Landlord in the Arctic

Judging by their expressions, they seemed very pleased with their new home.

"Who made these? They were so fast," Feng Shan said, turning his head to look at Hu Zi.

"I think it was Nash and Peyton. I passed by the workshop on my way to the bar last night and saw them working through the night to build the tigers’ dens," Hu Zi said, scratching his head, his tone a little uncertain.

"Tyson, do you like your new home?" Feng Shan’s gaze landed on the tiger whose head was shaped like a hamburger, and he asked with a smile.

AWOO!

Tyson gave a low growl and nodded up and down, showing he liked his new home.

Just then, Coca-Cola must have heard Tyson’s call. She trotted out from one of the wooden crates with light, delicate steps and gave a comfortable stretch.

When the Tiger Pack saw Coca-Cola, they voluntarily cleared a path for her.

It seemed they had taken Feng Shan’s words to heart and were treating Coca-Cola as their big sis.

Seeing this, Black Hide couldn’t help but smile with envy. "Hey, Coca-Cola, you’re even more impressive than your mom! Back in the day, she only led a few tomcats. But look at you, leading a whole pack of tigers. So majestic!"

Coca-Cola understood Black Hide’s teasing. She raised her tail proudly, and with a light leap, landed steadily on Tyson’s broad back.

Then, she lifted her head and let out a loud cry at the top of her lungs.

MEEOOOW!!

Hearing their big sis’s call, the Tiger Pack all raised their heads and let out a deafening chorus of roars.

The powerful, beastly roars echoed endlessly over the silent camp, completely shattering the morning tranquility.

The sudden roars made some of the early-rising guests look up toward the cabin, their eyes filled with surprise.

As for those still deep in their dreams, they were startled by the noise. Some couldn’t help but curse under their breath before impatiently pulling their blankets tight over their ears to go back to sleep.

FLAP FLAP FLAP!!

A dense flurry of flapping wings sounded from the sky.

Feng Shan, Hu Zi, and Black Hide looked up to see Loki leading a flock of parrots, landing gracefully on the fruit trees of the tree wall.

The parrots’ feathers shimmered with iridescent colors under the light of the lanterns hanging from the cabin’s eaves.

"Hi, Dad." Loki first flew to Feng Shan’s shoulder, instantly switching into his ’good little boy’ persona and affectionately rubbing his head against Feng Shan.

Immediately after, he hopped onto Tyson’s broad back, turned around, and said to Coca-Cola with a fawning expression.

"Ms. Cola, let’s go play on the Tundra, okay?"

Coca-Cola tilted her head, her round eyes darting about. She then looked down at Tyson beneath her.

’It’s freezing outside, and I don’t really want to go out in the cold.’ Her little mind was conflicted.

"Go on. Eat first, and then take Tyson for a walk around the camp. Don’t just laze around at home all the time. Look at you, you’re getting as round as a ball."

Feng Shan smiled and reached out, gently patting Coca-Cola’s chubby belly before tossing the beef he’d brought onto the ground.

When the Tiger Pack saw the beef, they didn’t swarm it immediately like they usually did.

Instead, they turned their gazes to Coca-Cola, as if waiting for their big sis’s order.

Coca-Cola leisurely hopped off the tiger’s back and ambled over to the beef, taking a small bite.

After chewing for a moment, she seemed to lose interest in the cold, fresh meat. Having had a taste, she trotted to the side and began grooming her paws.

After their big sis moved away, Tyson stepped forward.

He opened his massive jaws, tore off a large chunk of beef, and began chewing with relish.

With permission granted, the other tigers finally swarmed forward, surrounding the beef and tearing into it. For a moment, the air was filled with the sound of their chewing.

There were three chunks of beef, weighing over forty pounds in total. It was from a cow slaughtered in advance by the Bear Tribe and stored in the snow.

In no time, the tigers had devoured all forty-plus pounds of beef, not leaving so much as a scrap behind.

Even so, the tigers still looked like they wanted more, their eyes fixed on the spot where the meat had been.

"Brother Shan, I’m afraid the cattle and sheep on your ranch won’t last more than a few days. These tigers have huge appetites," Hu Zi said, watching the scene with a worried expression.

It was true; the tigers’ appetites were indeed astounding.

