396: Don't wet your pants in fear on the field.

A-Fu sat obediently by her feet, looking up at her with quiet, dark eyes, tail wagging gently as if asking: Master, what do you need me to do?

Sister Lei crouched down and rubbed A-Fu's furry head one last time.

She looked into A-Fu's clear eyes and spoke in a soft but clear voice that only they could hear.

"A-Fu, do you hear those voices? They look down on you; they look down on us. Now, go. No need to hold back, no need for reservations. Let them open their eyes and see clearly what a true 'partner' is, and what 'strength' they cannot comprehend."

A-Fu seemed to understand perfectly.

It didn't growl or bare its teeth like other fierce dogs; it simply pressed its head closer to Sister Lei's palm, nuzzled her, and then let out a short, steady: "Woof."

The sound wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally calm and firm. In its bright black eyes, an extremely faint glimmer, hard for humans to detect, seemed to flash by.

Then, Sister Lei stood up, her gaze calmly sweeping over the arena that was about to begin... At that moment, a host dressed in grand attire walked to the center of the field and began introducing the grand occasion of this "International All-Around Working Dog Competition" with a passionate voice.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the finals of this year's competition! This is a peak showdown bringing together the world's top working dogs and the most outstanding handlers!"

The host's voice was high-pitched.

"I believe everyone has already seen our powerful lineup of contestants! However, I want to tell everyone that today's competition will be unprecedentedly fierce!"

"First, let me emphasize the championship rewards for this competition!" The host paused deliberately to build suspense.

"In addition to the 'Golden Collar' trophy symbolizing the highest honor and a special champion's medal, the winning team will receive—a massive prize of five million US dollars!"

"Wow—!" A huge wave of exclamations and gasps erupted from the stands. Five million dollars! For many dog trainers and enthusiasts, this was undoubtedly an astronomical figure, enough to change a life!

The host was very satisfied with this effect and continued to build the tension: "With such a high prize, it has naturally attracted the world's top experts! Let me highlight a few of the heavy favorites to win this competition!"

The big screen switched images in coordination.

"First, we have the dog training master from the USA, Mr. Jackson Brown, and his invincible god of war—the Pit Bull 'Caesar'! Caesar has an undefeated record, amazing explosive power, and bite force; he is the embodiment of strength and courage! They are one of the strongest contenders for the championship!"

The screen showed the American contestant and his Pit Bull, drawing a cheer from the stands.

"Next is the elite handler from Japan, Mr. Sato Ichiro, with his perfect partner—the Shiba Inu 'Takamatsu Sanae'! Takamatsu Sanae is known for unparalleled obedience, agility, and precise execution; she is a model of intelligence and discipline! She also possesses the absolute strength to challenge for the title!"

A close-up of the Japanese contestant and the Shiba Inu appeared, drawing another wave of applause.

"Also, from Germany, the master of precision, Hans Schmidt and his German Shepherd 'Blitz'! From the Netherlands, the star of vitality, Van der Sar and his Malinois 'Whirlwind'!"

"And from the land of the Northern Giant Bear, the heavyweight contestant Ivanov and his Caucasian Shepherd 'Tarzan'! Every single one is a top-tier performer in their respective countries and even globally!"

With each introduction, the big screen showed corresponding highlight reels or static close-ups, pushing the atmosphere to a climax again and again.

These dogs and their owners all displayed extreme professionalism and the look of champions.

The host finally concluded, his voice full of incitement.

"Ladies and gentlemen! As you can see, this competition is a gathering of experts and stars! Every team has extraordinary strength and is eyeing the throne! To stand out in such brutal competition and seize the final crown and the five million dollar prize, one can imagine the difficulty!"

"This requires the dog to have extremely comprehensive abilities, super-high intelligence, powerful physical fitness, and unparalleled chemistry with the handler!"

"This will be a true battle between dragons and tigers! Let us wait and see who will have the last laugh and be crowned king!"

Listening to the host's infectious and oppressive introduction, looking at the images of those "favorites" and their majestic, record-breaking dogs on the big screen, and then comparing them to the quiet and docile A-Fu in the arena... the fighting spirit and confidence that Tony, Qin Yu, and Lin Xiaoya had just felt from their anger was like a punctured balloon, quickly losing air.

Tony clutched his chest.

"Oh... My God... Five million dollars... so many experts... That Pit Bull looks so fierce... that Shiba Inu looks so professional... A-Fu... although he's very special, but... the competition is so hard..."

In such a realistic and brutal arena, could A-Fu get a good ranking?

Thinking of everyone's ridicule, he let out a heavy sigh.

Qin Yu's expression became even more solemn.

He understood the reality of competitive matches better than Tony.

The opponents the host mentioned, whether in terms of the characteristics of the breeds themselves or the training levels displayed, were indeed world-class.

A-Fu... although he had shown amazing intelligence and obedience before.

This was an international competition, facing various complex and demanding subjects and wolf-like opponents... He started to feel uncertain: Was Sister Lei being a bit too overconfident? If A-Fu performed poorly, or even... lost, wouldn't all the ridicule they just endured bounce back even harder?

Would Sister Lei be very embarrassed?

Lin Xiaoya gripped Tony's hand tightly, her small face full of tension and anxiety: "What should we do... the opponents are all so strong... the prize money is so high, the competition will definitely be especially fierce... A-Fu... will he feel the pressure?"

Although she trusted Sister Lei blindly, the impact of the reality before her was too great.

Their worries and whispers were keenly caught by several foreign spectators nearby who had been watching their reactions.

Those people immediately let out even louder laughter.

A white man wearing a baseball cap mocked loudly.

"Hey! Did you hear? The host said the favorites are Jackson's Caesar or Sato's Takamatsu Sanae! Everyone else? Just here for the ride! Especially some teams from the East who brought pet dogs, haha!"

Another companion chimed in: "Exactly! Still want to win? Keep dreaming! Five million dollars? That's prepared for the truly strong! Some people should just think about how to keep their little dog from peeing its pants on the field!"

A spectator from Japan also joined in the mockery.

These words pierced Tony and the others' ears like needles.