Chapter 18

The uncanny mimicry of the pup delighted the two creatures immensely. Unfortunately, their species differed, and no matter how precise the pup’s imitation, they could not discern which dog’s scent in the grass belonged to which animal.

Usually, Li Li’s parents took their dog for a long walk, from their gated community entrance all the way to the park. The two beings walked for about ten minutes, finally stopping near an intersection close to the park.

This area was beautifully landscaped, with many trees lining the sidewalk. Behind them stood a high-end residential complex, its fence draped with tall shrubs. On a patch of ice still lingering on the sidewalk, Lang Xiao found a few strands of dog hair.

“That’s from that dog,” he said.

“It looks like it struggled fiercely,” the other replied.

They glanced around and noticed that the upscale community’s gate was under surveillance, as was the intersection ahead, but neither camera covered this particular spot.

“There’s a human scent on the hair—not from the owner, but a stranger.”

In mere moments, the two deduced the golden retriever’s ordeal: after breaking free from its leash, it ran here, only to be seized by an unknown person.

Yet the two were troubled, sensing that the dog was now far away, having already left the city.

Had it remained within the city, they would have immediately set off to find it, but once beyond the city limits, they hesitated—especially with a child in their arms.

Qing Yao had already given up trying to use her nose. She disliked being held and kept struggling in Lang Xiao’s arms, eager to get down and walk. When Lang Xiao set her on the ground and helped her stand by holding her hand, she immediately pointed forward, indicating she wanted to go to the park.

“Qing Yao, be good. We’re not going there now. We’ll go play once we’re done.”

Hesitant, Qing Yao withdrew her hand and stopped moving forward, instead circling around the two.

Hu Yuanfei, thinking of the extra payment Li Li had mentioned, was reluctant to give up the money.

“Let’s go.”

Lang Xiao looked at him. “Take a taxi?”

“That’d be too slow. We’ll go directly.”

“But there’s the pup.”

“Just carry her on our backs. We’ll be quick and still have time to play with her in the afternoon.”

Lang Xiao once again checked the golden retriever’s position and nodded. He scooped the pup into his arms and headed toward a secluded corner unseen by passersby.

In a few breaths, two gusts of wind swept down the street, as if from passing cars, unnoticed by anyone.

Nearly a hundred kilometers from Xinghuan City, a dust-covered long van rumbled along a country road. The driver, Xue Laoliu, held a cigarette in one hand and the steering wheel in the other, counting the day’s haul with his companion.

“Damn it, dogs are getting harder to catch. We drove all day and only got five or six, sometimes just two or three. Used to be we’d catch a dozen or twenty a day without trouble. Now the strays have gotten smart—they bark at us, won’t eat bait, even try to bite. If I had a needle gun, I’d give them a shot and see how they bark after. I’d grind them to mush.”

Dong Si, in the passenger seat, agreed. “Yeah, but at least we’ve got help this time. We snagged one more before leaving. This one’s big, lots of meat—I’m getting hungry just looking at it.”

“It’s so cold. Let’s leave a small one behind and have a little feast ourselves.”

“Heh, good plan. Brother Six, looks like Xinghuan City’s no good anymore. How about we change locations? I’ve got a buddy in Ronghu City; he said people there don’t leash their dogs much—easy pickings.”

“Ronghu’s pretty far. Takes a long time to get there in this van.”

“Far but profitable.”

“I’ll think about it. If it doesn’t work out, we’ll switch after the new year.”

As they spoke, low growls and struggling sounds came from the back. Dong Si looked back and saw the golden retriever they’d been discussing had awakened and was struggling fiercely in its cage. Its legs were bound, and having been sedated since last night, it was weak and its movements faint.

Seeing it couldn’t break free, Dong Si paid it little mind.

The van’s rear was stacked with five or six cages, each holding a bound dog.

Most were still sedated; those awake lay quietly, refusing to move. They hadn’t eaten or drunk in a long time, and the cages were so cramped they couldn’t even stand. After repeated attempts, they gave up, resigned to their fate.

Yet the two drivers remained unaware that a dusty yellow figure trailed the van—also a dog.

Though not fast, the yellow dog kept pace, following along the grass or fields beside the main road.

Xue Laoliu took a final drag from his cigarette, cracked open the window a bit, and flicked the butt outside.

Snow lingered in the fields, melting slowly, leaving patches of white on the ground.

The cold wind made Xue Laoliu shiver, and he shut the window quickly. But the brief air exchange brought a sharp stench inside: the foul odor of frightened dogs’ urine and feces.

Though used to this work, Xue Laoliu still felt nauseated by the relentless stench.

Breathing deeply, the smell only worsened—likely the dog that had just woken had soiled itself.

