Chapter 282: Chapter 239: Identity (2)
The barks rose and fell, some high-pitched, some low and guttural. It sounded like they were expressing their displeasure, and also warning the stray dogs.
"Hey, this is a public area! You’re not allowed to feed strays. Who knows what diseases they’re carrying? They could infect the other dogs," a pet owner said accusingly, rushing to the fence.
"Sir, they’ve had their shots on schedule. They’re not carrying any diseases," the brown-haired girl calmly replied.
"I said don’t feed them, so don’t feed them. Take your strays and get out of here, or I’m calling the police."
The pet owner’s expression darkened, and his tone grew even harsher. He crossed his arms, standing by the fence and glaring at the two girls and the strays, showing no intention of backing down.
The brown-haired girl’s face fell. She hadn’t expected him to be so unreasonable—he was threatening to call the police over something as simple as feeding stray dogs.
The Indigenous, black-haired girl frowned, a flicker of annoyance in her eyes. Still, she gently tugged the corner of the brown-haired girl’s sleeve, signaling her not to start a fight with the white man.
’After all, arguing with a white person here wouldn’t do any good. If the police actually showed up, it could lead to even more trouble.’
Feng Shan watched this unfold from the side.
’The pet owner was going too far. The strays looked pitiful enough; what was the harm in the girls feeding them?’
"Fack, you Indigenous People! Can’t you just hunt in the wilderness? Why do you have to come to the city? I’m calling the cops right now to send you back to the wilderness."
The pet owner, a white man, turned his gaze to Feng Shan, who was wearing a coat of animal hide. Assuming he was with the girls, the man pulled out his phone, muttering profanities.
Feng Shan was speechless.
’I’m just standing here watching, and I get dragged into it.’
’And get cursed out for no reason.’
So, without another word, he pulled the official badge of the Crown Territory from his pocket and clipped it neatly to his chest.
"You don’t have to make that call. I’m a Sheriff. You just racially discriminated against me, so now we can have a little chat."
Ah!
The pet owner stood frozen, phone in hand and face etched with astonishment, as the 911 operator’s voice repeatedly asked for information.
The two girls were also stunned. They never would have guessed that the Indigenous man standing nearby was actually a Sheriff.
Feng Shan walked over, took the phone from the pet owner’s hand, briefly explained the situation to the operator, and then gave his Sheriff’s badge number.
Compared to the northern regions of Alaska, the Anchorage police department was much more efficient.
Not long after he hung up, a police car with flashing lights appeared at the side of the street, and two officers got out.
After they met, Feng Shan pointed at the pet owner and recounted the incident again, with the two girls serving as witnesses.
The evidence was conclusive. The pet owner’s earlier tirade was clearly an act of racial discrimination.
There was no escaping the charge of racial discrimination.
In a place like Alaska, racial discrimination had always existed, forming a rather complete chain of prejudice.
At the top of this chain were the white people, some of whom often carried an inexplicable sense of superiority, discriminating against all non-white groups.
In the middle were non-Indigenous ethnic minorities. On one hand, they suffered discrimination from white people; on the other, they looked down on the Indigenous groups at the bottom.
And at the very bottom were the Indigenous People, who often endured dual layers of discrimination from the two groups above them and faced unfair treatment in many aspects of life.
Because of this, Alaska had enacted its first anti-discrimination law back in 1945.
This significant piece of legislation was passed thanks to the strong advocacy of the Alaska Native Brotherhood and the Alaska Native Sisterhood.
The law clearly stipulated that any act of discrimination based on race was illegal. Anyone who violated this provision would face corresponding penalties, up to a maximum of 30 days in jail and a 250 US Dollar fine.
The two officers were also white. Normally, when dealing with conflicts between different ethnic groups, their standard procedure was to first check who made the call and determine their race before deciding how to proceed.
While not exactly fair, this had become an unspoken rule in an environment with such complex race relations.
This time, however, things were different.
During their call with the dispatcher, the two officers had already learned of Feng Shan’s identity.
A Village Public Safety Officer and Sheriff from the Far North Tundra Region, and a recipient of the 2017 Alaska Medal of Honor—a man with real authority.
So, even though the dog owner was also white, the two officers didn’t dare think of showing him any favoritism.
They bundled the man and his dog straight into the patrol car. Their movements were crisp and efficient, with no hesitation whatsoever.
Afterward, they even made a point of assuring Feng Shan with solemn expressions.
They promised that for such a blatant act of racial discrimination, Anchorage would ensure the man received the punishment he deserved according to the law, with absolutely no leniency.
What could Feng Shan say to that?
He just smiled faintly, walked over, and warmly shook hands with both officers.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Feng Shan watched the police car drive away, a wave of emotion rising in his heart.
"Sir, are you one of the Indigenous People?"
The two girls, having watched Feng Shan’s entire interaction with the police, had eyes full of surprise and curiosity.
They had seen similar situations before, and the outcomes were usually completely different.
In the past, when Indigenous People got into conflicts with white people, it was usually the Indigenous person who lost out. The white people, relying on the color of their skin, could always find a way to get off the hook even when they were in the wrong, and law enforcement would often side with them.
But today, Feng Shan had completely changed that.
Not only did he reveal his status as a Sheriff, leaving the arrogant pet owner with no room to argue, but he also made the police handle the matter fairly and take the racist away to face the punishment he deserved.
"I guess so," Feng Shan said, rubbing his nose. He saw that the stray dogs had all been scared off by the officers’ arrival. "Sorry about that. I interrupted you feeding the strays."
"No, no, it’s okay! They’ll just go to the animal shelter and wait for us there," the brown-haired girl replied, waving her hands dismissively, a gentle smile on her face.
Moreover, the brown-haired girl seemed very interested in Feng Shan—not just because of his rather handsome face, but also because of the powerful background he had just revealed.
"Sir, are you free right now? I could give you a tour of the biggest animal shelter in Anchorage."
’An animal shelter?’
Feng Shan thought for a moment. He had nothing else to do anyway, so he accepted the girl’s invitation.
The three of them hailed a taxi. The brown-haired girl gave the driver an address, and the taxi started toward their destination.
Along the way, the brown-haired girl enthusiastically chatted with Feng Shan, telling him about the animal shelter, and the atmosphere in the car gradually grew lively.
The black-haired girl, sitting beside them, quietly watched it all.
She saw the way her companion Trish’s eyes lit up when she looked at Feng Shan, the unconscious curl of her lips, and the occasional hint of shyness in her voice.
The black-haired girl understood. Her friend had probably developed a different kind of interest in Feng Shan.
Soon, the taxi turned into a grove of trees and stopped in front of a building’s gate.
The gate was surrounded by a tall, chain-link fence. The barrier was at least five meters high, giving it a rather imposing feel.
A conspicuous warning sign hung on the fence. In large red letters, it read: "DANGEROUS ANIMALS INSIDE. DO NOT APPROACH." The sight was enough to make anyone instantly wary.
"This is the Anchorage Animal Shelter. Dana and I are volunteers here. We come to take care of the animals every week on our days off," Trish said, hopping out of the car first. A warm smile on her face, she was eager to introduce the place to Feng Shan.
....
