Landlord in the Arctic

Just then, a sharp, piercing cry suddenly echoed through the night sky, shattering the din.

"Oh-oh, Lord Loki has arrived!"

Immediately after, a dark shadow plummeted from the sky like a shooting star, landing with a soft THUMP on the grass.

After the shadow stood still, it put on a smug expression, its head held high, as if announcing its arrival to the crowd.

However, when its gaze swept over the crowd and landed on Feng Shan, its attitude did a complete one-eighty. It instantly became docile and cute.

With a gentle flap of its wings, it shot up with a WHOOSH and landed steadily on Feng Shan’s shoulder, gently rubbing its beak against his cheek while speaking in a fawning tone.

"Dad, you’re back!"

"Weren’t you working at the restaurant?" Feng Shan was quite surprised by Loki’s sudden appearance.

"Ahem, I let him out." Old Zhang coughed twice, a helpless expression on his face as he explained, "This little rascal not only ate all the nuts, but he also started singing all sorts of vulgar, rowdy songs. He was turning the whole restaurant into a madhouse, so I had no choice but to let him out."

Hearing Old Zhang’s voice, Loki immediately turned his head and, straining his throat to imitate Feng Shan’s voice, said in a bizarre tone.

"Old man, it is your honor to serve Lord Loki."

"Hmph!" Feng Shan grunted softly as a warning.

Loki reacted instantly, switching to Erica’s voice and saying pitifully, "Dad, I was wrong!"

"Fuck! Loki, you stole my voice!" Hearing Loki use her own voice to call Feng Shan "Dad," Erica’s face instantly flushed red with anger. Like an enraged little animal, she brandished her fists and charged at Loki.

Seeing things were going south, Loki quickly beat its wings and with a WHOOSH, flew into the night sky.

It circled above Erica’s head, deliberately shouting over and over in her voice.

"Dad, I was wrong! Dad, I was wrong!"

It dragged out the words, deliberately using a breathy, panting tone that left little to the imagination.

"Fuck! Loki, get down here!" Erica stomped her feet in fury, her eyes wide, but she was utterly helpless against the high-flying Loki.

Frustrated, she had no choice but to bend over, grab handful after handful of moss, and hurl it into the air to vent her anger.

"Get him under control, there are so many people here!" Jenny, blushing slightly, walked up to a smirking Feng Shan and whispered the reminder in his ear.

By now, everyone around them was roaring with laughter at the scene.

COUGH, COUGH!

Feng Shan realized the situation was getting a little out of control. He quickly cleared his throat, looked up at Loki who was still clamoring wantonly in the air, and said in a mock-angry tone.

"That’s enough. Go show your little brothers around the camp."

Loki might turn a deaf ear to others, but it wouldn’t dare defy a command from Feng Shan.

Loki instantly stopped his racket. He glided down lazily through the air, came to a stop above the flock of parrots, and squawked at the top of his lungs.

"Alright, fellas, follow me."

WHIRRRR!

The flock of parrots beat their wings, rising from the grass and flying into the night sky, following closely behind Loki like a group of loyal followers.

At that moment, the soft light from the camp’s streetlights happened to illuminate the flock of parrots.

In an instant, the parrots’ multicolored feathers seemed to have been enchanted, lighting up all at once.

The red feathers blazed like burning flames, passionate and wild. The green feathers were like emeralds, fresh and dazzling. The blue feathers were like the deep ocean, mysterious and captivating.

Under the glow of the lights, these feathers refracted a dreamlike radiance.

Everyone was stunned by the beautiful sight. They all looked up, their eyes filled with amazement as they watched the scene unfold.

It wasn’t until the flock of parrots gradually flew deeper into the camp and finally disappeared into the night sky that everyone snapped out of their daze a long while later.

...

The arrival of the animals instantly drew everyone’s attention, and the crowd that had gathered to welcome Feng Shan was suddenly split up.

Taking advantage of this break, Feng Shan finally had a chance to see the rest of the people.

Just then, a chubby, round, baby face with a sweet smile came into view.

Seeing the familiar face, Feng Shan’s eyebrows shot up, and a grin unconsciously spread across his face, which was beaming with pleasant surprise.

