Landlord in the Arctic

’If I quit, a bunch of young, beautiful girls would be lining up for this job.’

"You don’t believe me?" Feng Mountain raised an eyebrow, scrolling through his phone’s contacts to Jeff’s name.

He dialed the number, pressed the speakerphone button, and placed the phone on the dining table.

The phone rang twice—BEEP BEEP—and was quickly answered.

"Hey, Feng, having fun on your trip back home?" Jeff’s cheerful voice came through the receiver. "Let me tell you, that baijiu you gave me last time had more kick than vodka!"

"Glad you liked it, Jeff. I need your help with something." Feng Mountain glanced at Mova’s tense shoulders and deliberately pushed the phone a little closer to her. "Here’s the deal: I’m planning to set up a travel agency office in Alaska, and I need some help. I think Lady Mo Wa is an excellent candidate. Could I borrow her for a few months? I’d need her job to be held for her, temporarily."

The other end of the line went silent for two seconds.

Mova stared nervously at the phone on the table.

’The voice coming from the phone is crystal clear—it’s the company’s senior executive, Mr. Jeff.’

’Every time Mr. Jeff flew on the Petroleum, he would praise how perfectly I presented the champagne.’

’Such an outrageous request.’

’He probably won’t agree. After all, there’s no precedent for this in the company.’

"You mean Mova Ivanovna?" Jeff’s voice took on a teasing tone, his pitch rising as if he’d stumbled upon something amusing. "Buddy, is a small thing like this really worth a personal call from you? Don’t tell me you and Mova..."

At this, Jeff couldn’t help but burst out laughing. His laughter echoed loudly through the speakerphone.

"I get it, I get it. Don’t worry, I’ll talk to HR and have Mova temporarily transferred. As for her salary, we won’t dock it. We’ll keep paying it as usual. Whenever you’re done, just have her come back to the company. Her position on the Petroleum will be waiting for her."

"Thanks!" A faint, barely perceptible smile touched the corners of Feng Mountain’s lips.

He looked at Mova again, lifting his chin slightly, his eyes filled with unspoken confidence.

Right now, Mova’s mind was completely fixated on Mr. Jeff’s unfinished sentence.

A blush lingered on her cheeks.

’Don’t tell me you and Mova...’

’What about me?’

’I haven’t even made my move yet, and I’ve already been mercilessly rejected.’

’But then again...’

’Who exactly is Mr. Feng?’

Mova couldn’t help but look toward Feng Mountain, her eyes full of curiosity.

’Mr. Jeff is the representative of the largest shareholder in the company. He doesn’t even have to defer to the CEO.’

’But on the phone...’

’His tone with Mr. Feng was so eager to please it was practically spilling out of the receiver.’

’And just now, Mr. Jeff not only agreed to my temporary transfer, but he also kept my position open and my salary will be paid as usual.’

’This means I’ll basically be earning two salaries.’

The more Mova thought about it, the more incredible it seemed.

As she looked at Feng Mountain, her gaze unconsciously filled with even more curiosity and speculation.

"Thanks for the help. I’ll buy you a drink when I’m back in the Crown Territory!" Seeing that the matter was settled, Feng Mountain prepared to hang up.

Just then, Jeff’s urgent voice came from the other end of the line.

"Wait, buddy! You absolutely have to remember to come to Anchorage on January 10th next year. There’s a crucial meeting you need to attend. Don’t you dare forget!"

Feng Mountain was slightly taken aback.

His finger, which had already moved to the "end call" button, froze.

A look of surprise appeared on his face as he spoke.

"What meeting? The Indigenous People’s conference? Haven’t those always been held in Fairbanks? The timing is wrong, too."

"It’s not the Indigenous People’s conference." Jeff was being deliberately mysterious. "Anyway, it’ll be very beneficial for you. Someone will contact you about it later. Also, don’t tell Chief Welta I told you. Bye!"

With that said, a dial tone sounded from Jeff’s end. He had clearly hung up.

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

The call left Feng Mountain completely baffled and with a strange feeling.

But at least the main issue regarding Mova had been smoothly resolved.

Feng Mountain looked up.

He looked at the astonished Mova sitting across from him.

