Animal Detective

Chapter 360: Chapter 296: Deep in the Great Mountains

A demonstration session had also been prepared.

Shen Xin introduced all the selected police dogs one by one.

"We named them after the thirty-six Celestial Spirits from *Water Margin*. Take this one, for instance. His name is Tianxiong, and he’s a male."

Shen Xin called out.

Tianxiong immediately came running obediently.

He was a pastoral dog, almost pure black except for his left front paw.

It was hard to tell how many breeds he was mixed with.

Traditional five-black dogs would have a stockier build.

Tianxiong, however, had a more slender frame and was a good runner.

He had a curled tail and a slightly boisterous personality, but his all-around abilities were outstanding.

After the introductions, Shen Xin had all the police dogs demonstrate their abilities for the crowd.

"Most importantly, they have excellent comprehension skills. You won’t need to learn any special commands or hand signals. You can give them orders conversationally, and they’ll understand."

Shen Xin demonstrated.

"Tianxiong, go back to your kennel and pull the door shut."

Once the command was given, Tianxiong immediately responded, scurrying back to his own kennel and even lifting a paw to pull the iron gate shut.

The crowd was amazed.

In their experience, police dogs couldn’t do something like this. They required a professional handler to be there directing them.

Shen Xin added, "We always talk about treating our K-9s like fellow soldiers. And you really can. Just think of them as a partner who can’t talk, one who will work right alongside you."

"If you have any specific questions, we can discuss them. Feel free to ask me anytime."

The group broke into applause.

If that was the case, then they were much more capable than ordinary police dogs.

Seeing the excitement in their eyes after the demonstration, how they couldn’t wait, Zhao Hongjie immediately arranged the dog assignments.

It was a simple drawing using slips of paper.

Shen Xin had already said that the nine police dogs were nearly identical in ability, so the order didn’t matter.

The officers exchanged glances, and Lakshen was the first to step forward, randomly picking a slip of paper.

Tianxiong.

He nodded slightly and turned to go bond with Tianxiong.

Tianxiong was still a little unfamiliar with him, but it wouldn’t be a problem after they spent some time together.

Li Jiahui stood beside Shen Xin, biting her lip. With a look of reluctance, she whispered, "Don’t forget about Celestial Skill."

Shen Xin nodded.

This meant that whoever drew Celestial Skill would have to take her whole litter of puppies too.

It wasn’t a big deal.

The drawing went quickly, and one by one, the dogs were chosen.

Pan Chenghai, who had spoken earlier, stepped forward and randomly picked one of the two remaining slips of paper.

Celestial Skill.

Pan Chenghai’s heart leaped with joy.

During the introductions, Shen Xin had mentioned that Celestial Skill had won first place in the recent competition.

During the competition, she had even discovered hidden drugs.

Her ability was beyond question, perfectly suited for his situation.

He immediately walked toward Celestial Skill, taking out some treats he had specially prepared for the occasion.

Celestial Skill didn’t eat them, merely turning her head to look at Shen Xin from a distance.

Li Jiahui saw this, her gaze trembling slightly, and she quickly nudged Shen Xin.

Shen Xin understood. He went up and explained the situation to Pan Chenghai.

When he heard that Celestial Skill had been discovered at a vile facility that abused stray animals, and that she had already been pregnant at the time, Pan Chenghai was visibly moved.

"That must have been so hard for her."

Pan Chenghai knelt in front of Celestial Skill, a gentle look in his eyes. "Shen Xin, don’t worry. I’ll take good care of her, and her whole family."

After a pause, he added, "I promise."

The assignments were decided. They went through a simple ceremony and took some photos for posterity.

Zhao Hongjie had a meeting to attend, so he left first.

Pan Chenghai and the others would stay in Nanjiang for two more days. During this time, Shen Xin would work with them to help them get acquainted with the dogs as quickly as possible.

This would make it easier for them to take the dogs with them.

Thus, the K-9 base gained a few volunteer handlers.

