HUN Chapter 137: Bernese Mountain Guard Dogs

Much later, the grand performance by the lake slowly came to an end.

Lin Yu'an started the car and smoothly drove Emily back to her cabin.

He wrapped his heavy coat around Emily, who lay in the back seat like a tired ragdoll cat, sleeping deeply.

For the first time in a while, he lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and let the acrid smoke curl up and drift out through the car window.

He looked at this bold and intelligent woman in the back seat, his heart unusually calm.

The earlier madness, for him, was less about indulgence and more about a necessary taming of the negative emotions that had been accumulating in his heart.

He had released it, seen it clearly, and locked it back in its cage.

When he helped the still slightly weak-legged Emily into the living room, tender "whimpering" sounds and two wobbling figures immediately caught his attention.

In the corner by the fireplace, on soft blankets, two fluffy little creatures were curiously watching them.

They had beautiful fur in black, white, and brown colors, with adorable square faces that made them look like two moving little bears.

"Bernese Mountain Dogs?" Lin Yu'an's expression immediately softened as he crouched down and extended his hand toward the two puppies.

"Yes, that's right."

Emily's voice carried the huskiness of post-exhaustion as she walked to the bar counter, poured two glasses of warm water, and handed one to Lin Yu'an.

"I was late to the party tonight because I went to pick them up from a friend's place in Fairbanks. Her female had six puppies, and I chose the two strongest ones."

She sat on the sofa, gently petting one of the puppies that had come to her feet.

"After what happened last time, I decided to get two dogs. They're excellent guard dogs, smart, loyal, and large enough to deter most trouble."

Lin Yu'an looked at the two puppies. They weren't afraid of strangers at all, wagging their tails happily and bouncing left and right.

The bolder one had already begun gently nibbling his fingers with its still-developing milk teeth, carrying the scent of a young puppy.

The last traces of negative emotions in his heart completely melted away at this moment.

Emily watched Lin Yu'an's genuine affection and smiled tenderly. She hadn't expected this man to have such a gentle side.

"You seem to really like them. I thought you wouldn't be the type to like small animals."

"I like them very much," Lin Yu'an said honestly.

"Then... I'll give you one," Emily made a decision that somewhat surprised Lin Yu'an.

"One will stay with me, one with you. That way they can still see each other often."

"And... I also hope to have something that might make you not want to kill me when you see it, during those times when you do want to kill me."

Lin Yu'an looked at her somewhat self-mocking smile and didn't refuse this gift with special meaning.

He knew this puppy would become the first legitimate emotional bond between them, aside from their dark secret.

"Alright." He nodded, holding the more active male puppy in his arms.

"We need to give them names," Emily suggested.

Lin Yu'an thought for a moment, looking at the energetic little guy in his arms, and smiled, “He's so mischievous, let's call him Whiskey, to commemorate George's excellent bottle last night."

"Whiskey?"

Emily laughed, finding the name very fitting, “Then my little lady will be called Honey, hoping her temperament will be as sweet as honey."

Whiskey and Honey, the two names were settled.

"However, bloodlines alone aren't enough for them to become qualified guard dogs."

Emily became serious, “They need professional training to become proper guard dogs."

"Wiseman has a very skilled dog trainer named Ryan Anderson, formerly an ace handler with the Los Angeles Police Department's K-9 unit."

"An ace? How did he end up here?" Lin Yu'an asked curiously.

"I heard he got tired of the city's restrictions and seeing his beloved police dogs die in the line of duty chasing criminals caused serious psychological problems. He voluntarily resigned and came back."

Emily explained, “He believes true companions should run in the mountains and forests, not chase criminals through concrete jungles. Companions shouldn't be tools."

"Anyway, he's very experienced with training large working dogs. You could go learn from him, and also... ask him how to train Honey for me."

Lin Yu'an memorized the name and his story.

That night, Lin Yu'an didn't leave.

Emily's bedroom was spacious and comfortable. He took a satisfying hot shower, washing away days of fatigue and the lingering scent of perfume.

When Lin Yu'an emerged from the bathroom, he found Emily removing her makeup in front of the mirror.

The two didn't engage in anything more but lay together like old friends who had known each other for years, talking about many things.

Emily told him about growing up on a farm in Ohio, how she came to love animals and eventually chose to come to Alaska to open a veterinary clinic.

During their conversation, they also made some plans for the future.

Lin Yu'an said, “I'll be traveling frequently in the future, whether to Fairbanks for supplies or into the mountains for hunting."

"When I'm away, could I trouble you to help look after my greenhouse? Things like opening and closing vents or checking the drip irrigation system?"

"Of course, no problem," Emily readily agreed.

"In return, I'll handle Whiskey and Honey's training from now on."

These two puppies brought their relationship a bit closer again.

Early the next morning, just as dawn was breaking.

Emily had already changed into practical traveling attire. She needed to go to a supplier in Fairbanks to pick up a batch of ordered veterinary medicines.

Before leaving, she insisted on driving Lin Yu'an and the two puppies back to the forest cabin first.

The Subaru Outback traveled quietly along the forest path.

