Landlord in the Arctic

Alvin paused after he finished speaking. His expression grew eager, his eyes full of anticipation, as he continued.

"Of course, it would be even better if we could get a Fishing Permit issued by the Russian Federation’s fisheries agency. I could take the River Beach to the Western Bering Sea to catch snow crabs. Did you know the Russian snow crab season doesn’t end until March next year? If we could seize this opportunity, we could definitely make a killing—not only making up for next year’s losses but also earning a huge profit on top of that!"

"Don’t even think about it. I don’t have any connections in Russia." Feng Shan shook his head helplessly, a bitter smile on his face. "If we really went and some other boat owner got jealous and reported us, it would be huge trouble. We wouldn’t just fail to make money; we’d end up in a world of hurt."

Feng Shan felt terrible about it, too.

He could see a money-making opportunity right in front of him, but he had no way to grasp it.

The feeling was as awful as watching a juicy piece of meat slip away right from his lips.

’If this were in Alaska, at least I’d have some connections and a few tricks up my sleeve.’

’But over in Russia, I’m completely in the dark. I know nothing about the local situation and have no idea where to even start.’

SIGH!

Alvin heaved a heavy sigh, his tone full of helplessness and disappointment.

His eyes revealed his dejection. The chance to make money had just been cruelly shattered by reality.

"Forget it. I’ll just refit the River Beach’s equipment," Alvin said, lifting his head and forcing himself to cheer up. "The Pacific cod pot-fishing season starts January 1st. Right now, Pacific cod is going for 50 cents a pound. It’s not much, but it’s still money."

’Only 50 cents a pound?’

Feng Shan frowned when he heard the price, muttering to himself.

’Compared to Emperor Crab, which easily fetches 20 or 30 US Dollars a pound, the price of Pacific cod is just pathetic.’

’Pacific cod is basically trash fish, a money-losing product.’

Feng Shan wanted to blurt it out—at that price, they wouldn’t even cover the River Beach’s daily wear and tear, let alone make a profit.

’If it came down to it, they’d be better off deep-sea fishing in other waters.’

’They could specifically target valuable catches. They might actually get something out of that.’

However, when he saw Alvin’s dejected expression, he swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue.

"Why don’t we wait for a bit? I’ll think of something. See if I can find a connection and get a Fishing Permit from the Russian Federation’s fisheries agency."

Hearing this, the light instantly returned to Alvin’s previously dim eyes, and a hopeful smile spread across his face.

"Boss, you can do it! I knew you’d figure something out!"

"Get outta here, you bastard!" A smile played on Feng Shan’s lips as he feigned anger. He then stood up, casually tossed his empty beer bottle toward the Melt River, and added jokingly, "You dug this pit just for me to fall into, didn’t you?"

PLOP!

The empty beer bottle traced a parabola through the air and landed in the river.

It kicked up a small splash that quickly dissipated, and then the water was calm again.

Just then, Lotti appeared before the two of them without any warning, as if she had sprung up from the ground.

She was clutching a small notebook, her expression a little tense, her eyes betraying a hint of unease.

She stood silently in front of Feng Shan without a word, as if waiting for something.

Feng Shan had just finished talking with Alvin, his attention still on their conversation.

He was slightly taken aback by the little girl’s sudden appearance, but his face quickly broke into a gentle smile as he asked softly,

"Little Angel, is something wrong?"

A flicker of panic flashed in Lotti’s clear, big eyes. She bit her lip as if psyching herself up.

Finally, she mustered her courage, pointed to the beer bottle floating on the river’s surface, and said in a firm voice, though it trembled slightly,

"Littering. That’s a 1 US Dollar sanitation fine."

What!

Feng Shan was stunned when he heard what Lotti said. He stared in disbelief, thinking he must have misheard.

Beside him, Alvin was also taken aback. The corner of his mouth twitched uncontrollably, and a look of surprise crossed his face.

Seeing their reactions, Lotti grew anxious. She pointed to the red cloth strip wrapped around her arm and explained haltingly,

"I... I’m the camp’s sanitation officer. Anyone who litters has to pay a 1 US Dollar sanitation fine... Grandpa Li said so."

