength. If a group of desperate “Echoers” attacked together, they might stand a sliver of a chance.
“But Goat didn’t arrange it this way…!” Tiger grumbled. “What’s that damn rat trying to pull? Does he think he’s smarter than Goat?”
“Because the plan involves too many people, Teacher Goat can’t account for every detail,” Monkey explained. “Maybe he intentionally left a few ‘Zodiacs’ as backups in case others fail. That’s where Rat’s role comes in.”
Tiger thought for a few seconds before replying, “Honestly, I don’t trust that rat. He always gives off a bad vibe. If it were Black telling me this, I might actually consider it.”
Monkey hesitated, then nodded. “I didn’t think it through. Don’t be upset—this was my own idea. It’s fine if you disagree.”
“Not your fault,” Tiger said. “Truth is, I just don’t have a reason to help these people. Helping strangers always feels risky.”
“Alright, I understand.” Monkey turned back to the Outlaws, but before she could speak, Old Sun cut in.
“Hey, sis, don’t bother,” Old Sun said. “I know you mean well, but if it’s not gonna work, forget it.”
Hearing this, Tiger slowly furrowed his brows.
A few seconds later, he stepped forward and walked toward Old Sun.
The Outlaws tensed up, readying their “Convictions.”
Tiger stopped right in front of Old Sun, staring him down before asking, “What’d you just say?”
Old Sun blinked, replying cautiously, “I said, ‘I know you mean well, but if it’s not gonna work, forget it…'”
“The part before that.”
“I said, ‘Hey, sis, don’t bother…'”
Tiger’s eyes narrowed, and Old Sun felt his heart leap into his throat. At this distance, if Tiger struck, he wouldn’t even have room to dodge.
Then, Tiger slowly opened his massive maw and uttered two words no one expected—
“Fellow northerner?”
“Huh?” Old Sun froze. “No way, for real? You’re from the Northeast too?”
“Damn right!” Tiger nodded. “What a mess, huh? I’m from Jilin! You…?”
“Shenyang!”
“Hell yeah! Shoulda said you were a fellow northerner—of course I’d help!”
Tiger smacked his own head, and to everyone’s bewilderment, he and Old Sun instantly hit it off like old friends.
Their conversation ranged from hometown gossip to obscure county names, and if they kept going, it’d turn out their ancestors were from the same village.
Everyone nearby, including Monkey, was baffled by this bizarre reunion. Two strangers were suddenly acting like long-lost brothers.
Seeing her teacher’s usual reckless nature, Monkey sighed in resignation.
No matter how she explained the situation, Tiger wouldn’t budge—but the moment he heard “fellow northerner,” it became “I *have* to help.” Where did this sudden trust even come from?
“Don’t worry, bro!” Tiger declared. “Leave this to me—nobody’s gonna stop us now!”
“Come on, man, no need for that!” Old Sun laughed. “Listen to me—I won’t make things hard for you. I’ll figure it out myself!”
Monkey turned to the other Outlaws and said, “As expected, they’re now stuck in a loop of fake politeness. You all can go inside and rest.”
The Outlaws exchanged uneasy glances, still finding the whole situation surreal.
—
“Crap, crap, crap…!” Jiang Ruoxue stomped in frustration. “Fatso, what the hell should I do?!”
“Hey, hey, hey!” Rat bristled at the nickname. “What are you even trying to do? Either pay the toll so I can kill you if you cause trouble, or get lost!”
“I need to convince you *now*!” Jiang Ruoxue slammed the table. “If I don’t, I’m screwed!”
“Then *say* something!” Rat snapped, leaning back and propping his legs on the table again. “You think pacing in circles is gonna magically change my mind?”
“Fine. I need to board the ‘Train’ through your ‘door.'”
“Holy sh—” Rat’s legs slipped off the table, nearly making him fall.
He knew things were chaotic outside—even “Beetle” had activated the broadcast. He’d planned to stay out of it, but now these “Participants” were storming in under the banner of “rebellion.”
“And then we’ll charge onto the ‘Train’ and turn the place upside—”
“Hold on, hold on!” Rat waved his hands frantically. “Damn, I thought this was a robbery or extortion, but you’re really courting death…”
“Why rob or extort?” Jiang Ruoxue frowned. “I’m here to *rebel*!”
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