Chapter 224: Chapter 210: Excavated (Part 2)

The elders said they wouldn’t interfere anymore.

Of course, that was just something said in anger. They couldn’t really stay out of it.

And so, the Crown Territory’s 20% sales tax was officially announced.

Naturally, Daisen’s reaction to this shocking tax rate was perfectly normal. After a moment of consideration, Feng Mountain offered another suggestion.

"Mr. Dyson, if you have an issue with the tax rate, I can make an exception. Seeing as you’re the first merchant to officially join the Crown Territory, I can hold off on collecting taxes for now. We’ll start officially next year. For the rest of this month, you can observe the situation in the camp and then decide if you want to keep your shop open."

"Okay," Daisen nodded quickly. He then added, a little sheepishly, "Whether I can keep the shop open or not, I’m still grateful to you, Mr. Feng, for taking care of Lotti."

Feng Mountain smiled and waved his hand dismissively, about to make some small talk.

Just then,

Mikhail Milyukin, covered in mud, burst into the bar. He scanned the main hall, and his eyes landed on Feng Mountain in the corner. His expression was thrilled as he spoke.

"Mr. Feng, we’ve dug it up! We’ve dug it all up!"

A commotion erupted in the bar. The patrons, their faces filled with curiosity, rose to their feet one by one to look at Milyukov.

Dug up.

What was dug up?

The Mammoth Pit by the Ice River, of course.

After more than half a month, almost everyone in the camp had forgotten about it.

Those four had rarely been seen, except at mealtimes. They spent nearly all their time working at the pit, and the excavation project that had once caused such a stir in the camp gradually faded from memory.

Hearing this, a flash of pleasant surprise appeared in Feng Mountain’s eyes, and he hurried forward.

"How many?"

"Five of them. Three large and two small. It seems to be a small mammoth herd, and they’re perfectly preserved," Milyukov replied with a wide grin, holding up five fingers.

Streaks of mud drew irregular patterns on his face, but they couldn’t begin to hide the pride in his eyes.

"Let’s go take a look!" Feng Mountain said, eagerly following Milyukov out.

The crowd in the bar forgot all about their drinks, rising to their feet and following them out.

Their faces were also alight with curiosity. Even the bartender tagged along with the crowd.

The next moment, the bar was completely empty, leaving behind only half-finished drinks and the faint scent of alcohol hanging in the air.

As the group exited the bar, people working elsewhere in the camp began to notice the unusual commotion.

They stopped what they were doing, their gazes turning toward the group inquisitively.

Some began to whisper amongst themselves, speculating about what was going on.

Upon learning that the mammoths had been unearthed, they couldn’t contain their curiosity and joined the procession heading to the dig site.

In an instant, the entire camp was buzzing with excitement.

People poured out from every corner, converging into a massive crowd.

After all, with the camp’s entertainment options being next to none, it was rare for something this exciting to happen.

Mammoths being unearthed—everyone wanted to witness the miracle with their own eyes.

As the crowd continued to swell, a fervent energy filled the air.

"Khilla, have they really dug up the mammoths?" Jenny asked, running up to Feng Mountain with Erica and a few other girls in tow.

"That’s right. There are five of them," Feng Mountain nodded.

Wow!

The girls all gasped in amazement at the same time.

Elephants might not have elicited such a strong reaction, but mammoths were ancient, long-extinct creatures. For most people, their only image of them came from books and television; very few ever had the chance to see one up close.

Soon,

the group arrived at the riverbank.

The excavation pit was now hidden under a white, waterproof tarp, obscuring the view of what was inside.

Milyukov quickly explained.

"Boss, the waterproof tarp is to keep rain and snow from getting into the pit and damaging the mammoth bones. After all, these bones have been buried for many years. If they’re exposed to rainwater, oxidation could rapidly corrode them."

"I understand. You’re the professionals in this field," Feng Mountain nodded.

’It’s good that the boss understands. That’ll save a lot of unnecessary trouble.’

Milyukov stepped forward, picked up a rope at the edge of the tarp, and gave it a hard tug as everyone watched in confusion.

