Landlord in the Arctic

Especially on mountain roads with heavy snow, steep grades, sharp curves, and severe icing were common. The special snow tires helped the vehicles navigate the complex terrain.

They not only ensured safety on slopes and in turns but also allowed the vehicles to speed along as if the difficult roads were flat ground.

The convoy reached a fork in the road and slowed down.

Feng Mountain pointed through the windshield at the uphill road to the right.

"This way."

Sitting in the back seat, Diego stared at the road ahead, which looked familiar.

Unable to contain his curiosity, he asked, "Sir, this is the road to the Reindeer Ski Resort. Are you heading there?"

Meanwhile.

A young police officer was also in the back seat, his hands tightly bound with zip ties.

He realized that despite being captured and thrown in the car, he hadn’t been harmed.

In fact, these people seemed to be looking for something, so he asked curiously, "Hey, where are you guys taking me?"

"You know this place?" Feng Mountain ignored the young officer, turning his head sharply to stare at Diego.

Diego nodded quickly, pointing at the uphill road ahead as he spoke.

"Uncle Juan and I have delivered melons and eggs here a few times. But the ski resort closed last week because of the cold snap. Reindeer Mountain Ski Resort is just over this mountain."

"Then this is it. Jenny and the others must be held at the ski resort."

Hearing this, Feng Mountain nodded.

The direction indicated by the straw-rope divination was roughly the same as what Diego had described.

To avoid tipping them off, he tapped Yves on the shoulder and said in a low voice, "Pull over to the side of the road."

"Hey! Can someone please talk to me!" Seeing he was being completely ignored, the young officer felt indignant. He twisted his bound hands, trying to get their attention. "What are you people doing? You just mentioned Jenny. Is that Jenny from Melon Ranch? What happened to her?"

The noise gave Feng Mountain a splitting headache. His temples throbbed. He whipped his head around and glared viciously at the young officer, his eyes practically shooting fire as he threatened him.

"Shut up! Do you want me to throw you out of this car and let you freeze to death on this mountain?"

The young officer flinched, terrified by the vicious glare and harsh words.

He immediately shrank back.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but fear ultimately silenced him.

Not daring to make another sound, he could only stare pitifully at Feng Mountain.

Just then, Yves picked up the walkie-talkie and said calmly, "Prepare to stop. Rear vehicles, control your speed."

A series of "copy that" confirmations came crackling back through the radio.

The entire convoy then slowly came to a stop.

Feng Mountain pushed the door open and led Diego out of the car.

Yves and Nash followed close behind, as veterans from the other vehicles got out and gathered around them.

"You’re the only one here who’s been to Reindeer Mountain Ski Resort, so you must know the layout well. Can you give us the details?" Yves asked, looking at Diego earnestly.

At the same time, the other veterans all turned to focus on Diego.

Being stared at by so many pairs of sharp eyes at once...

...Diego was terrified. He instinctively flinched.

Feng Mountain smiled, softening his expression. He gently patted Diego’s shoulder and said reassuringly.

"Don’t be afraid, kid. Just tell us everything you know. We’re Jenny’s family. You don’t want to see her get hurt, do you?"

Hearing this,

Diego’s fearful expression eased slightly.

He glanced around, walked to the side of the road, kicked away a patch of thick snow, and bent down to pick up a twig.

He then hurried back to the group and slowly squatted down.

The twig in his hand moved deftly across the snow, and in a moment, a simple outline of the ski resort appeared before them.

"This is Reindeer Mountain Ski Resort," Diego explained, pointing to the lines in the snow. "Once you cross this mountain, you’ll see the resort’s main gate. Further in is the main service lodge, the equipment rental shop, and the dining area. If you go through the lodge, the snow-play area and terrain park are on the left, and the ski lift area and magic carpet are on the right."

He paused for a moment before adding, "There’s also a small service road to the right of the main gate. It leads directly to the restaurant’s kitchen and storeroom. That’s the way Uncle Juan and I always go when we deliver the melons and eggs."

