Chapter 88: Reporting In

“Today marks both a farewell and a new beginning. We hope our police dogs will continue to serve with distinction in their new posts…”

At the police dog graduation ceremony, Director Li took the stage to speak. It was the same speech he gave every year, yet each time, he couldn’t help but get choked up. His entire life had been devoted to working with police dogs. Every dog that left their base remained in his thoughts. Over the years, many of them had achieved great merit, but some had also fallen in the line of duty for various reasons.

Looking at the sharp and imposing police dogs seated below, Director Li felt both proud and anxious. It was the same feeling as an old father watching his grown children leave home to chase their futures, quietly grieving behind their backs.

After Director Li finished speaking, a police officer representative stepped up. As one of the outstanding officers selected to receive a police dog, he first expressed gratitude on behalf of everyone to the trainers and staff at the Police Dog Training Base. Over the past three months, they had learned a great deal, and their original perceptions had gradually changed. This growth would surely benefit them in the future. They promised that once they returned, they would treat the police dogs well, seeing them as trusted partners at work and loyal friends in life, never letting them suffer unfair treatment because of societal prejudice.

As soon as he finished, thunderous applause erupted from the crowd. The trainers were visibly moved, clapping until their hands turned red without a care. For them, knowing the dogs they had trained with such care would be treated well was the greatest comfort.

After the speeches, the trainers led the police dogs forward to meet the officers receiving them. Standing face to face, they saluted each other. Then, the trainers solemnly handed over the leashes, placing them into the officers’ hands, officially completing the handover.

Watching the backs of their long-time trainer fathers walking away, the police dogs looked sorrowful. Some instinctively took a few steps forward, wanting to follow. Others sat quietly in place, eyes fixed on that retreating figure, not blinking until it disappeared from view.

Once the graduation ceremony ended, the police dogs left the Anyang City Training Base with officers from across the country, traveling by plane, high-speed rail, and other means. The once-bustling base suddenly felt much emptier overnight.

That night, Aofeng lay alone in the now-empty kennel, unable to stop a wave of sadness from rising in his heart. Though he had sometimes complained about the others being noisy, now that they were truly gone, he realized a little noise wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

Thankfully, he and Song Changfeng were set to report to the Municipal Public Security Bureau the next day. This kennel would soon be vacated for the six-month-old pups. He wondered if Qi Qi would choose this one. That kid had a bit of a quirky personality.

…

“Boss, the new guy in the second team has already been out on several missions. When’s ours arriving? I haven’t even seen them yet. Are they reliable? We can’t let them outshine us.”

A young officer with a buzz cut and round face chattered nonstop in front of Lei Liming. His name was Guo Zile, a member of the Criminal Investigation Detachment at the Anyang Municipal Public Security Bureau. Everyone called him Guo Zi.

The “second team” he mentioned was actually the Criminal Police Detachment. The Criminal Investigation Detachment and the Criminal Police Detachment differed by just one word, and their roles weren’t drastically different either. The Criminal Investigation Detachment mainly handled case investigations, while the Criminal Police Detachment focused more on suspect apprehension. When major cases came up, higher-ups often had them work together. But when things were quiet, it was every team for themselves.

From the Criminal Investigation team’s perspective, the Criminal Police were just their errand boys, so they jokingly referred to them as the “Second Team.” Of course, the Criminal Police thought their work was the real core of law enforcement and had their own nicknames for the Criminal Investigation team.

The two teams cooperated on big cases but constantly clashed over minor matters. Like last time, Lei Liming had agreed to let the Second Team apply for a police dog, but changed his mind in less than a day, giving Team Two’s captain, Lu Chunlai, the perfect excuse to mock him. On top of that, Lu Chunlai used the excuse that the Criminal Investigation team was getting both new personnel and a police dog to push for a new recruit of their own, and eventually got one.

Ever since the Second Team got their new guy, they’d been strutting around, flaunting it at every opportunity. Whether on duty or out on a mission, they always managed to slip in a comment, and occasionally asked about the Criminal Investigation team’s situation, only to shake their heads in mock pity.

Their smug behavior had the guys in Criminal Investigation fuming. Every few days, someone would pester Lei Liming for updates, all hoping to reclaim some pride.

