Chapter 21

Liu Handong knew that the dog had escaped from a dog meat shop, still in shock from its near-death experience, yet it still trusted humans. He squatted down and stroked the dog's head, slowly untying the wire that bound its mouth, and said, "Dog, go home quickly."

He stood up and continued to urinate. After finishing, he returned to the road, started his motorcycle, and was about to move forward when he heard a commotion behind him. He turned around and saw that the dog had actually followed him.

Liu Handong revved the throttle, and the motorcycle sped off. In the rearview mirror, he saw the dog limping and following, its figure gradually becoming distant, seemingly emitting a whimper.

"Sorry, I can't even support myself, let alone take care of you," Liu Handong muttered to himself, and continued driving. After going a few dozen meters, he suddenly slammed on the brakes, turned the motorcycle around, and went back.

"Dog, get in the car," Liu Handong said.

An unbelievable scene unfolded before Liu Handong. The dog actually understood human speech, stood on its hind legs, and raised its front legs in a bowing gesture, as if thanking Liu Handong for saving its life, then jumped into the vehicle and sat down properly.

"Quite intelligent," Liu Handong said, remounted the motorcycle, and drove back to Iron Slag Street. When he pushed the motorcycle into the yard, Aunt Zhang's head appeared from the second-floor balcony. "Dong, you're back. Come to my place for a moment."

Liu Handong went upstairs, and the dog followed closely behind. In Aunt Zhang's room on the second floor, there was a large bowl of dumplings on the table, along with several pairs of socks and shorts.

"Haven't eaten yet, right? I've saved some dumplings for you. These socks and shorts are unsold, take them and wear them," Aunt Zhang said. She was a straightforward and warm-hearted woman from the countryside. Seeing the big dog behind Liu Handong, she exclaimed, "Did you pick this dog up? It weighs several dozen pounds. Why not sell it to a dog meat shop? They pay two yuan per pound."

The dog seemed to understand her words, whimpering and crouching on the ground.

Liu Handong said, "This dog escaped from a dog meat shop. I can't send it back. It's a life, after all."

Aunt Zhang said, "That's true. Go rest, you've been tired all day."

Liu Handong took the bowl of dumplings to the fourth floor, ate two, and saw the dog looking at him pitifully. He picked one up and threw it to the dog, which caught it skillfully and swallowed it in one bite. The dog's long tongue licked its mouth, eyeing the dumplings in the bowl greedily.

He threw another one to the dog, which again swallowed it in one bite. Liu Handong estimated that the bowl wouldn't be enough for the dog's feast. He thought for a moment, took out the last bit of loose change he had, and said, "I'm going downstairs to buy something. Don't eat them all."

He went downstairs to the small supermarket across the street and bought a pack of generic ham sausages. When he returned, the dog was sitting obediently, and the dumplings were all there.

"Really obedient," Liu Handong said, opened the packaging, and fed the dog the sausages, which it enjoyed immensely.

"I'll give you a name. Let's call you Wangcai," Liu Handong said.

Wangcai grunted twice, seemingly protesting the vulgar new name.

...

Song Shuang was almost driven mad. Coco was missing!

Coco was a Scottish Shepherd, taken in just after weaning. This dog was extremely intelligent and, in a sense, a member of the Song family. It had been missing for over twenty-four hours, and it had disappeared in broad daylight, just a minute after she last saw it.

After failing to find Coco, Song Shuang reported the incident to the police immediately. At first, the police officers at the station were dismissive, saying that they didn't handle lost dog cases, as they were already overwhelmed with missing persons cases and lacked the resources to help find a dog.

Song Jianfeng had always taught his daughter never to use his name to get things done. Song Shuang never publicized her family background, but this time she had no choice. She showed her ID for the provincial police compound and told the police that her father was the provincial police chief, and that the dog was a gift from her father.

The situation became serious, and the entire police station sprang into action, reviewing surveillance footage from the area where the dog was lost. However, they found nothing. Unlike humans, dogs can easily hide, and if they were taken in a car, it would be impossible to detect.

The station chief comforted Song Shuang, promising to do his best to find the dog, and sent her home in a police car.

After returning home, Song Shuang mobilized her friends from the animal protection association to search the city's dog markets. Since Coco was a purebred Scottish Shepherd, it would be valuable, and if it had been taken by a dog dealer, it would likely be sold in the market.

Still worried, Song Shuang called her father for help. To her surprise, Song Jianfeng severely criticized her, scolding her for wasting police resources to find a dog. He gave her a stern lecture, and Song Shuang cried, her face tear-streaked. She was twenty-one years old and understood her father's actions. He was a former detective with strong professional skills, but he lacked political acumen. Many eyes were on him, and if it were revealed that the provincial police chief's daughter had used public resources to find her dog, it could cause significant trouble.

