The charity auction officially began.
Spotlights swept across the mall atrium. Cameras zoomed in. Donation numbers rolled upward on a massive LED screen.
This wasn't a variety show set.
This was a battlefield of capital and influence.
And now—
They were calling his name.
"Well then!" the host beamed. "Next up, the brilliant and wildly popular — Teacher Er'gou and his owner, Miss Lin Wan! What talent will Teacher Er'gou present today?"
Lin Wan walked up under the lights, smiling stiffly.
Talent?
She had prepared absolutely nothing.
Last night had been encrypted files, Entropy paranoia, and stabilization audio.
She leaned down and whispered:
"Red one. Just act normal."
On the table were six rubber toys in different colors.
Er'gou looked at her.
Not annoyed.
Not amused.
Just… tired.
He stepped forward.
Didn't sniff.
Didn't hesitate.
With a lazy flick of his paw, he brushed aside two toys and nudged the red ball to the edge of the table.
Then he looked up at the host.
Finished.
Applause burst out.
"Unbelievable! He got it instantly!"
Donation numbers ticked higher.
Er'gou stood still, expression unreadable.
If dogs could sigh, he would have.
Livestream chat exploded:
[That was the most bored genius move ever][He didn't even try][Does he actually understand colors??][That was CEO energy]
Lin Wan thought it was over.
It wasn't.
The host's eyes sparkled.
"Well! Since Teacher Er'gou is clearly so talented, how about something special?"
He raised a small red ink pad and a stack of white cards.
"For donors above a certain amount, we prepared commemorative paw-print cards. What if Teacher Er'gou could leave… his signature?"
The crowd reacted instantly.
The donation number jumped.
Lin Wan froze.
Signature?
In front of everyone?
She slowly turned toward Er'gou.
He had already heard.
His gaze moved from the ink pad…
To the blank cards…
Then to the giant LED screen broadcasting everything live.
And something changed in his eyes.
Not anger.
Not humiliation.
Recognition.
Familiar territory.
Before he was a dog.
Before Entropy.
Before the experiment.
Silas Moore had signed autographs in packed stadiums.
Movie premieres.
Red carpets.
He knew exactly what a signature meant.
Authority.
Identity.
Ownership.
He walked forward.
Calm.
Measured.
He lowered his head and sniffed the ink pad first.
Analyzed.
Confirmed no strange chemical scent.
Safe.
Then—
He lifted his right paw.
Held it steady.
Slowly pressed the center of his paw pad into the ink.
Not clumsy.
Not rushed.
Perfect pressure.
Even distribution.
He lifted it.
Red.
Clean.
Controlled.
The atrium went silent.
He turned toward the first blank card.
Adjusted his angle slightly.
Then pressed his paw down.
Firm.
Precise.
He did not lift immediately.
He held it.
One second.
Two seconds.
Applied weight.
Let the impression settle.
Then slowly raised his paw.
A flawless red paw seal bloomed at the upper center of the card.
Crisp edges.
Full pad definition.
No smears.
It looked deliberate.
Intentional.
Like a stamped royal crest.
He studied it.
Head tilted slightly.
Assessment complete.
Still lacking something.
He extended his paw again.
Lightly.
Carefully.
He tapped the lower right of the main print.
A small red dot.
Subtle.
Minimal.
But unmistakable.
The finishing stroke of a signature.
The kind Silas Moore used to add at the end of his autograph.
Silence.
Total silence.
The host forgot to speak.
The crowd forgot to breathe.
Then—
The livestream detonated.
[HE JUST SIGNED][THAT DOT WAS INTENTIONAL][THAT'S A BRAND MARK][THIS IS NOT A DOG THIS IS A CEO][I'M DONATING RIGHT NOW][I WANT THAT CARD]
The donation number skyrocketed.
Exploded past the previous total.
Lin Wan stood frozen.
She looked at the card.
Then at the dog.
Then back at the card.
That wasn't instinct.
That wasn't random.
That was muscle memory.
That was Silas Moore.
Er'gou calmly accepted the wet towel from staff.
He wiped his paw clean with careful, almost meticulous motions.
Then he glanced at Lin Wan.
Just once.
His tail tip moved slightly.
Barely noticeable.
But there.
Satisfaction.
If I must sign—
I sign properly.
On the massive screen above them, the camera zoomed in on the red paw seal.
It didn't look like a joke.
It looked like a logo.
A symbol.
Recognizable.
Repeatable.
Marketable.
And dangerously personal.
Across the venue, Vice Chairman Li Wei'an was watching.
Not smiling.
Not clapping.
Just watching.
Eyes calculating.
Because in that moment—
He didn't see a clever husky.
He saw confirmation.
Silas Moore was still in there.
And he was getting stronger.