Return to Alaska

In this nameless little town in Alaska, there are certainly no million-dollar fortunes waiting to be inherited.

Henry simply asked Old Tom, the local resident who was in charge of intermediaries and consultations, to keep an eye on Old John's situation and notify him as soon as possible What If...? anything went wrong.

In exchange, Henry regularly helped old Tom buy the odds and ends he needed, pack them, and mail them to Alaska.

In this era before online shopping and beyond the reach of telephone shopping, Henry's service was quite practical. On Thanksgiving, Henry received a call from Old Tom. The old man, who ran the bar alone, hadn't opened for business. The sheriff broke down the door and confirmed that the old man was gone.

The man was lying on the bed, without any strange signs. It wasn't a home invasion or robbery, nor was it done by any of the other frail old men in town. Old John simply died in his sleep, without any signs of pain or struggle.

Having received the news, Henry naturally had to make the trip. Nine years later, he returned to Alaska.

Traveling by boat is too slow, and the sea freezes over in winter, limiting the areas boats can reach. Flights to Alaska are not daily, and passenger planes only fly to major airports.

To get back to the nameless town where he used to live, Henry, remembering the difficulty of leaving, had no desire to try driving back again. Unless he had to carry the car around by plane all the time again.

To secretly fly back to Alaska on such a public trip would be tantamount to revealing one's abilities. So Henry chose the simplest approach: using money to pave the way and chartering a plane back to Alaska.

As the country with the most developed aviation industry, arranging a charter flight at the last minute is not difficult. Moreover, Henry wanted to take Kitty with him, not leave her in Los Angeles.

Even in the dead of winter, Alaska's pristine environment is well worth a visit. Walking in the snow with a tiger by your side, occasionally escaping the civilized world for a while, is quite wonderful.

When I first arrived in Asura, I was completely lost and didn't know what to do. I felt confused and everything seemed meaningless.

Having experienced all sorts of worldly hardships, my state of mind is quite different from before.

Besides seeing the old man who had taken care of him one last time, Henry also wanted to return to nature and calm his recent violent and irritable mood.

Although each time he took action and saw the results, his emotions didn't fluctuate much. Henry felt neither disgusted nor happy.

But subtly, Henry still sensed something was different. Even with only one task left to complete,

He didn't rush to make a move.

This wasn't just a problem of the target being surrounded by traps and informants. Henry was more afraid that once he took action, he might lose control and end up causing a pointless Carnage.

Therefore, a trip to Alaska is a necessary journey, both emotionally and logically.

No airline could offer a direct flight to that nameless town. There was no airport near the town, except for a private airport near the port town where the crab fishing boats departed, which could accommodate small propeller planes.

So you first have to take a small charter plane from Los Angeles to Fairbanks Airport in Alaska. Then you have to transfer to a small propeller plane to fly to the port town, and then drive to the unnamed town.

Henry was lucky; although there was snow and the temperature was below zero in Alaska, his destination, the weather was good enough to fly.

Kitty wasn't a Tiger problem either; if you paid enough, things could be handled on a case-by-case basis. So Henry flew to the port town that very day.

Old Tom hasn't changed much since nine years ago. His old face was already ugly enough, and after nine years, it's still just as ugly.

He tricked himself into buying a Ford F-150 pickup truck after taking over the old Cadillac. He and the truck were parked next to the airport runway, watching the small propeller planes land.

"Henry, our big man is back." Old Tom stepped forward, ready to give him a big hug.

"Old Tom." Henry didn't move aside and was about to hug him.

Unexpectedly, the old man in front of me moved with lightning speed, leaping backward! "What is this thing?"

Kitty got off the little plane on her own initiative, and it even gave a very obedient "meow" and "groan".

: cold!

Henry chuckled and introduced, "This is my pet, Kitty, Tabby Cat. Don't worry, she won't bite, as long as you don't put your hand in her Barry. So if you see her mouth coming close, remember to run."

The pilot, who had been trembling with fear the entire time and hadn't dared to utter a single sarcastic remark, sat in the cockpit nodding vigorously. It was unclear whether he agreed with Henry's statement or simply wanted that ancestor to leave as soon as possible; he was willing to accept anything.

Although the payment for this trip was based on two Passenger, it's hard to say whether he would have the courage to take on another job like this.

Henry patted the back of Old Tom's pickup truck and said to Kitty, "Get in here. You're so big, don't try to squeeze into the cab with us."

Even without lowering the tailgate, Kitty easily jumped into the truck bed. The paint on the outside wasn't damaged at all.

Old Tom wanted to refuse to give the "cat" a ride, but he didn't dare say it aloud. Seeing the difficulty on his old face, Henry patted him on the shoulder. "Old man, give me a hand, there's still some stuff to unload from the plane. Some of it is yours."

It had its own advantages, which made Old Tom's expression soften slightly.

There were three large boxes and two small boxes on the plane. Henry picked up the large box and said, "These are all for you. Don't be fooled by their size; they're actually quite light. These two smaller ones are heavier, so I'll carry them."

Looking at the familiar packing boxes, Old Tom said, "You brought all the things I need to buy this month." But actually, his eyes were on the two smaller boxes.

Unlike the blank outer packaging boxes, those two small boxes were printed with the distillery's whisky labels. Henry had brought the premium ones.

Picking up one of the boxes, Henry said, "Old John is about to be buried, so whatever I bring back won't be of any use to him. So I might as well bring some things that are useful to the living and for the funeral. Or is drinking not allowed at funerals here?"

He'd just put the box in Old Tom's back of the truck when he looked back and saw the old man had already opened another small box, taken out a bottle of liquor, and stuffed it in his pocket. Realizing he'd made eye contact with Henry, he smiled shyly. "Just trying to lighten your load a bit."

"Whatever you want, just don't drink and drive."

Having long admired airplane piloting, seeing Old Tom's actions confirmed that the two small boxes did indeed contain alcohol, and his eyes were immediately glued to them.

Henry, who was about to move the second case, took out another bottle and handed it to the pilot. "Buddy, you're a good pilot."

Although I haven't made any plans yet, I'll need your help on my way back. Is that alright?

The pilot accepted it with a smile. "Of course, no problem. You have my phone number. Just give me a call when the time comes, weather permitting."

"I'll definitely fly your flight first." With good wine, even the Tiger's matter isn't impossible to be accommodating. We've already accommodated him once.

"Thanks," Henry laughed. But before leaving, he added, "Drinking is fine, but drink at home. Don't drink while flying a plane."

"Ha, don't worry. No bear or deer will suddenly appear from the sky."

Was Lao Tzu referring to this issue? Henry smiled slightly.

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