Landlord in the Arctic

Then, with a smile on his face, Feng Shan called out to the drivers.

"Fellas, I need a big rig to haul a load to Sagewang. Anyone interested in the job?"

The diner fell silent for a moment, as if time itself had frozen. All eyes were fixed on Feng Shan.

Then, as if a powder keg had been lit, the whole diner erupted.

The drivers started talking over one another, all throwing questions at Feng Shan.

"Buddy, you’re going to Sagewang? That dump has been empty for ages. What kind of cargo are you hauling?" a driver with a full beard asked loudly, his eyes full of confusion.

"It’s over 300 kilometers from Levingood to Sagewang. What’re you offering?" another, burly driver chimed in, more concerned about the pay.

Another red-faced driver stood up and confidently quoted a price, not forgetting to glance around as if to challenge his colleagues. "10,000 US Dollar. I can make the run. How about it?"

A driver next to him in a worn-out baseball cap couldn’t help but shout, utterly disgusted by Fuxi’s quote. "God! 10,000 US Dollar? Fuxi, are you a Demon? That’s highway robbery! I’d do it for 5,000 US Dollar!"

However, beyond the quotes and questions, some drivers were wary of Feng Shan’s request.

One driver walked right up to Feng Shan, his expression unfriendly and a hint of hostility in his eyes.

"This isn’t some illegal deal, is it? You with a gang?"

"Hauling a load to Sagewang? There isn’t even a pile of deer shit out there. Buddy, you’d better get lost. We don’t do business with gangbangers."

"That’s right. Levingood is North Slope Petroleum Company territory. Don’t go starting trouble here."

"You’re out of line, buddy! Now please, leave."

A somewhat older-looking driver stepped forward, arms crossed, and spoke bluntly.

Feng Shan quickly stood up. He looked calmly at the group of menacing drivers surrounding him, a helpless, bitter smile appearing on his face.

"Sorry, I’m not with a gang, and this isn’t an illegal deal. I need to transport some animals to Sagewang. The truck I hired before couldn’t handle the Dalton Highway, so I have to find another heavy-duty truck."

"Look, that Pickup Truck outside the diner? My snowmobiles are loaded onto it."

Transporting animals?

To the Crown Territory?

In the diner, a portly driver with a white beard frowned upon hearing this.

From his demeanor, he seemed to hold a position like a captain among the drivers.

He turned his head, patted a companion beside him, and ordered in a low voice.

"Go take a look outside."

The man accepted the order and quickly walked out of the diner.

Not long after, he hurried back, nodded at the white-bearded driver, and confirmed, "That’s right. There are indeed two snowmobiles on the truck."

"What kind of animals are you planning to transport? If they’re protected wildlife, we can’t haul them." The white-bearded driver relaxed slightly but remained cautious as he continued his questioning.

Hearing this, the surrounding drivers all perked up their ears, waiting curiously for the answer.

Feng Shan smiled, waved his hand dismissively, and explained patiently, "A few tigers, a vulture, and some parrots. They’re not protected wildlife. I adopted them from the Anchorage Rescue Station, and I have all the proper legal paperwork."

"I had planned to use a helicopter, but it would have taken too long, so I had to choose ground transport."

The white-bearded driver’s curiosity only grew stronger upon hearing this.

Since the paperwork was in order, there would be no shortage of drivers willing to take the job.

But he really couldn’t understand why anyone would take animals to Sagewang.

The place was deserted. Besides the endless wasteland, there was the harsh climate—an environment completely unsuitable for animals to survive.

Other than being a convenient place to pull over and take a leak, he couldn’t think of any other use for it.

"Buddy, there’s no sanctuary in Sagewang. The protected wildlife area is only in the northern Tundra. Normally, if you were hauling something like this, you’d take it to Dead Horse Town. That’s the closest point to the sanctuary. Are you sure you haven’t got the wrong place?"

