Landlord in the Arctic

So, they were just herding.

In that case, there was no problem.

Upon learning that the Bear Tribe was only responsible for herding in the Crown Territory, the faces of the immensely proud Inuit chiefs cleared as if the sun had broken through the clouds, and smiles reappeared.

In their minds, herding was a menial job, something the Inuit would never deign to do.

At the exit of the Melting Ice River Valley.

A biting cold wind howled past. Two veterans on snowmobiles brought Old Li and three middle-aged men to a slope at the edge of the Tundra.

Snow swirled through the air. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but a vast, hazy white. The entire world seemed to have been frozen solid.

A middle-aged man with a scholarly air slowly crouched down, pulled a map from inside his coat, and gently placed it on the snow.

Shining a flashlight on it, he extended a finger and slowly traced a line. He then looked up at Old Li, his expression one of surprise.

"Li Gong, are you sure you want to build a road from Sagewang to the Crown Territory?"

Old Li heard this and snapped back, "Of course! Why else would I have dragged you all the way out here? To mess with you?!"

"Elder Li, please don’t get angry. Zhang didn’t mean it like that," another middle-aged man wearing glasses quickly interjected to smooth things over. "The three of us discussed this project on the plane. The road construction itself isn’t actually that difficult. The main problem is that it has to pass through a protected area. Will the Alaska State Government actually approve it?"

"You don’t have to worry about that." Old Li’s expression was certain, putting everyone at ease. "I asked Shanzi. He said we should just focus on building the road and that you don’t need to worry about anything else."

The last of the three middle-aged men lowered his head in thought for a long while before finally speaking. "That’s good, then. Concrete and asphalt are definitely out; they wouldn’t meet environmental standards. Based on the old construction plan for the Dalton Highway, a gravel road would be a more suitable choice. It won’t have a major impact on the surrounding environment, but come summer, the thawing of the Tundra permafrost could cause subsidence problems."

"You don’t need to worry about those problems. Just stick to the construction standards. We’ll be lucky to get a road built on the Tundra at all, so beggars can’t be choosers. You’re all too fussy!"

Old Li waved his hand dismissively, his tone resolute. He was more than ready for this project.

’Anyway, Feng Shan has already given me full authority over building this road. Now, all I have to do is wait for the oil company’s project manager to arrive in the Crown Territory, and the project can officially kick off.’

The three middle-aged men couldn’t help but look at each other after hearing this.

They all began to wonder.

’Are overseas projects really this easy and straightforward now?’

They’d previously heard their colleagues complain that the most troublesome part of taking on overseas projects was dealing with foreign clients.

As for construction techniques, the standards and requirements at home and abroad were vastly different.

But those foreign clients always loved to nitpick over minor details. Even for the simplest of things, an issue involving a single tree, a rock, or a small stream could lead to repeated revisions of the design plans.

Foreigners, in particular, loved to split hairs over the details. A very simple matter could be complicated by a tree, a rock, or a stream, forcing the design to be revised again and again.

"Alright, stop overthinking it. This project is for one of our own!" Old Li waved his hand impatiently, not wanting to explain further.

Ohhh!!

The three middle-aged men’s faces lit up with understanding, immediately breaking into wide smiles.

Working on a project for one of their own was the cushiest job.

If the client was one of them, then things were much simpler.

Many things could be easily discussed and negotiated.

In that case, what more was there to say? It was time to roll up their sleeves and get to work.

Seeing their expressions, Old Li suddenly felt a sense of unease. He was worried the three might try some shady, under-the-table dealings.

He had been knocking around in this industry for decades and had seen far too many ways people cut corners to rip others off.

Secretly using smaller rebar, privately lowering the concrete grade—that was all just child’s play.

If they really wanted to pull some fast ones on this project, with their skills, it would be genuinely difficult to catch them.

At this thought, Old Li’s face darkened, and he quickly issued a warning.

