Chapter 45: The Police Dog Competition

“Hey, Changfeng, get over to my office right away,” Director Li’s voice came through the receiver, sounding a little excited.

After hanging up, Song Changfeng was puzzled. Could it be that Director Li had also found out about Aofeng’s special physique? Yesterday, they had stayed a bit longer in Xu Dong’s office, and as soon as they came out, someone had come over to ask questions. Song Changfeng hadn’t hidden anything and just told the truth. He hadn’t expected the news to spread so quickly.

Some said that Aofeng’s ancestors must have had close ties with wolves, and now he was reverting to his primal roots.

Others joked that if Aofeng grew as big as a calf, he could dominate the canine world and become the next king of dogs.

Song Changfeng only chuckled at these remarks. Xu Dong had said that this atavistic trait¹ would at most make Aofeng a size larger than a normal adult dog. It wasn’t that rare, certainly not as dramatic as people were making it out to be.

He decided he’d explain things properly to Director Li later, just to clear up any misunderstandings.

When he arrived at Director Li’s office, he didn’t even have a chance to speak before Director Li waved him over enthusiastically and pointed to a form on the desk, urging him to fill it out.

Song Changfeng took the form and looked closely. At the top, it read: “National Police Dog Competition Registration Form.”

“Police Dog Competition?” Song Changfeng murmured. The last time the competition was held, he was still relatively new to the role of Trainer. Even if he had wanted to participate, he hadn’t had the chance. Watching the veterans from the base proudly take part with their dogs had stirred a longing in his heart.

Unfortunately, that year their base hadn’t performed well. When all the scores were tallied, they hadn’t even made the top ten. Director Li had pretended not to care in front of others, but in private he sighed constantly and swore he’d redeem their honor in the next competition.

“Director, I remember you saying that we’d hold a selection process at the base first before deciding who gets to compete,” Song Changfeng said. He still believed in doing things by the book. Even though Aofeng’s strength was obvious to all, the other police dogs still deserved a fair chance. Only a real competition would convince everyone. He had full confidence in Aofeng.

Director Li smiled and said, “Don’t worry. This was a decision made after discussions with several instructors. Besides Aofeng, there are other spots available. We based the selections on your regular training performance. No one else has any objections.”

“Other spots?” Song Changfeng had studied the rules of the National Police Dog Competition. It clearly stated that each unit could only submit one entry. Where were these other spots coming from?

Director Li explained, “In previous years, the registration forms were sent out by mid-October. Since it’s so late this year, I suspected there might be changes. Remember a few months ago, when retired police dogs weren’t allowed on public buses? That caused quite a stir, and several major media outlets reported on it. The issue even caught the attention of higher authorities.”

“These past years, police dogs have made countless contributions in various roles, but to the general public, they’re still seen as just dogs. To help people better understand these silent heroes, the higher-ups decided to expand the scope of this year’s competition. National TV reporters will record the entire event, and the most important matches might even be broadcast live. If too few dogs participate, it might be more professional, but it won’t be much fun to watch. So after discussion, they decided to add a team event this year, in addition to the individual competition, and increase the number of entries from one to three.”

So that’s what it was, Song Changfeng thought. He had been wondering why the announcement had been delayed this year. Turns out the rules were being revised. For a well-established competition like this, any changes would need to go through rounds of consultation and discussion before being finalized. It couldn’t just be decided on a whim.

Now that there were three entry slots, Song Changfeng didn’t hesitate any longer. He picked up a pen and started filling out the form. Besides his own information, most of the form was about Aofeng. But no matter what the details were, Song Changfeng had them all memorized, even the twelve-digit number on the tag around Aofeng’s neck.

After double-checking the form, he handed it to Director Li, then left the office and headed toward the kennel.

…

Winter had already set in, and the weather was bitterly cold. The kennel had long since been heated, and once the door was shut, it was as warm as spring inside. Aofeng lay comfortably in his bed, occasionally chewing on a piece of beef jerky made by Grandma to pass the time. No one knew exactly how she made it, but the jerky was especially tough and flavorful. One piece could last a long time.

Last weekend, Shen Yuanhui had brought Wang Xiuyun, Shen Doudou, and Da Huang—who had recently joined the Shen Family—to visit Aofeng at the Training Base. After a few months with the Shen Family, Da Huang had grown plump and sturdy, his fur sleek and glossy like it had been oiled. No one would have guessed he used to be a stray.

Da Huang was quite grateful for Aofeng’s guidance. He had even hidden a pack of dog biscuits in Shen Doudou’s little backpack to bring as a gift for Aofeng.

