Any disdain he had originally felt for the Tundra Wine was long gone, replaced by pure anticipation.

"Of course. We also have fresh fried salmon. It’s a great little snack to have with our Tundra Wine," the waitress said with a sweet smile.

Young Master Xu’s interest was piqued. "Bring them both out, please. Thank you."

"Don’t put me on the tab." Feng Shan drained his drink and stood up. "I’m heading back to the cabin. You two go easy on the drinks. We have an early start for Saint Paul Island tomorrow."

"Got it!" Su Ziweng’s mind was now completely focused on tasting the Tundra Wine. Feng Shan’s warning went in one ear and out the other.

Feng Shan shook his head helplessly.

He shot a look at the waitress.

’The message was clear: when it came time to pay, she was to charge them what they owed, no favors for him.’

The waitress nodded, understanding completely.

Outside the bar, the sky had already gone dark.

Darkness enveloped the entire camp, with only the soft glow of the streetlights to pierce it.

As he passed the restaurant, he saw it was brightly lit inside. The residents of Kivalina Town were now having their dinners there.

Luckily, Feng Shan had specifically instructed that they only be charged cost price. Otherwise, their daily wages wouldn’t even be enough for one big meal at the restaurant.

Back at the cabin, he stared at the light filtering through the window.

The soft light coming from the window should have signaled a warm, welcoming home, but for some reason, Feng Shan found it frightening.

He stood before the door, pacing back and forth, the soles of his shoes whispering against the grass.

His eyes were glued to the wooden door, a fierce debate raging in his mind.

One voice was saying,

’What the hell am I afraid of? This is my own house. It’s not like they’re going to eat me alive.’

But another voice kept warning him,

’Don’t you dare go in there. There are five vixens in there who will eat you alive and not even spit out the bones. Go in, and you’re finished.’

Finally, after repeatedly psyching himself up, Feng Shan gritted his teeth, summoned his courage, and went inside.

He slowly pushed open the wooden door.

The hinges let out a CREAK, like an ancient sigh.

Feng Shan’s body trembled slightly as he stepped cautiously inside, his eyes darting around warily.

But upon entering, he discovered that Nash, Yves, David, and even Erica and the other girls weren’t there. Only Jenny was sitting on the sofa.

The house seemed unusually quiet, the only sound being the occasional soft CRACKLE of firewood in the hearth.

Hearing his footsteps, Jenny stood up. She walked over to Feng Shan with a natural air and thoughtfully helped him out of his fur coat, acting as if nothing had ever happened.

Her movements were gentle and practiced. She wore a faint smile, welcoming him home as warmly as she always did.

Feng Shan, however, was filled with suspicion, his eyes scanning the room.

’Are the other four girls hiding in some corner? Or maybe they’ve prepared a ’special’ dinner, planning for a repeat group offense tonight.’

Seeing Feng Shan’s on-edge demeanor, Jenny couldn’t help but smile, her voice cheerful.

"Relax, they’ve all gone to the restaurant for dinner!"

"Really?" Feng Shan eyed Jenny suspiciously, not about to let his guard down.

Jenny guided Feng Shan over to the dining table, pushed him into a chair, and brought out a plate of dinner from the kitchen.

The meal was served on an exquisite wooden platter, emitting an enticing aroma.

The roasted meat on the plate was golden-brown and sizzling, accompanied by an assortment of colorful vegetables.

As Feng Shan looked at the food, his stomach let out an embarrassing RUMBLE.

....

「A sleepless night.」

Feng Shan spent the night in a half-awake, half-dreaming state, without even taking off his clothes.

His mind was a total mess. One moment, he’d see images of the girls about to "eat" him; the next, he’d be replaying what Jenny had said.

It was just as Jenny had said. The incident was in the past, and they wouldn’t do anything like that again. However, if Feng Shan ever had any "needs," he could come to them anytime.

Feng Shan found this nearly explicit invitation hard to accept.

After all, he was born under the red flag and raised in the new China. He had his own traditional moral values and code of conduct.

An invitation like this, which crossed the line of normal interaction, made Feng Shan extremely uncomfortable.

Of course, there was the saying, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

Frank had even tried to convince him that in the United States, as long as you were open-minded, you could have your pick of girls.

Even having a different one every day was no problem.

But Feng Shan didn’t see it that way. He silently resolved that no matter the culture or environment, he would hold true to his principles and not be easily swayed by the attitudes of others.

Today was the day to head to Saint Paul Island.

He opened his bedroom door and went downstairs. The first-generation employees of Crown Territory were all there.

