Landlord in the Arctic

"6, 7, 8, 9, 10! You playing?"

"Pass!"

"9, 10, Jack, Queen, King! You playing?"

"Pass!"

"Four aces, a bomb!"

"Pass!"

"Pair of 2s!"

"Pass!"

"Joker bomb!"

"Pass, pass, pass!" Director Roland said, gritting his teeth.

"Last card. No one wants it, right? A single 3!" Feng Mountain smiled, tossing down the last card in his hand and declaring victory for the round.

"Feng, how could you be left with a single 3? That’s not right." Director Roland’s eyes were wide with disbelief.

"None of your business what I keep. Time to settle up!" Feng Mountain said with a smug grin. He unhurriedly gathered the cards, then looked at Director Roland’s full hand—not a single card played—and started calculating the score.

"Seventeen cards in hand, that’s 17 US dollars. A ’Spring’ hand doubles it to 34 US dollars. One bomb makes it 64 US dollars, two bombs, 128 US dollars. Thanks for playing."

Feng Mountain expertly rattled off the total and held out his hand to collect his winnings.

Hearing the amount, Director Roland’s eyes bulged even wider, as if they were about to pop out of his head.

"Fack, I didn’t play a single card and I lost 128 US dollars? Are you cheating?"

"With so many people watching, how could I cheat?" Feng Mountain scoffed, turning to Ma Wei and the others who were watching nearby. "Did you guys see me cheat?"

Ma Wei and the others shook their heads in unison.

"The boss’s hand was great. It was unbeatable," one of the veterans explained with a smile.

"See?" Feng Mountain lifted his chin smugly.

"Bullshit. I refuse to believe your luck will last forever." Director Roland huffily pulled cash from his wallet, counted it out, and threw it on the table. "I’m shuffling this time."

...

Baird Town and Dallas are 200 kilometers apart.

The Gulfstream 650 flew at its standard speed of Mach 0.85, approximately 907 kilometers per hour.

By that calculation, they could easily reach Dallas in less than 20 minutes.

During the short flight, Feng Mountain, Director Roland, and Nash were immersed in the joyous atmosphere of their game of Fight the Landlord.

However, they hadn’t even finished five rounds of the game.

Director Roland’s wallet was already empty.

Fortunately, Mova saved the director from his bad luck by informing Feng Mountain that the plane was now over Dallas and about to land at Addison Airport.

At that moment, Lawyer Peyton and his young assistant were already preparing to deplane.

Seeing this, Feng Mountain quickly walked over, once again expressing his sincere gratitude to Lawyer Peyton while handing him a prepared check.

After taking the check, Lawyer Peyton’s eyes fell on the amount, and a satisfied smile involuntarily appeared on his lips.

’Although this lawsuit was as insignificant as an ant to me, my status in the legal world holds significant weight.’

’Even though my relationship with Frank is good, business is business. Since I invested my time and energy, I should be compensated accordingly.’

"Feng, if you have any lawsuits in the future, you can contact me. Trust my abilities; I’m definitely more cost-effective than Frank."

"Of course," Feng Mountain replied with a smile.

After shaking hands and saying their goodbyes, they each returned to their seats to wait for the plane to land.

Soon, the Gulfstream 650 landed smoothly on the runway, its fuselage gliding steadily.

Feng Mountain personally escorted Lawyer Peyton off the plane, displaying the utmost gentlemanly conduct.

After seeing off Lawyer Peyton, Feng Mountain immediately instructed Mova to have the plane fly directly to Fairbanks to begin the next leg of their journey.

The rest of the flight was not as lively as before; it felt dull and boring.

A quiet atmosphere gradually spread through the cabin.

Fiona, nestled in Yves’s warm embrace, had long since fallen asleep. A sweet smile graced her little face, perhaps dreaming of something fun.

After a few more rounds, Director Roland finally realized that Feng Mountain was an opponent he could not defeat.

To avoid losing more money, he decisively cut his losses and kicked Feng Mountain out of the game.

