Chapter 133: Chapter 132: The Goods Have Arrived

For a time, the construction site on the riverbank was a hub of bustling activity.

Workers and town residents alike took plates of barbecue, eagerly spearing chunks of roasted reindeer and chewing with gusto.

"This is... absolutely delicious!" one worker mumbled through a mouthful of food, his face a picture of pure satisfaction.

The residents of Kivalina Town were also full of praise. "I’ve never had roasted reindeer this amazing!"

A bite through the crispy skin sent an explosion of numbing spice across the palate, followed by the distinct, spreading aroma of cumin that made one’s tongue tingle.

And when your teeth met the tender venison, it was like sinking into a soft cloud. The meat was fine-textured and succulent, bursting with juice at the slightest chew.

The aroma of the triple-blend oil further enhanced the umami flavor of the meat. All the different tastes fused together perfectly, making every chew a true delight.

Even after swallowing, the spicy heat lingered in the mouth, an irresistible sensation that made you want to take another bite, and another.

The construction workers and town residents squatted by the bonfires, holding plates of roasted reindeer and eating with great relish, occasionally taking a swig of ice-cold Erguotou.

Absolutely divine!

The snow-capped mountains blocked the last rays of the setting sun, and the sky slowly darkened.

By the bonfires, the sounds of laughter and conversation grew even louder as they were enveloped by the night.

The town residents raised their bottles of ice-cold Erguotou, dancing and singing around the fires. The workers, caught up in the rhythm, couldn’t help but start swaying their bodies too.

Infected by the fervent atmosphere, Feng Shan and the others from Crown Territory let go of their inhibitions and joined in.

In that moment, the cold night no longer felt cold. Their weary bodies and minds found complete release as everyone submerged themselves in this ocean of joy, forgetting all their worries and sorrows.

「At the bus camp.」

Three drunks, who had just woken up, had dazed eyes and messy hair. Their clothes still bore the marks of the previous night’s debauchery.

Fighting back waves of pain in their heads, they stared at each other blankly.

’Where is everyone?’

’Where did they all go?’

’Is there any food?’

’So hungry!’

The three of them wandered around the camp but found nothing. Defeated, they sat back down where they started, continuing to endure the torment of hunger and headaches.

...

The aurora appeared that night.

Dreamlike ribbons of green light danced wildly, dyeing the night sky with fantastical colors.

The roar of snowmobiles grew louder as they approached from the distance.

Feng Shan and the Crown Territory group returned to the bus camp after attending the reindeer meat party on the riverbank.

Everyone had a happy smile on their face.

"Where have you been?" Erica stomped forward, huffing.

Feng Shan parked his vehicle and teased, "The new camp on the riverbank. Oh, look who’s sobered up."

Erica crossed her arms and glared at Feng Shan. "Hmph. You all had your fun and just left us here."

"Please, you were sleeping like logs. We couldn’t wake you up. If you don’t believe me, ask anyone," Feng Shan said with a shrug, gesturing for the others to back him up.

The other members also dismounted their snowmobiles, greeting Erica with smiles.

They started recounting what had happened the previous night.

To prove the three of them had been drunk, Feng Shan took out his phone and played a video he’d recorded last night.

In the video, the three drunks were staggering about, slurring nonsense.

Tom was lifting his shirt to perform an impromptu belly dance. Jennifer was sitting in a chair, giggling foolishly with her eyes barely open. And Erica was alternating between screeching a terribly off-key song and bawling her eyes out while clinging to Jenny.

’So embarrassing!’

’Utterly mortifying!’

Tom and Jennifer wished they could find a crack in the ground to crawl into. Erica, however, let out a shriek and chased after Feng Shan, trying to snatch his phone.

The others stood by, watching the commotion with grins on their faces.

「After the ruckus.」

Having failed to get the phone, Erica started eating the leftover roasted reindeer they’d brought back. With every bite, she shot Feng Shan a vicious glare, as if it were his flesh she was tearing into.

Tom asked his nephew what had happened during the day.

When he learned that the CH-54 had shown up, he was filled with regret. If only he hadn’t drunk so much of that medicinal liquor last night.

Jennifer used the satellite phone to contact their company’s headquarters. She learned that the cabins and log villas they had ordered were loaded up by the installation contractor that morning and were expected to arrive in Dead Horse Town by midnight.

Fortunately, nothing had been delayed.

She told Feng Shan the news about the cabins arriving in Dead Horse Town soon.

Feng Shan quickly contacted Manager Sam and asked him to inform the CH-54 crew to deliver the cargo to Crown Territory as soon as possible.

Manager Sam naturally agreed at once.

Putting aside the roasted reindeer party, the task his company’s upper management had given him was to unconditionally accept any of Feng Shan’s requests, as long as they weren’t excessive.

"It’s handled. Any other issues?" Feng Shan asked Jennifer after hanging up.

The most critical part—the transportation—was now resolved.

Naturally, there were no other problems.

All they had to do was wait for the cabins to arrive.

As the night deepened, everyone returned to their own beds, filled with anticipation for the new cabins, and drifted off into a pleasant sleep.

In the quiet little living room, only the three recently-awakened drunks remained. They sat helplessly by the fireplace, tasked with adding wood to the fire.

’There’s no way we can sleep!’

’Who could possibly understand this suffering!’

「The next morning.」

The first rays of sunlight gently pierced through the thin clouds, scattering across the white snow.

Because the cabins were arriving today, everyone was up before dawn.

Clanging sounds came from the kitchen, and waves of fragrant aroma drifted out, filling the entire camp.

