Chapter Thirty-six

With the sharp sound of the whistle, a tall, slender man, who appeared to be lazily leaning against the wall in an unnoticed corner, kept his dark eyes locked on the Tosa dog's movements. After a moment, his thumb and finger slowly moved away from his lips.

The dog rolled a few times on the ground, its limbs trembling before collapsing. Its eyes turned up, its tongue stretched out as it gasped heavily, spasming a few more times before lying still, as if dead.

The security personnel nearby rushed over, reattaching the leash, while another person, who appeared to be a vet, checked the dog. Wiping sweat from his forehead, he turned to Deng Ping and said, "Young Master Deng, it's passed out. We'll need to inject it, just in case it goes berserk again."

Deng Ping's face was a picture of frustration. He had been frowning the entire time and nodded silently. His gaze remained fixed on the dog, which had once been his pride—his loyal companion that had won him countless victories. Now, it lay on the ground like a beaten stray, unable to calm his turbulent emotions.

It wasn't that he feared the dog might harm someone—Deng Ping was a man who adored his dogs, and a mere stranger was nothing compared to his beloved pet. What truly irked him was losing the match, which had embarrassed him. His anger was directed at Su Miao, but most of all, at the unknown person who had silently blown the whistle. That person, hidden from view, was the one who caused his dog's downfall. If the situation weren't so chaotic and the culprit so well concealed, Deng Ping would have already ordered a full lockdown, ensuring no one could leave. But by now, the culprits had scattered, and it was likely that person had already escaped.

Su Xiaobai, still shaken, stood frozen, staring at the vicious dog just a meter away from her. She could see the dog's eyes rolled back, its tongue sticking out, and the bloodstained sharp teeth. If that Tosa dog had bitten her, she would have lost a piece of flesh for sure.

Li De and Cheng Dongdong had only just come to their senses. Li De, drenched in cold sweat, regretted bringing her here. He thought to himself, Why the hell did I bring this girl? Thankfully, it was just a false alarm. If something had happened to Su Xiaobai, he would never have been able to live with himself.

Noticing that Su Xiaobai was still staring at the dog, Li De thought she was in shock. He pulled her elbow urgently, saying, "Su Bai, are you okay? Did you get hurt? Hey, say something! Don't scare me!" When Su Xiaobai didn't respond, he panicked even more and squeezed her arm, causing her to flinch and snap back to reality.

"Hey!" She grumbled in mild discomfort, looking at Li De. Seeing his frantic expression, she couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed, "I'm fine. I'm just looking at the dog." In fact, she was quite curious about why the dog had suddenly gone berserk.

Li De glanced at the two men who were already putting the dog into a cage and covering it with a white cloth. Deng Ping walked ahead, with two men carrying the cage following behind. Li De sneered and muttered under his breath, "Who knows if this dog had been drugged beforehand? Maybe the medicine wore off, and that's why it suddenly went into a fit. Judging by the way it acted, that dog's life is probably over. Deng Ping really lost face this time."

Cheng Dongdong, who had overheard, chimed in, "But that whistle definitely saved Su Bai's life. I've heard of the ancient technique of using whistles to train animals. Especially in northern regions, herders often use it for training, not just dogs, but even wild animals, if someone's skilled enough."

Li De dismissed it with a scoff, "What are you talking about? It was just an ordinary whistle. It's no different from the circus trainers with sea lions, elephants, and bears."

Cheng Dongdong was completely uninterested in Li De's attitude and continued, "Did you notice how that Tosa dog twitched just now? It's obvious it was frightened. The whistle might not sound like much to us, but it could have some tone that makes certain animals scared, almost like the way people use curses in the Miao region. That sound could be deadly to animals within a certain range. I noticed that several dogs in the nearby cages immediately knelt down when they heard it."

"Really? That sounds so creepy. Imagine if one day that person learned the secret technique to make animals go berserk. He wouldn't need weapons; just a whistle could rule the world," Li De said flippantly.

Cheng Dongdong didn't bother to argue with him and instead asked, "Do you want me to take you back?"

Su Xiaobai, still feeling disappointed, looked toward the corner where the person had disappeared, doubting whether she had really seen the right person. But deep down, she was certain it had been him. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice Su Miao watching her from a distance.

With a determined look, Su Xiaobai suddenly ran toward the door. Li De didn't react quickly enough and only saw her sprinting ahead. He yelled, "Su Bai, Su Bai, where are you going?" His plump body, desperate to catch up, turned the chase into a comical scene: one running ahead, the other trailing behind.

Su Xiaobai ran about a hundred meters before climbing the stairs. By the time she reached the parking lot, she was panting heavily, leaning over with her hands on her knees. She looked up to see a few cars leaving the area.

After searching for a while and finding no one, she felt a deep sense of disappointment, though she wasn't entirely sure what this feeling was. Thinking she was just tired and shaken from earlier, she tried to straighten up but suddenly felt her legs give way, about to fall onto the gravel. Just as her knees were about to hit the ground, strong arms wrapped around her waist, lifting her up.

"What's the rush? You're drenched in sweat. You seemed full of energy earlier during the match," a voice, full of amusement, whispered in her ear. His breath brushed past her ear, sending a shiver through her body.

Once she was steady, the arms released her, and Su Xiaobai looked up to see Qiao Nan standing with his arms crossed, a teasing smile in his eyes. Flustered, Su Xiaobai turned red and couldn't help but ask, "Was that you who blew the whistle earlier?"

Qiao Nan, with a knowing smile, nodded. He then glanced over at Li De, who was still standing in the distance, watching Su Xiaobai speak to the man. Li De had initially planned to approach but froze when his gaze met Qiao Nan's. Something in him made him hesitate, his legs refusing to move, so he stood there awkwardly, watching.

"You planning to keep talking to me, or are you going to check on your friend over there? He looks pretty anxious," Qiao Nan asked.

Su Xiaobai turned to see Li De standing nearby and glanced back at Qiao Nan. Her gaze landed on his pants pocket, where she casually pulled out her keys. "I'll drive you. They've been drinking, and I'm worried they're still not sober. I don't feel comfortable letting them drive."

Qiao Nan found it amusing. She had come here with the two men, yet only now was she concerned about them driving drunk. However, he didn't point it out. He watched her walk back and speak to Li De before returning and asking, "Which car is yours?"

Su Xiaobai gestured to a black Highlander nearby, unlocked the car, and naturally slid into the driver's seat. She waved to Qiao Nan, and despite his suppressed smile, he climbed into the car.

With a swift maneuver, the car backed out, stirring up a cloud of dust on the gravel ground, and then drove away with an air of elegance.

Not far away, Su Miao stood with car keys in hand, his hands in his pockets. After watching for a while, he squinted and nodded slightly to the two men accompanying him. He then turned, leading his beloved dog to the car. He had made a note of the relationship between his sister and the man, and the two men who had accompanied her. He planned to investigate them thoroughly.