Chapter 65: Dedicated Funds for Dedicated Use

“Jingdu Television brings you the following news: The recently held National Police Dog Competition concluded yesterday. Trainers and police dogs from the Anyang Police Dog Training Base took first place in this year’s event…”

On the television screen, a graceful and composed anchorwoman smiled as she delivered the news. As she spoke, the footage shifted to three imposing police dogs with gold medals hanging from their necks. They were none other than Aofeng, Duo Duo, and Xiao Qi. Behind them stood Song Changfeng, Pan Zi, and Zhou Xiaoyong, all beaming with pride. Instructor Zhang held the championship trophy awarded by the competition organizers, grinning so wide his gums were showing.

To be honest, even they were a bit surprised to have taken first place. After the Physical Evidence Search results came out, their total score had already pushed them into the top three. However, they were still one point behind second place and two and a half points behind first.

Catching up to second seemed doable, but overtaking first? That would take an exceptional performance. Yet sometimes, the world works in mysterious ways. A last-minute rule change in the final Anti-Riot and Emergency Response event turned the impossible into reality.

In terms of time, the Anyang team was the fastest. In terms of coordination, the synergy between people, dogs, and between people and dogs was seamless. As for results, all three trainers and dogs completed the mission without injury, subduing the criminals purely through skill.

This was exactly the kind of performance the higher-ups had hoped to see.

The original first-place team had excellent individual skills, but their coordination was a mess. Their three dogs were all proud and competitive, none willing to yield to the others. During the fight with the criminals, each dog tried to outshine the others, forcing the trainers to not only battle the suspects but also manage their dogs’ moods, constantly issuing commands. Though they eventually subdued all the criminals, they took too long, and the dogs repeatedly ignored orders, charging around recklessly. That was a major issue.

The final event cost them too many points, and when the rankings were announced, everyone was stunned. They had dropped all the way to fourth place. The trainers were frustrated, but there was little they could do. Their base emphasized a “wolf pack” culture, where fierce competition existed between the dogs. In that environment, suddenly expecting them to work as a team was simply unrealistic.

Before leaving, one of their trainers came over to add Song Changfeng on WeChat, saying he wanted to exchange ideas on dog training in the future.

He was already the sixth person to ask for Song Changfeng’s WeChat. Aofeng thought to himself, if only these rough guys could be swapped for some heroic young women, Song Changfeng would probably be even happier. There were actually a few women among the competing trainers, and they were all quite formidable. Not only were they skilled in training dogs, but in the final team event, they held their own one-on-one against the younger male trainers. Truly outstanding women.

What Aofeng didn’t realize was that the real reason so many people wanted to connect with Song Changfeng was because of him. At first, Aofeng didn’t have many events, and even though he performed well in Outdoor Tracking, he was quickly overshadowed by other dogs. But in the final three events over the last two days, Aofeng’s name kept appearing on the big screen. Especially in the last event, it was obvious to anyone paying attention that Aofeng had taken the lead among the three dogs. He maintained an overview of the battlefield during attacks and even gave cues to the other two dogs. He was truly impressive.

A dog with such strong individual combat ability, who could also lead in a team setting, was every trainer’s dream. They were eager to get Song Changfeng to spill his training secrets.

…

After the awards ceremony, they returned to the Anyang City Training Base. Though they’d only been away for less than ten days, it felt like a long time had passed.

Director Li was deeply moved by the first-place win, the first in twenty years. When Instructor Zhang handed him the championship trophy, there was a visible shimmer of tears in his eyes.

Aofeng watched him and felt a little emotional too. Though Director Li was stingy and naggy, no one could match his passion for this line of work.

Many of Aofeng’s special training plans had been personally designed by Director Li. The ingredients used to make the dogs’ food were all carefully sourced by him to ensure the highest quality—probably even healthier than what humans ate.

After the excitement settled, Director Li hosted a celebratory feast in the cafeteria. The big meaty bones that were usually off-limits to the police dogs were served up in heaping bowls.

Aofeng initially wanted to maintain his composure, but he underestimated the effect those bones had on his body. After a brief internal struggle, he dove toward the bowl, grabbed the biggest bone, and dragged it to his own dish to gnaw on. It was fragrant, slightly salty, and incredibly satisfying. The more he ate, the more excited he became, completely unaware that his usually well-behaved tail was now wagging wildly behind him.

