American Landowners: Starting with Hunting in Alaska

American Landlord: Starting with the Hunt in Alaska, Chapter 205

On the phone screen, the time jumped to 7:47 PM.

The marshmallow nudged him again, this time using her teeth.

"infant"

Su Wei bent down and scooped it up.

The white fluffy ball immediately tucked into his arms, its pink nose nudging against the zipper of his jacket.

"Alright, I'll get it for you."

He went into the kitchen and took out a piece of thawed venison from the refrigerator.

Next, cut it into small cubes, mix in half a spoonful of fish oil, and put it into the special bowl for marshmallows.

As soon as the food bowl was placed on the ground, the white fluffy ball bounced out of his arms.

Its four paws slapped against the wooden floor, and its head plunged into the bowl.

His mouth was covered in food.

Su Wei turned on the tap and washed his hands. He was about to cook himself a bowl of noodles when his phone vibrated in his pocket.

It wasn't a text message, it was a phone call.

Caller ID: Unknown number.

Su Wei looked at it for two seconds.

He accepted it.

"Hello, are you Mr. Suwei Yang?"

The voice on the other end was a woman's, speaking standard English at a relatively fast pace, with a professional enthusiasm.

That enthusiasm is trained to be neither too hot nor too cold, just right so that people don't find it offensive.

"I am."

"Hello Mr. Suwei, I am Catherine Morales, the Business Operations Director of the Polaris brand."

Polaris.

Polaris Outdoors.

Suwei's finger paused on the faucet for a moment.

He was familiar with this brand; it was a mid-to-high-end outdoor gear brand from North America, specializing in hardshell jackets and waterproof jackets for extreme cold environments.

In outdoor stores in Alaska, Polaris jackets are usually displayed on the most prominent shelves.

The retail price of a single item is between $500 and $1,200. It is not considered a top luxury brand, but it has considerable popularity in the outdoor community.

Catherine's opening remarks were very fluent.

She first expressed concern about the content of Suwei's two accounts, especially mentioning the video of blizzard collecting peat moss on the Wilderness Creator account.

"To be honest, when our marketing team saw that video, the whole office went silent."

Catherine's tone became slightly more personal.

"Mr. Suwei, carrying a 60-pound load, hiked for an hour and a half in a blizzard at minus 20 degrees Celsius. This scene is more impactful than the 800,000 yuan GG film we made."

Su Wei leaned against the kitchen stove without saying a word.

He's waiting for an offer.

Catherine then got to the point.

"We hope to have an in-depth collaboration with you."

"The specific format is as follows: We will provide a complete set of Polaris extreme cold series equipment, including our main products this year..."

The flagship jacket, softshell pants, and warm midlayer are recommended.

"As part of the collaboration, we would like you to create a video in which you wear and use our equipment throughout, with a duration of no less than five minutes."

"The video needs to include a spoken recommendation segment, introducing the product's core functions and user experience."

"In return, we paid a cooperation fee of $150,000 and gave away all the equipment."

150,000.

Su Wei shifted his position by the stove, putting his free hand into his pocket.

$150,000 is not a low figure in the industry for an account with just over 800,000 followers.

Many creators of similar size are so excited that they can't sleep after receiving a 50,000 yuan order.

But what did Catherine just say?

Make a special video.

Wearing it throughout.

Recommended via voiceover.

The duration should be no less than five minutes.

Suwei went through these four conditions in his mind.

Creating a dedicated video means it's not product placement, but rather a custom-made product.

The entire video will serve Polaris, and his video will become a GG spot in front of the audience.

It was fine that he wore this the whole time; he also wore a windbreaker during normal filming.

The verbal recommendation is basically just saying "GG" in front of the camera.

They are at least five minutes long, making up nearly one-third of a fifteen- to twenty-minute video.

A picture quickly formed in Su Wei's mind.

He stood in the snow by Emerald Lake, wearing a brand-new North Star jacket.

Pointing at the Sony FX3's camera, he said, "This jacket uses three layers of GORE-TEX fabric, which is waterproof and breathable—"

Then the comments section will be filled with messages like "selling out," "unfollowed," and "another one selling themselves."

Su Wei chuckled.

The laugh wasn't loud, but Catherine heard it clearly on the other end of the phone.

"Mr. Suwei?"

"Ms. Catherine, I understand your demands."

Su Wei's tone showed no displeasure, but it also lacked the politeness she had shown when she answered the phone.

"But I can't accept this proposal."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

"May I ask why?"

Catherine reacted quickly, immediately switching her tone from sales pitch to negotiation.

"The reason is simple."