The white wall of the tarp fell slowly to the ground with a soft rustle, as if announcing the opening of a mysterious world.

The crowd’s eyes were instantly captivated by the sight within the massive pit.

There, five mammoth skeletons lay silently, exuding an ancient, mysterious aura.

The largest of them, its bones still partially encased in black earth, looked like an overturned tanker truck. Two spiraling, curved tusks jutted from its massive skull. The skeleton was complete, its legs frozen in a final, struggling gait, creating a truly magnificent sight.

WOW!!

Everyone standing by the pit gasped in unison. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Every time Milyukov looked at the skeleton, he couldn’t contain his excitement.

"Boss, this alpha mammoth is the largest specimen known in the world. The previous record-holder was a skeleton unearthed in China in 2009, which was 4.5 meters tall and 7.5 meters long."

"But this one here is 4.7 meters tall and 7.9 meters long, with over 95% of the individual fossil intact. The vertebrae, limb bones, ribs, and even the toe bones are all remarkably well-preserved. It’s a middle-aged male."

"The other four mammoths are also quite large, with at least 90% of their fossils intact."

"Congratulations, you are now the owner of the world’s largest mammoth skeleton!"

"Thank you!!" Feng Mountain nodded, readily accepting the title. His gaze fell upon the mammoth skeleton in the pit. "What’s the next step?"

"That depends on what you want to do," Milyukov said, pointing a finger at the pit. "If you want to leave it in situ, we can pour concrete around the bones to stabilize the earth and then spray the surface of the skeleton with a transparent protectant."

"’Leave it in place?’ Feng Mountain mused. ’I didn’t go to all this trouble just to leave them buried.’ He then asked, ’If we excavate everything, can you reassemble it exactly as it was?’"

"Of course!" Milyukov nodded. "Full excavation and reassembly is a common procedure. We’re often hired by research institutions to do this kind of work."

"It’s just a more complicated process."

"First, we have to excavate all the mammoth bones, catalog and number each one, and move them to an assembly area."

"Second, we clean the excavated bones, removing any attached soil, impurities, and soft tissue residue. We use special cleaning agents and distilled water for this."

"Third, after cleaning, the bones must be dried completely."

"Fourth, once the bones are completely dry, we’ll use a sprayer or brush to evenly apply a specialized bone preservative to their surface. We have to ensure every part is covered, especially vulnerable areas like joints and cracks. We may need to apply multiple coats to enhance the protection."

"And fifth, after applying the preservative, the bones need to be stored in a suitable environment. It’s best to use a sealed container or display case, along with desiccants to keep the environment dry."

After listening to Milyukov’s professional explanation, Feng Mountain’s head was spinning.

’Every trade has its masters,’ he thought. ’And in this field, Milyukov and his team were the true experts.’

"Alright then. Let’s do it. Excavate all five mammoth skeletons and we’ll put them up around the camp’s fire pit. Coordinate with David on the details. If you need any materials, just tell David. He’ll take care of it for you."

With the next steps arranged, Feng Mountain turned to head back to camp. But then he spotted Sun Jia in the crowd, which reminded him that the new shooting range was still on hold.

"Sun!!"

Sun Jia had actually spotted Feng Mountain earlier, but seeing how busy he was, he hadn’t wanted to interrupt. Hearing Feng Mountain call his name, he finally stepped out of the crowd.

"Brother Feng, long time no see."

"No need for such formalities," Feng Mountain grinned, glancing up at the darkening sky. "It’ll be dark soon. Let’s find a place to chat, just the two of us."

The two of them headed back to the bar.

There wasn’t a single soul in the entire bar; everyone had run off to see the mammoths.

The once-bustling bar was now exceptionally quiet, the air filled with the faint scent of liquor and wood.

Feng Mountain slipped sneakily behind the bar, pulled a bottle of rum from the liquor cabinet, and returned to the table with a grin.

"Here, try some free booze!"

Hearing this, Sun Jia just shook his head and chuckled.

’What does he mean, "free booze"?’

’He owns the bar, so he’s the one who paid for the alcohol in the first place.’

’He’s just fooling himself!’

....