So, Song Shuang decided to find Coco herself and called Wang Xing.

"Shuangshuang, is there something you need?" Wang Xing's cheerful voice came through, making Song Shuang's nose tingle. "Uncle Wang, Coco is missing."

"Coco is missing? When did this happen? Have you reported it to the police?"

"I reported it, but it didn't help. I want to ask Uncle Wang to help me find Coco."

"Does the collar have a GPS chip?"

"It hasn't been installed yet."

"That's a problem. Send me a photo of Coco, and I'll start looking immediately."

After hanging up, Wang Xing paced in his office. Finding a person was easy, but finding a dog was not. Animals can't speak, and unlike human trafficking, where there are usually buyers, a lost dog could be skinned and eaten. Even if found, it might be too late.

Suddenly, the phone rang again. It was a Beijing number. Wang Xing answered, and it was Song Jianfeng.

"Wang Xing, our dog is missing. Coco is very upset. Can you help find it?" Song Jianfeng's voice sounded tired.

"Sure, I've already accepted Shuangshuang's request."

"Try your best, but be discreet." Song Jianfeng hung up.

Wang Xing received a photo from Song Shuang. Coco was a beautiful Scottish Shepherd with a luxurious coat. A person with a normal mind wouldn't sell it for dog meat.

He decided to focus the search on the city's pet markets.

...

At home, Liu Handong still had some alcohol swabs and iodine. He treated Wangcai's wounds. The dog was extremely intelligent and understood its new owner's intentions. Despite the pain, it lay still. It had multiple wounds, covered in dirt and blood, with exposed flesh, a sight that was shocking. Liu Handong carefully cleaned and applied iodine, taking about an hour to finish.

Liu Handong found a broken bowl with a chip and filled it with water for Wangcai, then lay down on the bed. "Go to sleep. I'll take you home tomorrow."

Wangcai barked excitedly, understanding what Liu Handong said.

The next morning, Liu Handong woke up to the feeling of something licking his face. He opened his eyes and saw Wangcai looking at him expectantly. He got up, checked his phone, and saw it was only five o'clock.

"Wangcai, you're in a hurry," Liu Handong said, got dressed, and went out for his morning exercise. Wangcai followed him, limping and wagging its tail. They ran slowly on the empty Iron Slag Street. Suddenly, Wangcai whimpered and stopped, refusing to move. Liu Handong looked ahead and saw the dog meat shop. The air was still filled with the smell of blood, which to Wangcai, was like the ninth circle of hell.

"Go back," Liu Handong said, and led the dog back. He bought two meat buns, which Wangcai ate entirely. Liu Handong checked his pockets and found only two ten-cent coins, not enough to buy a newspaper.

The newspaper vendor was stacking the morning papers. On the eighth page was a lost dog notice, offering a reward of 10,000 RMB for a Scottish Shepherd named Coco.

The photo showed a beautiful shepherd with a luxurious coat, which didn't resemble the iodine-covered Wangcai at all.

As the sky brightened, more people were heading to work or school. Liu Handong and Wangcai returned to No. 108, where he met the landlord's daughter coming out. She was dressed provocatively, with a cigarette in her mouth, and her eyes lit up when she saw Wangcai. She squatted down to play with the dog, revealing a long stretch of white waist and buttocks, and a glimpse of a thong.

"This is a Scottish Shepherd, very expensive. Where did you get it?" the girl asked, eyeing Liu Handong. She knew he was a tenant on the fourth floor.

"I found it," Liu Handong said.

"Sell it to me. I'll give you 300 RMB." The girl pretended to take out her wallet.

"I'm not selling it," Liu Handong said.

"Did you steal it?" the girl stood up, flicked her cigarette ash, and looked at Liu Handong with her arms crossed.

"I found it," Liu Handong repeated.

A muscular young man, the landlord's son and the girl's brother, came out of the yard. He was taller than Liu Handong, at least 1.88 meters, with a broad back and strong build.

"Brother, what do you think of this dog? It's a Scottish Shepherd," the girl said.

The muscular young man said, "It's just a mangy dog, what's the big deal?"

"You don't know anything! It's a purebred. I offered 300 RMB, and he won't sell it," the girl said.

The muscular young man looked at Liu Handong. "300 RMB is a good price. How much do you want?"

Liu Handong said, "I'm not selling it."

The muscular young man glared at Liu Handong, saying nothing. The girl smoked nonchalantly, waiting for her brother to lose his temper.

Liu Handong looked calmly at the other man. The landlord's son was fierce and well-built, with strong resistance to physical attacks. To fight him, he needed to end it quickly with one decisive move. However, doing so would mean he couldn't stay in Iron Slag Street, as the other man would be either dead or seriously injured.

Wangcai sensed the threat and whimpered, crouching behind Liu Handong.

After a while, the muscular young