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Chapter 132: Sentinel
Chen Wengang slept until the morning, finding the space beside him empty, with neither person nor dog in sight.
Rubbing his eyes, he went downstairs and saw Huo Niansheng sitting on a low shoe bench beside the food bowl, hands resting on his knees, watching Halley with its head buried in the bowl, eating. Huo Niansheng watched intently, and Chen Wengang, relieved, walked over and squatted down beside him to watch as well.
Huo Niansheng smiled and said, “Good morning.”
Chen Wengang’s legs got sore from squatting, so he sat down on the carpet, leaning his head against Huo Niansheng’s knee.
Huo Niansheng let him use his calf as a backrest and rubbed his hair. Chen Wengang covered his mouth and yawned.
Halley, sensing the pause, looked up curiously to see what he was doing. Chen Wengang laughed and said, “You want to see everything.” Huo Niansheng also laughed and scratched Halley’s head, and the dog lowered his head again, finishing off the food bowl under their watchful eyes until it was clean.
Xiaoping was still diligently reporting everything.
Mr. Chen brushed Halley, removing a lot of loose hair from head to tail; Mr. Chen got up two hours early, ate breakfast, and played frisbee with the dog in the garden; Mr. Chen went to the kitchen, intending to cook for Halley himself, though he burned a pot, but the result seemed passable as Halley licked the bowl clean… Mr. Chen did this, Mr. Chen did that…
This girl was very clever, earning many red envelopes from her employer with these reports.
Pet therapy is no longer a new topic, and during follow-up visits, the doctor affirmed this. The doctor cited numerous academic sources, such as scientific research showing that a person’s blood pressure significantly lowers when petting a pet. Caring for a pet also increases a person’s sense of value, diminishing those feelings of worthlessness and the desire to disappear… Even without the doctor’s explanation, it was evident that Chen Wengang was becoming highly dependent on his dog, sticking together for meals and sleep, unwilling to let go.
He was still taking antidepressant and anti-anxiety medication, and a glass dome was still isolating him from the outside world. Although he couldn’t break it and walk out, when Halley curled up on his chest, rested his head on his knee, or brought his mouth close to his hand, asking for a treat, it seemed to let him grasp and touch something in his otherwise monotonous daily life.
Halley was oblivious to this; it never considered its significance to its owner.
It simply enjoyed being close to Chen Wengang, chewing on its beloved chew toys, and playing without reservation, truly and unreservedly needing him.
If Chen Wengang didn’t feed it, it would go hungry; if he didn’t play with it, it would get bored.
No matter where Chen Wengang hid alone in the house, Halley could always sniff him out within two hours, wagging its tail and seeking pets and hugs. If Chen Wengang stayed up late, Halley would yawn and lie beside him, its eyes drooping with sleepiness.
It needed him, and he needed it. Which need was greater didn’t matter; what mattered was that they had become a symbiotic entity.
A large dog like a German Shepherd requires ample exercise every day. As Halley grew, its energy levels increased. It often felt torn between cuddling with Chen Wengang and frolicking outdoors. It learned to express this dilemma by bringing its leash to him and eagerly pushing it into his hand. It always ended with Chen Wengang compromising and taking it outside with toys. The villa was large enough, with the entire yard serving as its playground. It could run freely, roll through the evergreen walls, and jump into the fountain pool for a swim.
But that wasn’t enough; it also eagerly awaited Huo Niansheng’s visits because Huo Niansheng would take it to play frisbee in the back hills.
There, the space was even larger, and it could exhaust itself to the point of collapse by the end of the day.
But no matter where it was, a whistle from Chen Wengang would have it running back, appearing before him.
Puppies do indeed grow quickly. In just over two months, Halley’s size had made significant leaps.
Its pointed ears slowly stood up, giving it a majestic figure somewhere between a puppy and a big dog. Yet it hadn’t mastered being imposing, remaining gentle, allowing petting and hugging, never baring its teeth, or barking at people casually.
In the blazing heat of July, with the summer heat not fully dissipated, Huo Niansheng took it to play in the stream in the back hills.
Chen Wengang followed behind, stumbling along the mountain path.
Halley went crazy with joy at the sight of water, jumping in with a splash, the stream of water reaching its belly as it swam vigorously.
Chen Wengang sat on a rock, removed his shoes and socks, and soaked his feet in the water. The stream was icy, refreshing his heart and mind.
At this time, he had no idea what Huo Niansheng had in mind. Huo Niansheng picked a few blades of foxtail, made a ring, and slipped it onto his little finger. Chen Wengang casually took it off, hearing him suggest sending Halley for more professional training.
Huo Niansheng’s intentions were clear from the start: he aimed to train it into a guard dog.
Chen Wengang’s first reaction was reluctance, realizing that sending it away meant months of separation.
Huo Niansheng looked at Chen Wengang, who pursed his lips, looking back at him for a long time, seemingly wanting to say something but hesitating, his mind blank for quite a while. He couldn’t find a reason to object—after all, Halley was brought back by Huo Niansheng, and it was his idea to keep it.
