Landlord in the Arctic

"I’ll send the bill to your phone. Don’t be a single cent short. If you don’t pay up, I’ll expose all of Frank’s dirty laundry and make him start from scratch." Lawyer Peyton adjusted his glasses, his threat half-joking and half-serious.

Although he said that, Lawyer Peyton knew this matter was finally settled—a close call, but with no real harm done.

’Still, I won’t be shy about my fee,’ he thought. ’After all, I’ve invested a lot of time and energy into this.’

Feng Mountain nodded quickly, his attitude sincere. "Of course. Please, rest assured."

"I hear you came on a private jet. Give me a ride back to Las later." Seeing how cooperative Feng Mountain was, Lawyer Peyton was very satisfied with his answer, and his tone lightened considerably.

"No problem," Feng Mountain nodded again.

Just then.

The roar of an engine echoed from the street outside the county courthouse.

A Pickup Truck charged into the courtyard like an untamed stallion before slamming on its brakes, screeching to an abrupt halt in front of everyone. Its tires screamed against the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Then, five tough-looking men quickly jumped out of the vehicle.

Their movements were agile and practiced, their faces cold and indifferent. They exuded an aura that made one’s blood run cold.

One look was enough to tell that these men were professional tough guys, not people you’d want to cross.

As men seasoned in battle, Feng Mountain and Nash instinctively reached for their holsters. Their bodies tensed as they went on high alert.

A burly white man with a ponytail stepped out from the group of five. He was powerfully built, with a conspicuous tattoo on his neck that screamed ruthlessness.

The man with the ponytail walked straight up to Feng Mountain. His indifferent gaze lingered on Nash for a moment before locking onto Feng Mountain. He asked in a deep voice,

"Hello. Which one of you is Mr. Feng Shan?"

"I am." Feng Mountain took a half-step forward. He appeared calm on the surface, but his hand remained inside his jacket, secretly preparing a Witchcraft spell, just in case.

The atmosphere instantly tensed, thick with the smell of Gunpowder. Everyone’s nerves were on edge.

The others worried that these men had been sent by Sheriff Ronnie, or that they were the remnants of Bao Wen’s crew, here for revenge.

SNAP!

Just as Feng Mountain reached maximum alertness, the burly man with the ponytail snapped a clean, sharp salute. He announced loudly,

"Yoni, codename Ma Wei. I received a call from Yves and am reporting for duty."

At the same time, the four men behind him saluted in perfect unison, their bearing distinctly military.

"You’re the veterans Yves found?" Hearing this, Feng Mountain breathed a sigh of relief and took his hand out of his jacket.

The tension of the last few moments had made his palms break out in a cold sweat.

Ma Wei quickly scanned the surroundings, his wary gaze holding a professional sharpness.

"Yes, sir. We heard the boss was in trouble in Texas, so those of us veterans who were nearby drove over first. The others are still on their way. How many enemies are we facing? I need to draw up a battle plan."

Before he even finished speaking, the other four men reacted instantly and spread out.

They surrounded Feng Mountain, expertly using their bodies to block every possible line of sight and forming a tight protective circle around him.

"Fellas, relax a bit, Ian. Everything’s resolved." Seeing their formation, Feng Mountain quickly waved his hands, trying to get them to relax.

However, Ma Wei, his expression grim, was having none of it. "Boss, our orders are to ensure your safety. Please do not interfere with our work."

Just then, a heartwarming scene unfolded before everyone’s eyes.

Yves, Fiona, and Valerie emerged from the courthouse doors holding hands, their faces beaming as they chatted and laughed together.

If one didn’t know they had just been through a contentious lawsuit,

it would be impossible to imagine that just a short while ago, things had been so hostile, their relationship strained to the breaking point.

As the three of them approached, Valerie looked at Feng Mountain, her eyes filled with gratitude.

She bent forward slightly and gave a deep bow.

"Mr. Feng, thank you so much for your help. If Fiona had stayed with me, she might have ended up going down the wrong path in the future, just like I did."

