"How exactly do we do this?" Lin Wan asked.
Chen Lin unzipped his worn canvas bag and laid out several items on a dusty seat:
A pet interactive button toy that could record and replay audio.A stack of old magazines—entertainment, finance, fashion.And a tablet… clearly modified. Reinforced edges, protective casing, a screen covered with a strange matte film.
"The button toy," Chen Lin explained calmly, "record simple commands, or lines he's deeply familiar with. Let him press it with his paw. It stimulates memory and trains fine motor control."
He placed it in front of Er'gou.
"The magazines—let him look. Especially articles about himself or topics that interest him. Watch his reactions."
He tapped the tablet.
"And this… contains encrypted materials. Fragmented, but valuable. Possible Entropy-linked companies, key individuals, and incomplete research data on the Prototype Disguise Agent."
He paused.
"No internet. Ever."
"The display has been processed. Only visible at specific angles."
Er'gou's exhausted blue eyes flickered.
For the first time since the breakdown, a spark returned.
He extended a paw.
Pressed the button toy.
"Hello."
A mechanical voice chirped.
Er'gou immediately turned his head away in visible disgust.
Next paw.
A finance magazine.
The cover featured a famous tech mogul.
Er'gou glanced once.
Twice.
Then shoved the magazine aside with a dismissive swipe.
Finally—
the tablet.
Chen Lin powered it on.
Folders filled the screen, each labeled with cold codenames.
Er'gou's paw hovered above the glass.
Still.
Hesitating.
Choosing.
Chen Lin turned to Lin Wan.
"Your livestreams and the show must continue."
"But the content needs to evolve."
Lin Wan frowned. "Evolve how?"
"No more just chaos and comedy," Chen Lin said. "We integrate segments where his intelligence can be 'reasonably displayed.'"
"Command recognition. Object identification."
He looked at Er'gou.
"…Even acting challenges."
Lin Wan blinked. "Acting? For a dog?"
"Anthropomorphic pets attract audiences," Chen Lin replied without missing a beat. "We frame it humorously."
"'Er'gou imitates human expressions.'"
"'Responds to emotional cues.'"
Lin Wan imagined it—
A husky delivering a perfect:
Three parts mockery, three parts cold detachment, four parts effortless disdain.
"…That would absolutely go viral," she muttered.
"It also gives him an outlet," Chen Lin added. "Stimulates identity anchors. Channels performance instinct."
"But balance is critical."
"Too convincing becomes dangerous."
Lin Wan nodded slowly.
"I'll try."
Chen Lin checked the time.
"This place is secure for now. Not permanent."
"Entropy will widen their search."
"I'll handle the fallout from the amusement park incident and gather intel on reversal research."
He crouched beside Er'gou and gave his head a firm pat.
Er'gou didn't dodge.
Just looked at him.
Long.
Unreadable.
Then Chen Lin turned and disappeared beyond the tattered velvet curtain.
Silence reclaimed the projection hall.
Dust drifting lazily through the beam of a dying wall lamp.
Lin Wan sat beside Er'gou.
He had slumped sideways in the seat, visibly drained—
yet his gaze remained locked on the tablet.
"Hey…" she said softly, poking one fluffy ear.
"…That was rough, wasn't it?"
No response.
Er'gou's paw dragged awkwardly across the screen.
Dog paws were not designed for touchscreen precision.
He mis-tapped.
Repeatedly.
Opening random folders.
At one point—
he accidentally triggered a directory labeled:
Biological Sample Imaging – Feline
The screen exploded with images.
Cat X-rays.Anatomical diagrams.And a slow-motion video of a cat sneezing—
face contorting into an absurd distortion of dignity.
Er'gou stared.
For several long seconds.
Then, with supreme contempt—
he slowly turned his head away.
And smacked the folder closed.
Lin Wan: "..."
She could practically read the thought:
Ridiculous felines.
Er'gou resumed battle with the tablet.
Finally—
he opened a folder that felt… different.
Important.
Inside:
Scanned fragments of laboratory logs.
Chaotic handwriting.
Molecular structures.
Dense charts.
Er'gou leaned forward.
Nose inches from the screen.
Blue eyes blazing with focus.
Confusion.
Recognition.
Calculation.
His paw began tapping unconsciously against the seat.
A rhythmic tak-tak-tak—
eerily similar to keyboard typing.
Lin Wan didn't dare interrupt.
She quietly stood and explored their temporary refuge.
Behind the projection hall sat a small room—
likely once the operator's break space.
Inside:
A narrow cot buried under dust.A rust-eaten sink.And—
a mini fridge.
Plugged in.
Still humming.
Lin Wan pulled it open.
Bottled water.
Compressed ration bars.
And several vacuum-packed packs of chicken breast.
She exhaled.
"Looks like Chen Lin actually planned ahead…"
Back in the hall—
Er'gou remained transfixed by the research files.
A husky's body.
A superstar's mind.
A "Best Actor" being forced to relearn existence—
one paw swipe at a time.