Chapter 47: The Competition Begins

“The drug detection event is about to begin. All participating dogs and trainers, please report to Building One immediately!”

“Drug detection event…”

The announcement echoed repeatedly, its booming voice carrying across the entire training base. It was the first day of the competition, and everyone had already received the day’s schedule through the group chat that morning. No one was surprised that the first event was drug detection.

After all, drug-related crimes are considered extremely serious offenses in the country. Once caught, offenders face severe penalties¹ based on the nature of their crimes – smuggling, trafficking, transporting, or manufacturing drugs. Every year, many narcotics officers sacrifice their lives in the line of duty, and countless families are destroyed by the devastating effects of drugs. Anyone found guilty of such crimes, or even of encouraging them, is universally condemned by the public.

In the fight against drug crimes, aside from narcotics officers, professionally trained drug detection dogs from across the country also play a crucial role. They typically work in airports, customs, and border areas, using their keen sense of smell to intercept drug trafficking at its source.

Xiao Qi, a Kunming Dog, was one such drug detection dog in training. With an exceptionally sharp nose and a fierce temperament, this breed is well-suited to high-altitude, cold, or hot environments. Their ideal posts are along the nation’s borders, working alongside border patrol officers to guard the frontiers.

Pan Zi led Xiao Qi toward Building One, joined by others heading in the same direction. When they arrived, they found the front training ground filled with all kinds of luggage cases.

Pan Zi brought Xiao Qi over to check in and wait for their turn. Once all participants had gathered, the large screen in the center of Building One’s main hall began to scroll through information about each competing dog. When the screen stopped, the dog shown would be the next to compete. This time, there was no random draw – the goal was to keep everyone on high alert at all times.

Soon, the screen froze on a Kunming Dog. Aofeng didn’t even need to check the name beside it to know it was Xiao Qi. He couldn’t help but exclaim inwardly, What are the odds? With over a hundred dogs in this event, how did Xiao Qi end up going first?

While Aofeng silently complained about the luck, Pan Zi had already taken a deep breath and, following the staff’s instructions, led Xiao Qi to the competition area. To prevent outside interference, the area was cordoned off with security tape. Xiao Qi’s task now was to locate the suitcase containing drugs as quickly as possible once the timer was started.

Some might think this would be difficult. What if the drugs were wrapped layer after layer, sealed so tightly that no scent could escape? Wouldn’t that make detection impossible?

That’s a fair concern, but the competition simulated real airport conditions. At airports, both passengers and their luggage must pass through security checks. When luggage goes through the X-ray scanner, everything inside becomes visible. If something is overly wrapped and tightly sealed, it’s immediately flagged as suspicious and manually inspected. In reality, drug traffickers often hide drugs in everyday items that don’t raise suspicion, just to get through security smoothly.

That’s where drug detection dogs come in for a second round of screening. Every piece of luggage must pass in front of them. Only after they confirm there’s nothing unusual can the luggage be cleared.

At the moment, there were about thirty suitcases laid out on the training ground. Finding the one with hidden drugs among so many was impossible without specialized training.

But Xiao Qi was a top performer in the drug detection division of the training base. As soon as the timer started, he darted toward the luggage, sniffing each one thoroughly. Once he checked one, he immediately moved to the next without hesitation.

Soon, Xiao Qi stopped beside a particular suitcase. After sniffing carefully and detecting something unusual, he immediately lay down next to it to signal a find. The entire process took less than two minutes, and as he lay down, a wave of applause broke out around him.

The moment he lay down, the staff stopped the timer. The screen showed that Xiao Qi had taken exactly 1 minute, 44 seconds, and 58 milliseconds from start to finish. This matched the timestamp captured by the high-speed camera nearby, which was used to avoid any discrepancies caused by manual timing. If there was a difference, the camera’s time would be the official record. Still, the result wouldn’t count until the suitcase was opened and the contents confirmed.

The staff and Pan Zi walked over to Xiao Qi. With Pan Zi present, Xiao Qi simply kept a close eye on the staff’s movements without showing aggression. Soon, the suitcase was checked, and the result verified as accurate.

Xiao Qi’s stellar performance was a strong start for the Southwest Division. The dogs that followed also performed well. Though their times varied, each one successfully located the suitcase containing drugs.

