Landlord in the Arctic

The crew members were old hands at making Christmas lights.

After hearing their assignments, they all walked up, laughing and joking as they picked out materials, their faces beaming with joy.

In fact, these meteor shower string lights were somewhat similar to the colorful LED string lights hanging on the fruit trees in the camp.

Meteor shower string lights were made of slightly larger bulbs arranged to look like a meteor streaking across the night sky.

Once powered on, the bulbs would blink in sequence.

This created an incredibly romantic atmosphere of twinkling meteors. These kinds of lights were usually hung from the eaves.

At night, when viewed from a distance, it looked as if a real meteor shower was passing by.

Icicle string lights mimicked the shape of icicles, creating a winter wonderland feel, and were perfect for decorating the eaves or windows of a house.

As for the star and moon lights, those were even simpler.

They were small, delicate Christmas lights designed in the shape of stars and moons. Hung anywhere, they could create a starry skyscape.

There was also a more unique type: the Christmas light jar.

First, you’d sprinkle some glitter on the bottom of the jar for a sparkling effect. You could also add some artificial snow for a wintery feel.

Then, you’d place decorative materials like pinecones and colorful beads inside, and finally, add the LED string lights.

Just like that, a unique Christmas decoration was finished.

Moreover, the whole process was incredibly simple—practically foolproof.

Basically, anyone with two hands could make these Christmas lights by themselves.

Feng Shan watched from the side for a bit, but he quickly lost interest.

Compared to the holiday lights he remembered from China, these weren’t even in the same league.

Holiday lights in China were not only varied in design and exquisitely crafted, but they were also steeped in cultural significance—different lights for different holidays.

But for these foreigners, an activity like this was already a wonderful and fun experience.

Before long, the entrance to the dining hall grew lively and filled with people. Everyone enthusiastically joined in on making the Christmas lights.

The air was filled with laughter and cheer, overflowing with a festive holiday spirit.

In stark contrast, however, the group from China—Feng Shan, Xiaohua, Hu Zi, and Black Hide—couldn’t muster the slightest bit of interest.

They stood off to the side with listless expressions, watching the lively scene with utter boredom.

"Brother Shan, isn’t Christmas over here just like our Chinese New Year? And this is the kind of stuff they use to get by? So boring." Disdain was visible in Xiaohua’s eyes.

"Come on, this is already pretty good. When they set off fireworks for Christmas, they only use sparklers."

Though Feng Shan was also talking smack, a happy smile spread across his face, as if he’d been infected by the joyful atmosphere.

"Sparklers?" Xiaohua grumbled under her breath. ’Aren’t those for kids?’

Feng Shan nodded and said quietly, "I had Brother Kai send a batch of fireworks over from China. Luckily, Frank helped, so they got through Alaska customs smoothly. Otherwise, they never would have made it in."

"Wow, are there any big ones?" Her eyes instantly lit up, her face filled with anticipation.

"I’m not sure, but there should be!"

Feng Shan didn’t actually know what kinds of fireworks Brother Kai had sent, but Brother Kai was always generous, so he probably hadn’t skimped.

Xiaohua knew a little about who Frank was.

The last time Frank came to the Crown Territory, he not only gave everyone red envelopes, but also enthusiastically helped them with their residency permits. Because of this, Xiaohua had a very favorable impression of the old man.

"When is Frank coming back? I really miss him!"

At the mention of Frank, Feng Shan’s mind couldn’t help but drift back to the incident in Yijiku Village.

After that, Frank had seemingly vanished off the face of the earth. There had been no news of him whatsoever.

He wouldn’t answer his phone. If Yves hadn’t managed to get a hold of him about a call from Fiona, they would have thought he’d vanished from the face of the earth.

But truth be told, Feng Shan was actually a bit worried about the ever-mysterious Frank.

"He’ll be here this afternoon. I spoke with him on the phone this morning. Yves has already picked up the fireworks from customs. After that, he’s heading to the capital, Juno, to pick up Frank, and then they’ll come back together."

Just then, Alvin’s voice came from nearby. He was carrying two bottles of beer as he walked toward Feng Shan, his expression somewhat serious.

"Boss, you got a minute?"

"You two talk. I’m going to find Ms. Zhan." Xiaohua was sharp and perceptive; she instantly sensed that Alvin had something on his mind.

She then gave Hu Zi, who was standing there like a wooden post, a gentle tug, shot a look at Black Hide, and the three of them headed toward the dining hall.

"Something on your mind?" Feng Shan asked with a gentle smile, taking the beer Alvin offered him.

’In his mind, Alvin was his most capable general, his number-one moneymaker.’

Feng Shan greatly valued Alvin for his excellent work performance and his loyalty, and was naturally willing to give him the respect he deserved.

Alvin’s lips curved up slightly, revealing a humble smile. "I’d like to talk to you about next year’s fishing season."

Next year’s fishing season.

The moment those words reached Feng Shan’s ears, he instantly realized this was a matter of great importance.

After all, the Crown Territory’s biggest source of cash flow currently depended on the Bering Sea fishing industry.

The success of this industry directly impacted the Crown Territory’s financial situation, and by extension, the entire course of its future development.

Feng Shan frowned. After a moment’s thought, he pointed toward the Melt River. "Let’s go. We’ll find a quiet place over there to talk properly."

With that, the two of them headed toward the Melt River.

When they reached the riverbank, they found a bench and sat down.

The area was quiet, with only the gurgling of the river breaking the silence.

There were no pleasantries or small talk. Both Feng Shan and Alvin understood the gravity of the situation and cut straight to the chase.

"What’s the plan?" Feng Shan asked.

Although he wasn’t an expert on the specifics of marine fishing operations, he understood that fishing in the Bering Sea was subject to strict time restrictions.

You couldn’t just fish whenever you felt like it; there were strict regulations.

Alvin seemed to have expected the question.

He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Feng Shan with both hands as he spoke.

"Boss, as you know, the crabbing season is over. Looking at our catch this year, the situation is grim. Aside from a few crabbing boats that turned a profit, most of them are operating at a loss. What’s more, the number of crabs we caught didn’t even meet half of the quota we bought."

"This clearly indicates a problem with the crab populations in the Bering Sea."

"Typically, in a situation like this, the Fish and Game Department will suspend the issuance of fishing quotas and implement a conservation-based ban to ensure the resource’s sustainability."

At this point, Alvin moved a little closer to Feng Shan and lowered his voice.

"I got a tip from a friend in the Fish and Game Department. This ban will likely last for two years."

"It’s that serious?" Hearing this, Feng Shan’s pupils widened slightly, a look of shock on his face.

The snow crab and Emperor Crab seasons made up the vast majority of the River Beach’s catch. It was also the crew’s main source of income.

If crab fishing was really banned for two years, the entire Alaskan crabbing boat industry would face a massive crisis. Many boats could risk going bankrupt.

He knew for a fact that several crabbing boat owners had taken out loans to buy their vessels.

Without any income from the catch, there would be no way to repay the loans.

’And most importantly, I’m counting on the fishing business to pay back my own bank loan.’

’What a load of crap!’

"In fact, it’s much more serious than you imagine, Boss." Alvin’s expression grew even darker as he slowly nodded.

From his boss’s shocked expression, he could roughly guess what was going through his mind.

But his boss, after all, wasn’t a true-blue fisherman who made his living on the sea.

He didn’t grasp the severity of a crabbing ban nearly as deeply as Alvin himself did.

...