Deep in the night, a convoy of armored trucks entered the base, driving along a wide road to a small training ground in a corner of the base.
The colonel leading the convoy jumped out of his vehicle and met with Shan Qiuyu, who had been waiting there. After a mutual salute, the colonel handed over a document and said in a low voice, "Director Shan, please inspect the goods."
"Ou Zhanpeng!" Shan Qiuyu called out by name and gestured his head towards the trucks.
"Yes!" Young Master Ou responded in a low voice and hurried to the rear of the trucks.
The weary guards, holding their rifles, looked at the truck beds with extreme vigilance.
The driver made a signal and expertly opened the truck bed.
Several iron cages came into Ou Zhanpeng's sight. Upon seeing the truck doors open, the swift hounds in the cages turned in unison, arching their backs and crouching, ready to spring, their fierce little eyes fixed on Ou Zhanpeng.
They adopted an offensive stance but made no sound.
Ou Zhanpeng did not flinch or dodge, meeting the gaze of the swift hounds in the cages: a barking dog seldom bites; this creature is quite adept at sneak attacks!
He nodded slightly, "It's fine!"
The moment his gaze shifted, six swift hounds lunged forward, slamming hard against the iron cages with a dull thud.
The surrounding soldiers immediately raised their rifles, ready to shoot.
The swift hounds in the cages recoiled and fell, but they did not retreat at all, lunging forward again.
They opened their gaping mouths and bit fiercely at the steel bars, as thick as a thumb. Their teeth and the steel bars repeatedly collided, emitting a grating sound that made one's teeth ache.
The fiercest one even broke several of its teeth and managed to deform the steel bar. Half of its head protruded from the cage, its saliva-drenched mouth opening and closing ceaselessly.
Still, not a sound was uttered.
Several soldiers who had accompanied the trucks picked up electric prods and shoved the electric heads fiercely into the swift hounds, causing them to recoil amidst crackling sounds of discharge.
This time, they finally emitted whimpering low growls.
However, it was only for an instant before two more swift hounds lunged forward, biting fiercely at the electric prods, enduring the continuous discharge in their mouths without letting go.
Upon closer inspection, Ou Zhanpeng noticed that the swift hounds in the truck beds were not all the same. The two on the left were like hairless dogs, devoid of any fur, with extremely rough skin.
The others were identical in appearance but covered in large, solid armor plates, with only the joints and flexible areas covered by thick folds. At first glance, they looked formidable.
Their common characteristics were large heads, small bodies, ferocious teeth, matte skin, and slender, long limbs, giving them a highly agile and nimble impression.
Ou Zhanpeng's gaze sharpened: these creatures were not only fierce in appearance but even more so in temperament!
"It's fine," he said.
The driver immediately closed the truck bed, and the others lowered their guns but did not lower their guard, continuing to surround the trucks.
Ou Zhanpeng faintly heard dull thuds coming from inside the trucks. The heavy truck beds actually swayed visibly.
He then inspected the other trucks. After confirming everything was in order, he returned to Shan Qiuyu's side, "The quantity is correct."
Shan Qiuyu waved his hand and signed his name on the document.
The trucks were left there, and the escort personnel took other vehicles to the dormitories arranged by the base to rest. Security work was taken over by the base's guard units.
As dawn was breaking the next day, a group of researchers, some wearing glasses and others bald, eagerly swarmed onto the small training ground. The truck beds were opened again, revealing a pack of fierce monsters.
The middle-aged man at the forefront expressed his unease with a sigh, "This thing shouldn't be called a swift hound. The word 'hound' is too misleading; it should be called a swift wolf or a swift leopard to emphasize its brutality."
He was Xu Cheng, the leader of all the researchers.
Shan Qiuyu, who had only slept for half a night, urged in a hoarse voice, "Hurry up, don't dawdle."
"Yes!" Xu Cheng responded, and the group immediately sprang into action.
A convoy of trucks also drove onto the small training ground. The truck beds unfolded, and the side panels were connected, quickly forming a fully equipped mobile laboratory with complete water and electricity.
Ou Zhanpeng directed the soldiers to use forklifts to remove the cages containing the swift hounds and send them into the laboratory cabin. 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 conduct research if we stay far away?" Xu Cheng did not respond to Ou Zhanpeng's harsh attitude with harsh words but explained in a very calm tone.
The most important thing for people is to discern right from wrong. Although Ou Zhanpeng's tone was a bit rushed, his intentions were good, which Xu Cheng saw very clearly.
Ou Zhanpeng glanced at the swift hound that was still gnawing on the steel bars, "Teacher Xu, these creatures are not merely ferocious. For everyone's safety, it's best not to approach them rashly."
Xu Cheng frowned, "But much research requires close contact!"
"I'll figure something out. Please wait a moment," Ou Zhanpeng said without hesitation.
Leaving the mobile laboratory, he immediately reported the situation to Shan Qiuyu, who then ordered the guard units to obey Ou Zhanpeng's dispatch.
Before long, Ou, fully armed, returned to the mobile laboratory, accompanied by soldiers similarly equipped, carrying I-beams welded into crosses, bundles of No. 8 wire, and a set of electrical equipment.
The researchers present were a mix of realization and bewilderment, while the soldiers, following Ou Zhanpeng's instructions, used high voltage electricity to subdue the swift hounds.
To be safe, Ou Zhanpeng dared not open the cages directly. Instead, he and the soldiers worked together to bind the four legs with ropes, ensuring that the swift hounds could not resist even if they were awake. Only then did they open the cage doors and introduce the I-beam frames.
Ou Zhanpeng and the soldiers, using their bare hands, snapped the No. 8 wire and tightly bound all the joints of the swift hounds to the I-beams, ensuring not even a single toe could move.
Not only were they securely bound, but Ou Zhanpeng, as if by magic, produced a stainless steel basin with punched edges. He placed it over the dog's mouth and tested it, finding the size perfect. He immediately threaded the No. 8 wire through the holes and secured the swift hound's head to the I-beam, ensuring that it could neither open its mouth nor bite anyone.
He tapped the dog's forehead lightly with his fingers, and Ou Zhanpeng's voice carried a hint of cheerfulness, "Done!"
The swift hound, after being tapped, immediately came to its senses 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 felt both amused and moved, giving Ou Zhanpeng a thumbs-up, "Impressive, nothing more to say. This way of binding 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 himself felt that Ou Zhanpeng's method was a bit excessive. However, out of his good habit of interpersonal relations, he offered a well-intentioned explanation to prevent others from saying anything inappropriate.
Ou Zhanpeng hadn't thought that far. Shan Qiuyu's order to him was to cooperate with the experiments, but ensuring the safety of the researchers was paramount.
Excessive precaution was better than trying to fix things after they had gone wrong, wasn't it?