Landlord in the Arctic

Feng Mountain hurried, bringing a gust of wind and snow with him as he quickly climbed the stairs.

The wooden stairs let out a faint CREAK under his feet.

Reaching the second-floor bedroom, he reached out and pushed open the closed door.

In an instant, an impossibly luxurious room burst into view.

The first thing he saw was the magnificent golden wallpaper, which shimmered with a captivating, noble luster. Every inch exuded a breathtakingly lavish atmosphere.

Above him hung an exquisite crystal chandelier.

Its countless, crystal-clear pendants refracted the dim light into a kaleidoscope of colors.

It bathed the entire room in a dreamlike glow, making it feel like a fairyland.

His gaze drifted to the walls, where several oil paintings were hung in a tasteful arrangement.

The frames were exquisite, inlaid with gold and silver, adding a dignified air to the artwork.

The subjects in the portraits, whether frowning or smiling, had incredibly detailed facial expressions.

The landscapes, too, were so lifelike they seemed to carry the weight of history.

Even though Feng Mountain didn’t understand art, he could feel their value.

His eyes moved to the center of the room.

His own simple wooden bed was gone. In its place stood a masterfully carved wooden bedstead.

A silk canopy cascaded from the top of the bed like a gentle waterfall, smooth and delicate, releasing a faint, elusive fragrance into the air.

The thick, hand-woven rug underfoot was like a vibrant, plush cloud covering the entire floor.

Feng Mountain couldn’t bear to step on it with his shoes on. He hastily pulled off his boots and entered the bedroom with his big, stinky feet.

The carpet’s pile was long and soft, making it feel plush and comfortable underfoot.

The gentle sensation that traveled up from the soles of his feet was like walking on clouds.

Every step made Feng Mountain want to linger and savor this moment of comfort.

In the corners of the room sat several elegantly shaped antique ornaments.

Time had left its mottled marks on them, but it also gave them a unique charm.

The smell of money.

’Is this my bedroom?’

A look of utter bewilderment on his face, Feng Mountain subconsciously retreated to the doorway.

He stuck his head out and carefully looked left and right down the all-too-familiar hallway.

’That’s right, this is my home!’

After that brief confirmation, a nameless rage instantly welled up inside him.

Feng Mountain returned to the bedroom, staring at the unfamiliar decor.

’My perfectly fine room has been turned into this mess. How am I supposed to live here now?’

But no matter how angry he was, he couldn’t let it delay important matters.

First things first, he had to find the satellite phone.

It was their only hope of contacting the outside world and concerned the safety of everyone at the camp.

So, Feng Mountain suppressed his anger and began to search the room carefully.

The bedroom was the same size and the walls were still in the same place, but the layout was completely different from what he remembered. It was totally transformed.

He remembered keeping the satellite phone on his nightstand, within easy reach. It had been very convenient.

But now...

His familiar wooden bed was gone without a trace, as if it had never been there, to say nothing of the nightstand.

Feng Mountain was frantic, his mind racing.

’Could it be in the closet?’

He walked to a corner of the room where a tall, magnificent wardrobe adorned with a fine tassel curtain stood.

He grabbed the handle and gave it a sharp pull.

With a CREAK, the door swung open, revealing layers of clothes stacked inside.

Feng Mountain didn’t bother to be neat. He just plunged his hand into the closet and started rummaging through the pile of clothes.

The moment his fingers brushed against a thin cloth string, his face lit up, and a surge of hope rose in his heart.

The satellite phone had an identical lanyard tied to it.

It was to prevent it from being accidentally dropped or lost.

’Finally found it!’

Eagerly, Feng Mountain gave it a hard tug.

Who would have thought the cloth string had such excellent elasticity? It was like a fully drawn slingshot band.

With a light SNAP.

Propelled by the powerful recoil, the string whipped back with a gust of wind.

It struck Feng Mountain squarely in the face.

The sudden blow made Feng Mountain see stars. A red welt instantly appeared on his face, which stung with a burning pain.

But the situation was urgent; he had no time to cry out in pain.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, he squinted and focused on the object in his hand.

One look, and Feng Mountain froze.

This wasn’t a lanyard for a satellite phone at all. It was clearly a piece of clothing with an extremely peculiar shape.

The garment’s construction was bafflingly simple.

It consisted of just two thin, soft, yet durable straps.

At the front, they connected to a small, relatively wider piece of fabric. The fabric was slightly curved, as if meticulously cut to fit the contours of the human body.

Furthermore, the edge of the fabric was neatly studded with a row of sparkling things.

They glittered brilliantly in the dim light, looking exactly like diamonds at first glance and exuding an air of luxury.

’What the hell is this...?’

Feng Mountain muttered subconsciously, his brow furrowed deeply in complete confusion.

The first thought that came to his mind...

’Could it be some kind of jewelry?’

But on closer inspection, it didn’t seem like it.

So Feng Mountain simply held up the incomprehensible garment and examined it over and over.

He was an unlucky bastard who, after serving a seven-year prison sentence, had been released only a few months prior and ended up in the godforsaken Crown Territory.

And while he had been thriving in Alaska on his own merits, his life experience was still limited. He hadn’t seen many of the strange and wonderful things the outside world had to offer.

This strangely shaped piece of clothing in his hand, for example, was causing Feng Mountain a great deal of trouble.

’Underwear?’

Feng Mountain muttered to himself, but immediately shook his head and dismissed the idea.

’This doesn’t look anything like underwear.’

Just these few thin straps.

’If you actually wore this, wouldn’t it dig into your ass and hurt like hell? That makes no sense.’