American Landowners: Starting with Hunting in Alaska

Chapter 98 A Turning Point in Fate: An Ironic Brief (Bonus Chapter)

Emily's voice was very soft, with a tremor she herself was unaware of.

Suwei's consciousness was sinking, about to be swallowed up by exhaustion.

This question cleared his drowsy mind a little.

That kind of place.

For example, in a snowy wilderness, or in a valley, confronting outlaws, or even experiencing the moment when a bullet whizzes past your ear.

He didn't open his eyes; his hand, which was resting on his forehead, moved unconsciously as he touched the warm fur of the cotton candy.

"No more."

His answer was vague.

"At least—not recently."

This addition brought peace back to the small apartment.

Emily stopped talking and just stood there quietly.

After a long while, she heard the sound of her cane lightly tapping the ground, and then she returned to bed.

Suwei's consciousness finally relaxed completely and sank into darkness.

The next morning.

Suwei was awakened by the aroma of coffee wafting from the kitchen.

He opened his eyes and found himself still lying on the sofa, covered with a thin blanket.

The cotton candy on my chest was sleeping sprawled out, its soft belly exposed.

The apartment was quiet, and the sunlight streaming through the window made the room very bright.

Su Wei sat up and slept on the sofa all night, his bones making a soft cracking sound.

The fatigue has mostly dissipated, and I feel like I have energy again.

He went to the kitchen.

Emily was standing on one leg, one hand holding onto the countertop, the other intently operating a drip coffee machine.

-

She changed into a white sweater for home wear, her long golden hair casually tied back, with a few strands falling down, reflecting the morning light outside the window.

Hearing the noise, she turned around.

"You're awake? I thought you'd sleep until noon."

"I smell coffee." Su Wei walked over to her and naturally took the coffee pot from her hand. "Let me do it, your leg isn't very convenient."

Emily didn't try to be strong; she leaned on her cane and moved aside to sit at the small dining table.

Su Wei skillfully brewed two cups of coffee, then took out the leftover beef and vegetable porridge from last night from the refrigerator and heated it up in the microwave.

The simple breakfast felt especially cozy because of the warmth inside and the snowy view outside the window.

"I'm going to the Fisheries Union later." Su Wei took a sip of hot coffee, the warmth sliding down his throat into his stomach.

"Sign an agreement?" Emily asked.

"Um."

"May I—ask a question?" Emily hesitated. "The compensation is enough to pay off all your debts, right?"

She asked cautiously, afraid of touching a sore spot for Su Wei.

Su Wei put down her coffee cup and looked at her concerned expression, feeling a sudden sense of relief.

"More than enough," he replied affirmatively.

Emily breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, her blue eyes curving into beautiful crescent moons.

"That's great! You finally don't have to work so hard anymore."

Su Wei didn't say anything, but quietly finished the porridge in her bowl.

After saying goodbye to Emily, Su Wei put on his heavy down jacket and carefully put the Browning rifle into his gun holster.

"Are you coming home for dinner tonight?" Emily asked from the doorway.

"Let's go back." Su Wei slung his gun holster over his shoulder. "What do you want to eat?"

Emily's eyes lit up instantly, and she named the dish without hesitation: "Beef stew with potatoes!"

Su Wei walked out of the apartment, and the door behind him closed gently.

He mounted his snowmobile, the roar of the engine breaking the tranquility of the town in the early morning.

The cold wind rushed into his collar, bringing him fully awake.

He was going to retrieve a sum of money that could change his life.

But what will his life be like?

This question swirls in the wind, with no answer.

The fishermen's union building in Kodiak is an old, brick-red building that looks sturdy and reliable.

Su Wei parked his car and walked through the gate.

After verifying his information, the front desk staff directed him to the second floor.

The second-floor corridor was quiet, and the wooden floor made a creaking sound underfoot.

The air was filled with the smells of paper and coffee, as well as a faint smell of disinfectant.

He stopped in front of an office with a sign that read "Insurance Claims Please Enter".

I knocked on the door.

"Please come in."

A calm and capable female voice came from inside.

Su Wei pushed open the door and went in.

The office was small, and the filing cabinets were crammed full.

A middle-aged woman in a business suit and gold-rimmed glasses was sitting behind a desk; she was the woman named Jennifer from the phone call.

She looked up and sized Su Wei up and down.

"Mr. Suwei Yang?"

"it's me."

"Please sit down." Jennifer gestured to the chair opposite her, her attitude businesslike and devoid of any extra emotion.

Suwei sat down and placed his backpack at his feet.

Jennifer pulled a thick folder from a stack of documents and pushed it in front of him.

"This is the final settlement agreement regarding the accident compensation for your parents, Mr. David Sue and Ms. Veri Young. You can take a look at it first."

Suwei opened the folder.

It was filled with densely packed English terms and conditions.

