On the Eve of Battle
"You never studied this subject?"
Seeing Xiao Wang's bewildered reaction, Old Zhang looked a little disappointed. He figured the kid had given back everything he'd learned at school.
"I did, I did!"
Xiao Wang nodded vigorously. He'd gotten excellent marks in this subject, and still remembered the relevant professional instructions.
Privately keeping a military working dog was only allowed if its handler retired alongside it and received approval.
Under normal circumstances, military working dogs were rarely kept by private citizens.
"Then we're all set. That's one more dog."
Old Zhang relaxed. In certain situations, dogs were more useful than people. Having an extra dog meant having better odds.
As an experienced criminal investigator, he naturally hoped every mission would be completed smoothly and decisively.
The German Shepherd, panting with its tongue lolling out, was handed to Xiao Wang along with its leash, freeing up some room in the van.
"Hello, hello! What should I call you, boss? I'm Wang Xuan. Wang as in three horizontal strokes and one vertical, Xuan as in 'choice.'"
Xiao Wang solemnly shook the dog's paw and introduced himself.
Police dogs couldn't talk, of course, but they could at least count, and they knew quite a few written characters. No elite dog trained for police work was stupid; they were at least as smart as elementary school students—and some might even be smarter.
"His name is Land Rover!"
Li Bai had sharp eyes. He spotted the dog tag beneath the dog's neck. It was quite an imposing name, and there was one bar and two stars beside it.
So Land Rover was a retired cadre, transferred to local service as a police dog, with an administrative rank one level above rookies like Xiao Wang.
Another reason Old Zhang had assigned the