Chapter 3: Deciding to Be a Good Dog

The familiar scent of disinfectant told Aofeng exactly where he was, even before he opened his eyes. With his keen nose, there was no mistaking it.

He vaguely remembered lying on the road for a long time. Then a car had pulled up, someone got out, and when that person picked him up, he might have even… licked their hand…

Wait a minute! Licked their hand?!

Aofeng groaned and smacked his face with a furry paw, letting out a pitiful “woof” of embarrassment. How humiliating. Damn this irresistible canine instinct!

“At least you know to be ashamed?” a voice said beside him, laced with a familiar slyness. Aofeng opened his eyes to find the vet, Xu Dong, watching him with amusement. The memory of being jabbed by this man’s needles made Aofeng freeze. He glanced down at one of his front legs. Sure enough, medicine was flowing into his body through a clear tube.

Xu Dong chuckled at the stunned look on the puppy’s face. Of all the dogs he’d treated, this one had the worst fear of needles. The moment this pup was brought in, Xu Dong had recognized him. This was Aofeng, the same puppy that had been sent in before, not even two months old at the time, because he refused to eat. Xu Dong had initially suspected it was due to weaning issues, digestive problems, or maybe something he’d eaten by mistake.

But after a full checkup, Xu Dong found that aside from being hungry, the puppy was perfectly healthy. Even after missing a few meals, he still had a layer of baby fat. After running various tests, Xu Dong concluded that Aofeng’s refusal to eat was likely intentional.

Xu Dong decided to put him on a nutrient drip. But the moment the needle pierced his leg, the little pup who had looked like he’d given up on life suddenly howled like he was being murdered.

Xu Dong had joked at the time, saying, “If you won’t eat, we’ll just give you a shot every day.” He hadn’t expected the puppy to start eating that very night.

Later, during vaccinations and chip injections, he saw again just how terrified this little guy was of needles. Who would’ve thought a dog could have trypanophobia¹?

“And you tried to run away? Skipping training all the time, and now you’re paying for it. Barely made it five or six kilometers before collapsing. If Bureau Chief Shen hadn’t happened to pass by, you’d be done for.” Xu Dong had been the base’s vet for years, but this was the first time he’d seen a puppy try to escape.

Faced with Xu Dong’s teasing, Aofeng bared his sharp little teeth in warning, but Xu Dong seized the chance to pry open his mouth and take a look.

“Teeth are coming in nice and straight. Looks like you’re not a picky eater,” Xu Dong muttered to himself.

Aofeng drooped his head in frustration. If he were still human, a pretty-boy like Xu Dong would’ve been knocked out with one punch. Now he was stuck here, completely at their mercy.

But no matter how much he wished, he couldn’t turn back into a human. And after this failed escape attempt, the base definitely wouldn’t go easy on him anymore. Once the assessment was over, they might even neuter him.

Someone, please give him a chance. He was ready to be a good dog now!

…

While Aofeng was wailing internally, Director Li of the training base stood nervously before Shen Yuanhui’s stern expression, his own heart full of unease.

Last night, when they were returning the puppies to the kennel, they discovered one was missing. That particular pup had always been a bit unruly and was already on the verge of being eliminated. His trainer had been busy working with other dogs and hadn’t paid much attention to him. By the time they realized he was gone, the trainer had already searched all his usual haunts, but not even a single strand of fur was found.

Just as they were checking surveillance footage and calling out for him everywhere, they got a call from the gate. A car had arrived, from the Municipal Public Security Bureau, and the license plate had been logged.

Director Li rushed over with his team, puzzled. They hadn’t received any notice of a visit or inspection.

The car drove in and stopped beside them. When the door opened, a man stepped out holding a puppy in his arms.

“Aofeng!”

“Bureau Chief Shen!”

The two surprised exclamations overlapped. Shen Yuanhui looked up and said, “Director Li, get someone to take this puppy to the medical station immediately.”

Still stunned, Director Li hadn’t yet reacted when a trainer behind him stepped forward to take the puppy from Shen Yuanhui’s arms and ran off toward the medical station. After he left, Director Li and the others followed Shen Yuanhui nervously toward the office.

“Someone explain what exactly happened here,” Shen Yuanhui said, his sharp gaze sweeping over the group like a blade. Everyone he looked at instinctively lowered their heads.

“Bureau Chief Shen, let me explain…” As the head of the training base, Director Li had no choice but to step up and clarify. “…That’s the situation.” Who could’ve guessed that puppy would suddenly act up and sneak out? And of all people, it had to be Bureau Chief Shen who found him.

