Halfway through its crawl, it encountered the yellow and white female dog that was wandering around.
The female dog's back struck its head, causing the pure black male dog to lose its balance and roll half a circle to the right.
It didn't struggle frantically, nor did it make a sound.
With abdominal muscle contraction and coordinated effort from all four limbs, the body quickly flips over using the friction of the blanket, readjusting its direction.
It continued its determined crawl toward its goal.
Two minutes later, Su Wei remained motionless with his right hand resting flat on Bella's head.
His index finger dangled over the edge of the blanket.
A warm, slightly damp sensation touched his fingertips.
The pure black male dog stopped and raised its head.
The tip of his nose, which hadn't completely lost its pink color, pressed directly against Su Wei's index finger fingerprint.
Air moves in and out of the nasal cavity, making a soft hissing sound.
It is carefully discerning all the olfactory information on this finger.
I sniffed it for a full ten seconds.
Then, it made a move that surprised even the Su Wei.
Its front legs bent, its chin sank, and it rested its entire head on the back of Su Wei's fingers.
Completely relax your body weight, close your eyes, and let out a very slight exhalation sound from your throat, entering a state of rest.
It affirmed safety and made the choice of surrender and acceptance.
Su Wei withdrew his hand, the puppy's body heat still lingering on his fingertips.
He stood up, using his thigh muscles to keep his balance, and turned to look at Black was standing two steps away smoking.
"That's it."
Su Wei pointed his finger directly at the pure black male dog.
Then, his finger traced a short arc in the air and landed above the yellow and white female dog.
"Add this color to the list."
"As a secondary hunter."
Once the choice was made, the strongest option wasn't chosen; instead, the most restrained and cunning combination was selected.
Black took a deep drag on his cigarette, the red glow of the tip flickering for a moment in the dim light.
The old hunter followed Su Wei's finger and glanced at the two puppies on the blanket.
A barely perceptible hint of approval flashed deep in his eyes.
He knew all too well the genetic makeup of this litter of puppies.
Black had noticed something amiss with the black one as early as when he was cleaning the placenta.
It possessed the same fearless and extremely calm qualities as Caesar, the alpha dog.
Being able to resist the allure of outward strength and choose this one is itself a selection process by the wilderness for hunters.
Black removed the cigarette, which was still a third of the way from his lips, and held the end of the cigarette between his thumb and forefinger.
Extending his arm to the right, he pressed the burning cigarette butt directly against the edge of the metal trash can.
Sizzle.
A spark flew, and the cigarette butt was completely extinguished, falling to the bottom of the bucket.
"Take it."
Black's voice was completely flat.
"Should we take her away after weaning, or now?"
Su Wei inquired.
In a normal breeding process, puppies need to complete basic nursing care in about one month.
"It depends on your energy level."
Black looked down at the puppy on the ground.
"If you can get your hands on high-fat goat milk powder and ensure you hand-feed them every three hours."
"You can take it now."
"If you can't do that, you'll stay here for forty days."
Chapter 181's progress bar is stuck at 99%, the final closed loop.
"Take him away now, or forty days later?"
Black's deep, rough voice fell.
The fire crackled softly. Waves of heat, mingled with the smell of blood and pine, rolled between the two men.
Su Wei remained kneeling beside the blanket.
His gaze passed over the two puppies, silently observing the still-wet bloodstains on the ground.
The brain quickly mobilized all information and to-do lists.
The construction of the exhibition hall is urgently needed.
Matt's engineering team was professional, but they were only responsible for the main framework.
In that 1,000-square-meter two-story structure, the interior furnishings and the five miniature ecological zones all needed to be created by his own hands in order to trigger the system's Blessing effects.
In addition, the specimens at Old Hope's place are estimated to be nearing completion.
On this snowy polar night, time was fragmented into countless tiny pieces.
If the two newborn puppies are forcibly taken away now, then according to regulations, they need to be hand-fed every three hours.
During the day, he has to do intensive wood carving, and at night he has to struggle to control the temperature and concentration of goat milk powder.
This would completely shatter his remaining sleep.
Even more devastating is the fact that Kodiak Island's current climate is extremely cold.
Although the temperature inside the cabin can be maintained, the temperature in the peripheral areas away from the fire source remains extremely low at night.
Without the warmth of their mother's body, these two little bundles of flesh are extremely susceptible to hypothermia.
If feeding errors occur due to fatigue, leading to choking on milk and potentially pneumonia, or gastrointestinal upset causing diarrhea...
The nearest veterinary clinic is far away in the center of Kodiak Town, a two-hour drive each way.
Extreme cold weather and snowstorms at night will amplify the risk of death on this journey.
This is a gamble with absolutely no chance of winning.
The life of a top-class hunting dog is being put on the shoulders of a hunter with no experience in raising puppies and who is severely overworked.
The safest strategy is to restrain your immediate possessiveness.
"Forty days from now, or after I've finished this busy period."
Su Wei straightened up, his eyes clear, and gave a definite answer.
Black, who had been staring at the fire, turned his gaze to Su Wei, his eyes sharp.
"Wise."
Two words, concise and to the point, without any unnecessary praise.
But this was already an extremely high evaluation of Su Wei composure from the Old Devil Black.
In the wilderness, maintaining rationality in the face of temptation and not letting greed kill one's cubs is in accordance with the laws of survival.
Black walked to the wooden cabinet against the wall, opened the drawer, and found a pair of thick-backed scissors.
"Take it off."
Black turned around and pointed with the scissors at Su Wei's windbreaker.
"The underwear inside."
Su Wei raised an eyebrow slightly, but did not ask any further questions.
He trusted the old hunter's professional judgment.
He unzipped his windbreaker, took it off, and hung it on the back of the chair next to him.
Inside was a black T-shirt that he had worn all day.
The fabric was imprinted with his unique scent of sebum.
Su Wei grabbed the hem of the T-shirt and pulled it upwards forcefully.
The T-shirt slipped off his body. In the firelight, the smooth muscle lines of his upper body were clearly visible; he was no longer the weak man he once was.
Black took the T-shirt, which was still warm from his body.
The sharp scissors cut into the fabric, making a tearing sound.