Chapter 39: Job Preference Form

When Da Huang first arrived at the Shen Family, he was still a bit nervous. As he stepped into the courtyard, his tail instinctively tucked between his legs, and his eyes held a trace of fear when he looked at people.

As a stray dog who had only recently found his way, deep down he longed for companionship with humans. But the people he had encountered before hadn’t been kind, so he lived in a constant state of wanting love but fearing hurt.

Wang Xiuyun noticed his unease. She brought out a newly bought pet bowl and placed it beside Aofeng’s food dish, filled both with water, and then brought out her homemade dog food, dividing it evenly between the two. Aofeng called out to Da Huang and began eating with his head down.

Da Huang hesitated for a moment, then cautiously approached to take a few sips of water. As he drank, his eyes never left Wang Xiuyun, watching for any sign of disapproval. If she had shown even the slightest hint of rejection, he would have bolted.

But Wang Xiuyun kept her gaze soft and gentle. Da Huang slowly relaxed and took a small bite of the dog food. The ingredients were fresh, nutritious, and most importantly, delicious. After just one bite, Da Huang began devouring it like a whirlwind, practically burying his head in the bowl.

Watching him, Wang Xiuyun felt a pang of sympathy. He was clearly starving. Who knew how many days it had been since he’d had a proper meal?

She had discussed it with Shen Yuanhui the day before and they decided to adopt the yellow dog. According to Xiao Song, this dog was Aofeng’s friend and had been looking for him for several days. The day he accidentally ate the poisoned dog food, he had likely come searching for Aofeng and just happened to run into trouble.

Wang Xiuyun thought to herself, Aofeng hadn’t officially become a police dog yet, and even after he did, it would be years before he retired. She had been thinking of getting another pet anyway, but hadn’t found the right one. Now that she had, she was more than satisfied.

The only one with a bit of an issue was Shen Doudou. When he first saw Da Huang, he felt uneasy, afraid that Aofeng would stop playing with him now that he had a new friend. Aofeng picked up on his mood and stayed by his side the whole evening, even getting Da Huang to do a few cute tricks to grab Shen Doudou’s attention. Before long, the boy and the dog were playing together like old friends.

That night, Aofeng began tutoring Da Huang, giving him lessons on how to better interact with humans. Da Huang listened intently, as if he were ready to take notes on every word Aofeng said.

Under Aofeng’s guidance and training, Da Huang quickly picked up many tricks for getting along with people. He mastered acting cute, guarding the house, and even helping out with chores. He’d carry Wang Xiuyun’s grocery basket when they went out and fetch the newspaper for Shen Yuanhui at home. In just a few days, he had become one of the most obedient dogs in the neighborhood.

When Song Changfeng mentioned it, Aofeng felt quite pleased. After all, Da Huang was like his little brother. As for whether Da Huang would steal the Shen Family’s affection, Aofeng wasn’t worried. He was a grown dog, after all. Was he really going to compete with another dog for attention?

…

Time flew by in the blink of an eye. It felt like just yesterday was the height of summer, and now people were already donning their autumn clothes. By mid-September, Anyang City had already welcomed its first cold snap.

At the Training Base, however, it was as if the autumn wind hadn’t touched it. The trainers were still in short sleeves, training the police dogs with great enthusiasm.

Since the poisoned dog food incident, Aofeng hadn’t left the Training Base again. His days were filled with intense training, filming videos with Song Changfeng and Sun Xiaobin, and occasionally teaming up with other police dogs for joint shoots.

As the initial buzz gradually faded, the number of likes and comments on their video channel dropped from the early peak, but still held steady in the tens of thousands. The fans who remained were die-hard followers of the Training Base, and their comments could be seen under nearly every video.

Sometimes, Aofeng would peek over when Song Changfeng was scrolling through the comments. Once he confirmed that he was still the most popular police dog at the base, he would immediately turn and strut away.

Maybe it was because dogs had such sharp hearing and smell that their eyesight suffered. Aofeng found that if he stared at a phone screen too long, he’d start to feel motion sick. Still, it didn’t really matter. Even if he didn’t get dizzy, Song Changfeng wouldn’t let him play with the phone anyway.

These days, he much preferred stretching his four legs and bounding across the lawn in the morning breeze, reveling in the joy of movement. With every stride, he felt like he was one step closer to his future.

…

That morning, they began their daily training as usual.

Aofeng ran at the head of the pack, with the other police dogs following close behind. At some point, they had all gotten used to Aofeng leading the charge. The sight of a group of fluffy dogs sprinting into the wind was surprisingly harmonious. From a distance, they looked like a well-drilled canine patrol.

After five laps, the group gathered together, waiting for Instructor Zhang Meng to give the dismissal order. But Zhang Meng scanned the lineup without saying the two words they were hoping for.

Sensing something was off, the dogs and trainers who had started to relax immediately straightened up, their postures becoming more rigid.

Zhang Meng nodded in satisfaction at the change and said, “It’s been three months since the police dogs began group training. In that time, they’ve become familiar with the basic skills and responsibilities of each role. Now, each trainer will begin a five-day intensive training session with their assigned dog. After five days, we’ll conduct a job placement evaluation. Those who pass will be grouped by specialization and continue training until they graduate and leave the base. Those who fail will continue with intensive training. If a dog fails two evaluations in a row, we’ll consider reassigning them. If they fail two reassignment evaluations as well, their police dog qualification will be revoked. Understood?”

“Understood!” the trainers shouted in unison, their voices loud and confident.

Aofeng sat upright at Song Changfeng’s feet, head held high, ears perked and alert. After hearing Zhang Meng’s announcement, his eyes lit up. Finally, he could choose his career path. He was one step closer to earning the title of “Crime-Solving Super Dog.”

Before the job placement evaluation, the trainers had to fill out an employment preference form. Although it was the police dogs who would be taking up the jobs, it was their trainers who filled out the forms—after all, no one expected a dog to be able to read or write.

Most trainers filled out the forms quickly and confidently. They knew their dogs’ strengths and personalities inside and out, and with the employment suggestions provided by the evaluators, completing the form was a breeze.

But among them, one person stood out—Song Changfeng.

After receiving his form, Song Changfeng didn’t start writing right away. Instead, he sat there, looking hesitant and conflicted, as if wrestling with an incredibly difficult decision. It wasn’t that he didn’t understand Aofeng. On the contrary, he knew Aofeng’s abilities too well, which made the choice all the harder. After all, Aofeng had excelled in every single training session so far.

Other dogs might have strengths in specific areas. Unlike humans, where a lack of balance in skills could be a disadvantage, a dog with a clear specialty could focus more effectively on job-specific training and really shine in its field.

But Aofeng was like a model student—well-rounded in every way: discipline, intelligence, physical ability, aesthetics, and work ethic. There wasn’t a single area where he was weak, but that also meant there wasn’t one where he stood out the most.

So how was he supposed to choose? Song Changfeng stared at the evaluators’ previous job suggestions—Tracking Dog/Search and Rescue Dog—and found himself at a loss. His gut told him that Aofeng probably wouldn’t enjoy either of those roles.

When it comes to work, it’s best to choose something you’re passionate about. If you’re not the least bit interested, even if you force yourself into it, you’ll end up just going through the motions, like that old saying: “Do a monk’s job for a day, ring the bell for a day¹.” For a smart police dog like Aofeng, that kind of mismatch would definitely feel stifling.

At that thought, Song Changfeng suddenly realized—this was too important a decision to make without asking Aofeng himself. Just like only your feet know if the shoes fit, only Aofeng could know which job suited him best.

So, with the form in hand, he headed for the kennel…

Translator’s Notes