After resting for a day at Kevik Camp, Feng Shan decided to continue heading north, trekking to his final destination: Kaktovik Village.

Susan was very reluctant to see Feng Shan go.

She hadn’t even had the chance to be a proper host, and now her savior was leaving.

Susan tried to get him to stay. "Feng, are you sure you can’t stay a few more days? The conditions here may be limited, but you could at least get some proper rest and recover your strength."

To be honest, there wasn’t much to do in Kevik Camp. Besides the wind and snow, the only form of entertainment was driving a small utility vehicle to plow snow.

Although he appreciated Susan’s kind intentions, Feng Shan didn’t want to change his plans.

He immediately shook his head. "Sorry, my itinerary is set. I can’t delay any longer."

Susan sighed helplessly. She could only quietly help Feng Shan prepare some supplies he might need on the road, hoping to be of some help on his journey. Among them was a pink, thermal face mask with a mermaid princess on it.

Holding the cartoon face mask, Feng Shan shook his head and chuckled in spite of himself.

’It’s hard to imagine that a woman in her forties like Susan still has the heart of a young girl,’ he thought.

Under Susan’s watchful eye, Feng Shan had no choice but to take the mask with him.

Seeing this, Nash, who was standing to the side, had an expression of someone trying desperately not to laugh. He struggled to hold it in, his shoulders trembling slightly.

Feng Shan shot Nash a glare before giving Susan a hug. "Come visit the Crown Territory when you have time. Don’t see me out."

After the hug, he picked up the tow rope of his sled and walked off into the wind and snow.

Nash nodded to Susan and hurried after him.

"Have a safe trip!" 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Susan stood at the camp entrance, waving at the two figures who were faintly visible as they disappeared into the blizzard.

...

Kevik Camp was 151 kilometers from Kaktovik Village.

Kaktovik Village is located on Bart Island. It was once a trading post for Hunters and Whalers, an Indigenous trade hub.

Now, it had neat bungalows, houses with oil heating, wide gravel roads, a well-equipped school, and a power plant.

All of this was thanks to oil drilling, as the North Slope oil fields were just over a hundred kilometers to the west.

Kaktovik Village was also known as Polar Bear Village, and it was said that more than 100 Polar Bears frequented the area.

Feng Shan and Nash rested for a night on the Tundra.

They didn’t arrive in Kaktovik until noon the next day.

After passing under a landmark made of upright whale bones, the two men walked onto an unfamiliar street buried in snow.

Long icicles hanging from the crooked utility poles on either side of the street glinted coldly in the sunlight.

Occasionally, a snowmobile would pass by. The driver would just glance at them before twisting the throttle and roaring away.

They were met with a cold indifference.

"Hey man, is this an Inuit settlement?" Feng Shan asked curiously.

"Should be the Inupiat people. These raw-meat-eaters are just naturally rude," Nash said. It seemed he had given all his goodwill for the Inuit people to Wawa.

Feng Shan shrugged.

They continued along the main road, pulling the sled. The houses on both sides looked old, with their doors shut tight and the snow on their roofs left uncleared.

Just then, a snowmobile pulled up beside them. The driver took off his face mask, revealing a white man’s face. He carefully observed their attire, his gaze lingering for a long time on Feng Shan’s pink face mask.

"Hey, guys, are you here to see the Polar Bears?"

Feng Shan shook his head. "No, we trekked here from Kevik Camp. We’re planning to fly home from here."

The white man whistled. "Cool! It’s over 100 kilometers from Kevik to Kaktovik Village. Trekking here in the winter... that’s so cool!"

"Want to find a bar and take a break?"

"Of course," Feng Shan nodded.

"There’s a bar up ahead. I’ll wait for you by the road. Hurry up, it’s brutal staying out in this weather."

The man pointed up the street, then got on his snowmobile and rode off.

"See? There are friendly people here after all," Feng Shan said, turning to Nash.

Nash said coldly, "He’s a white man, not an Eskimo."

"Come on, let’s not get into your theories on race again."

Feng Shan shook his head in resignation, pulled the sled, and followed. After walking for a few hundred yards, he saw the white man in his winter gear, shaking his leg to stay warm on the side of the road.

"Bruce," the white man said, extending his hand in a friendly gesture.

Feng Shan reached out his own hand in return. "Feng Shan. This is Nash."

"Let’s get inside. I’ll buy you guys a glass of rum," Bruce said, eagerly walking toward the wooden cabin behind him.

Feng Shan and Nash exchanged a look, then pulled the sled and followed Bruce.

They left Prince and Princess under the eaves to guard the sled.

The two men entered the wooden cabin, and a wave of warmth washed over them.

The bar’s interior was cozy. A fire crackled in the corner, warming the entire room.

A few scattered patrons were sitting around the main room.

"Guys, over here," Bruce called, waving from an empty table.

Feng Shan and Nash walked over and sat down at the table.

After sitting down across from them, Bruce picked up a bottle from the table and poured each of them a glass. "It’s pretty warm in here, huh? It’s not easy to find a warm place like this to rest your feet on the frozen Tundra."

Feng Shan nodded. "It really is. Thank you so much for inviting us."

He then picked up the rum and took a small sip. The spicy flavor instantly spread through his mouth, invigorating his senses.

Just then.

At the next table, an Indigenous patron saw Nash take off his hat. He got up, walked over, and spoke in an aggressive tone.

"Hey, we don’t welcome Indians here. Get out."

Bruce stood up angrily, looking straight at the patron. He lifted the hem of his jacket. "Kasi, what do you think you’re doing? These are my friends. Cut it out with your racist crap, or I’ll use my pistol to blow your filthy mouth off."

