Landlord in the Arctic

With this demographic on his side, whatever Feng Shan wanted to do would be relatively easy, as long as he could harness this power.

Take elections, for example. With the support of nearly 200,000 Indigenous voters, winning a seat in the Alaska state legislature would be as simple as child's play.

After that, with a little maneuvering on her part, getting him into the United States Federal Government as a congressman or representative...

...and thus stepping into the highest echelons of American society, wouldn't be such a distant dream.

Natasha's thoughts ran deeper.

She recalled the latest 2016 data from the U.S. Census Bureau: there were about 5.7 million Indians and Alaska Indigenous People across the United States, and that number was rising every year.

And that wasn't all.

Mexico, which shares a border with the United States, was home to 63 Indian ethnic groups with a total population as high as 16 million, accounting for 15% of the country's total population.

Then there was Latin America, where over thirty million Indians were divided among more than 400 different ethnic tribes.

If, through certain means and private operations, a portion of the Indian population could legally immigrate to Alaska, the influence would be enormous. The consequences would be unimaginable.

Unfortunately, however, she couldn't easily share this critical information with Feng Shan just yet.

The man was simply too mysterious. She couldn't see into his heart or guess what he truly wanted.

He was like a shroud of mist, making her both curious and cautious, afraid to lay all her cards on the table.

Natasha could only observe quietly.

Waiting for more clues to unravel the mystery surrounding Feng Shan.

....

"Xiong Da, Xiong Er!" Feng Shan called out the cubs' names.

At that moment, the two little polar bear cubs were lost in play among a group of children, making them roar with laughter.

Hearing the familiar call, the two cubs froze as if hit by an Immobilization Spell. Their movements came to an abrupt halt, their bodies instantly stiffening on the spot.

Then, their two little heads tilted slightly, and their ears twitched a couple of times as if to confirm the source of the sound.

When their eyes locked onto Feng Shan not far away, they went wide and round. With an excited yelp, they scrambled on all fours, bolting toward him in a mad dash.

Feng Shan stood there with a smile, holding two plates of fruit pie that Jenny had made by hand.

The two cubs stumbled as they ran, but their speed didn't falter in the slightest. They WHIMPERED and YELPED the entire way.

In the blink of an eye, they reached Feng Shan's legs and sat down obediently, one on his left and one on his right.

Their little heads tilted up desperately, their eyes fixed on the fruit pies in Feng Shan's hands as they let out soft whimpers.

It was as if they were begging Feng Shan for food while also tattling on Prince for irresponsibly abandoning them on the tundra.

This scene naturally attracted the attention of the other children, who came running over in a swarm with a WHOOSH.

Fiona, who was at the front, had a face flushed red. She stomped her foot angrily, her cheeks puffed out like two little balloons as she shouted.

"Uncle, I found these two little white bears! Tom and Jerry are my pets."

"That's right, Fiona's the one who found them," Liu Lan chimed in crisply from behind her, blinking her big eyes.

Seeing this, the other children also gathered around, chattering all at once to back her up.

"If you say they're your pets, then tell them to go with you." Feng Shan had a teasing smile on his face as he took a generous step back.

The moment he stepped back, the two cubs' little eyes darted around, and they immediately pounced forward again playfully.

They pressed tightly against Feng Shan, rubbing their heads against his legs from time to time and letting out affectionate purrs.

"Uncle, you're cheating! You're using food to lure Tom and Jerry!" Fiona's eyes went wide, filled with indignation. Her little cheeks puffed up even more with anger, just like a pufferfish.

With her hands on her hips, she angrily accused Feng Shan, clearly thinking he was playing dirty.

"Alright!" Seeing Fiona's serious expression, Feng Shan couldn't help but laugh. He handed the fruit pies to Fiona with an encouraging look. "You try. See if they listen to you."

Fiona took the fruit pies with full confidence, her little head held high as if victory was already in her grasp.

