He rolled up his sleeves above his elbows, revealing his thick forearms, and leaned over the table, lowering his voice as if afraid of disturbing something in the wind and snow.
"That's right, bear hunting!"
Aruk let out a burp, releasing a strong smell of alcohol and butter.
Honestly, it smells awful.
Su Wei instinctively took a step back.
"It's behind that old spruce forest on the north slope of Pillar Mountain, near Eagle Beak Cliff. Three days ago, my dad and I went there to collect animal traps and found a series of footprints."
He stretched out both hands and made a huge circle.
"This isn't a newly grown cub, nor is it a mother bear with a baby; it's a solitary male bear."
"Judging from the depth of the footprints, this animal has stored up enough fat for the winter, and its weight is at least over 600 kilograms. The fact that it hasn't hibernated yet means it's still looking for food or a comfortable burrow."
Aruk became more and more excited as he spoke, spitting as he spoke.
" Su Wei, do you know what this means? It means a top-quality bear pelt, intact, thick, and glossy. Hanging it on your wall is a hundred times more impressive than those deer antlers."
He pointed to a blank space above the fireplace.
Old Kash sat beside his son, not stopping him from rambling on.
He held a few peanuts in his hand, chewing them slowly, but his cloudy eyes would occasionally glance at Su Wei, observing his reaction.
Su Wei put down his wine glass, his fingers unconsciously rubbing against the rough wooden table.
Hunting Kodiak brown bears is every hunter's dream when they land on the island, but it's also a dangerous gamble.
The system panel flickered slightly in the corner of the field of vision.
[ Hunting Module LV1]
Since that accidental hunt of a black-tailed deer, it has hardly been of any use.
And now, it remains at level one.
Considering the need to upgrade the Hunting Module, hunting brown bears is definitely a good option.
Especially these big ones.
It's quite possible that you could upgrade to level two in one go.
But, is Su Wei going?
Keep in mind that he currently has over three million in savings.
Is it really unnecessary to take this risk?
But soon, Su Wei thought of this land, this wooden house, and his future life.
And Black, and the feeling of that hunt back then.
Whether from a long-term perspective or from a practical standpoint, this applies to both.
Su Wei had to admit that he had indeed fallen in love with the feeling.
He longed to become a true hunter.
The same applies to hunting.
Rebuilding the cabin and buying equipment will definitely cost a lot of money.
That's definitely not a small number.
If he truly wants to live a good life, it's definitely not about sitting around and living off his savings.
"The current equipment and timing are indeed excellent."
Su Wei spoke, his voice steady.
"But I've never done this before, experience is a problem."
This is the Su Wei.
Even with the system's support, and despite the surge of passion, reason still prevails.
He wouldn't risk his life.
"Experience?"
Aruk slapped his thigh.
"I have one! My dad has one too! We'll handle the tracking and get you within range. All you need to do, bro, is use your amazing marksmanship to shoot that guy in the head or heart."
"And..."
Aruk chuckled and pointed to the Raptor pickup truck outside the door, which was still running.
"We have this big guy now. If there's any danger, just crawl into the car, and I don't believe that bear can tear this metal lump apart."
Aruk's confidence stems from this vehicle.
Their old, beat-up pickup truck couldn't even run as fast as a bear, so naturally they didn't dare to confront it head-on.
Now that he had a good car, a good gun, and Su Wei, a skilled marksman as his partner, he felt that this deal could be made.
"So? Are you in or not?"
Aruk pressed on, his blush deepening.
"This is a rite of passage for men on Kodiak Island. You don't want to have to listen to someone tell you this story when you're bragging in a bar later, do you?"
Su Wei didn't speak, but turned to look at Black, who had remained silent.
This person is the true authority.
If Black says no, then even if Aruk talks himself hoarse tonight, Su Wei won't go to his death.
Black remained seated on the freshly chopped log, his back ramrod straight.
The plate in front of him was already empty, and the glass of wine was gone.
The old hunter took a cigarette out of his pocket, but didn't light it; he just held it to his nose and sniffed the tobacco smell.
He raised his eyelids, his gray eyes sweeping over the flushed face of Aruk before finally settling on Su Wei.
"Plan."
Black only uttered two words.
The sound wasn't loud, but it instantly jolted Aruk halfway awake.
Aruk shrank back, his earlier arrogance instantly deflated.
He had an innate fear of this notorious Old Devil was known throughout the island.
"Uh... the plan is..."
Aruk hesitated for a moment, then quickly organized his thoughts.
"Tomorrow morning, Dad and I will go check on that guy's location again. A creature of that size has a large range, but since it left traces near Eagle Beak Cliff, it's definitely still in that area for the next couple of days."
"If the wind is favorable, we'll move to the leeward side. If it's headwind... then we'll wait for the wind direction to change before moving."
" Su Wei is the main attacker, I'm responsible for flank cover, and Daddy is responsible for observation and follow-up shots."
Aruk's voice trailed off as he spoke, clearly indicating that the plan was far too crude and was entirely conceived out of sheer enthusiasm.
Black snorted coldly.
He held the cigarette between his fingers and twirled it around.
"Using your faces to scout the way? Before you even see a bear, it can smell the alcohol on you from two kilometers away."
Aruk scratched his head awkwardly, not daring to refute.
Old Kash chuckled sheepishly, trying to smooth things over for his son. " Black, the kid's just had too much to drink. But that bear was indeed a good prey; its pelt is in excellent condition. If we miss it this winter, the pelt will be of much lower quality when it comes out again next spring."
Black ignored the father and son.
He looked at Su Wei, his fingers tapping lightly on the table, the tapping sound overlapping with the sound of wind and snow outside the window.
You want to go?
Black asked Su Wei.
Su Wei met her mentor's gaze without flinching.
"Think."
The answer was straightforward.
"For the money? Or for the appearance?"
"To see just how far I can go."
Su Wei gave an honest answer.
"And I want to try it."
Black stared at him for a few seconds, a rare and unusual smile playing on his lips.
The arc was small and fleeting, yet it shocked those who knew him well.
"Not too stupid."