401: It became popular again.

Lei Jun watched all of this, smiling, and sincerely said to the three of them, “Thank you all for being so thoughtful. Afu really seems to love it.”

This sentence was both an expression of gratitude for the gifts and an appreciation for their kind intentions.

The three waved their hands, indicating that they were happy to do it and there was no need to be so polite.

As night fell, the celebration banquet, filled with laughter, memories, and warmth, finally concluded in an incredibly harmonious and satisfying atmosphere... Within hours of the banquet, a storm concerning Afu had begun to brew in the internet world, especially on global video platforms and social media, and it erupted with astonishing speed.

Footage of the competition, filmed by spectators on site—including many Dragon Country viewers and some foreign viewers who were stunned by Afu's performance—especially Afu's ghostly speed in the agility course, his precise calmness during searching, the sharp control in his bites, and that god-tier moment when he touched the tablet with his paw... was quickly edited, set to music, captioned with exclamations in various languages, and uploaded to YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, as well as Weibo, Bilibili, Douyin, and other major platforms within Dragon Country.

#MiracleLocalDog#

#ChineseNativeDog#

#AFUTheGenius#

#DivineDogAppearsAtInternationalDogShow#

#IsThisReallyADog?#

Related topics and hashtags quickly surged to the top of trending lists on social media platforms in various countries.

Netizens in Country B were extremely excited.

“High alert ahead! Non-combat personnel please evacuate!!”

“I literally watched it on my knees!”

“Afu: I merely made a slight move, and it's already the limit of this tier.”

“Who says Chinese Pastoral Dogs are no good? Is this really a Chinese Pastoral Dog? This is clearly the Howling Celestial Dog descended to earth!”

“From today on, Afu is my internet electronic pet god! Please bless me so I don't fail my exams!”

“Tears welled up, what a good dog, bringing glory to the country!”

“Where are those foreigners who mocked before the competition? Come out and show yourselves? Does your face hurt?”

Foreign netizens also discussed animatedly.

“Oh my god! This is insane! Is that dog real? That speed, that precision, that intelligence... It's like watching a superhero movie, but the protagonist is a dog!”

“This... could it be... even more amazing than a Shiba Inu? That scene touching the tablet, wasn't it Photoshopped? Unbelievable... but, so amazing.”

“As a professional dog trainer with 15 years of experience, I have never seen such a sight. The coordination between the dog and owner is simply telepathic. The dog's ability to understand complex commands and even interact with a screen... This overturns all current understanding of canine cognition.”

“Am I the only one who noticed Afu's owner? That pink-haired young lady! Both beautiful and cool! And super calm throughout! Indeed, a dog reflects its owner! A divine combination!”

“They must have used a high-tech collar for remote control, right? Or maybe the dog has a chip? Otherwise, how could it be so obedient? Dragon Country just loves to do these superficial things.”

“Sour grapes, just bitter! Were all those judges and cameras on site just for show? Is it that hard to admit others are excellent? If Afu touching the tablet was remote-controlled, you control one and show me?”

“I don't care if it's magic or science, I just know I want a dog like Afu! Where can I buy one? Do they sell them? How much? Take my money!” Below this comment, countless echoing replies, various languages of “+1”, “Same here!”, “Me too!” flooded the screen.

This comment seeking to purchase, like a spark falling into an oil barrel, instantly ignited the enthusiasm of countless dog lovers, curiosity seekers, and even opportunists worldwide.

Afu's performance completely subverted many people's stereotype of “Dragon Country Local Dogs” as cheap, ordinary, and limited in ability.

In the video, the loyalty, intelligence, bravery, elegance, and that indescribable “spiritual quality” displayed by Afu led many to regard him as the embodiment of an “ideal dog breed.”

Thus, a hilarious yet anticipated “global craze for buying Chinese Pastoral Dogs” vigorously began.

On Google, search volumes for keywords like “Chinese Native Dog,” “How to buy a dog like Afu,” “Afu breed,” and “ Purchase price of Chinese rural dog” (Chinese Pastoral Dog price purchase) skyrocketed exponentially.

Major pet trading websites, social media pet groups, and even cross-border e-commerce platforms were instantly flooded with countless inquiries and purchase requests:

“Seeking purebred Chinese Pastoral Dog, must be intelligent, healthy, good looking, budget unlimited!”

“Heavily seeking Chinese Pastoral Dog puppies similar to Afu!”

“Are there any channels to import Chinese Pastoral Dogs from Dragon Country? Urgent!”

“I also want a dog that can play with a tablet!”

Some astute, or rather, opportunistic international pet dealers and so-called “breeding experts” began to act, claiming to possess dogs with “premium Chinese Pastoral Dog bloodlines” and “Afu's intelligent genes,” pricing them from thousands to tens of thousands of US dollars, and even absurd scams like “pre-ordering Afu's offspring” appeared.

Who knows if Afu even has offspring?

This trend quickly spread back domestically.

Some domestic pet breeders, dog farms, and even ordinary families who owned Chinese Pastoral Dogs received inquiry calls and messages from overseas or indirectly.

Some were pleasantly surprised, some confused, and some worried.

Lei Jun soon learned about the online storm and the ensuing purchasing frenzy from Lei Yue and Su Qing.

Lei Yue reported to her about some legal risks online, such as potential cases of fraud using Afu's image, and whether a statement needed to be issued to clarify the facts.

Su Qing mentioned that their family had received some strange inquiry calls.

After listening, Lei Jun's first reaction was a mix of amusement and exasperation.

She sat in her study, Afu quietly curled up in his new soft bed at her feet.

She opened her tablet and casually browsed through the videos with astonishing click-through rates and the frantic comments below.

Watching those foreigners go from initial shock and doubt to later admiration and worship, and now this almost fanatical “craze for buying,” she felt quite subtle.

Afu's explosion in popularity, while anticipated, had such a huge chain reaction that it was still a bit unexpected.

People always worship the strong and chase after miraculous things.

When Afu broke their preconceived notions of Chinese Pastoral Dogs and displayed overwhelming excellence, this worship and pursuit emerged.

In a way, this was essentially the same as how people previously sought after purebred famous dogs, only the object changed from pedigree proof to ability proof.

Of course, this also mixed in a lot of factors like joining the fun, following trends, and even wanting to speculate for profit.

Lei Jun felt a bit helpless about those naive purchasers.

Afu was a unique system creation, a “Future Technology Guardian Dog,” and his abilities were rooted in artificial intelligence and biotechnology far beyond the current era, something that ordinary breeding simply could not replicate.

Those who thought they could buy an “Afu lookalike” were destined to be disappointed, and possibly even scammed.