November 8, 2017 - Saturday

High: -20°, Low: -28°. Overcast, cloudy, level 1 northeasterly winds. Temperatures will continue to drop over the next week.

Projected Sunrise: 10:18:43 AM, Sunset: 04:29:14 PM. Daylight: 6h 10m 31s.

As winter deepened in November, the days grew shorter and shorter. Soon there would be less than six hours of daylight.

Urged on by his internal clock, Feng Shan got up, dressed, and went out to exercise. By the time he got to the first floor, Nash and a bleary-eyed Wawa were already in the living room.

Feng Shan smiled. "Wawa, you don’t have to join us. Just stick to your own schedule."

In the Far North Tundra’s winter, with its short days and long nights, the local residents’ schedules shifted into a state of hibernation. Waking up at 6 AM was an ordeal, as it was still pitch-black outside with nothing to do.

"No, I’m sticking with Khilla." Wawa slapped his cheeks a few times to wake himself up.

Feng Shan shook his head.

Without another word, he pulled the door open and walked out.

The sky was still as black as ink, the entire world still lost in slumber.

Thanks to the protection of the tribe’s Fire Seed, the temperature within the camp wasn’t bitterly cold, about ten degrees warmer than the forecast from the weather receiver.

The air throughout the camp was fresh, carrying the scent of moss and grass. A deep breath was refreshing and invigorating.

Feng Shan stretched for a moment in the open space in front of the door, then headed to the riverbank and started to run. Nash and Wawa followed close behind.

Before long, the number of morning runners began to grow.

Yves appeared, followed by Maria, David, Jenny, and Tammy. As for Erica, she was probably still tucked away in bed, fast asleep.

The group ran three laps around the River Beach Camp.

Feng Shan glanced at David, who was drenched in sweat.

’That kid used to be so frail a gust of wind could blow him over,’ Feng Shan thought. ’When we climbed Beheading Cliff, Nash and I had to drag him along. Now, tempered by this land, he’s finally grown into a man.’

Then there was Jenny. The scar on her face used to be like an invisible shackle, binding her spirit and making her instinctively lower her head whenever she met someone’s gaze.

But the Jenny of today was different.

Her eyes now held a new firmness and confidence. Like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, she was beautiful and captivating.

It was the same for Maria and Tammy. They had become poised and graceful, their smiles like the warm spring sun, bringing warmth to everyone around them.

And needless to say, there was Yves.

Soothed by the Fire Seed, his war-related trauma hadn’t flared up in a long time, and his personality had become much more reserved.

These were the changes brought by the Crown Territory.

It was like a magical force, silently transforming everyone who came into contact with it.

"Let’s head back and make breakfast. And while we’re at it, let’s send those four freeloaders on their way!" Feng Shan said, leading the group back to the cabin.

By the time Zhang Kai and his three companions had packed their bags and come to the cabin to say their goodbyes, a table laden with a characteristic Chinese breakfast was already prepared in the dining room.

Tomato and egg noodles, savory meat pancakes, steamed buns, and pickled vegetables.

Heh!

’Now this is what I call a real breakfast. A hundred times better than that seal oil venison stew Maria makes.’

The four of them were so excited they wolfed down several large bowls.

"You’re our first group of tourists, so we prepared some gifts. It’s not much, but please accept them."

Feng Shan waved his hand, and Nash, Wawa, and Yves brought over several cardboard boxes.

"It’s nothing fancy, just some things produced here in the Crown Territory. Some dried venison, dried fish, dried bear meat, sausages, that sort of thing. I’ve already spoken with Tom. He’ll take care of your exit procedures."

"Thank you!" the men quickly replied, grateful.

Although the items weren’t worth much money, it was the thought that counted. More importantly, they had gotten to know a man like Feng Shan.

As the saying goes, having more friends makes the road easier to travel. In a place like Alaska, knowing Feng Shan might not let you do as you please, but at least you wouldn’t get bullied.