"Let me explain it to you simply," Jennifer said in a straightforward voice. "The agreement is mainly divided into three parts."

She pointed to the document with her finger.

"First, basic crew personal accident insurance. According to the latest standards of the Anchorage Maritime Court, it is US$800,000 per person, totaling US$1.6 million."

Su Wei had heard this number once before.

But now that it's presented in black and white, the impact is still enormous.

"Second, personal commercial life and accident insurance. The coverage amount for this part is not high, totaling US$200,000 for the two policies."

Jennifer's speaking speed remained unchanged, as if she were reciting a shopping list.

"The last part."

Her finger landed on the last page of the document, where the title was in bold and black—"Punitive Damages Agreement for Gross Negligence."

"To avoid a jury trial and further damage to its reputation, the fishing company agreed to the punitive damages offered by its legal team."

"Based on the black box recording evidence, it is proven that the fleet was forcibly ordered to go to sea by the company's management on the grounds of withholding bonuses after receiving a storm warning."

Jennifer's narration was devoid of any emotion, yet it made Sue feel as if her heart was being tightly gripped.

That cold, metal box recorded the capitalists' final act of greed.

It also records the parents' final journey.

"Punitive damages totaling US$1.2 million."

Suwei's breathing almost stopped.

Jennifer continued, her voice clear and somewhat jarring in the quiet office.

"In addition to the funeral allowance, emotional distress compensation for the family, and a one-time subsidy for families in dire need provided by the fisheries union—"

She picked up the calculator and quickly pressed a few buttons.

"The total amount of compensation is US$3.48 million."

"After deducting the legal team's 1.5% fee, the total is US$51,120."

"Further deduct the 9.4% related taxes stipulated by Alaska law —"

She paused for a moment, as if doing the final calculations.

The only sound in the office was the crisp "click-clack" of the calculator keys.

Su Wei felt that his heartbeat was louder than the sound of the buttons being pressed.

Finally, Jennifer put down the calculator.

She looked up and calmly announced the final number.

The final amount received is—

'

"Three million two hundred and fifty-seven thousand four hundred US dollars."

Even though we were prepared.

But the reappearance of this number still left Su Wei's mind blank.

He paused breathing briefly, and it took him a moment to come to his senses.

This is true.

For the past few months, he has been fighting for his life in the wilderness and struggling to survive in the snowstorm in order to pay off his $160,000 debt.

Every time he hunted or gathered, he walked on the edge of a knife.

And now.

Three million two hundred and fifty-seven thousand four hundred US dollars.

This number has exceeded all his initial expectations for solving the problem.

He felt his breathing become difficult, his throat was dry, and he couldn't utter a single word.

Jennifer looked at him, seemingly having anticipated his reaction.

She had seen too many people lose their composure in this moment, crying or laughing hysterically.

But the Soviet Union did not.

He remained silent, turning the pages of the document in his hand one by one.

He calmed himself down and went to look at those convoluted legal provisions, checking every number and every decimal point.

This is not money.

This was bought with the lives of my parents.

Time passed second by second.

Jennifer didn't urge him; she just watched him quietly.

This young man displayed a calmness and focus far beyond his years when faced with a huge sum of money that would provide him with a worry-free life.

She was starting to admire him.

Finally, Suwei turned to the last page.

That's the signature panel.

He picked up the pen on the table; the nib felt a bit heavy.

Without hesitation, he wrote his name clearly, stroke by stroke.

Su Wei Yang.

When the last letter fell, he felt completely relaxed.

"Alright." Jennifer took back the document, carefully checked the signature, and then nodded in satisfaction.

"The agreement is effective immediately. The payment will be transferred to your provided bank account in a lump sum within three business days of the signing of the agreement."

She handed one of the copies to Suwei.

"This is your copy, please keep it safe."

Su Wei took the document and stood up.

"Thanks."

He turned and walked out of the office.

When he stood outside the fishermen's union building again, the sun shone on the snow, reflecting a blinding light.

He instinctively raised his hand to cover it.

On the street, vehicles and pedestrians came and went, and everything was no different from half an hour ago.

But he is different now.

Su Wei stood on the street, his mind blank.

He took out his phone and habitually opened the banking app that he checked countless times every day.

On the screen, the bright red negative number still hung there conspicuously.

$160,000.

This money once left him breathless.

And now, it looks—so small, even somewhat ridiculous.

The money is there.

He has so much land that he can buy all the barren mountains surrounding his land, build the most luxurious villa, and buy the most advanced agricultural machinery.

and then?

What is he going to do?

Just then, a notification popped up at the top of the phone screen, accompanied by a slight vibration.

It was a short message.

The sender is Wells Fargo.

[Dear Mr. Suwei Yang, your minimum payment of $30000 for your personal business loan this month is due on October 31, 2025. Please handle it as soon as possible to avoid affecting your credit record.]