Chapter 606: Eight People

Chen Jun Nan had no intention of revealing anything to Di Shu, and Di Shu was equally guarded.

He only told Chen Jun Nan that Tian Long's inner circle consisted of eight people and provided the location of one of them.

It was a "Hou."

Di Shu informed Chen Jun Nan that whether he would disclose information about the other seven depended entirely on how Chen Jun Nan treated this "Hou."

With that, he switched off the radio, indicating the end of their conversation.

Chen Jun Nan and Qiao Jia Jin were well aware that the place had its own "ears" listening in, so they remained silent afterward. After ten minutes of quiet, Chen Jun Nan stood up.

He reached for a bright red peach from the table and handed it to Qiao Jia Jin, then grabbed a handful of kumquats for himself.

"Da Lao Shu, thanks for treating us to that song."He casually popped a kumquat, skin and all, into his mouth, chewed it a few times, and added, "If there's nothing else, my buddy and I will head out."

"Won't you two leaders stay a bit longer?" Di Shu put on a phony smile again. "I've got plenty of fruit here."

"Nah, we're good. We're leaving."

The two men left the room with stern expressions.

As they walked, they felt utterly directionless.

Outside, the black lines were retreating in large numbers, leaving behind a ground covered in fresh red corpses.

They not only didn't know where to go next but also had no idea where their path would lead in the future.

"Jun Nan, are you going to find that 'Hou'?"

"I think I'll go check it out first," Chen Jun Nan said. "This whole thing feels strangely off, and I can't quite put my finger on it."

"Where exactly?"

"The numbers," Chen Jun Nan replied firmly. He paused for a few seconds, avoiding any key details, and continued to Qiao Jia Jin, "Why does it have to be eight Sheng Xiao?"

"What's wrong with eight?"

Chen Jun Nan hesitated before saying, "I just have this wild idea—it's probably way out there and not very practical, but it's something I've always wondered about..."

"Go on."

"Suppose we're dealing with a regrouping..." Chen Jun Nan stopped walking and glanced back toward Di Shu's room. "Where did the original eight people around Lao Qi go?"

"Huh...?" Qiao Jia Jin furrowed his brow instantly. "Whoa... Jun Nan, that's a sharp thought. Are you saying those eight..."

"That's why I want to check it out," Chen Jun Nan sighed. "I'd rather go find Lao Qi, but I have no clue where he is. For now, I'll head to the Hou's spot and see what happens. It's not about risking my life with him—maybe I can just make a friend."

"Got it."Qiao Jia Jin nodded.

The two confirmed their direction and set off toward the Hou's gaming area, happily munching on the sweet fruits in their hands as they went.

...

Tian Tian hugged her knees and sat huddled in the corner, resting her face gently on them as she watched the boy bandaging her wounds.

This boy named Xiao Cheng was a bit odd. Even though he was more badly injured himself, when Tian Tian arrived, she saw that he had already bandaged Zheng Ying Xiong and was now tending to the shocking wound on her palm.

Fortunately, this small hideout had some scraps of cloth and bandages, which were just enough to stop the bleeding for both of them.

Zheng Ying Xiong pulled a strangely shaped flatbread from his backpack, broke it in half, and handed a piece to Tian Tian.

"Jie Jie, eat up."

"Thank you, Xiao Di Di."Tian Tian smiled at him, took the flatbread, and took a small bite.

The flatbread had an unusual texture, with large grains of grain that felt like biting into hard peanuts.

After a few painful chews, Tian Tian seemed to think of something and turned to ask Zheng Ying Xiong, "Xiao Di Di, you mentioned earlier that my ability is called 'Qiao Wu'. Do you know what it does?"

"I don't know." Zheng Ying Xiong shook his head. "I only know its name; I don't understand its specific function."

Tian Tian noticed something off about Zheng Ying Xiong—he held the other broken piece of flatbread in his hand without eating it or putting it away.

"Is your ability to distinguish other people's 'Hui Xiang'?" Tian Tian asked. "Isn't that just like the display screens outside?"

"Yes." Zheng Ying Xiong nodded. "Everyone's 'Qing Xiang' name is fixed, whether it's a sound or a scent—the name stays the same."

Tian Tian nodded, as if she half-understood.

By then, Xiao Cheng had finished bandaging his own palm. It had taken him a while, and now, due to blood loss, his face looked pale.

Zheng Ying Xiong looked up at Xiao Cheng and offered him the remaining half of the flatbread in his hand.

"Ge Ge, eat up."

Both Xiao Cheng and Tian Tian paused at his words, finding it a bit strange.

Xiao Cheng didn't take the flatbread. Instead, he squatted down next to Zheng Ying Xiong and asked, "Xiao Di Di, aren't you going to eat? Have you been holding onto this for me?"

"Mm-hmm." Zheng Ying Xiong nodded. "You two can eat. I'm a 'Ying Xiong'—I don't need to eat."

"What kind of nonsense is that?" Tian Tian said, half amused and half annoyed. "Who told you that a 'Ying Xiong' doesn't need to eat?"

"My subjects." Zheng Ying Xiong turned to her with a serious expression. "Since I'm a 'Ying Xiong' who can save everyone, I have to share the food with them. As long as I can help people, even if I starve to death, it's okay—because I'll come back to life with my memories next time."

"That's ridiculous." Tian Tian frowned and scolded lightly. "Your subjects must all be fools. If you're a 'Ying Xiong', they should be the ones giving you the good food, not the other way around."

"Is that so?" Zheng Ying Xiong asked, uncertain.

"Yes, absolutely."

Tian Tian smiled and nodded, then broke her piece of flatbread into two smaller pieces, handing one to Xiao Cheng. "See? Now we both have some. You should eat yours."

"How can that be...?" Zheng Ying Xiong looked anxious. "Mine is so big, and yours are so small. That won't work..."

"Don't try to be like Kong Rong right now." Tian Tian laughed like a little teacher and patted his head. "Your stomach is growling louder than anyone's—you want it more than we do. No need to hold back this time, okay? Your Ge Ge and Jie Jie forgive you. Go ahead and eat."

Zheng Ying Xiong was slightly taken aback, then looked down at the flatbread in his hand and nodded as if he'd just received a treasure.

Xiao Cheng felt a bit uneasy and whispered to Tian Tian, "Jie, is that tiny piece enough for you?"

Tian Tian stuck out her tongue and whispered back, "Xiao Cheng, this flatbread just doesn't taste great. Help me eat some of it."