Feng Shan drove the men to the plane on his snowmobile.

Before leaving, Zhang Kai pulled Feng Shan aside. "Brother, the deal was a 7-day tour for 20,000 US dollars, but we ended up staying for two weeks. Feng Yang and the others will give me the tour fee for the extra week when we get back. How should I get the money to you?"

Hmm.

Feng Shan thought for a moment. Cash was definitely not a good idea. Just because the Crown Territory was tax-free didn’t mean he was exempt from taxes outside of it. And since the Crown Territory didn’t have a bank, those wolves at the Internal Revenue Service were surely keeping a close eye on it.

"Why don’t you just keep it in China?"

Zhang Kai agreed with this approach. After all, the tax rates in the United States were frighteningly high. If that money went into a bank, half of it would be gone after filing taxes at the end of the year.

"Alright. Later, send me a picture of your ID card. I’ll register a travel company in your name back in China, and from now on, the tour fees can go into the company account."

"Sorry to trouble you," Feng Shan said apologetically. Zhang Kai was handling everything, inside and out, while he was just raking in the money.

Zhang Kai gave Feng Shan a light punch on the arm and said with a laugh,

"Nonsense. Just hurry up and get that thing we talked about last night sorted out. I’m going to start a new tour group as soon as I get back to China. The second batch of tourists will probably be here in about half a month!"

"Alright!"

"Have a safe trip!"

He watched the P-750 ascend into the sky and disappear over the snowy mountain peaks.

Feng Shan turned to the Crown Territory members who had come to see them off. His expression hardened as he scanned the crowd, and his serious face made everyone fall silent instantly.

"Back to the cabin for a meeting. We have important business today."

’He was just joking around, how did his expression change so fast?’

Aside from Nash, Wawa, Xiaohua, Hu Zi, and Black Hide, everyone else exchanged uncertain glances, trying to find answers in each other’s expressions.

’Did I do something wrong?’

’I finally found a place to call home. I don’t want to lose this hard-won opportunity because of some careless mistake.’

Jenny bit her lip, her eyes filled with worry.

The others also fell into deep thought, racking their brains to figure out what could have made Feng Shan’s expression change so suddenly.

In the uneasy atmosphere, their hearts grew heavier, as if a giant rock was pressing down on their chests.

Back in the cabin, Feng Shan sat at the head of the dining table, his expression still grim. When everyone was inside, he pointed to the empty seats around the table. "Sit. There’s something I need to talk to you about today."

"Khilla, did I do something wrong? I’ll fix it, I promise!" Tammy asked, her voice trembling. Her pitiful expression made the others’ hearts ache.

Jenny put an arm around Tammy, her expression resolute. "Khilla, if they did something wrong, I can take the blame!"

"I just won’t talk back to you anymore, okay? Why are you being so scary!" Erica said timidly, all of her usual bravado gone.

David and Maria looked like they wanted to say something, but they opened their mouths and then swallowed their words.

After half a month together, Xiaohua knew that these people had been through far worse things than she had. Though she was an orphan, she’d always had older "brothers" and "sisters" to look after her. But Jenny and the others were different; the things they had experienced were horrifying.

Seeing their frightened expressions, Xiaohua was about to step forward when Hu Zi silently pulled her aside into the living room and whispered,

"You silly girl. When Brother Shan gets angry for real, does he waste time talking? He’d have slapped someone across the face by now."

Black Hide nodded vigorously nearby. He had firsthand experience with those slaps.

Feng Shan’s sharp gaze swept over each person’s face at the table. His eyes seemed to pierce right through them, making it impossible to meet his stare.

He pulled a stack of prepared white envelopes from his pocket and tossed them onto the table.

"They have names on them. Grab your own."

Envelopes?

Their gazes fell on the envelopes on the table, their minds filled with confusion. They each looked for the one with their name on it, their eyes a mixture of curiosity and nervousness.

