American Landowners: Starting with Hunting in Alaska

The sky is dimly bright.

The old radiators stopped humming all night, and a gentle silence settled over the apartment.

On the kitchen countertop, a cast iron pot was bubbling away.

Emily didn't have a clay pot, only a small, multi-purpose iron pot.

Su Wei held a long spoon in one hand and slowly stirred the bottom of the pot to prevent the rice grains from sticking together.

The fragrant rice that I soaked last night has been cooked until it blooms and the rice water has become thick.

He slid the finely shredded pork tenderloin into the pot and gently separated it with a spoon.

The shredded meat turned white instantly, blending seamlessly with the milky white porridge.

Finally, a handful of bright green chopped spinach is sprinkled in, and the boiling porridge instantly cooks it, adding a final touch of color to this pot of breakfast.

[The spinach and lean pork congee is now ready. Quality: Excellent.]

[Life Module Experience +8.]

The user will receive temporary buffs for three hours: Stomach Warming (weak), Mental Concentration (weak).

"Alright, the magic of Eastern breakfast."

Suwei placed a bowl of porridge on the small table in front of Emily.

Next to it was a small dish of the leftover oil residue from rendering the pork belly he brought, which was fried until golden and crispy.

The aroma instantly filled the small apartment.

Emily practically sat bolt upright, her sleepy face filled with anticipation.

She carefully blew on the steam, scooped up a spoonful, and put it in her mouth.

The rice is soft and sticky, the shredded meat is tender and smooth, and the spinach has a hint of sweetness.

That touch of salt brought out the perfect amount of flavor in all the ingredients.

"Well……"

Emily let out a long sigh and squinted her eyes in bliss.

"This is even more magical than sweet and sour pork!"

She picked up a piece of golden fried pork fat, threw it into her mouth, and it made a crisp crunching sound.

The rich aroma of the oil explodes in your mouth, perfectly complementing the light porridge.

Seeing her wolfing down her food, Su Wei served herself a bowl and ate quietly.

After finishing breakfast, Suwei washed the dishes and chopsticks.

Marshmallow, having eaten her fill of boiled meat strips, is now lying on the sofa licking her paws.

Su Wei changed into the heavy winter coat and carefully put away all the documents and the remaining cash.

"I'm leaving."

He stood at the door.

"Um."

Emily sat on the bed, holding a marshmallow in her arms, her blue eyes filled with unconcealed worry.

"Sue, that Blake... you have to be careful, he's not joking."

"I know."

Su Wei nodded.

"Take good care of yourself, and take good care of it too."

He was referring to marshmallows.

The little fox seemed to know that its master was about to leave again. It jumped down from Emily's arms, ran to Sue's feet, and gently rubbed its head against his trouser leg, making a soft whimpering sound.

Suwei squatted down and rubbed its head.

"Stay put and wait for me to come back."

After saying that, he opened the door and walked out decisively, leaving the man and the fox's attempts to stay behind the door.

The town of Kodiak was transformed into a pure white world in the early morning after a night of snow.

The snow was thicker, and there were almost no vehicles on the streets, only a few cleared sidewalks.

The air was frigid, and inhaling it brought a stinging, icy sensation to my lungs.

Without delay, Su Wei mounted his snowmobile.

With yesterday's experience, this launch went much more smoothly.

Accompanied by the familiar roar of the engine, he once again became a conspicuous sight in this snowy town, speeding towards the Fishing and Hunting Bureau.

In the open space outside the fishing and hunting bureau, Su Wei saw a familiar figure.

The man, dressed in thick brown hunting attire, paced anxiously back and forth, occasionally glancing at his watch, his breath forming puffs of white mist.

It's Aruk.

Hearing the sound of the snowmobile engine, Aruk looked up sharply and saw Suvi. As if he had seen a savior, he rushed over in three steps.

"My God, Sue! You're finally here!"

Aruk's voice was as loud as ever.

"I thought you were buried in the mountains by the snow!"

Su Wei stopped the car and turned off the engine.

"Why are you waiting here?"

"Can I not wait?"

Aruk grabbed Suvi's arm; his face, weathered by years of hardship, was now frighteningly pale.

"I had nightmares all night! I dreamt that the old devil Blake pinned me to a target with antlers! He said my tracking skills were an insult to the great spirit of the wilderness!"

Su Wei: "..."

This guy still has such a vivid imagination.

"Let's go, it's almost time."

Suwei slapped his hand away.

"etc!"