“Damn,” Xue Laoliu cursed, pulling over abruptly. Without waiting for Dong Si’s questions, he opened the door and jumped out.

Dong Si, startled, craned his neck. “Brother Six, what’s wrong?”

Xue Laoliu headed for the roadside and began undoing his pants, annoyed. “I gotta pee. You check if the dogs messed again back there. Clean it up—I can’t stand the smell, it’s killing me.”

“Okay, I’ll take a look.” Dong Si jumped out and circled to the back, opening the rear door to inspect. Sure enough, the golden retriever had defecated—diarrhea, in fact—leaving a mess that had dripped onto the smaller white dog below. The white dog began barking wildly, banging against the cage in frantic desperation.

Dong Si cursed and hurried to fetch the water hose.

Though they planned to kill the dogs, presentation mattered. If too dirty, buyers would lower the price. So before delivery, they always rinsed the dogs with water from a small tank equipped with a hose and pressure gun.

Cold weather made washing risky—it could kill the dogs—but Dong Si cared little now; they were nearly at their destination, and a little longer wouldn’t matter.

The yellow dog in the grass watched the stopped van. Seeing the rear door open and the imprisoned dogs inside, it bared its teeth and growled low in anger.

Xue Laoliu finished spraying water and didn’t immediately return to the back. Instead, he pulled out a cigarette and lighter from his pocket and lit up by the roadside, reminding Dong Si:

“Hurry up. We can’t stay here long.”

Though traffic was scarce, cars still passed occasionally. Stealing dogs was illegal; if reported, they’d be caught for sure.

Dong Si acknowledged the order and quickly aimed the water gun at the two dogs above and below, washing them down.

The cold water made the dogs howl loudly, alarming Xue Laoliu, who hurried toward the back.

“The noise is too much. You want to attract the cops? Why not drug them first, then wash?”

Dong Si weakly explained, “I just want to finish quickly.”

“Let me do it. You fetch the drugs.”

“Okay.”

Xue Laoliu aimed the water directly at the dogs’ eyes. Unable to keep their eyes open, their cries grew more pitiful.

Unable to bear it any longer, the yellow dog burst from the grass and raced onto the road, reaching the van in an instant. Without hesitation, it bit Xue Laoliu’s leg.

The sudden, searing pain made Xue Laoliu cry out and look down to see his leg caught in the dog’s jaws, feeling as if it were about to be torn off.

Instinctively, he tried to kick the dog away, but the dog pulled back fiercely, dragging him down. His water gun slipped from his grasp onto the ground.

Falling, Xue Laoliu struck his head on the open door. The pain in his leg and the dizziness from the hit darkened his vision.

“Dong Si! Help me! Help me!” he struggled, like the dogs in the cages, but the yellow dog’s strength was overwhelming. It dragged him into the middle of the road and then into the roadside grass. His pants stained red with blood, his elbows and fingers scraped raw. Never before had he felt such terror.

Dong Si was stunned by the scene, dropping the drugs in his hand and rushing forward to pull Xue Laoliu from the dog’s mouth. But when he met the yellow dog’s eyes—ferocious, brutal, and hateful—he felt as if they could devour him with a glance.

Hearing Xue Laoliu’s screams, Dong Si’s steps faltered and stopped instinctively.

The yellow dog bit through Xue Laoliu’s leg and released him, then stomped heavily over his body. He felt as if an elephant crushed his ribs; a cracking sound echoed as bones broke. He lay motionless, unable to rise.

The dog then charged at Dong Si, who, terrified, ran toward the van but was knocked down before reaching the door.

The dog bit his shoulder, and Dong Si screamed as flesh tore away with his clothes.

“Help! Ah! Help!”

By some cruel fortune, no vehicles passed by at this moment; not a single one appeared for a long while.

The yellow dog trampled Dong Si’s back and wrist, and amid his agonized screams, leapt onto the van’s rear door.

“Woof! Woof!” it barked several times at the dogs inside the cages. The two struggling dogs suddenly stopped, as if soothed.

With remarkable intelligence, the yellow dog examined the cages and began using its mouth and paws to open them. Fortunately, these cages were secured only by latches; the humans thought the dogs were tied tight and couldn’t break free, so they hadn’t added extra locks. The yellow dog quickly opened the cages and bit through the ropes binding the dogs.

In swift motion, all the cages and bindings were undone. The golden retriever immediately slipped out, eager to leave without hesitation, wanting to return home at once.

The yellow dog barked twice authoritatively, and the golden retriever halted, tail tucked in fear, sitting obediently by the van’s side. Its gentle eyes gazed up at the slightly smaller yellow dog as if recognizing a powerful leader.

The yellow dog dragged the remaining unconscious dogs out of their cages, one by one, setting them gently on the ground.