"I do not understand."
"I can understand doing it for money, I can understand doing it for food. But for... fun?"
Even after deciding to settle here, Su Wei still couldn't understand this pure malice.
This is a desecration of life.
It's also an insult to the hunter's identity.
If it's for the purpose of poaching endangered species, then it's a professional way to obtain a specific trophy.
Su Wei might be able to understand.
For example, ivory. Or, fur.
But, it's just for the pleasure of killing...
Su Wei lowered his eyes, wiped the water droplets off his hands, and hung them back up.
He just needs an answer, if that's really the answer.
Then, Su Wei will make him pay the price he deserves.
Black stopped what he was doing.
He put down his gun, picked up the flask on the table, and took a swig.
The pungent aroma of whiskey filled the air.
"Fun?"
The old hunter gave a mocking smile, a look of disgust born from seeing through the ugly truth.
" Su Wei, don't overestimate human nature."
"In the city, even with laws in place, lawyers, doctors, and bankers still do what they're supposed to do, and what they're not supposed to do, they still have to do."
Beneath this land lie many sordid secrets you are unaware of.
"On the contrary, things are relatively better in Alaska."
"Are we almost in Seattle? New York? San Francisco?"
"Those are far more outrageous."
"Once there, the prey will not only be animals from the wilderness..."
Black's eyes were unpredictable, and his facial expression was strange.
It seems I've recalled something disgusting.
But he quickly regained his senses and looked at Su Wei as he continued speaking.
"But arriving here doesn't mean these things are gone."
"However, the rules here in the wilderness are stronger than in the city."
Black pointed to the dark wilderness outside the door.
"Once you have a gun, the rules disappear."
"In the wilderness, guns are everything."
"Some people don't enjoy the hunt; they enjoy the feeling of dominating other people's lives."
"They pulled the trigger, and a life exploded a kilometer away. In that moment, they felt they could decide everything."
Black's voice was low and chilling.
That's why we have Hunters' Guild.
"It's not just about protecting the deer."
"It's all about getting rid of these unruly lunatics, either by killing them or sending them back to the city."
Here, the rules of the wilderness are the only rules.
"That's why I chose to be a hunter."
Su Wei fell silent.
Looking at Black's cold, hard face, he suddenly understood why his mentor was called " the Old Devil."
He is upholding the bottom line.
"I see."
Su Wei nodded, the doubt in his eyes dissipating, replaced by a sharpness like a blade.
"Since it's a rabid dog, it should be treated like a rabid dog."
"Drip drip drip drip"
A sudden, jarring phone ring broke the silence.
It came from Black's waist pocket.
Black stopped speaking and reached for an old smartphone.
"I am Black."
" Black, found him."
A gust of wind came from the other end of the microphone, along with a man's hushed voice.
It's Charlie.
Su Wei straightened up instantly, his muscles tensing.
"Location," Black said succinctly.
"A U-Shaped Valley downstream of the Pilan Creek."
Charlie's voice trembled with extreme anger. "Ten minutes ago, the helicopter spotted him entering the valley. And... I heard gunshots."
"Rapid fire."
"There's a herd of Roosevelt deer there! And it looks like their wintering grounds and breeding grounds!"
"The valley is teeming with animals, and its terrain is complex with dense forests. Vehicles cannot enter, and helicopters cannot lock onto it."
boom!
Su Wei felt as if a string in his mind had snapped.
U-Shaped Valley.
Roosevelt deer.
It was the herd of Roosevelt deer that he discovered!
That was also his initial hope of paying off the debt!!
It is also the most precious species on Kodiak Island besides the brown bear, and the most vulnerable link in the food chain.
Rapid fire.
That was a massacre.
Those damn bastards!
"Knew."
Black hung up the walkie-talkie.
He slowly stood up, said nothing, and slung the newly maintained M70 rifle back over his shoulder.
Click.
The sound of a bullet being chambered was particularly crisp in the quiet storage room.
The old hunter glanced at Su Wei.
The usual sternness was gone from his eyes; in its place was a cold ruthlessness born of standing shoulder to shoulder with the enemy.
"Take your gun."
"And that knife."
Black pushed open the door, and the wind and snow instantly rushed in.
"Get to work."
"This time, it's time to get to know the real wilderness."
Chapter 90 The Art of the Hunt: Who is the Prey?
"My gun is at home."
Su Wei grabbed the windproof softshell jacket hanging by the door, zipped it all the way up to cover his chin.
He looked out at the dark wasteland.
"You'll pass my cabin on the way to the U-Shaped Valley."
"Just two minutes, I need that Browning."
That was the weapon he was most familiar with.