’Well, I’ll be!’

’Since when did we have people with red armbands in the camp? How come I didn’t know?’

Feng Shan grumbled inwardly. He wanted to laugh out loud, but seeing Lotti’s nervous expression, he forced the smile back down.

He immediately pulled his wallet from his pocket, rummaged through it, and took out a 1 US Dollar bill to hand to Lotti.

"Little Angel, you did the right thing. It was my fault for littering. Here’s the fine." Feng Shan said gently, a warm smile on his face. "From now on, if anyone litters in the camp, you go right up and fine them. If anyone gives you a hard time, you go find Uncle Pein, okay?"

The moment she took the money, Lotti’s face broke into a happy smile, her eyes sparkling with joy.

She immediately opened her little notebook, carefully tucked the bill inside, then picked up her pen and diligently wrote a line on the paper.

After she finished writing, she gently tore out the sheet of paper and handed it back to Feng Shan with both hands.

"Uncle, you can take this ticket to the dining hall for a free glass of spring water."

’Heh!’

’Using this thing to get a drink of water... isn’t that just rubbing my face in it?’

’Only Old Li could think up such an infuriating scheme.’

Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, Feng Shan took the ticket and stuffed it into his pocket.

He was about to continue his conversation with Alvin but noticed that Lotti, after collecting the money, was still standing there.

"Little Angel, is there anything else?" Feng Shan asked, a little puzzled.

Lotti pointed to the beer bottle that had drifted to the riverbank and said with a deadpan expression, "Uncle, you haven’t retrieved the trash you threw. If you need me to get it, please pay an additional 5 US Dollar fine."

’Alright, then!’

’This method of collecting money really has that distinct flavor of how things are done back home.’

"No need, I’ll get it myself!" Feng Shan hurried to the riverbank, bent down to retrieve the beer bottle, then walked over to a trash can and threw it in.

Then, he turned to Lotti, who had followed him, and waved his hand. "I threw it in the trash."

"Okay. Camp sanitation is everyone’s responsibility. Goodbye, Uncle!" Lotti’s face lit up with a sweet smile. She put away her notebook and skipped off toward the crowd, her cheerful steps full of youthful energy.

Watching Lotti’s departing figure, Feng Shan was lost in thought for a moment.

The familiar yet unfamiliar sight somehow stirred up memories from his childhood.

Memories long sealed away by time now flooded his mind like a rising tide, causing ripples in his heart.

’As a child, I too had been as innocent as Lotti, full of curiosity and enthusiasm for the world, doing things that seemed childish but were taken with the utmost seriousness.’

Just as Feng Shan was lost in his memories, the roar of propellers suddenly echoed through the night sky. The sound grew louder as it approached, shattering the tranquility of the polar night.

Immediately after, blinking tri-color navigation lights appeared in view, flying rapidly toward the Crown Territory.

’That must be Yves, he’s back!’

At this thought, Feng Shan immediately ended his conversation with Alvin.

He picked up his walkie-talkie and called for Nash, Paine, and the others to get on their snowmobiles and head to the runway to meet them.

Everyone rode their snowmobiles, racing like the wind to the side of the runway.

Before long, two planes descended from the night sky and landed smoothly on the runway, one after the other.

The one in front was their own P-750, which Feng Shan knew like the back of his hand.

The plane behind it, however, was one he had never seen before.

This aircraft was also a propeller plane. Its fuselage had sleek lines, giving it a feeling of elegance and agility.

It featured a high-wing design with two turboprop engines mounted on the wings, giving it an exceptionally commanding presence.

The exterior was painted in a striking combination of deep red, silver, and black—a color scheme with a powerful visual impact.

On the T-tail, a distinctive "B" logo was particularly conspicuous under the lights.

Illuminated by the guidance lights on either side of the runway, the entire plane taxied slowly, like an elegant noblewoman in a magnificent gown, striding gracefully toward the crowd.

Every detail exuded a unique charm that couldn’t help but draw one’s admiration.

...