Chapter 421: Crossing Fire
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
While Guan Biao, the pyrotechnician, was setting up the blasting devices, Zhang Zian and Famous paid close attention to the situations at the venue. Covering a very large area, the backyard was almost equivalent to more than half of a football field in size. The ground appeared uneven, with weeds, mounds, rocks distributing everywhere. There were also huge bomb craters and puddles within them, with thin ice floating on top. It looked just like a simulated battlefield.
Close to the edge of the venue, there was a camera-shooting dedicated lift, on which a cameraman-looking guy was on standby status holding a camera and with a staff member standing under the lift to assist him. Zhang Zian thought this was what Feng Xuan was talking about, allowing dogs to adapt to the presence of cameras and videographers.
The walls of the backyard were posted with green stickers, about the height of an adult man’s chest.
“That’s the green screen.” Feng Xuan introduced, “You probably have heard about it, and although we are not really shooting movie right now, we still have to use it in order to simulate the scene more realistically.”
Zhang Zian had heard about it, but it’s the first time he has seen the green screen.
Feng Xuan called Sheng Ke and his two police officers to come over, pointing to the center of the venue and said, “Can you see this marked out passage?”
With Sheng Ke and his subordinates, Zhang Zian looked at the way and noticed the location Feng Xuan was referring to. There were two lanes marked out by green paint, with about one and a half meters distance in between, that were meandering to the end of the courtyard wall.
“All you have to do is to get your dogs to run down the passage, and when they’re running, there will be fireworks and mini-blasting around them, and through a hidden broadcast device, they will also hear loud noise of explosion. But they will be safe as long as they do not run outside the passageway.” Feng Xuan paused and added, “Of course, if you feel it’s too dangerous, it does not matter if you quit now.”
Shing Ke pulled his two subordinates aside, whispering to ask them if they were sure about this, if not, they were fine to abstain. Xiao Liu and Xiao Wang were actually quite confident. Their dogs were well-trained, and they should have no problem running straight to the end.
Zhang Zian did not ask Famous. It had heard what they were talking about, since it made no objection, it was also very confident. However, he saw some people standing beside the iron cages in the courtyard and watching towards this way.
He felt embarrassed to disturb Feng Xuan, instead pulling the assistant who was almost at the same age with him and asked, “Are those people also attending the audition? Why don’t they come over?”
The assistant nodded and said, “Their audition has ended, they are here today waiting for the results.”
He glanced at the tablet he was carrying with and introduced them in turn, “The dog in cage No.1 is Neptune from Star Group, and the trainer is Yuan Fei; and the dog in cage No.2 is Black Knife from Vientiane Pet Shop, and the trainer is Huang Mingyu; the dog in cage No. 3 is…”
Zhang Zian recognized a familiar name—not the Star Group, but Huang Mingyu. He could not help but be surprised for a moment, keeping him from hearing to the rest of the words. He remembered that this man had tried to poach Wang Qian and Li Kun from him, asking them to steal the secret of cat training from him. Luckily, they rejected Huang Mingyu. Just like enemies that were bound to meet on a narrow road, they were running into each other again.
The two German Shepherds sent from the police dog team of Binhai City were called Red Dragon and Prince. They were going to participate in today’s test with Famous.
A staff member brought a chair and asked Feng Xuan, who was over fifty years old, to sit down. Nie Yuan was standing beside him.
Guan Biao breathlessly ran over, holding a remote detonator, he said, “Director Feng, I have completed the layout. The test can start at any moment.”
“Okay, are you all ready?” Feng Xuan looked at Zhang Zian and the two police officers in turn. “If you are ready, take your dogs to the starting point and wait for my instruction.”
“Ready!” The two police officers answered in a loud voice. They led Red Dragon and Prince to the starting point and squatted down. Just like in the usual training, they gently reminded their dogs, pointing to the finish line, then took off the leashes on their necks.
“I’m ready too,” said Zhang Zian, who also arrived at the starting point with Famous. Without saying anything, he untied the leash just as the two police officers did.
