Er'gou's howl had barely faded—
When the trap sprang shut.
From behind the broken playground equipment, several German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois burst forward like arrows leaving a bow.
They moved with military precision.
Two charged straight at the closest pursuers, aiming for their weapons and legs.
The other two curved wide, cutting off escape routes.
"What the—?!"
"Where did those dogs come from?!"
The four Entropy operatives froze in shock.
They were trained fighters.
Handling one dog?
Maybe two?
Possible.
But facing five combat-trained working dogs, perfectly coordinated and fired up by pheromones and a commanding alpha?
Their formation collapsed instantly.
A net launcher was knocked aside.
A stun baton flew into the dirt.
Claws raked across sleeves.
Teeth snapped around calves and wrists.
The dogs weren't trying to kill—these were disciplined K9 veterans.
But the pain and disruption were devastating.
Within seconds the operatives were off balance.
Above them—
Er'gou watched from the broken slide platform.
Cold.
Calculating.
Like a battlefield commander.
Occasionally he barked.
Short.
Sharp.
Each bark carried a different tone.
Below him, the canine squad adjusted instantly.
Attack angles shifted.
Targets rotated.
Flanking positions tightened.
One of the pursuers finally managed to break free from a shepherd's grip.
He drew a tranquilizer pistol.
And aimed directly at Er'gou.
The husky's eyes flashed.
He prepared to dodge—
THUD.
The man collapsed.
A precise strike had landed on the back of his neck.
Chen Lin stood behind him like a ghost.
The operative didn't even have time to cry out before hitting the ground.
At the same moment Old Wu emerged from the shadows.
In his hand was a compact stun device.
Crack!
Another pursuer dropped instantly.
The remaining two tried to run.
Too late.
Their escape path was already blocked by the two flanking Malinois.
Within seconds they were dragged down and pinned.
The entire fight lasted less than two minutes.
Four Entropy agents.
Neutralized.
Bound.
Gagged.
Dragged into concealment.
The working dogs immediately calmed down once the fight ended.
They gathered beneath Er'gou's platform.
Looking up.
Tails wagging slowly.
Their eyes filled with obedience.
And something else.
Respect.
Perhaps even admiration.
Er'gou jumped down from the platform.
He walked among them.
One by one, he gently bumped their foreheads with his nose.
A low rumbling sound came from his throat.
Approval.
Recognition.
The dogs lowered their heads even further.
Chen Lin approached.
He quickly checked Er'gou for injuries.
Satisfied, he patted the husky's head.
"Well done, Your Highness."
"Did you confirm the markings?"
Er'gou nodded.
He walked to one of the restrained operatives.
With a claw he pulled down the man's collar.
Revealing a tiny black mark beneath the neck.
A stylized E.
Not quite a tattoo.
More like a burned electronic imprint.
Entropy's internal identification symbol.
Er'gou repeated the process with the others.
Each one carried the same mark.
"Four confirmed," Chen Lin said quietly to Old Wu.
"There are still more in the main carnival area."
"Li Wei'an and Zhao are the core targets."
He looked at Er'gou.
"Next step."
"Draw the snake out of the hole."
"To the trap zone."
Er'gou nodded again.
His eyes were sharp now.
He understood perfectly.
The men they had just captured were only pawns.
The real battle was still ahead.
Chen Lin whispered a command into his earpiece.
Within minutes, the chaos in the carnival's main area began calming.
Loudspeakers reassured visitors.
Security directed the crowd.
Everything appeared under control.
Meanwhile—
Lin Wan launched the next phase.
She approached security staff in visible panic.
"My dog ran away during the confusion!"
"He's a husky—have you seen him?!"
Her performance was flawless.
Desperate.
Worried.
Convincing.
The story spread quickly.
A missing internet-famous dog.
People started looking.
Sympathy poured in.
Exactly as planned.
Most importantly—
It drew Li Wei'an's attention.
And the hidden Entropy agents among the visitors.
Soon a "helpful tourist" ran over.
(One of Chen Lin's people.)
"I think I saw a husky like that!"
"Near the Pet Maze by the edge of the park!"
Lin Wan immediately rushed toward the maze.
Accompanied by several staff members and volunteers.
Li Wei'an followed soon after.
Concerned.
Helpful.
Behind him walked Zhao—the fake carnival worker—and two more men with sharp eyes.
The maze was quiet compared to the carnival.
Tall hedges formed narrow paths.
Twisting corridors.
Perfect for an ambush.
Lin Wan entered first.
Calling out anxiously.
"Er'gou!"
"Er'gou where are you?!"
Deep inside the maze—
She reached a fork in the path.
There, lying on the ground, was a familiar object.
A dog collar.
She picked it up.
Her face turned pale.
"Er'gou's collar…!"
Her voice trembled.
"Did something happen to him?!"
Then—
From deeper within the maze—
Came a sound.
Muffled.
Struggling.
Like a dog trying to bark with its mouth covered.
And the scraping noise of something being dragged.
The sound came from the center of the maze.
A dead-end clearing.
"Over there!"
Lin Wan shouted.
She ran toward the sound.
Li Wei'an and the others exchanged glances.
Then quickly followed.
They reached the dead-end.
The light here was dim beneath the hedges.
On the ground lay a husky.
Motionless.
Unconscious.
It looked exactly like Er'gou.
(Spoiler: it wasn't.)
Chen Lin had prepared a carefully selected double.
Similar fur.
Similar size.
Now lightly sedated for realism.
Beside the husky stood two men dressed in black.
Faces covered with masks.
They were holding a reinforced pet transport cage.
Preparing to load the dog inside.
"What are you doing?!"
Lin Wan shouted.
"Let go of my dog!"
She rushed forward angrily.
The two masked men stepped in front of her.
Blocking her path.
(Chen Lin and Old Wu in disguise.)
Right then—
Li Wei'an.
Zhao.
And the two armed operatives reached the entrance of the dead-end.
Blocking the exit.
"Miss Lin, careful!" Li Wei'an called.
But his eyes were locked onto the husky on the ground.
Relief flickered across his face.
Followed by naked greed.
Zhao sneered.
He raised a hand.
His men stepped forward.
Silenced pistols appeared in their hands.
The guns pointed straight at Chen Lin and Old Wu.
"Don't move."
"Put the dog in the cage."
"And hand it over."