The "King of the Snowy Mountains" Gets His First Taste of Military Life

"Reporting, sir! We've arrived at the military dog training base!"

The jeep came to a stop, and Xiao Zhang, the guard, opened the door and saluted.

Su Mingguo stepped out and straightened his uniform. Today, he had specially changed into a crisp officer's wool uniform, and the single general's star on his shoulder glittered in the sunlight.

"Mm." He nodded, then turned and opened the rear door.

Nuannuan jumped out, wearing a little camouflage padded jacket and a matching camouflage cap. Her second uncle had specially asked the Logistics Department's tailor to rush the outfit for her, saying it was to match today's "military operation."

Behind her, the snow leopard, "Big Kitty," leaped gracefully out of the vehicle.

This was the Capital Military Region's most prestigious military dog training base. Built in the mountains on the distant outskirts, it covered extensive grounds and had a full range of facilities. Every military dog that graduated from here was the elite of the elite.

Today, her second uncle, Su Mingguo, had brought Nuannuan and "Big Kitty" here under the pretext of a Logistics Department inspection of "adaptation training for a special military experimental subject."

In his words, since "Big Kitty" had officially joined the military under the code name "King of the Snowy Mountains," the snow leopard couldn't just be a mascot in name. He had to let the men under him see just how kingly the "King of the Snowy Mountains" really was.

The base commander was a dark-faced senior colonel in his fifties, surnamed Wang. He and a group of officers had been waiting at the entrance well in advance.

"Welcome, Director Su! We're honored to have your guidance!" Commander Wang clasped Su Mingguo's hand enthusiastically.

His gaze was soon drawn to Nuannuan behind Su Mingguo, and to the enormous snow leopard behind her.

"This is... Comrade 'King of the Snowy Mountains'?" Commander Wang looked startled and uncertain.

He had received orders that the Logistics Department would be sending a "special military experimental subject" code-named "King of the Snowy Mountains" for adaptation training. He had assumed it was some newly developed secret weapon.

But it turned out to be a leopard?

With a little toddler in tow?

"That's right." Looking utterly serious, Su Mingguo pointed at the snow leopard. "This is the 'King of the Snowy Mountains.' And this is his commanding officer, Comrade Nuannuan."

"Com... commanding officer?" Commander Wang and the officers behind him nearly had their eyes pop out.

A five-year-old girl commanding a snow leopard?

What kind of ridiculous joke was this?

Ignoring their shock, Su Mingguo said bluntly, "Commander Wang, don't just stand there. Let's begin. Bring out all your toughest exercises. I'd like to see just where our Logistics Department's 'soldier' falls short of your military dog base's 'soldiers.'"

His words carried a strong note of provocation.

Commander Wang was a military man with a temper himself, and those words brought out his stubborn streak.

"Fine! Director Su, you said it! If Comrade 'King of the Snowy Mountains' fails the assessment, don't say we refused to give the Logistics Department face!"

"Don't worry." Su Mingguo was brimming with confidence.

The group arrived at the training grounds.

Everything was already prepared. More than a dozen top handlers stood in a row with their finest military dogs-German shepherds, Kunming dogs, and Rottweilers-making an imposing sight.

The first exercise: obstacle course.

The military dogs had to clear a series of complex obstacles, including a high wall, a single-log bridge, a ring of fire, and a crawl net, all within one minute.

"Black Panther! Go!"

At a handler's command, the black Kunming dog beside him shot forward like an arrow from a bow. Leaping, running, and diving through the ring of fire, the dog moved fluidly through the entire course in one continuous burst, finishing in just forty-five seconds to a chorus of cheers.

"Beautiful!" Commander Wang shot Su Mingguo a smug look.

Su Mingguo remained expressionless. He merely lowered his head and told Nuannuan, "Nuannuan, your turn. Tell Big Kitty to show these uncles what speed really means."

"Okay!" Nuannuan nodded firmly.

She didn't even speak aloud, simply giving the snow leopard a brief command in her mind: Big Kitty, run fast and come first.

The snow leopard gave a lazy yawn, seemingly unable to muster any interest in such a childish game.

The snow leopard ambled over to the starting line.

Just as everyone thought the snow leopard was about to give up, that body suddenly sprang forward like a fully drawn bow!

That wasn't running. It was flying!