Su Wei held the phone between her shoulder and took a packet of noodles from the cupboard.

"You've probably seen how many videos I've posted about Wilderness Creations."

I read every single one.

"Then you should know why my audience follows me."

Su Wei unpacked the noodles and pulled out a handful.

"Their focus was on the peat moss in the blizzard, and on the basalt cliff face pieced together by hand at minus twenty degrees Celsius."

"It's about watching a 21-year-old turn an abandoned cabin into a living eco-museum in the Alaskan wilderness with his own hands."

He put the pot on the stove and turned on the fire.

"They're not here to see GG."

"If I post a five-minute custom GG video with a voiceover, I'm not selling your rain jackets, I'm selling my account."

Catherine did not immediately refute this.

Suwei poured water into the pot.

"Ms. Catherine, $150,000 is indeed a lot of money for me."

"But what I spent a lot of time building isn't worth 150,000; it deserves more."

Small bubbles began to rise from the bottom of the pot.

Su Wei paused for a moment.

"Of course, if Polaris is sincere, I don't rule out cooperation."

Catherine immediately seized the opportunity.

"You mean, 'I can wear your rain jacket in the next video'?"

Su Wei put the noodles into the pot.

"Normal filming, normal content. A brief introduction can be inserted in the middle of the video, but it cannot exceed thirty seconds and should not be spoken; the focus should be on visual presentation."

"I have full authority to decide the content, pacing, and editing style of the entire video."

"The way Polaris appears in the video should feel natural to the audience, rather than being abruptly interrupted."

Catherine remained silent for about five seconds.

Su Wei could hear the sound of paper and pen scratching on the other end of the phone; she was taking notes.

"Mr. Su Wei, I understand your insistence on the tone of the content. But from the brand's perspective, your proposed solution in terms of exposure—"

"Exposure depends on the quality of the video itself, not on how many times I recite the North Star."

Su Wei's interruption was swift and decisive.

"How many views did your 800,000 yuan-funded porn video get?"

Catherine did not answer.

Su Wei didn't press further, because there was no need for an answer; both sides knew the number.

The water in the pot started to boil, and the noodles spread out in the boiling water.

Su Wei turned the heat down and took out two eggs and half a cabbage from the refrigerator.

Let me say a little more.

Suwei cracked the eggs into a bowl and stirred them with one hand.

"You should have done an analysis of my audience profile."

"I've done it."

Catherine's reply quickened.

"The group is predominantly composed of men aged 25 to 45, concentrated in North America, with moderate to high spending power, and a strong interest in outdoor sports and wilderness survival."

"Isn't this your target customer group?"

Suwei poured the egg mixture into the pot and quickly stirred it twice with chopsticks.

"I wore your rain jacket and walked for an hour and a half in a blizzard carrying sixty pounds of peat moss."

"This visual is more effective than any spoken announcement."

"The audience doesn't care what I say; what they care about is whether this garment can withstand the Alaskan winter."

"I managed to withstand it while wearing it, and that's enough."

The sound of pen and paper stopping on the other end of the phone.

Catherine changed her tone; it was no longer the standard rhetoric of a business director, but rather the tone of someone who was actually discussing business.

"Mr. Su Wei, I need to confirm the revised plan with the marketing director."

"But before that, I'd like to confirm a few details."

For the next twenty minutes, the two began to pull at each other.

Catherine compromised, agreeing not to request a custom-made video but to use Soviet content as the main body.

But she also went a step further, demanding that the windbreaker appear in at least 80% of the entire video.

In addition, there should be at least one close-up shot from the front, clearly showing the brand logo.

Su Wei appeared in 80% of the videos; after all, the videos were filmed in the Alaskan winter, and he was wearing a submachine gun the whole time.

Clothes.

But he spent five minutes working on the close-up of the logo.

The final compromise was: at least one natural shot capturing the logo, without any staged shots, but it must be retained during post-production editing.

Catherine further stipulated that the video length should not be less than fifteen minutes.

Su Wei did not object; his regular videos were usually between fifteen and twenty minutes long.

The two spent the most time discussing their introductions.

Catherine initially insisted on a 60-second product presentation, but Suwei reduced it to 30 seconds.

Catherine retreated forty-five seconds, but Suwei did not move.

Catherine tested the waters with 35 seconds, but Suwei still insisted on 30 seconds.

Catherine asked if she could give a verbal announcement.

Su Wei said he could introduce the content, show it visually, add subtitles and narration, and integrate it into the overall style of the video.

However, we won't spend a specific amount of time deliberately introducing or broadcasting this message.

Instead, it should blend into the video's style and appear natural.

