Chapter 28: The Competition Begins

“Heh, as long as the Commander remembers, that's enough!”
A sly smile played across Gu Jianfeng’s face.
“Haha, don’t worry, as long as you… wait, are all these dogs from your company?”
Yu Hongyang’s words trailed off as he suddenly turned and caught sight of Tianjiang and the other dogs.
He’d interacted with military dogs for years—not quite an expert, but certainly knowledgeable.
These dogs, from their appearance to the look in their eyes, exuded excellence.
Especially the one at the front; Yu Hongyang had never seen such a large military dog before.
Its majestic bearing inspired awe at a glance, and its posture, upright as a bell, radiated dominance.
“Commander, these dogs all belong to the company!”
“All eight are offspring of Baiyi!”
“This one is called Rifle, trained by Guo Yudong.”
“And this one, Tianjiang, is trained by Gu Jianfeng.”
Long Fei introduced them to Yu Hongyang.
“They’re Baiyi’s lineage? No doubt about it, but they seem far more robust than their heroic mother!”
Yu Hongyang nodded slightly as he looked at the eight Labradors.
“Tell me, are you setting me up?”
Suddenly, Yu Hongyang turned to Gu Jianfeng.
“Commander, don’t accuse me unfairly—I wouldn’t dare set you up!”
Gu Jianfeng waved his hands repeatedly.
“You wouldn’t dare? Is there anything you wouldn’t do?”
“Where did you get this dog? I’ve never seen a military dog like yours in the whole theater!”
Yu Hongyang shot Gu Jianfeng a look.
On his third day in the recruit company, Gu Jianfeng had gotten into a fight with his squad leader. If Long Fei hadn’t seen his potential and pleaded for him, Gu Jianfeng would have left the unit long ago.
“Commander, I found this dog. It’s not surprising you haven’t seen it before!”
Gu Jianfeng grinned, showing his big white teeth.
“I think your Tianjiang has some Tibetan Mastiff blood, doesn’t it?”
Yu Hongyang examined Tianjiang closely and noticed a murderous gleam in the dog’s eyes.
This wasn’t the kind of aggression one feigns, but the sort that settles into the blood—a veteran’s edge, earned on the battlefield.
“I bought him from a dog dealer. He told me Tianjiang was a mix, and yes, he does have Tibetan Mastiff blood!”
Gu Jianfeng replied.

“Do you know Tibetan Mastiffs aren’t suitable for military dogs? Their abilities and stats are far below military standards!”
Yu Hongyang asked, puzzled.
As a military dog trainer, Gu Jianfeng couldn’t possibly be unaware of such basic knowledge.
“Haha, Tianjiang, you’re being underestimated!”
Gu Jianfeng laughed.
“Woof!”
Tianjiang barked at Yu Hongyang, his eyes full of disdain.
“Commander, Tianjiang is the most outstanding dog in our company. Under Gu Jianfeng’s training, he can now basically understand human speech.”
“If you don’t believe me, you can test him!”
Long Fei spoke up.
“Oh?”
A flash of sharpness appeared in Yu Hongyang’s eyes.
If this was true, then his border regiment had truly struck gold.
“Hmph, bluffing!”
“Military dogs are intelligent, but how could they possibly understand human language?”
“You shouldn’t exaggerate your dog’s abilities so shamelessly!”
Gao Yuan, standing nearby, expressed his doubts.
“Woof, woof, woof…”
As soon as Gao Yuan finished, Tianjiang barked at him, startling him into stumbling backward.
It wasn’t that Gao Yuan was timid—Tianjiang’s bark was simply thunderous.
“Tianjiang, don’t be so rude. Deputy Captain Gao is our comrade as well!”
Gu Jianfeng said calmly.
Upon hearing Gu Jianfeng’s words, Tianjiang stopped barking at Gao Yuan, though his gaze remained unfriendly.
“A fine dog, indeed!”
“That roar is like a lion’s, or a tiger’s!”
“With such intelligence, this dog is truly remarkable!”
Yu Hongyang said with delight.
Over the years, most military dogs in the country had been imported, with high costs and unreliable supply.
For now, there was no suitable native breed for large-scale military use, so the leadership had no solution.
Hearing Yu Hongyang praise them, a flicker of displeasure crossed Gao Yuan’s face.
He, the deputy captain of the military dog battalion, had just been outdone by a mere company commander whose unit was on the verge of disbandment, even if it was only a minor round.

“If I’d known the company had such excellent dogs, there would have been no need for that meeting just now!”
Yu Hongyang’s tone was so calm it betrayed nothing of his inner feelings.
But Gao Yuan caught the undertone, especially since he was the one who initiated the meeting to select competition dogs.
His old company had long been forgotten, never entering his considerations.
“Commander, the grounds are nearly ready. Shall we begin the competition?”
Long Fei asked Yu Hongyang quietly.
“Very well!”
Yu Hongyang answered and walked to the podium, while Gao Yuan followed, his expression awkward.
Though this was only the preliminary selection for the border regiment, the military dog battalion had played all its trump cards. This event was unlike others; there was no need to hold back.
Once everyone was seated, Gao Yuan, the host, began introducing the competition format.
“Today’s competition consists of three events: drug detection, bomb disposal, and pursuit!”
“The scoring is based on time—the faster a dog completes the task, the higher the score!”
After Gao Yuan finished, the competition officially began.
The members of the military dog battalion held their heads high, full of confidence. After all, they had never considered the company a real rival.
But sometimes, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.
The first round—drug detection—quickly yielded results.
The battalion completed the task in six minutes and twenty-five seconds.
The company finished in six minutes and twenty-six seconds.
Just one second faster than the battalion.
“What’s going on? The company’s luck is unbelievable!”
“Well, they’re guests—no harm letting them win a round!”
“Exactly, we can’t let them leave empty-handed!”
Soon, the second round—bomb disposal—began.
The battalion confidently sent out their favored dog, expecting an easy win, but when the results came in, everyone was stunned.
Bomb disposal: battalion, six minutes and three seconds; company, six minutes and two seconds.
Once again, just one second faster!