Chapter 86: Mission

March brought bright spring sunshine.

A little after 8 a.m., a large bus arrived outside the Training Base. The gatekeeper had already received notice and, after confirming the license plate, pressed the button to open the automatic gate and let the bus in.

Once the vehicle came to a stop, a group of people in police uniforms stepped off. Their postures were upright and disciplined. Some carried backpacks, others pulled suitcases, clearly prepared for an extended stay at the Training Base.

Staff from the Training Base were on hand to receive them and led them to the prepared dormitories to drop off their luggage. Because of the large number of arrivals, the rooms were arranged with two people per dorm. Though a bit cramped, each room was well-equipped and comfortable enough.

These officers had come from all over the country. The Anyang Police Dog Training Base was one of the larger facilities, and every year, the police dogs trained here would be assigned to police departments across the nation. Ironically, few of the dogs actually stayed in Anyang.

While settling in, roommates naturally introduced themselves. The slight regional accents in their Mandarin quickly broke the ice, and before long, they were chatting like old friends.

After about half an hour of rest, base staff went door to door, knocking and informing them it was time for a meeting.

Every year at this time, Director Li would have the base’s large conference room cleaned and prepped for use. Unlike their usual cramped meetings in the small room, this one had a bit more formality.

“First, on behalf of all the staff at the Anyang Police Dog Training Base, I’d like to extend a warm welcome to all of you…”

Director Li stood at the front delivering his speech, while both the base personnel and the newcomers sat listening below. Known for his straightforward nature, Director Li didn’t waste time on pleasantries. After a brief welcome, he got straight to the point.

“Each of you has been selected as elite personnel from your respective units. You’ve come to our Police Dog Training Base to gain a powerful ally. With the help of police dogs, I believe your careers will reach new heights. Don’t think I’m exaggerating. Let’s look at some real data. Not long ago, in the 219 case in Linan, Drug-sniffing Dog Xiao Zhi detected a suspicious vehicle during a routine search. After alerting its trainer, the trainer promptly reported the situation and managed to stall for time. In the end, they seized 16.6 kilograms of a new type of drug. Both the dog and the trainer were awarded second-class individual merits¹. Or take the 126 case in Qiongchuan, for example…”

When it came to talking about police dogs, Director Li could go on forever. It might have sounded like he was just tooting his own horn², but in truth, his intentions were sincere.

You see, aside from the trainers themselves, most people had only a vague understanding of what police dogs could do. Based on past experience, at least 80 percent of the thirty or forty people here had been assigned this task directly by their units. Very few had actually volunteered to work with dogs.

People naturally resist when forced into something. They might do the job, but the quality of their work depended on their attitude. Once that kind of mindset took hold, their treatment of the police dogs often left much to be desired. That made it much harder to build the close bond needed between handler and dog.

To prevent that from happening, every year when new personnel arrived, Director Li would first give them a clear understanding of how police dogs could assist them in their future work. He wanted them to have the right mindset before they ever touched a leash.

Sure enough, as he spoke, some of the attendees began to shift their attitudes. The irritation and resistance in their expressions gave way to genuine interest.

Of course, to prevent them from becoming overly eager or impatient, Director Li also laid out a number of essential training guidelines. While he spoke, staff handed out a booklet he had personally written, so everyone could take it back, read it, and follow its instructions.

The meeting lasted an hour and a half. Afterward, Director Li assigned each trainer to a police officer based on the unit their police dog would be going to. During this period, the trainer was responsible for helping the officer become familiar with everything related to the dog: how to care for its diet and hygiene, how to train it, how to comfort it when it’s in a bad mood, and how to interpret its warning signals.

Dezi was assigned to a soldier from the Yunnan Provincial Border Police Corps³. The soldier’s name was Luo Lingyun. Though he looked young, he carried himself with a calm and seasoned presence. Fortunately, he had personally requested this assignment and had a genuine love for police dogs.

To Dezi, knowing that the dog he had raised like his own child would be going to someone who truly cared for it brought great comfort. It eased, just a little, the sorrow of knowing that in three months, Shan Dian would be leaving.

The others also found the officers they were assigned to. Although everyone had different personalities and preferences, the atmosphere during these first meetings was generally quite pleasant.

Among them, one person stood out from the rest: Song Changfeng. Now that it was confirmed the police dog he had personally trained would continue to accompany him in his future career, even someone as reserved as Song Changfeng couldn’t help but show a bit of joy on his face.

When he first transferred to a new post, no one was jealous. But once this news got out, envy ran deep. Some even started wondering if they should follow Song Changfeng’s example—transfer first, then apply for a police dog. But after glancing at Song Changfeng’s strong build and agile movements, they gave up on the idea. Nothing in this world comes easy.

After a brief round of introductions, everyone headed to the kennel. Today was a special day, so there was no training scheduled for the morning. All the police dogs were lounging by the fences, chatting away. Ever since a husky arrived in February, most of their conversations had revolved around it.

Aofeng was also curled up in his den, listening in on the chatter. Every so often, he would stretch his head out to pull a piece of yak beef jerky from a low shelf nearby and chew on it contentedly.

The jerky was still made from yak meat, but unlike last time, it hadn’t been sent by relatives. This batch had been ordered online by Wang Xiuyun herself. According to Da Huang, Grandma had recently become obsessed with online shopping. Her favorite pastime was buying all sorts of food online to cook for everyone.

The more he chewed, the more flavorful the jerky became. Aofeng squinted his eyes, savoring the meat with the most relaxed attitude possible. But just as he was about to swallow, a commotion erupted at the entrance. It sounded like a large group was heading their way.

The other police dogs immediately sprang up at the unfamiliar footsteps, pressing against the railings. Their furry faces turned serious as they scrutinized each person who walked through the door.

Seeing so many police dogs for the first time, the officers from other regions were stunned. Each dog looked calm and dependable, completely different from the image of dogs they had in their minds.

Under the guidance of the trainers, the officers greeted the police dogs that would soon be their partners. With their trainers nearby, the dogs remained calm, though they occasionally cast curious glances at the newcomers standing beside their trainers.

Clearly, they hadn’t yet realized that from this moment on, their lives would no longer be the same. They would slowly grow familiar with a new person’s scent and habits, and gradually come to accept the fact that they would be leaving the base.

Watching the expressions on the other dogs’ faces, Aofeng couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. He knew exactly why these people were here. But should he tell the others? If he warned them in advance, would it stir up resistance?

Still, no matter how unwilling they might be, this was a fate they couldn’t change. Police dogs from the training base were always meant to be dispatched across the country to fulfill their missions. His own situation was an extremely rare exception.

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Translator’s Notes

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1. second-class individual merits: A high-level formal commendation in the Chinese police and military system (个人二等功). These awards are significant career milestones that often lead to promotions, salary increases, and high social prestige for the recipient. ↩
2. tooting his own horn: The original Chinese text uses the idiom ‘Wang Po selling melons’ (王婆卖瓜), which comes from a folk tale about a woman who constantly praised her own produce. It is a common way to describe someone boasting about their own achievements or belongings. ↩
3. Yunnan Provincial Border Police Corps: A specialized unit responsible for security in Yunnan, a province that shares long borders with Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam. This unit is historically known for its high-stakes work in counter-narcotics and border defense. ↩