Landlord in the Arctic

"Goodbye, ma’am. You’re an excellent driver."

With that, Feng Shan turned and walked back to his snowmobile. He sat in the driver’s seat, gently placed Tu’Er into his backpack, then put on his hat, windproof mask, and goggles, bundling himself up tightly.

He waved to Lisa, then twisted the throttle hard.

The two snowmobiles roared to life, shooting off toward the desolate tundra like arrows loosed from a bow.

Not to be outdone, the Tiger Pack followed close behind, their powerful strides carrying them across the snow in a joyful run.

Lisa stood quietly, watching as the two men and the Tiger Pack disappeared into the distance.

Snowflakes danced wildly in the air. The two snowmobiles and the running tigers soon blended into the silvery-white world, with only a flash of red appearing and disappearing amidst the flurries.

Safe travels!!

....

Entering the Far North Tundra was like stepping into a world dominated by ice, snow, and gloom.

The sky was a depressing, dark gray, like a heavy lead plate pressing down upon the vast land.

The ground, in contrast, was a pure, ultimate white. As far as the eye could see, there was only a boundless, unending expanse of snow.

A thick curtain of snow veiled the world, gently concealing all things beneath its white blanket, hiding their true forms.

Where mountains and ravines might have once stood, now only faint, rolling contours in the vast sea of snow allowed one to barely perceive their existence.

The only signs of life in this silent world were the howling arctic wind and the roar of the snowmobiles.

Feng Shan drove his snowmobile, stopping from time to time to pull out his satellite phone and use the GPS to confirm the direction to the Crown Territory.

The Tiger Pack followed closely behind. After the long run, the tigers were panting heavily. The low temperature instantly froze their hot breath into a mist of ice, and a layer of frost quickly formed on their fur, glimmering faintly in the dim light.

AWOO!

Tyson, panting for breath, walked up to the snowmobile, looked up at Feng Shan, and let out a low growl.

"You guys hungry?" Feng Shan heard the sound and took off his goggles. He looked at Tyson, his expression a mix of resigned helplessness and affection.

’Right. We left Sagewang...’

’and have been running non-stop for over an hour without any breaks.’

’The snowmobiles run on fuel, but the tigers are burning real energy.’

Feng Shan gently patted Tyson’s round, burger-like head, then jumped off the snowmobile.

He placed his backpack on the sled.

Just then, Tu’Er, wearing his little Santa hat, poked his head out of the bag. His eyes were full of confusion, as if wondering why they had suddenly stopped.

Feng Shan walked briskly over to Nash’s snowmobile. "The tigers are hungry. My sled is loaded with the parrot cage, so I’ll ride with you to go hunting."

Nash didn’t say much, just gave a silent nod and got off his snowmobile as well.

He began to temporarily unload the supplies from his sled to free one up, so they would have a way to transport any prey they caught later.

Feng Shan took a moment to pull out his satellite phone. A glance at the screen showed that it was already past 10:00 PM.

’It seems pointless to keep traveling now. The temperature on the tundra drops sharply at night, and these harsh conditions aren’t suitable for night travel.’

After a moment of thought, he decided they should set up the tent first and go hunting afterward.

He scanned the surroundings and spotted a series of low, rolling snow dunes not far away.

’A place with a natural windbreak like that is a good choice for a campsite.’

The two men discussed it briefly, then got on the snowmobiles and called for the tigers to move out.

Soon, they arrived near the snow dunes.

Feng Shan carefully selected the best spot. The snow here was about a meter deep, and the spot was right up against a dune, which would provide excellent shelter from the biting wind at their backs.

They unloaded their gear and supplies from the sleds and began methodically setting up camp.

First, they dug out the surface layer of snow. They then took the excavated snow and piled it up evenly around the spot where the tent would be.

Once piled up, this snow would serve as a solid snow wall, effectively preventing heat from escaping and creating a relatively warm little space in the frozen world.

