Landlord in the Arctic

After quite a bit of coaxing, Feng Mountain finally managed to settle the two bear cubs down, half-tricking and half-cajoling them.

Seeing that the two little ones were still a bit restless but were at least obediently staying by Fiona's side, Feng Mountain let out a small sigh of relief.

He raised his wrist to look at his watch. There was still half an hour until midnight.

Not much time was left, and there were still important things to do.

Feng Mountain didn't dare to delay any longer. He immediately turned and hurried back toward the party area.

As soon as he stepped into the area, he saw Paine walking over with a large, pre-prepared cardboard box in his arms, a wide smile on his face.

The box looked quite sturdy.

It had been meticulously decorated on the outside with colorful Christmas ribbons.

It shimmered under the lights, giving off a mysterious and festive feeling.

Just then, Feng Mountain raised his hand and waved vigorously at David, signaling for him to turn off the music.

David got the signal and immediately hit the pause button.

Instantly, the dynamic, explosive music that had been pounding everyone's eardrums came to a screeching halt.

The sudden silence left everyone at the party baffled. Unsure of what was happening, they all stood in place, turning their heads to look around.

At that moment, Feng Mountain calmly walked into the center of the area. He first clapped his hands lightly, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

Then, he cleared his throat and spoke in a loud, resonant voice.

"Everyone, let's pause the party for a moment. I just want to say a few words."

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd, which had been scattered around the party, slowly began to gather around the bonfire.

People whispered to each other, their eyes glinting with curiosity, secretly guessing what new trick Feng Mountain had up his sleeve.

After all, the party tonight had already been spectacular.

There was the mysterious fire performance, not to mention the live spectacle of someone getting drunk.

'Could there be an even more surprising event in store?'

Seeing everyone gradually make their way over, Feng Mountain broke into a warm smile. He nodded slightly and continued speaking in a calm, unhurried manner.

"I'm Chinese, so I don't really know your Christmas customs. But Christmas is like our New Year, and I've heard that on Christmas Eve, you hang a stocking outside your door before bed for Santa Claus to fill with gifts."

At this point, Feng Mountain paused for a moment.

A mischievous glint flashed in his eyes as he scanned the crowd, capturing their attention.

Then, with a grin, he joked,

"However, I imagine Santa Claus is very busy today, so I've volunteered to take his place and give out the gifts early. That way, Santa won't have to go digging through your smelly socks."

The moment he finished, a wave of cheerful laughter erupted from the crowd.

But as the laughter died down, everyone grew curious about what kind of gifts Feng Mountain would be giving out.

Feng Mountain, still smiling, glanced around and took in everyone's eager expressions.

He grinned and said,

"In China, before the New Year holiday ends, we give employees red envelopes. It symbolizes a prosperous and lucky new year. Today, I'll do as the Romans do and thank you for all your hard work recently. There's one for each of you. It's not a lot of money, so please don't mind."

After speaking, he seemed to remember something and added,

"Oh, right. After I hand out the red envelopes, you're all officially on holiday. The break will last from now until January 1st, so you can all enjoy the festival season. Old Tom will be here with the plane soon. Anyone who wants to go home can go pack their bags after getting their envelope. I'll cover the round-trip travel expenses."

"Now, employees of the Crown Territory and the crew of the River Beach, come and get your red envelopes! Form a line, there's one for everyone."

"Bear's Fang, your Bear Tribe gets them too," Feng Mountain added, looking pointedly at Bear's Fang and his people.

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere at the scene instantly exploded like a firework, shooting to a climax.

The employees and crew members alike were like children who had just been given candy. They all raised their hands, cheering and jumping for joy, their faces beaming with excitement.

Cheers and shouts mingled together, making the very air tremble.

What could be better than getting a red envelope for the holiday and going home to see your family?

The guests who weren't eligible for the red envelopes stood to the side, watching the impending distribution with longing. Their eyes were filled with envy. They began whispering amongst themselves, happy for the employees but also a little disappointed that they weren't so lucky themselves.

The next moment, the female employees from the camp were the first to step forward, smiling, their eyes sparkling with anticipation.

The crew members followed close behind, each one standing up straight, grinning from ear to ear.

Not to be outdone, the members of the Bear Tribe strode out from the crowd.

Everyone automatically formed a long, orderly line.

As they lined up, they seemed to reach a tacit understanding, nudging the female employees of the Crown Territory to the front.

Paine stood to the side and pulled a thick stack of red envelopes from the prepared cardboard box, handing it to Feng Mountain.

Originally, when Feng Mountain had first planned the holiday festivities, he had wanted the employees to invite their friends and family to the Crown Territory to celebrate together. He hoped for a lively atmosphere, to let everyone feel a sense of communal warmth.

But when he got the guest list from David, he discovered something unexpected.

Almost everyone on the list was family or friends brought by the crew members.

In contrast, very few family members or friends of the female camp employees had shown up.

Feng Mountain understood. It was likely the timing—Christmas—that made people unwilling to travel thousands of kilometers back and forth for such a brief gathering.

He could see that although his employees were smiling, they couldn't hide the disappointment in their eyes.

Feng Mountain felt a little pained by this.

These women had given so much to the Crown Territory, working silently in a place so far from home.