Chapter 234: Chapter 215: Eye Drops (Part 2)

If you were to break down racial discrimination by social hierarchy, whites would undoubtedly be at the top. Next would come other Europeans, then Blacks, Hispanics, and Indigenous People. Asians would be at the very bottom. And recently, crimes targeting Asians have become increasingly severe.

Within the Asian community, Koreans, Japanese, and even Indians tend to stick together far more than the Chinese, so their social standing isn’t at rock bottom. Instead, it’s the Chinese who have it the worst.

Not only are they viewed with hostility by white people as a colored minority, but they also face discrimination from Black people, contempt from other Asians, and even disdain from within their own community.

Hearing Feng Shan’s request.

Chief Bird was taken aback for a moment before he immediately understood. Anyone who could make it to the position of police chief was basically an old fox.

’He’s putting me on the spot.’

’The implication is that Fairbanks isn’t very friendly to Chinese people.’

’Is it because of that kid who cooks fish?’

’Or is it Lin Family Restaurant?’

’Has someone been causing trouble at Lin Family Restaurant lately?’

He immediately broke into a laugh and clapped Feng Shan warmly on the shoulder.

"I understand. The Chinese community has made outstanding contributions to Fairbanks, and Chinese tourists, in particular, boost the local economy. I’ll warn those people later and tell them to behave themselves."

"It’s a shame we’re short on time, or I’d take you to the Tundra to hunt a musk ox." The smile on Feng Shan’s face widened. "I’m heading to Fairbanks in a few days. I’ll get Little Grandma... no, I mean Frank, and we’ll go out for a few drinks."

’Little Grandma?’

’Frank?’

Chief Bird couldn’t tell if Feng Shan had misspoken on purpose or if he’d accidentally let slip the nature of his relationship with Frank.

But whether it was intentional or not, his term as police chief was ending next year. If he wanted to be reappointed, he needed the mayor’s nomination, which also involved the city council and various committees. After all, as the head of Fairbanks’ only law enforcement agency, the chief wielded considerable authority. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

But he definitely couldn’t get reappointed on his own merits. He needed to find outside help.

Frank was an excellent choice. With his network and background, he had more than enough influence to help him achieve his goal.

But Frank was a difficult man to pin down. Sometimes he was like a slippery catfish, and other times he was like a venomous snake hiding in a dark corner, ready to deliver a fatal strike at any moment. He wouldn’t make promises easily unless you could offer him something truly tempting—or if someone put in a good word for you.

And Feng Shan had called Frank "Little Grandma."

It suggested their relationship was closer than just friends, bordering on family.

At this thought, the smile on Chief Bird’s face grew even wider. He thumped his chest. THUMP. THUMP.

"Feng, you can rest assured. Whether it’s Chinese tourists or residents, I’ll have my people look out for them. I’ll increase patrols, especially in the Chinese community."

"Thank you so much!" Feng Shan replied, nodding with a wide smile.

...

The time was now 2:30 in the afternoon.

In December on the Far North Tundra, less than three hours of daylight remained in the winter, and dusk fell with exceptional speed.

The light in the sky was swiftly erased as if by an invisible hand, replaced by a deep, dark blue.

It spread like ink in water, blanketing the entire Tundra in a profound silence.

Feng Shan saw Chief Bird and his group onto the plane.

He watched the plane disappear into the sky before turning to Feng Jun beside him and saying irritably.

"I took care of that favor you asked for. No one should be harassing your Uncle Lin or the Lin Family Restaurant for a while."

"Thanks, Brother Feng." Feng Jun scratched his head happily. "That bunch of Black and Hispanic guys were always eating at Uncle Lin’s restaurant without paying and causing trouble. This is great."

Feng Shan didn’t know what to say to that.

’If you get bullied and don’t fight back, you’ll just keep getting bullied.’

’The means to fight back are there. Who can you blame if you don’t use them?’

’They’re just too timid.’

Back at the camp, the sky was already pitch-black. Streetlights cast a dim, yellow glow, like scattered stars in the night sky struggling to illuminate the frozen land.

Feng Shan and Nash returned to the cabin.

Everyone else was busy with their own tasks, leaving the cabin feeling empty.

’Sigh, this house is too big!’

’What was I thinking back then, buying such a big house.’

’The fewer people there are, the more cavernous and lonely it feels.’

MEEEOOW!!

Coca-Cola, who had been warming himself by the stove, raised his tail, trotted over to Feng Shan’s feet, and gently rubbed his furry body against his leg.

"You’ve gotten fatter!" Feng Shan bent down, scooped Coca-Cola into his arms, and hefted him. He felt half again as heavy as when he first arrived.

He sat on the sofa, holding Coca-Cola.

Now that the polar night had set in, with twenty-one hours of darkness a day, people were becoming lethargic.

