Chapter 16: There’s Another Dog Now

As soon as the assessment results came out, Shen Yuanhui called Director Li. When he heard the outcome, he first let out a sigh of relief, then broke into an uncontrollable grin. He got Li De’s WeChat and, after adding him, immediately sent a video call request.

At that moment, Dezi was resting with Shan Dian and Aofeng. Seeing that Bureau Chief Shen, who had just been approved, was calling via video, he scrambled to answer the call.

“B-Bureau Chief Shen, hello!” Dezi held the phone nervously, looking a bit flustered.

“Hello, Comrade Li De. I hope I’m not interrupting your training?” Shen Yuanhui greeted him with a smile. “I already heard the assessment results. You played a big part in this success.”

Dezi quickly replied, “Not at all, not at all. Aofeng was just smart on his own. I didn’t expect him to get extra points either.”

“Young people shouldn’t be too modest. Good is good. And besides Aofeng, I heard your other puppy is doing quite well too,” Shen Yuanhui added. “If I’m not mistaken, that one’s called Shan Dian, right? Also got a perfect score.”

“Yes, Shan Dian is very well-behaved too.” Dezi looked down at the two puppies lying beside him, his gaze soft. They were as obedient and adorable as children.

“Comrade Li De, could I see Aofeng?”

Of course Dezi had no objections. He immediately held up the phone and pointed it at Aofeng. Soon, a slightly stern-looking German Shepherd face appeared on the screen.

“Aofeng, you really did it! I knew you could pass the assessment.” Shen Yuanhui’s tone turned gentle, as if the dog lying there wasn’t a police dog but his own nephew. There was even a hint of pride in his voice.

“Woof!” Aofeng barked confidently, flashing a grin as if to say, “That was nothing. I’ll be even more amazing.”

Aofeng rarely smiled. Now that he was a dog, every time he smiled, he couldn’t help but open his mouth and stick out his tongue. He thought that made him look silly, so he usually kept a cold and serious expression.

This was the first time Shen Yuanhui had seen Aofeng smile. His tough, steel-hearted demeanor nearly melted on the spot. Just as he was about to say more, the phone was snatched away. The next moment, Wang Xiuyun’s kindly face appeared in front of Aofeng.

“Aofeng, did you miss Grandma? I dried some beef jerky for you. Once it’s ready, we’ll bring it over. I heard from the Golden Retriever’s owner that this yak meat is the best for teething…”

Wang Xiuyun chattered on, and Aofeng let out a few soft “woofs” in response. His eyes grew a little misty. Wang Xiuyun’s expression really reminded him of his grandmother.

His parents divorced when he was just a few months old, and it was his grandmother who raised him. She scrimped and saved her whole life to send him out of the mountains. But before he had a chance to make something of himself and bring her a better life, she passed away. When he died, he even felt a strange sense of relief that she had gone first. Otherwise, he couldn’t imagine how devastated she would have been to hear the news.

“Alright, alright, that’s enough. Let’s not take up their training time,” Shen Yuanhui said as he took the phone back. He reappeared on screen with a smile. “Aofeng, train well. We’ll come visit when we have time! Be a good boy, and don’t slack off like before, understand?”

“Woof,” came another serious bark. Shen Yuanhui gave a few more instructions, then said goodbye to Dezi and hung up.

Dezi slipped the phone back into his pocket, patted the two dog heads beside him, whistled, and said, “Come on, time for training!”

…

After the morning training session, the trainers prepared to take the puppies back to the kennel. They were about to attend a graduation ceremony, mainly for the adult dogs.

These adult dogs were already over a year old. They had started training at three months and could now respond skillfully to various commands and emergencies. Two months ago, police officers from across the country had arrived to take over the dogs. They had been training with the handlers to learn all the commands and gestures, and to build a close bond with the dogs. After all, if the dog didn’t recognize you, it wouldn’t obey you when you took it home.

Once the graduation ceremony ended, the dogs would begin internships with their assigned officers. The internship would last two months, and those who performed well would be officially registered and become full-fledged police dogs.

Aofeng had heard about this yesterday and was naturally curious. So when Dezi brought him back to the kennel and tried to put him inside, he stood outside without moving an inch, no matter how hard Dezi pushed.

“What are you doing? Don’t you usually love to nap? There’s no training today, I’m letting you rest, and you’re still not happy?” Dezi wiped the sweat from his brow and sat down on the steps, helplessly watching Aofeng block the kennel entrance.

Aofeng lifted his head toward the outside. The message was clear: he wanted to go out.

Dezi sighed. “There’s official business today. I can’t take you wandering around.”

“Woof,” Aofeng barked, taking a few steps toward the open space. He was determined not to go back into the kennel.

Dezi checked the time. The gathering was about to start. With no other choice, he made a deal with Aofeng. “No acting up when we get there. We stand quietly in the back and just watch, got it?”

A short “woof” was Aofeng’s answer. Dezi didn’t say anything more. He shut the kennel door behind him and led Aofeng toward the other training field.

The other training field was much larger than the one for the puppies. It was filled with equipment that wasn’t found in the puppy area. They looked strange and complicated, and Aofeng couldn’t figure out how they were supposed to be used. He glanced around curiously as he walked.

The adult dogs in the field were all sitting obediently by their trainers’ legs. Suddenly, their ears perked up in unison and they all turned to look toward the entrance. Their trainers, puzzled, followed their gaze.

Dezi froze. He hadn’t expected to draw so much attention. But he quickly realized it wasn’t him everyone was looking at – it was Aofeng.

Most adult dogs had a strong sense of territory. They were used to training with the same group, so when an unfamiliar scent entered the field, it naturally drew their attention.

However, once they saw that the intruder was just a six-month-old pup, the adult dogs quickly looked away.

Aofeng could clearly sense a hint of disdain from the adult dogs. But when he looked down at his own small frame, then glanced at the big dogs around him, he had to admit they had a point. He was confident his intelligence far surpassed theirs, but when it came to raw strength, adult dogs overpowering pups was just a fact of life.

Aofeng’s arrival didn’t draw any more attention, as the ceremony had already begun. After Director Li and a police officer representative gave their speeches, the handover ceremony commenced. Trainers led the police dogs they had trained for over a year and personally handed them over to officers from across the country.

The police dogs were reluctant to part, but they seemed to understand they had a mission to fulfill and couldn’t act willfully. As soon as the officers gave a command, the dogs obeyed immediately, sitting obediently at their new handlers’ feet, watching their trainers leave the field until the last figure disappeared from view.

Aofeng was filled with emotion. Partings had always been painful for the sentimental¹. Just like humans, animals also had deep feelings—perhaps even more genuine than those of people. He couldn’t help but glance at Dezi. Around this time next year, would he be saying goodbye to Dezi too?

Dezi’s eyes were already red. He had been a trainer for five years and had already sent off three police dogs. Watching those little furballs grow into strong, dependable dogs, seeing them mature from naive and innocent to calm and reliable—the effort and care he had poured into them was beyond what most could imagine. But the joy it brought was just as indescribable.

When the other trainers had walked past just now, Dezi clearly saw that every one of them had red eyes, holding back tears with all their might. That bittersweet feeling of a father marrying off his daughter—he knew it all too well.

Thinking about how he’d have to send off two beloved dogs next year, a wave of double sorrow suddenly crashed over him. Dezi sniffled, unable to hold back the sadness.

Aofeng tilted his head, his serious little face full of confusion. Crying? Could it be… one of those dogs was someone Dezi knew?

Shan Dian, quick, your trainer dad’s got another dog out there!

Translator’s Notes