Aruk pulled him back, lowered his already loud voice, and leaned closer to say mysteriously:

"I heard! That bastard who poached the female moose still hasn't been caught. Blake swore in the bar yesterday that he'd skin that guy himself and make his footpads! He's a powder keg right now! If we make even the slightest mistake today..."

Aruk made a throat-slitting gesture.

"We just need to avoid making mistakes."

Suwei's answer was simple and direct.

He bypassed Aluk, who was still muttering to himself, and headed straight for the familiar red brick building.

Aruk paused for a moment, then quickly followed, still muttering to himself:

"No mistakes? Easier said than done! You know, last year there was a guy who was disqualified because he cut off half an inch too far while processing his prey, losing an extra ounce of meat! Half an inch! That's the devil's knife!"

The two entered the Fishing and Hunting Bureau hall one after the other.

Unlike yesterday's bustling atmosphere, the hall was eerily quiet today.

Apart from Sarah at the front desk, there were only two men sitting silently on the bench to the side.

He was a burly man with a thick beard, who looked like a seasoned veteran who had spent years in the woods.

The other was young, equipped with brand-new gear, but arrogant and dismissive of everything around him.

In the very center of this oppressive atmosphere stood a man.

He stood with his back to the door, wearing a dark gray, somewhat worn Arc'teryx hardshell jacket and a pair of well-worn military boots.

He carried no extravagant equipment; he simply stood there quietly, like a silent rock, plunging the entire hall into silence.

Aruk immediately shut his mouth.

He even held his breath, tiptoed to the other end of the bench and sat down, not daring to make a sound.

Su Wei simply glanced at the figure's back and then found a corner to stand in.

Time passed second by second.

The clock on the wall pointed steadily to nine o'clock.

The man, who had been facing away from everyone, finally moved.

He slowly turned around.

It was a weathered face, around fifty years old, with deep nasolabial folds.

What is most striking about him are his eyes, which are cold and serious.

He is Blake Anderson.

Without uttering a single unnecessary word, Blake pulled a list from his pocket.

"Aruq Cash".

"arrive!"

Aruk practically sprang to his feet, his voice trembling slightly.

Blake glanced at him but said nothing.

Dennis White.

The burly man with the thick beard replied in a deep voice:

"arrive."

Eric Shaw.

The young hunter raised his chin:

"Here it is."

"Suwei Yang".

"arrive."

Su Wei's voice was calm and even.

Blake finished reading the list and put it away.

His gaze swept across the faces of the four men, as if assessing prey.

"One more is needed, Roy."

Sarah at the front desk whispered a reminder.

Blake glanced at the clock on the wall.

The minute hand has already skipped nine o'clock.

He didn't answer Sarah, but turned around and walked towards the door.

"The assessment has begun. Keep up."

The cold voice uttered those words.

Aruk and the other two quickly followed, while Suvi walked at the very back at a leisurely pace.

Just as they were about to walk out the door, a young man wearing a thin jacket rushed in, panting heavily.

"Wait! Mr. Blake! Wait for me! I'm coming!"

He ran and shouted, his face covered in sweat.

Blake stopped walking, but did not turn around.

The entire team stopped.

The young man named Roy ran up to Blake, leaning on his knees and panting heavily.

"I'm sorry, sir... my home... is too far from here, I..."

You're late.

Blake finally spoke, his voice completely flat.

"No, sir, I'm only a minute and a half late! This damn snow..."

Roy's urgent explanation.

Blake finally turned around and faced him.

"In the wilderness, not even a minute or two."

He spoke clearly, word by word.

"Prey won't delay going to the river to drink just because you're lazy and sleeping in your den."

"Patience and punctuality are the most basic qualities of a hunter."

"You can't even do the first one."

After Blake finished speaking, he stopped looking at him and walked away.

"Your assessment is over."

Roy was completely stunned.

He couldn't believe his ears.

"Just because...just because of one minute? That's not fair!"

He shouted at Blake's retreating figure.

Blake didn't turn around.

He simply led the rest of the people toward a huge tracked snowmobile parked outside.

It was a steel behemoth, heavily modified, powerful enough to crush all the complex terrain on Kodiak Island.

Roy's shouts sounded so weak in the cold air that they eventually turned into resentful curses.

But nobody paid him any attention.

He was left alone at the entrance of the fishing and hunting bureau, slowly cooling down in the cold wind.

Aruk followed Suvi and trembled all over when he got on the snowmobile, whether from the cold or from fear, it was hard to tell.

He quietly nudged Suwei's arm with his elbow.

Su Wei turned his head away.

All I could see was Aruk winking and mouthing something silently.

Behold, you devil.