Subconsciously, Chen Wengang had always acknowledged that Huo Niansheng was Halley’s true owner. So, whatever he said, that’s how it would be.
Huo Niansheng seemed to see through his thoughts. He wasn’t very forceful, and in the end, he convinced Chen Wengang, saying that working dogs have an instinctive need to work, that they have their own value to fulfill, and that Halley might not enjoy a life of just playing with toys every day.
Chen Wengang nodded and agreed, so they quickly set a date.
He stood at the door as Huo Niansheng took Halley away.
Suddenly, the emptiness beside him made Chen Wengang feel uncomfortable, losing his appetite. Fortunately, after two months, things took an unexpected turn, and one day, both the dog and the person returned—an off-road vehicle drove into the yard, and out stepped a middle-aged man with dark skin, strong muscles, and several flesh-pink scars on his arms. He spoke with a slight accent. He introduced himself as a retired military dog trainer.
When the trunk was opened, Halley leaped out enthusiastically, wagging his tail, and rushed towards Chen Wengang at the door.
To help Halley socialize with other dogs, it had stayed at the training base for two months, and after it had adjusted, Huo Niansheng spent a lot of money to bring the trainer back. This trainer ended up staying at the villa for about a year, with the training site set in the back hills.
He directed workers to put up wire fencing and set up ladders and broken bridges in the back hills.
While everyone was busy, Chen Wengang watched from the site.
The trainer hammered nails while talking about his life in the military. He had trained many military dogs, who were like his children and students. One black-back dog retired the same year as he did, and after submitting several reports to his superiors, he was able to take it home as he had wished.
They had indeed enjoyed several happy years together; both the man and the dog were satisfied, but unfortunately, it passed away last year.
It was a somewhat sad story, but without any major regrets.
Halley really enjoyed the lessons, being highly energetic and physically fit and mastering climbing and descending with ease.
With nothing else to do each day, Chen Wengang watched the training like a parent, not missing a single lesson.
Huo Niansheng seemed to have developed a new hobby for himself. He couldn’t always attend daily, but overall, he was deeply involved in the training process. The trainer needed an assistant, and Huo Niansheng cooperated well. The two of them got along quite well.
Crawling forward and climbing over high boards—Halley quickly mastered all of these, with its only weakness being a fear of fire.
When it came to passing through a fire obstacle, the trainer lit a fire ring. Halley circled in place, too scared to jump despite all the encouragement.
In the end, even Chen Wengang was pulled over to stand on the other side. He couldn’t bear it: “Forget it, let’s not learn this.”
Unexpectedly, when Halley heard his voice, it shook its head and vigorously shook its fur. Suddenly, Huo Niansheng shouted, “Go,” and it started running. It ran faster and faster, stretched out its body, leapt into the air, and jumped through the licking flames of the fire ring, running towards Chen Wengang.
It rubbed its head against his thigh, and Chen Wengang hugged it, his eyes reddening.
The lessons for the day were interrupted, and Huo Niansheng decided to call it a day. The trainer, who was well-experienced, didn’t seem to find it strange. He quickly packed up his things, not forgetting to praise Halley and commend its progress before leaving.
Chen Wengang patted Huo Niansheng twice, staining his clothes with tears.
In the end, he couldn’t say why he cried. He felt a deep exhaustion and emptiness inside, as if something heavy was pressing down on him, making it hard to breathe, needing to be washed away, needing to be vented.
Huo Niansheng simply held him, as if understanding: “Cry, cry.”
Halley stood by for a while, looking up at them. Then it lay down, one leg after the other, on top of Chen Wengang’s feet, sniffing his pant leg.
In subsequent training sessions, Halley also learned how to attack and fight. This was the first time its ferocity was unleashed without restraint.
Chen Wengang recorded a video that later circulated widely among the villa staff; almost everyone watched it and marveled at it. In the video, Huo Niansheng wore camouflage clothing and led Halley into the training ground. The trainer, wearing protective gear, snapped a whip, provoking it. Halley shed its harmless demeanor, baring sharp fangs and growling menacingly. Huo Niansheng patted it and shouted, “Attack.” Like an arrow released from a bow, it lunged forward and bit the trainer’s padded arm.
The trainer vigorously shook his arm and pretended to hit it, but Halley held on tightly, not letting go until it had wrestled him to the ground.
After the session, the trainer was panting and drenched in sweat. He didn’t mind, though, and removed his gear, signaling for the camera to come closer. Proudly, he showed his arm to the camera. Despite the protective gear, the skin underneath had been grazed to the point of bleeding.
Facing the trainer without his protective suit, Halley became friendly again, wagging its tail excitedly.
The trainer laughed heartily and took out a small treat from his pocket to feed it.
He then chatted away, telling Huo Niansheng about his life in the military. Even now, he said, old comrades still call him for dog training tips. His eyes filled with nostalgia as he remarked that one must stay on the training field; otherwise, after a couple of idle months, they’d quickly become rusty.
After a year of training, Halley wagged its tail to bid him farewell at the villa’s entrance.
Now, it truly was an imposing dog, following commands strictly, like a sentinel always ready to guard something.
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