The City Annual Pet Carnival lived up to its reputation.
The enormous open-air park had been divided into countless colorful zones.
Agility courses.
Pet grooming showcases.
A paradise of snack stalls.
Photo booths.
There was even a small pet swimming pool.
The air was alive with noise and scent.
Dogs barking.
Cats meowing.
Children laughing.
The smell of grilled sausages and cotton candy.
And underneath it all—
The overwhelming storm of scents from hundreds of animals mixed together.
For a dog, it was sensory chaos.
For a human, almost dizzying.
Lin Wan stood near the entrance with Er'gou.
Her palms were slightly sweaty.
Er'gou looked completely normal.
Calm.
Steady.
Just another handsome husky.
Except for one thing.
Around his neck was a new collar.
Inside it were a miniature tracker and an emergency signal transmitter.
Old Wu's handiwork.
The collar looked cheap and ordinary.
Compared to the heavily accessorized pets around them, it was almost shabby.
But the moment they appeared—
A ripple spread through the crowd.
"Hey! It's Teacher Er'gou!"
"Wow, he looks so cool in person!"
"Wanwan! Is Er'gou okay after the hotel incident?!"
Lin Wan smiled politely.
Answered questions.
Acted relaxed.
But her eyes were constantly scanning the crowd.
Chen Lin and Old Wu had already deployed their people.
Scattered across the carnival.
Among them were several retired police and military dogs, disguised as ordinary pets beside their handlers.
Meanwhile—
Li Wei'an and Entropy's agents were almost certainly here too.
Watching.
Waiting.
Following the plan, Lin Wan led Er'gou through a few harmless activities.
Ring toss.
Photo booths.
Snack tasting.
Er'gou sniffed most samples with obvious disdain.
Only one stall selling handmade dried meat earned a small approving nod.
Their path looked casual.
But it was carefully designed.
Each turn passed through observation points and potential chaos zones.
Er'gou behaved extremely "normal."
Almost too normal.
No tricks.
No clever performances.
No signs of unusual intelligence.
He simply followed Lin Wan quietly.
Occasionally glancing at the crowds.
But Lin Wan could feel it.
Every muscle in his body was slightly tense.
His ears and nose were constantly gathering information.
They stopped near a booth called "Owner–Pet Synchronization Challenge."
That was when Lin Wan saw him.
Li Wei'an.
Standing beneath a tree not far away.
Talking quietly with a carnival staff member.
His gaze occasionally swept toward them.
The staff member turned slightly.
Lin Wan's pupils shrank.
It was him.
One of the masked attackers from the hotel.
The man who carried the gas canister.
Different clothes.
But the same build.
The same walk.
At the same moment—
Er'gou's ears rotated toward them.
His nose twitched slightly.
A faint rumble escaped his throat.
So quiet only Lin Wan could hear it.
A warning.
They had noticed him too.
Li Wei'an looked directly at them from afar.
Then gave a polite nod and gentle smile.
As if greeting acquaintances.
The disguised attacker lowered his head and pretended to adjust a walkie-talkie.
"They saw us," Lin Wan whispered softly.
Just loud enough for Er'gou.
The tip of Er'gou's tail moved slightly.
Message received.
Step One of the plan was complete.
They had drawn attention.
Now they needed a controlled chaos point.
Something that would allow Er'gou to disappear naturally.
And reach the ambush zone.
The opportunity arrived faster than expected.
At the center of the carnival, a stage event was underway.
"Cutest Pet Talent Show."
A Chihuahua dressed like a bumblebee was performing a dramatic "play dead" routine.
The audience burst into laughter.
The host seized the moment.
"To keep the fun going," he announced loudly.
"Let's invite a volunteer from the audience!"
His eyes scanned the crowd.
Then suddenly lit up.
"Oh! The lady with the husky!"
"Yes—you!"
"Teacher Er'gou's owner!"
"Please come up on stage for a quick game!"
The crowd cheered.
Cameras swung toward them.
Lin Wan's heart tightened.
She looked down at Er'gou.
According to the plan, they needed to separate naturally.
But going on stage meant too many variables.
Er'gou looked up at her.
His blue eyes were calm.
Then he gave the slightest nod.
He had already calculated something.
This unexpected invitation…
Could become the perfect opportunity.
Lin Wan steadied herself.
Then walked onto the stage with him.
The spotlight was bright.
Blinding.
Below them stretched a sea of faces.
Among them—
Entropy's watchers.
The game rules were simple.
The owner would be blindfolded.
The pet must retrieve a specific toy chosen by the owner.
Before the blindfold went on, Lin Wan looked at Er'gou one last time.
Her lips moved silently.
Be careful.
Er'gou met her gaze.
His eyes were deep.
Still.
Like the ocean.
The game began.
Lin Wan deliberately named a toy that was difficult to spot.
A dull-colored one hidden among others.
Er'gou sniffed the toys.
Pawed through them.
Acting clumsy.
Slow.
Buying time.
The audience laughed kindly.
"Come on, Er'gou!"
"You can do it!"
Finally—
Just as he lowered his head to grab the toy—
BANG!!
A loud thud exploded behind the stage.
Near the electrical control box.
A thin stream of black smoke burst out.
The speakers emitted a piercing electrical screech.
"Ah!"
People near the stage screamed.
"What happened?!"
"Power malfunction?!"
The host panicked.
The smoke spread quickly.
Harmless.
But thick and visible.
A special smoke device planted earlier by Chen Lin's team.
The sound system crackled violently.
Confusion spread across the stage.
Staff rushed toward the power box.
The audience began to stir.
Chaos.
Exactly as planned.
Now.