According to the plan, he was supposed to go to the supermarket to replenish some daily necessities and then return to the wooden house at the foot of the mountain.
But Black's suggestion made him change his mind; catching the poachers would take time, possibly a day, or possibly three days.
The wooden house at the foot of the mountain is too far away; going back and forth would be a waste of fuel.
Aruk's house is too noisy; there are too many people talking at once.
After much thought, Emily's apartment is still the most suitable.
It's close to the Fish and Game Department, the environment is quiet, and you can easily find out news from the town.
But this requires a reason, or rather, a new rent payment.
Su Wei twisted the throttle, and the tracks kicked up snow.
Instead of heading to his usual chain supermarket, he lowered the car and turned towards the dock.
The seafood market is located on one side of the pier; it's a semi-open-air tin shed.
Normally, this place is filled with the smell of fish and the sounds of haggling, but today, because of the blizzard, most of the stalls are empty, with only a few dim lights still shining in the corner of the sheltered wall.
Su Wei parked his motorcycle in a spot with less snow, brushed the snowflakes off his shoulders, and went inside.
The air smelled of cold seawater, mixed with a hint of diesel fuel.
"Stop looking, time to pack up." A stall owner wearing a heavy rubber apron said without looking up as he shoveled ice, "This awful weather, even the seagulls are hiding in the chimneys."
"I need it urgently." Su Wei walked to the stall, took off his gloves, revealing a pair of long, strong hands.
The vendor paused in his shoveling of ice. He glanced at Su Wei, then looked at the dilapidated snowmobile behind him.
"Choose from those boxes over there. They were just unloaded and haven't been sent to cold storage yet." The stall owner pointed to several blue insulated boxes next to him, his tone softening. "Cash only, no cards."
Su Wei nodded and walked to the styrofoam box.
The passive effect of [ Cooking LV3] makes his judgment very sharp.
In his eyes, he could vaguely sense the quality of these marine creatures.
The first box contained spotted shrimp.
It is quite large, with a reddish-brown body and irregular white spots on its shell.
A few were still twitching their tentacles slightly in the ice shards.
Su Wei reached out and picked one up.
The shell is hard, the meat is firm, and the connection between the shrimp head and body is very strong.
This thing can sell for fifteen dollars apiece in a high-end restaurant in Seattle, but here it's just an extra that fishermen casually scoop up.
Make some stir-fried prawns—crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, with a rich sauce—perfect for this kind of weather.
"I'll take all of these shrimp." Su Wei swept the pile of shrimp into the bag.
The stall owner was somewhat surprised, but didn't ask any further questions. He simply took out an old-fashioned spring scale from his pocket.
Su Wei continued examining the second box.
Inside were more than a dozen squid, not tiny squid the size of a palm, but hook squid, a species unique to the Kodiak Sea.
This type of squid has very thick walls, and if not handled properly, it can feel like chewing rubber. However, if cooked just right, it has a very crisp and tender texture.
He pressed the squid's body.
The rebound was rapid; the pigment cells on the epidermis were still shimmering, and the suction cups clung tightly to the ice cube.
This is fresh proof.
Make some squid rings, coat them in flour, fry them, and serve with lemon juice and tartar sauce—it makes a great snack.
While watching TV, Emily can eat a whole plate by herself.
"And these too." Su Wei picked out the two largest ones.
Finally, his gaze fell on a slice of salmon.
This is a sockeye salmon; the meat is dark red, and the fat marbling is very fine.
Compared to the oily king salmon, sockeye salmon has firmer flesh and a richer flavor.
It's snowing heavily outside, and even with the heating on full blast, the air inside feels dry. Making a salmon and tomato soup is a great idea; it's sweet, sour, and appetizing, and it warms you up too.
Most importantly, lycopene and Omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial for wound healing.
Su Wei pointed to the piece of fish meat in the middle.
"That one will be much more expensive." The stall owner frowned and glanced again at the dilapidated snowmobile.
"I'll take it, cash," Su Wei said calmly.
Without saying a word, the stall owner picked up a sharp fish-cutting knife and, with a "thud," neatly sliced off a large piece.
When it came time to pay, Su Wei counted out a few crumpled banknotes.
Carrying the heavy plastic bag, Su Wei remounted his snowmobile.
The way back was more difficult than the way there; the wind direction had changed, and the crosswind made the motorcycle sway violently.
Su Wei had no choice but to lower his body and use his weight to stabilize the vehicle.
Twenty minutes later, he parked his car downstairs at the apartment building.
Shaking off the snow, Su Wei carried the bag upstairs.
The hallway was well-heated, which warmed his frozen face somewhat.
He stopped in front of room 302, took a moment to catch his breath, and pulled out his keys.
This is the spare key Emily gave him this morning.
The sound of the latch turning was particularly loud in the quiet stairwell.
The door opened.
The room was lit by a warm yellow light, and a noisy talk show was playing on the television.
The air is filled with a faint scent of lily of the valley, mixed with the warm aroma of sandalwood.
A fresh and delicate fragrance.
Emily was slumped on the sofa, her injured leg propped up on a pillow.
A white, fluffy ball was lying on her stomach, purring – it was Cotton Candy.
Upon hearing the door open, both the human and the fox turned around simultaneously.
"Hey, you're back." Emily's eyes lit up instantly, her previous boredom vanishing.
She tried to sit up straight, supporting herself on the sofa armrest, but aggravated her injured leg, wincing and hissing in pain.
Cotton Candy is much more agile than her.
The little guy let out a soft "ooh," jumped off the sofa, and ran to the door with tiny steps. He circled around Su Wei's trouser leg, his nose twitching incessantly, clearly having smelled the seafood in the bag.
Su Wei gently nudged Cotton Candy's belly with her toes, then closed the door behind her to shut out the sound of the wind outside.
"Don't move." He placed the bag on the entryway cabinet and changed out of his snow-covered boots. "Don't you want your legs anymore?"
"I can live without my legs for now, as long as I can eat something delicious," Emily said with a grin, her eyes fixed on the still-dripping plastic bag. "Let me guess, this tastes... like seafood?"
"You have a good nose." Su Wei took off his heavy windproof coat and hung it on the hanger.
He walked to the sofa and glanced at Emily's legs.
There seems to be more graffiti on the plaster, and there's a half-eaten bag of potato chips next to it.
"How did the exam go?" Emily asked cautiously, a smile on her face, but her fingers unconsciously gripping the blanket beneath her.
She knew Su Wei needed this license.
If he fails, then his debts may run into some problems again.
Hunting is his greatest hope right now.
Su Wei remained silent.
He took the still-warm plastic card out of his jacket pocket and gently placed it on the coffee table with a soft "thud".
The holographic anti-counterfeiting label on the card flashed a golden light under the lamp.
[Hunter Rank: LV1]
Emily grabbed the card, examined it twice, and even scratched at the stamped lettering with her fingernail.
"Ha, I knew it!" She slapped her thigh excitedly, completely forgetting that her leg was still broken. "I knew you could do it! Su Wei, now you're a legal assassin!"
"It's a hunter," Su Wei corrected. "And besides, that's your leg. Do you want it back or not?"
"No difference, they're both cool." Emily shoved the card back into Su Wei's hand, her smile more dazzling than the snow outside the window. "So, to celebrate our new professional hunter, shouldn't we have a big meal tonight?"
Seeing her expectant expression, Su Wei's hesitation dissipated.
He sat down on the sofa, leaning slightly forward, with his hands crossed on his knees.
" Emily, there's something I need to discuss with you."
Emily paused, her smile fading slightly. She keenly sensed that Su Wei's tone had become serious.