The Tundra in winter was a stretch of icy silence.

The two of them sped across the vast, white world on a snowmobile. The vehicle’s tracks left deep grooves in the snow, but they were quickly covered by the falling flakes.

Feng Mountain gripped the handlebars, stopping the vehicle from time to time. He would stand, raise his binoculars, and carefully scan for any possible sign of reindeer.

The wind howled in his ears, and icy snowflakes lashed his face.

Finding no trace of reindeer, he started the snowmobile again and headed for the next hunting spot.

Soon, the snowmobile crested a snowy slope, and he spotted a group of black dots moving in the distance.

Feng Mountain stopped the vehicle and raised his binoculars. A herd of reindeer came into view, about ten of them, mostly adults.

’Perfect.’

’This is the herd.’

To avoid startling the reindeer with the roar of the snowmobile’s engine, Feng Mountain decided to stalk the herd alone.

Leaving Nash to guard the vehicle, Feng Mountain checked the wind and tried to stay downwind as he moved.

The wind blowing toward him would help mask his scent.

Reindeer are extremely wary. They frequently look up while feeding, and the slightest disturbance will send them fleeing.

Feng Mountain knew this well, so he took each step with extreme caution, daring not to make the slightest sound.

He hunched over, his steps as light as falling snowflakes.

Every few feet, he would drop to the snow and lie still for a moment, trying to blend in with the landscape.

The distance between them closed with time.

A bull reindeer seemed to sense something. It lifted its head, perked up its ears, and sniffed in Feng Mountain’s direction.

Lying in the snow, Feng Mountain instantly held his breath, not moving a muscle.

Fortunately, after a moment, the bull detected nothing unusual and lowered its head to continue pawing at the snow for grass.

Feng Mountain breathed a silent sigh of relief and continued to inch forward slowly.

He crept forward until he was in range.

Slowly, he raised the AR-15.

An empty AR-15 weighs 2.89 kilograms, and 3.5 kilograms when fully loaded. In contrast, an empty Type 56 carbine weighs 3.85 kilograms, and nearly 4 kilograms when loaded, making it 0.5 kilograms heavier than the AR-15.

That half-kilogram might not seem like much, but for Feng Mountain, it felt unfamiliar.

Moreover, the two rifles were completely different in terms of materials, length, and firing mechanics.

Feng Mountain aimed for a good while, but he couldn’t stand the AR-15’s scope. He was used to shooting the Type 56 using iron sights—point and shoot—and now this scope felt more cumbersome than his own eyes.

He felt much better after removing the scope.

He peeked out, carefully observing the reindeer herd.

There were four bulls in this herd; the rest were does.

According to the rules of the Tundra, you don’t shoot the does unless you have no other choice.

Feng Mountain’s goal was three bulls. It remained to be seen which one would be lucky enough to have the harem all to himself.

He raised the muzzle, aimed at one of the larger bulls, and rested his finger lightly on the trigger.

BANG!!

A gunshot rang out.

The startled reindeer scattered in a panic. One of the bulls fell to the snow, crying out in pain.

Feng Mountain stood up, leveled the AR-15, and scanned the fleeing herd for another target before pulling the trigger.

BANG!

BANG!

Two more gunshots, meaning two more reindeer were hit.

Three reindeer lay on the ground, their blood flowing from their wounds and staining the white snow red.

Feng Mountain turned and waved in Nash’s direction.

He then drew his Hunting Knife and went to one of the fallen bulls. He quickly slit open its belly and began skinning it while the carcass was still warm.

Nash arrived, driving the snowmobile and towing an empty sled.

He leaped off and ran to another bull, pulling out his own Hunting Knife and mirroring Feng Mountain’s actions as he stripped away the hide.

Hides are easier to skin while warm. If they freeze, they stick to the meat, making the job not only difficult but also likely to damage the hide.

Soon, the hides of all three reindeer were removed.

Feng Mountain set them aside and gutted the reindeer, tossing the entrails onto the snow for the small carnivores that roamed about in search of food.

Of course, a valuable item like a Deer Antler couldn’t be discarded; he was counting on using it to make medicinal wine.

Skinned and gutted, only the meat of the three reindeer remained.

It should be enough for the workers on the Glacial River Beach and the townsfolk to eat.

They loaded the reindeer onto the sled.

They drove the snowmobile back the way they came, heading straight for the Glacial River Beach construction site.

When everyone saw the reindeer on the sled, they burst into cheers. The residents of Kivalina Town, who had tasted reindeer from the Crown Territory before, were especially loud.

"Awesome, we get to eat reindeer meat again!"

"By the Spirit of All Things, the reindeer from the Crown Territory is the best venison I’ve ever had."

"Let’s work faster, my stomach’s starting to growl."

The townsfolk’s inexplicable excitement left the construction workers baffled. It was just reindeer meat, what was there to get so worked up about?

’Do people here not eat meat very often?’

Feng Mountain tossed the reindeer onto the snow to freeze and looked up. He noticed several new shipping containers at the construction site, as well as a lot more small machinery.

The construction work had sped up as well; a ten-meter-long section of the runway’s foundation had already been excavated.

’I owe a huge favor!’

’The last divination was offset by the P750. I wonder what the price will be this time.’

’There’s no such thing as a free lunch.’

Feng Mountain stopped overthinking. If things got too out of hand, worst-case scenario, he would sell everything he owned to pay the construction crew’s wages, then they could go their separate ways.

"Nash, go to the bus and find Jenny. Get the seasonings I bought and the three-oil blend. I’m going to show off my skills today."

