Late at night, a convoy of armored trucks drove into the base and proceeded along a wide road to a small training ground in a corner of the base.
The captain leading the convoy jumped out of his vehicle and met with Shan Qiuyu, who had been waiting there. After a mutual salute, the captain handed over a document and said in a low voice, "Director Shan, it's time to inspect the goods."
"Ou Zhanpeng!" Shan Qiuyu called out the name and gestured towards the trucks.
"Yes!" Young Master Ou responded in a low voice and hurried to the rear of the trucks.
A weary-looking guard held a rifle, his gaze unusually vigilant towards the truck beds.
The driver made a gesture and efficiently opened the back of the truck.
Several iron cages came into Ou Zhanpeng's view, and some were simply secured to the ground with bent steel bars.
Upon noticing the truck doors opening, the Xun dogs in the cages simultaneously turned, arching their backs and showing a readiness to pounce, their fierce, small eyes fixed on Ou Zhanpeng.
They adopted an offensive posture but made no sound.
Ou Zhanpeng didn't dodge or flinch, meeting the gaze of the Xun dogs in the cages. The dogs that bite don't bark, and these creatures were indeed masters of surprise attacks!
He nodded slightly, "It's fine!"
The instant his gaze shifted, six Xun dogs lunged forward, slamming hard against the iron cages with a dull thud.
Soldiers around them immediately raised their rifles, ready to fire.
The Xun dogs in the cages recoiled and fell, but they showed no retreat and lunged forward again.
They opened their gaping maws and bit down hard on the inch-thick steel bars, their teeth and the bars repeatedly colliding, producing a grating sound that made one's teeth ache.
The most ferocious one even broke several teeth, managing to deform a steel bar. Half of its head protruded from the cage, its drooling mouth opening and closing incessantly.
Still, not a sound was made.
Several soldiers who had accompanied the trucks raised electric prods and rammed the electric heads into the Xun dogs. Amidst crackling discharges, the Xun dogs retreated in panic.
This time, they finally let out whimpering, low growls.
However, it was only for an instant before two more Xun dogs lunged forward again, biting down hard on the electric prods. They endured the electric current crackling in their mouths without letting go.
Upon closer inspection, Ou Zhanpeng noticed that the Xun dogs in the truck beds were actually different. The two on the left looked like a pair of hairless dogs, with no fur on their bodies and extremely rough surfaces.
The others had identical appearances but were covered in solid, thick armor, with only joints and moving parts forming thick folds. At first glance, they appeared to be very difficult to deal with.
Their common characteristics were large heads, small bodies, ferocious teeth, matte skin, and slender limbs, giving an impression of great agility and nimbleness.
Ou Zhanpeng's eyes narrowed. These creatures were not only fierce in appearance but even more ferocious in temperament!
"It's fine," he said.
The driver immediately closed the truck beds, and the others lowered their rifles but did not relax their vigilance, continuing to surround the trucks.
Ou Zhanpeng vaguely heard dull impacts from within the trucks, and the heavy vehicles shook visibly.
He then proceeded to inspect the other trucks. After confirming everything was in order, he returned to Shan Qiuyu's side, "The quantity is correct."
Shan Qiuyu made a broad stroke and signed his name on the document.
The trucks remained there, and the escort personnel took other vehicles to the base's assigned dormitories to rest, with security duties handed over to the base's guard units.
At the crack of dawn the next day, a group of researchers, some wearing glasses and others bald, eagerly swarmed the small training ground. The truck beds were opened again, revealing a group of ferocious strange beasts.
The middle-aged man at the head of the group exclaimed with unease, "These things shouldn't be called Xun dogs. The word 'dog' is too misleading. They should be called Xun wolves or Xun leopards to emphasize their ferocity."
His name was Xu Cheng, and he was the leader of all the researchers.
Shan Qiuyu, who had only slept for half the night, urged him with a hoarse voice, "Hurry up, don't dawdle."
"Yes!" Xu Cheng replied, and everyone immediately got to work.
A convoy of trucks drove into the small training ground. The truck beds were opened, and the side panels were connected, quickly transforming into a fully equipped laboratory with complete water and electricity.
This was a mobile laboratory that had been airlifted from Yanjing overnight after the mission was received. It was one of only two sets in the entire army.
Ou Zhanpeng directed the soldiers to use forklifts to move the cages containing the Xun dogs into the laboratory, and a group of researchers immediately surrounded the cages.
Young Master Ou was startled and quickly shooed them away, "What are you doing? Aren't you afraid of dying!"
"Comrade Major, we are researchers. How can we study them if we stay far away?" Xu Cheng did not retort with harsh words due to Ou Zhanpeng's rough attitude but explained in a very calm tone.
What people fear most is not being able to distinguish between good and bad. Ou Zhanpeng's tone was a bit urgent, but his intentions were good, and Xu Cheng saw this clearly.
Ou Zhanpeng glanced at the Xun dogs gnawing on the steel bars. "Teacher Xu, these things are not just fierce. For everyone's safety, it's best not to approach them rashly."
Xu Cheng frowned. "But many studies require close contact!"
"I'll think of a way. Please wait a moment," Ou Zhanpeng said without hesitation.
Leaving the mobile laboratory, he immediately reported the situation to Shan Qiuyu, who immediately ordered the guard units to obey Ou Zhanpeng's command.
A short while later, Ou, fully armed, returned to the mobile laboratory, followed by several similarly equipped soldiers carrying I-beams welded into crosses, bundles of No. 8 wire, and a set of electrical equipment.
Some of the researchers present realized what was happening, while others were stunned. The soldiers, following Ou Zhanpeng's instructions, used high-voltage electricity to incapacitate the Xun dogs.
To be safe, Ou Zhanpeng did not dare to open the cages directly. Instead, he and the soldiers worked together to tie down the four legs of the Xun dogs with ropes, ensuring that even if the Xun dogs woke up, they would be unable to resist. Only then did they open the cage doors and insert the I-beam frames.
Ou Zhanpeng and the soldiers tore the No. 8 wire with their bare hands, tightly binding all the Xun dogs' joints to the I-beams, ensuring that not even a single toe could move.
Not only were they securely bound, but Ou Zhanpeng, as if performing a magic trick, produced a stainless steel basin with perforated edges. He placed it over the dog's mouth and tested it. It fit perfectly. He immediately threaded the No. 8 wire through the holes and secured the Xun dog's head to the I-beam, ensuring that the creature could neither open its mouth nor bite anyone.
He tapped the dog's forehead lightly but firmly with his knuckles. Ou Zhanpeng's voice was filled with cheerfulness. "Done!"
The Xun dog immediately woke up after the tap and instinctively struggled with all its might.
But all its struggles were in vain. The only part of its body that could move was its eyes.
Xu Cheng was amused and impressed. He gave Ou Zhanpeng a thumbs-up. "Beautifully done, no question about it. This binding method is definitely safe. Come on, let's get to work and not let the soldiers' efforts go to waste!"
To be honest, even Xu Cheng felt that Ou Zhanpeng's method was a bit excessive. However, out of habit for managing interpersonal relationships, he offered a kind explanation to prevent others from saying anything inappropriate.
Ou Zhanpeng hadn't thought that far. Shan Qiuyu's order was to cooperate with the experiments, but ensuring the safety of the researchers was the top priority.
Being overly cautious was better than trying to fix things after an accident.