After lunch.

David continued to investigate why the camp was getting warmer, while Feng Shan led the others to the vegetable patch.

When he and Nash had scattered the vegetable seeds, they’d done it haphazardly. Combined with the explosive growth of the moss under the Fire Seed’s influence, the seedlings now sprouted in scattered patches, a jumble of different varieties.

The more fun they’d had scattering them, the bigger the headache it was to clean up now.

Not only did they have to clear out a new vegetable patch, but they also had to sort and separate each variety of vegetable seedling.

They assigned tasks on the spot.

The men were responsible for clearing the garden plot, while the women were in charge of collecting and sorting the seedlings.

Feng Shan marked out a new garden plot by the river. First, they had to dig out the moss, roots and all, to prevent it from growing back and interfering with the vegetables.

Digging through the moss revealed dark brown soil underneath. He grabbed a handful and squeezed, and it felt so rich he could practically wring oil from it.

This fertile soil undoubtedly provided the perfect conditions for growing vegetables.

No wonder the contractor who installed the log cabin’s foundation had said it was the best soil he’d ever seen, comparable only to the black earth of the Mississippi River.

The tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and sweet corn were the easiest to identify. These plants had already grown to half a meter tall, and some seedlings had even started to blossom with small flowers.

Vining plants like cowpeas, cucumbers, and pumpkins were growing wild in the moss. After being transplanted, they would need trellises to climb on.

Lettuce and carrots also needed their own separate plots.

The most troublesome was the cilantro, which was hidden among the moss and hard to find. Even when they did, they only found a few sparse sprigs.

Time flew, and soon it was evening.

A series of neatly divided vegetable plots appeared before them.

Feng Shan and his team had meticulously prepared each plot. The soil was loose and soft, and the edges were tidy.

The different vegetable varieties were in their respective areas, their tender green leaves looking especially vibrant in the twilight glow.

Thinking about how they would soon be eating fresh, delicious vegetables, Feng Shan felt a strange sense of accomplishment. ’Growing vegetables in the winter on Alaska’s Far North Tundra... I must be the only one crazy enough to do it.’

He immediately decided to jump into the Ice River for a refreshing dip.

But before he could even take off his clothes, an enraged Jenny stopped him. He might as well have been forced to get on the ground and write a self-criticism report.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? The Ice River is freezing! What if something happens? We don’t want to see our last home destroyed because of your recklessness."

It was the first time he’d seen Jenny so angry. Feng Shan lowered his head, feeling guilty, knowing she was just looking out for him.

Maria, Erica, and the others watched from the side, not daring to speak. Tammy quietly tugged on the corner of Feng Shan’s shirt, signaling for him to apologize quickly.

Feng Shan hurriedly apologized, "I know I was wrong. I won’t be so impulsive again."

Jenny’s expression finally softened a little. "Remember what you said. You are the master of Crown Territory. We unfortunate souls need your leadership to survive."

Ugh!!

’The way she put it... I’m never going winter swimming again!’

Dejected, Feng Shan shouldered his tools and turned to walk toward the log cabin. Erica followed beside him, deliberately snickering with schadenfreude.

’That sleazy laugh... it makes me want to kick this little broad into the Ice River to cool her off. She doesn’t know her place.’

Back at the log cabin.

He hadn’t even sat down when the satellite phone rang.

He picked it up, saw the number, and a smile immediately spread across his face as he quickly answered.

"Brother Zhang, are you guys on your way?"

"Yeah, we’re at Modu Airport right now waiting to board. Hei Pi, Hu Zi, and Xiaohua are with me. Oh, and there are seven of us in total. We’ll rest for a day in Fairbanks and plan to buy tents."

"Why buy tents? I’ve got everything ready here. When do you get to Fairbanks? I’ll come pick you up."

"We have a layover in Hong Kong first. So probably... hmm, Alaska is a day behind China, right? That means we’ll arrive in Fairbanks the day after tomorrow at noon."

"Alright, I’ll pick you up!"

...

「Fairbanks Airspace.」 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

A United Airlines Boeing 737 was flying through the azure sky.