Catherine paused for a few seconds, then said yes.

Then comes the quote.

Catherine quoted 120,000.

Su Wei tore the cabbage into small pieces and threw them into the pot without saying a word.

"Mr. Suwei?"

"120,000 yuan, over 30 seconds of brand integration, over 15 minutes of full video, wearing your flagship windbreaker throughout."

Su Wei used chopsticks to loosen the noodles.

"Ms. Catherine, my main account currently has over 800,000 followers, and each video gets over 500,000 views."

You should know better than I how many views that blizzard video has.

"One million four hundred thousand."

Catherine blurted it out.

"1.4 million views, organic traffic, zero paid streaming."

Su Wei turned off the fire.

"One hundred thousand."

"One hundred thousand?"

Catherine's tone rose slightly.

"This is even more than 120,000—"

"100,000 is the bottom price."

Suwei scooped the noodles into a bowl and poured egg and cabbage on top.

"But the condition is that if the video gets more than two million views, the price for subsequent collaborations will increase by 20%."

"If it exceeds three million, the price will increase by forty percent."

"What I'm giving you isn't a link, it's an entry point."

There was silence on the other end of the phone for almost ten seconds.

Su Wei carried the bowl of noodles to the dining table, sat down, switched her phone to hands-free mode, and placed it on the table.

The cotton candy had finished eating the venison chunks and was now poking at the empty food bowl with its paws, making a clanging sound.

"Mr. Suwei."

Catherine's voice came through the phone's speaker, accompanied by the crackling of the fireplace.

"I need ten minutes to confirm with the team."

"No rush."

Su Wei hung up the phone and started eating noodles.

The noodles were cooked perfectly, the egg flowers were tender, and the cabbage was sweet.

As the hot soup entered my stomach, the tension in my shoulders and neck, which had been taut all day, finally eased.

Cotton Candy ran to his feet with an empty food bowl in her mouth, looked up at him, and had a bit of fish oil glistening on her pink nose.

"That's all."

"Eek."

"It's really gone."

Su Wei ate half a bowl of noodles when his phone rang again.

He wiped his mouth and picked it up.

It's Catherine.

"Mr. Suwei, we agree to a basic cooperation fee of US$100,000."

really.

Su Wei put down his chopsticks.

"Regarding the tiered pricing clause, our legal department needs to include it in the formal contract. Specific details will be confirmed via email later."

"Can."

"Let's confirm the cooperation framework now."

Catherine's tone became more formal.

"For our first collaboration, we'll be making a video that's at least 15 minutes long, and I'll be wearing the Polaris Extreme Cold Flagship Jacket the entire time."

"The video includes at least 30 seconds of brand introduction, in the form of visual presentation with narration and subtitles, and a simple and natural introduction, which you have complete control over."

"The cooperation fee is $100,000, and the equipment will be provided free of charge."

"If the number of views exceeds two million, the subsequent cooperation rate will increase by 20%; if it exceeds three million, it will increase by 4%."

ten."

"right."

The contract will be sent to your email address within three business days.

"Send me the contract so I can take a look. If there are no problems, I'll sign it."

"Okay, looking forward to cooperating."

"Um."

It's over.

Su Wei exited the call and saved the contact information sent by Catherine into her address book.

Work email, direct phone, LinkedIn.

He put his phone on the table and continued eating his noodles.

The noodles are getting a little cold.

Marshmallow finally gave up on the empty food bowl, jumped onto the cushion of the high chair, and curled up on it.

Its tail dangled over the outside of the handrail, swaying back and forth.

After Su Wei finished the last bite of noodles, he picked up the bowl and drank the soup clean.

He put the bowl in the sink and turned on the tap.

Hot water washed over the bowl, and steam rose up, condensing into a thin layer of mist on the windowpane.

Suwei's gaze pierced through the fog and landed outside the window.

Nothing could be seen in the darkness.

The frozen surface of Emerald Lake, the outline of the exhibition hall, and the ridge of Pillar Mountain were all submerged in the moonless darkness.

But he knew they were all there.

One hundred thousand US dollars for one video.

The two accounts combined have already brought in nearly 100,000 yuan in just half a month. Now, with the addition of commercial orders, this is only the first one.

Polaris won't be the last brand to come knocking.

Once the number of views stabilized at the million level, business invitations from outdoor gear, food, and even automobiles and financial products began to line up.

He knows this road very well.

Back in my past life, when I was scrolling through short videos, I knew how much top outdoor bloggers charged for a single commercial order.

Accounts with millions of followers can generate $200,000 to $500,000 in single commercial orders, while top influencers can reach six figures.

