Landlord in the Arctic

Chapter 294 - 245: Hotel 2

Large red lanterns hung at the restaurant’s entrance, giving it a strong Chinese feel.

The interior was decorated in a classic, antique style, with red tables and chairs, exquisite Chinese screens, and traditional calligraphy and paintings on the walls. It all gave tourists far from home a unique taste of their homeland.

Nearby, Daisen’s leather shop was also doing a booming business.

Genuine leather and purely handmade goods—these factors were enough to entice tourists to pull out their wallets.

Of course, the most popular business of all was He Jia’s shooting range.

As Feng Shan shifted his perspective to the shooting range, a bustling scene unfolded before him.

All of the shooting ranges were currently open, brilliantly lit and illuminating every corner.

Over a dozen tourists, accompanied by Sun Jia and some retired staff, were enthusiastically enjoying the thrill of shooting.

Especially the four old men.

One of them, the seventy-year-old Old Liu, stood in the outdoor shooting range, steadily holding an AK-47.

When he pulled the trigger, his movements were crisp and decisive. Bullets flew out in a continuous stream, and his recoil control was superb—the muzzle barely rose at all. Forget accuracy for a moment; his form alone was badass.

He left the temporary instructor beside him, a Mexican named Scar, staring wide-eyed.

Another old man with a goatee was just as impressive. He was firing a Mosin-Nagant M91. He skillfully raised the rifle, fired, and then smoothly worked the bolt in one fluid motion, without the slightest hitch.

The other two old men clapped and cheered wildly.

「The view shifted again.」

It now rested on the mossy fields outside the camp.

In contrast to the camp’s bustling energy, this area had a tranquil atmosphere.

Tents dotted the vast, mossy landscape like mushrooms, scattered in a pleasingly random arrangement.

Tourists sat quietly before their tents, gazing up at the night sky.

The night sky was a magnificent canvas, where the mysterious and captivating aurora danced freely.

The tourists’ eyes filled with awe and wonder as they immersed themselves in the dreamlike scenery, as if time itself had stood still.

Some couples snuggled close, whispering sweet nothings, while others gazed at the sky in solitude, their thoughts drifting to the distant horizon with the dancing lights.

Jenny, Maria, Yves, David, Erica, and Tammy were all busy with their own tasks.

When Feng Shan broke his connection with the tribe’s Fire Seed, his consciousness withdrew from the bustling camp and returned to the small confines of his hotel room.

He gently shifted his slightly numb body and turned his head to see Loki lying quietly beside his pillow.

Loki seemed to sense the movement. Its beady eyes opened a tiny crack, glanced at Feng Shan, then gently closed again as it drifted back to sleep, looking utterly adorable.

A gentle smile touched Feng Shan’s lips. He lightly stroked Loki’s feathers, then adjusted his position, pulled the blanket up, and drifted back to sleep.

...

「Early morning.」

Feng Shan’s internal clock woke him right on time. After quickly washing up, he got ready for his morning run.

Loki, who had been curled up in the warm bedding, seemed to sense the movement. The bird emerged from the cozy blankets, ruffled its slightly disheveled feathers, and its little eyes spotted Feng Shan preparing to head out.

Seeing this, Loki immediately flapped its wings and landed on Feng Shan’s shoulder. "Papa! Papa!"

"It’s cold outside. You should stay in the room," Feng Shan said, gently stroking Loki’s feathers in an attempt to persuade it.

But Loki clearly didn’t want to stay. It rubbed its head against Feng Shan’s cheek, still calling out nonstop.

He had no choice.

Looking at Loki stubbornly perched on his shoulder, Feng Shan sighed in resignation and tucked the bird inside his jacket.

Once that was done, Feng Shan turned, left the room, and gently closed the door.

As he stepped out of the hotel’s main entrance, the sky was a hazy gray, and a sharp chill hit him.

It had snowed for half the night, and now the entire world looked as if it were covered by a white blanket.