"Yves, Andy, go find some firewood."

"David, you... never mind. Just stand guard over the reindeer and make sure they don’t get stolen!"

Everyone got busy. David stood glumly beside the three reindeer, lost in thought.

’With so many people around?’

’Who would dare try to steal the meat? You’d have to have been smacked in the head by a bear!’

Soon, everything he’d called for was gathered. Even Jenny, Maria, and Tammy followed on a snowmobile.

Feng Mountain found an open space and asked a worker to clear the snow with a small bulldozer. Then he had Yves and Nash stack up the firewood.

Beside the woodpile, they drove tree trunks into the ground to serve as a roasting rack. They tied the reindeer to wooden poles with wire and set them aside for the moment.

He borrowed some gasoline from the construction crew and sprinkled it on the firewood. Feng Mountain then lit a piece of kindling and tossed it into the pile.

WHOOSH!

Instantly, flames shot up, burning with a CRACKLE and POP. Heat began to radiate outward, dispelling the surrounding chill.

Yves picked up one of the spitted reindeer from the snow, ready to put it on the rack, but Feng Mountain stopped him.

"Wait a minute. Let the gasoline burn off first. It’ll taste better that way."

The roaring flames of the bonfire drew the workers’ gazes, and they quickened the pace of their tasks.

As everyone waited, the gasoline gradually burned off. The fire settled into a steady burn, releasing the distinct, woody fragrance of the firewood.

Only then did Feng Mountain signal that they could put the reindeer on the rack.

Several people carefully placed the spitted reindeer on the rack. Having been frozen at a low temperature, the carcasses were still stiff.

But under the constant heat, the reindeer’s bodies gradually softened. The skin quickly changed color as it roasted, and blood was slowly forced out, making a SIZZLING sound.

As time went on, the reindeer’s skin gradually became golden and crisp, releasing an enticing aroma.

To control the fire, Feng Mountain added firewood to keep the flames steady while also turning the poles to ensure the reindeer cooked evenly, making sure every part was roasted just right.

Next, he had Nash borrow a shovel from the construction crew to scoop the hot coals from the bottom of the fire and spread them under the rack. This would ensure the reindeer were heated from both sides simultaneously.

Under the heat of the coals, fat from inside the reindeer dripped down, creating little sparks as it hit the fire.

Feng Mountain took out his Hunting Knife and scored diagonal cuts into the reindeer’s flesh. He then took out his secret three-oil blend and brushed it over the meat.

’This is the method for roasting a whole lamb from when I ran a restaurant. As for whether it works on reindeer... it should be more or less the same. They’re both four-legged herbivores, after all.’

’At worst, it’ll still be better than the Inuit way of just roasting reindeer with a pinch of salt.’

Roasting three reindeer by himself kept Feng Mountain so busy he was run off his feet.

Jenny watched for a while, got the gist of it, and stepped up to help. Feng Mountain, still a bit worried, gave her instructions.

"You have to brush on the three-oil blend every so often. It keeps the lamb... I mean, the venison, moist and flavorful."

Soon, the aroma of roasting reindeer wafted across the open river beach.

The construction workers and the Kivalina residents smelled the enticing aroma and could no longer concentrate on their work. They all stopped what they were doing and followed the scent, gathering around.

Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the sizzling, greasy reindeer, their faces filled with anticipation and longing.

"Wow, that smells amazing!" a worker exclaimed, unable to contain himself.

"My mouth is watering," another townsfolk member said, swallowing hard.

Little Swan asked anxiously, "Feng, how much longer until we can eat?"

’A whole roasted lamb takes three hours, so a whole deer must take at least four, right?’

Feng Mountain took his Hunting Knife and made a cut in one of the reindeer. Seeing the meat under the surface was still blood-red, he shook his head. "It’s still too early."

"Alright, alright, get going! It’s a long way from being done. Let’s finish today’s work first!" Manager Sam urged the workers back to their posts.

Old Swan also hollered for the townsfolk to get back to building the hangar.

The crowd reluctantly returned to the construction site, looking back every few steps.

Feng Mountain, meanwhile, continued roasting the deer with the other members of the Crown Territory.

The sun gradually sank toward the west, casting a final glow that painted the icy river beach with a touch of warmth.

By now, the roast reindeer was cooked through. Its exterior had a tempting caramelized color, and the rich, meaty aroma that filled the air was mouthwatering.

The fragrance reached a new level, especially when the barbecue spices were sprinkled evenly over the reindeer.

Feng Mountain once again sliced open the venison with his Hunting Knife. Steam billowed out, and fat dripped, flowing slowly from the cut.

He turned to look at the others, the corners of his mouth turning up.

"It’s ready!"

YEAH!!!

After several hours of work, it was finally time to eat. The members of the Crown Territory raised their arms and cheered.

The sound carried over to the construction site.

The construction workers and Kivalina Town residents, who had long been waiting impatiently, dropped their tools and sprinted toward the bonfire.

Feng Mountain pulled a case of Red Star Erguotou from a snowbank. He had seen the domestic baijiu for sale at Walmart Supermarket last time and had bought more than a dozen cases on a whim.

He set out disposable cups next to the baijiu. The main idea was self-service—anyone who wanted a drink could help themselves.

Right then, however, everyone’s attention was fixed on the three roasted reindeer, their mouths producing copious amounts of saliva.

Jenny and the other girls used Hunting Knives to carve off slice after slice of roasted meat, placing them on plates.

"Let’s begin!" Feng Mountain said, raising a cup of ice-cold baijiu.

...