The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 264: Meeting in the Mouse Room

Mouse Room, -6F of Millennium Tower, nine o’clock in the evening.

In the brightly illuminated meeting room, all members of the Twelve Zodiac Signs sat around the rectangular conference table.

Dragon had been woken from hibernation by White Rabbit. Since she had chosen the gentle way of waking him up, the whole process took a few hours, starting from the afternoon and ending in the evening.

Wearing a long white cotton henley and a pair of loose, light blue jeans, Dragon sat on the main seat with his legs tucked in, barefooted. Place on the table before him was a cup of fragrant black coffee.

He picked up the cup and lowered his head for a sip, melting the exhaustion from his hibernation a little.

About ten seconds later, he put down the cup and looked around the room. “Apologies for the long wait. Let us begin.”

“Understood.”

White Rabbit remained standing by Dragon’s side. She concisely summarized the situation at hand.

According to Madam Li’s prediction, the Crimson Tide would be coming in ten days, more serious than ever before. She hadn’t gotten into the details, but instead used the information as leverage to compel the three major organizations to work together, and for the other two organizations to provide the Hundred Rivers Union with protection.

After White Rabbit’s briefing, the meeting room fell into a short silence.

Dragon looked down at his coffee without sharing his thoughts.

War Tiger took out a cigarette from the almost empty pack and put it in his mouth. “Surnamed Li’s Prophet is the real deal. She didn’t lie. That I’m certain of.”

“Both Uncle Tiger and I believe that the restriction imposed by the Heavenly Way will give even further during this Crimson Tide.”

White Rabbit paused before continuing, “Our usual way of protecting ourselves won’t work. Only that will explain why Madam Li is so eager to gain our cooperation and protection, even if she has to resort to threats.”

“I get all that, but it’s still infuriating that she keeps secrets and uses them against us!” Wu Dahai clasped his hands behind his head and rested his feet on the table, his legs crossed.

“That is Surnamed Li’s only bargaining chip, Electric Mouse. What would you have done were you in her place?” War Tiger smiled. “Just tell the other organizations the truth?”

Dead Pig laughed heartily. “She’s worried that the Qilin Guild and us will be even less likely to spare them any attention once we learn of the magnitude of the crisis.”

“True.” Wu Dahai sighed. “The Hundred Rivers Union has it hard.”

“What do the rest of you think?” War Tiger looked at Officer Huang, who was closest to him. “You first, Yellow Ox.”

“I believe awakeners should band together. The teeth cannot survive without the protection of the lips.” Officer Huang knew what the Crimson Tide was now, and he was most worried about his wife and their unborn child.

His worst nightmare was a greed monster figuring out what he was during the Crimson Tide and using his family against him.

Then he would willingly venture into the eighteenth layer of hell, let alone a trap.

War Tiger turned to Qing Ling. “Green Snake.”

She was quiet for a moment.

It wasn’t much of a problem for her since she felt nothing to the wanderers around her. She could just stay hidden in the underground sixth floor of the tower and train for a week until the Crimson Tide ended.

However, both Gao Yang and Officer Huang treasured their families. They would surely get dragged into some mess.

Qing Ling lowered her head slightly and looked at the bracelet on her wrist. “I agree with Yellow Ox.”

War Tiger turned to Heavenly Dog and Songstress.

Heavenly Dog said lazily, “Let’s work together.”

He had his family to protect too. The last time the Crimson Tide hit, he had yet to awaken, and he had been worried about what would happen this time.

“I hope for everyone to work together,” Songstress said gently, but her gaze was determined.

It had always been Ghost Horse’s dream for awakeners to form a united front to overcome difficulties and continue what awakeners before them had started, until the day they escaped the Mist World.

War Tiger then turned to Lovely Lamb, Mischievous Monkey, and Dead Pig.

Lovely Lamb blinked her innocent large eyes, and after a moment of thinking, she smiled and glanced at White Rabbit. “I’ll do what Sister White Rabbit said.”

“Haha.” Dead Pig narrowed his eyes and said in a nasally voice, “We’ll cooperate first. It isn’t too late to break the alliance when it seems like we can’t carry on.”

War Tiger teased, “Dead Pig, my dear friend, you’re too cunning for someone who looks like the typical honest guy.”

Dead Pig didn’t take it personally and said with a chuckle, “An honest person lives a short life in a world like this. My wife was kind, but what did she get in return for her kindness? Her tomb is long covered in grass.”

His voice turned rueful as he muttered, “I should visit her and clean up her tomb before the Tide. Who knows if I’ll get to do that again?”

War Tiger sighed softly. It was a tragedy in the past.

The last to speak up was Mischievous Monkey. He said in a slow, desolate voice, “I’m for an alliance too. The one I worry most about is my brother.”

Once everyone had said their piece, War Tiger and White Rabbit exchanged a glance before turning to Dragon.

Under the ceiling light, Dragon’s face seemed a little pale, and his beautiful heterochromic eyes shifted slightly.

A few seconds later, he took off the black rubber band on his wrist and tied his silky long hair into a ponytail with both hands, which signified that he wasn’t going into hibernation in the near future.

“I agree with everyone.” Dragon looked up and slowly scanned the room. Then he made the final decision, “The Twelve Zodiac Signs agrees to an alliance.”

White Rabbit picked up her phone. “I’ll tell Surnamed Li.”

Just when she was going to make the call, her phone rang. The caller ID put a frown on her face.

After two seconds of hesitation, she picked up the call, saying in an irritable tone, “Yeah? What is it?”

“Hm, right... I get it... We’ll consider it...”

She hung up soon.

War Tiger glanced at her. “Who was that?”

“Your beloved disciple.”

“Little Yang Yang!” War Tiger beamed with his whole face.

Qing Ling and Officer Huang exchanged a glance.

“Ha, Little Yang Yang?” White Rabbit scowled. “He’s now Elder Seven Shadow of the Qilin Guild, a trusted subordinate of Qilin. And he’s coming here to make a trade. He’s gone up in the world!”

“Haha! An accomplished student is their master’s best achievement! And a tiger fathers no dog...” Realizing how inappropriate the analogy was, War Tiger quickly shut up.

White Rabbit couldn’t have rolled her eyes further into her skull. Her disgust was apparent.

The look was immediately replaced by a gentle and reverent expression when she turned to Dragon. “Captain, Seven Shadow wants to trade Rune Circuits with us. Do we agree?”

“Dark Horse? Of course.” Dragon smiled faintly. “I quite miss him.”

“Captain!” White Rabbit pouted, irked. “Why do all of you like the traitor so much?”

“That’s immature of you, Rabbit.” War Tiger put his hands behind his back and raised an eyebrow. “True friendship between gentlemen is quiet like a stream. The relationship between me, Captain, and Little Yang Yang is one of mutual appreciation and fated affection...”

“Shut up, I’m begging you.” White Rabbit put her hand on her chest dramatically.

Dragon said, “Please fetch me another cup of coffee, White Rabbit. Tell Dark Horse to come see me here.”

“Captain, he’s just an Elder. You don’t have to meet him personally. Uncle Tiger and I can...”

“I understand,” Dragon cut her off. “But I want to meet him.”

“Dragon does everything for a reason. Stop worrying over nothing.” War Tiger stood up and clapped. “Alright, you’re dismissed. Stay in the base and don’t run around outside. Stand by and wait for further instructions.”

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