At this time Feng Xuan noticed one thing, that Zhang Zian had never held the leash in his hand particularly tightly from beginning to end. In other words, Famous was just wearing the collar and leash for show.
Guan Biao made a OK gesture to Director Feng.
The cameraman on the lift also made a OK gesture.
Director Feng boomed, “Three-two-one …Action!”
Before Xiao Liu, Xiao Wang and Zhang Zian had even realized what was going on, Famous had dashed out like an arrow! Not until then did the two police officers come to their senses and hurriedly pat on the back of Red Dragon and Prince. Receiving the signals from their owners, Red Dragon and Prince also rushed out, but were already falling behind on Famous’ trail for the length of at least three bodies!
Although no one had ever said that the first dog reaching the end would become the protagonist, at least Famous had proved that its reaction was faster, and it can understand the command, without its owner’s interventions.
“Come on, Red Dragon! Come on!”
“Prince, go, catch up with it!”
Falling behind at the starting line, the two officers were holding grudges. They put their hands together around their mouths, shouting to encourage their dogs—no one said this was not allowed.
Red Dragon and Prince had proved themselves to be the excellent ones from the police dog team, not only did they have a high degree of obedience, but also they had been training diligently on a daily basis. In terms of physical fitness alone, it seemed that they were better than Famous. After dashing, the gap between them and Famous had been gradually narrowing down to the length of just two bodies!
Zhang Zian did not yell anything, he was just silently watching the back of Famous from behind.
In this situation, Sheng Ke was embarrassed. He was the superior of the two police officers, and Zhang Zian was his friend, so it was inappropriate for him to cheer for either side. Although he did not want the police dogs to participate in filming, he didn’t want them to lose to an unfamiliar dog…so he had to squat down, without helping either side.
On the other side of the venue, Yuan Fei and Huang Mingyu were also closely watching the three dogs. Their dogs were also vying for the protagonist, so they certainly hoped that these three dogs failed to pass this test.
Hiss…hiss…
Guan Biao pressed the button, launching the smoking device hidden among the venue. Blowing by the wind, the blue and white smoke had quickly blurred the figures of the three dogs.
Although this was a simulated battlefield, it’s not a genuine battlefield after all. The smoke looked powerful, but in fact it was not choking, bringing no significant impact on the three dogs, who were still rushing straight towards the end.
Seeing their dogs were about to catch up with Famous, the two police officers shouted even harder, almost breaking their vocal cords..
However, their voices were immediately overwhelmed by the huge noise as if a tsunami were erupting!
“Whoosh—boom!”
“Boom!”
Huge sounds of explosion, which were simulating the sounds of cannonballs falling through the air and exploding on the ground, were so close as if the noises were heard from near their ears. The earth was shaking, the dogs seemed to be put in the real battlefield.
Although the two police dogs were well-trained and had also participated in several rounds of rounding up operations, they were, after all, police dogs rather than military dogs, and few military dogs had even been actually placed in real battlefields. The huge explosion had shaken their minds, and they had significantly slowed down, no longer dashing towards as if their feet were not touching the ground. Instead, they were repeatedly switching between running and walking, and they even occasionally stopped, looking back as if to seek help from their owners.
In the cold wind, the two police officers were so anxious that they were drenched in sweat, itching to hold their dogs to run forward.
On the other hand, Famous had also slowed down and stopped dashing. It seemed like Famous was also disturbed by the explosion. However, it did not look back, nor did it pause. It just continued moving forward.
There’s confusion in its eyes and it was not focusing on anything, it just ran forward mechanically. There’s only one goal left in its mind for the time being—rushing to the end to win this role.
However, the hazy smoke, the tremor of the earth, the hoarse and exhausted shouting…all these had vaguely brought back some memory to it. Something very far yet friendly.
It was not afraid of the smoke and the loud noises, on the contrary, it seemed to be back where it should be, with the blood all over its body afire with passion!
