397: Are you trying to make me laugh to death?

Tony turned around abruptly. Although he felt weak inside, he refused to show it. He retorted in a shrill voice.

"The competition hasn't even started yet! Who knows who will win or lose? Why are you so certain? The greatest charm of competitive sports is uncertainty! Anything can happen! What if... what if Afu can create a miracle!

What if he can take the championship!!!"

Qin Yu also had a cold face as he said in a deep voice, "That's right. It's too early to draw conclusions. It's not over until the fat lady sings."

He tried his best to make his voice sound calm and powerful, even though his palms were slightly sweating.

Lin Xiaoya also plucked up her courage and said loudly, "Afu is very smart! He can definitely do it!"

However, their rebuttals only drew more frantic ridicule and sarcasm from the surrounding foreign spectators.

"Listen to that! What are they saying? 'Create a miracle'? With a Local Dog? And winning the championship????"

"Hahahaha! This is the funniest joke I've heard all year! Are you trying to kill me with laughter???"

"People from Dragon Kingdom are truly full of fantasies!"

"Do they have some misunderstanding of the word 'miracle'?"

"A Local Dog winning the championship? Only if the sun rises from the west!"

"Alright, alright, stop crushing their 'dreams.' Reality will teach them a lesson in a moment."

The sound of unbridled laughter surrounded them.

Tony's face turned pale with anger, Qin Yu pursed his lips tightly with a gloomy gaze, and Lin Xiaoya felt so wronged she wanted to cry again.

They knew that continuing the argument was meaningless and would only lead to further humiliation.

The three of them stopped talking, turned back, and stared intently at the small yellow figure in the field.

They turned all their hope, faith, resentment, and anger into the most devout and intense prayers and shouts in their hearts:

Afu! Go for it! You must do us proud!

You must win! Slap these people's faces hard!

At that moment, as if they shared a telepathic connection, Afu, who had been sitting quietly in the preparation area, suddenly turned his head toward the stands where Tony and the others were. He barked clearly and loudly, "Woof, woof, woof!" His little tail wagged happily a few times, and his bright black eyes seemed to locate them accurately.

Tony, Qin Yu, and Lin Xiaoya were momentarily stunned, followed by a surge of wild joy!

"Did you see that?! Was Afu responding to us?!"

"He heard us! He must have heard our cheering!"

"He's saying 'Don't worry, leave it to me'! Right?!"

"Afu is so smart! He really can understand!"

In this moment, Afu's small gesture was like a shot of adrenaline, instantly injecting the three of them with a surge of powerful confidence and warmth.

Although they were still worried rationally, emotionally, they felt a wonderful connection had been established with Afu, and their confidence returned slightly... Five minutes later.

"Now, I declare the finals of the 'International All-Around Working Dog Competition' officially begun!"

The host's voice echoed through the stadium via the loudspeaker.

The competition events were highly comprehensive, including:

1. Basic Obedience and Agility: Rapidly navigating a series of obstacles (balance beam, hoop jump, tunnel, A-frame, etc.) while responding to the owner's commands such as sit, down, stand, and heel. This tests the dog's flexibility, obedience, and focus.

2. Search and Identification: Within a designated area, finding target objects with specific scents (such as explosives or drug simulants) from among multiple similar items. This tests sense of smell and concentration.

3. Protection and Biting (under strict safety control): Simulating the subduing of a "criminal" (played by a professional decoy in a heavy bite suit). This tests the dog's courage, bite accuracy, and absolute obedience to commands (including attack, stop, and release).

4. Special Skill Demonstration (optional bonus): Showcasing unique skills beyond conventional training.

The competition proceeded according to the drawing order.

As each team took the field, the large screen displayed their performance and timing in real-time.

Teams appeared one by one, and the intensity of the competition was indeed beyond imagination, just as the host had said.

The Pit Bull "Caesar" from the USA showed terrifying power and impact in the protection and biting phase. Once he bit the protective gear, he could almost drag the decoy down, eliciting bursts of gasps. However, in the search phase requiring fine operation and some agility obstacles, he was slightly clumsy and lost some points.

The Shiba Inu "Takamatsu Sanae" from Japan was nearly perfect in the basic obedience and agility phases, moving like flowing water with almost zero errors. The search phase was also stable, but in the protection and biting phase requiring absolute strength and deterrence, she seemed a bit out of her depth. Although she completed the movements, her impact was insufficient.

The German Shepherd "Lightning" from Germany performed extremely comprehensively, balanced in all aspects with almost no weaknesses, leading the score all the way.

The Malinois "Whirlwind" from the Netherlands was unique in agility and explosive power, with incredible speed.

The Caucasian Shepherd "Taishan" was like a heavy tank, shocking the audience in the protection phase, but took longer in the agility phase.

Every contestant and their dog gave their all, with cheers, regrets, and marvels rising and falling from the stands.

The scores and rankings constantly refreshing on the big screen tugged at everyone's heartstrings.

The competition reached a fever pitch. Currently, the German Shepherd "Lightning" was temporarily in first place, but the advantage was not obvious. The contestants from the USA, Japan, and the Netherlands followed closely behind, with the scores being very tight... When the judge called out "Dragon Kingdom contestant, Lei Jun," the entire stadium suddenly went silent for a moment. Then, massive boos, laughter, and whistles erupted from all directions, far louder and more piercing than when any previous contestant had appeared.

"Here it comes! Showtime for the Dragon Kingdom Local Dog!"

"Look quick, let's see how it 'creates a miracle'!"

"I'm ready to laugh!"

"I hope it doesn't cry from fear on the field!"

"Five minutes! I bet it won't last past the first obstacle!"

The three contestants from Japan, Korea, and the USA stood at the edge of the preparation area, watching with arms crossed and undisguised mockery on their faces.

The Japanese contestant whispered to his companion in Japanese, "Just watch, the dog from the Shina people will show its true colors in no time."

The USA contestant said loudly to those nearby, "I bet one bark from my Caesar could make that little thing wet itself."

To save face from before, the Korean contestant quickly chimed in, "That's right, sumida! Oppa's dog is the best! The Dragon Kingdom dog is a total pizza!"

In the stands, Tony, Qin Yu, Lin Xiaoya, and the others had their hearts in their throats. Their palms were covered in sweat as they gripped the railings tightly, staring at the field without blinking.

Lei Jun remained calm. She gently patted Afu's back and said only one word: "Go."

As if receiving the clearest command, Afu immediately shot out from her feet like a bolt of yellow Lightning. Yet, he didn't charge blindly; instead, he accurately rushed toward the first obstacle—the balance beam!