"That’s right. I’m getting dropped off in Sagewang, and then taking the animals across the Tundra back to the Crown Territory," Feng Shan said with a determined tone.

’What is he talking about?’

The drivers couldn’t believe their ears.

’Did we hear him wrong?’

In an instant, the diner was in an uproar. Everyone turned their heads to stare at Feng Shan as if they had just seen a ghost.

These veteran drivers, who had been hauling freight across the Tundra for years, were of course familiar with the Crown Territory.

It was located in the central region of the Far North Tundra, over 500 kilometers from the Dalton Highway. The environment there was as harsh as it gets—a completely barren, uninhabited wasteland.

A while back, there was even a story about it on the news. They’d heard some unlucky young man had inherited that piece of land.

Everyone couldn’t help but shake their heads whenever they thought about it. That godforsaken place had no oil, no mineral resources, and the only way in or out was by plane. It was completely worthless.

You probably couldn’t even give it away for free.

But now, this young man standing before them was claiming he’d get dropped off at Sagewang and then cross the treacherous Far North Tundra on a snowmobile to get back to the Crown Territory.

The idea was so insane that it made everyone wonder if he was out of his mind.

’What kind of crazy talk is that.’

At this time of year, the Far North Tundra could be hit by Force 7 or stronger blizzards and cold snaps at any moment.

You had to understand, this was a harsh environment where even massive rigs weighing dozens, sometimes hundreds, of tons had to tread carefully, with no guarantee of making it out in one piece.

So what good would a little snowmobile be against a raging blizzard?

’This kid must have some misunderstanding about the Far North Tundra.’

Did he naively think this tundra, filled with extreme weather and unknown dangers, was some kind of leisure park like you’d find inland, where people could take a casual stroll?

"So, fellas, anyone want the job?" Feng Shan was oblivious to the complex thoughts running through the drivers’ minds.

He had already been delayed in this small town for quite some time and was getting a little anxious.

The sooner he left, the sooner he could get back to his camp. Christmas was just a few days away.

The white-bearded driver looked grim and serious. He confirmed with Feng Shan one more time, "You’re sure you want to be dropped off at Sagewang, and then take tigers, a vulture, and parrots across the Far North Tundra on snowmobiles to get back to the Crown Territory?"

"That’s right." Feng Shan couldn’t help but frown, a wave of irritation rising in him.

’It couldn’t be simpler. Just take me to Sagewang.’

’But these people just keep nagging, on and on.’

"Sorry, this haul is too high-risk." The white-bearded driver slowly shook his head. After speaking, he turned to the other drivers and raised his voice. "As the transport captain for the Carol Transport Company, I’m officially notifying all company drivers that none of you are to accept this job. Doing so will be treated as a breach of contract."

The drivers who had been eagerly waiting for Feng Shan to name an enticing price, wondering if they should risk taking the job, instantly understood the implication of their captain’s blunt warning.

The contract was the contract.

Even if the young man was willing to pay a 10,000 US Dollar freight fee, if it meant getting kicked out of the company for breach of contract...

...it just wasn’t worth it.

So the drivers all deflated like punctured tires, dispersing to go back to their own business as if the whole exchange had never happened.

Besides, every driver present could be called a seasoned veteran.

Take the captain, for example. Ever since he was 17, he had thrown himself onto the Dalton Highway, starting a transportation career that meant facing death head-on.

On this notoriously treacherous road, the captain had been through countless baptisms by fire, overcome innumerable obstacles, and seen too many accidents caused by the poor road conditions. As a result, he had accumulated precious experience that others could hardly hope to match.

When it came to hauling a truckload of animals to Sagewang, given their skill level, they wouldn’t be timid, even with the harsh environment.

After all, even when facing the terrifying Death Highway...

...the drivers were reverent, but not afraid.

Their superb driving skills and familiarity with the road conditions gave them a degree of confidence.

But the current situation was completely different. The real risk that made the drivers shrink back was...

...