Chapter 75: Forming the Sled Team

The client introduced by Aunt Liu was a bachelor named Zhuang Bowen. Usually, he lived alone with four dogs in the house.

Originally, Zhuang Bowen had only kept a husky, and at that time the husky showed no signs of tearing up the house. Later, he somehow decided to adopt an Alaskan Malamute and a Samoyed. It wasn't until the Alaskan and the original husky produced a "husky" offspring that the snow sled team was formed, and Zhuang Bowen's home began its endless journey of renovations.

When Zhang Congwen met Zhuang Bowen, he didn’t immediately invite him into his own home. Instead, Zhuang Bowen launched into a tirade of complaints.

Zhuang Bowen was an experienced dog owner, so he suspected that his dogs were suffering from separation anxiety. Though he was well-versed in dog care, he was unsure where to begin with separation anxiety. He had tried some online training methods with his four dogs, but ultimately, they proved ineffective.

In households with multiple dogs, separation anxiety is rare, though not impossible, so it was a point worth considering.

But Zhang Congwen didn’t understand why Zhuang Bowen was so adamant that the dogs’ destructive behavior stemmed from separation anxiety, until Zhuang Bowen explained, “They only act up when no one is home. If there’s someone present, they never tear the house apart, nor do they bite anything. They’re always quiet and well-behaved.”

Zhang Congwen nodded in agreement.

He had to admit, Zhuang Bowen made a valid point. If the dogs were simply brimming with energy, they’d be restless even when someone was home, not so quiet. Whereas, if it were separation anxiety, the destructive behavior would stop once the owner returned.

Zhuang Bowen then showed Zhang Congwen a series of photos, all depicting the aftermath of the four dogs’ rampages. The scenes were nothing short of devastation, resembling a recycling center, with barely any space to step.

Whether it was the sofa, the door frame, the wooden floors, or other furniture, the destruction was almost unspeakable.

If one were to describe it with an apt metaphor, Zhuang Bowen’s home could be said to embody a “battle-damaged” interior style.

He particularly pointed out the sofa in the photos, saying, “This sofa—I bought it six months ago for over a hundred thousand. Now look what they've done to it.”

He then produced a photo of the sofa in its original pristine state for Zhang Congwen to see.

Zhang Congwen was impressed; Zhuang Bowen was truly wealthy. Knowing his dogs would destroy the house, he still dared to buy such an expensive sofa.

Both their names contained the character “wen,” yet the disparity between them was immense. Zhang Congwen couldn't help but feel a little humbled by Zhuang Bowen’s extravagance.

He wondered whether Zhuang Bowen was simply broad-minded, or whether he genuinely didn’t care about the costly sofa. He had even documented the sofa’s transformation from brand new to utterly ruined.

Initially, the snow sled team only tore the surface of the sofa, but soon after, they began pulling out the stuffing. Zhuang Bowen was not truly foolish with money; he attempted repairs throughout the process, but in the face of the snow sled team’s relentless efforts, he was defeated. Eventually, the entire exterior was gone, exposing the springs and wooden frame.

Even then, the sled team seemed unsatisfied with their handiwork. In the last photo, several wooden beams were broken, and one of the springs had disappeared altogether.

Zhuang Bowen lamented, “I originally thought it would be fun to form a sled team. Who knew their main job would be pulling sleds, and their side gig would be demolition work? I’ve given up now; they can tear away as they please. But I do worry they might hurt themselves one day. There have already been a few trips to the hospital from eating things they shouldn’t.”

Zhang Congwen laughed and teased, “To be honest, I’ve always wondered what the inside of a sofa looked like. Now, thanks to your dogs, I finally got to see it. It’s a dream come true.”

Zhuang Bowen glanced at Zhang Congwen with a peculiar look, wondering if, after training his dogs, Zhang Congwen would become the leader of the demolition crew.

But jokes aside, Zhang Congwen got serious and asked, “Do you take them out for walks regularly?”

Though he was leaning toward separation anxiety as the cause, he wanted to ensure nothing was overlooked. After all, the three sled breeds were famous for their boundless energy; it was possible their destructive behavior stemmed from excess vigor.

Zhuang Bowen shook his head firmly, “It’s definitely separation anxiety. My home has a large yard, and when I’m around, I let them play outside. The main reason I keep them indoors when I’m gone is to prevent them from escaping. I also take them out for walks regularly. Their energy shouldn’t be excessive, and even if there’s some left, the destruction wouldn’t be this severe.”

He continued, “I have reason to suspect separation anxiety. Whenever I leave and return unexpectedly, I find them waiting at the door, overjoyed to see me.”

Zhang Congwen nodded inwardly. Based on Zhuang Bowen’s account, separation anxiety did seem the most likely explanation.

“Let’s go take a look at your four dogs,” Zhang Congwen suggested.

Although Zhuang Bowen had provided thorough information, nothing could be confirmed until he saw the dogs himself.

“Uh... my house is a bit messy,” Zhuang Bowen said, embarrassed.

Zhang Congwen smiled, “It’s fine. With four dogs, it’s impossible to keep the house clean.”

Zhuang Bowen felt Zhang Congwen misunderstood and clarified, “Not dirty—messy.”

“I know what you mean. You’re saying they’ve torn things up, right?” Zhang Congwen replied with a grin.

Zhuang Bowen nodded and explained, “Right now, I have them confined to the living room. After realizing how bad their destruction was, I cleared out most things in there. But since you’re coming to train them, I deliberately placed some furniture in the living room for them to tear apart. I wanted you to see what they’re capable of, hoping it might help.”

Zhang Congwen was full of admiration. Zhuang Bowen certainly lived up to his reputation of wealth and generosity, even intentionally setting up furniture for demonstration.

Though his intentions were good, it was hardly necessary.

Zhuang Bowen explained, “It’s just some secondhand junk, nothing valuable. Since Aunt Liu recommended you, I figured it was worth it.”

Suddenly, Zhang Congwen felt the pressure mounting. He hadn’t expected Aunt Liu to be so well-connected, but this was almost excessive. If he messed this up, he’d have trouble explaining to her.

“Stay calm, stay calm,” he told himself.

After a few self-assuring words, Zhang Congwen followed Zhuang Bowen towards his house.