Emily put down her spoon, closed the lunchbox, and took out a tissue to wipe her mouth.
She stood up and straightened her scarf.
I'm leaving.
"Um."
Su Wei also stood up, picked up her backpack, and handed it to her.
Emily took the bag, but didn't turn around immediately.
She raised her head and stared intently at Su Wei.
The two were so close that they could see each other's reflections in their pupils.
" Su Wei."
She suddenly took a small step forward, opened her arms, and gently hugged Su Wei.
It was a very light hug.
Through the thick down jacket and windbreaker, you can't really feel much body heat.
Her head rested on Su Wei's shoulder for about two seconds.
Take care of yourself. Don't keep getting hurt.
She whispered in Su Wei's ear, her voice trembling slightly.
Before Su Wei could raise her hand in response, she quickly released her grip and took a step back.
"Message me when you arrive."
Su Wei's hand paused in mid-air for a moment before finally putting it back in his pocket.
"Okay. You too, if anything happens... remember to call me."
Emily sniffed, and a bright smile returned to her face.
She waved and turned to walk towards the security checkpoint.
They walked quickly, without looking back.
Su Wei stood there, watching the off-white figure walk through the security gate and disappear around the corner.
He walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling windows.
Ten minutes later.
A Boeing 737 emblazoned with an Eskimo's head roared as it taxied onto the runway.
Accelerate, rise.
The silver wings sliced through the leaden-gray clouds, soaring into the sky at an altitude of ten thousand meters.
Su Wei kept his head tilted back until the small black dot completely disappeared from his sight.
It's very noisy around here; someone is on the phone, and a child is crying.
But he felt it was very quiet around him.
That empty feeling is back.
Su Wei stood by the window for a long time.
Until my phone vibrated in my pocket.
It was a text message.
[ Emily: The food was delicious. This is the best beef and potato stew I've ever had. Goodbye, Su Wei.]
Su Wei looked at the words on the screen, a slight smile curving her lips.
He put away his phone, turned around, and strode out of the waiting area.
Pushing open the door, a cold wind mixed with snowflakes rushed in, instantly dispelling the remaining warmth on my body.
Su Wei took a deep breath of the cold air.
Back in the car, Su Wei didn't rush to start the engine.
He pulled the crumpled note that Black had given him from his inner pocket.
It only contained a name and a phone number.
" Old Hope ".
The priceless brown bear pelt and skull are still at home, waiting to be processed.
If we delay any longer, the quality of the hides will decline, which will just be a waste of money.
Su Wei dialed the number on the note.
"Dudududu"
The phone rang for a long time before it was answered.
A piercing sound of an electric drill came through the receiver, followed by the rough, hoarse voice of an impatient old man.
"Who is it? If you're not here to deliver money or alcohol, you'd better hang up within a minute. I'm currently inserting eyeballs into a damn lynx!"
Su Wei held the phone, her tone calm and steady.
"Introduced by Black."
"I'd like to ask you to handle a large one."
"The skull of the King of Kodiak Island, and a complete gold-plated bear skin."
The sound of the electric drill in the receiver stopped abruptly.
What followed was a suffocating silence.
Even through radio waves, that blatant skepticism crept over the signal.
For a craftsman like Old Hope, who has spent his entire life on Kodiak Island, the boasts of young people usually mean a waste of time.
"If you dare to make fun of this kind of thing, I'll put your name on the blacklist at the store entrance."
Old Hope spoke slowly, emphasizing each word, with the grainy texture characteristic of someone who had been smoking cigarettes for years.
"If it's just ordinary stuff, go find an apprentice in town. I only take high-quality goods."
Su Wei offered no explanation.
He switched hands to the steering wheel, Raptor smoothly drove out of the airport tollbooth and merged into the main road traffic.
You can call Black to confirm.
Su Wei spoke calmly, showing no sign of being angered by the other party's hostile attitude.
"Or go ask Silas from the Hunters' Guild; he personally appraised that hide."
The sound of a lighter being pressed came from the other end of the phone.
Then came the sound of a heavy object being moved, accompanied by friction.
Old Hope clearly took those two names to heart.
Black never lies, Silas would never joke about the guild's reputation.
If it's true...
The breathing rate in the stethoscope has changed.
It was an irrepressible urgency when seeing a rare treasure.
For top taxiderms, handling prey of the " King of the Island " level is a milestone in their career.
This is not just a business opportunity, but also a chance to make a name for oneself in history.
How big?
Old Hope asked the question, this time with less arrogance and more professional scrutiny.
"The exact dimensions weren't measured."
Su Wei glanced at the rearview mirror.
"But the guild's cold storage cart can't hold it all; it takes two people to lift it. The hide is 99% intact, with only one penetrating gunshot wound on the chest and a gunshot wound on the shoulder, which will not affect the head shaping."
Damn it.
Old Hope cursed under his breath.
That swear word contained both shock and extreme excitement.
A precise shot through the heart—this is an operation only a top-tier marksman can perform when risking their life.
"Listen, kid."
Old Hope's attitude made a complete 180-degree turn.
"It's two in the afternoon, the light isn't good enough. Processing pelts of this caliber requires absolute natural light and the best conditions. I need to clean the workbench and toss that unfortunate lynx aside."
"Furthermore, I need to prepare a special preservative solution; our current inventory isn't enough to handle that huge machine."
"Tomorrow morning at nine o'clock."