In the end, Feng Jun couldn’t finish all the Americanized Chinese food, so the leftovers were served to the staff.

What Feng Mountain didn’t expect, however, was that the very dishes the Chinese disdained were devoured by the foreigners, who exclaimed "good" with every bite. ’I guess these country bumpkins just haven’t seen the world,’ he thought.

The restaurant was just a minor prelude to the tour group’s arrival; the real action was unfolding in every corner of the camp.

「Ten thousand meters in the air.」

A United Airlines Boeing 737 flew high above the clouds.

Holding a small red flag, Zhang Kai fussed over the tour group like a mother hen, chattering on about Alaska’s local culture and the necessary precautions.

For example, if they saw any of the Indigenous People, they shouldn’t just shove their phones in their faces or try to force them into a photo.

They weren’t to wander off, or they might run into brown bears.

They shouldn’t strike up conversations with strangers, lest they wake up the next day lying naked in the snow, missing a few body parts.

"Xiaokai, you said we can really go hunting with guns in that... what’s it called... Crown Territory, right?" a white-haired old man boomed, his voice full of vigor.

Several other old men sitting nearby chimed in.

"That’s right! We old-timers signed up for this tour specifically to go hunting. You’d better not be pulling our legs."

"If it weren’t for his stroke, Old Zhang would’ve come too, even with his bum arm!"

"Xiaokai, get me a big ol’ gun. I’ll pay whatever it costs, not a cent less. Just don’t try to cheat me."

Zhang Kai felt a headache coming on. He quickly replied politely, "Yes, you can hunt. But it’s freezing cold out there, so it would be best if you gentlemen just explored the immediate area."

The other tourists also began asking all sorts of questions. The younger ones asked about the aurora and the Tundra, the middle-aged ones about food and accommodations, and the elderly about hunting and shooting guns.

As Zhang Kai patiently answered their questions, the view outside the cabin window gradually fell into darkness.

"Huh? Why’d it get dark? It was light out just a minute ago, and it’s only eight in the morning," a tourist remarked, peeking through the window shade at the night-like sky.

"Everyone, Alaska is fifteen hours behind China. That means when it’s the next day back home, we’re still on the previous day. We’re now entering the Arctic Circle, where there are only two hours of daylight each day. After the plane lands, do not, under any circumstances, wander off. Stay with the group."

The same rowdy old men who were excited about hunting started clamoring again.

"Well, what do you know! A fifteen-hour difference? I just gained fifteen hours of life for free!"

"If we just fly back and forth, does that mean we’ll live years longer than other people?"

"Too bad for Old Zhang. If he’d had his stroke six months later, he could’ve lived a few more years."

Zhang Kai shook his head in resignation. They might look like a bunch of old men now, but before retiring, they were all CEOs or company chairmen.

As the saying goes, the old revert to being children.

These old men, taking advantage of their age and retirement, had been raising hell at home. Their younger family members, worried yet not daring to complain, had sent them on this trip abroad at a friend’s suggestion to help them unwind.

Soon, an announcement came over the cabin speakers: they were beginning their descent into Fairbanks Airport.

The plane descended slowly, and as its altitude dropped, the scenery outside the windows became clearer.

Shrouded by the polar night, Fairbanks City glittered with brilliant lights.

In the eyes of the tourists, however, this display of lights couldn’t even compare to a sixth-tier city back in China.

The moment the plane’s wheels touched the runway, a slight vibration ran through the fuselage.

The tourists let out a collective sigh of relief, their faces breaking into reassured smiles.

After more than twenty hours of flying, they were finally on the ground.

"Everyone, make sure you have your winter gear on. The temperature outside is twenty degrees below zero."

"You, I’m talking to you! Put your hat on."

"Uncle Liu, how come you don’t have a winter coat? That army greatcoat of yours must be older than I am!"

Zhang Kai was tirelessly reminding the tourists over and over when he was suddenly startled to see one of the old men wearing a faded, army-green greatcoat.

"Afraid my ass! Back when I was sent down to the countryside in Inner Mongolia, I wore this very coat and wasn’t afraid of any blizzard. Now move!"

Uncle Liu said with great bravado, shot a smug smile at his old buddies, and deliberately shoved Zhang Kai aside with his shoulder as he walked out the cabin door.

An instant later, a blast of frigid air hit him in the face. The biting, knife-like wind made Uncle Liu freeze for a second, and in the next, he vanished from the doorway.

"Hanwa, get me a coat! It’s fucking freezing out here! ACHOO!" Uncle Liu yelled, sneezing and shivering violently.

The defiant expression on his face moments ago was now replaced with complete submission to the cold.

The cold of the Arctic Circle seemed to be mocking Uncle Liu’s tough talk.

"I’ve only got the one my son gave me! You want my long johns?" the old man called Hanwa replied, quickly pulling his own winter coat tighter.

Uncle Liu clutched his army greatcoat tightly around himself, but it did nothing to stop the bone-chilling cold.

"What damn good would pulling your underwear over my head do? It’s cold as balls out here, way colder than Inner Mongolia."

Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, Zhang Kai had no choice but to take out a fur coat he had bought from Tom. "Master Liu, wear mine for now. You can buy your own later."

After taking the fur coat and putting it on, a wave of warmth enveloped his body. Uncle Liu let out a sigh of satisfaction, and the tense expression on his face relaxed considerably.

He stroked the fur on the coat and asked curiously,

"Xiaokai, you’re a good kid. Much better than these other old geezers. This fur is really something. What animal is it from? It looks a bit like cowhide, but also like wool."

"Muskox hide. It’s incredibly warm!" Zhang Kai said. Noticing the flight attendant’s darkening expression, he quickly urged everyone to deplane.

They walked down the airstairs and set foot on Alaskan soil.

This seemingly desolate and undeveloped land revealed its charm in its own unique way.

A frigid wind carried large snowflakes down from the dusky sky, as if it were a welcoming gift from nature itself, prepared especially for the tour group.

The snowflakes fluttered down, dancing through the air like magical Elves.