If each of the twelve tigers ate ten kilograms of beef a day, they would consume 120 kilograms of beef daily.

The cost was simply too high. It was truly unsustainable.

Hearing Hu Zi, Feng Shan turned his gaze to the Tiger Pack and said earnestly, "Freeloading is wrong. From now on, you’ll have to learn to hunt for yourselves on the Tundra. You can’t always rely on us for food."

Hunt?

Hearing this, a flicker of confusion passed through the tigers’ eyes. They tilted their heads, seemingly not understanding what that word meant.

Seeing the tigers’ clueless expressions,

Feng Shan finally realized that these tigers had been raised in captivity since they were cubs.

They looked majestic and imposing, but in reality, it was all for show. They had never received any proper training in how to hunt in the wild.

If he just threw them out onto the Tundra, the whole pack would probably starve to death in a few days.

Feng Shan waved his hand in resignation and gave them a new task.

"Never mind. For now, just wander around and get familiar with the area. You can also help patrol the Tundra and keep other animals from getting into the camp. I’ll find a master to teach you how to hunt later."

AWOO!

The tigers seemed to understand the second half of Feng Shan’s sentence and shook their heads excitedly.

After some coaxing from Loki, they slowly turned and ambled away from the cabin with leisurely strides.

Feng Shan returned to the cabin and got Xiaohua, Hu Zi, and Black Hide. The four of them strolled unhurriedly into the camp.

As they passed the fire pit, they saw many people sitting comfortably on the long benches, chatting and watching with great interest as Comrade Milyukov assembled the Mammoth skeleton.

To welcome the upcoming Christmas holiday, the entire camp was immersed in a lively atmosphere of preparation, with signs of careful decoration everywhere.

The fruit trees were hung with all sorts of colorful lights, their multi-colored bulbs twinkling among the branches and leaves.

Under the blanket of the polar night, these fruit trees had transformed into festive Christmas trees.

The four of them arrived at the dining hall and peeked inside, only to see it was bustling with activity.

Old Zhang’s hurried shouts could be heard from time to time as everyone rushed about, attending to their duties.

Seeing this, Feng Shan didn’t want to go in and cause a disturbance, so he only lingered at the entrance for a moment before turning to leave.

With Xiaohua’s large belly, going to the shooting range was obviously not a good idea, so the four of them strolled slowly along the riverbank toward the plantation.

To be honest, ever since he had handed the plantation over to Tammy and Maria to manage, other than coming by a few days ago to make pickles, Feng Shan had hardly set foot in the place.

Upon entering the plantation, the sight before them made their eyes light up.

The once-disorganized farmland was now neatly and orderly divided, with rows of fields arranged in perfect alignment.

Not only had the planting area been expanded several times over, but the variety of vegetables had also greatly increased.

Besides the usual cucumbers, lettuce, and tomatoes, there were also many varieties they couldn’t even name.

The strawberry patch in particular was lush and thriving, with verdant leaves and stems.

Huge, red strawberries hung heavily, drooping to the ground like tempting rubies.

"Brother, the strawberries here are huge!" Xiaohua cried out in pleasant surprise. She then crouched down, picked a strawberry, and was about to pop it into her mouth eagerly.

"Hua’Er, it’s dirty! It hasn’t been washed!" Hu Zi said anxiously, quickly reaching out to stop her.

"Go ahead and eat it, it’s fine. We don’t use any pesticides on the fruits and vegetables here. They’re completely organic and pollution-free," Feng Shan said, also plucking a strawberry and tossing it directly into his mouth.

The moment the strawberry entered his mouth, a rich, fruity aroma instantly filled his senses.

The sweet pulp was fresh and juicy, with a delicate texture. It was so delicious he couldn’t stop at just one.

Seeing this, Xiaohua gently pushed Hu Zi’s hand away and, copying Feng Shan, put the strawberry in her mouth.

Instantly, her eyes lit up, and her face beamed with a satisfied smile. "It’s delicious! So sweet!" she said excitedly.

"Strawberries picked fresh from the ground are so much tastier than the ones we eat at home!"

"If you like them, eat more. They’re good for you," Feng Shan said, smiling as he saw how happy Xiaohua was.

He then bent down and carefully parted the strawberry leaves.

He found the biggest strawberry, gently plucked it, and handed it to Xiaohua, his eyes full of affection.

...