Chapter 113: Lifetime Free

In the end, Aofeng still brought Song Changfeng inside. Since they were already here, he couldn’t sleep at night without getting to the bottom of it. However, the deeper parts of the forest were full of danger, so Aofeng became even more alert. Besides sniffing for the animal’s scent, his ears stayed perked, swiveling constantly in response to every sound in the woods.

After walking for a short while, Aofeng noticed the scent growing stronger and more distinct. He was sure the creature was nearby. To mislead it, Aofeng barked in another direction a couple of times, then led Song Changfeng around a bend. They turned into a patch of shrubs, where Aofeng stopped and lay in wait, eyes fixed ahead, ready to catch the creature off guard.

“Woof?” A low sound came from the short shrubs ahead. A moment later, a small animal with jet-black fur and a white U-shaped marking on its chest poked out halfway. Its round little eyes darted around in confusion, as if wondering where the thing that had been following it had gone.

What the heck! Aofeng was stunned, eyes wide as he stared at the cub not far away. This little guy would grow up to be the kind that steals monks’ robes¹! He hadn’t expected it to be the one tailing them. Was it trying to lure them in so a big bear could ambush them? Could it really be that cunning?

“A Malayan Sun Bear?!” Song Changfeng was equally surprised. He knew the Daheng Mountain National Nature Reserve was home to rare flora and fauna, but he hadn’t expected to see one so soon after entering the mountains.

Isn’t that a black bear? Aofeng turned to look at Song Changfeng, confusion written all over his face.

Song Changfeng explained in a low voice, “The Malayan Sun Bear, also known as the dog bear or honey bear, is a Class I Protected Animal² in our country. They’re the smallest bear species still in existence. Look at this cub in front of us—its body hasn’t fully developed yet, and it’s tiny. It’s probably less than a year old. But Malayan Sun Bears are usually very timid. What’s a cub doing here alone? Where’s its mother?”

Aofeng hadn’t expected Song Changfeng to be so knowledgeable. Actually, it was because of a news story from a couple of years ago. A group of poachers had been caught in a mountainous area, and many protected animals had been rescued. Among them, the most precious were the Malayan Sun Bears. Normally, a cub would stay with its mother until adulthood, which takes about three years. This cub’s situation was clearly unusual.

The little Malayan Sun Bear poked its head out for a bit, then crawled all the way out. Its head looked oversized compared to its skinny body, like a bean sprout. Its fur was covered in grass bits and dust, and its round eyes scanned the surroundings with a pitifully lost expression.

Aofeng darted out and stopped right in front of the cub, letting out a sharp bark. The little guy was so startled it toppled backward onto its rear. Malayan Sun Bears are small to begin with, and cubs are even smaller. Faced with the “giant” Aofeng, it was terrified and trembled all over.

Aofeng raised a front paw and gently pressed it against the cub’s forehead, trying to calm it. Sensing that Aofeng meant no harm, the cub’s trembling gradually subsided. Song Changfeng didn’t approach. He quietly took out his phone and silently recorded the scene.

No one knew exactly what Aofeng communicated to the cub, but the little guy turned and crawled back into the bushes. Aofeng barked at Song Changfeng, signaling him to follow, then leapt over the shrubs in a single bound.

Song Changfeng followed them while snapping photos. Since the Malayan Sun Bear is a Class I Protected Animal, spotting one on the outskirts of the Daheng Mountain Scenic Area meant the park authorities needed to be notified. Otherwise, someone with bad intentions might take advantage of the situation and try to poach them.

The little bear cub ran ahead, letting out soft “woof-woof” sounds as it went. Every now and then, it glanced back to check if Aofeng was still following. Once it confirmed he was, it happily scampered forward. Aofeng sniffed the air carefully, making sure he could retrace the path later.

After about ten minutes, the cub stopped in front of a patch of fallen trees. It looked like the soil here was loose, and during an earthquake, the ground had split open, causing the trees to collapse. Many small animals had likely been crushed before they could escape. It was a grim reminder that when disaster strikes, the victims aren’t only humans. Ironically, many natural disasters are caused by humanity’s relentless destruction of nature.

“Whoo, whoo, whoo!” A series of urgent sounds came from nearby. Aofeng looked up and saw a larger Malayan Sun Bear making anxious noises. It was lying on the ground, one of its hind legs pinned beneath a thick fallen tree, unable to move. In front of it were some leaves, wild fruits, and the bones of small animals. Aofeng guessed these were its food supplies. Fortunately, Malayan Sun Bears are omnivores and can eat almost anything. Otherwise, expecting a single cub to feed both itself and its mother would be pure fantasy.

The little Malayan Sun Bear bounded forward at the sound of the call, hopping and skipping as it ran up to its mother. It nuzzled her with its head and kept making soft “awoo” sounds, as if trying to explain something.

