Young Master Xu raised his hand, signaling them to stop.

The two snowmobiles slowly came to a halt. Feng Mountain looked up at the snow-covered mountain before them.

The entire mountain was blanketed in snow. It had two faces: one with a steep slope and one with a gentle slope. A protruding platform was visible midway up the steep face.

"Is this place suitable?" Feng Mountain didn’t know much about this, so he asked humbly.

Young Master Xu hopped off his snowmobile and walked to the foot of the mountain. Looking like a seasoned expert, he plunged his arm into the snowpack, then pulled it out to visually inspect the depth of the hole.

"We can ski here. The snow is over a meter deep and well-packed."

He nodded in satisfaction after speaking.

"That’s it?" Feng Mountain had been waiting expectantly for a more professional explanation, not expecting just a simple "We can ski here."

"That’s it. I only know ski mountaineering. You need a professional to pick a ski resort." Young Master Xu lifted his chin arrogantly.

’Unbelievable!’

Feng Mountain felt a strong urge to curse him out.

’You had such an expert look on your face just now, I thought you actually knew what you were doing.’

’Turns out you’re just an embroidered pillow—all show and no substance.’

’In the end, we still need a professional.’

"Let’s go. Back to camp."

"No, wait! We brought all the gear. Why don’t we do a few runs before heading back?" Young Master Xu quickly grabbed Feng Mountain’s arm.

"You brought gear. Su Ziweng and I didn’t. Are we supposed to just stand here and watch you ski?" Feng Mountain rolled his eyes.

"I have spares." Young Master Xu gave a mysterious smile, pulled a large gear bag from the snowmobile, and opened it on the ground to reveal a full set of skiing equipment.

"There are only two pairs of skis. You and Su Ziweng can go." Feng Mountain craned his neck for a look, then shook his head.

"It’s fine, I also have a snowboard." Like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat, Young Master Xu produced a snowboard from the bag.

Su Ziweng’s gaze swept over the equipment. He quickly clarified his skill level, "Just so you know, I can only use skis. I’ve never tried snowboarding."

"Don’t worry." Young Master Xu eagerly took the equipment out of the bag, afraid that Feng Mountain and Su Ziweng would change their minds.

This gave Feng Mountain a feeling.

It seemed Young Master Xu had come to the Crown Territory just for the skiing.

No wonder he had specifically asked for his and Su Ziweng’s shoe sizes before they left.

Nash had no interest in skiing and was left in charge of watching the snowmobiles.

If they wanted to ski, they naturally had to climb to the top of the mountain.

The three of them, carrying their gear, started climbing up the gentle slope. After ascending about ten meters, Young Master Xu stopped. He wanted to let Feng Mountain get a feel for the board first, lest he tumble all the way from the summit to the base once they started for real.

"Do you want the skis or the snowboard?"

"The snowboard! I’m afraid I’ll do the splits on skis!" Feng Mountain took the snowboard.

Young Master Xu nodded and began to explain the techniques for snowboarding. "Alright, snowboarding is mainly about starting, turning, stopping, climbing, and jumping."

"To start, you need to stand in the center of the board with your knees bent and your hands gripping the sides. Then, use the spring in your knees and the power of your feet to glide forward."

"There are two ways to turn. One is by shifting your center of gravity, which means leaning to one side. The other is toe-side turning, which you can do by tilting your ankles." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"There are two ways to brake. One is to dig the edge of the board directly into the snow. The other is using an S-turn stop, which requires you to lift the board’s edge up at the right moment and carve a small arc to increase braking force."

"I won’t tell you about climbing and jumping. Beginners don’t need to learn those two techniques."

’Who do you think you’re looking down on?’

Feng Mountain shot him a sidelong glance, then squatted down and placed his boots on the snowboard. He made sure the boots were centered, and with Young Master Xu’s help, he adjusted the binding frames, the stance width, and the angles, finally screwing the bindings onto the board.

"You’re good to go! Don’t be nervous on your first time, just follow the steps I told you," Young Master Xu said reassuringly.

’Like I need you to tell me.’

’I could master those simple tricks with my eyes closed.’

Feng Mountain waved his hand dismissively, stood on the board, and warmed up a bit. Facing the ten-meter gentle slope, he pushed off lightly with his legs. The board shot forward, gliding smoothly down. When he reached the bottom, he even executed a stylish carving stop, coming to a steady halt.

"Wenwen, has Brother Feng really never snowboarded before?" Young Master Xu was stunned as he watched Feng Mountain’s form. This didn’t look like a beginner at all.

A beginner should have at least face-planted a few times before they could even stand steadily on the board.

"Damn it, don’t call me Wenwen."