In the back seat, Whiskey and Honey, two little fur balls, were squeezed together sleeping soundly, making tiny snoring sounds, their bodies swaying gently with the car's movement, quite adorable.

When the car slowly stopped in front of Lin Yu'an's cabin, the silence of the turned-off engine seemed to wake them.

Whiskey was the first to open his drowsy eyes, shakily standing up and using his wet little nose to nudge the car window, curiously surveying this new territory.

Lin Yu'an opened the car door, and the two little ones immediately jumped out like cannonballs, diving head-first into the grass that reached their ankles.

Honey appeared more refined, carefully sniffing the wildflowers on the ground.

While Whiskey was like an unbridled little buffalo, rolling around in the grass, chasing his own tail, occasionally letting out tender but energetic "woof woof" sounds.

"They seem to really like it here," Lin Yu'an said, leaning against the car door with a smile.

"They just like anywhere they can run freely."

Emily also got out of the car, walking to his side and watching the puppies playing in the morning light, her eyes full of tenderness.

"Lin." She suddenly turned her head, calling to him softly.

Lin Yu'an turned back, meeting her clear blue eyes.

Emily stood on her tiptoes, leaned in, and planted a gentle kiss on his lips.

The kiss was brief, lacking last night's passion but carrying more emotional warmth.

"Take good care of them, especially Whiskey, he's too mischievous," she said, looking into his eyes seriously.

"I will," Lin Yu'an nodded.

After sending Emily off, Lin Yu'an looked at these two new family members beside him, his heart filled with unprecedented satisfaction.

This large cabin, with the arrival of these two little lives, instantly felt less empty.

David and Mike wouldn't return for several more days, which was perfect timing to visit that legendary dog trainer.

He didn't go directly to find Ryan, but decided to first use Old George, the local connection, as an intermediary.

He found two spare leather cords and put temporary collars on Whiskey and Honey.

The two little ones obviously found this restraint both novel and somewhat objectionable. Whiskey tried to bite the cord with his teeth.

While Honey simply sat down with a thump, looking at Lin Yu'an with innocent big eyes, as if staging a silent protest.

Lin Yu'an smiled as he picked them up one by one, placed them in the spacious back seat of the Ford Explorer, then drove to Old George's house.

When Old George opened the door and saw Lin Yu'an with two adorable Bernese Mountain puppies emerging from around his feet, he opened his mouth in surprise.

"Lin! What is this... did you and Emily rob a bear nursery last night?" Old George laughed heartily.

He crouched down, letting Whiskey and Honey lick his calloused hands.

"Emily gave them to me."

Lin Yu'an explained with a smile, also handing Honey to Old George, “This is the sister, called Honey, she belongs to Emily. The one in my arms is the brother, called Whiskey, he'll be with me from now on."

"Whiskey and Honey?"

Old George smiled meaningfully, “Good names! They sound like a perfect evening!"

Lin Yu'an briefly explained his purpose, “I heard there's a dog trainer in town named Ryan Anderson. I want to learn from him how to train these two little ones so they can become excellent guard dogs in the future."

"Ryan?"

"You've found the right person! That boy is a real expert."

"Several of the town's best hunting dogs, including Patton's bear-tracking hound that can track across half a mountain range, were all trained with his help."

"But Lin, you should know that in Alaska you can't use hunting dogs to track large animals. If they're just guard dogs accompanying you on hunts, that's no problem."

"Thank you for the reminder, George. I understand."

George nodded and went inside to get his old satellite phone.

"Hold on, I'll call him. He's a good guy, just a bit... reclusive. He doesn't like strangers showing up unannounced."

"Ever since he resigned from the LAPD and came back, he spends more time with his pack of dogs than with people."

"He mainly makes his living now by training dogs for people. He has quite a few clients in Fairbanks."

"But you don't need to worry about the cost, he doesn't charge community residents for his help."

"If you want to thank him, you could bring some trout. He'll make it into dog food for the puppies."

Old George dialed the number and chatted with the other party in the familiar tone of an elder to a younger person, briefly introducing Lin Yu'an's situation.

He specifically mentioned the incident of bravely fighting gunmen at the supermarket, knowing this would naturally appeal to Ryan, a former police officer.

"Yes, that Chinese kid with incredible skills... Hmm, he's right here with me now, brought two Bernese Mountain puppies, wants to learn from you... Haha, I knew you'd be interested!"

After hanging up, Old George gave Lin Yu'an an OK gesture, “All set. He wants you to come over now. He'll be waiting for you at his training ground."

With permission granted, Lin Yu'an thanked Old George again.

He rounded up the two puppies who had been playing wildly in the living room and put them back in the car.

Then, following the address Old George had given him, he drove his Ford Explorer toward the other end of Wiseman.

Ryan Anderson's home was situated on an extremely open grassland surrounded on three sides by tall spruce forests.

This place was far from the hustle and bustle, like an independent kingdom isolated from the world.

When Lin Yu'an's car entered the long gravel driveway, the first thing he saw was a professional training ground enclosed by high chain-link fencing, occupying a huge area.

On an extremely open grassland, he finally saw a well-maintained wooden house.

There, he met for the first time this former ace K-9 police dog handler from the Los Angeles Police Department, Ryan Anderson.

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