Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

After winding through a messy, abandoned factory area, the edge of a low-lying, chaotic shantytown came into view.

Big Yellow stopped outside a small courtyard wall that looked dilapidated and was haphazardly built with broken planks and bricks. It crouched down, its ears pressed against its scalp, its golden eyes fixed on the only room inside that emitted a faint light, and let out a suppressed, aggressive growl.

Jin Aimin and Wei Chen quickly hid behind a collapsed earthen stove outside the courtyard wall. Jin Aimin peeked out with one eye, and by the dim light from the kerosene lamp shining through the torn window paper, he could vaguely see what was happening inside the courtyard. The courtyard was piled with junk and quiet, but there seemed to be shadowy figures moving inside the house.

"Is this the place?" Jin Aimin asked in a very low voice, his eyes sharply fixed on Da Huang. Da Huang's growl became clearer, and it shook its head violently, its gaze locking onto the broken wooden door.

Wei Chen's spiritual power surged towards the dilapidated house like a tidal wave, instantly penetrating the thin walls. The scene inside was clearly reflected in his "vision": a short, stout middle-aged woman with a dirty floral shirt and a face full of fat was greedily counting a stack of crumpled grain coupons and a few loose bills in her hand, spitting out saliva.

On the kang (a heated brick bed) next to her, several equally worn-out burlap sacks were piled up haphazardly. One of the sacks was still moving slightly, and the faint whimpering of a child being gagged could be heard from inside! In the shadows of the corner, a thin man wearing a tattered cotton-padded jacket and with timid eyes was huddled up, nervously wringing his hands.

"Jin Ke, there are at least two adults inside, and there's also the sound of someone breathing with their mouth covered," Wei Chen's voice was icy, carrying a chilling undertone. "It's them!"

Anger instantly surged in Jin Aimin's eyes! He took a deep breath and gestured to Wei Chen and the other two security guards who had quietly followed behind—"Charge!"

The next moment, Jin Aimin leaped up from behind the earthen stove like a tiger descending the mountain and kicked the rotten wooden door hard!

"Clang—crack!" The wooden door shattered with a loud crash, sending wood chips flying everywhere!

"Don't move! Police!" Jin Aimin's thunderous roar echoed throughout the courtyard!

Inside the house, the woman counting money was terrified by the sudden loud noise, scattering the grain coupons in her hands all over the floor! She screamed instinctively and reached for a burlap sack on the kang (a heated brick bed), as if she wanted to use the child as a hostage!

However, a figure was faster than her!

The instant Jin Aimin broke down the door, Wei Chen had already slipped in like a ghost from Jin Aimin's side! His target was crystal clear—the woman who was trying to pounce on the sack! The police baton drew a sharp arc in the dim light, accompanied by a shrill whistling sound that tore through the air!

"Snap!" A crisp sound rang out! The police baton struck the woman's wrist with perfect precision!

"Ah—!" The woman screamed like a pig being slaughtered. Her wrist was instantly deformed, and the excruciating pain made her curl up, no longer caring about the sack.

At the same time, the gaunt man in the corner was also stunned by the thunderous blow, but he reacted quickly. With a strange cry, he grabbed a fire poker from the side of the kang (a heated brick bed) and, with red eyes, smashed it down on the back of Wei Chen's head, who was closest to him! His actions were ruthless, clearly those of a desperate criminal!

As if he had eyes in the back of his head, Wei Chen spun smoothly like a top the instant he hit the woman, and his left arm flashed up to block!

"Bang!" The fire poker struck Wei Chen's strong forearm with a dull thud.

The immense recoil caused the gaunt man's arm to go numb, and his movements faltered. In that instant of hesitation, Wei Chen's right foot, like a venomous snake emerging from its hole, delivered a vicious side kick with the force of his entire body's rotation, landing solidly on the man's chest!

"Crack!" The sickening sound of bone breaking was clearly audible!

"Ugh!" The gaunt man's eyes bulged out, and his body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing hard onto the earthen bed, rolling to the ground, curling up in pain, only able to hiss in agony, unable to get up again.

The entire battle, from breaking down the door to subduing the two men, took only three or four breaths! Fast, accurate, and ruthless! As if it had been rehearsed a thousand times!

Only then did two other security guards rush into the house and quickly subdue the woman who was lying on the ground screaming in pain and the man who was curled up and groaning.

Jin Aimin strode forward and yanked open the still-wriggling burlap sack on the kang (a heated brick bed). Inside was indeed a boy, no more than five or six years old, his mouth gagged with rags, his hands and feet bound, his face streaked with tears, and filled with terror!

"You beast!" Jin Aimin cursed angrily at the boy's terrified eyes, carefully untying his restraints and removing the rag from his mouth. The boy burst into tears.

"Wei Chen! Well done!" Jin Aimin comforted the child while turning to look at Wei Chen, his eyes filled with undisguised admiration and amazement! Wei Chen's lightning-fast reaction, precise strike, and ruthless and efficient skills were like a textbook demonstration of real combat! This was definitely not the level of an ordinary security officer!