The morning flew by quickly. Since each dog’s round didn’t take long, the drug detection event was nearly finished. When the last dog lay down beside a suitcase, the staff officially announced the end of the drug detection competition.

Because each dog’s score was entered into the system in real time, the final rankings were displayed on the big screen within five minutes, ensuring fairness and transparency.

Xiao Qi, who had gone first and performed impressively, ultimately placed sixth, earning 7.5 points for the Anyang City Training Base. The top score was 10 points, and the lowest was 0.5. Only the top twenty dogs in each event earned points.

The dogs that ranked above Xiao Qi were all from various police departments across the Southwest, each with over a year of frontline experience. It was understandable that Xiao Qi couldn’t quite match them.

As Pan Zi and Xiao Qi exited the competition area, a crowd waiting outside rushed up to greet them. Compliments poured in from all directions, and even Aofeng barked twice in approval, praising Xiao Qi for a job well done.

After enjoying a hearty lunch at the cafeteria of the Yicheng City Training Base, the second competition of the day began in the afternoon: Fixed-Point Explosives Detection.

Participants had to enter a room with their police dogs and quickly locate the drugs hidden somewhere by the staff. Once the dog signaled the find and the trainer retrieved the item, the round was complete.

Due to space limitations, this event couldn’t be watched live on-site. However, cameras followed the entire process and streamed it onto a large screen outside, so everyone could still clearly see how each dog performed.

In the morning, Xiao Qi had drawn the first slot, which had prompted some commentary from Aofeng. In the afternoon, when Duo Duo still hadn’t been called after a long wait, Aofeng couldn’t help but complain again. The wait dragged on so long that Aofeng even started to feel a little drowsy.

“Mr. Sheng, look, the one on the field now is a third-generation descendant of Qing Yun. In terms of coat color and overall appearance, it’s the most similar to Qing Yun.”

Half-asleep, Aofeng heard a few murmured voices nearby. He opened his eyes and turned his head, spotting two people standing a few meters away. One of them he recognized as Director Cheng, the head of the Yicheng City Training Base. The other, judging by context, had to be Sheng Changlin, the boss of Shengda Shipping.

Judging by appearances alone, Sheng Changlin didn’t look anything like a billionaire. His demeanor was more like that of an old fisherman just back from a trip at sea. It was clear that he lived a very modest lifestyle.

“What a shame. I had planned to adopt Qing Yun after his retirement. I never expected that he would…” Sheng Changlin let out a heavy sigh.

“Qing Yun sacrificed himself for the people. His story has inspired the other police dogs at our base to keep striving forward all these years. I believe that’s the best tribute we can offer him,” said Director Cheng.

Aofeng listened in quietly, thinking that Director Cheng was even more eloquent than their own Director Li. Then again, it made sense. This was a provincial capital, where people were used to dealing with others all the time. You quickly learned what to say and how to say it.

Sheng Changlin still seemed a bit downcast, and it affected his mood for the rest of the viewing. Once the dog that resembled Qing Yun finished its round, he got ready to leave. As he passed by Aofeng, Aofeng suddenly caught a strange scent. It was hard to describe – a faint hint of rot, but not quite. It didn’t seem like something picked up from outside, but more like something emanating from within the body.

However, since Sheng Changlin moved away quickly, Aofeng lost the trail and couldn’t pinpoint the source. Before long, he forgot all about it, because Duo Duo was finally up.

Duo Duo was also an explosives detection expert at the base. As soon as it entered the room, its ears perked up alertly, as if it had already picked up the scent of explosives in the air. Once the staff started the timer, Duo Duo sprang into action, searching the room thoroughly. Before long, it signaled beside a single-seat sofa. Following its lead, Zhou Xiaoyong found a small, wrapped explosive hidden deep in the crevice of the sofa. Although the explosive had been carefully concealed, a faint trace of gunpowder still leaked out, and that was exactly what Duo Duo had used to find it.

By the end of the afternoon, most of the dogs had completed their rounds. Unlike in the morning, where results were announced immediately, the afternoon scores would be posted in the public group chat later that evening for everyone to see.

Aofeng didn’t have any events that day, but through Xiao Qi and Duo Duo’s performances, he’d felt the intensity and pressure of the competition. Before going to sleep, he reminded himself to suppress overthinking during tomorrow’s event. Thinking too much could waste valuable time, and the last thing he wanted was to be the one holding the team back.

Translator’s Notes