Chapter 1226: A Favor

Chu Tianqiu listened and glanced at Qian Wu. His condition was clearly not good. After all, he didn't have the body of a dwarf, and he might have used *Shuang Sheng Hua* multiple times already.

"Is it true that Mao has consecutively killed Xuan Wu and Zhu Que?" Chu Tianqiu asked.

"Luck," Qian Wu replied. He reached for a cigarette but found his pockets empty. A few seconds later, he remembered that he'd already given the remaining half-pack to Officer Li.

He patted his pockets and, in resignation, turned his head to look at a large dog standing on one side of the corridor. It was a hefty, big-eared American Pit Bull Terrier.

Qian Wu just stared at the dog without saying a word from start to finish, but that gaze made the dog extremely uncomfortable. The dog averted his eyes for a while before finally forcing out a bitter smile.

"Ah... what are you doing...?" the dog asked. "Boss Qian, I... um..."

Qian Wu still didn't speak; he just quietly watched him.

The dog awkwardly chuckled to smooth things over, then wisely stepped forward. He reached into his suit pocket, pulled out a crudely made rolled cigarette, and respectfully placed it in Qian Wu's mouth. Next, he took out a lighter.

Click.

The lighter's flame flickered, illuminating Qian Wu's cold face and lighting the cigarette in his mouth.

The people from the Qiao family, including Qiao Jiajin, were all baffled by this scene. They stared at Qian Wu for a long time, not knowing where to begin asking.

"Boss Qian..." The dog put away the lighter and handed over the rest of the cigarettes from his pocket. "Don't look at me like that... You know, we just made a deal; we didn't sign a contract..."

Qian Wu grabbed the dog's hand and smoothly took the lighter, tucking it into his own pocket.

"Dog," Qian Wu said, "anyone in *Zhong Yan Zhi Di* who owes me Qian Wu a favor and doesn't pay it back—I won't let them off easy, even if they're part of *Sheng Xiao*. You know that, right?"

"I know... I know..." The dog nodded. "I've done business with your Boss Song before. I understand your rules."

"You, a dog, dare to mention Lao Qi?" Qian Wu exhaled smoke and said, "Lao Qi is steady in his work and gives everyone full respect. He's Mao's diplomat, but I'm different—I only keep track of grudges."

Qian Wu turned back with a cold stare at the dog. "I told you to cause some trouble for Zhu Que, but I don't feel like you did anything at all."

"Boss Qian..." The dog's eyebrows twisted into an inverted eight shape in flattery. "You're really putting me in a tough spot... You came at us *Sheng Xiao* all fierce, demanding we repay a favor—who would dare refuse? If we refused, you'd switch our bodies on the spot..."

"Dog is supposed to represent loyalty, isn't it?" Qian Wu flicked his cigarette ash. "Your attitude is a bit surprising to me."

"What does Dog being loyal have to do with me?" The dog said with a sly grin, "That's hilarious. My game type is 'Loyalty,' but my game name is 'Messenger.' I can only help deliver messages or run errands for you. If you want me to risk my life... I'd have to think twice about that."

In the distance, Di Shu couldn't help but burst into laughter at the sight of the Pit Bull Terrier.

"You sly dog..." Di Shu muttered, "I've never seen you act so obsequious before. I really underestimated you this time."

"What the hell, Le? How much better are you?" The dog frowned at Di Shu. "You've done your fair share of bootlicking. I'm dying laughing here."

Qin Dingdong found the way the dog spoke particularly awkward, as she rarely heard anyone weave so much internet slang into everyday conversation.

"Bootlicking? That's debatable," Di Shu shook his head. "At least I'm the same with everyone I meet. You're a whole different story—two-faced as they come."

"Can you use fewer of those old idioms?" the dog said. "We're in the middle of serious business here; don't butt in."

Di Shu had no interest in dealing with such a two-faced person. In his view, people like that were even more like fence-sitters than he was—duplicitous folks were dangerous no matter the situation.

"Boss Qian..." The dog turned back to Qian Wu and continued, "I really didn't expect you to make it onto this *Lieche*... Consider it my loss, okay? Whatever you say now, I'll listen."

Hearing this, Qian Wu's lips curled up slightly. "Good, that's what you said."

Seeing Qian Wu's expression, the dog immediately realized he'd made a mistake. What kind of person was Qian Wu? Would he not understand his own personality? To put it nicely, it was because he hadn't repaid Qian Wu's favor that he was now forced to agree to his demands. But looking at it now, everything had been within Qian Wu's expectations. Even without him causing trouble for Zhu Que, they had still killed her. So, this plan hadn't needed his involvement from the start. And he, this pawn, was destined to help on the *Lieche*.

"Boss Qian... it feels like you're setting a trap for me to fall into..." The dog's face twitched, and he spoke with an unhappy expression.

"A trap?" Qian Wu shook his head. "Not entirely. If you'd chosen to 'flee in chaos' and disrupt Zhu Que back then, you wouldn't be here getting ordered around by me now."

The dog's Pit Bull face showed no clear expression, but his mouth was downturned, making him look unhappy. Although Qian Wu was being so aggressive, the dog had no way to fight back. After all, trying to kill him would just trigger his ability, and he might end up being forcibly taken away.

"You..." The dog thought for a moment and asked reluctantly, "What do you want me to do? I'm saying this upfront—nothing that involves risking my life."

"I need time," Qian Wu said. "Starting now, I'll go with these few to your room to rest for a while, and you'll be responsible for protecting our safety."

The dog narrowed his eyes slowly after hearing this, then stuck out his tongue to lick his nose.

"Boss Qian... this is really strange..." The dog glanced at the many "participants" standing before him. "Were all these things planned out by you guys long ago?"

"Why do you ask that?"

"This is all too coincidental," the dog said with a furrowed brow. "It's like you anticipated everything and are methodically leading me into a trap. This kind of playing three steps ahead has me completely baffled..."

"Then just think of it as a spur-of-the-moment idea," Qian Wu said. "Don't waste time on things you can't figure out."

Chu Tianqiu nodded slowly after listening. Qian Wu's strategy seemed like another clever move. No one would expect them to hide next in the room of a dog they had almost no prior dealings with. Even if Qing Long sent people to investigate all the *Sheng Xiao* who might rebel, it would be hard to trace it back to this dog.

"You two, come with me," Qian Wu said, tossing away his cigarette butt and looking at Qiao Jiajin and Zhang Shan. "We need a quiet place to get you ready for the battle."