Wei Chen, slightly out of breath, calmed his turbulent blood and tucked his baton back into his waistband. Looking at the crying child and the two human traffickers lying on the ground like dead dogs, the cold anger in his eyes subsided slightly.

He walked to the door, squatted down, and gently patted Big Yellow's head. Big Yellow immediately nuzzled his palm affectionately with its big head, making a satisfied purr in its throat, and its golden eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Jin Ke, it's all thanks to Da Huang. Without it, we wouldn't have found this rat's nest." Wei Chen's voice returned to calm.

Jin Aimin immediately shifted his gaze from Wei Chen and stared intently at Da Huang. His eyes were practically fixed on a priceless treasure!

This small courtyard was a key transit point for the group of people who operated amidst the flood of disaster victims. Jin Aimin and Director Zhang, who arrived shortly afterward, immediately organized a team to launch a surprise interrogation and a dragnet search centered on this location.

With Wei Chen's incredibly precise "detailed reminders" and Da Huang's uncanny sense of smell, this deeply hidden human trafficking group, which had been committing crimes insanely during the famine, quickly collapsed like a snowball thrown into boiling water.

The following days became a glorious moment for the joint operation between the Nanluoguxiang Police Station and the Security Department of Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill.

Inside the abandoned water tower, Da Huang barked incessantly at a ventilation shaft. Police pried open the disguise and rescued a starving, hidden girl. Beneath the collapsed shrine of a dilapidated temple, Da Huang frantically dug at the soft soil with its paws, unearthing some of the traffickers' hidden loot and a list of children they hadn't yet sold. While chasing a ringleader who attempted to escape by jumping into the river, Da Huang unhesitatingly jumped in after him into the icy water, biting his trouser leg and buying precious time for the police chasing on the bank.

Every precise location, every crucial tracking, Wei Chen skillfully attributed the credit to Da Huang. He would either "notic" a subtle trace or "see" Da Huang's unusual reaction, then guide everyone, along with Da Huang, to uncover the evils hidden in the shadows.

"Old Jin! That big yellow dog in your factory is amazing! It's like a celestial hound descended to earth!" Director Zhang exclaimed, patting Jin Aimin on the shoulder excitedly as he looked at the dog, who had been successfully rescued once again. His eyes were filled with amazement and affection as he gazed at the dog. "That nose! It's even more sensitive than our best tracking dog! And that intelligence! It's so intelligent!"

"Absolutely!" Director Wang, wiping away tears, looked at the children who had been reunited with their families and were being held tightly in their arms. He was extremely grateful to Da Huang, "Da Huang is truly our hero! He's the children's guardian angel!"

The security department was in an uproar.

"Chenzi, where did you find this treasure, Da Huang? Tell me!" Colleague Xiao Wang exclaimed in amazement as he circled around Da Huang, wanting to reach out and touch it but also a little afraid.

"Exactly! This big yellow dog is amazing! That nose of his, it must be able to smell bad guys from two miles away, right?" Another team member said with admiration.

"Wei Chen, you're incredibly lucky! You managed to do such a great deed just by picking up a dog!" Jin Aimin looked at the big yellow dog lying lazily at Wei Chen's feet, munching on the jerky Wei Chen had secretly given it. The more he looked at it, the more he liked it, and his eyes shone with an almost fanatical light.

He rubbed his hands together, walked up to Wei Chen, and put on an unprecedented, slightly calculating smile. He squatted down, trying to get close to Da Huang in the most "amiable" tone: "Da Huang? Good dog! Great! Want some big bones? Plenty!"

Big Yellow raised its eyelids, its golden eyes giving Jin Aimin a faint glance before it lowered its head again to continue intently munching on its jerky, not even bothering to wag its tail. Its eyes seemed to say: Who are you? Don't disturb my meal.

Jin Aimin, unfazed by the rebuff, chuckled, stood up, patted Wei Chen heavily on the shoulder, and said earnestly, his true intentions revealed: "Wei Chen! I need to discuss something with you! Look, with all these skills, isn't it a waste to just have Da Huang guard your house? It's a natural-born police dog! Exceptional sense of smell, alert and brave, and even understands human nature! If we put it in our security department and train it properly, it would be our department's trump card! Deterring thieves and fighting crime would be twice as effective! What do you say? Think about it? The organization will definitely not treat it unfairly! Meat every meal! A permanent position!"

Looking at Jin Aimin's eager eyes, and then looking down at Da Huang, who was licking the last bit of jerky clean, yawning contentedly, and resting its big head on its shoe to prepare for sleep, Wei Chen couldn't help but twitch his lips.

He crouched down and ruffled Big Yellow's fluffy head. Big Yellow squinted comfortably, making a purring sound in its throat.

"Jin Ke, this matter... isn't up to me." Wei Chen looked troubled. "You have to ask it yourself. Da Huang... is stubborn and loyal to its owner. It loves to wander around with me and is used to its freedom." He paused, looking at Jin Aimin's face, which instantly fell, and added, "However... if there are any tricky tracking missions in the department in the future and you need help, just ask. I'll definitely bring it to help."