Landlord in the Arctic

As Sheriff Sean’s words died down, the car plunged into a deep, oppressive silence.

「On a snow-covered stretch of road.」

Quinn, the leader of the Biker Gang, sat in the snow in a sorry state, looking utterly miserable.

Behind him, over a dozen motorcycles lay strewn across the snow. Some frames were twisted and bent, while parts from others were scattered everywhere. The scene was a total wreck.

The gang members were screaming in agony, their cries echoing one after another through the frigid air.

One of the members, who had taken a particularly nasty fall, limped painfully over to Quinn, his face a mask of agony.

"Boss, all the brake lines on the bikes have been cut!"

"Fack!"

Quinn couldn’t help but curse.

He felt a surge of rage rush to his head, his blood pressure skyrocketing as if it would blow the top of his skull off.

He slammed his fist into the ground, sending a spray of snow into the air.

’He never imagined they would be so shameless. To think they’d sneak around and cut the brake lines on all the bikes while their guard was down.’

Of course, Quinn knew exactly who was behind this.

’But even knowing, what could he do?’

The moment he thought of his enemy’s strength, a wave of helplessness washed over him. He didn’t dare go looking for trouble, so all he could do was sit in the snow and curse furiously.

"Boss, it’s the Sheriff’s car," a sharp-eyed gang member suddenly shouted, pointing at a vehicle appearing down the road.

Hearing this, Quinn’s heart leaped with joy. The anger on his face vanished without a trace.

He quickly straightened his disheveled clothes and forced a seemingly friendly smile. Hurrying to the side of the road, he raised his hand high and waved frantically, trying to get the patrol car’s attention.

But in the next moment, the patrol car showed no sign of stopping. It sped past Quinn like a gust of wind.

The smile on Quinn’s face froze instantly.

He stood rooted to the spot, staring at the retreating patrol car, his eyes filled with disbelief and rage.

"Fack!!"

Quinn finally exploded, his roar echoing across the open snowfield, filled with indignation and hatred.

He spun around and viciously kicked a mound of snow, sending a flurry into the air.

It was as if he was trying to vent all the fury in his heart.

...

「Inside the cabin.」

With the outsiders gone, the living room suddenly felt much more spacious.

Lady Penny slowly raised her head. Her kind eyes fell upon Diego, who stood awkwardly to the side. She spoke with a gentle smile.

"Child, take our guests to warm themselves. Have Laura prepare some more roasted meat and milk tea, and bring out the cantaloupes we have stored for winter."

"Yes, ma’am!"

Diego bowed slightly in a respectful reply.

At the same time, he stole a glance at Nash, whose face was covered in tattoos.

Nash’s stoic face looked even more grim in the firelight. A shiver of fear went down Diego’s spine. He quickly turned and hurried away to see to the old woman’s requests.

"Nash, go tell Gunpowder he can stand down," Feng Shan said to Nash, who stood guard behind him. His face showed a sense of relief after a long period of tension.

Nash didn’t say a word, merely nodding slightly. His stoic face remained expressionless as he turned and walked out of the cabin.

Now, the cabin grew quiet, leaving only Feng Shan, Jenny, and the old woman.

Pinewood crackled merrily in the fireplace. The leaping flames danced across their faces, filling the room with a warm, cozy atmosphere.

Lady Penny looked at Feng Shan, her expression kind and her gaze gentle. "Child," she asked, "are you Indigenous? An Indian, or an Inuit?"

Feng Shan smiled and shook his head. "I’m Chinese," he explained, "but on my Green Card, I’m registered as an Indian. An elder arranged it for my protection."

’Chinese?’

’Indian?’

Lady Penny paused for a moment, clearly taken aback by his answer.

She furrowed her brow, her mind trying to parse the difference between the two.

’Those two groups don’t seem to be the same at all!’

’Then again,’ she thought, ’their skin tones are somewhat similar, and at first glance, their features share some resemblances. Perhaps the difference isn’t so great after all.’

"Mother, you shouldn’t ask questions like that," Jenny whispered, blushing with embarrassment. She was worried the question would make Feng Shan uncomfortable.

Lady Penny gave Feng Shan a kind, apologetic smile. "I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be racist, I was just curious. Please don’t take offense."

Then, her eyes filled with emotion. She sighed softly and continued, "Thank you so much for taking care of Jenny. I can tell she hasn’t wanted to contact us since she left West Yellowstone City. I’m so happy she’s back this time... It’s just a shame that Paul can’t..."

At the mention of Paul’s name, both Jenny and Lady Penny’s expressions turned somber.

𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

"I’m sorry, who is Paul?" Feng Shan could sense that Paul was someone very important. ’Perhaps,’ he guessed, ’he’s Jenny’s father, who I haven’t met.’

Jenny bit her lip, fighting back tears. Her voice was tinged with sorrow and self-reproach. "Feng, Paul is my father. I ran away from home after... after Gaston hurt me for the last time. My father was so angry that it caused him to have a stroke. Now he can’t move, and he’s in the hospital for treatment."

"I’m sorry," Feng Shan said quickly, blaming himself for inadvertently bringing up a painful subject.

"It’s all right. Paul was so happy to see Jenny as she is now," the old woman said kindly, a pleased smile gracing her lips as if she were picturing Paul’s happy expression when he saw his daughter.