Future Pet Shop

"It wouldn't be strange to see a German Shepherd or a Labrador as a search and rescue dog, but this is the first time I've ever seen a Shiba Inu doing it." At the back of the group, a rescuer holding the leash of a German Shepherd complained. "Shibas get stuck just walking around. How could one be a search and rescue dog? You'd have to be crazy to rely on it to find people."

"This dog seems a little different. Look at how nimbly it's weaving through the woods—it's way better than yours." But the reality was an eye-opener for them all. Carmen darted up and down, left and right, moving with incredible agility. In no time, it had advanced several hundred meters without a single misstep. Not only did it avoid getting stuck, but it also scouted out a safe and easy path for them. The rescuers barely had to exert themselves; all they had to do was follow Carmen's lead to proceed smoothly. It was much easier than before.

"Mr. Bin, that's a truly fine dog!" Captain Qi also shed his initial disregard for Carmen, his expression turning serious. "I was just looking. Even if I were personally planning the route up ahead, I doubt I could do a better job than Carmen." A moment ago, there were two spots where Qi Jian thought a different path would be better. But after they passed through, he realized Carmen's chosen route had been the optimal one. The alternatives he had considered actually concealed significant risks and could have easily gotten someone tangled in thorns.

"Mm. When it comes to being a guard dog, this little guy is probably lacking. But when it comes to leading the way, I've never seen anything better." 'Of course,' he thought. 'It even helped me, a total amateur, get third place in a rally race. You couldn't ask for more.' But as a guard dog, Carmen was completely useless. It would just wander around the yard a couple of times before getting stuck somewhere. How could it possibly stop a thief?

"Then we'll be counting on you this time, Mr. Bin. Next time you come here for fun, I'll find you some good gear so you can enjoy yourself even more," Qi Jian said sincerely. Shen Yibin's outdoor equipment was all generic stuff you could buy in any ordinary store, nothing compared to what Qi Jian had in his collection. Some of his pieces were even custom-made for the local terrain and couldn't be bought on the market.

"Then it's a deal. I might just come looking for you after the New Year." 'Come to think of it,' Shen Yibin mused, 'it'll be about time to search for my next pet after the New Year. I'll definitely need outdoor gear for that. If I can get some good stuff from Captain Qi, my pet search will go a lot more smoothly.'

"Are you two okay? Can you keep up? If you're tired, you can rest here. I can leave Hah'Er and Xiaoliu behind to look after you." After walking for over an hour, they reached a fork in the path. One way led to a standard hiking trail, while the other led toward the unknown mountain peak ahead. Shen Yibin was a little worried about Sakai Kaori and Sun Qian, so he turned back and asked, "The road ahead is much tougher than what we've been on."

"It's fine, I can keep up." Sun Qian shook her head. Following behind Carmen wasn't that strenuous.

Sakai Kaori, who regularly underwent Sword Way training at the Shrine, had physical fitness far beyond that of an ordinary person and wasn't feeling tired either. Besides, with her return to Japan just around the corner, she cherished every minute she could spend with Shen Yibin. Of course she wasn't going to stay behind. "Mr. Bin, please take me with you. I won't slow you down."

"Alright then, let's keep going." Seeing their determined attitudes and that their stamina wasn't a major issue, Shen Yibin agreed. He stepped forward and patted Carmen's head. "Go on, keep moving. If you smell any strangers, give us a bark to let us know." Shen Yibin had long since discovered that Carmen had a very keen sense of smell.

"WOOF! WOOF!" Carmen barked twice, full of pride, before plunging headfirst into the jungle. It led Shen Yibin and the others around one treacherous path after another. Whether it was a slope covered in jagged rocks or a dense forest thick with thorns, it always found a safe and easy way through. Before long, the mountain peak was just ahead.

"Sigh, look at him, and then look at you!" The rescuer with the German Shepherd had now undergone a complete one-eighty. He looked at his own beloved dog with a frustrated expression. 'You're usually so rowdy, aren't you? How come you're not showing off at all today?'

"Awooo~" The German Shepherd whined pitifully. It wanted to show off too, but just keeping up with Carmen was a feat in itself. How could it have any energy left for anything else? In contrast, Hah'Er and Egg, despite both looking chubby, were not clumsy at all. They scampered right to the front, leaving the poor German Shepherd in their dust.

"Mr. Bin, how about we have Carmen slow down a bit? I estimate we're near the area where they went missing. I'll have my men search around so we don't overshoot it!" Having finally reached the mountain, Captain Qi came forward to speak. As he spoke, he looked at Carmen with longing. 'If only this dog could join our search and rescue team! With it around, we wouldn't have to worry about going into dangerous, unfamiliar places anymore.'

"No need. Carmen's sense of smell is very sensitive. It can pick up the scent of strangers even from a great distance. I've already told it to bark if it finds anything." After praising Carmen, Shen Yibin pointed to Cheeky, who was circling overhead. "And then there's this guy. He flies in the sky, so his field of view is much wider than ours. He'll also alert us if there are people around."

'I don't just have an army; I've brought my air force, too. The air force's reconnaissance capabilities are just as good as Carmen's, if not better. As long as those people are still on this mountain, we'll definitely find them.'

"Oh my, thank you so much, Mr. Bin. If it weren't for your help, we'd probably still be halfway here," Captain Qi said with genuine gratitude.

After walking for another ten minutes or so, Carmen suddenly started barking furiously toward the slope diagonally below them. At the same time, Cheeky flew back to circle above Sun Qian's head, squawking loudly, "Qianqian, Qianqian, looks like there's a group of people down there!"

"Found them!" Shen Yibin shouted. It seemed both Carmen and Cheeky had discovered the missing college student hikers.

"Go! Everyone follow Carmen down! You two ladies wait here. We'll come back up after we've rescued them!" Captain Qi's spirits soared at the news, and he immediately began assigning tasks.

"Roger that!" The rescue team members immediately followed Carmen down the slope. Captain Qi took a step forward to walk beside Shen Yibin, his gaze fixed on Carmen. 'I didn't notice a thing, but it smelled them out. It really is a natural-born rescue dog!'