Lin Wan stayed by his side.
Almost every second.
She talked.
Nonstop.
From the moment they met in that hallway…
To livestream chaos.
To trolling rivals.
To outplaying enemies.
To going head-on against Entropy.
Everything.
The stupid moments.
The insane ones.
The victories.
The near-deaths.
She played Silas Moore's songs.
Replayed scenes from his movies.
Even read out loud the ridiculous memes about "Teacher Er'gou."
Around them—
Ironfang and the other working dogs grew unusually quiet.
No roughhousing.
No barking.
They simply stayed nearby.
Sometimes nudging him gently.
Sometimes just lying there.
Guarding.
Chen Lin and Old Wu adjusted their approach completely.
No more force.
No more stimulation overload.
Low-level bioelectric signals.
Specific frequency patterns.
Combined with Lin Wan's voice—
Guiding him from beneath the surface.
The progress was slow.
Painfully slow.
But it was there.
Day 3 – Late Night
"…Cut…"
"…This take…"
"…Pass…"
A whisper.
From sleep.
Director terminology.
Blurry—
But unmistakable.
Day 4 – Morning
During feeding—
Lin Wan "accidentally" dropped a piece of dried chicken on the floor.
Silas—Er'gou—looked at it.
Paused.
Then—
Slowly reached out his paw.
Pulled it closer.
And ate it.
Still slow.
Still hesitant.
But—
For the first time—
There was intent.
Day 4 – Evening
A powerful monologue from Echoes of the Abyss played.
Silas lay there.
Eyes closed.
But his ears—
Moved.
Following every line.
A faint sound vibrated in his throat.
Like he was silently reciting along.
Hope flickered.
Weak.
Fragile.
But it refused to die.
Day 5
Everything changed.
Lin Wan leaned against the bed, scrolling news.
Then—
A notification popped up.
"Breaking: Missing Superstar Silas Moore—Debt Scandal? Secretly Fled Overseas?"
A photo.
Cold.
Sharp.
Familiar.
Too late.
Silas had already seen it.
His eyes opened.
And this time—
There was no confusion.
No haze.
Only—
Calm.
Deep.
Quiet.
Almost mocking.
Like someone who had already seen through the entire farce.
He stared at the screen.
Ten full seconds.
Then—
He raised his paw.
Slowly.
But this time—
Perfectly controlled.
Tap.
Right on the headline.
A soft sound.
But heavy with meaning.
That's it?
He withdrew his paw.
Closed his eyes again.
Rested his head on his forelegs.
His tail swayed lazily.
Slow.
Steady.
That presence—
That cold composure—
That faint trace of disdain—
The man known as Silas Moore—
Was back.
Lin Wan held her breath.
Didn't dare move.
A few seconds later—
He opened his eyes again.
Clear.
Sharp.
Even deeper than before.
Like something unnecessary had been burned away.
Leaving only the core.
He licked his nose.
Then nudged her wrist with his paw.
A signal.
Hungry.
Not liquid food.
Canned food.
Chicken flavor.
Six cans.
Lin Wan broke instantly.
Tears rushed out—
But this time, they were relief.
"Okay! Six! Right now!"
She jumped up and ran.
When she turned back—
He was already sitting upright.
Back straight.
Presence steady.
Still thinner.
But—
Alive again.
Sharp again.
Himself again.
Chen Lin and Old Wu rushed in.
Silas Moore looked at them.
Calm.
Measured.
Then—
A slight nod.
I'm back.
Break's over.
Now we play my game.
The heavy pressure that had suffocated the base—
Vanished.
Just like that.
Ironfang barked excitedly.
Tail spinning wildly.
Silas glanced at him.
Ignored him.
And waited.
For his food.
But Lin Wan knew.
This wasn't just recovery.
This was evolution.
The man who could:
Command chaos.
Control the narrative.
Read lies.
Mock the world.
Now—
Sharper.
Colder.
More dangerous.
She looked at his calm profile—
And felt it.
The future ahead—
Would not be peaceful.
But it would be—
Spectacular.