"Khilla, I want to go with you! I’ve never caught Emperor Crab before!" Erica pleaded, pulling on Feng Shan’s arm and shaking it with a coquettish whine.

Feng Shan was in a difficult position. He knew that crabbing was dangerous, difficult work and didn’t want Erica to risk it.

"The Crabbing Boat is full of men. We even shower and sleep in the same quarters. Are you sure you want to go?"

Erica froze when she heard that, a hesitant look crossing her face.

Jenny stepped forward and pulled Erica aside. "Khilla is going to work. Don’t get in his way."

"Oh!"

Erica pouted, looking wronged.

"I thought we all agreed you’d call me ’Boss.’ Why’d you switch back?" Feng Shan said as he took the fur coat from Nash.

"’Boss’ doesn’t sound nice. ’Khilla’ sounds more affectionate!" Tammy said quietly.

"Suit yourselves." Feng Shan reached out and patted Tammy on the head, then looked at the others. "I’ll be gone for a few days. It’s business as usual. Stick to your assigned tasks, and call me if you run into any problems you can’t solve."

Jenny nodded.

She turned and brought over an Arctic willow basket covered with an insulated blanket.

Her gaze was full of gentle concern, just like a wife’s. "I know you’re in a hurry, so I made you some sandwiches. You can eat them on the plane. Be safe out there on the water."

"Got it. You keep an eye on things here."

"In a few days, I’ll take you all to the beach. A tropical beach!"

Feng Shan took the willow basket, nodded to everyone, and left the cabin with Yves.

The P750 soared in the sky.

Its silver fuselage glinted in the sun like a free-flying bird.

In the cockpit, Yves skillfully handled the controls, his eyes on the flight instruments.

Feng Shan sat back in his seat, took a still-warm sandwich from the willow basket, and began to eat with relish.

The bread was soft and delicious, filled with perfectly marbled smoked meat, fresh lettuce, and Jenny’s special sauce.

Each bite was pure satisfaction.

Across from him, Young Master Xu and Su Ziweng were rubbing their heads, both looking thoroughly hungover.

Their hair was a mess, their eyes were half-lidded, and their faces were pale.

Last night’s liquor was still wreaking havoc on their systems. They were dizzy, and their stomachs were churning.

"Want one?" Feng Shan offered, holding out a sandwich.

Su Ziweng shook his head miserably. "No thanks. I can’t stomach anything right now."

Just the thought of food made his stomach churn even more. He just wanted the feeling to pass.

Young Master Xu gave a listless wave of his hand. "You go ahead. We just need to recover."

"Serves you right."

"No matter how good it tastes, it’s still booze. You think you’re like me, able to drink a thousand cups and not get drunk?" Feng Shan shot them a look and took a huge bite of his sandwich.

"Ha! Yeah, right. Taking on five at once... what an appetite. You must be in great shape!" Su Ziweng sneered, bringing up the rumor he’d heard at the bar last night.

"Exactly! And you were still able to go skiing with us the next day. Brother Feng, what’s your secret? Care to share some tips?"

When Young Master Xu had heard about that night’s events from the Kivalina Town residents, he’d been completely blown away with admiration.

In ancient times, there was Lu Bu fighting three heroes.

Today, we have Brother Feng taking on five women.

And the next day, he was up and about like nothing happened, even went skiing with them.

Feng Shan froze mid-bite, a flash of embarrassment on his face.

He couldn’t believe the rumor had already spread, and that these two were now using it to tease him.

"Wh-who told you that? It’s just a misunderstanding. Nothing happened."

Hearing this, a spark of curiosity appeared on Young Master Xu’s previously listless face. Fighting through his hangover, he teased,

"Really? But I heard from Old Swan that the whole camp could hear the commotion that night."

"Yeah, the Kivalina Town residents said you were incredible!"

"Bullshit! That’s slander!"

Feng Shan couldn’t stand to hear any more. He hadn’t bothered to set the record straight, and now the rumor had gotten completely out of hand.

Seeing Feng Shan get so worked up, Young Master Xu couldn’t help but laugh. "Brother Feng, calm down. We know you’re not that kind of guy."

Feng Shan shot Su Ziweng a harsh glare. "You’re still laughing? If word of this really gets out, the reputations of those five girls will be ruined."

After he said that, his mind was consumed with how to stamp out these increasingly outrageous rumors.

’I’ll find a chance to teach that Old Swan a lesson when I get back to camp,’ he decided silently.

’That old bastard.’

’He and his big mouth!’

ACHOO!

Old Swan, who was out chopping wood, let out a sneeze.

He rubbed his nose and muttered, "Fuck, who’s talking shit about me behind my back?"

...