Everyone was very serious, working hard to bond with Celestial Skill and the other dogs.

Pan Chenghai was the most eager of them all.

Because Celestial Skill was a bit cold toward him and still clung to Shen Xin.

But Pan Chenghai didn’t give up, nor did he ask if he could switch to a different dog.

"I want the best."

One day, as he and Shen Xin were playing fetch with Celestial Skill on the training field, Pan Chenghai said this.

Gently tossing the ball, Pan Chenghai’s gaze seemed distant. "Someone once told me that no matter what you do, you should always strive to be the best. Don’t be lazy, and don’t just go through the motions, especially in our line of work."

He trailed off, not saying any more.

Shen Xin glanced at his hair.

There were strands of white. He looked like he was almost fifty, but he was actually only 35 this year.

He just had too much to worry about, so he aged quickly.

He was an anti-drug officer in Simao, Dian Nan. That place was located at the border of three countries and was a hotspot for drug smuggling.

Because of Ding Yuwei, Shen Xin had some exposure to this world and had always held anti-drug officers in high esteem.

Hearing Pan Chenghai say this, Shen Xin felt there must be a story behind his words.

But Pan Chenghai didn’t continue, only saying, "You know what the situation is like where I’m from. We have K-9s, but never enough. The area is too big."

"So a lot of the time we can’t get there in time and have to rely on manpower. If we really had a few good K-9s, it would be a huge help."

Shen Xin understood what he meant. "You don’t have to rush it," he said. "Celestial Skill is very perceptive. She can sense your good intentions. Just give her some time, and she’ll warm up to you."

Shen Xin glanced at Celestial Skill, who was frolicking in the distance.

Celestial Skill had been sticking close to him the past two days. Listening to her thoughts and sensing her feelings, Shen Xin could tell that she was saying goodbye to him.

She probably knew what was happening.

Most importantly, she knew this was something Shen Xin wanted her to do.

She just wanted to use the last bit of time to be with Shen Xin.

A few days passed in a flash. Lakshen and the others left one after another with their new dogs.

Only Celestial Skill remained.

Pan Chenghai was patient, but Shen Xin felt it had been long enough.

This clinginess couldn’t go on forever. It was time to say goodbye.

Early that morning, Shen Xin arrived at the base as usual.

When he went to the kennels, Pan Chenghai was already helping clean them.

Seeing Shen Xin, Pan Chenghai hesitated for a moment before saying, "Maybe we should wait another two days? I’m not in a hurry, anyway."

Shen Xin shook his head and said it wasn’t necessary.

He had already had a long talk with Celestial Skill yesterday, telling her that today was the day they would part.

"It’s fine. She’s ready."

Shen Xin entered Celestial Skill’s kennel.

She immediately came up to greet him, her tail wagging nonstop.

"I know. I’ll come visit you when I have time." Shen Xin crouched down, offering one last word of comfort, then brought Celestial Skill over to Pan Chenghai.

He waved his hand, signaling that she could go to him.

Celestial Skill looked up at Shen Xin, then, after a moment, lowered her head and walked toward Pan Chenghai.

She stopped in front of Pan Chenghai, then turned her head to look back at Shen Xin.

Shen Xin didn’t speak, just smiled and waved.

Celestial Skill let out a bark, then finally turned her head and sat down beside Pan Chenghai.

"Good girl."

Pan Chenghai quickly reached out and ruffled the fur on her head.

Celestial Skill nuzzled against him, then looked up and stared intently at Pan Chenghai.

She could feel his kindness.

That morning, Pan Chenghai left with Celestial Skill and her family.

Shen Xin didn’t see Li Jiahui. When he asked, he learned that she was hiding and hadn’t come.

When he found her, she was on the training field with Tian Kui.

The next day, Shen Xin was scheduled to leave with Tian Kui.

Seeing that Shen Xin was about to speak, Li Jiahui quickly shook her head and said she was fine.