"Let me tell you, there will be absolutely no compromising on quality! I staked my reputation to land this project, so you better cut out all those crooked little tricks. If I find out any of you are trying to cut corners, I’ll slap you silly! You hear me?"

"Of course not, of course not!"

The three men’s faces flushed red as they could only manage sheepish, incredibly awkward laughs.

"Let’s go. This godforsaken place is freezing to death. If we can just get this project done smoothly, I can finally retire in peace. You disappointing bunch... I’m already retired, yet I still have to worry about you."

Old Li muttered to himself, deliberately hunching his back to look like a decrepit old man.

Seeing this, the other three didn’t dare hesitate and rushed forward.

One thoughtfully took Old Li by the arm to support him, while the other two carefully led the way, looking for all the world as if they were terrified he might accidentally slip and fall.

In the camp’s vegetable garden.

Uertz, Chief of the Wild Bull Tribe, and Jeff were strolling among the beds.

The night was as black as ink, with only the soft glow of lamps illuminating the ground, unable to conceal the overwhelming vitality bursting from the garden.

There were plump, round cabbages; crisp, green cucumbers; tomato plants with branches bent low under the weight of their fruit; patches of strawberries ready for picking; and fruit trees covered in new buds and blossoms.

As they walked, the looks of shock on Uertz’s and Jeff’s faces never faded.

The two of them knew that growing vegetables on the Tundra wasn’t entirely impossible.

But it was limited to the short spring and summer seasons and required the protection of greenhouses.

Even so, the varieties that could be grown were mostly fast-maturing vegetables.

After all, the brief spring and summer were followed by a harsh winter lasting half a year. In such a hostile climate, let alone growing vegetables, even hardy moss struggled to survive.

As for fruit trees, on the Tundra within the Arctic Circle, they were simply unthinkable.

Aside from a few types of berries that could barely withstand the cold, they had never heard of any other kind of fruit tree being able to survive on the Tundra.

And yet, these vegetables and fruit trees were still growing vigorously, even without sunlight for photosynthesis.

However, the vibrant scene before them completely upended their understanding of the world.

’This is simply beyond imagination. If not for a miracle from the Spirit of All Things, how could such an incredible sight even exist?’

The two men then exchanged a look and nodded in tacit understanding.

...

The polar night lay like a thick, black quilt, covering the vast, desolate land completely.

One moment, a fierce, howling wind would tear past, instantly whipping the snow from the ground into the air. The next, huge flakes would fall without pause, swiftly burying the very ground the wind had just scoured clean.

Feng Shan and Nash rode their snowmobiles, struggling to advance through the harsh environment.

The Tiger Pack followed closely behind, panting heavily. The hot air from their mouths instantly condensed into white mist, and though their steps were heavy, they still followed Feng Shan with determination.

’I was really too careless about this Tundra crossing,’ Feng Shan thought.

He had originally assumed this trip would be as easy and pleasant as his previous trek from the Crown Territory to Ketovik Town, that he would be able to enjoy the Tundra’s unique scenery and reach his destination smoothly.

However, reality had dealt him a harsh blow, and Feng Shan was only now realizing his mistake.

This was the true Tundra winter, and its severity was far beyond anything he had imagined.

Leaving aside the unbearably extreme low temperatures, the blizzards and cold fronts seemed tireless, attacking in one wave after another.

The entire Tundra landscape was like a shifting maze, constantly changing.

One moment he would see what was clearly flat ground, only for it to abruptly transform into rolling snow dunes the next, catching him completely off guard.

Fortunately, the rivers and swamps were covered by a thick layer of ice, frozen solid.

Without the protection of this ice, the flowing river water and hidden swamps would have undoubtedly made their journey far more dangerous.

Guided by the GPS, Feng Shan and Nash led the Tiger Pack ever closer to the Crown Territory.

However, the blizzard showed no signs of weakening. In fact, it only grew more violent.

...