Landlord in the Arctic

The two directors walked into the office.

Seeing their boss was also there, they greeted him before sitting down.

Although Feng Mountain had spoken of delegating authority and giving his unconditional trust.

But Ouyang Xue didn’t let it go to her head. She pulled over an office chair and sat properly beside Feng Mountain.

His gaze swept over the three core company members before him as Feng Mountain began, "Go on, what’s the problem with the tour routes?"

The operations director subconsciously glanced at Ouyang Xue, who gave a slight nod. "President Feng," she said, "while you don’t manage the daily affairs of the domestic company, you’re fully in charge of the business over in Alaska. There are some things you need to be brought up to speed on."

Taking his cue, the operations director hurriedly said, "It’s like this, President Feng. Based on tourist feedback, we’ve developed several new routes based on the original Crown Territory tour. This is the proposal. Please take a look."

As he spoke, the operations director handed over a neatly bound document.

On the cover, the words "New Tour Route Planning Proposal" were clearly visible.

Feng Mountain reached out, took the document, and flipped to the first page. His eyes scanned the detailed travel itinerary line by line.

5-Day Aurora Tour: Day 1, arrive in Fairbanks, check into a log cabin for aurora viewing.

Day 2, visit the Northern Polar Museum and Santa’s House, then chase the lights in the wilderness at night.

Day 3, head to Chena Hot Springs and the Ice Sculpture Museum, and continue chasing the lights in the wilderness.

Day 4, optional special activities including an expedition to the Arctic Circle, dogsledding, snowmobiling, or hiking in Denali.

Day 5, airport drop-off in Fairbanks, bringing the journey to a perfect close.

The trip highlights were also very appealing: boutique small-group tours departing daily, with three opportunities for aurora viewing.

The entire trip included basic activities, airport transfers, and daily breakfast. The arrangements were both considerate and thorough.

After reading about the first route, Feng Mountain nodded slightly, a look of appreciation in his eyes.

’It’s certainly much more professional than the Crown Territory tour I put together before.’

He continued reading and saw there were several other routes.

A 5-Day Aurora Glass House Tour, which sounded very novel; a 7-Day Two-City Aurora Train Tour, where one could almost feel the romance of watching the aurora from a train; a 7-Day Two-City Alaska Tour from Anchorage to Fairbanks; an 8-Day Alaska In-Depth Experience; and a 10-Day Alaska Tour.

Each route had its own unique charm, with distinct advantages.

"This is excellent. So what’s the problem with these routes?" Feng Mountain closed the document and looked at the operations director.

The operations director looked a bit uneasy.

After all, he had taken it upon himself to change the established routes without the boss’s approval, and now he was here asking for help. His embarrassment was practically written all over his face.

"Well, according to travel regulations, when we send a tour group from China to another country, we usually need a foreign travel agency to receive them and provide local ground services. But these routes don’t fly directly to Crown Territory, so we’re having some problems with the ground services!"

"Is that all?" Feng Mountain suddenly chuckled. He first put the operations director at ease with his relaxed attitude, then asked, "What do you all think we should do?"

Ouyang Xue keenly seized the opportunity, turning slightly to take over the conversation. "President Feng, it would be great if we had a travel agency office in Alaska."

As she spoke, she tapped her finger on the itinerary in the document, her eyes showing professional consideration. "This way, the tourists would be under the company’s supervision for the entire trip. Whether it’s itinerary planning, safety guarantees, or handling emergencies, we could reduce a lot of unnecessary trouble."

She paused, then added, "And in the long run, an office could also help us develop local resources and pave the way for future route development. It’s a win-win for the company, with no downsides."

Feng Mountain glanced at Ouyang Xue beside him, his gaze seemingly able to see right through to the little scheme brewing in her mind.

𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

He complained silently in his heart, but his expression remained impassive.

’This woman is so cunning, trying to drag me into this.’

’I just handed the company over to her to manage, and the next thing I know, she’s proposing to set up an office in Alaska.’

’Alaska is so far away, the domestic company definitely can’t handle it. In the end, won’t this whole mess just land on my plate?’

The two company directors at the side also chimed in with their support.

"President Feng, I think Vice President Ouyang has a very good point. After all, we’re in the business of outbound tourism, and safety is the absolute top priority. Tourist safety is the lifeblood of a travel agency, especially for this kind of international travel."

"That’s right, President Feng. Last year, a travel agency in Shanghai organized a trip for tourists to Bohol Island in Cebu, Philippines, and a child had an accident. It caused a huge stir. The agency not only paid a huge amount in compensation but also suffered from terrible negative publicity. They almost went bankrupt and had to liquidate."

With one director persuading him from the left and the other from the right, Ouyang Xue was also on the side, fanning the flames.

Their posture seemed to say that if they didn’t set up an office in Alaska, the trip would be fraught with risk, and tourists might not even make it back.

Feng Mountain felt as if he were being roasted over a fire, the heated atmosphere in the room becoming unbearable.

From the company’s perspective, setting up an office would indeed better ensure tourist safety and benefit its long-term development. But the investment of manpower, materials, and financial resources behind it was also a hassle.

Besides, if they really established an office, he would inevitably have to worry about the subsequent management and operations.

’So much for being a hands-off boss.’

But he couldn’t just pour cold water on the idea; after all, Ouyang Xue was genuinely thinking about the company’s best interests.

Resigned, Feng Mountain raised his hands in a gesture of surrender and said loudly,

"Alright, alright."

"I’ll take care of the office, okay? I see what’s going on now. You all set a trap for me today and were just waiting for me to walk right into it," Feng Mountain said irritably, his face a mask of frustration.