The corners of his mouth lifted into a faint smile.

"So, what’s your decision?"

Mova quickly straightened her posture.

She instantly switched into professional mode, a standard sweet smile on her face. In a cheerful tone, she said, "Boss, when can I start?"

"You can start right now!" Feng Mountain said, picking up his phone. He typed out a message and sent Ouyang Xue’s number to Mova. "This is the contact for the person in charge of the travel agency back home. Talk to her first about setting up the new office."

"Okay!"

Mova gave another sweet smile, a hint of slyness flashing in her eyes.

She rose slowly and began to clear the tableware from the dining table.

As she bent over, she deliberately exaggerated the movement.

The collar of her blouse, which was already unbuttoned, gaped open even wider, putting her almost right in front of Feng Mountain’s face.

At the same time, she whispered in an extremely soft and somewhat suggestive voice.

"Boss, I’ve never had a boyfriend, you know!"

"Thank you. Goodbye."

Feng Mountain’s reaction, however, was very flat.

He gave a simple reply, reached out, and pulled the window shade down.

Then he closed his eyes and leaned back into his seat, as if he didn’t want to be disturbed any further.

Seeing her new boss’s reaction, Mova didn’t feel awkward at all. Instead, a happy smile spread across her face.

From her perspective, her new boss’s gentlemanly conduct was actually cute in its own unusual way.

And so, she found herself looking forward to the work and time they would spend together with a little more anticipation.

...

The eleven-hour flight passed quickly.

The Petroleum arrived smoothly over the skies of Montana.

For Montana, a place known as "Big Sky Country," the sight that now greeted Feng Mountain was quite a disappointment.

Looking through the porthole window, his gaze fell upon the ground below.

The entire landscape seemed to be tightly covered by a gigantic white quilt.

The mountain ranges, which should have been lush green and full of life, were now piled high with thick snow, with only a few patches of dark, exposed rock visible here and there.

The vast plains had also lost their usual verdancy, replaced by a silvery-white expanse—an endless sea of snow.

The forests were also cloaked in snow, their branches bending under the unbearable weight, the heavy drifts looking as if they could slide off at any moment.

Amidst the vast whiteness, the city revealed only the silhouettes of a few landmark buildings, like isolated islands struggling to hold their ground in a world of snow.

The scene gave Feng Mountain the illusion that he had returned to the frigid Far North Tundra of Alaska.

’Doesn’t everyone say that Montana is beautiful, with high coverage of natural landscapes and charming scenery everywhere?’

’So why is there nothing but snow in front of me?’

Seeing Feng Mountain’s confused expression, Mova understood and quickly explained in a low voice, "Boss, last week, all of North America was hit by a cold snap, and Montana was no exception. The cold front had a huge impact, and several states were hit pretty hard. It’s been all over the internet, and a lot of people are expressing their lack of confidence in the new president’s handling of the disaster."

’Oho, so this cold snap is pretty widespread!’

After hearing Mova’s explanation, Feng Mountain instantly felt much better.

’So it wasn’t just Alaska that had terrible weather.’

"How much longer until we reach West Yellowstone City?" Feng Mountain pulled his gaze away from the window.

"The captain just announced that we’ll be arriving in thirty minutes. Boss, do you need me to book a vehicle for you there?" Mova’s voice was still soft, tinged with just the right amount of concern.

Feng Mountain shook his head. ’Based on my calculations, Yves and the others should have arrived in West Yellowstone City long ago. Knowing Yves’s style, he’s definitely already rented a vehicle.’

Thinking this, he picked up his phone and dialed Yves’s number.

After a few rings, Yves’s voice came through the earpiece. "Boss."

"Where are you? I’m landing at the West Yellowstone City airport in thirty minutes," Feng Mountain said directly.

"Understood. We’re waiting for you at the West Yellowstone City airport," Yves replied concisely.

"See you soon!" With that, Feng Mountain hung up.

Mova set down a travel brochure for West Yellowstone City.

She turned and walked back to the crew cabin with light steps to prepare for the plane’s landing.

Feng Mountain opened the brochure in his hands.

His gaze focused on the section about West Yellowstone City.

...