Then what?
What is he going to do?
Just then, a notification popped up at the top of the phone screen, accompanied by a slight vibration.
It was a text message.
The sender is Wells Fargo.
[Dear Mr. Su Wei Yang, your personal business loan's minimum payment of US$30,000 this month is due on October 31, 2025. Please handle it as soon as possible to avoid affecting your personal credit record.]
Chapter 98 Bear Hunting? Hold on, Black wants to have some tea! (Bonus Chapter)
[Dear Mr. Su Wei Yang, your personal business loan's minimum payment of US$30,000 this month is due on October 31, 2025. Please handle it as soon as possible to avoid affecting your personal credit record.]
The Wells Fargo payment reminder text message lay quietly on Su Wei's phone screen.
The content was no different from what he had received in the past.
Su Wei looked at the message and a strange smile appeared on his face, full of a sense of absurdity.
Just an hour ago, this text message was enough to keep him up all night.
This forced him to plan how much game and herbs he would hunt and collect on his next trip into the mountains.
But now, this debt that once suffocated him, this minimum repayment of $30,000, seems like a harmless joke.
He could even picture the bank's cold server faithfully executing the debt collection process.
Little did they know that their debt collection target had just become a millionaire in a legal sense.
money.
Three million two hundred and fifty-seven thousand four hundred US dollars.
The number swirled in his mind, heavy and carrying an unreal quality.
This wasn't virtual game currency; it was the final proof his parents had earned with their lives and the sinking of their fleet.
Su Wei put away his phone, and the cold air filling his lungs helped clear his chaotic thoughts.
Although the agreement has been signed, it will take time for the funds to arrive, so now is not the time to relax.
He exhaled a puff of white breath and stood in the empty street for a while.
Then he took out his phone and dialed Black's number.
The phone was answered after only one ring.
"Speak," came Black's cold, concise voice.
" Black, it's me, Su Wei." Su Wei said succinctly, "The business in town is done."
He didn't mention compensation, let alone a specific amount; there's no need to publicize it to anyone.
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed only by the sound of wind.
"Where are you."
"At the entrance of the Fisheries Union."
"Go to the Fish and Game Department and wait for me there."
The call was disconnected as soon as he finished speaking.
Su Wei was used to this and put his phone back in his pocket.
That's Black for you—always clear about his goals, never uttering a single unnecessary word.
He mounted the snowmobile, and the engine roared to life once more.
He turned the car around and drove towards the Fish and Game Department.
A few minutes later, the sturdy red brick building came into view.
Su Wei parked his snowmobile in an open area of the parking lot and was just about to walk towards the heavy windproof curtain door when it was suddenly pushed open from the inside.
A tall, muscular figure rushed out with a gust of wind, almost colliding with him.
" Su Wei!"
A booming voice, loud enough to shake snow off the rooftops, exploded over the parking lot.
It's Aruk.
The burly man from the Aleutian Islands was now staring wide-eyed, his face filled with surprise.
Like a brown bear that has found honey, he rushed to Su Wei in three strides and slapped his large, fan-like hand heavily on his shoulder.
"My brother! What are you doing here? I thought you were hiding in some ravine, getting moldy!"
Su Wei was knocked off balance by his slap, and only after regaining his footing did he reveal a helpless smile.
"I've come to take care of something."
"Finished your business? What a coincidence! Me too!" Aruk didn't give Su Wei a chance to continue speaking.
He rubbed his hands excitedly, his bronze face flushed with excitement. "Guess what I just did? My father and I, just yesterday! Upstream of Pilan Creek! We killed a huge beast!"
He held up five thick fingers and waved them in front of Su Wei's eyes.
"Level five! A fully grown black-tailed male deer! That guy was as strong as a calf! I used my Remington, bang! One shot and it was down! My father said that was the best shot I'd fired all year!"
He gestured wildly, spitting as he spoke, as if he wanted to reenact the scene in front of Su Wei.
"I just finished registering my points, a full six! If I get four more like this, I can level up to level two hunter!"
Seeing his unguarded excitement, Su Wei was unconsciously infected by it and genuinely happy for him.
Congratulations, Aruk.
A simple congratulation made Aruk beam with joy.
He grabbed Su Wei's neck tightly and shook him violently.
"Haha! Congratulations to you too! And what about you? What are you doing here? Are you here to register your points too?" he asked curiously.
"No, I'm waiting for someone."
"Waiting for someone?" Aruk paused for a moment, then lowered his voice and leaned closer in a gossipy tone, "Waiting for whom? Emily?"
Su Wei shook his head.
" Black."
" Old Devil?!" Aruk's voice instantly rose eight octaves, and he subconsciously shrank back, looking around warily.
"What does he want with you? What trouble have you gotten into this time? Wait a minute, didn't you get first place in the last assessment?"
In his mind, being approached by Black was usually not a good thing.
"It's not a bad thing." That was the only explanation Su Wei could offer.
Aruk stared at him with suspicion, but his attention was soon drawn to something else.
"That's right! Su Wei! The weather's improved these past few days, the blizzard has stopped!" He slapped his thigh, his eyes gleaming with fervor. "My father said those big guys in the mountains should be coming out! We're planning a bear hunt in a few days!"
Bear hunting.
Kodiak brown bear.
The true apex predator on this island.
This word made Su Wei's heart skip a beat.
"It's one of those... real behemoths!" Aruk spread his arms, trying to describe its indescribable size. "How about it, brother! You wanted to make some money? A fully grown male bear, just its gallbladder and paws can fetch a good price! If the pelt is intact, that's even more money!"
He became more and more excited as he spoke, then, as if suddenly remembering something, he punched his own palm.
"Oh right! Your tracking ability! My goodness! How could I have forgotten about that!"
Aruk looked at Su Wei excitedly, "I told my father about your performance during the assessment, and he didn't believe me! He said that unless it's the most experienced old hunter, it's impossible to deduce so much just from the snow marks! Su Wei, with you joining us, our chances of finding that big guy have increased by at least half!"
He looked sincerely at Su Wei and extended an invitation.
"Come with us! There are three of us, three guns! Absolutely no problem! We'll split the profits!"
Su Wei fell silent.
The allure of bear hunting is immense.
It's not just about money; it's also a test of a hunter's skills.
However, he had just emerged from a life-or-death confrontation, and a sum of money that he could never spend in his lifetime was about to be deposited into his account.
Does he still need to take this risk?
In the past, he hunted to survive and to pay off his debts.
But now, that biggest shackle has been removed.
He suddenly realized that he seemed to have lost his most primal motivation.
Besides, he's very tired right now.
Yesterday's life-or-death standoff, today's signing of a compensation agreement.
There will be a points registration period in a little while.