Chapter 15 Cooperation?

The fatty, already rushing into the forest, constantly watched for movements behind him. In his imagination, after the thing on the stone disk revived, it would never let them leave easily.

The doctor's solemn expression earlier also indicated this.

"Doctor," the fatty said, turning his head but not stopping his feet, "why doesn't it seem like anything is chasing us? And... and that blood-red barrier has disappeared."

Jiang Cheng didn't turn his head, running faster than a dog. Taking advantage of the fatty's turning his head, the distance between them increased by several meters again.

"If you feel regret, go back and take a look."

Jiang Cheng's voice reached the fatty's ears, slightly distorted due to the speed.

The two didn't stop, and it wasn't until they were close to the edge of the forest that Jiang Cheng gradually stopped. The fatty, gasping for breath, cautiously followed behind the doctor.

His small eyes blinked as he looked around.

He knew very well what the doctor was worried about. That Chen Ran, who looked difficult to deal with, was very likely lurking at the edge of the forest, waiting for them to appear.

Leaving Su Xiaoxiao alive before was also to lure the snake out of its hole.

Listening to the conversation between the doctor and Su Xiaoxiao, this mission was started by Chen Ran, and the newspaper with clues was in his hands. No wonder this man always looked so confident.

"Doctor," the fatty leaned over and asked softly, "Has this Chen Ran already obtained all the clues?"

"Don't know."

"Then what about us next..."

The fatty suddenly stopped halfway through his sentence because he noticed that Jiang Cheng's body had instantly tensed up, his eyes slightly narrowed, staring in one direction.

The fatty followed Jiang Cheng's gaze and saw a leisurely figure emerging from behind a tree. "Brother Hao, Brother Fatty," Chen Ran said, his hands in his pockets, grinning, "Long time no see."

The fatty subconsciously looked around, trying to find a handy weapon, a stick or a stone, anything. Chen Ran's skill had left a deep impression on him.

Su Xiaoxiao was obviously also a trained martial artist, but she hadn't lasted a single move against this man.

Just when the fatty thought the situation had become critical to a certain extent, and the two sides were about to turn hostile—

"I've been looking for you nearby for a long time," Chen Ran raised his eyebrows, his tone concerned, "I didn't expect you to actually enter the forest." He squinted and asked with a smile, "How was it? Did you find anything?"

The fatty's expression froze, wondering if this Chen Ran had amnesia.

Or... was he suffering from split personality?

"Didn't find too much," Jiang Cheng replied casually, "We found that white stone disk, or it would be more appropriate to call it an altar. We also watched a show nearby."

A light flashed in Chen Ran's eyes, and the corners of his mouth widened, his smile becoming more exaggerated. "A show?"

"That's right, it was two self-righteous idiots teaming up to scam people, but they were seen through. In the end, they had a dispute and turned against each other. One died and one fled," Jiang Cheng said, looking at Chen Ran, in a very regretful tone, "It's a pity you missed it, Brother Chen."

Upon hearing this, the fatty's throat rolled violently, and he couldn't help but admire the doctor's skill in cursing people without using vulgar words.

"Is that so..." Chen Ran narrowed his eyes, and after a long while, he spoke again, "According to Brother Hao, it's quite a pity to have missed it."

"It's okay," Jiang Cheng shrugged, comforting him, "Next time there are idiots like that, I'll let you know in advance."

"Then I'll have to trouble Brother Hao to take the trouble."

"You're welcome."

The fatty's big head was buzzing, as if a nest of bees had been stuffed inside. Even as he followed behind Jiang Cheng and Chen Ran on their way back, he still hadn't recovered from his confusion.

What he couldn't understand even more was that the two people who had been at daggers drawn just now were now as close as one person. Jiang Cheng had his arm around Chen Ran's neck, and Chen Ran had his arm around Jiang Cheng's waist.

The two of them kept calling each other "Brother Hao, Brother Chen," acting as affectionately as brothers who hadn't seen each other for many years.

"Brother Chen, what do you think of this mission?" Jiang Cheng asked, holding Chen Ran's neck, staring at him enthusiastically.

Chen Ran thought for a moment and replied, "If we look at it according to Brother Hao, then the white stone disk should be a place similar to an altar, one of its functions being to revive the dead."

"Of course, the thing that comes back to life can no longer be called a person, but just a monster wearing human skin."

Chen Ran tightened his grip on Jiang Cheng's waist and asked with a smile, "What's your opinion, Brother Hao?"

"My opinion is naturally high, and it's more than a notch above yours," Jiang Cheng said, "But it's not convenient to tell you now, because I'm not sure yet."

"Are you missing some clues?" Chen Ran's expression became even more intriguing.

"That's right."

Chen Ran nodded and said very sincerely, "Before, I didn't know you had entered the forest. I didn't dare to go in and look for you myself, so I had to wander around nearby. But unexpectedly, I stumbled upon some clues."

"On a stone pillar not far from the first stone gate, there is a painting carved with hidden patterns," Chen Ran said with a smile, "Who would have thought it would be there? If I hadn't been bored and looking around, I probably would have missed it."

Jiang Cheng smacked his lips and gave Chen Ran a thumbs up, praising him, "Brother Chen is indeed not a despicable person. You're willing to share such important clues. If I didn't know your character, Brother Chen, I would have thought you were the kind of bastard who uses clues to scheme against people in secret!"

"Heh... heh..., Brother Hao is joking."

The fatty watched as Chen Ran's entire face changed. His smile became more and more sinister, and his right eyelid seemed to be twitching non-stop.

In private, he had once secretly asked the doctor when he was in a good mood, based on the way he spoke, didn't he get beaten up as a child or when he was in school?

Putting himself in his shoes, the fatty believed that if there was a student in their school who could talk like the doctor, he would probably get beaten up eight times a day, starting from the moment he entered the school gate, and being blocked at the flagpole at the latest.

But the doctor replied that he never got beaten up. Both classmates and teachers respected him very much.

The fatty had a deep understanding of the doctor's mouth, which was full of lies, so the matter was dropped in the end. After all, he even claimed to have conquered Chen Xiaomeng with his charm, and the latter willingly gave him the newspaper with clues.

"This is the clue?" Jiang Cheng squatted on the ground, in front of the stone pillar he mentioned.

Chen Ran nodded, "That's right."

After a moment, "Brother Hao," Chen Ran's voice sounded again, "Can you take your hand off my neck?"

Jiang Cheng held Chen Ran tightly, forcing the latter to squat on the ground in the same posture as him, which was very inconvenient and unsightly.

"Are you uncomfortable?" Jiang Cheng asked in surprise.

"I don't mind," Chen Ran shrugged, then glanced at the fatty hiding on the other side with a look that said 'you understand, I understand', and suddenly smiled: "I'm just worried that Brother Fatty will feel uncomfortable."