Landlord in the Arctic

He felt Natasha was making a mountain out of a molehill with such a display.

"This is a camp, not a battlefield. There’s no need for all this. You’ll scare the guests."

"The others will go to the airport to pick up Natalia. Andrei will come with me," Natasha said softly, her tone flat.

The three of them then left the cabin, strolling unhurriedly along the winding stone path.

The gravel crunched softly under their shoes, a quiet accompaniment to their walk.

Along the way, Natasha’s curiosity burned brightly.

She seemed interested in everything at the camp, her eyes glinting with inquiry.

She would even stop at an ordinary fruit tree, tilting her head back to observe it for a long while before letting loose a stream of questions.

Why were the fruit trees budding in winter?

Why was the temperature inside the camp so different from outside?

Why wasn’t the moss withered?

How could the plants still grow during the polar night without photosynthesis?

At first, Feng Shan was able to patiently answer Natasha, relying on what little he knew and a fair bit of bluffing.

But her questions grew increasingly pointed and delved deeper, eventually touching on specialized fields like plant ecology and geo-environmental science.

These complex questions began to tax Feng Shan. He racked his brain, but he was out of his depth.

Gradually, a wave of annoyance washed over Feng Shan. He started to really hate educated people, especially the types who studied botany and geology.

’I just wish she would stop with the endless questions so I can catch a break,’ he thought.

The trio ambled over to the fire pit.

A meticulously-laid stone circle formed the pit. In its center, the Fire Seed blazed, its orange-red flames dancing merrily in the pitch-black night, bringing a touch of warmth and life to the surroundings.

Natasha gave the fire pit a cursory glance before her eyes landed on Milyukov and his three companions, who were busy assembling the mammoth skeleton.

Thanks to Milyukov’s tireless work, the rough forms of the mammoth’s four legs were now visible.

"Are they Yakuts?" Natasha tilted her head slightly, a hint of doubt in her eyes as she asked softly.

Feng Shan nodded slightly. "That’s right. Mammoth Ivory Hunters. I hired them to excavate the mammoth skeleton."

Upon hearing this, Natasha walked forward with light steps and greeted them softly in the Yakut language, "Алга!"

Milyukov heard the familiar greeting and snapped his head up, his gaze fixed on Natasha’s face.

Natasha’s dazzling golden hair, paired with the unique features and aura of Russian nobility she exuded, made Milyukov and his companions momentarily unsure of the identity of the person before them.

They exchanged a glance, a bit nervously, took a few steps forward, bowed slightly, and spoke respectfully.

"Үҥүлэһи, саһа!"

Then, they began a simple conversation.

However, Feng Shan didn’t understand Yakut, so he could only stand to the side, bored out of his mind, kicking at the berries on the ground.

Still, he could tell from the expressions and body language of Milyukov and the others that they were extremely deferential.

They were even slightly stooped, as if standing before an imposing and venerable figure.

’If this goes on any longer, they’re going to end up on their knees,’ Feng Shan thought, and stepped in to break it up.

"Alright, let’s not disturb their work. The assembly is already far behind schedule."

In the past, if Milyukov had heard Feng Shan say something like that, he would have downed his tools and quit on the spot, maybe even thrown a fit.

But now, Feng Shan’s words sounded as sweet as an Angel’s voice.

The powerful presence of the woman before them was so oppressive they could barely breathe, and they were desperate for the conversation to end.

Natasha noticed the Yakuts’ unusual behavior. With a faint smile, as if she understood the reason, she said her goodbyes to Milyukov and his men and gracefully turned away from the fire pit.

She continued along the stone path.

They reached the restaurant, where the tables were laden with a colorful, mouth-watering spread of food that had been prepared in advance.

Seeing Jenny and the staff bustling about, Feng Shan didn’t want to disturb them. He led Natasha and Andrei to an open area just outside.

He greeted other guests while continuing the tour.

"This is the camp restaurant. It provides three meals a day for guests and staff. Oh, right, Andrei, your men can eat here, too. Just put it on my tab."

Hearing this, Andrei nodded readily, a grateful smile on his face.

Natasha, however, was blunt. She directly pointed out the difficulties Feng Shan was facing, making no attempt to hide the fact that she had thoroughly investigated the Crown Territory.

"Most of the camp’s supplies rely on air transport, which is very expensive. If you’re footing the bill for everything yourself... what happens next year when the crab fishing ban is announced? The River Beach won’t be able to fund you, and that loan from Wells Fargo Bank will become a bottomless pit. Have you thought about that?"

Feng Shan narrowed his eyes, his sharp gaze fixed on Natasha through his slitted lids. He said nothing.

’This woman really has dug up everything on me and the Crown Territory,’ he thought. ’She probably even knows what brand of underwear I wear.’

Though furious at the thorny issues Natasha raised, Feng Shan felt helpless. He could only force a calm facade and respond in a stiff, stubborn tone.

"You don’t need to worry about any of that. I’ll handle it myself."

Seeing this, Natasha’s lips curved into a faint, cunning smile. She seemed to be enjoying his flustered anger.

"Handle it yourself? How? Without the crabbing industry, are you pinning your hopes on tour groups? Let me give you some bad news. The new president is going to propose a travel ban on China next year. It will be much harder to get a visa."

What???

A travel ban.

Feng Shan’s expression instantly turned grim. ’These damn Americans are really trying to drive me into a corner,’ he cursed inwardly.

The crabbing ban had already been a huge blow to his finances. A travel ban on top of that was just kicking him while he was down. It would completely wipe out the two most mature parts of his business.

Feng Shan’s mind raced, quickly taking stock.

Without the fishing and tourism industries, all the Crown Territory had left were the undeveloped ranch and plantation projects.

The ranch’s current output was barely enough to cover internal needs and generated no profit. The plantation, meanwhile, was still just an idea; not even the first step had been taken.

He had planned on using the Sagewan Highway as his trump card to deflate this woman’s arrogance and show her what he was really made of.

But now, not only had he failed to knock her down a peg, but his own ace in the hole had just been nullified.

Seeing Feng Shan’s frustrated expression, Natasha felt a surge of satisfaction, as if she had just gained the upper hand in a fierce battle of wills.

She then narrowed her eyes slightly and said in a gentle tone,

"Feng, if you agree to return the Crown Territory to me, I can take over and solve all these problems. Of course, you can also receive a generous compensation, return to China, and live the life you want."

At these words, Feng Shan snapped his head up. His profound gaze was like a sharp arrow, stabbing at Natasha’s delicate, beautiful face. A flash of fury crossed his eyes.

Then, the corners of his mouth lifted into a smirk.

"So, this is what you were after all along."

"Don’t you think these tactics are a bit childish? I thought the Queen would be formidable. I’m a little disappointed."

Natasha blinked her bright, beautiful eyes. A hint of surprise flashed through them, but she quickly regained her composure.

"It seems Uncle Frank has already told you. The Crown Territory originally belonged to me. What’s wrong with me taking it back now?"

"Just because you say it’s yours doesn’t make it so. By that logic, I could say Alaska is mine!"

Not backing down, Feng Shan gave a mocking smile and a disdainful snort before turning and walking away.

...