It was the liveliest day the Crown Territory had ever seen.
The arrival of five newcors filled the camp with energy, laughter, and cheer.
As one of the first to arrive, Maria had naturally beco the de facto manager among the won. Aside from Erica, who was a handful, the others were relatively obedient to the work Maria assigned.
"What’s this?" Feng Mountain was about to take so musk ox at from the snowdrift refrigerator when he noticed three crates on the snow. Each crate was the sa size—two ters long and one ter wide—and was wrapped tightly in waterproof tarps.
"I don’t know. They were delivered this morning before dawn. The delivery person didn’t say anything, just that they were a gift for you!" Maria said, shaking her head.
Another gift?
’Why are these foreigners always so secretive when giving gifts?’
Feng Mountain was about to open one of the wooden crates.
Just then, the White Wolf sled team ran into the camp from outside the fence. The wolves were struggling, their paws sinking into the deep snow. Nash was also pulling on a rope, helping them drag the sled, which was piled high with several thick logs.
Seeing this, Feng Mountain imdiately abandoned the crates and ran over to help pull the sled. The others also dropped what they were doing and joined in, hauling the sled to an open area.
The White Wolves were panting heavily from exhaustion, their hot breath instantly freezing into white mist.
’They look completely wiped out.’
Feng Mountain took so musk ox at from the snow cave and was about to chop it up for the White Wolves with an axe, but Erica snatched it from him. Gritting her teeth, she began hacking away at the frozen at. WHACK! WHACK! WHACK!
The commotion made the hearts of the n present pound along with every rise and fall of the axe, as if it were landing on their own bodies.
"Buddy, there’s sothing wrong with that woman. Rember to lock your door at night. You don’t want to get your head chopped off in your sleep," Tom whispered, sidling up to him.
Feng Mountain rolled his eyes.
’If she’s going to chop anyone, it’ll be you. You’re the one who loves strip clubs.’
’Oh, and Frank.’
’It’d be for the best if she took care of both of them.’
After Erica finished chopping the musk ox at, she placed it in front of the White Wolves. The wolves didn’t even glance at it, staring only at Feng Mountain.
"Hey, why aren’t they eating?" This made Erica stomp her foot in frustration. She glared at Feng Mountain, her hand reaching for the zipper on her jacket again.
’Is she ever going to stop?’
’Does she think that one trick is going to work forever?’
’Thinks she can control with that?’
Feng Mountain shot a glare at Erica, then turned to the White Wolves and let out a long sigh. "Go on, eat."
With his permission, the White Wolves imdiately lunged forward and began devouring the musk ox at. The rock-hard chunks made crunching and cracking sounds in their mouths. CRUNCH! CRACK! Surprisingly, Erica wasn’t scared at all. She crouched nearby, occasionally picking up a stray piece of at and offering it to the wolves.
"Where’s Coca-Cola and the others?" Feng Mountain looked around but didn’t see the three little ones anywhere.
Maria smiled. "They’re living in the bear cave now. They don’t even co back anymore."
’They’ve gone wild!’
Feng Mountain shook his head and turned to help Nash unload the logs from the sled.
"What are you planning to make?"
"Bunk beds. For now, they’ll live in the workshop."
Nash went into the workshop to get his tools, and Feng Mountain followed him.
The once-spacious workshop was now divided into two sections. Half of the space had been cleared out, which should be enough for two bunk beds. Little Tammy and Jenny would share one, and Erica would get the other. Given the current circumstances, everyone would just have to squeeze in.
While Nash started building the beds and the won busied themselves with cooking, Feng Mountain, unable to help, decided to take Yves and Tom to see the new plane.
They arrived at the runway.
A silver-gray airplane was parked quietly on the runway.
The plane had a long, sleek, silver-gray fuselage with a smooth, flat surface. The nose was slightly rounded, and the windshield above it was crystal clear. The wings, moderate in length with straight lines, extended from both sides of the body.
A propeller with thick, tallic-looking blades was mounted on the front of the nose. The landing gear was sturdy and solid, firmly supporting the aircraft’s weight.
Inside the cockpit, the instrunt panel and various control buttons were laid out logically. The control stick was simple and clear, and the cabin door was designed for practicality and ease of entry and exit.
On the tail, the tall, straight vertical stabilizer bore the Crown Colony logo.
The entire aircraft had a streamlined design, exuding a sense of modern industrial beauty.
"Feng, do you know this plane’s nickna?" Tom said as he stepped out of the cabin and gently stroked the wing. "It’s called the Aerial Warrior."
A P-750 XSTOL.
Manufactured by the New Zealand Pacific Aerospace Company, its full na is the Pacific P-750 XSTOL, an all-tal, low-wing, single-engine, multi-purpose aircraft.
It has outstanding short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities. Empty, its minimum takeoff distance is as short as 32 ters, and its minimum landing distance is 50 ters. Fully loaded, it only needs 220 ters for takeoff and 166 ters for landing.
Its maximum useful load is 1,905 kg, which is greater than its empty weight of 1,497 kg, and it can carry up to nine passengers.
It’s equipped with a 750-horsepower Pratt & Whitney turboprop engine and can hold 200 gallons of aviation fuel. It has a maximum speed of 196 mph (315 km/h), a cruising speed of 195 mph (313 km/h), a maximum range of 1,179 nautical miles (approx. 2,183 km), and a service ceiling of 20,000 feet (6,098 m).
Current market price: 2.8 million US Dollars.
After listening to Tom’s introduction, Feng Mountain knew only one thing: he didn’t have enough fuel storage.
The Carnation and the snowmobiles that were on their way could run on either regular or aviation fuel, but the P-750 could only use aviation fuel.