He then called over Ma Wei and another veteran, trying to win back his earlier losses by playing with them.

Feng Mountain gave a helpless shrug and let it be.

He had Mova bring some drinks and snacks, then sat with three of the veterans, making idle conversation.

Through their chat, Feng Mountain gradually learned that the five of them had once served in the same company as Yves.

Later, they were all diagnosed with PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) and chose to retire and return to civilian life around the same time.

However, after returning to society, the symptoms of PTSD followed them like a shadow, constantly tormenting them.

They tried taking large amounts of antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, and antipsychotics, but the results were the opposite of what they’d hoped for. Not only did their symptoms not improve in the slightest, but they actually grew worse.

These symptoms had a huge impact on their lives. Almost every one of them ended up leaving their families to live alone.

Some of their comrades-in-arms, unable to bear the torment of the illness, even chose to commit suicide, while others turned to violent crime.

Recalling these painful experiences, everyone’s expression grew somber.

Just then, Feng Mountain raised his drink, his voice full of encouragement.

"Fellas, everything is going to be alright. Haven’t you noticed how well Yves is doing now? The Crown Territory will definitely be a good fit for you. Trust me."

「Seven hours passed quietly.」

The Gulfstream 650 finally returned to Fairbanks.

By now, the night was deep, and the entire city seemed to be draped in a huge swath of black satin.

But against this dark canvas, the aurora swayed like a dream, its brilliant colors dancing wildly across the night sky.

The plane landed steadily on the runway, and the moment the wheels touched the tarmac, they made a faint screeching sound.

Once the plane came to a stop and the airstairs were lowered, the cabin door slowly opened, and the group walked out one by one.

In an instant, the bone-chilling air pounced on them like a wild beast, making everyone shudder involuntarily, yet also jolting them awake.

For Ma Wei and the others, this weather was absolutely brutal, as if it wanted to freeze every inch of their skin.

But in Feng Mountain’s eyes, this cold carried a special kind of familiarity, the comfort of coming home.

He found everything here, including the biting wind, to be incredibly familiar and reassuring.

Mova, still wearing her professional and charming smile, stood neatly by the airstairs with the other flight attendants to see everyone off.

"Mr. Feng, I hope to have the pleasure of serving you again."

"Thank you. If you run into any trouble, you can contact Jeff. I believe he’s a senior executive at your company."

Feng Mountain had a very good impression of this woman. She was tactful and professional, so he didn’t hesitate to offer this reward.

’After all, Jeff will be the one doing the work. I just have to say a few words.’

’Jeff?’

Mova was startled, and a name instantly surfaced in her mind.

’Could it be Jeff Edward?’

’The aide from North Slope Petroleum Company?’

’The man didn’t have a clear title within the company, but he held a lot of real power. I heard he was specially assigned to the petroleum company by the parent corporation.’

’I can’t believe Mr. Feng is so closely connected to someone that high up.’

At this thought, a delighted smile broke out on Mova’s face. She even felt a pang of regret for not being more proactive on the plane.

"Goodbye, my ride is here!" Feng Mountain said, seeing several cars with flashing headlights slowly driving onto the runway.

After saying goodbye to Mova one more time, he led the group toward the cars.

Under the light of the aurora, their figures gradually receded into the distance, leaving only Mova and the other flight attendants standing there, watching them go.

Tom hurried out of the car.

The moment he left the toasty, heated interior of the vehicle, the cold air made him shiver.

He couldn’t help but hunch his shoulders, rubbing his hands together quickly and stomping his feet, trying to warm himself up.

Having to drive out to pick someone up in the middle of the night would have made anyone else curse out loud.

But he had no choice. The person who had called him was his bread and butter.

Ever since he’d gotten involved with the Crown Territory, his business had been taking off as if on easy mode. Everything was going smoothly, and he was making money at an astonishing rate.

His old, dilapidated plane had long since been replaced with a brand-new, four-seater CubCrafters bush plane. This was all thanks to Feng Mountain and the Crown Territory.

...