Feng Mountain smiled and waved it off. "I’m very fond of Fiona," he said gently. "She’ll love Crown Territory. We’ll take good care of her. Where do you plan on going?"

"I don’t know yet. Anywhere, as long as I can get far away from Texas." Valerie sighed softly, a hint of exhaustion and uncertainty in her eyes.

As she spoke, Valerie took Fiona from Yves’s arms and held her daughter in a tight embrace.

She wanted to have a proper talk with her daughter before leaving, to cherish these last precious moments together.

Yves, meanwhile, turned and walked over to Ma Wei, a look of pleasant surprise and warmth in his eyes.

He raised a hand and punched Ma Wei firmly on the shoulder, a familiar gesture between old friends.

Ma Wei immediately snapped to a salute, his voice booming.

"Sir, long time no see."

The two then embraced tightly, as if pouring all the time they’d missed into the hug.

Yves gently patted Ma Wei’s shoulder and whispered in his ear.

"We’re not in the service anymore. Just call me Yves or Chief."

Everything was finally settled, and the moment of parting quietly arrived.

With tears in her eyes, Valerie fought back her reluctance and handed the wailing Fiona to Yves.

She kept looking back, each step feeling as heavy as lead.

At last, she got into the car Feng Mountain had arranged for her.

The car started up slowly, receding into the distance until it finally disappeared at the end of the street.

Just after Valerie left, Feng Mountain’s phone suddenly rang.

He took it out; the screen showed an unknown number.

Feng Mountain’s brow furrowed. After a brief hesitation, he answered the call.

The apologetic voice of Sheriff Ronnie soon came from the other end of the line.

"Feng, I’m terribly sorry. We just received news. While transporting the suspect, Bao Wen, he resisted in the car, causing the vehicle to lose control. It went off Big Bend, the vehicle exploded, and the suspect, Bao Wen, died in the accident."

Sheriff Ronnie sounded extremely regretful, but his words seemed to carry an imperceptible undertone.

The corners of Feng Mountain’s mouth curved up slightly into a faint smile. He replied, "That’s truly unfortunate news. May God have mercy on his soul."

"Of course, I’ll expedite the interrogation of the other suspects and get you the results as soon as possible," Sheriff Ronnie added apologetically, as if trying to prove to Feng how seriously he was taking the matter.

"That won’t be necessary," Feng Mountain said in a calm tone, seemingly unwilling to pursue the matter further. "I can tell the others weren’t in league with Bao Wen. We should give them a chance to turn their lives around."

"God, you’re a good man. When you have some free time, come visit Baird Town, and I’ll treat you to some real Texas barbecue." Hearing Feng Mountain’s decision, the relief in Sheriff Ronnie’s voice was palpable.

"I’ll definitely take you up on that," Feng Mountain replied with a smile.

He then hung up, turned to Director Roland, and gave him a meaningful smile, as if conveying an unspoken message.

Feng Mountain then got into the car.

The others followed suit, getting into their own vehicles, and the convoy headed for Bellard Airport.

On the way, everyone may have been in different moods, but this tumultuous affair had, at least for now, come to a close.

It was evening now, and the Texas sky looked like a vibrant oil painting.

The sun slowly sank in the west, painting the horizon a brilliant orange-red.

The orange-red glow spread outward, merging with the pale blue of the sky.

It created a dreamlike, breathtakingly beautiful gradient along the horizon.

Against this dreamlike backdrop, a Gulfstream 650 sat quietly on the runway.

Its fuselage shimmered in the twilight, like a steel eagle poised to take flight.

Feng Mountain walked over to Cook and handed him the keys to the truck Ma Wei and his men had arrived in. At the same time, he made a solemn promise.

Crown Territory could offer him a position as a jockey.

Whether or not he could secure it, however, would depend on his own abilities.

Cook took the keys and nodded gratefully.

’This is a rare opportunity,’ he thought, ’a chance to leave Baird Town.’

....