In the past, whenever Lei Liming heard this kind of talk, he would brush them off with a vague “soon, soon.” But no matter how many times he said it, the new person never showed up. This time, Guo Zi was just venting after being provoked again. What he didn’t expect was for Lei Liming to smile and say, “This afternoon. Got a few things to handle this morning, but they should be here by the afternoon.”

Guo Zi was stunned. “Really?”

Lei Liming shot him a glare. “When have I ever lied?”

Guo Zi gave an awkward laugh. “Boss, don’t be mad. I’m just too excited. This time, we can finally go head-to-head with Team Two.”

“Hmph,” Lei Liming said smugly, “Of course. My student is a jack-of-all-trades. He even made a name for himself at the Police Dog Training Base. Now that he’s here, it’s like adding wings to a tiger¹. Team Two? Those little punks don’t even come close…”

Lei Liming went on and on, but Guo Zi was starting to have doubts. Someone from the Police Dog Training Base? A jack-of-all-trades? What kind of top student from the police academy would go off to raise dogs? Great, Comrade Old Lei has really outdone himself with this brag.

When Guo Zi walked out of Lei’s office looking troubled, the rest of the Criminal Investigation team immediately gathered around him.

“Well? What did Old Lei say?” everyone asked at once.

Guo Zi let out a sigh. “He said they’re coming this afternoon.”

“This afternoon? That fast? Isn’t that a good thing? Why the long face?” Meng Li, one of the only two women in the Criminal Investigation team, looked at Guo Zi curiously.

“Yeah, what’s going on?” the other woman, Qin Xin, chimed in.

“Old Lei’s not reliable, always full of hot air. Do you know where he got the new guy from?” Guo Zi looked exasperated.

“Where?”

“The Police Dog Training Base!”

Huh? Wait, what…

Everyone looked at each other, confused. They weren’t unfamiliar with that unit, but they didn’t know much about it either. Someone from there?

Just as everyone was trying to make sense of it, someone said, “That can’t be right. I saw the test scores during the assessment. Top marks across the board – physical fitness, criminal investigation skills, even combat. Maybe there’s a mistake? Maybe Old Lei meant the Police Officer Training Base?”

That got a laugh out of the group. Even though the name sounded off, the scores didn’t lie. If every dog trainer could score that high, what would they need the rest of them for? Maybe Guo Zi really had misheard.

Even Guo Zi started to doubt himself. Had he heard wrong?

“Right, besides the person, isn’t there supposed to be a police dog too? Last time Old Lei got mocked by Old Lu from Team Two for weeks. Wasn’t that because he was trying to get a police dog?” someone asked.

Guo Zi said, “I didn’t ask about that, but I still think police dogs should be Team Two’s thing. We’re investigators. What do we need a police dog for? What if it messes up a crime scene? Let Team Two’s muscleheads handle the dog work.”

Clearly, in Guo Zi’s mind, police dogs were only good for chasing and attacking suspects.

“I heard it’s a Criminal Investigation Dog,” Meng Li said. She’d done some digging.

Guo Zi scoffed. “What Criminal Investigation Dog? If a dog could do criminal investigation, what would they need us for? If that dog can really handle investigations, I’ll pay for everyone’s breakfast this month.”

No one took Guo Zi’s words seriously. To them, the so-called Criminal Investigation Dog sounded more like a gimmick. Sure, it might help with tracking or searching, but that was about it.

…

Aofeng had no idea that he and Song Changfeng had already stirred up so much interest before even arriving. That afternoon, the two of them stood in front of the Municipal Public Security Bureau, gazing up at the towering building. Aofeng felt a surge of ambition. From now on, he would be part of this place! He was determined to crack cases and bring criminals to justice!

Song Changfeng was just as excited. This had been his dream since childhood. Though it had taken a few extra years, those years had tempered his resolve. He was no longer the cocky young man fresh out of school. Now, he had sharper instincts and a clearer purpose. He was sure he’d do even better than before.

“Beep beep beep—”

A car horn blared behind them. A driver stuck his head out the window. “What’s going on? You’re blocking the way! Move it!”

Song Changfeng and Aofeng quickly stepped aside. After the car passed, man and dog exchanged an awkward glance, then looked away in sync. Pretending nothing had happened, they stepped through the front gate. Time to report in!

Translator’s Notes