Staring at the simple sketch in the snow, Yves thought for a moment before asking, "Are the main lodge and the dining area connected?"

"Yes, the main lodge and the dining area are connected."

Diego nodded quickly to confirm, a nervous look in his eyes, as if worried he had answered incorrectly.

Another veteran frowned, his eyes locked on Diego, trying to extract more detailed information.

"Does the resort have dorms or staff quarters? How many employees are there? What’s their security like?"

Diego thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I’m not sure about that. I’ve only been here a few times."

"I know about the resort’s security. I contacted Reindeer Mountain Ski Resort four days ago to ask about their personnel."

At that moment, the young officer with the bound hands suddenly spoke up. His voice wasn’t loud, but it sounded exceptionally clear in the silent, snowy landscape.

All eyes turned to the young officer, full of curiosity.

Feng Mountain gave a slight nod, signaling for him to continue. "Go on."

"Sorry, but before I say anything, please tell me what’s going on."

The young officer was afraid, but he still clung to a shred of his sense of justice.

He didn’t want to give out information without knowing the circumstances.

More importantly, he wanted to know how the information he provided would be used.

Feng Mountain shot Nash a look.

Nash got the hint, pulling out his Hunting Knife as he stepped forward.

In one swift, clean motion, he sliced through the zip ties on the young officer’s wrists.

Once the zip ties snapped, the young officer rubbed his sore wrists, a look of relief washing over his face.

Feng Mountain then took out his Sheriff’s credentials.

He showed them to the young officer and said grimly, "I’m Feng Mountain, Sheriff of the Alaska Crown Territory. These men are my deputies. A few female employees from our town were kidnapped by Gaston on their way home for the holidays. He’s demanding a 2 million US Dollar ransom. Based on our intelligence, the kidnappers are holed up at Reindeer Mountain Ski Resort."

Another veteran asked, "Does the resort have dorms or staff quarters? How many employees? What’s the security like?"

Diego thought for a moment and shook his head. "I’m not sure about that. I’ve only been here a few times."

"I know about the resort’s security. I contacted Reindeer Mountain Ski Resort four days ago asking about their personnel," the young officer with the bound hands suddenly said.

All eyes turned to him. Feng Mountain nodded and said, "Go on."

"Sorry, but before I say anything, you have to tell me what’s going on." Though the young officer was scared, he still retained a shred of his sense of justice.

Feng Mountain shot Nash a look. Nash pulled out his Hunting Knife, stepped forward, and with a single slice, cut the zip ties binding the young officer’s hands. Feng Mountain then produced his Sheriff’s credentials.

"I’m Feng Mountain, Sheriff of the Alaska Crown Territory, and these are my deputies. A few female employees from our town were kidnapped by Gaston on their way home for the holidays. He’s demanding a 2 million US Dollar ransom. Based on our intelligence, the kidnappers are likely holed up at Reindeer Mountain Ski Resort."

An Alaska Sheriff!

Kidnapped by Gaston!

A 2 million US Dollar ransom!

Hearing these keywords, the young officer’s eyes went wide. He quickly took the credentials from Feng Mountain’s hand and eagerly flipped them open to inspect.

His fingers trembled slightly, his eyes betraying a mix of nervousness and excitement.

After confirming the credentials were real, his eyes began to shine with excitement.

’This is a first-degree kidnapping case.’

’I’ve been a patrol officer for over a year, and the cases I usually run into...’

’...the biggest cases are usually helping residents find their dogs, looking for lost seniors, or just giving tourists directions.’

’When would I ever get to be part of a case this big?’

The young officer was overcome with emotion.

His voice filled with anger, revealing a deep loathing for Gaston.

"Man, the Gaston you mentioned... you mean that notorious scumbag Gaston from West Yellowstone City? Did he really kidnap Jenny?"

...