After hearing the explanation, Shen Yuanhui’s expression didn’t change much. He looked around and asked, “Where are the files on these puppies?”

Director Li quickly responded, “They’re in the Archives Room on the second floor. If you’d like to see them, I can have someone bring them up.”

“No need,” Shen Yuanhui said as he stood up. “I’ll go take a look myself.” With that, he headed for the door. Director Li hurried ahead to open it for him and then led the way toward the Archives Room.

The lights in the Archives Room were on. Director Li knocked, and a young man with glasses opened the door and greeted him, “Director Li.”

Once inside, Director Li introduced him. “Comrade Jiang, this is Bureau Chief Shen from the Municipal Public Security Bureau. He’d like to review the files on this batch of puppies. Have you finished organizing them?”

Jiang Tao adjusted his glasses and replied seriously, “Yes, I’ve already sorted them. All the files for the puppies scheduled for tomorrow’s assessment are right here.” As he spoke, he turned and picked up a stack of folders from the desk. Each folder was labeled with a puppy’s name and identification number, and inside were their pedigree certificates, health records since birth, and evaluations from training.

Shen Yuanhui took the stack and flipped through it, then randomly pulled one out to examine more closely. After reading it, he nodded in approval. The records were thorough and detailed, showing that the staff had been diligent in their work.

“What about the file for the little guy who ran off today?” Shen Yuanhui asked, recalling the puppy. He could still feel a trace of warmth in his palm.

Jiang Tao froze for a moment, then turned to look at Director Li. He had been stationed in the Archives Room since the afternoon and hadn’t heard anything about a puppy escaping.

Director Li gave an awkward smile and said, “What about Aofeng’s file?”

Realization dawned on Jiang Tao. So it was that puppy? It actually escaped? If it was that one, then maybe it wasn’t all that surprising after all.

He flipped through the files and quickly pulled out one labeled AY33450. The name field read “Shen Yaqi.” He handed it to Shen Yuanhui.

Shen Yuanhui read the name aloud, puzzled. “Isn’t it called Aofeng?”

Jiang Tao chuckled and explained, “Bureau Chief Shen, a puppy’s initial name is made from the first character of the mother’s name and the last character of the father’s name. Aofeng is just a nickname we gave it because it rolls off the tongue more easily.”

He pulled out a sheet from the file and pointed it out to Shen Yuanhui. “Aofeng’s mother is the Merit Dog Shen Lan. She specializes in bomb detection and reconnaissance, and was awarded First-Class Merit² for her role in the 5-1-9 major case³.”

Shen Yuanhui nodded. That case happened the year before last. He remembered seeing it on the news and it had left a deep impression.

“Its father is called Weiruia, also a Merit Dog. He specializes in drug detection. In the 7-2-6 major drug trafficking case⁴, it was him who first sensed something was off and alerted the others.”

As he spoke about these two dogs, Jiang Tao’s face lit up with excitement. Director Li stood proudly to the side, clearly sharing in the pride, because both dogs had been bred and trained at this base before being assigned to police departments across the country.

“…How could this be?”

After hearing the background, Shen Yuanhui’s expectations for Aofeng skyrocketed. With such outstanding parents, how bad could it be? But when he flipped to Aofeng’s training evaluation reports, he found that nearly every category was marked as unqualified.

Director Li was speechless, and Jiang Tao looked as if someone had suddenly grabbed him by the throat. An awkward silence filled the air.

From their reactions, Shen Yuanhui picked up on something and considerately chose not to press further. He set the file down and asked Director Li to take him on a tour of the kennel, the dog cafeteria, and the puppy training room.

After the tour, he pulled an envelope from the pocket of his coat and handed it to Director Li. It was an anonymous letter he had found earlier that day in the Bureau Chief’s mailbox. The letter accused the Anyang Police Dog Training Base of abusing dogs and included several photos that were deeply disturbing.

Given the recent news, this matter couldn’t be taken lightly. Police Dogs may be animals, but to police officers, they are silent partners. Shen Yuanhui absolutely could not tolerate such behavior.

After reading the letter, Director Li was furious, nearly cursing out loud. Today’s oversight was indeed due to their own carelessness, and he would take responsibility and reflect on it. But the accusation of abuse was going too far. If they didn’t genuinely love these Police Dogs, who would spend decades here caring for them day in and day out?

As for those photos, he couldn’t even bear to look at them. How could they possibly have done something like that?

Translator’s Notes

• Bureau Chief’s mailbox: A formal channel in Chinese government/police organizations where citizens can submit complaints or reports directly to leadership, often used for whistleblowing or grievances that bypass normal chains of command.