Hunting for Egg Colonies in the Neighborhood, and Finding "Love" Around the Corner

The old residential area Mao Ruirui mentioned was originally welfare housing for oilfield workers.

It consisted of twelve rows of five-story buildings, none equipped with elevators.

According to the tip from a helpful customer,

he had spotted the Husky from the photo in the stairwell of Building 10 in the West Fourth Row while visiting a friend.

This Husky had a very distinctive feature—a prominent black streak of fur on the white patch of its left cheek.

Anyone who saw it would likely remember it.

The helpful customer had seen it around 7 a.m., and now it was about 10 a.m.

With some luck, they might still find "Dandan" near the West Fourth Row.

But if luck wasn’t on their side, they’d have to search the nearby buildings floor by floor.

Lin Yu followed the two women into the neighborhood.

They combed through Building 10 in the West Fourth Row and checked all the nearby common areas.

Naturally, they found nothing.

If Dandan were a well-behaved Husky,

it wouldn’t have "escaped" this far in the first place.

Even if they had started searching at 7 a.m.,

by 7:01, the dog would’ve already vanished without a trace.

At this point, Chang Xiaoxiao offered a constructive suggestion:

"Boss, this way of searching is just wasting more time."

"If we don’t find Dandan by noon, it might wander off to another neighborhood."

"The three of us should split up—it’ll be faster."

Mao Ruirui gave an approving thumbs-up and immediately started stretching her legs:

"Good idea. If we spread out, we can cover more ground."

"But you two… can you keep up with my pace?"

"I used to be a long-distance running champion in school!"

Chang Xiaoxiao: "…"

Lin Yu: "…"

A long-distance running champion?

Who could possibly outrun her?

Was she suffering from a condition where she only heard what she wanted to hear?

Lin Yu took a deep breath and raised his voice:

"Ruirui-jie, let’s split up, okay?!"

"We’ll make a group chat and update each other if we find anything, alright?!"

Mao Ruirui covered the ear closest to Lin Yu and frowned:

"Fine, sure. Xiaoyu, no need to shout—I can hear you."

Lin Yu: "…"

Wow. Just wow.

Now she’s complaining?

Who was he shouting for in the first place?

That said, splitting up did make Lin Yu a little worried about the safety of these two "celestial soldiers."

From the moment they arrived until now,

Mao Ruirui had failed to hear them at least five or six times.

Some people would suddenly stop responding mid-conversation…

Chang Xiaoxiao was at least communicative,

but she kept walking with her neck stiff, nearly getting lost half a dozen times and even bumping into a door in a dark hallway once.

Some people would just vanish without warning…

Lin Yu once again questioned the competence of this boss-employee duo.

Could their shop actually turn a profit?

After agreeing to split up, the three created a WeChat group.

Lately, it seemed like small group chats were multiplying.

They had to label them carefully to avoid sending messages to the wrong one.

Lin Yu, Mo Shangying, and Ye Mengfu’s group: Late-Night Soccer Watch Party!

The new group Lin Yu created for this mission: Dandan Search Squad!

Simple and clear—no room for mistakes.

Mao Ruirui posted Dandan’s photo in the group and handed Lin Yu a small pack of sausages.

These were Dandan’s favorite treats.

If they found the dog, a quick snack would definitely keep it in place.

……

Lin Yu was assigned to search West First to West Third Rows.

After five minutes of aimless wandering,

he saw no sign of a Husky anywhere.

He seriously doubted whether this approach would yield any results.

"Woof… woof…"

Just as Lin Yu was losing hope,

an excited bark came from near a large trash bin ahead.

Oh?

A lucky encounter?

A dog!

Whether it was the right one or not,

at least there was hope.

Lin Yu sprinted toward the trash bin,

moving faster than the dog itself as he rounded the back.

"Woof… woof woof!"

Three stray dogs fighting over scraps were terrified by the sudden appearance of a towering human.

They scrambled away in panic,

leaving behind the half-eaten takeout on the ground.

"Stay!"

Lin Yu instinctively shouted.

But as soon as the words left his mouth, his heart sank.

The three strays varied in size.

The largest was a black-and-tan Shiba Inu.

Next was a white curly-haired mutt of unknown breed.

The smallest was a spotted pup in shades of black, white, and gray.

None of them were a Husky.

False alarm…

But when Lin Yu looked up, what he saw left him stunned.

At his command, the three strays had obediently stopped in their tracks,

turning their heads in unison to stare at him.

Even from a distance,

Lin Yu could clearly see the shock—and submission?—in their eyes.

Their expressions seemed to ask:

How does a human speak dog?

Beast Command!

"With this power, all beasts shall bow—none dare disobey!"

Lin Yu suddenly remembered the mystical reward he’d received earlier.

Huh. This is weird.

Does it really work on all animals?

"Ahem…"

Lin Yu cleared his throat and experimentally ordered:

"Walk forward!"

The three strays hesitated but eventually took a few steps toward him.

Whoa.

It actually works?

A bold idea sprouted in Lin Yu’s mind.

Humans searching for a dog wasn’t effective.

But what if… dogs searched for a dog?

"Follow me."

At his command, the three strays happily trotted after him.

……

West First Row.

Under the shade of a tree, by a stone chess table.

Lin Yu sat on a bench,

three peeled sausages laid out in front of him.

If anyone had passed by, they would’ve been shocked.

What kind of sorcery was this?

Stray dogs not devouring sausages on sight?

Instead, sitting upright like disciplined soldiers, listening to a young man’s speech?

And if they had heard the speech itself, their jaws would’ve hit the ground.

"A fortune-teller once told me, 'One general’s glory is built on ten thousand bones.'"

"But I disagree."

"I believe that in this world, whether you end up as sausage or sht… is your own choice."

"You’ve been with me the shortest time, and your coats are the cleanest."

"The path ahead… is yours to choose."

"May your journey in the K-9 Unit be smooth sailing!"

"Eat up, officers…"

……