Chapter 36: All That Worry for Nothing

“This is outrageous!”

Shen Yuanhui slammed the table, echoing Director Li’s furious roar. Someone had the audacity to publicly toss dog food laced with harmful substances toward a police dog right within the jurisdiction of the Traffic Police Squad. Did these people have no respect for the law?

In recent years, due to the outstanding performance of police dogs in various cases across the country, the authorities had placed great importance on them and gradually strengthened legal protections. According to the latest amendments, deliberately harming a police dog was equivalent to assaulting a police officer, and serious consequences could result in up to three years in prison.

They serve the people just the same, and just because these furry comrades can’t speak doesn’t mean their contributions should be overlooked. Anyone who deliberately harms a police dog must be dealt with seriously.

Although Aofeng wasn’t officially a police dog yet, everyone knew that based on his performance, it was only a matter of time. Once they found the culprit, they needed to dig into his past. This might not be the first time he had done something like this.

“What about that yellow dog? Keep a close eye on it. If it hadn’t eaten the food first, Aofeng would’ve been the one affected.”

Song Changfeng replied, “Aofeng and I went to check on it earlier. It’s still under observation at the pet hospital and hasn’t woken up yet. That bag of dog food contained an excessive amount of appetite enhancers, which might cause indigestion and other symptoms, but nothing too serious.”

Shen Yuanhui wasn’t too familiar with appetite enhancers, but Song Changfeng was, so he explained, “Generally speaking, low- to mid-end pet food on the market almost always contains some form of appetite enhancer. So far, there’s no direct evidence proving it harms pets. Its purpose is to stimulate appetite so pets eat more. But some brands use the cheapest ingredients that barely meet nutritional needs. To boost sales, they add a lot of appetite enhancers to give pets the illusion that the food tastes good. As a result, pets eat more but don’t get the nutrition they need, and their health deteriorates over time.”

“I see. What about the Training Base?” Shen Yuanhui asked.

“Police dogs’ main meals are almost all specially formulated. Things like canned food or biscuits are used as treats and are custom-made by the higher-ups. They rarely contain any harmful substances,” Song Changfeng said.

Shen Yuanhui was relieved. “Good. I think we should approach this from two angles. First, track down the person who set the trap on the surveillance footage. Have the Traffic Police Squad review the footage from nearby routes during that time and see if they can spot him. The second angle is the dog food itself.”

“You mean start with the brand?”

“Exactly. That Hao Hao Chi Brand Dog Food. Take a picture of it tomorrow and visit the nearby pet stores. Buy a few bags and test them to see if the appetite enhancer levels are within legal limits. While you’re at it, show the culprit’s photo and see if any shop owners recognize him,” Shen Yuanhui said.

No police officer would overlook such crucial evidence. Even without Shen Yuanhui’s instructions, Song Changfeng would’ve done the same.

“Got it. Before I came back, I already submitted a sample of the dog food to the veterinary medicine and feed inspection station. I asked them to analyze the ingredients thoroughly. According to the vet at the pet hospital, this brand of dog food doesn’t seem to have much nutritional value,” Song Changfeng said.

Shen Yuanhui sighed. “I really don’t get what that guy’s goal was. Was it just to make Aofeng uncomfortable for a few days? Or is there something more sinister going on…”

Something more sinister? Shen Yuanhui’s offhand comment struck a chord with Song Changfeng. He suddenly remembered something.

He pulled out his phone and called Sun Xiaobin. “Hey, Xiaobin, open up that video channel. Check the account that messaged you before about getting Aofeng to promote their product. What’s the deal with that?”

“Got it, Brother Song.” Sun Xiaobin switched to the video channel and pulled up the chat log with the account that had approached him about product promotion. “The account is called ‘Man at Forty.’ They claim to own a dog food processing plant. I just checked their profile. Not a single video posted.”

“Alright, try messaging him later. Tell him the higher-ups require a trial run before any promotions. See if he’ll send over some samples,” Song Changfeng said.

Sun Xiaobin agreed, and after hanging up, Song Changfeng said, “I’m starting to suspect that the business that wanted Aofeng to promote their product is connected to the person who dumped the dog food with excessive appetite enhancers near the Traffic Police Squad.”

Shen Yuanhui nodded. “That’s a solid lead. Let’s take action tomorrow. We can’t let something like this happen again. If it was appetite enhancers this time, who knows what they’ll try next.”

“Yeah!”

…

Early the next morning, a vehicle pulled up outside the Traffic Police Squad. It was from the Police Dog Training Base. Director Li hadn’t slept well all night because of what happened yesterday. Before dawn, he had already gathered Dezi and a few others and driven straight over. This was no laughing matter. Even setting aside Aofeng’s status as a soon-to-be police dog, he was currently the star of the Training Base’s video channel. Director Li wasn’t about to let anyone pull something so underhanded.

Song Changfeng and Aofeng were already there. As soon as Dezi saw Aofeng, he rushed over in a few quick strides, cupped Aofeng’s head in his hands, and examined him from every angle, practically wanting to pry open his mouth to check if he’d eaten anything he shouldn’t have.

Aofeng nudged Dezi with his head, then patted his arm with a paw, reassuring him not to worry. Dezi might look rough around the edges, but he was actually very thoughtful.