The steps in front of the hotel, the roadside trees, the cars parked along the street—everything was covered in a thick layer of snow that shimmered with a cold light in the early morning glow.

Feng Shan bent and squatted, and after finishing his warm-up, he jogged out of the hotel and down the street.

His footsteps were light and rhythmic, each one leaving a shallow print in the snow.

With every exhale, the warm breath from his nose and mouth instantly turned into a plume of white mist that dissipated behind him in the cold air.

Feng Shan jogged along the street, enjoying the unique morning tranquility and the special beauty of the snow-covered landscape.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of light footsteps from behind. He turned his head and saw several young people jogging in his direction.

The young people looked full of energy and vitality. When they saw Feng Shan jogging ahead, they exchanged a glance, quickened their pace to catch up, and naturally fell in step with him.

And just like that, a temporary jogging group was formed.

After nodding to one another in greeting, they didn’t exchange many words, simply conveying a sense of camaraderie and friendliness through simple gestures.

They then continued jogging down the street together at a moderate pace.

People would occasionally join the group, and others would occasionally drop out.

They ran until the sun slowly rose from the horizon, its gentle rays like golden threads, softly parting the hazy morning mist that shrouded the city.

Day broke. The entire city began to awaken from its slumber, and the once-scarce pedestrians on the streets started to grow in number.

Vehicles began to start up one by one. The roar of their engines and the crunch of tires on snow intertwined, composing the city’s morning symphony.

The members of the impromptu jogging group all stopped, some looking up at the sky, others taking out their phones to admire the rare and beautiful sunrise.

Feng Shan was no exception. He stood still, tilting his head back slightly to let the warm sunlight wash over his face.

Loki poked its head out from inside the jacket, its beady eyes staring curiously at the rising sun. Suddenly, it blurted out a single word.

"Fack."

Feng Shan tapped Loki on the head with a finger, gave a nod to the jogging group, and turned back toward the hotel.

「Back in the hotel room.」

He was slightly sweaty from the run, feeling sticky and uncomfortable, so Feng Shan took a quick shower.

After showering and changing into clean, comfortable clothes, Feng Shan headed to the hotel restaurant to sample the complimentary breakfast.

When he entered the restaurant, quite a few guests were already dining.

Feng Shan found an empty seat, and a moment later, a server brought his breakfast.

He frowned slightly as he looked at the breakfast before him.

Compared to the delicious meal he’d had at Smokehouse BBQ the previous night, the hotel’s breakfast was a major disappointment.

Lukewarm milk, sour-tasting bread, barely edible fried sausages, and a few slices of apple.

’Beggars can’t be choosers. As long as it fills my stomach, it’s fine.’

After hastily forcing down a few bites of the far-from-delicious complimentary breakfast, Feng Shan checked the time. He only had ten minutes left before his meeting with White Bird.

He hurried back to his room, put on a warm fur coat, and double-checked his belongings to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything. Then, with Loki in tow, he left the room.

When he arrived at the hotel entrance, White Bird’s taxi appeared right on schedule at 8:00 AM, as if on cue.

Feng Shan strode forward and pulled open the passenger-side door. The moment it opened, he saw a large bag of food on the seat.

Before he could ask, White Bird spoke up enthusiastically.

"Jeff said Mr. Feng wouldn’t like the hotel breakfast, so he had me bring some extra reindeer hot dogs. I got them from Smokehouse BBQ. There’s also a coffee with extra cream and sugar. It’ll warm you up this morning."

A wave of warmth spread through Feng Shan as he looked at the food and coffee, and a smile touched his face. "Thanks!"

He then settled Loki on the seat before picking up the bag and placing it on his lap.

The car slowly pulled away, heading toward Mackenzie Autonomous Town.

Feng Shan sat in the passenger seat, savoring the reindeer hot dogs and listening to the music. Every so often, he would break off a piece of sausage and feed it to Loki.

...