"Tomorrow at 2 PM."
He remained silent for a moment, mentally calculating the time.
I'll take you there.
"No need, it's too much trouble. The airport is dozens of kilometers away from the port..."
I'll take you there.
Su Wei repeated himself, his tone not harsh, but firm.
The other end of the phone went silent again.
A while later...
"Good."
Emily's voice softened, with a barely perceptible nasal tone.
"Then... drink less alcohol. Drive carefully, the roads are slippery at night."
"Know."
"Well... see you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow."
The call ended.
Su Wei was still holding up her phone.
The screen went out, and his somewhat forlorn face was reflected in the black mirror.
He looked at the dark sea, and the satisfaction he had just felt, filled with alcohol and delicious food, suddenly seemed to be ripped away.
It feels empty.
He and Emily grew up together.
Later, Emily's family moved to Anchorage, a big city with shopping malls, universities, and a brighter future.
He stayed on the island, which was inhabited only by bears, drunkards, and blizzards.
The two lines, which briefly intersected, are now about to separate again.
"Hey."
A large hand slammed down on Su Wei's shoulder.
Su Wei snapped back to reality, his body instinctively tensing up.
Aruk appeared out of nowhere, clutching a half-eaten crab claw, his face flushed from drinking.
"What are you doing? Staring blankly at the sea? Want to jump in for a swim?"
Aruk, his tongue thick with alcohol, leaned closer, his head reeking of wine, looking utterly gossipy.
"Whose call was that just now? I saw it, they looked really serious."
Aruk winked and made faces; he looked absolutely smug.
"If you have a girlfriend, bring her along to eat together. These crabs are huge, there's plenty to go around."
Su Wei put away his phone, wiped the moisture off his hands on Aruk's dirty sweater, and his eyes regained their clarity.
Go eat your crab.
Su Wei turned around, preventing Aruk from seeing the expression on his face.
"Let's go inside. We haven't finished our drinks yet."
"Hey, hey, don't go! Tell me about it. Last time I noticed Emily's gaze towards you was off..."
Aruk stuck to Su Wei like a shadow.
Su Wei pushed open the restaurant door.
The heat and noise surged in again, shutting out the loneliness outside the door.
He took a deep breath, and a faint, composed smile returned to his face.
"Want to know? Drink that half-bottle of whiskey first."
The meal lasted until 9 p. m.
The plates on the table were piled up like a small mountain, and not a drop of bourbon was left in the three bottles; even the mashed potatoes that came with it had been scraped clean.
Most of it ended up in the stomachs of Aruk and Old Kash; that father and son were veritable human-shaped food crushers.
Although Black had drunk quite a bit, he still sat upright, only his sharp eyes held a hazy gleam.
Silas only drank a small portion of his drink, focusing entirely on the plate of buttered snails.
"Bill, please."
Su Wei beckoned, pulled out a few Franklin banknotes from the thick stack of funds, and slapped them on the table.
"Don't bother looking for the rest, just save it here for next time."
The boss grinned from ear to ear and thanked him repeatedly.
The group staggered out of the restaurant.
A gust of cold wind blew, Aruk immediately leaned over a roadside trash can and began to dry heave.
"How embarrassing."
Old Kash kicked his son in disgust.
" Su Wei."
A hoarse voice came from behind.
Su Wei turned around.
Silas stood in the shadows at the restaurant entrance, a slender Cuban cigar between his fingers, its crimson flame flickering in the sea breeze.
The firelight illuminated his one intact eye, which was as deep as a dry well.
"Take this and contact me."
Silas exhaled a puff of blue smoke.
He took a black card out of his jacket pocket, held it between two fingers, and handed it over.
Su Wei took the card.
It feels cold and heavy to the touch; it's not plastic or paper, and the texture is very hard, like some kind of alloy.
There were no fancy designs on it, only a golden phone number and an embossed badge—a broken dagger stuck in the grotesque bear skull.
"What... does this mean?"
Su Wei looked at it under the streetlight, his fingers tracing the badge.
"If you absolutely must ask, consider it your ticket to the Broken Blade tournament."
Silas smiled, the scar running from his forehead to his chin writhing, making him look both ferocious and sincere.
"There are many people with guns on Kodiak Island, but there are no more than five who could survive close combat with a bear alone. Black is old; his era is almost over. And you..."
Silas extended his finger and gestured vaguely towards Su Wei's heart.
"You're just starting out. I have high hopes for you. If there are any prey of that caliber in the future, or any special commissions that can't be made public, I'll contact you first."
After saying this, Silas waved his hand without waiting for Su Wei's reply, wrapped his coat tighter, and turned to disappear into the night.
"Let's go. That kid drives steadily, so don't worry about riding in."
Not far away, Cartier had already started its car, its headlights piercing the darkness.
Su Wei clutched the cold card, staring in the direction where Silas had disappeared, remaining motionless for a long time.
Is this what the professional hunter community is like?
Interests, power, blatant investment, and this tacit rule.
" Su Wei, get in the car. The engine will get cold if we don't move soon."
Cartier rolled down the car window and shouted, interrupting Su Wei's thoughts.
Su Wei put the card away in his pocket, opened the car door, and got into the passenger seat.
The heating in the carriage was on full blast, making it very warm.
The engine starts, and the vehicle moves.
Su Wei leaned back in the leather seat and closed his eyes.
Emily's slightly tired voice from the phone call and the cold, hard metal card in her pocket kept flashing through my mind.
The car slowly drove out of the dock area. The streetlights receded one by one, casting dappled shadows on my eyelids.
Su Wei opened his eyes and looked at the long, straight snow-covered road ahead, illuminated by the car headlights. His gaze gradually hardened.
"Go back to the cabin."