"Nash, bring me a pen and some paper."

Since he had some free time, Feng Shan decided to summarize recent events and make a list of things that still needed to be done.

’Anyway, we have electricity now, so it won’t interfere with the camp’s construction.’

After taking the pen and paper, Feng Shan leaned over the coffee table, writing and sketching.

The first phase of the camp’s infrastructure was mostly complete. The bar, restaurant, residential area, hydroelectric power station, and communications tower were all officially in use.

The focus for the second phase should be on recruiting businesses and environmental improvements.

Su Ziweng’s Chinese restaurant was in its final stages. It could open for business as soon as the staff was in place.

Daisen’s fur shop had just begun construction, but it would be simple to build. A fur shop didn’t need to be too fancy. Old Swan had already felled plenty of timber from the forest; a log cabin could be built in three days.

For now, there were only these two businesses. The camp needed at least eight more distinctive shops.

As for the supermarket, Feng Shan didn’t plan on outsourcing it.

He had already promised Hu Zi and Xiaohua that the Crown Territory supermarket project would be theirs, and he wouldn’t go back on his word for anyone.

Sigh!

Feng Shan tossed the pen onto the coffee table in frustration.

’Crown Territory’s reputation still isn’t big enough. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be this frustrated.’

The environmental improvements, however, could be done concurrently.

First, he needed to replace the fruit trees in the camp. The saplings could be left alone for now. He would also need to purchase a batch of mature fruit trees to save time.

’I had Tom look into it. Why hasn’t he called me yet?’

At that thought, Feng Shan pulled out his phone and dialed Tom’s number.

...

「Pado, Ontario Province. At the Berry Farm.」

Tom was in the middle of negotiating the purchase of fruit trees.

At first, when the farm owner learned that Tom was there to buy fruit trees—and mature ones at that—he was overjoyed.

Fruit trees have a natural life cycle. Mature trees, in particular, go into decline after their peak fruiting years. At that point, the farm has to cut down the old trees and plant new ones.

So if someone was willing to buy the old, mature trees, the farm owner was more than happy to oblige.

But when he found out the buyer was from Alaska, he all but pulled out a Remington to shoot Tom on the spot.

’What kind of joke was this?’

’If you can grow fruit trees in a godforsaken place like Alaska where you can freeze to death, then you might as well be growing gold in Ontario.’

Facing the irate farm owner, Tom said nothing. He simply took out a Wells Fargo Bank cashier’s check.

The owner saw the long string of zeros. The next moment...

...the farm owner tossed his Remington aside, plucked the freshest fruit from a branch, and brought out some cloyingly sweet honey water.

’As for whether his trees could actually survive in Alaska? What did that have to do with him? He was just selling trees. The rest was up to God.’

Just as Tom was finalizing the order for various fruit trees with the farm owner, his chin held high in a smug posture, his phone on the table suddenly rang. A glance at the screen showed it was Feng Shan’s number.

His smug, nouveau-riche expression immediately turned sycophantic as he answered the call.

"Feng, what’s up?"

"Yes, yes, that’s right. I’m in Ontario, Canada right now, buying the fruit trees."

"Don’t worry, there’s no problem at all. I’ve already placed the order."

"We’ve got apple, peach, blueberry, grape, raspberry... I bought some of each variety. The farm owner is worried they won’t survive the transplant, though."

"No problem, I know. They can be packed and loaded onto a plane as early as today."

After he hung up, the farm owner watched Tom anxiously, terrified the order would be canceled.

Tom put his phone down and gave the farm owner a hard look. "Triple the quantity of all the fruit trees. And the price goes up by twenty percent. You get me?"

’I get it!’

’I get it completely!’

’That twenty percent is a kickback!’

The farm owner was grinning from ear to ear.

He was getting rid of a batch of old, phased-out trees, saving on the cost of felling them, and making a tidy profit on top.

"I’ll draw up the contract right away. How about we handle that twenty percent in cash?"

Tom was very pleased with the farm owner’s perceptiveness. He picked up a basket of raspberries from the table and headed toward the orchard.

「Crown Territory.」

Feng Shan picked up his pen and crossed the line about fruit trees off his list. Once the trees arrived and were planted, he would have the tribe’s Fire Seed watch over them for a while, and they would soon blossom and bear fruit.

Nash frowned from nearby, hesitating for a moment.

"Khilla, Tom is dishonest."

Feng Shan looked up with a smile. "Of course he’s dishonest. There’s a saying in China: ’When the water is too clear, there are no fish.’ If I don’t give him a little sweetener, why would he work so hard for Crown Territory?"

"But the water in our camp’s Ice River is very clear, and it has lots of fish!" Nash asked, confused.

"Nash, now you’re just being contrary!"

...