Chapter 40: No One Can Stop Me

As expected, Aofeng chose the Criminal Investigation Dog position without hesitation.

Criminal Investigation Dogs, as the name suggests, are police dogs used in criminal case investigations. Their duties include tracking suspects, searching for and identifying physical evidence, escorting and guarding prisoners, and patrolling high-security areas. Overall, it’s one of the most difficult roles among all police dog assignments. Sometimes, if a police department doesn’t have a dedicated Criminal Investigation Dog, they have to bring in two or three dogs, each specialized in different tasks, to work a case.

“Aofeng, are you sure? Reaching this goal might be tough,” Song Changfeng reminded him. Still, deep down, he felt this was probably the most suitable role for Aofeng.

“Woof!” Aofeng barked seriously, declaring that facing hardship head-on was the true spirit of a warrior!

“Atta boy!” Song Changfeng smiled. “Then for the next five days, you’re in for hellish training.”

Aofeng didn’t think much of it. Did Song Changfeng really think his usual training wasn’t already hellish? At most, it’d just be more exhausting. He could handle it! Aofeng radiated confidence.

However, once the real hellish training began, Aofeng nearly cried out with a bark. He finally understood what it truly meant to be “dog-tired.”

How exhausted was he? Let’s put it this way: he was so drained that Song Changfeng had to pry open his mouth and spoon-feed him. His whole body lay sprawled across the canteen floor like a worn-out dog rug.

Passing trainers and police dogs all winced at the sight. Some police dogs even tucked their tails as they walked past Song Changfeng, clearly spooked by Aofeng’s pitiful state.

The trainers, while thinking Song Changfeng was being a bit harsh, understood his reasoning. After all, Aofeng had chosen the Criminal Investigation track, which was like taking a full set of exams in language, math, and English¹, while others only had to take one subject. With more to master, the training naturally had to be more intense.

For Aofeng, those five days were ones he never wanted to remember again. But they were also the five days in which he made the most progress. He felt like his entire body had undergone a complete transformation, and his reflexes were becoming instinctive.

On the day of the position evaluation, Zhang Meng invited instructors from other bases to assess the police dogs based on their chosen specialties.

Dezi had signed Shan Dian up for the Pursuit Dog role. Shan Dian was fast and aggressive, making him a strong deterrent against criminals in the future. The position was a perfect fit.

Before leaving with Shan Dian, Dezi made a point to come cheer Aofeng on. Aofeng barked confidently in response, as if to say, “Just wait and see what I can do.”

Dezi smiled and walked off with Shan Dian. He was honestly relieved that Aofeng had ended up with Song Changfeng. He knew his own limits—if Aofeng had stayed with him, the dog would’ve only reached half of his current potential. His biggest flaw was that he could never bring himself to push the dogs hard enough to unlock their full abilities.

Song Changfeng led Aofeng to the instructor in charge of the evaluation.

“Hello, Instructor Li. Trainer Song Changfeng reporting with Police Dog Aofeng!” Song Changfeng said.

The instructor before them was Li Guodong. His younger brother was named Li Guoliang. Their names, meaning “pillar of the nation,” reflected their parents’ high hopes. And the brothers had lived up to those expectations, both joining the police force and becoming true pillars of society. One became a police dog trainer, the other a captain in the criminal investigation unit. They were a pair of standouts.

“You sure you signed him up for the Criminal Investigation track?” Li Guodong scrutinized Song Changfeng, as if trying to spot any hint of a joke.

“Yes, I’m sure,” Song Changfeng replied firmly.

Li Guodong looked away and turned his gaze to Aofeng. Over the years, not many police dogs had passed his evaluations, and even fewer had made it as Criminal Investigation Dogs. The last one to apply for this role was three years ago—a police dog named Kuang Lei. It was a Kunming Dog², calm in temperament and exceptional in all aspects. In the end, it passed the evaluation and became a Criminal Investigation Dog. Today, Kuang Lei was an indispensable member of the city’s major crimes unit.

He wondered if this German Shepherd before him could follow in Kuang Lei’s footsteps. Funny enough, their names were even similar—one was Kuang Lei, the other Aofeng.

Aofeng? Hopefully, he could truly stand proud in the face of a raging storm.

Aofeng tilted his head, puzzled by why this stern-faced man kept staring at him. What was the big deal? It was just the Criminal Investigation track. Did they really think he couldn’t pass?

Song Changfeng cleared his throat lightly, and Li Guodong took the cue. “Let me first go over the evaluation rules. If any of them are violated during the test, points will be deducted accordingly. If there are more than three violations, the dog will fail the evaluation.”

“First, during the evaluation, aside from guiding movements, the trainer may not interfere or hint at any case-related content. Second…”

Song Changfeng and Aofeng listened intently. These rules would determine whether they passed today. As Aofeng listened to the list of requirements, he finally understood why so few dogs chose the Criminal Investigation track.

The evaluation was essentially a simulated crime scene. The dog had to search for evidence, identify scents, locate the suspect, engage in combat, and finally, with the trainer’s help, apprehend the criminal and bring them back to the station. That completed the test.

For a human, this process would be relatively simple. But for a dog, it was incredibly complex. Without the trainer’s guidance, some dogs wouldn’t even understand what was being asked of them, let alone complete the task alone. This wasn’t just training a police dog—it was practically trying to mold a full-fledged officer with all the capabilities of a police dog.

But Aofeng curled his lips into a classic “Dragon King” smirk. Wasn’t he exactly that? A future officer with the body and skills of a police dog?

This evaluation? He was going to ace it! Not even the Dragon King himself could stop him. His words!

Translator’s Notes