Chapter 120: Police Dog Aofeng

“Ugh—”

Song Changfeng leaned over a trash can, retching so hard that tears streamed from his eyes. You couldn’t blame him. Anyone who saw that scene would struggle to keep their stomach from turning and their throat from filling with bile. Only a true psychopath could stomach it.

Aofeng wasn’t feeling great either, but he’d had the foresight to run off to the other side earlier. So the stench and the sight didn’t hit him as hard.

After vomiting, Song Changfeng’s expression turned even colder. No wonder Aofeng had joined those kittens in attacking that man. The method used here was downright cruel. Even the most gruesome crime scenes he’d seen didn’t compare. That sickly-looking kitten from earlier must have been one of the victims too.

Once he’d composed himself, Song Changfeng brought Aofeng to a small shop nearby. He bought a bottle of water to rinse his mouth, then casually asked, “Boss, your shop’s in a good spot. Business must be decent, right?”

Maybe he’d hit a sore spot, because the shopkeeper sighed and grumbled, “Decent? I’m lucky if I get a single customer all day. I can’t even turn over my stock. Rent still has to be paid every month, though.”

“Really? I saw a lot of people in that park up ahead, and there’s a big residential complex right next door. How bad could business be?”

The shopkeeper gave a bitter smile. “Most of the folks in the park are from that complex. A bunch of retirees. They all bring their own water when they go out. No one’s buying anything from me. I’m just scraping by, not losing money at least.”

“Just retirees? But I noticed there are a lot of pets in that complex. Can the elderly really manage walking them?” Song Changfeng finally steered the conversation where he wanted it.

The shopkeeper waved his hand with a look that said, “Don’t joke with me.” He replied, “They’re not pets. Just a bunch of stray cats and dogs. No one chases them off, so they’ve settled in. They don’t need anyone to walk them. And even if they were pets, those retirees are more than capable. They’re in better shape than most of those overworked office drones. Full of energy.”

“Stray cats and dogs? Then the people in that complex must be pretty kindhearted. I’ve heard some places won’t allow strays in at all. If they catch one, they’ll kill it on the spot,” Song Changfeng said with a touch of emotion.

The shopkeeper seemed to remember something and clicked his tongue, shaking his head. “Not everyone’s that kindhearted.”

“Oh? What do you mean?” Song Changfeng leaned in, looking eager to listen.

With no customers around, the shopkeeper was in the mood to gossip. “Lately, I keep seeing a young guy playing with the cats over there.” He pointed into the residential complex, clearly visible from his shop.

“Not just playing, he feeds them cat food too. At first, I thought, what a nice young man. But then, a few times, I saw him carrying a black plastic bag and tossing it into the trash. When I looked inside, it was full of dead cats. Scared the hell out of me.” The shopkeeper frowned at the memory. He wasn’t particularly fond of cats or dogs, but seeing those poor creatures dead like that still made his heart ache.

“You looked inside?” Song Changfeng and Aofeng both gave the shopkeeper a strange look. That was some intense curiosity.

The shopkeeper blushed and waved his hands quickly. “It wasn’t me! Some other cats dragged the bag out and tore it open. That’s how I saw it. The trash can next to the complex gate doesn’t usually get full bags tossed in. Every building has its own bin, so I noticed right away.” The shopkeeper had plenty of time on his hands. Business was slow, and he wasn’t one for playing on his phone. With nothing else to do, he paid close attention to the people and things around him.

“So, that young man looks like a cat lover on the surface, but in reality, he’s a sadist who enjoys killing them? You really can’t judge a book by its cover,” Song Changfeng said.

“Exactly. He seemed totally normal. I never would’ve guessed he’d do something like that.” The shopkeeper sighed. “When he fed the cats, he even took out his phone and filmed them. I thought he was some kind of pet influencer¹ or something.”

Filming? What for? Was he keeping a record of the cats he killed? As the thought crossed his mind, Aofeng suddenly had a chilling realization. Could this guy be not only torturing and killing cats, but also posting the videos online for clicks? That was beyond despicable.

Clearly, Song Changfeng had thought of the same thing. He chatted with the shopkeeper a bit longer but didn’t uncover anything new. After buying a few more items, he left.

