But when Zhao Youcai's gaze met Zhao Jun's across from him, he saw Zhao Jun mouth two words.
Understanding dawned on Zhao Youcai. He turned to Qin Qiang and asked, "Qiangzi, how long has it been since your dogs were in the mountains?"
"Quite a while," Qin Qiang said. "After the New Year, we went after the Earth Granary and Xiong Ba. The hunt went sideways, and both of my dogs were badly hurt. By the time they healed up, it was already June. The undergrowth was too thick, so I didn't take them into the mountains."
The moment Qin Qiang said this, Zhao Guofeng, sitting at the head of the table, coughed, cleared his throat, and shot a furtive glance at Zhao Jun.
Qin Qiang's hunt for Xiong Ba after the New Year had been a setup orchestrated by Zhao Guofeng, but it was ultimately because Zhao Jun needed to save Zhang Yuanmin.
And Qin Qiang's two dogs hadn't both been hurt by Xiong Ba. One of them had been mauled by Hua Xiao, Daqing, and the others.
