Chapter 30: Untying the Knots of the Heart

The performance of Heavenly General stunned everyone present.

They understood better than anyone what this display meant. Today, they were witnesses to a miracle. Yet none of them knew that due to the various rules of the competition, Heavenly General was somewhat restricted; if this were a real battle, it would likely be much quicker.

"Excellent, truly excellent, Heavenly General!" Yu Hongyang, having calmed his emotions, spoke excitedly.

In these peaceful times, the role of military dogs had become increasingly important, and their status had risen accordingly.

"He’s just tall, that's all. Besides biting, what else can he do?" Gao Yuan said, unconvinced.

"Deputy Captain Gao, your words are groundless. Heavenly General is undoubtedly the most outstanding military dog our company has ever had—bar none!" Long Fei spoke calmly. "He excels not only in biting, but his scent discrimination is remarkable as well. Among the other nine dogs in our company, none are a match for Heavenly General!"

"Are you saying even the drug-sniffing dog just now doesn't have scent abilities as strong as Heavenly General?" Yu Hongyang asked, his tone filled with skepticism.

Bayi was famous for its keen sense of smell, and its offspring had inherited that trait to some degree.

"That dog is called Xiaomi, trained by Xie Yidao. Xiaomi fully inherited Bayi's sensitive nose, and in our company, aside from Heavenly General, Xiaomi ranks highest," Long Fei explained to Yu Hongyang.

"So you mean Xiaomi's scent discrimination is no less than Bayi's?" Yu Hongyang widened his eyes in surprise.

He had to admit, the company had shocked him again and again today.

"In fact, Xiaomi's current achievements have already surpassed Bayi!" Since the truth was out, Long Fei saw no need to conceal it further.

"Hahaha, excellent, very good, truly superb!" Yu Hongyang exclaimed three times, unable to suppress the smile bursting forth on his face.

Having served in the company himself, Yu Hongyang always felt a deep, unbreakable bond with it.

"Commander, Captain Long's words are simply unbelievable. I think..." Gao Yuan could not suppress his anger, hoping to seize one last chance. If Long Fei's claims proved false, the company would be finished.

"Enough!" Yu Hongyang's smile vanished instantly, his voice heavy and thunderous, resembling a tiger about to roar.

"You came from this company too. If the company falters, what good does it do you?"

"Or do you have some grievance against someone?"

Yu Hongyang, hardened by years in the military, had a fiery temperament and despised such conduct. Though his personality had mellowed over the years as commander, Gao Yuan's repeated challenges today pushed him to the brink.

"Commander, I... I don’t!" Gao Yuan glanced at Yu Hongyang furtively, answering in a small voice.

"Don’t think I don’t know what you’ve been up to!"

"What I detest most are these petty tricks!"

"If war broke out tomorrow and you were on the battlefield, would you shoot Long Fei in the back?"

Yu Hongyang berated Gao Yuan loudly.

"How could I possibly, Commander? I am not that kind of person!" Yu Hongyang's words made Gao Yuan anxious, his face alternately flushed and pale.

"Both the palm and the back of the hand are flesh!"

"You’re all my soldiers; I don’t want to see you behave this way!"

"Competition and ambition are good for the army, but I do not want to see competition take a wrong turn!"

"Have you all understood?"

Yu Hongyang swept his gaze across the crowd, his tone grave.

"Commander, I was wrong—it’s my fault!" Gao Yuan, suddenly enlightened, looked at Yu Hongyang and spoke.

"You shouldn’t say that to me," Yu Hongyang nodded gently, pleased.

Gao Yuan stepped up to Long Fei, facing him directly. "Old Long, these years, I've been petty."

"I used to envy your talent, all these years..."

Long Fei smiled, lightly punched Gao Yuan's chest. "We’re brothers—no need for such words!"

"Next time we're on leave, I’ll host, and we’ll drink till we drop!" Gao Yuan replied with a smile.

"Hey hey hey, Deputy Captain Gao, as the saying goes, everyone present deserves a share. Are you only inviting our captain?" Gu Jianfeng eagerly chimed in, seeing the prospect of a meal.

"Hahaha, fine, everyone’s invited. Hotpot and crayfish for all!" Gao Yuan declared loudly.

"Jianfeng, don’t you have anything you want to say to me?" Yu Hongyang turned to Gu Jianfeng, who had been stirring up the crowd, his tone meaningful.

"Yes, Jianfeng, your dog, despite its Tibetan Mastiff bloodline, has completely overturned our expectations. How did you achieve this?" Gao Yuan, sobered by the topic, asked Gu Jianfeng in puzzlement.

"Haha, just lucky, I suppose—managed to find such a good dog!" Gu Jianfeng laughed.

He had no intention of revealing the deepest secret, for it was too astonishing.

Yu Hongyang pulled Gu Jianfeng aside, away from the group, and said, "I’m not joking with you. This matter is immensely important for the whole unit."

"If you have any method, I suggest you offer it to the country!"

Gu Jianfeng thought for a moment, then replied seriously, "Commander, to be honest, when I was young, I was fortunate enough to meet a mysterious master."

"He taught me some unique qigong techniques."

"Heavenly General and these young dogs in the company were all physically modified by me using my own qigong from an early age."

"So, I really can’t offer it to the country."

Yu Hongyang sighed, unable to hide a trace of regret in his heart.

His bodyguard Xiao Li had practiced qigong from a young age, so Yu Hongyang was no stranger to it, and he had no doubts about Gu Jianfeng’s words.

"I was hoping to set a trap for you, but turns out you caught me instead!"

"This military dog skills competition—do your best!"

"If we want to keep the company’s designation, this result is crucial!"

Yu Hongyang patted Gu Jianfeng’s shoulder, speaking earnestly.

"Don’t worry, I won’t let you down!" Gu Jianfeng replied.

"But regardless, you must train a sniper platoon for me. There’s a military exercise at the end of the year—I need to start preparing!"

Yu Hongyang said kindly.

"Commander, please let me off!"

"We have so many talented people in the regiment, I barely qualify!"

"Look at me, getting on in years and still without a partner—give me some free time!"

Gu Jianfeng wailed, his misery so real that one couldn’t help but feel sympathy for him!