The tracked vehicle crushed the snow and bounced across the undulating wasteland.
The return journey was long.
The car swayed, and his tense muscles slowly relaxed, a wave of fatigue washing over him.
Outside the window, the blizzard had stopped.
The sky was very blue, and the sunlight shining on the snowfield made the reflected light somewhat dazzling.
The snow-capped mountains stretch endlessly in the distance.
But Su Wei was not in the mood to appreciate it.
The dark gun barrel and the black-tailed deer with its unseeing eyes kept flashing before his eyes.
The poacher's silhouette was sharp and his movements professional.
Why would someone like that end up on such a remote island?
Just for the pleasure of killing?
hunting?
This world is rich in biological resources, and numerous hunting grounds have been established all over the world, so there is almost no need to worry about prey resources.
So, what was his motive?
Was it really just for the sake of simple killing?
For this desire?
Su Wei's fingers unconsciously traced the rough edges of the seatbelt.
After an unknown amount of time, the sparse woods of the wasteland were replaced by shrubs, and snow-covered fences and abandoned utility poles appeared by the roadside.
The outline of Kodiak Town emerges on the horizon.
Black didn't go to the Hunters' Guild. Instead, he swerved at the fork in the road and turned onto a dirt road that hadn't been cleared of snow.
The tracks kicked up a cloud of snow powder.
Two or three kilometers later, a solitary building came into view.
Black's house, though called a cabin, is more like a small private fortress.
The main structure is built of large logs, and the exterior walls are dark brown.
All the windows were fitted with thick wooden panels, leaving only a few gaps for light to pass through.
The yard was surrounded by a barbed wire fence, and the firewood piled up at the entrance was as neat as a small mountain, with each piece of wood being roughly the same size.
Crunch
The car was parked at the entrance of the courtyard.
Black turned off the engine and removed the key.
"Get out of the car. Process that deer first. We can sell the hide, but most of the meat is bloody; cut it off and feed it to the dogs."
Black got out of the car, tightened the collar of his windbreaker, and strode toward the locked door.
Su Wei jumped out of the vehicle and went around to the back.
The deer had completely turned into a large, red and white block of ice.
He exhaled a puff of white mist and reached out to move it.
Buzz €€€€ Buzz €€€€
A vibration came from my pocket.
Su Wei paused.
In this godforsaken place, his phone was basically just for show.
Aside from the occasional telemarketing text and a message from Emily, no one calls him.
Emily?
Su Wei straightened up, took off his blood-stained gloves and tucked them under his arm, then took out his cell phone from his inner pocket.
The screen was cracked in several places, and the light shone brightly in the dim twilight.
I don't know when I fell.
There was no note; it was just a long, unfamiliar number.
Area code displayed: America, Anchorage.
Su Wei frowned, and his heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.
He glanced at Black, who was fumbling for his keys at the door, then turned away, his back to the wind.
Press the answer button.
"Hello?"
His voice was a little hoarse.
"Hello, are you Mr. Su Wei Weiyang?"
A standard, professional female voice.
The faint sounds of keyboard typing and printer operation can be heard in the background.
The bustling atmosphere unique to office buildings in big cities, carried by the radio waves, instantly pierced the deathly silence of this desolate wilderness.
The immense sense of separation left Su Wei momentarily disoriented.
"I am."
His fingers tightened around the phone, his knuckles turning white.
"I am Jennifer, the insurance broker appointed by the Kodiak Island Fisheries Union. Regarding the accidental death claim for your parents, David. David Sue and Ms. Weili Yang, at sea..."
The woman paused for a moment, and the rustling sound of the papers turning could be clearly heard.
One second, two seconds.
Su Wei felt as if the wind around him had stopped.
Ever since that damn shipwreck, he and Aunt Tessa have been passed around by this insurance company.
Every inquiry is met with a cold "under review" or "insufficient materials." This is more chilling than the freezing cold.
And now...
The results are in.
The woman's voice rang out again, still polite, but devoid of any warmth.
Su Wei remained silent.
He's waiting, waiting for a verdict.
At that moment, he could even hear his own pulse pounding against his eardrums.
The heartbeat was crystal clear.
"After multiple rounds of consultations between the legal team and the insurance company, and verification of the final crucial black box recording... Mr. Su, the company has decided to withdraw its previous denial of compensation regarding 'illegal sea travel'."
The claims process has officially begun.
Chapter 86 A Rare Compensation, A New Life? (Bonus Chapter)
Jennifer didn't finish her sentence.
But the words "claims process initiated" were like a bullet, piercing straight through his head.
Su Wei was stunned and stood there for a moment, unable to open his mouth.
I don't know how to answer.
My head was still buzzing, and the voice from the microphone seemed to have become blurred and distant.
Are you listening, Mr. Su?
The woman's voice on the other end of the line remained professionally calm.
There's no emotion, just procedures.
"I suggest you make a note of this; it's the final solution that the union's legal team secured for you."
Su Wei stood beside the tracked vehicle.
His right hand, stained with dried deer blood, gripped the phone tightly; his knuckles turned bluish-white from the force.
The cold wind blew in through my collar.
But he didn't feel cold.
They can't even feel their own bodies.
Only that voice, traveling along the electric current, drilled into his brain, echoing repeatedly, trying to bring him back to his senses.
"Okay, please go ahead."
Su Wei finally came to his senses. He took a deep breath and tried to speak calmly, but his voice still trembled slightly.