Chapter 114: Da Ju¹‘s Plea for Help

Back in Anyang City, the municipal leadership held a special commendation ceremony for the heroes returning from the Hengzhou relief mission, inviting representatives from all city departments to attend.

During the earthquake in Hengzhou, everyone on stage had contributed their strength, unafraid of hardship or exhaustion. Their minds were focused solely on saving lives, with no room for other thoughts. Among them, the most prominent were Song Changfeng and Aofeng, man and dog alike. Their outstanding performance had even earned them extended screen time in a national documentary, an honor of the highest order.

So, Aofeng and Song Changfeng stood at the very center of the group photo, each adorned with a large red flower² and draped in a ceremonial sash. Aofeng had intended to maintain a dignified demeanor, but the moment the camera flash went off, he bared his sharp white teeth in a brilliant grin.

In addition to his accolades, Aofeng received a special privilege: from now on, unless under extremely specific circumstances, he would no longer be required to wear a leash while on patrol. Over the past ten days, Aofeng had already been operating without one, yet he had never shown the slightest aggression toward humans or other animals. Without the leash, he had been able to act freely, and this freedom had actually improved his performance compared to when he was strictly following commands. After reviewing Aofeng’s behavior from his time at the Training Base to the present, the leadership committee held a meeting and decided to grant this exceptional police dog a unique privilege in recognition of his intelligence and self-control, as demonstrated during the Hengzhou mission.

Aofeng was both surprised and delighted. Though he understood that he was now a police dog, there had always been a faint discomfort in his heart. Now, with the official right to move freely, it meant that all his efforts had been seen and acknowledged.

Song Changfeng was just as happy. To him, Aofeng was a friend, a brother. Seeing him recognized by everyone filled him with pride and joy.

After the ceremony was edited and aired by the city’s TV station, viewership hit a new high. At the same time, an online debate was sparked: should police dogs be leashed or not?

Some argued that no matter how smart a police dog is, it’s still a dog and inevitably retains some wild instincts. If it’s unleashed and the trainer loses control, the consequences could be severe. After all, police dogs are large breeds, far more powerful than the average pet.

Others believed that police dogs undergo extensive training and are capable of strict obedience. As long as the trainer is present, there should be no issue with them being off-leash. These days, plenty of pet dogs roam without leashes and don’t attack people—surely a trained police dog would be even more reliable.

The controversy caught the attention of higher-ups. To prevent public misunderstanding from escalating the issue, the city issued an official statement. It clarified that all police dogs, except Aofeng, must still be leashed while on duty. Additionally, the city would soon implement measures to address the problem of unleashed pets and stray animals in urban areas.

Aofeng was completely unaware of the online stir he had caused. After all, he didn’t own a phone, and Song Changfeng wasn’t the gossiping type.

Back at the Criminal Investigation Detachment, their lives quickly returned to normal. The lack of emergency missions meant peace and safety for the city, and as its protectors, nothing made them happier.

On the third day after returning to the team, it was Song Changfeng and Aofeng’s turn to patrol the streets. Though Aofeng wasn’t wearing a leash, he still stuck to his old habit of walking close beside Song Changfeng, eyes fixed ahead. This behavior helped ease the nerves of some wary pedestrians. A few bold ones even approached, hoping to snap a photo with Aofeng like before.

Song Changfeng politely declined their requests and continued the patrol with Aofeng. Gradually, Aofeng began to relax. From time to time, when something caught his interest, he’d flick his tail without realizing it.

As the day’s patrol was nearing its end, Aofeng suddenly heard a few meows coming from a nearby wall. The sound immediately caught his attention—it was the voice of his old underling, the stray orange tabby he’d taken under his wing.

Aofeng stopped and looked toward the wall, spotting Da Ju crouched on top, meowing in his direction. The intent was clear—he had come specifically to find Aofeng.

“What is it, Aofeng?” Song Changfeng noticed he had stopped and grew alert, wondering if Aofeng had sensed something unusual. But when he followed Aofeng’s gaze, he broke into a smile.

“Is it your friend? Go talk to it for a bit,” said Song Changfeng. He thought he’d seen that orange tabby on the wall once before, probably someone Aofeng knew. Still, he couldn’t understand why Aofeng and the one from the base, both orange tabbies, got along so poorly.

Aofeng walked toward Da Ju. Only when he reached the base of the wall did he get a good look at the cat. It had only been a little over ten days, but Da Ju had lost a significant amount of weight. Its fur had lost its shine, and the whole cat looked haggard and worn out. There was even a trace of fear in its expression. As soon as Aofeng approached, Da Ju started meowing nonstop, as if pouring out its grievances.

From Da Ju’s broken and scattered words, Aofeng pieced together what had happened. Over the past half month, several cats had gone missing from Da Ju’s territory without any apparent reason. Calling it “missing” wasn’t quite accurate, though. A few days after each disappearance, the victims would be found near trash bins or deep in the park’s woods. Their bodies were either riddled with broken bones, scalded to death, or, in the most gruesome cases, skinned alive. The deaths were horrifyingly brutal.

Humans might just find it disgusting or disturbing, but to cats, this was nothing short of feline hell. Da Ju hadn’t been eating or sleeping well for days. Every time it closed its eyes, it saw the tragic deaths of its little underlings.

In an effort to uncover the truth, Da Ju had staked out the areas where the victims were last seen for days on end, but found nothing. Just when it thought the nightmare might be over, a black plastic bag appeared in the park two nights ago. The overwhelming stench of blood made them all sick. Da Ju clawed it open, and a pile of bloody mush spilled out. From the scattered fur and lingering scent, it could tell the victim was a newly arrived kitten from the neighborhood.

Da Ju was furious. But as a cat, even one with its own territory, it was powerless. In desperation, it caught sight of a news segment playing on a large screen outside. The figure in the footage was none other than the Lao Da it had once pledged loyalty to.

Its eyes lit up. It had seen Lao Da walking the streets with a two-legged human many times before. Not only were they never chased away, people even seemed to treat them with a kind of reverence. Lao Da could definitely handle this! So Da Ju waited in a spot where Aofeng often patrolled, and after two days, it finally found him today.

Looking at the agitated Da Ju in front of him, Aofeng felt a chill settle in his heart. This was a serial cat abuse case. In recent years, such incidents had become increasingly common, happening in many places. These people used the excuse of “life stress” to indulge their darkest impulses in the shadows. When caught, they’d put on a show of remorse, begging for forgiveness. But once public attention faded, they’d go right back to their twisted acts.

The law seemed powerless against them. Ordinary cats and dogs weren’t even considered protected animals. Some extremists even defended these abusers, claiming they’d done nothing wrong.

They argued with conviction, saying everyone kills to eat. If it’s okay to eat pigs, cows, chickens, and ducks, why not cats and dogs? They labeled those who spoke out as self-righteous, claiming they were simply following the law of natural selection. But they forgot one thing: killing is not the same as torturing. When they cruelly abused and killed animals, all they were doing was feeding their own sick desires. But that satisfaction would eventually fade. To chase a greater thrill, their actions would only grow bolder. One day, the blade they raised would no longer be aimed at animals, but at humans.

What should he do? Aofeng asked himself.

If he were human, he might report it to the police, or post it online to let public opinion bring justice. But right now, he was just a dog. What could he possibly do?

“Meow?”

Aofeng snapped out of his thoughts and met Da Ju’s hopeful gaze. He made up his mind. No matter what, he would find the person responsible! As for what to do afterward… he’d figure that out when the time came.

Translator’s Notes