Black exhaled a smoke ring, the smoke blurring the surprise in his eyes.
"These beasts, they'd even try to bite the postman. Besides me, you're the first person who's been able to touch their heads right after meeting them."
Su Wei rubbed the soft flesh behind the German Shepherd's ear, and the dog squinted its eyes comfortably, even purring.
"Maybe it's because I was moving the deer and I smell of blood on me," Su Wei casually made up.
"Fart."
Black chuckled, his stiff old face finally becoming a little more lively. "The smell of blood will only excite them more, making them want to tear you apart and eat you."
"That's talent, kid." The old hunter looked at Su Wei and said, "Some people are born for this. Wild animals can smell what's in your bones."
Black walked deeper into the kennel.
On the haystack in the corner, lay a slightly smaller female dog.
It didn't get up; its belly was swollen high, and its breathing was somewhat heavy.
Black crouched down, his movements unusually gentle.
His rough, large hand stroked the mother dog's forehead, checking her condition.
This is Bella.
The old hunter turned around and looked at Su Wei, who was interacting with the black-backed dog.
"The one with the keenest sense of smell in that nest is a master tracker."
She's due to give birth in about two weeks.
Black stood up, threw the cigarette butt into the snow, and stomped it out.
"If you really intend to settle down in this godforsaken place, your gun alone won't be enough."
You need eyes that can see even in the dark, and a comrade who will never betray you.
He pointed to the pregnant dog.
"After the puppies are born and weaned, you can choose one yourself."
Su Wei paused in his movements.
He suddenly looked up at Black.
A puppy of a top-quality Alaska Malamute is extremely rare on the black market; even three thousand US dollars might not be enough to buy one.
But money isn't the point.
The key point is that this is about inheritance.
This was Black's recognition of him, acknowledging that he was qualified to be a true hunter.
Su Wei did not refuse.
Saying "it's too expensive" at this point would seem hypocritical.
"Real?"
"I never joke."
Black locked the iron gate and strode toward the tracked vehicle. "Only if you can keep it alive. My dog doesn't keep useless people or freeloaders."
"Don't worry, teacher."
Su Wei stood up, his eyes shining as he looked at the ferocious beasts within the iron netting, which had regained their cold and fierce appearance.
"It will become an excellent hunter on Kodiak Island."
" Cotton Candy will have one more bodyguard, and I'll have one more pair of eyes."
Chapter 89 U-Shaped Valley and the Locked-On Poachers, Operation
Half an hour later.
A separate small wooden hut next to the main cabin – a storage room.
The air here is both murky and warm, filled with the smells of pine smoke and aged grease.
It's the taste of the food.
It's also about a sense of security.
Su Wei's boning knife flew up and down in his hand.
The [ Life Module ] didn't teach him how to kill, but his Cooking skills gave him an understanding of muscle texture, making his knife skills quite accurate at this moment.
Moreover, he has already dissected the black-tailed deer twice.
We have a clear understanding of its body structure.
This is the third time.
The blade moved precisely between the fascia.
Although it was mostly destroyed by bullets, after a rescue effort, Su Wei was still able to carve out about forty pounds of good flesh.
Two intact front legs, part of the back, and the deer heart that Black specifically requested.
Fortunately, the deer heart was not damaged.
On the contrary, the stomach and intestines were already eroded.
As for the mangled pieces of meat and internal organs, they had already been chopped up and thrown into the large pot of boiling meat.
That's the extra meal for the pack of hunting dogs outside tonight.
Black sat behind an old table, holding a cleaning rod and gun oil, maintaining the M70 rifle.
Watching Su Wei's fluid movements, he slowed down his gun-wiping pace.
This kid's learning speed is so fast it's enviable.
I stumbled a bit during yesterday's assessment.
Today, it's running incredibly smoothly.
If you didn't know his performance yesterday, just look at today's performance.
Black genuinely believed this was an old butcher who had been engaged in anatomical work for several years.
A true expert.
"Call..."
Su Wei hung up the last piece of meat, straightened up, and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
He was drenched in sweat despite the lack of heating in the storage room.
This kind of real work gave him a sense of fulfillment and groundedness.
Even if there are about three million US dollars in the bank account, the satisfaction of looking at the dark red strips of meat hanging all over the wall is etched into the bones and nothing can replace it.
The numbers in the bank are just numbers; a room full of meat is the real strength to face the harsh winter.
Although this is Black's storage room.
But the Su Wei are gradually integrating into this land.
Su Wei walked to the pool and turned on the tap.
This doesn't look like his wooden house; the water he uses comes from the lake outside.
The water here comes from a storage tank beneath the pool.
It relies on commercial water delivery services from the Kodiak Town.
In fact, this is the norm.
On Kodiak Island, water is drawn from lakes and streams.
In the suburbs, digging wells for water is extremely difficult.
More often, they rely on water delivery services.
Thousands of liters, or even more, are delivered at once.
The cool water washing away the bloodstains on his hands cleared his mind.
He turned off the water, turned around, and leaned against the log wall.
Su Wei exhaled, took down the clean handkerchief hanging on the pillar next to him, and carefully wiped his hands.
He glanced at Black, who was still fiddling with the shotgun.
Su Wei opened his mouth, seemingly considering his words.
For a long time, a question had been weighing on his mind.
Now, he has to ask.
"Teacher."
"Hmm?" Black didn't even look up, his fingers deftly reinstalling the recoil spring into the bolt.
"That poacher."
Su Wei frowned as he looked at the wall covered in pieces of flesh. "He used such expensive bullets, disregarding the flesh and antlers, just to smash the deer to pieces?"