King of the Wilderness

Time flies quickly amidst the busy and intense training and the warm companionship.

On the evening of the seventh day, when Lin Yu’an walked out of the FAA office holding the license that encapsulated countless sweat and effort, he knew his journey in Anchorage was about to end.

He needed to go home. Aliya and Emily were still waiting for him in Wiseman.

Early the next morning, just as the sky was beginning to lighten, Max drove her Subaru, taking Lin Yu’an to Merrill Field.

The air was suffused with a faint sadness of departure. The car played no music, only the subtle "squeak" sound of tires crushing the snow.

Inside the massive temperature-controlled hangar, the colorful Turbo Beaver had already been hauled to the tarmac by the ground crew, ready for departure, like a spirited warhorse.

Max stood under the wing, looking up at Lin Yu’an who was doing the final pre-flight check, still somewhat worried and asked, "Flying back to Wiseman from here means crossing the Alaska Range. Although you have your instrument rating, the weather there..."

Lin Yu’an peeked from the other side of the wing and smiled, his eyes filled with absolute confidence: "Don’t worry, this is a route I can complete on my own."

This time, his flight plan differed from when he came because he now possessed the most comprehensive flying qualifications and didn’t need to land in Fairbanks for a stopover.

His plan was to take off directly from Anchorage, leveraging the powerful performance and extensive range of the Turbo Beaver, and fly northward across the heart of the Alaska Range, directly landing on the frozen surface of the Koyukuk River beside Wiseman Town.

This is a flight method only instrument pilots can attempt. It was his path home and the ultimate test of his seven days of training.

After completing the check, Lin Yu’an put his backpack in the cabin, then turned to look at the woman who had shared countless thoughts and moments with him during this time.

She was dressed in a thick parka, the wolf fur on the hood slightly swayed by the morning breeze. Her eyes were a bit red, clearly having not slept well last night.

Max attempted to muster a smile, but her voice carried an uncontrollable tremor.

She paused, seemingly gathering her courage, "Lin, be careful on the road. And... thank you for everything you did for December and Amber."

"Then..." She took a deep breath, raised her head, her blue eyes appearing especially clear and vulnerable in the morning light.

In a confession-like tone, she said, "No matter... no matter the final outcome, we... will be forever friends, right?"

Lin Yu’an knew the unspoken undertone behind her words.

She was saying: I know your family is complicated, and if your wives ultimately don’t accept me... I don’t want to lose you as my only friend in life because of it.

Max left all the choices to him, already preparing a retreat for her possibly doomed affection.

Looking at her, Lin Yu’an felt an indescribable pity rising in his heart.

He walked forward, opened his arms, and gave her a gentle yet restrained hug. He could feel her body’s stiffness and the slight tremors through the thick clothing.

"Max, you don’t need to predetermine any sorrowful conclusion for the future."

"Leave everything to me."

After speaking, he released her, gave her a deep look, then turned around and boarded the aircraft that belonged to him, closing the cabin door.

Because he feared that if he looked any longer, he wouldn’t want to leave.

When the unique "hiss" sound of the Turbo Beaver began, the massive five-blade propellers stirred up a fierce wind, wildly blowing Max’s long hair and coat.

She stood there, watching the sunbird-like plane, slowly maneuvering toward the runway, then, with an unstoppable gesture, soared into the dawn sky amidst the deafening roar of the engine.

Soon, it became a tiny black dot, disappearing beyond the layers of snowy mountains in the distance.

Max stood there unmoving for a long time.

It wasn’t until a cold snowflake fell on her cheek that she realized she was already awash in tears.

Three and a half hours later, Wiseman Town.

By the time the deep and powerful turbine roar came from the southern sky.

Aliya and Emily, already holding two tiny bundled-up babies and two excitedly wagging Bernese Mountain Dogs, waited on the frozen riverbank.

They saw the colorful plane elegantly circling in the sky. Lin Yu’an even playfully tilted the wing to greet his family.

Then, with an extremely precise maneuver, it aimed at the snow-covered frozen river surface, gently landing.

The plane’s sled-like landing gear touched the ice, raising just a slight mist of snow, gliding as smoothly as silk.

When the plane stopped steadily before them and the engine shut down, Lin Yu’an opened the cabin door and leaped down from the tall fuselage; Aliya could no longer hold back, handed the child in her arms to Emily and was the first to rush up and jump into his embrace.

Emily also came forward, smiling while holding the two children.