Landlord in the Arctic

Compared to the Pickup Truck they were in before, the view from this truck was indeed much higher.

After turning on the high beams, a powerful column of light shot forward. The highway surface reflected a scattering of crystalline gleams. The ground had long since been frozen solid, and countless tiny ice crystals glittered under the lights, creating what looked like a world of silver.

The truck continued its slow journey north, and the surrounding scenery gradually began to change.

The road surface, which had been fairly clear just moments ago, was now covered by a thick layer of snow.

The wheels rolled forward, constantly kicking up snow from the sides. The powder was thrown into the air, forming a dense snow fog on either side of the truck, like two white tails trailing behind it.

The snow fog made the once-bright headlights appear dim and yellow. The light seemed to be partially swallowed by the mist, barely able to illuminate a small area ahead.

Feng Shan peered out through the windshield. Under the truck’s lights, all he could see was a vast expanse of white snow.

The road was white, and the shoulder was white. The two blended together almost seamlessly, making it difficult to tell where the edge of the highway was.

It was as if the entire world had been consumed by white. There were no clear boundaries or markers, making one feel as if they were adrift in an endless, white ocean.

This sent a shiver through Feng Shan, and a strange sense of tension and unease washed over him.

Lisa, however, was already used to such road conditions. Her expression remained calm, her hands steady on the Steering Wheel as she expertly guided the truck forward. Her composure made it seem as if she had the entire Dalton Highway memorized.

Noticing the faint look of worry on Feng Shan’s face out of the corner of her eye, she deliberately spoke in a relaxed tone.

"Buddy, don’t worry. We’ve only just entered the Dalton Highway. This is still the safe section."

It would have been better if she hadn’t said anything. Hearing that made Feng Shan feel even worse.

The highway was so covered in snow you could barely see it, and she was calling this a safe section.

"What do the dangerous sections look like?" Feng Shan couldn’t help but ask, his curiosity mixed with apprehension.

Lisa pondered for a moment, her eyes fixed on the road ahead. Her grip on the Steering Wheel tightened slightly before she spoke softly.

"First is the first section, the ’Lights Out’ ice road area. It has a 56-mile-long uphill stretch, along with winding, steep mountain roads. There’s a part everyone calls ’the Rollercoaster,’ which is the most dangerous and has the highest accident rate."

"The second section is at Atigun Pass in the Brooks Range. The elevation there is as high as 4,700 feet, with grades up to 12% and a long downhill slope with an 11% grade. It’s extremely difficult to drive."

"The third section is in the polar region. You often run into snowstorms there. The weather is unpredictable and can change in five miles or five minutes. The danger level is extremely high for wide-load trucks."

"But we’re lucky. We only have to go through the first two sections to get to Sagewang."

’Some luck.’

After hearing that, Feng Shan blinked, a speechless expression on his face.

Soon, the truck slowly entered the "Lights Out" ice road area Lisa had described.

Just as she’d said, under the intense glare of the high beams, most of the snow on the highway had been blown away by the fierce winds.

However, what replaced it was a thick layer of hard ice, frozen solid to the road surface, shimmering with a cold and dangerous luster under the lights.

Moreover, the highway was extremely winding, like a great white python coiled in the mountains.

From a distance, the road ahead would appear straight, but as the truck drew near, a sharp turn would suddenly appear without warning.

If a driver lacked superb skill or wasn’t familiar with the section—especially a rookie—they could easily lose control of their speed in these conditions and plunge off the roadbed. The consequences would be unimaginable.

Lisa, on the other hand, looked relaxed. With her eyes focused and her hands gripping the Steering Wheel like nimble dancers, she expertly shifted gears, keeping the truck’s speed steady at 30 kilometers per hour.

Every gear change, every turn, was executed with unhurried confidence, as if she and the truck had long since become one.

Feng Shan, in contrast, was in no mood to talk.

His eyes were glued to the snowflakes scattering against the windshield, each one a physical manifestation of his current anxiety.

This feeling of not having his fate in his own hands was awful.

All he could do was grip the handle for dear life, his knuckles turning white from the force. His palms were already slick with cold sweat.

It was only now that Feng Shan truly understood that the Dalton Highway’s nickname, "The Highway of Death," was no exaggeration.

The Dalton Highway’s reputation as the road of death was well-earned.

In the section they had just passed, Feng Shan had seen the wreckage of trucks appearing from time to time on the side of the road.

Their twisted, deformed bodies looked especially desolate in the icy landscape, as if silently recounting the horrific accidents that had once occurred there.

Even the cargo they had been carrying was mercilessly abandoned in the wild, scattered everywhere as if in a corner forgotten by the world.

Just then, Lisa raised her hand and pointed ahead.

"Look, we’re about to pass the truck that crashed last week. The driver was a rookie, going too fast. He tried to force the Jake brake, which caused the wheels to lock up, and the whole truck shot straight off the roadbed. Luckily, the driver didn’t die. Just broke five ribs and an arm."

Feng Shan followed her finger. In the truck’s headlights, he saw a flatbed trailer with its tail sticking high in the air. The truck’s cab lay on its side in the snow, a pathetic sight.

The oil pipes it had been carrying were scattered everywhere, lying haphazardly in the snow.

"The truck doesn’t look too damaged. Why not tow it back for repairs?" Feng Shan asked, confused.

"Tow it back?" A look of disbelief crossed Lisa’s face, as if she’d heard an incredible question. "The cost of towing it back would be enough to buy a brand-new truck. Besides, the company has insurance on all the trucks. The insurance company will pay for it."

’Oh, right!!’

Feng Shan instantly realized what a stupid question he had asked.

In a place this remote and desolate, towing a wrecked truck out would involve astronomical costs in manpower and material resources alone.

Rather than spending a fortune to tow it back for repairs, it was indeed more practical to just write it off.

And leaving the wreckage there also served as a warning, cautioning every passing driver about the terrible price of reckless driving.

An hour after the truck entered the "Lights Out" section, the dark gray sky once again began to shed heavy snow.

Flakes the size of a palm fell as densely as raindrops, THUDDING heavily against the windshield with a rapid patter.

The sudden heavy snow quickly changed the surroundings. The density of the flakes caused visibility to drop sharply to less than fifty meters.

Feng Shan looked out the window to a world of pure white. Heaven and earth seemed to have merged, making it impossible to distinguish between the sky and the ground.

Just then, a shrill alarm from the radio suddenly shattered the silence in the cab.

Hearing the alarm, Lisa’s expression instantly grew grave. She quickly reached out, snatched the radio handset, and said, "This is Lisa, go ahead."

An anxious man’s voice immediately came over the radio. "This is the lead truck for the North Slope tanker convoy. We’re about to pass each other. Please yield the right-of-way immediately."

Lisa responded without hesitation, "Roger that! I’ll pull over to the outside shoulder to yield."

Hearing her response, the other driver hurriedly said, "Copy that, thank you!"

Then, the radio crackled with static, and the connection was lost.

Lisa’s face was grim. She understood how dangerous it was to pass another vehicle in such foul weather.

She quickly turned the Steering Wheel and brought the truck to a steady stop.

Then she grabbed a shovel from behind the driver’s seat and shoved the door open.

Instantly, a fierce wind carrying heavy snow rushed in, and the warmth of the cab was immediately replaced by biting cold.

Braving the wind and snow, Lisa struggled to jump out of the truck.

She walked to the outer edge of the highway and began striking the ground through the snow with the shovel, as if searching for something.

...