But she didn’t look fine at all. Hugging Tian Kui, the rims of her eyes were already red.

Shen Xin sighed, patted her on the shoulder, and left.

The next day, Shen Xin and Tian Kui met up with He Wen Yu and boarded a high-speed train to Juzhou.

Traveling with a police dog by plane was inconvenient, so they had to take the high-speed train.

Their destination this time was Huaiyi City, in the western part of Juzhou Province.

More specifically, it was the Ma Chang Town Police Station in Shiyao County, under the jurisdiction of Huaiyi City.

Nanjiang was 1,700 kilometers from Juzhou. There was no direct high-speed train to Huaiyi, so they would have to transfer.

First, they rode for nearly ten hours to Ju Yang, the capital of Juzhou Province.

From Ju Yang, they transferred to another high-speed train heading to Huaiyi.

They took a short break after arriving in Huaiyi.

While in Huaiyi, Shen Xin actually wanted to visit Wang Qiang.

Or rather, Wang Shengyu.

He was the kidnapped child who had been rescued during the New Year. His family was from Huaiyi, Juzhou.

But after thinking it over, Shen Xin decided against it.

’The boy has found his parents, and the three of them have started a new life. If I go see him, I might just stir up bad memories for Wang Shengyu.’

The next day, the two men and one dog boarded a bus for Shiyao County.

He Wen Yu held a camera, filming the rolling mountains in the distance through the window.

In Ningshan, although there were mountains, it was mostly a large plain. He had never seen such a sight of endless, successive mountain ranges.

Shen Xin’s attention was on Tian Kui.

The dog had been in low spirits for the past two days. It was obvious that a dog as smart as him knew what was happening.

Consequently, he even held a bit of a grudge against Shen Xin.

He had barely paid Shen Xin any mind throughout the entire journey.

Shen Xin let him be.

’He’ll adapt to the new environment if I give him time.’

A few hours later, the bus arrived at the county bus station.

As soon as they stepped out of the station, a crowd swarmed them, clamoring to ask where they were going and if they needed a ride.

"What do you think you’re all doing?"

A sharp rebuke came from the side.

Shen Xin looked up and saw three people in police uniforms walking toward them.

Only when they saw the police did the crowd scatter.

The middle-aged man in the lead had already grasped Shen Xin’s hand, welcoming him enthusiastically.

Zhao Helin, the Deputy Director of the Shiyao County Public Security Bureau.

He was in his forties, with a slightly hunched back and a kind face. While saying how hard their journey must have been, he introduced the other two men to Shen Xin.

Li Xiaowen, the captain of the county’s Criminal Investigation Division.

A man with a tough demeanor.

And the last one was Guo Jin, the director of the Ma Chang Town Police Station, who would be receiving Tian Kui.

"Guo Jing?"

As his hand was grasped by a large, rough one, Shen Xin heard the name and froze for a second, looking at the graying, middle-aged man in surprise.

He wasn’t tall, his skin was slightly dark, and his features were ordinary. He wore a kind and friendly smile.

Guo Jin laughed heartily. "Not the Guo Jing from the novel," he said. "My ’Jin’ is the one that means progress."

Realization dawned on Shen Xin, and he was reminded of Chen Ju.

"So this is the police dog, huh? Hey, he looks really sharp." Guo Jin spoke with a slight accent, his eyes landing on Tian Kui.

He instinctively crouched down, wanting to greet Tian Kui.

But as soon as he reached out his hand, Tian Kui turned his head away and stared at Guo Jin with unfriendly eyes.

Guo Jin paused, slightly taken aback, but then said nonchalantly, "Still a little shy with strangers."

He was always smiling cheerfully.

Zhao Helin ushered the two of them into the car, apologizing profusely.

He said they should have gone to Nanjiang to pick up Tian Kui themselves, but instead, they had troubled Shen Xin to deliver him personally.

Shen Xin replied with polite pleasantries, but he noticed that Li Xiaowen’s attention was fixed on Tian Kui.