Chapter 108: Highway Horror

“Ready?”

“Ready!”

“Move out!”

A large police vehicle with a capacity of thirty-five passengers slowly pulled out of the Anyang Municipal Public Security Bureau. As one of the key members of the Municipal Bureau, Aofeng now had his own seat and no longer had to stay in a cage like before. However, there wasn’t the slightest trace of joy on his face. The same was true for everyone else in the vehicle.

Their destination was Hengzhou, five hundred kilometers from Anyang City. Just last night, a 6.7-magnitude earthquake had struck Hengzhou. The urban area wasn’t hit too badly. Ever since that catastrophic earthquake years ago that had claimed tens of thousands of lives, the country had placed great emphasis on earthquake-resistant construction to prevent such tragedies from happening again.

However, the situation at the Daheng Mountain National Nature Reserve, a 5A-rated scenic area¹ in Hengzhou, was devastating. The epicenter of the quake was located there. The mountain had cracked open, rocks and soil tumbled down, and everything in their path was flattened. Shops and inns built for tourism within the scenic area were left in ruins.

After the earthquake, the local government immediately organized rescue efforts. But even though casualties in the city and surrounding villages were relatively low, they still needed manpower for reconstruction. The provincial authorities urgently submitted a report requesting reinforcements from neighboring provinces and cities.

Upon receiving the notice, the Anyang City government quickly prepared a large amount of supplies and assembled a relief team of two hundred people. This team was drawn from hospitals, the police department, and the fire brigade. Their mission was to assist a small town at the foot of the Daheng Mountain National Nature Reserve. The town had developed alongside the scenic area, and nearly all its residents made a living from tourism—either working in the reserve or running shops selling food and souvenirs.

The earthquake had struck suddenly and during the night, leaving the town in a dire state. Every second counted. For Hengzhou, time meant lives.

Several vehicles marked with “Relief for Hengzhou” signs headed onto the highway. Aside from the drivers, everyone inside was resting. They knew that once they arrived in Hengzhou, they wouldn’t get a proper night’s sleep until every last person was rescued.

They departed at 7 a.m. and arrived in Hengzhou by noon. As the vehicles drove along cracked roads into the city, the scenes outside were heart-wrenching. Survivors still wore the look of terror, grateful just to be alive. Regardless of gender, age, or social status, people sat in open areas, dazed and helpless, staring at the ruins of their homes. Not far away, people were still digging through the rubble. Though their faces were hidden, the grief was palpable.

Song Changfeng looked out the window, visibly shaken. Perhaps only by coming here in person could one truly grasp the terrifying power of nature and the insignificance of human strength. In the face of disaster, no one could stand against it.

Originally, Song Changfeng hadn’t been on the deployment list. Most of the officers selected had prior experience with flood and disaster relief. But he volunteered to go, and his superiors approved. The night before departure, Aofeng had refused to return to the kennel. Even when locked inside, he kept ramming the door with his body. Noticing something was off, Song Changfeng tried to guess what was going on and realized Aofeng wanted to go with him to the disaster zone.

At first, Song Changfeng was reluctant to bring him. It was dangerous, and aftershocks were still a possibility. But then he thought of Aofeng’s extraordinary hearing and sense of smell—abilities that could prove vital in locating people buried deep underground. In the end, Aofeng joined him on the relief convoy to Hengzhou.

Watching Aofeng sit silently since boarding, his expression solemn as he stared out the window, Song Changfeng reached out and patted his head. Who says animals don’t have feelings? He believed Aofeng’s empathy rivaled that of humans, and his strong sense of morality was just as remarkable. He truly was a descendant of a Merit Dog.

After a fifteen-minute stop in Hengzhou’s city center for food and bathroom breaks, they resumed their journey. The Daheng Mountain National Nature Reserve lay in the northwest, about sixty-odd li² from the city. Under normal conditions, it would take less than an hour to get there. But now, with the roads in unknown condition, no one could be sure. Everyone was prepared to disembark and proceed on foot if necessary.

Sure enough, even though the local government had invested in building a four-lane highway connecting the city to the scenic area to make it easier for tourists arriving by train or plane, the road was still heavily obstructed. Fallen rocks and trees covered much of the way. The relief vehicles had to crawl forward at a snail’s pace, and from time to time, everyone had to get out and help clear the road before they could continue.