The three girls—Maria, Tammy, and Erica—kept running out of the bus to stand in the open and scan the sky.

"Can you guys settle down for a minute? You’re treating the door like a revolving gate," Feng Shan said with a frown. The temperature inside the bus had just started to rise, but with them constantly going in and out, it was dropping again.

"None of your business!" Erica wrinkled her nose, completely ignoring him.

Feng Shan shook his head helplessly. Seeing that everyone else was just as antsy, he finally pushed open the door.

"Alright, nobody stay here then. Everyone, let’s go to the new campsite and wait for the cabins to be delivered!"

"Awesome!"

"Go, go, go!!"

The girls jumped up and down with excitement while the others broke into happy smiles. Among them, perhaps only Nash was indifferent.

Seven snowmobiles carrying all the members of Crown Territory set off for the new camp on the riverbank.

By now, the construction team and the town residents had already started working. Thankfully, the heavens had been kind the past few days; not only had it not snowed, but the temperature had even risen a few degrees. Work on the airport ramp was proceeding in an orderly fashion.

One hangar was already complete. It stood 3.5 meters high, 10 meters wide, and 15 meters long, just big enough to park the P750. The entire structure was built primarily with larch wood. To prevent heavy snow from accumulating on the roof, Old Swan had specially reinforced it with multiple load-bearing beams.

Feng Shan planned to build five hangars of this size, which would include space for aircraft parking, a maintenance bay, and a tool shed.

After all, Crown Territory had plenty of one thing: trees. Larch trees over 20 meters tall could be found everywhere in the Moonlight Forest.

There were also the fuel storage tanks.

Their final position could be determined after the runway was built.

The original plan was for a 200-meter runway, but on Manager Sam’s advice, it was extended to 400 meters. This would accommodate 60% of all general aviation aircraft.

Manager Sam was the professional in this area, and since it wouldn’t cost Feng Shan a single penny, he readily agreed.

「Arriving at the new camp.」

The Fire Seed burned in the fire pit, its leaping flames a symbol of life, injecting hope and vitality into this land.

"Why aren’t they here yet!" Erica and Tammy stared anxiously at the sky.

With nothing better to do, Little Swan ran over from the construction site, hoping to bum a ride on a snowmobile. "Feng, what did you buy this time?" he asked curiously.

"Cabins!" Feng Shan replied, sitting on his snowmobile and idly eating some berries he had picked.

’He even buys cabins?’

Little Swan stuck out his tongue, baffled by Feng Shan’s spendthrift ways.

On the Tundra, everyone gathered their own wood to build cabins. Only someone whose head had been slapped by a bear would spend money to buy one.

"Feng, no wonder Grandpa says you’re the biggest black sheep on the Tundra."

Feng Shan was no longer the greenhorn he was when he first arrived; he knew what "black sheep" meant.

In the past, when people in Europe and America raised sheep, the wool of a black sheep was hard to dye other colors, making it less valuable than that of a white sheep. In this context, it meant the same thing as a spendthrift.

"Got nothing to say for yourself, huh? Pick a snowmobile and go play somewhere else!"

Little Swan chuckled, quickly hopping onto a snowmobile. He twisted the throttle, and with a roar of the engine, the tracks tore up moss and vegetation as he sped off.

"You little brat! My moss patch!!" Maria yelled distressedly in the direction the snowmobile had gone.

Waiting is always the hardest part.

Two hours passed before the roar of propellers finally filled the air.

"They’re here, they’re here!!" Tammy bounced with excitement.

Soon, the large CH-54 "Skycrane," carrying two small cabins, slowly crested the snow-capped mountains.

Following Jennifer’s directions over the phone, the Skycrane flew over the new camp. The winch turned, slowly lowering the payload to the ground.

Feng Shan and the men undid the cargo straps, then waved to signal that the Skycrane could leave.

These two small, 12-square-meter cabins were for Maria and Jenny.

This made Erica a little unhappy, and she grumbled about why her cabin wasn’t delivered first.

Feng Shan had no time to deal with her. He called over Yves, Andy, and Nash to unfasten the cabin’s tie-downs. They attached ropes to the cabin’s tow hooks and tied the other ends to the snowmobiles.

Four snowmobiles revved their engines in unison, slowly dragging the small cabin to the spot Jenny had chosen—an open area by the Ice River. Once the Fire Seed’s influence extended to this area and melted the river, she would be able to enjoy the sight of the babbling water every day.

Next was Maria’s cabin. The spot she had chosen was right next to Jenny’s.

With the two cabins secured in place, the new camp immediately felt different.

The once-empty campsite, now with these two cabins, had gained a touch of the warmth and feeling of home. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

A woman’s mood is as fickle as a summer sky, changing in an instant.

Erica, who had just been angry, was now excitedly urging Jenny to open the cabin and see what it was like inside.

The key was hanging on the door.

But Jenny didn’t touch it. Instead, she looked at Feng Shan.

"Why are you looking at me? It belongs to you. The owner should be the one to open it!" Feng Shan said with a smile and a shake of his head.

Jenny smiled slightly, her eyes twinkling with anticipation. She took the key and handed it to Tammy. "Go on, open the door."

Tammy took the key and, amidst cheers of encouragement, turned the lock and gently pushed the door open.

As the door slowly swung open, a fresh, woody fragrance wafted out.

The interior was simple and cozy. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting dappled patterns of light on the brand-new wooden floor.

Tammy was the first to step inside. She cautiously touched the walls and furniture, taking in the newness of it all, and couldn’t help but let out a cheer.

"It’s amazing!"

...