His account is still growing, with 800,000 followers and a single video reaching 1.4 million views.

Once the number of followers reaches two or three million, the starting price of $100,000 will become the minimum.

Even higher.

This is his first time trying it, so it's not unreasonable to be cautious.

Even if the money is less.

He is more concerned with long-term cooperation.

He has two accounts.

My main account is hardcore, while my secondary account is therapeutic.

With two lines and two audience segments, brands can invest in each separately.

Su Wei turned off the tap.

The bowls were washed clean and then placed upside down on the drain rack.

He dried his hands, walked back to the dining table, and put his phone in his pocket.

The birchwood in the fireplace was still burning, casting flickering orange spots of light on the ceiling.

Marshmallow was asleep in the high chair, her white, fluffy belly rising and falling gently with her breathing.

Suwei bent down, gently scooped it up, and placed it on the old blanket in front of the fireplace.

Marshmallow snorted, rolled over, buried her nose in the blanket, and didn't wake up.

Su Wei straightened up.

On the kitchen stove, empty bowls are upside down, and the pots have been washed clean.

At the dining table, the phone screen was off, but Catherine's business card was already saved.

In front of the fireplace, a marshmallow is wrapped in a blanket.

Outside the window, it was pitch black.

He took two steps toward the kitchen, opened the refrigerator door, and bent down to glance at the contents inside.

I need to go to Old Hope's place tomorrow to pick up the brown bear specimen. I might not have time to eat along the way, so I need to prepare some snacks to take with me in the car.

There's half a piece of venison leg and a bag of frozen blueberries left on the second shelf of the refrigerator. That's enough.

Su Wei closed the refrigerator door, picked up the cast iron frying pan next to the stove, flipped it over, and put it back.

Then he paused.

The magnet on the refrigerator door was crooked. It was a souvenir refrigerator magnet shaped like Kodiak Island, bought at a gas station in town for two dollars.

Suwei reached out and straightened it.

He walked out of the kitchen, past the dining table, past the sleeping marshmallow in front of the fireplace, and to the living room window.

Frost covered the entire windowpane, so thick that not a single ray of light could pass through.

He reached out and scratched a line on the frost with his fingernail.

Tiny ice crystals shards fell from the glass, revealing a small, transparent crack.

Outside the window, the outline of the exhibition hall could be vaguely discerned in the darkness.

There were no lights, but Suwei knew that the building was functioning inside.

Water pumps are driving the valley's circulating water system, chillers are maintaining the temperature of the tidal pool, and full-spectrum lights are simulating a sunrise without anyone watching, according to a preset program.

The birchwood in the fireplace popped again.

Su Wei withdrew his hand.

In the gaps between the frost flowers, the mark left by his fingernail was already being covered by new ice crystals.

He turned and walked toward the kitchen.

The half-frozen venison leg in the freezer needs to be taken out in advance to thaw. I'll cut it up first thing tomorrow morning and take it with me in the car as dry rations for the road.

Suwei opened the refrigerator door and moved the venison leg to the refrigerator compartment.

He paused when his fingers touched the cold surface of the meat.

The brown bear specimen at Old Hope's place.

A 600-kilogram Kodiak brown bear.

We'll bring it back tomorrow and put it in front of the fireplace in the lobby on the first floor of the exhibition hall.

Then hang up the stag antlers.

With two perfect specimens in place, the growth coefficient of "Square Inch Universe" will increase by another two percentage points.

Su Wei closed the refrigerator door.

He picked up a rag from beside the stove and wiped away the few drops of noodle soup that had splashed onto the table.

Fold the rag and drape it over the faucet.

The stove is clean, the dishes are washed, and the marshmallows have been fed.

The order has been negotiated, and the drawings have been given to Matt.

That's all for today.

Su Wei turned off the kitchen light and went back to the living room.

The fire in the fireplace had dwindled, but it was still enough to burn until late into the night.

He sat down on the sofa, took off his boots, and put his feet on the edge of the coffee table.

Then I took out my phone, opened the notes app, and typed a line of text.

Tomorrow: Old Hope, Specimen, return route avoids the coastal highway (ice warning this week).

After typing that line, he added another one.

Polaris contracts will be confirmed within three business days.

The phone is placed on the coffee table, and the screen gradually dims.

In front of the fireplace, the marshmallow rolled over.

The white tail swung out from the edge of the blanket, resting on the stone surface, patting it gently and unconsciously.

Suwei leaned back on the sofa, her hands crossed behind her head.

He stared at the swaying orange spot of light on the ceiling and counted to three.

Then close your eyes.

I'll get up at six tomorrow to pick up that bear.

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