A lower rating means less maintenance funding from the guild, reduced patrol efforts, and a smaller quota allocated to professional hunters, which directly affects the livelihoods of every hunter who makes a living in this area.
Hunters who work for the Hunters' Guild are responsible for maintaining peace in the hunting grounds and ensuring the safety of wildlife populations.
Of course, they also receive a substantial salary and excellent benefits.
The hunters who rely on the prey in this hunting area need the health of the population in this area even more.
If a population experiences problems and is unable to hunt, their profits will naturally decrease.
Can Samsung save itself?
Black leaned against the cabin door and asked a question.
"Suspense."
Charlie sighed and pointed to the stag lying among the rocks. "That was the stag king of this area. With a stag of this size dead, the fawn population next year will definitely be affected."
"Plus the commotion that madman caused in the U-Shaped Valley... and the damn strictness of that evaluation committee! I heard they've already sided with private hunting areas, and a hunting company is planning to open up a new hunting area here."
Black smoked a cigarette, the red glow of which flickered with his breath.
His face reflected a deep contemplation.
Charlie didn't say anything more; he patted Black on the shoulder.
" Black, I know what you're thinking. You love this land, but you have to understand, capitalism is ruthless."
"This place may become a mess in the future, but for now, we can still protect it."
Black didn't answer, but simply inhaled the last puff of smoke into his lungs and slowly exhaled.
He looked at Charlie with a sharp gaze that made it difficult to look directly at him.
"Don't worry, Charlie. This land, no matter what, belongs to these creatures of nature, and to the hunters."
Charlie shook his head helplessly, just about to say something more.
At that moment, another law enforcement officer suddenly exclaimed.
"My God! Captain, look at this!"
Chapter 93 A Ridiculous Blunder, Invitation and Loot! (Bonus Chapter)
The young team member's fingers slid rapidly across the cold-weather screen of the military terminal. The screen's eerie blue light reflected on his astonished face.
"Fingerprints and iris scans were compared."
Tom looked up, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.
He looked at the man who had been left in the corner of the cabin, his thigh still bleeding, and then at Charlie.
"Captain, this guy isn't an ordinary poacher."
Charlie spat out his cigarette butt, his boots crunching on the snow. "Stop being so mysterious. Who is he?"
" Garrett Hawke. Former Marine Corps reconnaissance sniper." Tom handed the terminal to Charlie, speaking quickly.
"After retiring, he was suspected of second-degree murder and armed robbery in Anchorage. Ten days ago, police raided his hideout, but he escaped by jumping out of a second-floor window."
" The Anchorage Police Department has issued a citywide arrest warrant with a $50,000 reward."
Fifty thousand dollars.
This is not a small amount in Alaska.
Su Wei is reloading bullets into the magazine.
Upon hearing the number, he paused for half a second.
He turned his head and looked at the man slumped in the cabin like a dead dog.
It wasn't for the antlers after all.
It wasn't for the sake of simple killing.
It's for life.
Black leaned against the tracked vehicle, wiping his prized M70 rifle.
Upon hearing this, the old hunter merely raised an eyebrow, his weathered face showing no surprise whatsoever.
"That makes sense," Black said casually. "Ordinary poachers don't use live deer as heat shields. That's a tactical maneuver to avoid thermal imaging and snipers."
Charlie took the terminal, looked at the red wanted poster on it, and his expression became extremely interesting.
First came astonishment, then a surge of elation, followed by a constipated expression, like someone who had just swallowed a fly.
"Damn it," Charlie cursed.
He spun around twice, kicking up a cloud of snow with his boots.
"That bastard thinks we're arresting him for murder."
Charlie pointed to the deer carcass in the pile of rocks, and the chain of logic instantly closed in his mind.
"He must have fled into Hunting Area No. 1 in a panic, and under the influence of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), he was emotionally unstable and killed several black-tailed deer to vent his emotions. He was eventually discovered by the law enforcement team."
"They gave chase, but he mistook them for the police arresting him! Then a blizzard hit, and they were stranded in the wilderness. Then, spurred on by your pursuit, they raced all the way to the U-Shaped Valley."
"Then the helicopter arrived." Su Wei loaded the last bullet into the magazine and clicked the safety on.
"That's right." Charlie scratched his stubble-covered chin irritably. "We were just here to investigate. But this scaredy-cat thought it was a SWAT or police tactical team coming to arrest him. Out of spite, or to create chaos, this madman opened fire on the deer."
This explains the massacres that lacked any business logic.
Poachers do it for money, murderers do it to vent their fear.
"The good news is, this is a major achievement."
Tom added from the side, his voice brimming with barely concealed excitement, "Catching a wanted criminal who committed murder with a gun will definitely earn us a commendation from the department. Captain, this is a major case."
Charlie glared at him.
"A commendation?" Charlie pointed to the ravaged snowfield around them. "Are you blind? Look at this valley."
"A rare, dominant Roosevelt elk stallion has died. At least four adult does have been shot. Add to that the disturbed herd, which could lead to miscarriages, and the elk population in this area will decline by at least 15% by this time next year."
Charlie grew angrier and angrier, wishing he could go and shoot the wanted criminal in the thigh again.
"If the rating drops to three stars, the funding from above will be reduced. Forget about any awards; I'll be lucky if that damned evaluation committee doesn't skin me alive."
Su Wei stood aside, listening to the two arguing.
This is the reality of the official hunting grounds.
For the Su Wei, this meant survival and food.
For poachers, this is killing and exorbitant profits.
For Charlie and his team, this is data, KPIs, and their livelihoods that they have to protect.
"Alright," Black interrupted their complaints, "You can have the man; this is none of our business."
The old hunter slung his gun over his shoulder, turned around, and walked back to the tracked vehicle.
Su Wei did not follow immediately.
He walked over to the huge, dead stag.
That was indeed a beautiful beast.
Even with its spine broken, its former ferocity is still evident.
The enormous antlers, like a crown, were stuck in the snow, only now they were stained with the blood of the wanted criminal.
High-quality biological remains detected.
[Roosevelt Deer (Lord-level): Dead.]
[Multiple bones were fractured throughout the body; the meat was severely contaminated; and the fur was damaged.]
The system determined that it was cold.
Su Wei crouched down and looked at the pair of deer eyes that had lost their luster.
This is the human shield that the wanted criminal used to block bullets.
"Don't bother looking, you can't take it with you." Charlie walked over and offered Su Wei a cigarette.
Su Wei shook his head and didn't answer.
"The pollution is too severe." Charlie looked at the stag king with some regret. "That madman used it as a shield while he hid behind it. The helicopter searchlights, stun grenades, plus prolonged hypothermia and blood loss—the meat has turned sour and smells like gunpowder."
"Let's stay here." Su Wei stood up and brushed the snow off his gloves. "The brown bears here also need to hibernate."
That's the rule of the wilderness.
Nothing is ever truly wasted.
The death of this stag king will help the wolf pack in this valley get through the toughest week.
"But considering your contribution, its antlers can be yours."
Charlie pondered for a moment, then spoke to Su Wei.
Then, ignoring the stunned Su Wei, he returned to the cabin laughing loudly.
The helicopter rotors began to accelerate again.