Landlord in the Arctic

Chapter 293 - 245: The Hotel

After paying the bill, Frank walked out of the restaurant, wincing at the cost. Feng Mountain followed with a grin, in an excellent mood after the free meal.

The moment they stepped out the restaurant’s main doors, a bitter, cold wind howled and blasted them in the face, carrying with it large flakes of snow.

It instantly drove away every last bit of warmth they had retained from the restaurant.

Feng Mountain couldn’t help but shiver, instinctively pulling his coat tighter and tucking Loki inside it.

The two of them trudged through the swirling snow and howling wind toward where Frank had parked.

"Sir! Sir!" A shout made the two of them stop in their tracks.

Feng Mountain turned around to see a figure appearing under a streetlight in the heavy snow. A taxi was parked behind him.

The person calling him was none other than the Indigenous People driver who had driven him from the shelter."Need something, pal?"

"Sir, Jeff called me," the Indigenous People driver said with a wide grin. "He told me that as long as you’re in Anchorage, I’m to drive you wherever you need to go, unconditionally."

’You’re the one who called Jeff, aren’t you!’

Feng Mountain didn’t want to call the driver out on his lie, so he just shook his head and declined the kind offer.

The driver quickly adopted a pleading expression. "Sir, please give me a chance. The Chief also called me personally and told me to do this."

"What’s going on?" Frank asked, walking back. After hearing the explanation, he said, "Well, since you have a ride, I’ll take off. I’m meeting a client tonight to discuss a case."

’That lustful glint in his eye... "discussing a case," yeah right. You’re probably going to sleep with your client.’

’I can’t even be bothered to call you out on it.’

Feng Mountain waved his hand in annoyance. "All right, just don’t take it too far. I’ll take the taxi back to my hotel."

Frank grinned and thumped his chest. "I’m carrying that thing you gave me. This stuff is seriously potent."

The two embraced and went their separate ways.

Feng Mountain pulled open the taxi door and was hit by a blast of warm air. Although it carried a few other strange odors, it was clear the driver had been waiting for him with the heater running.

"You are..."

"I’m called White Bird in my tribe, but you can also call me Hansen," the driver said enthusiastically, glancing back with a friendly smile while skillfully handling the Steering Wheel.

"White Bird it is, then," Feng Mountain said, stating his destination. "Do you know the Anchorage University Lake Marriott Spring Hill Suites Hotel?"

"I do. You can rest for a bit. I’ll let you know when we get there."

White Bird agreed readily, started the car, and slowly pulled away from the street, heading in the direction of the hotel.

Outside, the heavy snow continued to fall, and a thick layer of ice had already formed on the ground. The tires made a crunching sound as they rolled over it.

Fortunately, White Bird was a good driver. The car drove smoothly, and Feng Mountain, sitting in the back, could hardly feel it jolt.

Through the car window, snowflakes like goose feathers fluttered down, blanketing the entire world in a coat of silver.

The streetlights cast a dim yellow glow, which, reflected by the snow, added a hazy, poetic feel to the cold night.

The streets were nearly empty of pedestrians. The few people who were out hurried along, wrapped in thick winter coats to ward off the biting cold.

Feng Mountain gazed quietly at the snowy landscape outside the window. After a moment, he thought of something and spoke up.

"White Bird, is Mackenzie Autonomous Town close to Anchorage?"

White Bird thought for a moment. "Relatively speaking, it’s quite close. Less than 30 kilometers. On a snowy day like this, the drive is about 40 minutes."

"If you’re free tomorrow, could you take me to Mackenzie Autonomous Town? I’d like to visit a ranch there."

Upon hearing the answer, Feng Mountain’s interest was piqued, and he made his decision then and there.

White Bird glanced at Feng Mountain in the rearview mirror and smiled. "No problem. Is 8 a.m. tomorrow morning all right?"

"That’s fine."

Feng Mountain nodded and turned his gaze back to the window.

....

Back at his hotel, Feng Mountain felt the exhaustion of the day wash over him. He tidied up his things and went into the bathroom.

After a refreshing shower, he came out of the bathroom to see Loki standing on a nearby table, its small eyes watching him with curiosity.

Feng Mountain couldn’t help but smile. He gently stroked Loki’s feathers, said goodnight, and then walked over to the bed and turned off the light.

The room was instantly plunged into darkness. Only a faint light filtered in from outside, just enough to make out the silhouettes within.

In the darkness, Loki fluttered its wings a few times, flew softly over to the window, and perched on the windowsill.

It tilted its head, gazing quietly through the slightly fogged glass at the world outside.

Outside, the heavy snow continued to drift down, blanketing the entire world in a vision of silver-white.

As he was about to drift off to sleep, Feng Mountain habitually initiated communication with the tribal Fire Seed in the Crown Territory.

「The next moment.」

Like a scene from a movie, an image quickly materialized in his mind.

The camp was enveloped in the thick, inky blackness of the polar night, giving it a profound and mysterious atmosphere.

Yet, within this endless darkness, the camp itself was a bustling, brightly lit spectacle.

The scattered lights, like brilliant stars embedded in the dark earth, illuminated the camp as brightly as day.

Dynamic music pulsed from the camp’s bar, one wave after another.

The restaurant was equally bustling, with an endless stream of tourists coming and going through its doors.

Servers weaved busily between the tables, their faces bright with enthusiastic smiles as they served one delicious dish after another.

Amidst this bustling scene, Su Ziweng’s China restaurant had also officially opened for business.