Landlord in the Arctic

’This!’

’She has conditions?’

’Isn’t it free?’

Feng Shan froze when he heard her, his brow furrowing tightly.

A look of astonishment crossed his face, and for a moment, he was speechless.

His mind raced, desperately trying to think of what he could possibly offer Natasha in exchange for that Fishing Permit.

But after wracking his brain...

...his mind came up blank. Feng Shan realized he had no bargaining chips to speak of.

After a moment’s hesitation, he steeled himself and said through gritted teeth,

"I’m willing to pay 2 million US Dollars for a Fishing Permit."

He clearly lacked confidence as he said this, not holding out much hope.

"Do you think I’m someone who needs money?" Seeing Feng Shan’s crestfallen expression, Natasha felt an inexplicable sense of delight. The corners of her mouth curved up into a smug smile as she teased him.

To her, 2 million US Dollars was an insignificant sum.

The glow of the stove fire illuminated Natasha’s face, making her radiant features even more captivating.

Feng Shan, meanwhile, could only endure the humiliation under her gaze.

Knowing he had no cards to play, Feng Shan’s eyes darted around. He decided to just be shameless, adopting a "nothing to lose" attitude. He stiffened his neck and said loudly,

"Then what do you want? You’re definitely not getting Crown Territory. How about you just take me with you? I’m pretty strong and healthy. I’ll serve you for free for a month. You’d be getting a great deal."

"Pah!" Natasha spat inwardly at his words, rolling her eyes in her mind.

’What do you mean, *I’d* be getting a great deal? It’s obvious you’re the one trying to take advantage of *me*!’

’And free service for a month? In your dreams!’

A flash of embarrassed anger crossed Natasha’s delicate face. She scoffed softly before quickly regaining her composure.

She sat up straight, tidied her slightly messy blonde hair, and looked directly at Feng Shan, her tone shifting to a more business-like one.

"Sorry, I’m not interested in men. I have a proposal. Hear me out, and if you’re agreeable, we can continue this conversation. If not, then we’ll just drop it."

"Go on," Feng Shan said, raising a hand and waving it casually, gesturing for her to get on with it.

Outside, the cold wind was still howling, causing the bus to sway slightly.

Natasha felt a slight chill on her neck and instinctively pulled the deerskin blanket up, gently covering her neck and wrapping herself more tightly.

Adjusting her posture slightly, she looked at Feng Shan with a calm gaze and began to speak.

"I know you have a way of catching a large amount of crab. As it happens, I have a fleet of crabbing boats myself. I can provide the Fishing Permit, but your River Beach will have to form a joint fleet with my crabbing boats. We’ll go out to sea and crab together, and each party will keep their own haul. How about it?"

Natasha’s tone was unhurried, her eyes revealing a hint of shrewdness and calculation as she seemed to await Feng Shan’s reaction.

’A joint fishing operation.’

Hearing this proposal, Feng Shan considered it inwardly.

’This isn’t a huge problem, of course. In fact, it suits me just fine.’

After all, the River Beach returned with a full hold every time it went out to sea.

Its success wasn’t due to so-called technology or experience, but to the Fire Totem.

Even with Natasha’s crabbing boats tagging along...

...they would ultimately just be picking up the River Beach’s scraps.

However, Feng Shan knew he couldn’t agree too readily.

Natasha was just too sharp, her mind as keen as that of a sly vixen.

If he made the slightest slip-up or showed his hand, she would seize upon it, and who knows what other complications might arise.

So, Feng Shan furrowed his brow slightly, feigning a troubled expression.

A trace of hesitation flickered in his eyes as if he were seriously weighing the pros and cons of the proposal.

After a moment of silence, he slowly opened his mouth, ready to respond to Natasha.

Meanwhile, the stove in the bus continued to burn brightly. The dancing flames cast light and shadow across their faces, and the atmosphere seemed to grow somewhat delicate.

Natasha lay back lazily in the rocking chair, tilting her head up slightly, her gaze fixed on Feng Shan with great interest.

She watched as his expression shifted like unpredictable weather, moving from contemplation to seriousness, then to conflict, before finally settling on resignation.

A strange sense of satisfaction washed over Natasha as she watched this series of expressions.

It was as if all the resentment that had been building up in her heart was released in that single moment.

Ever since arriving in Crown Territory, she had been subjected to Feng Shan’s biting sarcasm, and every time it left her fuming.

Back in Lengwan, a classless and ungrateful man like Feng Shan...

...would have long since been tied to an anchor by her subordinates and thrown into the Bering Sea to feed the crabs, not sitting here haggling with her.

But now, the Fishing Permit was like a sharp blade held to Feng Shan’s throat.

Through her investigations, Natasha knew perfectly well that ninety percent of Feng Shan’s cash flow came from his fishing operations in the Bering Sea.

The fishing ban issued by the Fish and Game Bureau was undoubtedly cutting off his main source of income.

Without financial backing, a remote and barren place like Crown Territory would quickly become a lifeless wasteland.

’You pig.’

Natasha cursed him inwardly, a smug smile gracing her lips.

’If he wants to keep Crown Territory running, he’ll have to obediently follow my orders and stop trying to oppose me.’

At this thought, Natasha’s eyes narrowed slightly.

A hint of barely perceptible cunning glinted in her eyes as she quietly awaited Feng Shan’s response, as if victory were already in her grasp.

He wrestled with the decision for a long time, weighing the various pros and cons in his mind.