Landlord in the Arctic

’He could have just had his men tie me up and bring me to him. Why the need for a man and a woman to be alone in a room together?’

’It would just cause unnecessary misunderstandings among everyone.’

Just then, Tyson, who had been resting, was disturbed by the sound of voices. Annoyed, he lifted his head and looked at the group of two-legged beasts gradually approaching.

Tyson recognized that one of the two-legged beasts, the blonde one, was very close to his master.

So he was no longer angry about them disturbing the Tiger Pack’s rest.

He lowered his head again and affectionately licked Ms. Cola, who was nestled in his embrace.

He then curled up his powerful body, trying his best to shield Ms. Cola in his warm embrace, not letting even a wisp of cold wind touch her.

"Put the meat down." When Natasha reached the Tiger Pack, she gently raised a hand, signaling for the beef to be placed at her feet.

Andrei and the bodyguards didn’t dare to be careless for a second. They hurried forward and cautiously set down the beef they were holding.

This was no ordinary beef; it all came from the cabin’s cold storage room.

It was specially selected for Feng Mountain by the Bear Tribe every time they butchered a cow. Sourced from the most tender, highest-quality cuts of Angus beef, its texture and nutritional value were several times better than the beef the Tiger Pack normally ate.

The moment the beef hit the ground, a rich, mellow, meaty aroma wafted through the air.

The dozing Tiger Pack was instantly awakened by the enticing scent, and they all rose from their languid repose.

They shook their bodies, their ears perked up, and their tiger eyes widened, their appetites clearly stoked by the delicious smell.

Tyson was no exception, though his movements were more careful than the other tigers’.

He moved his enormous body with extreme slowness, each movement as gentle as could be, afraid of disturbing Ms. Cola nestled beside him.

Once on his feet, he strode forward with a steady gait.

He slowly extended his head and sniffed gently at the beef.

The aroma of the beef seemed to invigorate Tyson, but he didn’t immediately dig in. Instead, he took a few steps back and looked at Natasha with a somewhat puzzled expression.

’What does this two-legged beast mean by this?’

Natasha caught the flicker of doubt in Tyson’s eyes.

The corners of her mouth curved up slightly in a faint, confident smile.

She took a step forward and slowly crouched down with an elegant posture, bringing her line of sight level with the tigers to appear as friendly and approachable as possible.

"I’ve already spoken with your master. He’s allowed me to take one tiger with me for protection, but I need to get your consent first." Natasha said in a soft, gentle voice, her gaze sweeping over each tiger, trying to convey her sincerity to the Tiger Pack. "Whichever one of you is willing to come with me, I guarantee you’ll have beef to eat every day, and no one will bully you."

’The master’s command?’

Tyson tilted his head, looking just like a wise sage lost in thought.

His copper bell-sized eyes stared intently at the blonde, two-legged beast before him.

The doubt in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by a sense of trust.

He remembered things his master had told him before.

Like last time, when the master said to arrange for a tiger to stand guard at the plantation entrance to keep idlers away.

Although the Tiger Pack couldn’t fully comprehend complex human commands, out of absolute trust in their master...

...they carried out the order diligently. Every day, one tiger would go report for duty at the plantation on time.

So this time, faced with Natasha’s request, Tyson felt that since the master had agreed to it, they must obey.

A slight stir went through the Tiger Pack.

As she waited, Natasha recalled her conversation with Feng Mountain.

Last night, she had only proposed the condition of wanting a tiger to accompany her.

At the time, Feng Mountain hadn’t agreed directly, only telling her to go communicate with the Tiger Pack herself.

’This could be tricky.’

However, Natasha was not only exceptionally intelligent but also extremely adept at observing her surroundings.

During her time in contact with the Tiger Pack, Natasha could clearly see that these tigers had unusually high intelligence. They could understand human speech, though their level of comprehension varied.

So, an idea struck Natasha.

Instead of making a forceful demand, she decided to gently and sincerely coax the Tiger Pack by altering her wording, turning "Feng Mountain agreed" into "Feng Mountain requests."

Sure enough, upon hearing it was their master’s request, Tyson was the first to react.

