When the last case of Coke was placed heavily in the corner, Old Jack collapsed onto the old sofa.
He left his tattered leather jacket open, the stench of sweat mixed with the smell of cheap tobacco fermenting in the closed room.
Su Wei tossed him a bottle of mineral water, pulled up a chair, and sat down across the huge antlers.
Name your price.
He unscrewed the bottle cap, tilted his head back, and took a gulp.
The cool liquid slid down my throat, dispelling the body's heat and clearing my mind considerably.
Old Jack suddenly sat up.
His cloudy eyes darted around, and a businessman's shrewdness instantly overwhelmed his physical exhaustion.
Three thousand five.
Old Jack held up three withered fingers and waved them in front of his red nose.
US dollars. Cash payment.
Su Wei didn't reply, or even look at him.
His fingers slowly traced the main beam of the antlers upwards, feeling the textures left by time, finally stopping at a tiny crack at the brow ridge.
"If we don't account for weathering, this main beam is over fifty inches long," Su Wei said softly but with certainty. "Top-tier size for the Roosevelt deer."
"You know that was before!"
Old Jack got impatient and slapped his thigh repeatedly.
"And now? This thing has been buried in the snow for at least a winter! See this crack? It's osteoporotic! It can only be chopped up to make knife handles, it can't be used for any whole carving!"
"Then we won't sell it."
Su Wei stood up, making a gesture as if to move the deer antlers.
"I have a few friends in Seattle who specialize in decorating villas for tech elites. This natural, weathered style is perfect for hanging above their fireplaces to enhance their appearance."
"Etc!"
Old Jack, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, pounced on the antlers and held them down tightly.
"Damn it, why do young people these days have no patience at all!"
He yelled, then immediately adopted a conciliatory tone.
" Su Wei, we need to be reasonable. This is a single piece, a single piece, understand? Collectors want symmetry! A single piece is worth less than a tenth of the price of a pair!"
Su Wei sat down again.
He knew, of course, that was the truth.
But the quality of this antler is so good that even a single one, with just a little polishing and a black walnut base, could fetch at least $12,000 when sold to Texas millionaires who come for novelty.
Five thousand five.
Su Wei announced his bottom line, his gaze coldly fixed on Old Jack.
"Don't try to play the poor card with me, and don't expect me to lower the price. I paid double for the gas on this trip."
Old Jack's fat twitched.
In front of this kid, all the tricks of the trade seemed to become transparent.
The carefree, poor boy from before is completely gone, replaced by a composed character who even this seasoned veteran finds troublesome.
That kind of confidence can't be faked.
"Five thousand!" Old Jack gritted his teeth, his last act of defiance. "I need to eat too, and I have to bear the risks of transportation..."
Five thousand five.
Su Wei refused to yield an inch.
Old Jack stared at Su Wei for a full five seconds, then deflated like a punctured balloon.
"Sold! Five thousand five!"
He pulled out his phone menacingly, jabbing the screen with his finger as if he had a grudge against it.
"But let me make this clear: next time you have any good stuff, you have to show it to me first!"
"Drop."
A transfer notification sounded.
Su Wei glanced at the screen, and the string of numbers representing the account balance looked more pleasing to the eye.
"Oh, right."
Before leaving, Old Jack instructed Su Wei to help carry the antlers back into the wagon bed.
He suddenly remembered something, and a look of anticipation appeared on his bloodshot face.
"Did you register it with the Fish and Game Department? They've been cracking down lately. Large items like these without proper documentation are easily confiscated by the police. If it gets confiscated, I won't refund the money."
Su Wei stood in the shadows of the porch, saying nothing.
He simply and slowly pulled a black leather wallet from the inside pocket of his windbreaker.
Expand.
Under the bright light of the car headlights, the gold badge on the card instantly stung Old Jack's eyes.
Old Jack squinted his presbyopia and subconsciously leaned closer.
The next second, the mocking smile on his face froze instantly.
[Professional Hunter License (Lv1)]
"Professional... license?"
Old Jack looked up abruptly, his face showing a look of utter disbelief.
"You passed the professional assessment? When? How long have you been an amateur hunter? It's been a year already?"
The key issue is that the time was too short.
I mentioned it to him briefly last time, and now he's a professional hunter?
Who would have thought?
He used to follow his father around, but after going into the mountains, he became extremely cautious, completely lacking the masculinity expected of Alaska.
Now?
He's become a professional hunter!
The transition from amateur to professional is a huge chasm.
That represents the legal right to kill, and the certification of strength.
"Just the day before yesterday."
Su Wei put away his documents, speaking in a calm tone as if he were asking what he had for dinner that night.
"I was lucky; the examiner was nice."
luck?
Old Jack opened his mouth, the cold wind blowing into his throat, silencing any witty remarks he was about to make.
Having worked in this industry for decades, he knows better than anyone that being able to stand out in professional assessments and obtain certification has absolutely nothing to do with luck.
This requires real, solid strength.
The three practical assessment components are particularly rigorous!
If you were to encounter the living legendary hunter of Kodiak — Black!
That goes without saying!
I heard the chance of getting through him is less than 30%!!
But Su Wei actually obtained the certificate.
This means that the young man before them was already a true predator with fangs.
Even if it's only Lv1.
That's a man at the top of the food chain.
He truly possessed the ability to venture into the wilderness.
Old Jack rubbed his frostbitten nose, and the way he looked at Su Wei completely changed.
If he had previously thought of Su Wei as just a lucky but foolish young man, now he smelled gold.
Being a professional hunter means having unlimited hunting rights, which means having the legal right to enter those resource-rich, remote, and restricted mountain areas.
That would mean a continuous supply of top-quality furs, bear bile, and meat.
"Good lad!"
Old Jack's wrinkled face blossomed into a smile as he patted Su Wei's shoulder forcefully, as if to pledge his loyalty.
"I knew it! I'm usually pretty good at judging people! If your father had even half your talent back then, he wouldn't have..."