Landlord in the Arctic

When she heard Brother Shan ask this, Xiaohua first shook her head. But after a moment, she gave a slight nod, a conflicted look on her face as she began to explain.

"We never see the sun, and even on the rare occasion we do, it might as well not be there. The light is so dim. Now that everyone in the camp has gone home for the holidays, it's so empty and lonely. I really can't take it anymore. I miss home so much."

Beside her, Hu Zi and Black Hide nodded vigorously, clearly sharing Xiaohua's feelings.

Although Crown Territory was a great place in many respects, its one major drawback was that it was incredibly boring.

Besides never seeing the sun, there weren't any fun places to go on a normal day.

It was nothing like being back home. During the day, they could wander wherever they pleased and bask in the sun. At night, they could grab a delicious meal from a street vendor and then take a stroll through a lively public square.

But Crown Territory was too quiet. So quiet it made you feel anxious.

Older people might have appreciated such a tranquil environment, a place for quiet reflection.

But for the young people, once the initial thrill of arrival wore off, they found it increasingly dull.

Feng Mountain naturally understood how Xiaohua and the others felt, but there was nothing he could do about it.

He couldn't just conjure a bustling town out of thin air to satisfy everyone's demands.

He gently raised a hand and tucked a stray strand of hair behind Xiaohua's ear. His eyes were full of gentle reassurance as he spoke slowly.

"I've checked the flights. There's one heading home the day after tomorrow. If we take that one, we can still make it in time to pick up Black Egg and celebrate the New Year together."

"That's wonderful! We can finally go home!" Xiaohua's face lit up with uncontrollable joy, and she looked so excited she could have jumped.

It was Christmastime, a season that should have been filled with family reunions, warmth, and joy.

For Crown Territory, however, it seemed only to bring a series of reluctant farewells.

One by one, people in the camp began to pack their bags, leaving the once-bustling grounds behind.

Because of the time difference, it was only Christmas Eve today in faraway Singapore.

The Xu Family Siblings and Su Ziweng came to say their goodbyes to Feng Mountain early in the morning. After all, Christmas was a major holiday in Singapore as well.

The siblings promised that as soon as they returned, they would immediately begin construction on the hotel.

Further negotiations for the new highway plan were scheduled in Juno, so the four old-timers left with the construction company.

Maintenance on the *River Beach* was finished at the shipyard, so Alvin and the rest of his crew headed to Anchorage without delay to retrieve her.

With the departure of Jenny and a host of other employees, it was as if all the life and energy had been drained from the camp. It reverted to its original state, becoming even quieter than before.

The number of people left in the camp could be counted on one's fingers: Frank, Nash, and Yves; Sun Jia from the shooting range; the veterans Feng Jun and Ma Wei; the trio of Xiaohua, Hu Zi, and Black Hide; and two female employees who had stayed behind to work.

Oh, right. There was still Natasha and her entourage at the cabin.

Looking at the desolate state of the camp, Feng Mountain felt a pang of bitterness.

Then he remembered it was Christmas.

An idea sparked.

Feng Mountain immediately decided to cook a huge Chinese-style feast himself.

He would gather everyone left in the camp and have them taste his cooking.

A group meal would add a bit of life to the Christmas holiday.

"Hua'Er," Feng Mountain said, turning to Xiaohua beside him. "Go over to the cabin and tell Natasha I'm inviting her to the dining hall for a Chinese lunch. We can treat it as a farewell meal before we leave. And Hu Zi, Black Hide—you two go tell everyone else left in the camp to come over."

"Okay!" Xiaohua chirped, then immediately led an equally enthusiastic Hu Zi and Black Hide at a quick pace toward the cabin.

Watching the trio's retreating figures, Feng Mountain let out a small sigh of relief and turned toward the dining hall.

....

Silence surrounded the wooden villa, which was situated at the confluence of the Melting Ice River on the camp grounds.

Because some overly curious people in the camp were always trying to get handsy with the Tiger Pack, the tigers hadn't gone out today. Instead, they were lazing about on the grassy patch in front of their den, dozing.

After freshening up, Natasha didn't change, keeping on her Tundra People attire.

She walked at a slow, deliberate pace toward the tigers.

Andrei and her bodyguards watched her with rapt attention, each holding cuts of beef meant for the tigers.

Their eyes were glued to the tigers' every move, ready to whisk Her Highness away at the slightest sign of danger.

"Your Highness, perhaps we should ask Feng to join us. This is too dangerous!" Andrei said in a low, worried voice, his brow furrowed.

'He recalled how, after they returned to the cabin that morning, Aunt Natalia had conducted a secret inspection while Her Highness was freshening up. After a thorough examination, she had confirmed that Her Highness showed no signs of any intimacy with Feng Mountain. Only then was Andrei able to breathe a sigh of relief, and his opinion of Feng Mountain improved somewhat.'

"Shut up! These tigers are perfectly docile. If we call Feng Mountain over, what am I supposed to do if he refuses to let me take them with me?"

A flash of annoyance crossed Natasha's eyes, and her tone was clearly impatient.

'She had noticed Aunt Natalia's little stunt in the bathroom this morning. The mere thought of it made her blush, a mix of shame and anger rising within her. If she really wanted things to progress with Feng Mountain…'