Aofeng accepted the offering and couldn’t help but feel a bit nostalgic. When they first met, Da Huang had been full of resentment toward the world, ambitious about taking over the neighboring training grounds, recruiting followers left and right. But now? He was like a content old man with a few acres of fertile land, his doggy face radiating satisfaction.

Still, Aofeng had underestimated Da Huang. After discovering that the base housed many powerful dogs like Aofeng, Da Huang’s gang dream had evolved into a military ambition. He thought, if all these dogs became his underlings, conquering the entire central district would be within reach.

But then he looked back at his kind-hearted mistress and his innocent little master and quietly shelved his ambitions. Forget it, he thought. This life will be devoted to protecting them. The thought moved him to tears.

Aofeng, of course, had no idea what was going on in the mind of the seemingly honest and loyal Da Huang. All he knew was that after hearing what Song Changfeng had just told him, his brain had gone into an excited shutdown.

This was the National Police Dog Competition! Even though he’d never watched such events back when he was human, just the word “national” was enough for him to imagine the scale. It had to be a gathering of the best of the best, a stage teeming with elite dogs. What’s more, many of the key events would be broadcast on national television. In other words, he was going to be on national TV!

He wondered if a strong performance might catch the eye of the Spring Festival Gala² producers. If they invited him to perform, should he go or not?

Aofeng was once again getting way ahead of himself. They hadn’t even made it past the regional qualifiers³, and he was already dreaming of the big leagues.

Song Changfeng waved a hand in front of him, snapping Aofeng back to reality. Aofeng immediately shifted from his lazy sprawl to a proper, upright posture, his serious expression practically shouting his determination to give it his all and do his absolute best!

…

On November 8, a mid-sized bus pulled out of the Anyang Police Dog Training Base. The vehicle had been modified: four seats were installed up front, just enough for one instructor and three trainers. Most of the rear seats had been removed to make space for three large cages. Each cage was roomy enough to allow the dogs to move around comfortably, so they wouldn’t feel too confined.

Technically, they didn’t have to be caged during the ride, but these cages would also serve as their resting spots during the competition. Without them, they’d have to rest alongside their trainers instead.

Dogs are territorial by nature. Even though police dogs undergo professional training, that doesn’t mean they lose their instincts. Being in an unfamiliar place without the comfort of familiar scents already made them uneasy. Add in the presence of so many strange-smelling dogs, and it was a recipe for disaster. If they were forced to share a space, it would almost certainly lead to a fight.

So, to keep the police dogs in good mental and physical condition, most training bases brought cages along for travel. Inside each cage, they placed familiar items to help soothe the dogs’ nerves.

This time, Aofeng was traveling with a Kunming Dog named Xiao Qi and a Rottweiler named Duo Duo. They were from the same training batch as Aofeng and had also performed exceptionally well during regular training. Each specialized in different areas, ones that the criminal investigation category hadn’t covered, making the three of them a complementary team. After discussions led by Director Li and the others, the remaining two competition slots were given to them.

Actually, Dezi’s dog Shan Dian had also been a contender, but his temperament was less stable compared to Duo Duo’s. After all, he was a dog who had been hurt before. In a major competition like this, if you weren’t absolutely confident, it was better to prioritize stability. A stable dog made fewer mistakes, and in a team event, every point counted.

After leaving the mountain road, the bus soon entered the highway via a nearby service area. The long journey made everyone a bit drowsy. Song Changfeng rubbed his forehead and took a sip of coffee to stay alert. Then he glanced toward the dog cages that had been quiet for a while and saw that all three dogs were already asleep.

Inside the cage, Aofeng maintained his usual sleeping posture: most of his body curled in his bed, limbs and tail loosely draped outside. His belly rose and fell with steady breaths, making him look adorably peaceful. The other two were curled up tightly, ears twitching occasionally even in sleep, a clear sign that they were still feeling insecure.

Xiao Qi’s trainer followed Song Changfeng’s gaze and said, “Aofeng really is something. No matter where he goes, he never gets stage fright.”

Duo Duo’s trainer nodded in agreement. “I think so too. Looks like all those short videos we made him do actually helped build his courage. Just look at him. He could probably jump straight into the competition without needing any adjustment time.”

As the two trainers chatted and mentioned his name, Aofeng’s ears twitched. He opened his eyes briefly, then closed them again. Of course he wasn’t nervous. He knew exactly what he was here to do. But Xiao Qi and Duo Duo were different. They had no concept of the National Police Dog Competition. In their simple, straightforward world, the training base was everything. Their exposure to the outside world had always been brief and limited. Nothing like today, being caged and loaded onto a vehicle, traveling for hours on end. If the trainers hadn’t been constantly soothing them with their voices, who knows how scared those two would’ve been by now.

Translator’s Notes