He turned his head to look at his companions behind him and let out a couple of low roars.

He was telling the Tiger Pack that it was the master’s order: send one tiger to protect this blonde, two-legged beast.

After a brief moment of restlessness in the Tiger Pack, the next moment, a massive tiger slowly stood up and stepped forward.

This tiger was exceptionally powerful, its muscles taut all over, as if containing boundless strength ready to erupt at any moment.

The "王" character marking on its head was clear and striking, and its paws were as large as soup bowls. Each step it took made a dull THUD that was enough to send a chill down one’s spine.

The tiger that had volunteered strode out from the pack with a dominant, swaggering gait, heading straight for Natasha.

Under Natasha’s excited and expectant gaze, it slowly approached her feet, then began to devour the beef on the ground as if no one else was there.

Meanwhile, the other tigers showed no intention of fighting for it.

Instead, they lay back down, ceding the rare delicacy and seemingly acknowledging their companion’s special mission.

"Andrei, go to the kitchen. Take all the beef out of the cold storage room and feed it to the tigers."

Natasha couldn’t hide her excitement. Her voice trembled slightly, but she tried to keep it low, afraid of startling the Tiger Pack that had just placed such immense trust in her.

’Even though I used Feng Mountain’s name under false pretenses, which was a bit deceitful, my promise is one hundred percent genuine.’

But in her eyes, gaining a tiger’s allegiance so easily felt more fulfilling than closing a highly profitable business deal.

’Besides...’

’...that beef in the cold storage room isn’t mine anyway.’

’If it’s left for too long, it’ll spoil. By letting the tigers enjoy it, I’m just helping Feng Mountain deal with something that would otherwise go to waste.’

’Killing two birds with one stone. Why not?’

Andrei stood to the side, having witnessed the entire process.

He understood that the Tiger Pack had accepted Her Highness and would not cause her any harm.

Thus, he turned, beckoned to the other bodyguards, and the group walked briskly into the cabin.

When Andrei and his men came out of the cabin again, each one was carrying huge chunks of beef.

It was all prime cuts—tenderloin, chuck flap, and ribeye—the absolute best of the best.

If Feng Mountain had been there to see this, he probably would have been so furious he’d have smoke pouring from his ears and coughed up blood.

This beef all came from the very finest parts of the ranch’s specially bred cattle.

Moreover, they were a breed improved by the Fire Seed.

Every single piece, whether in terms of texture, nutrition, or rarity, was enough to make gourmets and epicures flock to it.

It was no exaggeration to say it was worth a fortune.

Usually, Feng Mountain himself was reluctant to eat it.

He had specially placed it in the cold storage room to let it age.

He was saving it for special occasions or for entertaining important guests.

Who could have predicted that Natasha would now so lavishly use it all up in one go?

For the Tiger Pack, however, today was like a festival.

It was rare for them to get to eat their fill, but now there was an endless supply of top-quality beef.

Tyson led the Tiger Pack in a hearty and satisfying feast.

"Sister Natasha." Just then, Xiaohua walked into the yard with Hu Zi and Black Hide.

"Over here!" Hearing the voice, Natasha stood up, an enthusiastic smile on her face as she waved from a distance.

As for Xiaohua, this little girl who seemed like she would never grow up, Natasha had always been very fond of her, finding her pure and adorable, like a ray of warm sunshine in winter—comforting but not blinding.

"We’re leaving the day after tomorrow. Brother Shan said he’s going to personally cook lunch for you at the restaurant—Chinese food. Aunt Natalia and Uncle Andrei are invited too."

After Xiaohua got closer, she first relayed the task Feng Mountain had given her, but she cleverly changed "everyone" to "you," clearly a small trick on her part to make Natasha feel she was receiving special treatment.

Then, her gaze was drawn to the Tiger Pack feasting ravenously, and she couldn’t help but ask curiously, "We didn’t butcher a cow today, so where did all this beef come from?"

"From the cold storage room," Natasha replied calmly, her tone nonchalant, as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world.

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, a flicker of curiosity crossed her eyes and she asked, "Is Feng going back to the country with you all too?"

...