While the man and dog were catching up, Song Changfeng was already briefing Director Li and the others on Shen Yuanhui’s instructions and his own suspicions from the day before.

“The Traffic Police Squad just reviewed surveillance footage from several nearby intersections. They saw the suspect riding an electric scooter heading north. Near Lijing Garden Residential Area, he turned into a small alley, and that’s where the cameras lost track of him. So he’s probably living in one of the nearby neighborhoods.”

Song Changfeng opened the digital map and pointed out the locations of Lijing Garden and a few other residential complexes. From the map, the layout of the surrounding buildings looked quite complicated. Going door to door would be unrealistic. It was better to start by visiting pet stores in the area and try to identify the man first.

So, the group split up and set off with the photo in hand. Song Changfeng had originally planned for Aofeng to go with Dezi, but Dezi refused.

“No need. Aofeng’s already been assigned to you, so he should get used to going on missions with you. If I keep interfering out of impulse, it’ll only be bad for him,” Dezi said. A police dog could only have one trainer. Letting it get used to following anyone’s commands would just confuse it. Ever since Aofeng started cooperating with Song Changfeng for demonstrations, Dezi hadn’t given him a single command.

“Alright,” Song Changfeng understood his concern. But Aofeng wasn’t just any police dog. “We’ll head out then.”

Song Changfeng led Aofeng outside. Aofeng couldn’t help glancing back at Dezi. Dezi grinned and waved at him, just like he had the first time he walked into the small room at the breeding base and saw that lazy little German Shepherd lying on the floor, wagging his tail unconsciously.

Some people may not be by your side, but they stay in your heart.

…

“Welcome!”

Song Changfeng and Aofeng arrived at a pet store near the Traffic Police Squad. As soon as they stepped inside, they heard a strange greeting. The voice sounded like a water-damaged cassette tape, hoarse and distorted.

“Welcome!”

The voice rang out again. Aofeng’s ears twitched, immediately locking onto the source. He turned his head and saw a blue-and-green parrot perched atop a pet display case. Its beady black eyes darted around smartly, and when it noticed Aofeng looking, it even chirped, “Hi!”

Aofeng thought, That’s pretty trendy. Damn, even a bird can talk, and I can only bark. Maybe I should try using my canine vocal cords to mimic human speech. Who knows, maybe I could say something?

But in truth, nature had only given parrots the gift of mimicry. No matter how much Aofeng twisted his tongue into knots, he couldn’t manage a single word.

Song Changfeng had no idea Aofeng was locked in a silent battle with his own tongue. If he had, he might have had to reassess Aofeng’s intelligence. He walked up to the counter and asked the shop assistant, “Hi, do you carry Hao Hao Chi Brand Dog Food?”

The shop assistant glanced at Song Changfeng, then at Aofeng on the floor, and asked with some confusion, “Excuse me, sir, has your German Shepherd always eaten that brand of dog food?” Otherwise, why would he ask for it by name? But if this German Shepherd really had been eating that brand, how could he still look so healthy and energetic?

Song Changfeng kept a straight face. “No, someone recommended it to me. Said it was pretty good, pets love it. I just came to check it out. We ran out at home, so I figured I’d try something new.”

Hearing that, Aofeng couldn’t help giving him a mental thumbs-up. Smooth little lie.

The shop assistant shook her head and advised earnestly, “Sir, you’ve been misled. That brand does offer more quantity for a lower price, but you get what you pay for. It’s not good for dogs at all. From the looks of it, you’re doing well financially. Better to get your dog something higher quality.”

“Really?” Song Changfeng feigned surprise. “But my friend wouldn’t lie to me. His dog really likes that brand.”

The shop assistant glanced around, saw the owner wasn’t nearby, then leaned in and lowered her voice. “You probably don’t know this, but that dog food has a lot of additives. Sure, dogs love it now, but if they eat it long-term, it could cause problems.”

“Is that so?” Song Changfeng put on a skeptical expression. “Could you tell me which store might carry it? I’ve got some testing equipment at home. If it turns out to be bad, I’ll have to warn my friend not to feed it to his pets anymore.”

The shop assistant said, “In that case, you might want to check the shop at the end of the street. They might have what you’re looking for.”

“Thanks,” Song Changfeng smiled. “Since I’ve taken up so much of your time, I’ll buy something. Do you have any snacks suitable for adult dogs?”

The shop assistant hadn’t expected a sale and quickly recommended some canned food, sausages, and freeze-dried treats. The brands weren’t too expensive and were of decent quality.

Song Changfeng paid without hesitation, pulled out his phone, and bought a big bag of snacks. With Aofeng in tow, he left the pet store. As they exited, the parrot called out again, “Thanks for shopping! Come again!”

Aofeng thought: “Come again,” huh? That little haul just cost nearly eight hundred yuan. That’s almost a quarter of Song Changfeng’s salary gone in one shot. These days, pet food costs more than people food.

Luckily, he was the pet. He didn’t have to earn his own food. With a price like that, the taste better be worth it. Wonder how it compares to the stuff back at the base. Aofeng stared at the bag in Song Changfeng’s hand, already itching to try it.

As if reading his mind, Song Changfeng shifted the bag behind him and said, “These aren’t for you. They’re for Da Huang.”

Aofeng’s smile froze on his face. Great. Got excited for nothing.