Song Changfeng sat down on a bench in the park, with Aofeng beside him. After a moment of silence, Song Changfeng said, “This one’s not going to be easy to handle.”

Aofeng watched him quietly without saying a word. He knew it wasn’t his place to interfere.

“According to our country’s laws², simply abusing cats, dogs, or other animals doesn’t constitute a criminal offense. But there are two exceptions. One, if the abuse causes serious consequences. Two, if the animal killed belongs to someone else as private property. Otherwise, all we can do is condemn the behavior on moral grounds.” Song Changfeng let out a sigh. Years of working as a police dog trainer had given him a deep understanding of animals. He knew they had emotions just like humans, capable of fear, sorrow, and joy. He wondered if that man had even the slightest twinge of conscience when he tortured and killed those defenseless creatures.

Moral condemnation? That kind of thing barely stings. To someone who’s already lost all sense of humanity, it means nothing. Unless… unless he became the target of public outrage. Aofeng gave his head a shake. No, inciting online harassment was illegal. As a public servant, Song Changfeng would never agree to something like that. So what now? Would they have to handle this the way animals would?

“Smack!” A strange sound caught both man and dog’s attention. They looked toward the source and saw two girls posting something in a prominent spot in the park. One of the girls had red-rimmed eyes, while the other leaned in close, seemingly trying to comfort her.

Lost something? Aofeng glanced at the paper and immediately stood up. The photo on it was unmistakably the same little silver kitten they’d rescued last night. The red ribbon around its neck was identical.

Only, the lost kitten in the photo wasn’t the one they’d randomly named Little Silver. Its real name was Tian Bao.

Aofeng walked toward them but stopped a short distance away to avoid scaring them. The two girls were a bit nervous at first when they saw such a large, unleashed German Shepherd approaching, but when they noticed how politely Aofeng stood there, even wagging his tail in a friendly way, their tension eased.

“Hello,” Song Changfeng greeted them as he walked over. “Are you putting up a missing cat notice?”

The two girls nodded repeatedly, especially the one with the red eyes. She looked at Song Changfeng with hopeful eyes, as if praying he would bring good news.

And Song Changfeng didn’t disappoint. “I think I just saw a kitten that looks a lot like the one in your picture. It also had a red ribbon around its neck.”

“Really?! Could you take me to see it?” The girl with red eyes was so excited she moved to follow him immediately, but her friend grabbed her arm and whispered something in her ear.

She calmed down, a hint of caution in her eyes. Of course, someone suddenly claiming to have seen her cat, without any proof… she couldn’t just follow him blindly.

“Could you tell me where you saw it? Thank you.”

Reading their expressions, Song Changfeng understood their concern and felt genuinely pleased. As a police officer, it made him happy to see civilians showing such strong awareness and caution.

However, the place was a bit out of the way. If he only described it, they might not be able to find it, and if the kitten ran off again, it would be much harder to track down. He pulled out his phone, found a photo, and held it out to the girls.

“Take a look. Is this the one?” It was a picture he’d taken earlier when Aofeng and the others were hanging out. In the photo, the German Shepherd in front of them, their Tian Bao, and a little orange kitten were huddled together. Sunlight slanted in from the side, casting a warm glow that made the usually cluttered scooter shed look almost cozy.

“Yes, that’s Tian Bao!” Tears streamed down the girl’s face. She hadn’t slept all night, blaming herself over and over. Why hadn’t she kept a closer eye on Tian Bao? Why hadn’t she used a leash? Her carelessness had led to Tian Bao going missing.

Thinking of this, she cleared her throat and said to Song Changfeng, “Sir, I suggest you put a leash on this dog. Don’t wait until it gets lost and regret it.”

Just as Song Changfeng was about to explain, the other girl suddenly let out a surprised “Oh!” and looked up excitedly. “Xiaoxiao, do you remember that news story we saw? Wasn’t there a Merit Dog in Anyang City that goes out without a leash? I just looked at the photo again, and it looks just like this one!”

The girl named Xiaoxiao studied Aofeng carefully and agreed he looked very similar. The two of them turned to Song Changfeng, clearly hoping for confirmation.

Clearing his throat, Song Changfeng said, “Let me reintroduce myself. I’m Song Changfeng from the Criminal Investigation Detachment of Anyang City. And this is my partner, police dog Aofeng.”

Translator’s Notes