Su Wei off a piece of steak and put it in his mouth.
Your teeth slice through the crispy outer layer, and the abundant juices burst in your mouth.
The creamy aroma of butter, the unique fragrance of rosemary, the spiciness of black pepper, and the rich flavor of beef intertwine, creating a delightful sensation on the taste buds.
The warmth slid into my stomach, then spread to my limbs and bones, dispelling all the chill.
This is life.
There is no wind or snow, no killing, and no need to scheme against people's hearts.
The only sounds were the crackling of the fireplace, the aroma of meat in my mouth, and the little creature at my feet.
Su Wei leaned back on the sofa, watching the flickering firelight in the fireplace, swirling a half-empty glass of bourbon whiskey in his hand.
The hour hand of the wall clock pointed to nine o'clock.
After eating and drinking my fill, a feeling of fatigue washed over me.
He's barely slept these past few days.
From hunting brown bears to skinning them, and then negotiating with Sam to take over the land, every single thing took a lot of effort.
The activation of the system, in particular, while giving him a trump card, also forced him to remain constantly focused and tense, for fear of missing any opportunity for improvement.
Su Wei tilted his head back and drank the wine in his glass in one gulp.
The spicy liquid slid down his throat, bringing a slight buzz, but it also made his mind exceptionally clear.
He stood up and cleared away the tableware.
Cotton Candy was already stuffed, so she curled up on her back on the warmest carpet by the fireplace, burying her head in her big tail and making soft purring noises.
Su Wei went upstairs, took out the document bag containing the land deed, and then opened the safe hidden behind the bedroom wardrobe.
The heavy steel door slid open silently.
Inside were stacks of documents for this twenty-acre plot of land.
Su Wei carefully placed the land deed on top of the documents.
This is his foundation.
He closed his eyes, and the map that belonged to him began to appear in his mind.
Starting from the cabin, head west through the birch forest all the way to the section of Pilan Creek.
"The road needs to be repaired."
He muttered to himself, his fingers tracing lines in the air.
"We also need to build a fish-smoking room by the river, and level that thicket to make an outdoor shooting range... If we have the money, we'll also build a helipad."
His territory is still barren, but he has already planned for the future.
"It's not over yet."
Su Wei closed the safe, his fingers tracing the cold metal door, his eyes sharpening once more.
Buying the land is only the first step.
Next comes infrastructure development: purchasing heavy equipment and upgrading hunter levels.
And then there's Hope, the old man who promised to teach him his trade.
This skill could turn killing into wealth, and it was something he desperately needed to master.
To gain a foothold here, having land is not enough; you also need the ability to protect it.
Su Wei set her alarm.
Five o'clock in the morning.
Since he had agreed to be an apprentice, he wouldn't be late.
That old man had an eccentric personality and a sharp tongue, but his skills were genuine.
That's the ability to preserve animal carcasses as specimens for a long time.
You have to learn it, even if you get scolded.
Su Wei turned off the living room lights.
Darkness engulfed the room, leaving only the flickering embers in the fireplace.
He lay in bed, listening to the sound of wind and snow hitting the glass outside the window, his consciousness gradually fading.
With his last glance, he looked out the window.
Although he couldn't see it, he knew that on that dark snowfield, a hundred acres of land lay quietly, already bearing the mark of Su Wei Yang.
I slept without any dreams.
"Drip drip drip drip drip"
The jarring electronic noise shattered the tranquility of five in the morning.
Su Wei suddenly opened his eyes.
He opened his eyes instantly, his gaze clear, without a trace of sleepiness.
His right hand instinctively reached for the pistol under the pillow, a reaction left over from long-term survival in the wilderness.
The cold, metallic touch relaxed his tense muscles.
This is home, not a bear den.
He let go of the clock and turned it off.
Five o'clock sharp.
It was still pitch black outside the window, and the wind seemed to be stronger than last night.
Su Wei rolled out of bed without the slightest hesitation. This self-discipline was ingrained in his very being.
I quickly washed up, splashed cold water on my face to wake myself up, and then filled Cotton Candy with water and pet food, which was still fast asleep.
Watching the little one's belly rise and fall with each breath, Su Wei's eyes softened for a moment before she turned and went out.
Ten minutes later.
The pickup truck's high beams tore through the darkness, illuminating the snowflakes ahead.
The engine roared to life, its sound carrying far across the vast snow-covered plain.
Su Wei sat in the driver's seat, holding an old thermos cup filled with freshly brewed instant black coffee; its bitter taste helped him stay awake.
He turned his head and glanced at the tool bag on the passenger seat.
That was given to him by Old Hope; it contained a set of custom-made Germany scalpels.
Today is my first day on the job.
If we don't count the smelly beaver that was forced on me yesterday.
Su Wei shifted into Drive and stepped on the gas.
The black pickup truck rolled over the fresh snow and plunged into the darkness, heading towards the red-brick factory north of town, filled with the stench of formaldehyde and corpses.
5:50 a. m.
The large iron gate of the red brick factory creaked open a crack.
The strong chemical agents and putrid stench almost materialized as they rushed out.
The strong smell hits your nostrils; any normal person would gag the moment they smell it.
You might even have to vomit comfortably outside the gate first.
Then bring in a gas mask.
Su Wei only frowned slightly when he smelled it.
He rubbed his nose, took a deep breath, and then walked inside.
If you want to learn specimen preparation, you have to be patient with all of this.
But while I can be patient, if I'm going to be in this chemical environment for a long time, I'll bring a mask next time I come, for the sake of my health.
He was careless this time.
Su Wei, clutching the set of knives given to him by Old Hope, squeezed through the crack in the door and shut the cold air out.
The factory building remained empty, with the overhead operating lights casting a stark white glow over the central area.
Old Hope, wearing an oil-stained rubber apron, was working on the huge stainless steel counter with his back to the door.
Hearing the noise, the old man didn't turn around. The excessively sharp boning knife in his hand was still scraping rapidly across an unknown piece of leather.
"Click, click, click."
The scraping sound of the blade cutting through the subcutaneous fat layer was enough to make your teeth ache.
Su Wei glanced at the watch on his wrist.
5:55.