Hearing the argument and Bruce’s mention of racism, the other patrons in the bar hurried over and dragged the chattering Indigenous man away.

Bruce lowered his jacket, looked at Feng Shan and Nash, and shrugged helplessly. "Sorry, guys. You find trash like that everywhere."

"It’s fine, we’re used to it," Feng Shan said, raising his glass. "You don’t look like one of the Indigenous People."

Bruce smiled and sat back down. "I’m Canadian. Moved here 20 years ago. I run a tour company here, part-time guide."

"Don’t worry, I’m not trying to sell you a tour. I was just curious to see two trekkers show up in the dead of winter."

"Is tourism a good business here?" Feng Shan asked curiously.

Bruce took a swig of rum. "Hmm, it’s not bad for three months—July, August, and September. After all, Kaktovik is the only place in the United States where you can see Polar Bears and whales up close."

Feng Shan nodded and glanced around the bar. "Why don’t I see anyone else from the village? Are there very few people here?"

At the mention of this, a look of disgust crossed Bruce’s face, as if he was reluctant to talk about it.

"This week is Kaktovik Village’s annual whale hunt. The government gives the local Indigenous People a quota of three Bowhead Whales per year. Most of the villagers have gone out whaling."

"Fuck. They get oil dividends and government subsidies every year. Why do they still have to go kill whales?"

His voice got a little loud toward the end, and the surrounding patrons who heard him all voiced their agreement.

"That’s right. Whale meat has excessive levels of heavy metals these days. Taking one bite is like eating a mouthful of heavy metals. Are they trying to kill themselves?"

"I’ve been saying for a while that the whale hunt should be canceled. It’s pointless."

"I’m not taking any whale meat this year. It tastes like chewing on a tire."

Bruce stood up and addressed the other patrons. "We should propose to the village council that they cancel the annual whale hunt! We should be developing tourism, developing Polar Bear and whale watching tours!"

The moment he finished speaking, he was met with ridicule from the patrons.

"Bullshit! I hate Polar Bears too. One of them ate my little Broo."

"Oh my God! Little Broo was so cute! How could a Polar Bear eat him?"

"Let’s have a toast to Little Broo."

"Don’t you forget, Canadian, we’re the ones who feed the Polar Bears with whale meat. If it weren’t for us, they would have starved to death long ago."

"HAHAHA!"

"Fuck! You pack of raw-meat-eating shitheads." Bruce flipped the bird, scanned the room, and sat back down. He looked at Feng Shan with resignation. "Guys, this is the reality of the situation."

Just as Feng Shan was about to offer some words of comfort, the urgent barking of Prince and Princess erupted from outside.

’They’re in danger!’

He immediately shot up and ran out of the bar.

He saw Prince and Princess across the street, circling a filthy Polar Bear along with some other dogs.

The Polar Bear looked quite thin, not at all like the cuddly creatures seen on TV. Faced with the encirclement by Prince and Princess, it raised its paws and swiped at them.

Worried the two little ones would get hurt, Feng Shan quickly drew a pistol from his coat and fired a shot into the air.

BANG!

After the gunshot, the Polar Bear, seeming to understand the power of a gun, turned and ran. The other dogs tucked their tails and scurried away, but Prince and Princess stupidly chased after the bear.

"Prince! Princess! Come back!" By the time Feng Shan shouted, it was too late. They had already run off into the distance.

Feng Shan immediately started to give chase, gun in hand.

"Hey man, it’s okay! The Polar Bears around here are timid. As long as your dogs don’t rush in and bite, they’ll be fine," Bruce quickly reassured him.

’I’m not worried about the Polar Bear, I’m worried about those two idiots!’

Feng Shan told Nash to get the sled while he himself chased after Prince and Princess, pistol in hand.

Bruce shook his head and glanced back at the bar.

’That bottle of rum is probably going to be finished off by the drunks in there pretty soon,’ he thought.

So, he hopped on his snowmobile and went after Feng Shan.

And so, a perfect chain of pursuit was formed: Prince and Princess chased the Polar Bear, Feng Shan chased Prince, Nash chased Feng Shan, and Bruce chased Nash.

Feng Shan had taken off his snowshoes when they entered the town, so now he was stumbling through the snow, one foot sinking deep after the other.

Fortunately, Bruce caught up, picked up Nash, and then gave Feng Shan a ride as well.

By this point, the bear and the dogs were nowhere in sight.

Prince might be a little rascal, but Princess was obedient.

If anything happened to them...

’How would he explain this to the White Wolf Pack when he got back?’

Feng Shan was so anxious he was sweating profusely.

"Don’t worry, man! I know where they went!" Bruce managed to shout a word of comfort before turning the snowmobile in another direction.

「Ten minutes later.」

Feng Shan could hear barking on the wind, and the heart that had been caught in his throat finally dropped.

’If they’re barking, it means they’re okay.’

As they got closer, Prince’s barks became clearer and clearer.

The three men could already see the two little ones at the foot of a snow dune.

As the snowmobile approached, before it had even come to a complete stop, Feng Shan leaped off.

He rushed over to the still-barking Prince in a few strides, grabbed the loose skin on his face, and gave him a few backhanded slaps.

Prince looked completely indignant and even dared to whine back in protest. Feng Shan followed up with a few forehanded slaps and scolded him.

"You damn dog! What are you doing running around like that?! It wouldn’t matter if something happened to you, but don’t you dare drag Princess down with you!"

After two rounds of forehand and backhand slaps, Prince finally settled down.

Feng Shan checked Prince and Princess all over. Only after finding no injuries did he dare to breathe a sigh of relief. He then looked up at the snowdrift.

He froze on the spot.

...