Chapter 460 - 327: Regrouping
Lisa finally relaxed a little, letting go of her tight grip on Feng Shan and carefully stepping away.
For every step she took forward, she would unconsciously retreat three. Trembling with fear, she finally stood before Tyson.
She hesitantly reached out, but before her hand could even touch the tiger, she snatched it back as if she’d been shocked.
Feng Shan couldn’t stand watching her be so afraid. "Tyson," he said, "this lady wants to pet you. Sit."
Tyson immediately obeyed, plopping down on his rear. He looked exceptionally well-behaved.
Seeing the tiger cooperate so readily, Lisa’s jaw dropped in surprise.
Mustering her courage, she stepped forward again. She quickly reached out and gave the tiger’s big, hamburger-like face a light pat, then immediately snatched her hand back.
When the tiger truly didn’t resist, Lisa grew bolder. She began to confidently run her hands all over its body, marveling as she did.
"Wow, his fur is so warm!"
Feng Shan nodded and turned to help Nash organize their supplies.
They needed to get everything ready for the tundra crossing as soon as possible.
As for Lisa, this was her first time getting so close to a tiger. It was unexpectedly docile and didn’t resist her touch at all, so she got completely carried away with petting him.
She hugged Tyson tightly, petting him here and there like a child who had just discovered a new toy.
Tyson tolerated it at first, but after a while, he started to get annoyed by this two-legged creature.
’So many of his packmates were right here, but this two-legged creature just had to single me out for non-stop petting.’
’And now, her hands were exploring further and further down...’ Tyson felt his boundaries were being crossed.
’Where do you think you’re petting?!’
Finally, Tyson couldn’t take it anymore. He gave his body a violent shake and let out a deep roar.
RAWRR!!
The roar was like a clap of thunder. Lisa’s face instantly turned ghostly white. With a scream, she spun around and fled for her life, moving countless times faster than when she had approached Tyson earlier.
Feng Shan was in the middle of attaching a sled to the snowmobile. Hearing Tyson’s roar, he didn’t even turn his head, just said calmly, "Keep it down."
Upon hearing this, Tyson’s round, hamburger-like face instantly scrunched up into a frown, looking utterly comical.
He snuck a glance at Feng Shan, as if trying to gauge his master’s intentions.
Then, muffling his growl, he let out another "rawr," this one as soft as a kitten’s meow. He looked at Feng Shan with a fawning expression.
It was as if he were asking: ’Is this volume okay?’
Lisa’s heart had been filled with terror, but seeing Tyson’s adorable display, her fear instantly melted away.
Her eyes lit up. Like a happy little bird, she flew back over, threw her arms around Tyson again, and resumed petting him relentlessly while muttering to herself.
"Oh my gosh, how can you be so cute!"
The other tigers saw Tyson’s pleading gaze but pretended not to notice. Without a backward glance, they all padded over to an empty spot near Feng Shan and lay down.
These were all Siberian Tigers, also known as Northeast Tigers in China.
They are born with a powerful resistance to cold and can endure short-term extreme temperatures of -40°C to -45°C, or even lower.
Therefore, the tigers were not only perfectly adapted to the cold weather of the Far North, they actually found it quite comfortable, as if they had returned to their familiar home.
"All set!" Feng Shan finished attaching the sled, straddled the snowmobile, revved the engine, and took it for a spin on the snow.
When he returned, he carefully inspected the connection points and tightened the screws again to ensure it was perfectly secure.
Afterward, he and Nash climbed into the cargo container, brought out a parrot cage, and secured it to the sled.
Parrots are naturally sensitive to the cold. In the extreme chill of the Tundra, it would probably freeze to death within half an hour without proper insulation.
So, Feng Shan had carefully wrapped the cage in several layers of aluminum foil-backed insulation, leaving only a few small air holes to ensure the parrot could breathe.
Tu’Er, in contrast, wasn’t afraid of the cold.
His layer of feathers provided excellent insulation, and underneath lay a dense layer of short, fine down.
As long as his bald head was protected, he would have no trouble getting around in this frigid environment.
With all preparations complete, they loaded the remaining essential supplies—spare fuel cans, a tent, food, and so on—onto the sled.
The sled was now packed to the brim, fully prepared for the tundra crossing that lay ahead.
Once everything was packed, Feng Shan went over to Lisa to say goodbye.
"Are you really going to cross the Tundra? Can they make it all the way?"
Just a short while ago, Lisa had thought Feng Shan’s plan was completely insane.
But after playing with the tigers for a while, she couldn’t help but worry about their safety on the journey.
After all, this was the coldest season on the Tundra. The harsh conditions were worrying to even think about.
"Don’t worry, where they come from is just as cold as Alaska," Feng Shan said with a relaxed smile. He waved to the tigers. "Alright, kids, time to head out."
The words had barely left his mouth when the Tiger Pack sprang to their feet, full of energy, and strode powerfully over to the snowmobile.
Tyson seized the opportunity to wrench himself free from Lisa’s enthusiastic petting. He bolted back to his packmates, relieved to have finally escaped.
"Be careful. I’ll wait here for an hour. If you can’t make it, I’ll take you back," Lisa said, her face full of concern. She quickly added, "No charge. It’ll be free."
"Thank you!" Feng Shan said, genuinely grateful to the kind driver.
"If you ever want to see Tyson again, go to Old Tom’s Flying School in Polaris Town. Find Mr. Tom—he’ll fly you to the Crown Territory, free of charge. Just tell him I sent you."