By the airplane window, Xiaohua looked through the glass and saw the ground was a blanket of white. For someone from Hai City, which only had spring and summer, snow was something she’d only ever seen on TV. A look of astonishment crossed her face.

"Brother Zhang, does Brother Shan live in a place like this? How can anyone live somewhere so cold?"

Hearing Xiaohua’s question, Zhang Kai, sitting in the front row, turned his head and smiled. "Hua, this is nothing. Brother Feng lives even further north. *That’s* what you call cold. Remember to put on your scarf when we get off the plane so you don’t freeze."

"Brother Zhang, you said Brother Shan’s place is even colder. How cold is it?" Hei Pi asked curiously.

Hmm!

Zhang Kai chuckled teasingly, "It’s 30 degrees Celsius in Hai City right now. Where your Brother Shan lives, it’s also about 30 degrees... just 30 degrees below zero."

"Whoa!" Hu Zi’s mouth fell open. "Isn’t that as cold as a freezer?"

"Pretty much, yeah." Zhang Kai nodded, then turned to the three hunting companions beside him and whispered a warning, "You three, rein in your tempers when we meet him. Feng Shan is a good guy, don’t go looking for trouble."

"Relax, Brother Zhang, I know!" a young man with a ponytail waved his hand dismissively. The other two also nodded in agreement.

Soon, an announcement came over the cabin speakers that they would be landing at Fairbanks International Airport shortly.

At the thought of seeing Brother Shan so soon, Hu Zi, Hei Pi, and Xiaohua felt a mix of nervousness and anticipation, their eyes shimmering with excitement.

As the plane landed, a slight vibration ran through the fuselage the moment the wheels touched the ground.

Hu Zi, Hei Pi, and Xiaohua’s hearts skipped a beat, their nervousness and excitement reaching a peak.

The plane taxied down the runway for a distance before slowly coming to a stop.

The three of them eagerly unbuckled their seatbelts and, led by Zhang Kai, waited anxiously for the cabin door to open.

When the door opened, a blast of cold air hit them in the face.

Walking down the stairs, Hei Pi suddenly saw Feng Shan standing next to a vehicle, smiling at them.

Hu Zi’s eyes instantly lit up. "Brother Shan!" he shouted excitedly.

Feng Shan walked forward and gave Hu Zi a big hug.

Hei Pi and Xiaohua gathered around as well, their faces beaming with the joy of reunion.

"Are you tired? It must have been a long journey," Feng Shan said with a smile, his eyes full of concern.

Hu Zi shook his head forcefully. "Not at all! Brother Zhang took good care of us."

Feng Shan patted Hei Pi’s shoulder, then turned to look at Xiaohua. She was wearing a thick down winter coat, so her belly wasn’t visible.

"Hua’Er, if you feel uncomfortable at all, you tell me."

"I’m doing great!" Xiaohua shook her head with a smile, her face glowing with a warm radiance.

On the other side, Zhang Kai was leading his three friends off the plane.

The man with the ponytail secretly sized up Feng Shan’s Wilderness Hunter attire and narrowed his eyes. "Brother Zhang, your friend is pretty damn impressive. Picking people up right on the tarmac."

"Just keep your mouth shut and drop that bad attitude!" Of the three people Zhang Kai brought, he was most worried about the ponytail guy causing trouble. The kid had a temper like a firecracker—he’d explode at the slightest provocation.

After the warning, Zhang Kai went forward to greet him.

"Younger Brother Feng, mission accomplished. I’ve brought your younger brothers and sister over safely."

"Thanks so much!" Feng Shan, beaming, gave Zhang Kai a hug.

"We’re brothers, no need to be polite. It feels fake if you say too much." Zhang Kai put on a mock-annoyed expression, then caught sight of the shuttle bus leaving out of the corner of his eye. "Oh crap, the shuttle’s gone," he said quickly.

"It’s fine!" Feng Shan turned and waved his hand.

An empty shuttle bus slowly drove over from a short distance away and stopped in front of them.

’Impressive!’

’He had a shuttle bus waiting just for us.’

Hu Zi and the other two didn’t know what this implied, but Zhang Kai and his three friends understood the power it represented.