They opened them and pulled out a thin piece of paper.

When they saw what was on the paper, Maria and Tammy’s eyes went wide, and they covered their mouths.

Their gazes were filled with astonishment and disbelief, as if they were looking at the most incredible thing in the world.

It was a cashier’s check.

On it was clearly written: 4,000 US Dollars.

"Khilla!" Jenny said, holding a cashier’s check for 5,000 US Dollars. Her voice trembled with emotion, and her eyes glistened with tears—a light woven from joy and gratitude.

"Surprise, surprise!"

Feng Shan’s expression instantly changed as he broke into a wide grin.

His smile was as brilliant as the sun, instantly dispelling the tension and anxiety in the dining room.

"From now on, you are all official employees of the Crown Territory. You’ll get a monthly salary. You can choose to be paid weekly or monthly, it’s up to you. I told you the Crown Territory wouldn’t let you down. You can have Tom help you cash these."

"Oh, and Jenny has to cook for everyone, so she gets an extra 1,000 US Dollars. This will be the standard from now on. If your work duties increase later, your salary will increase accordingly."

Feng Shan’s sudden shift caught everyone off guard. They stared at him blankly, unsure how to react for a moment.

However, the warmth and joy contained in his smile washed over them like a spring breeze, filling their hearts with a rush of warmth.

"You’re a jerk!!" Erica was the first to react. Tossing her check aside, her eyes shimmering, she scrambled onto the dining table and lunged at Feng Shan.

"Careful!" Feng Shan quickly opened his arms, worried Erica would fall.

"You big jerk!"

Not to be outdone, Maria and Tammy followed right behind Erica, tears in their eyes but smiles on their faces, clambering onto the table to pounce on Feng Shan.

Now, all Feng Shan could do was try to protect the three girls and keep them from getting hurt.

The fireplace kept the cabin warm, so everyone had taken off their coats. Feng Shan was only wearing a short-sleeved shirt.

Pinned beneath the three girls, with all sorts of close contact from different angles, Feng Shan didn’t dare use any force and could only howl helplessly.

"Hey, who’s grabbing what! Stop it!"

"You can’t touch there! Hiss..."

"Let go! Let go, quickly!"

"I was wrong, I was wrong, my fault!"

The others stood by without helping or trying to break it up. Jenny watched the three girls dogpiling Feng Shan with an envious look. If she were a few years younger, she would have joined in too.

Even...

A sudden thought occurred to her.

Jenny’s face flushed red, and she turned her head away.

"Brother Shan is so bad. He’s a grown man acting like a kid!" Xiaohua remarked, pouting. Then, she added fuel to the fire in her broken English.

"Erica, go for the low blow!"

"Tammy, use your teeth!"

"Maria, sit on his face! Yeah, like that."

Hu Zi and Black Hide stood to the side, covering their faces. What kind of savage words were these? Xiaohua had been so quiet and gentle back in China. How did she become a completely different person after coming abroad?

「After the playful brawl,」

Feng Shan, covered in "injuries," sat back down in his chair and glared at the three girls who had ganged up on him.

"Could you three try to be a little more ladylike?"

"You were so rough! Did you think I was a patch of moss you could just tear up?"

"And you lot," he said to the others, "how dare you laugh? You didn’t even try to control them. If word of this gets out, how are they ever going to find boyfriends?"

Maria, Erica, and Tammy wrinkled their noses, firing back at Feng Shan’s accusations.

"I like being this way, it’s none of your business."

"I’m a celibate, who needs..."

"That’s right! Keep complaining and we’ll bite you again."

Feng Shan retreated in defeat, shaking his head helplessly and sighing to himself.

’No wonder they say a woman on a rampage is scarier than a man. This moment is a perfect illustration of that saying.’

The chaotic scene just now was like a surging tide.

Even Feng Shan, a man who considered himself mentally tough, found it hard to withstand.

...