"Welcome to the Crown Territory."

"Khilla, they’re good guys, just not very talkative," Yves chimed in, putting in a good word for them.

"Just like you when we first met, right?" Feng Shan teased Yves. Back when they’d met in Fairbanks, Yves hadn’t exactly given him a warm welcome. "How are things going with picking up your daughter?"

On hearing this, a touch of emotion appeared on Yves’s face. "I’ve already made the arrangements. I was planning to go get her after we’re done with the main camp construction. After all, the round trip to Texas takes a long time."

"Hey, the polar night is about to start, so things at the camp won’t be as busy. If it’s time to get her, you should go." Feng Shan understood the feeling of missing one’s family. "After we receive the weapons today, you can fly back to Texas and bring your wife and child over."

"But..." Yves hesitated.

Feng Shan’s voice suddenly rose. "That’s an order."

Perhaps it was a conditioned reflex from his army days, but Yves snapped to attention and shouted, "Sir, yes, sir!"

"That’s more like it!" Feng Shan smiled and clapped Yves on the shoulder. Just as he was about to say something else, the roar of a propeller echoed from the sky. "Chief Bird is here. Go get Sun Jia to receive the cargo, and while you’re at it, turn on the runway guide lights."

The burly Dog Leg turned and ran toward the mess hall.

The switch for the airstrip’s guide lights was installed inside the mess hall.

「In the sky.」

A P-750 was flying through the pitch-black sky.

The navigation system showed they were over Crown Camp. Looking down from an altitude of 3,000 meters, the camp’s few streetlights were like the faint glow of fireflies, looking tiny in the vast darkness.

"Damn it, where is the Crown Territory’s landing strip?"

"Bird, you piece of shit, you made me leave so early! Are you trying to get us killed?"

"Hurry up and contact the people at the Crown Territory! Tell them to guide us in for a landing."

The pilot in the cockpit cursed nonstop.

Meanwhile, sitting in the cabin, Chief Bird didn’t dare talk back, let alone breathe a word. Even though he was a somebody back in Fairbanks, he knew to keep his mouth shut in front of a pilot.

"I’ll call them right now!"

Chief Bird took out his cell phone and dialed Feng Shan’s number. Only then did he remember that there was no signal in the Crown Territory; he’d have to use a satellite phone. He was about to hang up when he suddenly realized the call had connected.

With no time to wonder why he had a signal, he quickly asked.

"Feng, where’s the runway? Quick, give us a guide."

"What? Guide lights? Pal, have you been drinking? The Crown Territory doesn’t have electricity. Where would you get guide lights? You mean bonfires, right?"

Just then, the pilot suddenly turned his head and shouted back into the cabin, "Hey, I see the guide lights!"

’There really are guide lights!’

Chief Bird hurriedly pressed his head against the plane’s window to look outside.

Two straight, bright lines had appeared on the dark ground.

’God.’

’The Crown Territory really has electricity.’

......

Once the plane had landed steadily on the runway, the cabin door opened, and Chief Bird was the first to step off. He saw Feng Shan standing by the runway with a grin. At Feng Shan’s feet was a strip of bright lights stretching all the way to the end of the runway.

His tone was instantly filled with awe. It was hard to imagine such well-developed facilities in such a remote place.

"God, how did you do this?"

"There’s this little thing called hydroelectric power. Haven’t you heard of it?" Feng Shan walked up with a smile and gave Chief Bird a hug.

"Of course I have, it’s just... ACHOO! ACHOO!" Chief Bird was about to reply.

A bone-chilling gust of wind hit his face, making him sneeze several times uncontrollably. Clear snot ran from his nose, looking like it was about to freeze into icicles.

Chief Bird quickly wiped it away with his glove and couldn’t help but complain.

"Fuck, it’s too cold here! Is it negative 20 or what?"

"Just passed negative 30. A bit colder than Fairbanks, I’d say." Feng Shan chuckled, a hint of nonchalance in his tone. He was already used to the cold here and wasn’t too surprised by such temperatures.

His gaze went past Chief Bird to the P-750 transport plane parked on the runway.

"Negative 30! My God, hurry up and get me somewhere warm. A shot of hard liquor to warm me up would be best."

Hearing the temperature in the Crown Territory, Chief Bird quickly shrank his neck into his winter jacket, but it still couldn’t block the all-pervasive, bone-chilling cold. His body began to shiver involuntarily.

