The knock came sharp and sudden.
Lin Wan's spine stiffened.
Er'gou's ears snapped upright.
"It's me."A hesitant male voice.
Lin Wan opened the door a crack.
A field coordinator from the production team stood outside, face tense, smile forced.
"Miss Lin… we're truly sorry about tonight's incident. The director is furious. We'll conduct a full internal investigation."
His eyes flicked nervously toward Er'gou.
"Is your dog alright? Should we arrange a veterinarian?"
"No need," Lin Wan replied calmly."He was startled. Rest will do."
She paused.
"Any findings?"
The coordinator lowered his voice.
"The canisters were empty. We've sent residue samples for lab analysis."
"And that electronic device—damaged beyond recovery, but preliminary inspection suggests it was a signal amplification unit. Possibly remote-controlled."
He swallowed.
"As for how those items ended up inside the 'final prize' prop…"
A glance down the corridor.
"…Either a procedural breach."
"…Or sabotage."
"We've already contacted the police."
Lin Wan nodded.
But inside—
She knew.
Police wouldn't find Entropy.
Entropy didn't leave fingerprints.
After a few more apologies, the man left behind bottled water and pet treats, then hurried away.
The door clicked shut.
Silence reclaimed the room.
Er'gou slowly lifted his head.
The violent reaction earlier had faded into exhaustion, but his blue eyes remained clear.
Focused.
Calculating.
His gaze shifted—
Toward the laptop on the table.
Lin Wan understood instantly.
She opened it.
With visible fatigue, Er'gou jumped onto the desk.
Front paw hovering.
Then moving.
Click.
Swipe.
Type.
The search queries were bizarre:
"Starlight Amusement Park recent sponsors""Ferris wheel maintenance contractors""Custom perfume laboratory biological compounds"
Lin Wan watched, stunned.
Despite the clumsy limitation of paws—
The logic was razor-sharp.
He wasn't browsing.
He was building a chain of suspicion.
Who had the authority to access sealed stage props?
Who could place unlabeled devices unnoticed?
Who had clearance to board a Ferris wheel cabin off-schedule?
And that scent—
That engineered, hostile scent—
Who could manufacture something like that?
Her chest tightened.
Tonight…
Had changed something.
Earlier—
On the carousel, Er'gou endured humiliation like a fallen king accepting exile.
During the challenges, he dismantled games with ruthless efficiency.
At the treasure box—
He didn't hesitate.
Didn't doubt.
Didn't wait for human permission.
He acted.
Decisively.
Violently.
Correctly.
And now—
He analyzed.
Strategized.
Connected dots like the man he used to be.
Under fur and fangs—
Silas Moore was thinking.
Er'gou suddenly smacked the touchpad, irritated.
No direct leads.
No obvious trail.
He stopped.
Turned.
Looked out the window.
Neon lights still blazed outside.
Crowds still moved.
The Ferris wheel rotated slowly like a colossal, indifferent eye.
Security had sealed off the compromised cabin.
Er'gou stared.
Long.
Unreadable emotion churning behind sapphire irises.
Then he jumped down.
Walked to Lin Wan.
Pressed his nose gently against her hand.
Lin Wan crouched.
Their eyes met.
This time—
There was no aloof arrogance.
No canine silliness.
Only something raw and human:
Concern. Resolve. Warning.
Er'gou lifted a paw.
Placed it on her hand.
Pressed down.
Message clear:
They're closing in.
We move faster.
Lin Wan tightened her grip around his paw.
"…Together."
Her phone vibrated.
Encrypted channel reconnected.
Chen Lin.
"Ferris wheel incident confirmed."
"Excellent instincts."
"Odor samples successfully collected via remote guidance."
"Preliminary analysis: high-intensity bio-sensory interference compound mixed with long-term olfactory tracking marker."
"Specifically engineered for hyper-sensitive scent individuals."
Lin Wan's blood ran cold.
"The goal: trigger severe discomfort.""Force exposure.""Tag target for extended tracking."
She glanced at Er'gou.
Who was already watching her.
Knowing.
"Entropy is no longer observing."
"They are testing."
"They are hunting."
Lin Wan's fingers tightened.
"Amusement park compromised."
"Leave immediately."
"New safe point uploaded to the usual drop."
Then—
One final line:
"His human-canine behavioral oscillation is intensifying."
"Monitor closely."
"If necessary…"
"…use this."
Attached:
An audio file.
Label:
"Stabilization Frequency — Olfactory Overload / Consciousness Disturbance Support"
Playback instructions:
"Ensure he can hear.""Low volume."
Lin Wan stared at the screen.
Unease crawling under her skin.
Stabilization?
Or control?
Help?
Or contingency?
She slowly crouched beside Er'gou.
Wrapped her arms around his stiff, warm body.
"We're leaving."
"This amusement park sucks anyway."
"I'll take you somewhere better."
Er'gou wriggled free.
Walked to the door.
Looked back.
Eyes urging.
No fear.
Only urgency.
Minutes later—
They slipped silently out of the Starlight Amusement Park.
Leaving behind neon illusions and rising panic.
Night deepened.
City lights streamed past the car windows.
Er'gou lay quietly in the back seat.
Head resting low.
Eyes open.
Watching the darkness blur by.
Occasionally—
His nose twitched.
As if checking whether that revolting engineered scent still haunted the air.
Lin Wan gripped the steering wheel.
Destination:
Coordinates provided by Chen Lin.
An abandoned cinema.
Old district.
Scheduled for demolition.
Ahead—
Uncertainty.
Behind—
Entropy.
And within the car—
A being caught between instinct and intellect.
Between animal body—
And human war.
As the vehicle entered the narrow streets of the old city—
Dim streetlights flickered weakly overhead.
The faded sign of the derelict theater emerged through shadow.
Like a dying memory.
Waiting.