From a distance, Song Changfeng finally understood why Aofeng had been following a cub around. So this was the reason. During the earthquake, the mother bear had been pinned by a fallen tree, injuring her leg so badly that she couldn’t move. The cub had no choice but to search for food on its own to feed both itself and its mother. But it was still too young, and the food it managed to find was nowhere near enough to fill her stomach. As the mother bear grew weaker by the day, the cub had no choice but to set out alone in search of help.

It was unclear whether the cub had seen wildlife conservation staff rescuing animals in the scenic area before, but it seemed to have a favorable impression of the tall two-legged creatures. However, there were far more people outside than it had expected. Malayan Sun Bears are naturally timid animals, and in that moment, it didn’t dare rush out. Instead, it quietly followed the group, hoping for a chance.

Aofeng didn’t overthink it. After the mother bear had calmed down, he cautiously approached. Though she no longer growled, her eyes remained wary, fixed on him in case he tried to harm her cub.

Aofeng slowly walked over and pushed at the large tree with his front paw. The tree didn’t budge, of course. He turned to look at Song Changfeng, who had taken out his phone and was walking to a spot with the best signal to make a call. That tree was far too heavy for one person to move. Even if he could somehow lift it, he wouldn’t be able to shift it out of the way, and might even cause further injury to the bear.

Since the forest was easy to get lost in, Song Changfeng discussed with Aofeng who should go out to guide the others back. After hearing the plan, Aofeng turned and dashed off. He was fast and had a natural advantage in this kind of terrain, so he reached the entrance in no time.

The people Song Changfeng had called had already arrived, bringing a makeshift stretcher with them since he had mentioned that the Class I Protected Animal appeared to be injured.

The group followed Aofeng into the forest. Before long, they reached the spot. Song Changfeng was placing some fresh, tender leaves in front of the two Malayan Sun Bears to feed them. The mother bear was still wary. Even though she was starving, she didn’t eat right away. The cub, however, couldn’t wait. Its tree-climbing skills were still lacking, so it could only reach the older leaves on lower branches. Now, faced with a pile of fresh leaves, it let out a happy cry and began munching contentedly. After a moment’s hesitation, the mother bear also began to eat.

“One, two, three, lift!”

The group shouted in unison and heaved together. With their combined effort, the thick tree was finally lifted. Song Changfeng quickly grabbed the bear’s front paws and dragged her out.

The Malayan Sun Bear felt the sudden lightness in her leg and hadn’t even realized what was happening before she was pulled free. Song Changfeng immediately let go. This was a wild animal, and it wouldn’t be unusual for it to lash out at someone who touched it while it was in pain. But this bear had a surprisingly gentle temperament. Perhaps she understood they were trying to help her, because she didn’t show any signs of aggression. Even when they later placed her and the cub on the stretcher, she remained calm.

The group carried the bear up to the stilted building on the mountain where a stationed doctor examined her leg. The diagnosis: a broken bone that would require surgery. But there was no veterinarian here, and no proper medical facilities. So, as they carried the injured out of the mountains, they brought the mother and cub along as well.

This unusual scene caught the attention of a national television reporter³. After learning the full story, she immediately decided to include it in the documentary. She asked Song Changfeng for the photos he had just taken and even snapped several more of Aofeng. During the interview, as she learned more about Aofeng’s recent actions and past experiences, she became even more excited. After some editing and adjustments, the duo of Aofeng and Song Changfeng ended up with a full five minutes of screen time in the national documentary.

When the documentary aired, it moved viewers deeply. People didn’t just donate money and supplies, they also became more understanding and supportive of the professionals who risked everything on the front lines of disaster relief. Online criticism and sweeping generalizations about them dropped significantly. The unique role of police dogs also drew renewed public attention.

…

After fifteen days, the rescue team from Anyang City successfully completed their mission in this war without smoke and fire⁴. The leaders of Hengzhou held a farewell ceremony to thank them for their contributions over the past days. The venue was a bit modest, but no one minded in the slightest.

After a brief speech from the officials on stage, they got straight to the point. The rebuilding and relief efforts in Hengzhou were now progressing in an orderly fashion. Given the severe damage the city had suffered, they were unable to receive their guests with the highest level of ceremony. Therefore, the official solemnly promised to issue a lifetime free travel pass to everyone who had come to aid Hengzhou, and warmly invited them to visit again once the Daheng Mountain National Nature Reserve was fully restored. Even the police dogs would receive one.

In that moment, a deep sense of warmth welled up in the hearts of everyone who had come to support Hengzhou. They had rushed in without hesitation, working day and night for over half a month. Though they hadn’t done it for recognition, knowing that their efforts were remembered and appreciated was more than enough.

On the journey back, they rode the same bus they had arrived in. But this time, everyone’s mood was different. Aofeng felt it too. Watching everything around him slowly return to life was an incredible feeling.

Translator’s Notes