Seeing Feng Shan digging in the snow, the tigers seemed to find it interesting and trotted over.

They stretched out their bowl-sized paws and began to mimic Feng Shan, digging away at the snow.

With every swipe of their claws, large chunks of snow were sent flying with a SWOOSH, kicking up a cloud of powder.

A job that would have taken Feng Shan at least half an hour to finish alone—clearing the snow—was completed in less than ten minutes with the tigers’ help.

The cleared space was quite large, not only big enough for the tent but also leaving room for the tigers to rest.

"Nash, you handle the tent. I’m going hunting to see if I can bring back a few reindeer for them." Feng Shan gently patted Tyson’s burger-like head, then picked up an AR-15 and walked toward a snowmobile.

’Speaking of which, I forgot to bring the Type 56 carbine when I left the Crown Territory. I had to borrow this gun from Old Tom in a pinch.’

Before setting off, Feng Shan took out his satellite phone and marked the coordinates of their temporary camp to avoid getting lost later.

With his preparations complete, he deftly mounted the snowmobile, twisted the throttle, and plunged deep into the vast, white expanse of the tundra, leaving a trail of snow mist in his wake.

In winter, especially on the tundra after a fresh snowfall, there are a few tricks to finding reindeer tracks. If you search based on three key factors—shelter from the wind, food sources, and terrain—you’re bound to have some success.

Shelter: During heavy snow, reindeer will seek refuge from the cold and wind in places like the leeward side of valleys, the foot of mountains, large groves of trees, or behind snowdrifts.

These spots help them conserve body heat, so they are key areas to search.

Food Source: In winter, the tundra’s vegetation is covered by snow. Reindeer will look for places where the snow is thinner and they can find food like lichens and moss. Sunny slopes and highlands often have thinner snow cover. The areas alongside flowing rivers are also promising, as the water’s movement prevents deep snow accumulation, making vegetation more accessible. Reindeer might be found foraging in these places.

Finally, Terrain: Reindeer may use the landscape to find relatively safe and comfortable environments. They tend to frequent areas with gentle slopes and no steep inclines or cliffs to avoid slipping or getting injured while moving.

The tundra was now in the harshest period of the Far North Region’s winter. The entire landscape was blanketed in a thick layer of snow, and the rivers had long since frozen solid.

For reindeer to find food, they had to linger on the slopes of highlands. The constant, bitter wind on these slopes kept the snow shallow, allowing them to easily paw it away and eat the mossy plants hidden underneath.

Feng Shan drove the snowmobile at lightning speed, and before long, he arrived at a snow-covered slope with a relatively open view.

Fortunately, the heavens were merciful for a change, and it wasn’t snowing as it usually did.

The night sky was unusually clear, which made the search much easier.

Gazing into the distance, at the very edge of his vision, a magnificent, towering snow-capped mountain came into view.

For reindeer, a place like this was undoubtedly a rare and excellent foraging ground.

Even if the mountain’s vegetation was covered by heavy snow, it would still attract reindeer to come and explore.

But once he actually started the journey, he truly understood the meaning of the saying, "a mountain in view can run a horse to death."

The snow mountain stood clearly in his line of sight, seemingly just a stone’s throw away, but it took a full half-hour to reach it on the snowmobile.

At the foot of the snow mountain, Feng Shan slowed the snowmobile and gradually came to a stop.

He hopped off the vehicle and quickly scanned the surrounding area.

Sure enough, on a patch of snow not far away, he discovered a large amount of reindeer droppings.

The droppings were scattered about like little dots, varying in size, some large, some small, all irregular.

’It’s highly likely this is a place where a reindeer herd frequently moves through or rests.’

He strode forward, squatted down, and picked up a handful of the droppings, which were already frozen solid.

He squeezed lightly, and the droppings shattered with a CRACKLE, the fragments falling with a rustle.

Looking at the fragments, he could clearly see bits of undigested mossy plants mixed within.

These bits were dark green and still held a hint of moist ice crystals.

...