The closer they got to the epicenter, the harder the road became. In the end, a massive section of the road ahead had completely collapsed. Without repairs, there was no way forward. They had no choice but to abandon the vehicles, shoulder their supplies and tools, and continue on foot.

Fortunately, based on the distance, they only had about fifteen or sixteen more li to go before reaching their destination.

Police officers and firefighters led the way, clearing a path, while medical personnel followed carefully behind with their first-aid kits. These three groups, facing danger head-on, were all heroic figures moving against the tide³.

Aofeng walked alongside Song Changfeng, scouting the way ahead. When they first got out of the vehicle, Song Changfeng tried to attach a lead to him, but Aofeng refused. After thinking it over, Song Changfeng didn’t insist, only reminding him not to wander off.

This behavior caught the attention of others who had brought rescue dogs. One of them kindly warned that in such rugged terrain, an unleashed dog could easily get lost. Even though they were professionally trained, an animal’s instincts were still hard to suppress.

Song Changfeng thanked him but stuck to his decision. He trusted Aofeng and believed he wouldn’t let him down.

And he was right. At one point along the route, Aofeng, who had been running ahead, suddenly turned back and began barking furiously, warning everyone not to proceed.

Knowing Aofeng was sounding an alarm, Song Changfeng discussed with the team leader about going ahead to check things out before letting the rest of the group move forward. The team leader, aware that Aofeng was no ordinary dog, ordered everyone to rest in place while he, Song Changfeng, and a few others went to the spot where Aofeng had raised the alarm. At first glance, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Aofeng was so anxious he looked like he might start speaking. Unable to communicate, he barked toward the mountain wall. Everyone followed his gaze and saw that a long section of the cliff above the road had separated from the main mountain and looked dangerously unstable.

After a careful look, the team leader said, “That section of the cliff won’t collapse immediately. If we move quickly, we can get past it in time without any issues.”

The others nodded in agreement. Without some external force, the cliff didn’t seem likely to fall just yet.

Hearing this, Aofeng barked even louder in frustration. The team leader chuckled and praised him for his sense of danger, then turned to head back to the group.

Aofeng wanted to shout, “Damn it, I’m not doing this for your praise!” When he was scouting earlier, he hadn’t just noticed the cliff’s instability. He’d also sensed something incredibly strange. He couldn’t explain what it was, but he knew danger was imminent.

Seeing how agitated Aofeng was, Song Changfeng crouched down and tried to calm him. But he, too, didn’t understand why Aofeng was acting this way. He had looked at the cliff himself and agreed it wouldn’t collapse any time soon.

As the team leader prepared to lead everyone forward, Aofeng had no choice. He broke free from Song Changfeng’s hold and stood in front of the group, blocking their path. Anyone who tried to step forward was met with a fierce snarl. His bared white fangs and massive frame were enough to make anyone hesitate.

“Comrade Song Changfeng, maybe it’s best to leash him after all?” someone suggested in a low voice, nervously swallowing. They were here to help with disaster relief, not to die before they could even begin.

“Sorry, everyone, but Aofeng must have a reason for acting this way. He must have sensed another danger, but he just can’t tell us what it is,” Song Changfeng explained. Aofeng’s highly unusual behavior had made him wary.

“What danger could there be? Didn’t we just say the cliff won’t collapse?” someone muttered, clearly frustrated. The situation was urgent, and now they were wasting time.

Song Changfeng looked at Aofeng, then at the other rescue dogs. “Look, it’s not just Aofeng. The other dogs are getting restless too. Maybe they really did sense something. Let’s wait a little longer.”

Everyone followed his gaze and saw that the other dogs were indeed uneasy, pacing in circles and whining.

Now people were starting to feel something was off. But what could it be? Was there some wild beast lurking on the mountain?

Just as everyone was racking their brains, a powerful tremor suddenly struck. The ground shook violently, making it hard to stay on their feet. The cliff ahead, under the intense shaking, collapsed with a thunderous crash, burying that section of the road completely.

The aftershock came quickly and left just as fast. In about thirty seconds, the shaking stopped. Though it had only lasted a short time, everything around them now looked completely different from just moments ago.

Staring at the completely buried road ahead, everyone broke out in a cold sweat. If Aofeng hadn’t stopped them just now, they would’ve been crushed without a chance! Looking around at where they were standing now, they realized it was the most open stretch of the entire road, with the sturdiest surrounding mountain terrain.

Translator’s Notes