Then, taking her little friends with her, she walked a few steps away, squatted down, and placed the fruit pies on the grass.

Having done all that, she called out softly to the two cubs.

"Tom, Jerry, come get some dessert! It's really yummy."

Xiong Da and Xiong Er had been circling Feng Shan.

The moment they smelled the sweet aroma of the fruit pies, their little eyes lit up instantly.

They blinked, hesitating for a moment, as if weighing whether to follow Feng Shan or go enjoy the delicious food.

In the end, the temptation of food won out.

The two cubs took off on their short little legs, trotting over.

They plopped down in front of the fruit pies, reached out with their little paws, and began to devour them greedily.

"See?" A smug look spread across Fiona's face.

She stood up, dusted off her hands, and looked at Feng Shan with pride, waiting for him to admit defeat.

The corners of Feng Shan's mouth turned up slightly. Looking at Fiona's adorable expression, he deliberately put on a sad face.

Pretending to leave, he began to walk away, saying...

"Alright, I give up. I'll be leaving then."

Hearing their daddy was about to leave...

Xiong Da and Xiong Er instantly became alert.

They exchanged a glance and, without hesitation, abandoned the half-eaten fruit pies.

Their short legs scrambled furiously as they turned and ran toward Feng Shan.

They let out whimpering cries, their voices full of anxiety and reluctance to part.

After running to Feng Shan's side...

...they clung to his legs, one on the left and one on the right, like two little koalas, refusing to let go.

They kept rubbing their little heads against Feng Shan's calves, as if that would be enough to make their daddy stay.

WAAAH!!

Fiona watched, wide-eyed, as the two little bears abandoned her.

The expression on her little face was like someone had just snatched her favorite toy, and she immediately burst into aggrieved sobs.

Hearing his daughter's heart-wrenching cries, Yves was startled.

He quickly emerged from the party crowd and jogged over, following the sound of the crying.

"Fiona, what's wrong?" Reaching his daughter, Yves bent down slightly, placing his hands on her shoulders, his eyes full of heartache.

Seeing her father, Fiona cried even harder.

She dove into Yves's arms, her small body trembling nonstop.

Sobbing, she pointed a small finger at Feng Shan, as if she had suffered a great injustice, and accused him in a tearful voice.

"Uncle Feng is a bad man! He stole my little bears!"

Yves followed his daughter's finger, and when he saw what was going on, a wry expression appeared on his face.

He gently patted his daughter's back, comforting her for a moment before holding her and saying...

"That's Xiong Da and Xiong Er. They've lived at the camp for a long time. They're orphans Uncle Feng found by the sea."

Ah!

Hearing her father say this, Fiona's unstoppable crying came to an abrupt halt.

She looked up with her tear-streaked little face, her watery eyes blinking adorably.

She looked as if she was trying hard to process what her father had just said, a fierce battle of thoughts raging in her little head.

Seeing this, Feng Shan bent down and picked up the two little ones. With a warm smile, he said softly, "Their names are Xiong Da and Xiong Er. Fiona, Uncle has something important to do right now. Can you help me take care of them?"

In that instant, Fiona seemed to be filled with boundless energy.

She nodded her little head so fast it was like a chick pecking at rice, the frequency dizzying to watch.

"I can!"

Then, she wiggled her little body, eagerly struggling out of her father's arms and running to Feng Shan like a cheerful little deer.

Her eyes sparkled with excitement; she had clearly forgotten all about her earlier grievance.

"Then I'll leave them with you!" Feng Shan placed Xiong Da and Xiong Er on the grass.

The moment the two little ones touched the ground...

...they thought they were being abandoned again. Their little mouths turned down, and they let out frightened whimpers.

Their little paws scraped restlessly at the grass as they tried to get closer to Feng Shan.

Seeing this, Feng Shan squatted down, gently stroking the cubs' heads with both hands, and said in a soft, soothing voice.

"Daddy has things to do in a bit. This big sister will take care of you, so be good and listen to her."

.....