Chapter 11: Old Fu’s Opposition

"Our town of Qingzhai has been famous for dog breeding since ancient times. That's why many dog traders come here to buy dogs," he said. "A lot of people buy dogs for fighting—one good dog can earn its owner a great deal of profit. Naturally, the price of a fine dog has risen as well. This puppy, I bought it from a herdsman. According to him, it's a crossbreed between a Tibetan mastiff and a grey wolf, truly a king among dogs."

"I noticed a murderous glint in its eyes. With proper training, it could fetch a high price, so after some bargaining, I bought it for sixteen hundred and eighty yuan. But I didn't expect the little fellow to be so ferocious—it’s already bitten several people at the kennel, and now no one dares to go near it," Wang Xingqing said with a wry smile and a shake of his head.

"Grey wolf—the wolf god?" Gu Jianfeng chuckled softly. "That's just a legendary creature. You really believe that?"

"Well, I didn't think about it that much at the time. I just saw the potential in this dog and bought it," Wang replied. "But I can see you and this puppy are fated to meet. How about this? I'll give it to you as a gift!"

"Mr. Wang, you are truly a man of character. But our unit has rules—we can't accept gifts from civilians." Gu Jianfeng replied. "Why don't I buy it from you privately? Just four thousand yuan—Mr. Wang, take that as a small loss. How does that sound?"

"Brother, you're too polite," Wang said firmly. "This dog is just extra baggage for me now. If you like it, it's yours. I didn't spend much on it anyway."

After some back and forth, Gu Jianfeng still ended up paying Wang the original cost price.

"Now that everything's clear, there's no reason for you to sit around here, Mr. Wang. We should be going," Gu Jianfeng said, standing up.

"It's getting dark. Why not stay the night and let me play host? We can have a drink together," Wang tried to persuade him.

"Truly, I appreciate the offer, but the army has its regulations. Next time I have leave, I'll come find you and we'll drink till we're satisfied!" Gu Jianfeng said as he headed toward the next office.

"Old Fu, shall we head back?" Gu Jianfeng asked Fu Zhihong, who was reading a newspaper on the sofa as they reached the door.

"Where have you been? And the money..." Fu looked up, saw Wang Xingqing behind Gu Jianfeng, and shot to his feet.

"Old Fu, don't get worked up," Gu Jianfeng quickly stepped forward to steady him, then said, "Mr. Wang is a bit tight on funds right now. There's ten thousand yuan on this card. When he has the rest, he'll pay us back."

Fu took the bank card suspiciously. "Mr. Wang, I'm not a child. Are you giving us an empty card again?"

It was hard to blame Fu for his suspicion—he'd been tricked by Wang this way before.

"No, no, this time the card is real!" Wang hurried over to the computer, and right in front of Fu, logged in and showed him the ten thousand yuan balance. "Last time, I had no choice. This time, it's real. Sorry for the trouble I caused you."

Though Fu didn't know why Wang's attitude had changed so much, he was sure it had something to do with Gu Jianfeng.

Gu Jianfeng picked up a pen and wrote down a phone number, handing it to Wang. "If Bai Ying comes looking for trouble, call the police. If that doesn't work, call me. Memorize this number, then burn it."

"I'll memorize it right away and burn the paper," Wang promised. Being half a man of the streets, he knew enough to realize he should follow instructions, even if he didn't know the whole story.

On the way back, Fu grew curious about the puppy in Gu Jianfeng's arms—he hadn't even noticed when it appeared.

"Jianfeng, was that where you went? To see this little one?" Fu asked, growing fond of the sharp-eyed puppy.

"I just wandered over to the kennels and found him. I liked him right away, so I bought him from Wang Xingqing," Gu Jianfeng explained.

"This little guy does look a bit like a Tibetan mastiff, but not entirely. I can't put my finger on it," Fu mused. "But Jianfeng, you’re not planning to bring it back to our company, are you?"

"Of course I am. What else would I do—keep it for warmth?" Gu Jianfeng joked.

"You know, any dog with mastiff blood is forbidden from being a military dog," Fu explained.

"Why is that?" Gu Jianfeng asked, puzzled.

"Many people misunderstand the Tibetan mastiff. We have strict rules for selecting police dogs—five requirements: stable nerves, courage, good retrieving ability, obedience, and physical fitness. Tibetan mastiffs, having lived on the plateau for generations, have bodies perfectly adapted to harsh highland conditions. Their lungs are twice as large as those of other dogs, which becomes a burden at lower altitudes. Their sense of smell and intelligence are also lacking. Most importantly, their wildness makes them hard to train—obedience is poor. That’s why Tibetan mastiffs have never been used as military dogs," Fu explained.

Gu Jianfeng nodded with a smile. No wonder he sensed a trace of brutality in the puppy—it was innate.

"Don't worry, Old Fu. With me around, this one will become the pride of our company," Gu Jianfeng said.

If it had been before meeting Gu Jianfeng, Fu would have thought he was talking nonsense. Now, he almost believed him.

All along the way, Gu Jianfeng probed the puppy’s body with his soul power and discovered faint traces of spiritual energy circulating within. Though weak, it was undeniably present. Using his soul force, he guided that energy, helping it flow in a regular pattern through the little one’s body.