"Pal, the guns you bought won’t go anywhere. Let’s head back to camp first. I’ll have a man stay in the cabin and keep an eye on things. Moving them at daybreak is fine."

Feng Shan smiled and turned to Nash, Yves, and Sun Jia.

"I’ll take you back first. The rest of you, move the guns to the safe house at the shooting range."

After speaking, he took Chief Bird and rode off toward the camp on a snowmobile.

The snowmobile sped across the snow, kicking up a spray of white flakes.

Nash, Yves, and Sun Jia, who had stayed behind, watched Feng Shan and Chief Bird ride off into the distance. Then, they exchanged a greeting with the police officer left on guard and turned to get busy.

They entered the domain of the tribal Fire Seed.

The temperature instantly shifted from an arctic world of ice and snow to a warm sanctuary.

Of course, this "warmth" was just a shift from negative 30 degrees to negative 10, but for those experiencing it, the 20-degree difference was a world of change.

At negative 30, every breath felt like inhaling ice shards. The cold mercilessly assaulted every cell in the body, enough to make a person tremble uncontrollably.

But when the temperature rose to negative 10, while still cold, it was no longer so unbearable.

Moreover, Chief Bird noticed through the snowmobile’s headlight that while the airstrip had been covered in thick snow, the snow was now gone, replaced by a lush field of moss.

Under the light, it radiated a vibrant, lively aura, a stark contrast to the surrounding world of ice and snow, like a forgotten oasis.

’Am I seeing things? Did I get it wrong? Or has my brain frozen solid?’

It was winter in the Far North Tundra. Temperatures could easily drop to dozens of degrees below zero. Forget moss—even the trees would freeze to death.

Yet, the scene before him made Chief Bird doubt his own eyes.

When Feng Shan drove the snowmobile over a wooden bridge, Bird saw lampposts standing along the roadside, emitting a dim, yellow light.

Chief Bird couldn’t wait to jump off. He squatted down, ass in the air, and inspected the lush field of moss.

He even found a berry among the moss and popped it into his mouth to chew.

His mouth filled with sweetness.

The sweet flavor spreading through his mouth astonished him even more.

He immediately turned his head to look at Feng Shan.

"Pal, is all this real?"

"Of course it’s real. Why would I fake it for no reason?" Feng Shan shook his head and chuckled. "You rushed all the way here so early. Come on, I’ll treat you to breakfast."

As he spoke, Feng Shan walked toward the restaurant.

Chief Bird quickly got up and followed. Arriving at the entrance to the restaurant, his jaw dropped once again as he stared at the sign. "My God, what am I seeing? You actually have a restaurant here!"

"A restaurant’s nothing. There’s a bar next door!" Feng Shan scoffed, pointing to the wooden cabin next to it.

Hearing there was a bar, Chief Bird instantly lost interest in the restaurant. He eagerly pulled Feng Shan toward the bar, his heart filled with curiosity.

"Let’s go, let’s go! Hurry and take me for a shot of hard liquor to warm up!"

Stepping into the bar, a unique Far North Tundra style hit them full in the face.

The wooden walls were adorned with various animal pelts and taxidermy. Rough, log tables created a wilderness atmosphere.

In a corner of the bar, a huge fireplace burned brightly, radiating waves of heat that drove away the cold.

Behind the long bar, shelves were filled with all sorts of liquor bottles, glinting enticingly under the lights.

A bartender was skillfully polishing a glass, smiling to welcome the arriving guests.

Chief Bird looked at it all with excitement, as if he had stepped into a whole new world.

’My God!’ 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

’Is this still the Crown Territory?’

"Boss, what can I get you?" the bartender asked, looking at Feng Shan.

Feng Shan pointed at the stunned Chief Bird beside him. "Get this man your strongest drink. It’s on me."

"Tundra Bonfire. It’ll be perfect for you!" The bartender picked up a bottle and expertly mixed the drink, his movements fluid and elegant, like an artistic performance.

A moment later, a vividly colored drink was placed in front of Chief Bird.

A strong, fragrant aroma wafted from it, making one unable to resist taking a sip.

Chief Bird looked at the drink before him, his heart filled with anticipation.

He lifted the glass and took a small sip.

A spicy flavor instantly spread through his mouth, making his body feel a flush of heat from the inside out.

He closed his eyes, savoring the unique taste, as if he were standing amidst a roaring tundra bonfire.

"What a drink!"

...