The snow leopard cleared the two-meter wall in a single leap without even touching it.

A light touch of the paws carried the snow leopard across the narrow log bridge as easily as level ground.

The snow leopard became a streak of white lightning, passing through the burning ring in an instant without singeing a single hair.

As for the final low crawl net, the snow leopard didn't even bother looking at it, instead launching off a large tree more than ten meters to the side and executing a beautiful midair flip to land directly beyond the finish line!

The whole thing happened too fast to follow!

The stopwatch stopped at fifteen seconds.

Dead silence fell over the grounds.

Every handler and military dog stared blankly as though frozen by a spell at the snow leopard, now leisurely washing that face with a paw at the finish line.

Commander Wang's mouth hung open wide enough to fit an egg.

The second exercise: target tracking.

A soldier played the "fugitive," running five kilometers into the mountain forest and leaving a scent trail. The military dogs had to find the cave where the "fugitive" was hiding within half an hour.

This time, Commander Wang sent out his ace, a German shepherd named "Chasing the Wind."

"Chasing the Wind" was the national military dog competition champion, with unmatched tracking ability.

Yet half an hour passed, and "Chasing the Wind" and the handler still hadn't returned.

Just as Commander Wang was sweating with anxiety, the snow leopard moved.

Without even sniffing the scent sample left at the starting point, the snow leopard simply raised that head, sniffed the air, and plunged into the mountain forest.

Less than ten minutes later.

The excited barking of "Chasing the Wind" rang out from deep in the forest.

Another five minutes passed, and the snow leopard sauntered out of the woods with a pheasant in that mouth. Behind came the disheveled "fugitive" and handler.

Disbelief covered the handler's face. "Reporting, Commander! We... we lost the trail. Comrade 'King of the Snowy Mountains' found the target, and also happened to... help us find 'Chasing the Wind,' who'd gotten lost..."

Commander Wang's dark face had turned a deep purplish red.

The final exercise: stealth ambush.

A simulated hostage rescue. A "terrorist" held a "hostage" inside an abandoned building a hundred meters away. The task was to subdue the "terrorist" without alerting him.

This was the ultimate test of concealment and attack timing.

This time, Nuannuan walked over to the snow leopard and stroked that large head.

"Big Kitty, go knock down that bad uncle with the gun. But don't bite him, and don't scare the nice auntie beside him, okay?"

The snow leopard rubbed that head against her, signaling understanding.

The next second, that enormous body blended into the surroundings.

Using the grass for cover one moment and the shadows at the corners of walls the next, the snow leopard approached the building without a sound.

Those movements were more precise, more lethal, than even those of the finest special forces soldier.

In the monitoring room, everyone held their breath, staring at the screen without blinking.

All they could see was the occasional slight rustle in the grass on the screen, as though a breeze had passed through.

Beyond that, there was no trace of the snow leopard whatsoever.

When the snow leopard appeared again, it was already behind the "terrorist."

The "terrorist" hadn't noticed a thing and was still watching the doorway warily.

The snow leopard silently arched that body, then lunged like a bolt of white lightning!

There was no roar.

With nothing but that enormous body and tremendous force, the snow leopard pinned the burly ninety-kilogram man firmly to the ground.

Only after being pinned did the "terrorist" react, letting out a terrified scream.

The "hostage" beside him hadn't even figured out what had happened yet.

The entire process was clean, crisp, precise, and lethal.

The monitoring room was utterly silent.

Only after a long while did Commander Wang speak, his voice trembling.

"This... this isn't an experimental subject... this is a divine warrior!"

He spun around and gave Su Mingguo a textbook military salute, his face filled with excitement and awe.

"Director Su! I request permission! Permission for Comrade 'King of the Snowy Mountains' to stay at our base and serve as... as chief instructor for all our military dogs!"

Seeing his expression, Su Mingguo finally couldn't help laughing smugly.

He walked over to Nuannuan, scooped her up, and hoisted her onto his shoulders.

"Did you hear that, Nuannuan? They want to steal your soldier!"

Sitting on her second uncle's broad shoulders, Nuannuan looked down at the uncles gazing at her and "Big Kitty" with fervent admiration and broke into giggles.

That day, the fearsome reputation of the "King of the Snowy Mountains" resounded throughout the entire Capital Military Region.