Feng Shan smiled and exchanged a few pleasantries with the driver, then pushed open the door and beckoned for everyone to get on.

"Brother, I haven’t gotten the pickled vegetables and fermented soybeans I brought for you yet!" Xiaohua said hurriedly, seeing the plane they had just been on taxiing away.

"They won’t get lost. I’ll take you to the immigration checkpoint first." Feng Shan said a word to the shuttle driver, and the vehicle slowly started moving.

"Brother Feng, these are my friends who came to hunt." Taking advantage of the time, Zhang Kai quickly introduced the three men he’d brought.

"Feng Yang. Please take care of us during our stay." A middle-aged man in his thirties extended his hand and introduced himself politely.

’You don’t hit a smiling face.’

Feng Shan responded politely, "Hello, Feng Shan."

"Su Ziweng. Dude, you’re impressive!" the young man with the ponytail said, also smiling and extending his hand.

"He Jia. A pleasure." The last one was a young man with short hair who had a similar aura to Yves. When they shook hands, Feng Shan could feel the rough calluses on his palm. ’He’s probably handled a gun before.’

"Welcome to Crown Territory. I’ll take you through immigration first, then we’ll fly directly to Crown Territory. Food and lodging are all taken care of, you don’t need to buy a thing."

Feng Shan greeted the three of them warmly.

’After all, they’re paying customers. I have to make sure their living arrangements are top-notch.’

The shuttle arrived at the terminal building.

The group took the green channel and went straight to the immigration checkpoint.

The staff were extremely polite upon seeing Feng Shan, even chatting with him warmly for a bit. This made Zhang Kai and his three friends even more curious.

They had traveled abroad quite a bit, especially to the United States. Usually, the immigration officers seeing Chinese nationals enter were like fucking Gate Gods, wanting to interrogate you about your entire family tree going back eight generations.

They’d inspect your luggage from the inside out, and any borderline items were flat-out denied entry. If you dared to argue, they’d immediately call airport security to take you to a little black room to "cool off."

But today, the immigration staff were incredibly polite. Not only were they smiling, but as long as the items in the luggage weren’t contraband, everything was allowed through.

"Brother Feng, do you work for the airport?" the ponytail-wearing Su Ziweng asked curiously.

"No," Feng Shan shook his head. "They just know me."

’Just knowing you makes them this respectful?’

’Are you that famous in Alaska?’

Su Ziweng was completely bewildered.

After they finished with immigration, Feng Shan didn’t lead the group toward the exit, but back to the tarmac.

"Brother Feng, the exit is that way. We’re going the wrong way!" Zhang Kai quickly reminded him.

"We’re not. We’re taking a plane!" Feng Shan said, holding onto Xiaohua. Without turning his head, he walked out of the corridor and onto a tarmac.

A small, silver-gray airplane was parked on the field.

A foreigner was standing next to the plane. When he saw the group appear, he quickly opened the cabin door and lowered the stairs.

"Khilla."

"Everyone’s here. Time to go home!" Feng Shan said to the foreigner, then turned around with a smile. "Everyone, get on the plane. We’re going back to Crown Territory."

"Brother, we could have just taken a car. Why are we taking another plane? It’s such a waste of money!" Xiaohua complained, feeling the pinch for Feng Shan.

The flight from China to Alaska alone cost over 30,000 yuan per ticket.

’For the three of them, that was almost 100,000 yuan. We didn’t know the tickets were so expensive back then. If we had, we definitely wouldn’t have come. It’s so hard for Brother Shan to earn money. How long would it take him to earn 100,000 yuan?’

"Hua’Er, this is our family’s plane, it doesn’t cost anything. Besides, there are no roads to my place. The only way in is by plane!" Feng Shan affectionately ruffled Xiaohua’s hair.

’His own plane?’

Zhang Kai and the three hunters narrowed their eyes slightly.

The four of them had some money themselves, but a private plane wasn’t something you could just buy on a whim.

This one right in front of them...

...wouldn’t cost any less than ten million yuan.

’How is this completely different from what Zhang Kai told us?’

’He said the guy was nice, just a bit poor.’

’Since when can poor people in the United States afford airplanes?’

...