Chapter 55: Blindfolded on the Balance Beam

In late November, the weather was cold, but the sun still shone brightly, and the sky was a clear, vivid blue without a single cloud in sight.

On a grassy field, two platforms had been set up, each about two to three meters high. Suspended between them was a wooden beam, roughly the width of three fingers and over ten meters long. This was the event Aofeng had signed up for today – the high-altitude blindfolded object-carrying balance beam challenge.

The name of the event was long, and the challenge itself was just as difficult, so not many dogs had registered. Out of the 120 dogs competing today, fewer than thirty had signed up for this event. That meant the odds of winning a prize were better for those who did.

Aofeng sat beside Song Changfeng, occasionally turning his head to observe the other dogs. Some were male, some female, some large, others small. They came in all breeds, with coats and markings as varied as their sizes. The one thing they all had in common was an energetic spirit. Their eyes sparkled, and confidence radiated from their faces.

As the event drew near, more spectators gathered around. Two video cameras had been set up and pointed at the platform, suggesting the event would be broadcast live.

Aofeng thought this made sense. After all, the challenge was difficult and highly entertaining. It was bound to capture the audience’s attention.

Just then, a few staff members arrived carrying thick foam mats. They quickly laid them out beneath the platforms. After testing them to ensure a fall wouldn’t hurt, they finally stepped away, satisfied.

This move brought a collective sigh of relief from the trainers present. Though they had absolute faith in their dogs, a little extra safety never hurt. A fall from nearly three meters was no joke if something went wrong.

At exactly two o’clock, the competition officially began. After the staff announced the rules onstage, the first contestant was called up.

Because the event was being broadcast, a large screen beside the stage displayed information about each police dog for the audience to follow along.

The first dog was named Bei Bei, a Labrador Retriever. She was two years old and worked as a patrol dog at Gaocheng Subway Station.

Bei Bei and her trainer stepped onto the platform. The host asked a few simple questions, then handed them a blindfold and a sealed bag, instructing the trainer to put them on the dog.

Bei Bei had practiced before and didn’t resist the blindfold. Once it was on, the trainer placed the sealed bag in her mouth for her to hold.

With everything ready, the trainer stepped off the platform, leaving Bei Bei alone. She lowered her head, sniffing carefully, then slowly extended a front paw to test the wooden beam. The beam was barely wider than her paw. After confirming it was stable, she sniffed again and cautiously placed her other front paw on the beam.

The audience held their breath, watching Bei Bei’s every move. Only when she found her footing did they exhale in relief. The ten-meter beam would normally take seconds to cross, but two or three minutes had passed and Bei Bei was only halfway across. She held the sealed bag firmly in her mouth, proceeding with steady caution and no sign of panic. The crowd was impressed – this dog’s composure surpassed that of many humans.

Finally, in the fourth minute, Bei Bei completed the challenge and reached the opposite platform.

Her trainer, already waiting, scooped her up in a hug, removed the blindfold, and took the sealed bag from her mouth. Instantly, thunderous applause erupted from the crowd. Everyone agreed Bei Bei had done an outstanding job. That narrow beam, that high platform – even a person might not have done so well.

After Bei Bei came the second dog, a German Shepherd named Jian Dao. He was clearly much more energetic, pacing the platform and sniffing around nonstop. When his information appeared on the screen, Aofeng suddenly understood – he was a tracking dog, trained to move around and sniff constantly.

As soon as the blindfold went on, Jian Dao pawed at it uncomfortably. His trainer had to firmly repeat commands before he finally stopped.

The whistle blew to start the challenge. The trainer stepped down from the platform, but to everyone’s surprise, Jian Dao followed him right off. True to his tracking instincts, he mirrored the trainer’s every step. The crowd burst into laughter at the unexpected turn. The trainer turned around, saw what had happened, and was instantly speechless.

The second round ended before it even began. The lighthearted moment broke the tension in the arena, and even when the third dog came onstage, the audience couldn’t quite return to a serious mood. Then came the fourth, the fifth… until finally, the fourteenth dog, Aofeng, stepped up. Some spectators were still chuckling over the second round.

When Aofeng took the stage, he didn’t attract much attention. Several calm, composed dogs had gone before him. But once he started walking the beam, the audience gradually realized this dog was different.

He was decisive. Each time he lifted or placed a paw, he hesitated for no more than three seconds. Every movement was smooth and rhythmic, like he was playing a graceful piano piece. The audience’s breathing unconsciously slowed to match his pace.

In truth, Aofeng was a bit nervous. With the blindfold on, everything was pitch black. As someone who had once been human, Aofeng knew how vital sight was. Losing it suddenly dulled all other senses, plunging a person into overwhelming discomfort. Of course, over time, the other senses would sharpen, and people would gradually adapt to their surroundings.

But now, he was a German Shepherd. In dogs, vision wasn’t quite as dominant. The moment his eyes were covered, his nose and ears instantly received orders from the brain to take over sensory perception. With the coordination of smell and hearing, Aofeng’s mind began to construct a mental map, clearly reflecting what his eyes had just seen.

So every step he took was firm and decisive, because his nose told him he was landing right in the center of each wooden plank. The sensation was so uncanny that even after reaching the other side of the platform, Aofeng had no intention of removing his blindfold.

The host and the audience below were still in a bit of a daze, stunned by how quickly this police dog had crossed. When Song Changfeng came over to remove Aofeng’s blindfold and take away the sealed pouch, what greeted Aofeng was a crowd rising to their feet, cheering wildly and clapping with all their might.

Aofeng’s performance had been so outstanding that as he was about to leave the stage, the host called him back for a few more interview questions.

After stepping off the stage, Song Changfeng took Aofeng for a walk on the other side. Police dogs aren’t often blindfolded, and after operating under such high tension, they need time to unwind.

As they walked, Aofeng couldn’t help but close his eyes again, relying solely on his nose and ears to sense the terrain ahead. The wind howled past his ears, and a mix of scents filled his nose. Aofeng’s brain rapidly analyzed the sounds and smells, then made judgments accordingly. Unfortunately, the magical clarity he’d felt during the competition was gone. Aofeng figured it was because he had been in a state of intense focus during the event.

With fewer than thirty dogs registered, the competition wrapped up by three-thirty. The staff ranked them based on how long it took each dog to cross the balance beam and displayed the results on a large screen. Aofeng’s name was at the very top, his time far ahead of the others. Luckily, the dogs couldn’t read, or there would’ve been some serious bruised egos.

According to the law of conservation of energy, though, that sense of defeat still manifested—just not on the dogs’ faces. Their trainers, staring at the calm and composed Song Changfeng, were itching to grab him by the collar and shake him until he spilled his training secrets.

After the rankings had been up for ten minutes without any objections, the award ceremony began. The prizes were handed out in reverse order, with Aofeng being the last to go on stage. After handing the certificate to Song Changfeng, the host picked up a shiny gold medal shaped like a dog paw from the tray and hung it around Aofeng’s neck. Aofeng lifted his head proudly so everyone below could get a good look.

Song Changfeng turned his head to glance at Aofeng’s smug little expression and couldn’t help but curl his lips into a smile. Aofeng really was incredible.