"No… no, it's not like that. I… I actually think your idea isn't bad at all…"
Da Xiong, being hugged tightly by Fat Tiger, felt the hidden strength in his arms. Reluctantly, he ended up saying things he didn't really mean.
Truth be told, he was a little curious about such a mysterious valley.
But Da Xiong had a natural fear of the unknown. If he could, he'd rather not risk putting himself in danger.
"Great! Then let's set off! Who knows, there might be even more interesting things waiting for us ahead!"
Fat Tiger seemed excited, practically bouncing with enthusiasm. Behind him, Doraemon, Da Xiong, and Xiao Fu exchanged helpless glances.
Xiao Fu, as Fat Tiger's top lackey, mostly just followed behind, showing off a little.
When it came to actual adventures, charging forward into danger, Xiao Fu tended to get a bit nervous.
But there was no choice. Since Fat Tiger had persuaded Da Xiong, Xiao Fu, as his loyal second-in-command, had to support Fat Tiger's decision, at least outwardly.
As for Doraemon, he was curious about how these animals could fly, so he didn't mind investigating the strange happenings ahead.
"&%#*@#%#!"
Just as they began walking toward the windmill on the cliff, a voice came from the distant valley—a voice that sounded like a cry for help.
Why "sounded like" a cry for help?
Because the language being spoken wasn't one Doraemon or the others could understand.
But judging by the urgency in the tone, it was clear something troubling had happened.
At the same time…
On the backside of a hillside, a little girl in nomadic clothing and a felt hat was clutching a basket of fruit, panicking as she ran.
Behind her, two large men in black robes were chasing her relentlessly.
"#%@&@%#**!"
From the frustrated shouts of the two men, it was clear they'd been tracking the girl for some time.
But due to a speed difference, they hadn't caught her yet.
Most notably, they weren't running on land—they were standing on round, canvas-like discs that allowed them to fly at low altitude.
If these were high-tech individual flying devices, it would have been easier to believe.
But the fact that they could fly on such crude contraptions was almost unbelievable.
The three of them were moving closer to the path Doraemon, Da Xiong, Fat Tiger, and Xiao Fu were taking. After crossing a small hill, their figures came into view.
"Doraemon, look! There are three people flying in the sky!"
Da Xiong was stunned at first sight. He quickly alerted Doraemon to look.
Although, in truth, everyone's attention had already been drawn to them.
Perhaps coincidentally, or because the girl had been running so long, she was starting to lose energy.
As she neared Doraemon and the others, the girl suddenly flipped sideways midair due to an unstable updraft, falling from the sky.
"She's falling!"
Xiao Fu shouted, terrified.
From her height, she was easily fifty to a hundred meters above the ground. Falling without protection would be extremely dangerous.
"Danger! Leave it to me!"
"No, not this… not this… oh no, this one's wrong too…!"
"Got it! Updraft pad!"
Doraemon, as usual, triggered his "fails at the wrong moment" buff perfectly.
After fumbling through a bunch of useless gadgets, he finally pulled the right one from his 4D pocket: the Updraft Pad. In the nick of time, he placed it where the girl was about to fall.
A burst of upward airflow cushioned her fall. She hit the pad but was unharmed, bouncing gently to the side.
Thanks to the continuous updraft, the girl quickly regained her balance and rolled off the pad, landing safely on the ground.
"#%…#&#@#?"
Although uninjured, the confused look and gestures from the girl made it clear she didn't understand Doraemon or his gadgets.
"#@#*@&￥%#@#**#￥@#%#!"
Meanwhile, in the valley above, the two men chasing her were furious when they saw Doraemon save her, shouting angrily in a language the others couldn't comprehend.
Though they didn't understand the words, the men's furious expressions were clear to Doraemon and the group.
"Hey, Doraemon, why are those two chasing this little girl?"
Da Xiong approached Doraemon, looking at the rescued, timid girl, and asked curiously.
"I'm not entirely sure, but these two don't seem like good people. Da Xiong, Fat Tiger, Xiao Fu, we need to be careful from now on."
Doraemon, being the most level-headed of the group, had already figured out the situation.
It was obvious these men had bad intentions toward the girl.
Since they had stumbled into this situation, they couldn't just hand her over.
And judging by the two men, it seemed they already assumed Doraemon and the others were on the same side.
To stay safe, either the men would retreat, or Doraemon and the others would need to prepare for a fight.
At least, no one here intended to hand over this seemingly cute little girl.