Without a second thought, he strode over quickly, opening his arms and calling out enthusiastically.

"Xiaohua, you’re here!"

"Hmph! You big jerk, Brother Shan! Do you only have eyes for Ms. Zhan? I’ve been standing here for so long, and you’re only just now seeing me!"

Xiaohua complained with feigned anger, but while her words said one thing, her actions were quite honest. She gently hugged Feng Shan, the intimate gesture revealing their sibling-like bond.

As time had quietly passed, Xiaohua’s belly had grown more prominent. The round curve was now clearly visible and quite obvious.

This meant she could no longer act as impulsively and wildly as she used to.

Full of affection, Feng Shan gently hugged Xiaohua back. His movements were exceptionally gentle, as if afraid he might accidentally squeeze the little baby in her belly. He asked with concern.

"When did you get here? You didn’t even call me beforehand. Oh, right, where are Hu Zi and Black Hide?"

"Brother Shan, you finally got around to asking about us. I guess you only care about Xiaohua." At that moment, an aggrieved voice came from the side. Hu Zi and Black Hide slowly walked out, both looking unhappy as if they had suffered a great injustice.

Feng Shan raised his hand and gave each of the two jealous men a punch, cursing with a laugh, "Bullshit. Xiaohua is our family’s greatest treasure right now. If I’m not thinking about her, should I be thinking about you two giving me a nephew?"

"I’d love to, but I don’t have the equipment for it!" Hu Zi muttered under his breath. But as soon as he said it, he saw the look Brother Shan shot him and immediately shrank back, not daring to say another word.

"Where’s Brother Kai? Why haven’t I seen him?" Feng Shan’s gaze went past his two "brothers," looking behind them for any sign of Zhang Kai.

"Brother Kai didn’t come this time. He just dropped us off at the airport in Hong Kong and went back," Black Hide replied, shaking his head.

"Tonight, have Ms. Zhan cook up a feast. The three of us brothers will have a good drink." Feng Shan saw many people walking toward him and understood that now wasn’t the time for catching up, so he patted Hu Zi’s shoulder.

Xiaohua and the other two also noticed many strangers walking their way. They knew very well that Brother Shan was not the same person he used to be; he now had status and standing.

Just yesterday when they arrived, they heard that many people had traveled from far away to the Crown Territory just to meet Brother Shan.

"Yeah, you go ahead and get busy. Don’t worry about us. We’ll go see the tigers." Hu Zi nodded understandingly, then pulled Xiaohua and Black Hide and turned to walk toward the Tiger Pack.

Before the leaders of the Northern Alliance could even get close, a chorus of praise erupted.

"Feng, this place of yours is gorgeous!"

"Spirit of All Things, why didn’t I know a place like this existed on the Tundra?"

"No wonder you’re not willing to come to my tribe. If I had a place like this, I’d be the same as you."

"Feng, I hope you’ll consider what I talked about last time. I’ll pay any price."

...

Feng Shan kept a constant smile on his face, embracing the Tundra chiefs one by one while patting their shoulders, putting on a display of close friendship.

At the same time, he knew in his heart that these tribal chiefs were the savviest of the savvy. If he gave them even an inch, they would take a mile.

So, he accepted all their praise graciously, but as for any promises tied to their own interests, that was completely out of the question.

"Louise, regarding the matter of Kivalina, I think it’s best to go to the state government. They should have a systematic plan for handling it. We should be enjoying ourselves right now."

Feng Shan looked at Louise and said unhurriedly.

His aim was to divert the conversation and avoid getting entangled in unnecessary trouble.

"That’s right. Let’s not talk about such things at a wonderful time like this." Old Pete from Point Laya Village stepped forward, helping Feng Shan smooth things over.

In truth, when it came to the issue of Kivalina Town, all the chiefs present understood the situation perfectly.

Everyone had their own tribal reservations, but no one would easily allow another tribe to migrate into their territory. After all, it involved complex issues like land and resources.

Robert, the chief of Kaktovik Town, also tactfully changed the subject. He clutched his stomach and put on a pitiful look.

"Feng, I’ve heard your ranch’s beef is incredible. I skipped lunch today just so I could wait for your beef."

As soon as he said that, the atmosphere instantly became light and cheerful.

...