After the hearty meal, Director Li made an announcement: this year’s bonus would be double the usual amount. That one sentence instantly lit up the room. The young men cheered and laughed, setting off a chorus of barking and howling from the police dogs.

Aofeng thought, Director Li really went all out this time. After all, their bonuses didn’t come from government funding. They were paid out by the base itself, after all operational costs were covered. Most of the time, the base barely had enough to get by. At year’s end, Director Li usually had to shamelessly beg for scraps just to scrape together a modest bonus. But this time he was being so generous… could it be that the funding from last time hadn’t been used up yet?

Aofeng was referring, of course, to the sponsorship from Shengda Shipping. However, the bonus Director Li promised didn’t come from that fund.

This bonus came from the Municipal Public Security Bureau. It was specifically allocated to improve the living conditions of the trainers and police dogs.

When Director Li saw the large transfer amount, he was stunned. After snapping out of it, he immediately called Shen Yuanhui, cautiously asking for an explanation. Getting such a large sum out of the blue, he didn’t dare spend it without knowing why.

After hearing the reason, Shen Yuanhui smiled and said, “Do you remember the Huaxing Technology incident? That kidnapping case was first discovered by Changfeng and Aofeng. The case was successfully resolved later, and they played a key role in that. Back then, the CEO of Huaxing Technology wanted to treat them to a meal to thank them in person, but they flat-out refused.”

Director Li gave an awkward laugh. “That’s just how Changfeng is. He’s too straightforward.”

Shen Yuanhui said seriously, “That’s not a flaw. When it comes to discipline, holding the line is what makes a good comrade.”

Director Li quickly agreed, “Yes, yes, that’s exactly what I’ve always told them.”

“After Changfeng turned him down, the CEO of Huaxing Technology made a donation to the city in the company’s name. He specifically noted that the funds were to be used solely to improve the living conditions of the police dogs and increase the benefits for the trainers. Since it’s a designated fund, it naturally has to be allocated to you for distribution.”

After hanging up the phone, Director Li stood there in a bit of a daze.

Aofeng again! How did he not realize before that Aofeng had a knack for attracting wealth? It hasn’t even been that long, and he’s already brought in two funding grants for the base!

Since the money is meant to improve living conditions, seventy percent of it will go toward gradually upgrading the dogs’ environment and diet. The remaining thirty percent will be distributed to all base staff as a bonus.

…

Several days had passed since the celebration banquet, and the excitement among the team had finally begun to settle down. Aofeng, too, had long since returned to his regular training routine.

Maybe it was because he’d seen more of the world outside, or maybe the new training equipment was especially effective, but since coming back, Aofeng felt he had made significant progress. Not only had he broken a few of his previous records, but his body had also undergone some changes. However, the changes were subtle and not visible from the outside.

Curious about what exactly had changed in his body, Aofeng did something completely out of character when the routine physical exams rolled around in December—he walked in on his own.

Everyone was stunned, especially Xu Dong, who probably understood Aofeng’s fears better than anyone. Had Aofeng been traumatized? Or was he feeling unwell?

Worried, Xu Dong quickly grabbed various instruments and began examining him. But apart from being taller and heavier, there was absolutely nothing wrong with Aofeng’s body.

Could it be… Xu Dong’s eyes moved from Aofeng’s hind legs upward.

Sensing Xu Dong’s meaningful gaze, Aofeng gave a little shiver, then silently clamped his hind legs together and even tucked in his tail.

That didn’t look like he was in heat either. Xu Dong pondered. Male dogs typically go into heat for the first time around six or seven months old. But it’s easier to manage with males—as long as there are no females nearby and they get enough exercise to burn off energy, it passes quickly.

As far as he knew, Aofeng had never gone into heat, not even once. Could there really be something wrong with his body? But just last month, the checkup report showed he was in great health!

Still, to be safe, Xu Dong decided to draw some blood for testing, focusing on hormone levels this time.

Watching Xu Dong pull out a long, thin needle, Aofeng started to regret his decision. If he’d known this would happen, he never would’ve drawn Xu Dong’s attention!