Su Ziweng had accidentally revealed his childhood nickname, and now the other two teased him about it from time to time.

"How would I know if Brother Feng has snowboarded before? The man lives in the Arctic Circle. You’d have to be an idiot to believe he doesn’t do stuff like this all the time."

"Okay, Wenwen!" Young Master Xu completely ignored him, instead turning to Feng Mountain, who was climbing back up. "Brother Feng, let’s go to the summit and ride down from there. That’ll be a real thrill."

After that brief run, Feng Mountain had already fallen in love with the thrilling sport.

The feeling of flying like the wind, the sound of the board cutting through the snow, and the scenery rushing past were intoxicating.

So, when Young Master Xu suggested raising the difficulty, Feng Mountain naturally agreed.

The three of them climbed all the way up the snowy slope to the transverse platform at the midway point.

Young Master Xu, still a bit worried, checked Su Ziweng’s and Feng Mountain’s equipment one more time. After confirming everything was in order, he clipped into his skis, shuffled to the edge of the slope, and looked back at the other two.

"I’m off!"

With that, he gave a light push and slid off, his form nimble and strong.

His skis sliced swiftly across the snow, kicking up a cloud of powder.

His figure quickly vanished from sight, leaving only an elegant track behind.

"I’m going too, Brother Feng!" Su Ziweng, not to be outdone, also pushed off and went down.

Feng Mountain, with both feet strapped to his snowboard, shuffled to the edge of the slope. He watched the first two carve elegant S-turns in the snow, then looked down the rest of the incredibly steep slope.

A moment later, he leaned forward and instantly shot down the slope.

The wind howled past his ears, snowflakes danced before his eyes, and his body bounced with the undulations of the slope.

The snowboard carved a beautiful arc on the snow, as if he had become one with the snowy landscape.

...

「River Beach Camp.」

After last night’s welcome party, a cheerful atmosphere filled the entire camp, and everyone wore relaxed smiles.

The new employees had also quickly integrated into this big family.

The women were assigned by Jenian to the bar, the restaurant, the vegetable garden, and other places.

The male employees, meanwhile, were handed over to Yves to manage.

As for the cabins, the original five women still held firm control.

Previously, there had only been five women at the camp. They had long since grown accustomed to each other’s presence, forming a unique understanding and balance.

However, the addition of a new batch of members was like a stone tossed into a calm lake, sending ripples through the water.

This gave the five women a sense of crisis, which was why they had resorted to acting as a clique. Of course, their "conspiracy" wasn’t malicious, but rather a form of instinctive self-preservation.

Although the result wasn’t perfect, they had at least managed to convey their feelings and thoughts to Feng Mountain in their own way.

By the time Feng Mountain and the other two returned from skiing on the mountain, the sky was already growing dark.

It got dark a little after 3 PM, something Young Master Xu and Su Ziweng were definitely not used to.

In their minds, this time of day should have been bright with sunshine. Here in the Crown Territory, however, darkness fell early.

If they were back home, the two of them would still be enjoying the bustle and energy of the daytime.

Afterward, the three of them arranged to go for a drink at the bar.

As the owner, this was also Feng Mountain’s first time stepping into his own bar.

The moment the three of them pushed open the door, a rich Tundra-style atmosphere washed over them.

The bar’s style was similar to the restaurant’s, centered on a minimalist Tundra aesthetic.

Rough wooden decorations and thick animal-hide seats created a primitive yet cozy ambiance.

Antlers, pelts, and other decorations hung on the walls. The only bearskin rug Feng Mountain owned had been snatched by Demi and hung up as well.

The lighting was also specially designed to create a Tundra feel—dim and soft, like the faint but warm sunlight on the tundra. A melodious tune flowed gently through the air.

The bar top was a single slab of hemlock wood, 50 centimeters in diameter.

The clear grain of the wide, thick cross-section was visible, its growth rings like a code recording the passage of time. On the shelves of the back bar, a dazzling array of various liquors was on display.

A waitress watched as Feng Mountain and his two companions found a table and sat down.

She certainly recognized her boss among them, but Demi, the manager, had said that everyone who came to drink was to be treated the same. Even the boss had to pay.

She immediately walked over and, following the procedure Demi had trained her on, first served a bowl of nuts and asked enthusiastically.

"What can I get for you?"

Su Ziweng raised an eyebrow. "What do you have?"

The waitress, a friendly smile on her face, held up the drink menu and began recommending drinks.

"We’ve just launched our Tundra Wine series. Tundra Starry Night, Tundra Fire, Tundra Morning Dew, Tundra Glacial Spring, Tundra Aurora, and Reindeer’s Leap are all excellent."

...