Chapter 16 The Rise of the Panda
"Please, spare me! Spare me…"
Teddy sobbed, begging for mercy, her voice incapable of drawing human attention, even if there were people nearby, they wouldn't check on a dog's bark.
Chu Ge bit down on her neck, almost out of a lion's instinct to hunt.
But he didn't apply force.
He had another plan in mind.
He whispered, "Do you want to live?"
Teddy whimpered, "Yes! Yes! Yes!"
"Then shut up and listen to me!"
Chu Ge pressed her down, speaking in a low voice.
"Given the situation now, you can't tell who the undercover is, and you can't prove you're not one either. Better to join me. You help lure your teammates, and when it's almost over, I'll catch a teammate for you to kill. That's your best outcome."
"Otherwise, even if you join those Wild Wolves or Pitbulls, do you think they will leave you any meat? They'll only waste you!"
Chu Ge threatened in a low voice, and Xiao Panda, overhearing this, couldn't help but show an admiring look.
What a plan!
Although Chu Ge had Cheetah Speed, he knew he was no match for the Wild Wolf and the Pitbull.
To defeat them, he had to come up with a countermeasure.
Teddy was weak but could serve as bait.
"How do I know you won't go back on your word?" Teddy asked nervously, her voice still choked up.
Xiao Panda rolled his eyes and said, "Do you even have a choice? Either die or stick with us. Didn't you hear what Skunk said? Once Wild Wolf and Pitbull regroup, even if you don't die, you'll be left crippled from their bites. Imagine being bitten and maimed by wolves and Pitbulls, a fate worse than death!"
At these words, Teddy shuddered and immediately caved in.
Chu Ge released her and said, "Remember, in the Survival Arena, no matter what the competition task is, the only thing you can rely on is yourself. Everyone lives for themselves. Right now, you're of use to me, which is your leverage."
Teddy hung her head in a submissive manner.
Afterward, Chu Ge led them into the bushes to hide.
"If you perform well this time, you can join my Survival Team in the future. Understand, Survival Team, it means we can compete in the Survival Competition together, significantly increasing our chances to survive," whispered Chu Ge, lying prone on the ground.
Teddy looked up at him, her eyes filled with curiosity.
Xiao Panda got excited, trying to contain his enthusiasm as he asked, "Boss, do you already have a Survival Team? How many members?"
Chu Ge glanced at him with a meaningful look and said, "You know quite a lot, always love to act, eh? Thought you were really timid and cowardly."
If this guy truly sided with him, he could indeed become a great asset.
Great acting skills could deliver a surprise blow to the enemy.
"I met a veteran in the Survival Trial who told me about it. Boss, take me under your wing in the future. I'll go through fire and water for you," Xiao Panda chuckled.
The reason he was bootlicking Chu Ge was because of Chu Ge's Survival Entity.
Lion!
His growth potential in the latter stages was definitely beyond their reach.
The same Survival Skills applied to a Male Lion and a canine would yield different results.
The battle capabilities of a Giant Panda were strong too, but Xiao Panda was unsure if he could defeat a Male Lion once he reached adulthood. He always felt he couldn't.
Chu Ge neither confirmed nor denied. He turned to Teddy and said, "Let me be clear with you. Your next task will be to serve as bait, drawing out the Wild Wolf and the Pitbull, which means you're very likely to get hurt. But in the Survival Arena, how can you expect to never get injured?"
"If you're smart, you'll understand that sticking with your teammates, at best, you'll get through safely. But if you're with me, you'll have the chance to kill the enemy. Survival Arena's tasks are bound to get harder each time. Only by killing the enemy can you grow stronger and continue to survive," he said impassively, making Teddy lower her head again.
Xiao Panda grinned and said, "When the time comes, I can rush to the front too. I bet they won't kill me outright."
Once he revealed his true nature, he stopped acting timid, now exuding a certain ruthlessness.
Teddy looked up and gritted her teeth, "Can you guarantee they won't maul me to death?"
After the end of the Survival Trial, she had been setting her mindset for a month.
But it was not until that moment that she truly made up her mind.
"I can only say I'll do my best. I don't want to give you too much hope. I want you to be prepared for the worst. Only then can you have a better chance to survive," Chu Ge said earnestly.
Again, Teddy fell silent.
Xiao Panda said with a smile, "Little sister, crying here is useless. If you cry to Vulture, guess what he would do? He would disable you and make you unable to cry."
Teddy's head hung even lower, with no response.
Time continued to pass.
The peak hours of the park at night passed, and people began to go home one after another.
Chu Ge and his two companions lay in ambush on this small path, waiting for their enemies to appear.
"You, climb the tree."
Chu Ge suddenly instructed Xiao Panda.
Xiao Panda was taken aback for a moment but soon understood Chu Ge's intention.
Giant Pandas can climb trees, but it was uncertain if the young panda could do the same.
Soon, Xiao Panda gave Chu Ge a surprise, he could climb trees, and he wasn't slow at it either.
"It seems this guy has been practicing various survival skills regularly," Chu Ge mused with a sense of appreciation in his heart. Indeed, one should never underestimate any Survivor.
Teddy was also surprised; she had always looked down on Xiao Panda, but he was quite impressive.
Xiao Panda climbed up the trunk to their overhead position and remained still.
Covered in mud, his scent was masked, making it difficult for enemies to detect him.
He stayed motionless, and both Chu Ge and Teddy stopped talking as well.
Around ten o'clock, a figure came walking around the corner of the path.
Gray Wolf!
With its tail tucked, it walked while sniffing the ground.
At the sight of him, the hearts of Chu Ge and his companions clenched.
This fellow looked like he was nearly grown, appearing in the moonlight like the Grim Reaper approaching them.
Chu Ge gently nudged Teddy, signaling her to jump out.
Teddy shivered all over, and despite being very afraid, she still jumped out shakily.
The Gray Wolf became instantly alert, staring at Teddy, and said, "Where's the little lion?"
Chu Ge lay on a patch of grass that was higher than the adjacent stone path, allowing him to remain perfectly hidden from Gray Wolf's sight behind the foliage.
"He's too fast, I couldn't keep up with him."
Teddy said nervously. Hearing this, Gray Wolf couldn't help but recall Chu Ge's speed, which indeed was alarmingly fast.
He immediately walked toward Teddy.
Teddy trembled, caution in her voice, "Are you really an undercover agent for our side?"
The Gray Wolf grinned, showing a cruel smile, "What do you think?"
Whoosh!
He suddenly leaped up, pouncing towards Teddy.
Teddy, with her girlish mentality and being a newcomer to the Survival Arena, couldn't dodge in time and was directly knocked to the ground.
The Gray Wolf opened its mouth, ready to bite down on her throat.
Just then!
The leaves rustled, and a chubby figure resembling a stone dropped down.
With a thud!
The Gray Wolf's head was struck obliquely, and with a howl, it rolled over to the grass beside them.
Teddy also felt the impact, nearly losing consciousness.
After landing, Xiao Panda rolled several times, quickly got up, and charged straight at the Gray Wolf.
"Gray Big Bad Wolf, prepare to die!"
He howled with excitement, like a cannonball charging forward, colliding head-on with the Gray Wolf and knocking it to the ground once again.
...
PS: The Xiao Panda mentioned here refers to the juvenile state of our national treasure, not the red panda listed in biological encyclopedias. You can think of it as the cub of a Giant Panda.