The crowd naturally didn’t have a pleasant expression toward Groundhog. If it weren’t for everyone’s concerted efforts this time, Groundhog would have already taken their lives.
“Yo, Monkey Bro, what’s the deal?” Chen Junan asked irritably.
Groundhog acted as if he hadn’t heard anything and walked straight toward Xiao Cheng.
“You…” Groundhog paused for a moment before speaking. “Are you sure his trauma was caused by ‘Dreamwalking’?”
“Well…” Xiao Cheng hadn’t expected Groundhog to care about this issue. He could only shake his head. “I really don’t know. I can only say it seems similar—it might be another ability like ‘Dreamwalking’…”
“Do you have a way to ‘treat’ it?” Groundhog pressed.
“I…” Xiao Cheng felt uneasy and quickly shook his head. “I’ve already said, if I enter the dream of someone with stronger mental resilience than me, I might get swallowed by their dream. A normal dream is one thing, but if it’s a ‘nightmare,’ I could very well die in it…”
“Liar.” Groundhog sneered. “Unless the dream’s owner sees you and personally kills you, there’s no way you’d die in the dream.”
“Wha—” Xiao Cheng froze, turning to stare at Groundhog.
“Your ‘Dreamwalking’ isn’t skilled enough—people in the dream can hardly see you, right?” Groundhog said. “In that case, how could they possibly kill you?”
“You… even know this?”
“The only way you’ve ever died in a dream is if you tried to kill someone in it, got detected, and were killed in return,” Groundhog continued. “Even if you really entered Qi Xia’s dream, I doubt he’d have the intention to kill you.”
Xiao Cheng nodded grimly. “That’s true… but what if there’s even the slightest chance—”
“Qi Xia just gambled with your stake, too.” Groundhog pulled another cigarette from his chest pocket and placed it between his lips. “So, aren’t you willing to gamble for him once?”
Chen Junan and Qiao Jiajin, standing nearby, suddenly found Groundhog slightly more tolerable as he spoke these words.
“I’ve actually thought about it…” Xiao Cheng replied through gritted teeth. “I’m just afraid I’m not skilled enough—I might not only fail to help Brother Qi but could even make his condition worse…”
“Doesn’t matter.” Groundhog lit his cigarette. “Go take a look. Qi Xia’s situation can’t get any worse than it is now.”
After speaking, he glanced around at Qi Xia’s teammates and asked, “What do you all think?”
Tiantian pondered for a moment before responding, “This is a bit beyond my understanding. It’s up to Xiao Cheng.”
“Right.” Chen Junan nodded. “Kid, if you’re willing to go in and check on Old Qi for us, we’ll owe you one. If not, we won’t hold it against you.”
“Well…”
As Xiao Cheng hesitated, Groundhog blew a thick cloud of smoke into his face and said, “Sorry, they’re them. I’m me.”
“What?”
“If you don’t find a way to snap Qi Xia out of this, I’ll break both your legs today and make you crawl out of here.”
Groundhog’s words were firm, leaving no room for negotiation, and everyone present stiffened slightly.
Though everyone was worried about Qi Xia, this approach was practically forcing Xiao Cheng into a corner. To Xiao Cheng, Qi Xia was essentially a stranger he’d only just met. If he wasn’t willing to risk his life to help, that was understandable.
But why was Groundhog so invested in Qi Xia’s condition? Or did he have ulterior motives?
Seeing Groundhog’s eagerness, Chen Junan grew suspicious.
“Monkey Bro, I didn’t see you caring this much about Old Qi during the card game,” Chen Junan said, eyeing him.
“We have mutual interests,” Groundhog replied. “If he stays like this, I don’t have the patience to wait.”
“You’d better not pull anything shady,” Chen Junan warned. “Monkey Bro, the higher-ups don’t know about your ‘Keen Eyes,’ do they?”
Groundhog’s expression darkened as he turned to stare at Chen Junan.
“If I catch you scheming, I’ll make sure everyone knows,” Chen Junan said with a smirk. “Don’t underestimate me—I may not talk much, but word spreads fast when I want it to.”
“Relax, I told you—we have mutual interests.” Groundhog pointed at the unconscious Qi Xia. “If he doesn’t recover, neither do I.”
Then, he glanced back at Xiao Cheng and said quietly, “Is that clear enough? Do you want me to ‘accidentally’ crush your foot, or will you go in and check on him?”
Xiao Cheng looked nervous, clenching his fists before replying, “I have to be upfront… I can’t guarantee I’ll cure Brother Qi. At most, I can try to identify the cause. If you’re okay with that, then yes, I can enter his dream.”
“Then why waste time?” Groundhog snapped. “Hurry up.”
Everyone had their own motives, and no one spoke up for Xiao Cheng. Compared to him, they all wanted Qi Xia to be safe.
Though selfish choices sometimes weighed on their conscience, there was no denying Qi Xia’s importance far outweighed Xiao Cheng’s.
“Hey, kid,” Chen Junan finally added, “don’t die in there. I have a feeling Old Qi’s ‘dream’ is terrifying. If things look bad, get out fast. Old Qiao and I will figure something else out.”
Chen Junan had seen Qi Xia wake up a few times—each time, his expression was like that of a man reborn. Given Qi Xia’s mental fortitude, a ‘nightmare’ that scared *him* would be unimaginably horrifying for anyone else.
“Okay…” Xiao Cheng nodded numbly. “I understand.”
With that, he sat beside Qi Xia, laying him flat and dragging a chair over.
While he worked, Groundhog disappeared into a back room of the gambling den and returned with a few rotting fruits, tossing them unceremoniously onto a mahjong table.
“What’s this…?” Qiao Jiajin blinked. “Feeding the monkeys?”
“Piss off,” Groundhog grumbled. “I promised that kid earlier—if this round played out, I’d treat you all to something.”
He irritably lit another cigarette and rasped, “I pay my debts.”
The group eyed the fruits—blackened bananas, spotted apples—but despite their condition, their stomachs growled at the sight.
“Eat.” Groundhog waved dismissively. “I’m not wasting poison on rotten fruit. Crushing you underfoot would be easier.”
Xiao Cheng took a deep breath, placed a hand on Qi Xia’s forehead, and focused.
It was his first attempt to enter someone’s dream during the day, and he channeled all his concentration into the task.
“Hey…” Chen Junan whispered, “do you have to fall asleep too?”
“Not exactly sleep, but close.” Xiao Cheng nodded. “Once I’m in Brother Qi’s dream, I won’t sense the outside world. Whatever happens, *don’t* wake me—or I could die.”
“Can’t wake you…?” Chen Junan exchanged a glance with Qiao Jiajin. “Then what if you’re in danger?”
“I’ll try to sever the connection and pull out myself,” Xiao Cheng said gravely. “No matter what happens, unless I come out on my own, *do not* wake me.”
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