Friday, December 1, 2017

High: -29°, Low: -35°. Light snow to overcast. WSW wind, level 1.

Estimated sunrise: 12:00:24 PM. Estimated sunset: 02:58:53 PM. Daylight: 2h 58m 29s.

December had officially begun, and the Far North felt as if it were tightly wrapped in darkness.

Daylight now lasted less than three hours, with the sun not rising until noon. The long, dark nights made the passage of time feel indistinct.

This officially marked the arrival of the two-month-long polar night.

Feng Mountain got out of bed and quickly washed up. The bathroom light seemed especially bright in the dim morning.

The frigid water from the Ice River splashed across his face, waking his still-drowsy mind.

He picked up his phone. It was still 6:00 AM.

At this hour, the sky might already be brightening elsewhere as people began their busy days. Here, however, the world remained submerged in deep darkness.

Feng Mountain changed into his athletic wear. Gazing out the window at the inky blackness, he felt a strange sense of tranquility well up inside him.

He walked out of the bedroom.

Nash was already dressed and standing by the door on the first floor, waiting for Feng Mountain to appear so they could go for their morning run.

They stepped out of the log cabin.

A wave of cold air hit them.

Fortunately, thanks to the protection of the tribe’s Fire Seed, the temperature inside the camp stayed around minus ten degrees. Compared to the even harsher cold outside, this place felt like a warm harbor.

The two of them jogged along the riverbank. A light breeze brushed against their faces, carrying a hint of chill.

Before long, other employees began to join the morning run, one after another.

The sound of their footsteps echoed along the river, breaking the silence of the darkness.

Two days ago, the residents of Kivalina Town had finished their work, and Feng Mountain paid them a large sum in Franklins.

Because of this, Old Swan and his group had been somewhat reluctant to leave.

Here, there was food, drink, and even a bar where they could relax.

Some of the Inuit townspeople even offered to work for free, without pay, as long as they could stay and live in the Crown Territory.

However, Feng Mountain could only politely decline their offers.

Although life in the Crown Territory had its many comforts, he couldn’t just accept everyone indefinitely. He had to consider the camp’s capacity and resource allocation.

Feng Mountain patiently explained this to them, promising that if the Crown Territory needed workers in the future, Kivalina would be their first choice.

Only then did he manage to send them on their way.

The departure of the workers left the camp feeling much emptier.

The once-bustling camp now seemed exceptionally quiet.

The busy figures who once filled the space were gone, leaving behind only silent log cabins and the vast, empty Tundra.

After the morning run, everyone ate breakfast in the dining hall.

Toast, fried eggs, smoked sausages, and milk.

As the big boss of the camp, Feng Mountain didn’t receive any special treatment, aside from a slightly larger portion for breakfast.

During the meal, Jenny suddenly remembered something. "Khilla, our meat supply at home is almost gone."

Feng Mountain put down his fork and glanced around the dining hall.

With over twenty people eating, on top of the residents from Kivalina Town before, no amount of stored meat could last long.

"It’s fine. Chief Bird is coming to the Crown Territory to deliver the guns today. After we receive them, I’ll take Nash out hunting. It’s cold outside now, so we can hunt more."

Jenny hesitated for a moment before suggesting, "Hunting alone won’t be enough, and the meat isn’t always fresh. I think we could raise some livestock. The Tundra outside the camp should be able to support some cattle and sheep."

Raise livestock? Feng Mountain had never really considered it. Whenever they ran out of meat, he just took a trip out onto the Tundra. Reindeer, moose, and musk-oxen were all free sources of meat. Still, raising cattle and sheep at the camp... It might be worth a try.

"Later, I’ll talk to Tom. He’s buying mature fruit trees right now, so I’ll have him ask about cattle and sheep while he’s at it."

After breakfast, the employees dispersed to attend to their own tasks.

Feeling bored, Feng Mountain took Nash for a walk along the Ice River to aid his digestion.

Watching the schools of fish of all sizes swimming in the water, he recalled that he had only stocked the Ice River with fish once. Now there were so many, and they were all different sizes, with many of them clearly being young fish.

He frowned in confusion.

"Nash, does it seem like there are a lot more fish in this river?"

"Yeah," Nash replied with a single word, which was as good as saying nothing.

"Yves, come here!" Feng Mountain called out when he saw Yves leaving the dining hall. Yves walked over with three security guards.

"Khilla."

"What’s going on with the fish in the river?" Feng Mountain asked, pointing at the schools swimming in the Ice River.

Yves leaned over to look and explained, "They’re from Gem Lake. David put a tracer in the Ice River to track them. The river connects all the way to Gem Lake, and the fish swam upstream to get here."

’So that’s how it is. They must have been attracted by the tribe’s Fire Seed.’

Feng Mountain mused to himself, then looked up at the three men standing behind Yves.

One was a burly man with a thick beard, another was a lean, bald man, and the third was a brown-haired man with what looked like a burn scar on his cheek. Judging by their stances, they were ex-military, just like Yves.

"Sorry, fellas. We haven’t had a chance to talk formally yet. I’m Feng."

The bearded man took half a step forward and gave a quick salute, his hand gesturing at the corner of his eyebrow.

"Boss, my name is Perez Paine. You can call me Dog Leg. I’m from the Rangers."

The bald man followed suit, also making a gesture at his eyebrow.

"Boss, I’m Pablo Fran. You can call me Bat. I’m from the Navy’s 26th Mobile Construction Battalion."

Last was the brown-haired man with the burn on his cheek.

"Boss, my name is Dizzy Calio. I’m Mexican. You can call me Fire Face. I’m from the 101st Assault Division."

The three men didn’t seem very talkative. After their brief introductions, they stepped back behind Yves, standing ramrod straight with their hands clasped behind their backs.

’More stoic types, just like Nash,’ Feng Mountain thought, and could only offer a few dry words of welcome.