He had only bought one storage tank, and it was clear the P-750 was a gas-guzzler.
He imdiately pulled out his satellite phone and handed it to Tom. "Call Barnett. Add a 10-cubic-ter, FF-rated, double-walled horizontal storage tank and a fueling system to the order. And order so aviation fuel while you’re at it."
"Alright, a wise choice." Tom took the satellite phone and walked aside to contact Barnett.
Feng Mountain ran his hand along the P-750’s wing, then turned to look at Yves.
"Can you fly a plane?"
Yves nodded. "Yes. In the army, I learned to fly various small and dium-sized aircraft, including helicopters."
"Then she’s all yours!" Feng Mountain tossed him the keys to the P-750’s cabin door.
Catching the keys, Yves looked completely astonished.
’A brand-new plane worth 2.8 million US dollars... and he’s just handing it over to ?’
’Isn’t he afraid I’ll sell it?’
’Planes like this are very popular on the black market. With a new paint job and a new serial number, it could be used without any issues.’
"What are you spacing out for? Go over the plane one more ti. If there are any modifications you want, just tell Tom, and he’ll buy them for you." Feng Mountain clapped Yves on the shoulder. "I’m going back to see if dinner is ready."
In that mont, Yves felt as if his chest were filled with a warm and powerful force. That force was called trust.
He took a deep breath and clenched the keys tightly. "Khilla, you can count on . I will not let you down!"
"No need to look so serious. Relax, this isn’t the army!"
Feng Mountain smiled and turned to leave the runway.
.....
Back at the camp.
Nash had already built the bed fras from the logs. Although the design was a bit rough, they were incredibly sturdy. He had scraped the bark off the twenty-centiter-thick trunks, revealing the natural color of the wood.
The bunk bed’s structure was simple: four thick logs served as the posts, with thinner logs joined together to form the fras. Finally, nylon ropes were woven in a crisscross pattern across the fras to create a net-like base, which would serve as the mattress support. Once covered with animal-hide blankets, they would be ready to use.
It was a two-level structure. The bottom bunk had about 1.2 ters of clearance, allowing an adult to get in and out with ease. On the top bunk, an adult could lie down without feeling cramped, while still feeling secure.
Feng Mountain gave one of the bunk beds a gentle shake.
’Not bad. It’s pretty stable.’
The two of them carried the bunk beds into the workshop and hung up animal hides as partition curtains to separate the n from the won. As for soundproofing, that was out of the question. They were lucky to have a place to sleep at all. Beggars can’t be choosers.
With the room arranged, they moved the stove into the workshop. The temperature on the Tundra could now drop into the negative teens Celsius at night. Without a stove, a person could freeze to death.
Next, the two of them inspected the workshop inside and out. They plugged any drafty spots with mud and reinforced the exterior with an extra layer of wooden planks.
Once the workshop repairs were finished, they lit the stove. The roaring firewood gave off intense heat, and Feng Mountain could feel the temperature inside the workshop gradually rising.
"Not bad. At least everyone has a warm place to stay now."
"Khilla, we need to build log cabins," Nash said, frowning at the crowded workshop. "There’s no place to put the hides that are being tanned and dried. We have to move them outside, and the cold weather is very damaging to them."
Feng Mountain rubbed his temples, a headache coming on.
"I know we need to build. I’ll call Old Swan later and have him get so n ready. I’ll have Yves fly over to pick them up. The weather’s getting colder; we can’t have everyone living in the workshop forever."
"Co on, let’s clean up and eat."
The two of them went into the bus.
The already narrow space was now cluttered and cramped with so many people cramd inside.
The kitchen could only fit one person, so while Jenny cooked, Maria, Little Tammy, and David had to move into the living area to work. Feng Mountain went inside and sat for a mont before scurrying back out.
It was too crowded!
You could barely even turn around.
’It’s ti to make a change.’
Feng Mountain took out the satellite phone and called Old Swan directly. He told him to get his n ready; the plane would be there first thing in the morning to pick them up to cut down trees and build houses. He also ntioned he could help Kivalina with a net of fish.
When he had helped the Wild Bull Tribe in Fairbanks with a divination, he had completely exhausted his Soul Power. This would be a perfect opportunity to replenish it.
On the phone, Old Swan agreed without hesitation. He said he could get thirty n ready to work. Feng Mountain wouldn’t need to provide lodging, as they would bring their own tents, but the Crown Territory would need to supply the food.
Food was a problem for Old Swan.
But for Feng Mountain, it was nothing at all.
The territory was full of reindeer and musk oxen. He could just go hunt a few, and they’d have more than enough to eat until they were sick of it.
They agreed on a ti.
Feng Mountain hung up and pulled open the bus door. "David, co with to the Glacial River Beach. People are coming tomorrow to build the cabins, so let’s scout out a location for the new camp first."
David, who was washing vegetables, quickly put down his work. As he was about to step out of the bus, he suddenly rembered sothing, turned around, and went to the pile of luggage to grab a drawing board and a pencil.
Feng Mountain let out a whistle.
The White Wolves imdiately abandoned Erica and ran to the sled. This made Erica so mad she stomped her foot. Just as she was about to say sothing, Feng Mountain cut her off.
"This isn’t the ti for gas. We have important business," Feng Mountain said as he fitted the harnesses on the White Wolves and hooked them to the towline. He then glanced at David’s slender fra and, feeling concerned, grabbed a reindeer-hide blanket from the workshop.
’He’s the only cultured man in the camp. Can’t let him get sick from the icy wind.’
Once David and Nash were settled in the sled, wrapped in the reindeer-hide blanket, Feng Mountain stepped onto the runners, grabbed the handlebar, and gave the command to the White Wolves.
"To the river beach! Mush!"
...
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