"Buzz!"
Su Wei's fingers gripped the edge of the hide, and the Crafting Module started operating again.
In his perception, the fat layer that needed to be removed was red, and the underlying dermis was green.
The blade contacts the leather plate.
"Zi€€€€"
Fat splattered.
Old Hope's finger was already on the emergency stop button, but gradually he withdrew his hand and put it in his pocket.
Su Wei's hand was steady, moving along the texture of the leather. At first, it was a little awkward, but after only ten minutes, he had mastered that subtle balance of force.
Old Hope stood to the side, watching Su Wei's focused profile, and swallowed back the curses he had prepared.
This kid's touch is ridiculously good.
He's practically born for this job.
The whole afternoon.
Su Wei stood in front of the meat slicer, and amidst the ear-piercing noise and splattering grease, she cleaned the three pieces of skin thoroughly.
Until the sky outside the window was completely dark, turning into a deep, inky blue.
"Alright."
Old Hope turned off the machine's power.
The world fell silent instantly, Su Wei then felt the soreness in his arms, his fingers stiff and difficult to bend, and even the gaps between his bones felt weak and sore.
[Successfully completed a subcutaneous flesh processing training session, receiving instruction from taxidermist Hope; proficiency in Crafting Module and carcass techniques increased.]
[ Crafting Module Experience +30]
[ Basic Taxidermy LV1 (67/100)]
The day's harvest was more tiring than hunting in the wild, but also more fulfilling.
The sense of accomplishment that comes from improving one's skills is something money can't buy.
"Sweep the floor clean."
Old Hope took off his greasy apron, looked at the three perfectly processed leather pieces on the table, and a barely perceptible hint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes.
But he remained sharp-tongued, even becoming more cutting.
"The same time tomorrow."
Old Hope walked to the door, pulled open the heavy iron door, and the biting wind and snow instantly rushed in, dispelling the warmth inside.
He glanced back at Su Wei, a somewhat eerie smile spreading across his gloomy face, revealing two slightly yellowed teeth.
"Today's lesson is just the basics."
"Tomorrow, let's do something even more fun."
Old Hope pointed to a pile of white bones in the corner.
"Tomorrow I'll teach you how to assemble a skeleton. If you don't put that pile of bones back together, you can forget about dinner."
"In addition,"
The old man paused, his Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice suddenly became softer.
"What are we having for lunch tomorrow? If it's fried rice again, remember to add extra beef."
Su Wei carried his tool bag out the door, facing the biting cold wind, and couldn't help but chuckle.
This old man isn't that difficult to deal with.
He glanced at the red-brick factory building behind him in the darkness and tightened his coat.
The first step is stable.
Once you win over Old Hope's stomach and his picky standards, the rights to make that brown bear pelt and crown antlers will eventually be his.
Su Wei climbed into the Raptor pickup truck and started the engine.
The car headlights pierced the darkness as it drove south towards the territory that belonged to it.
Behind him, by the second-floor window of the abandoned factory, Old Hope was holding a steaming cup of coffee, watching the taillights of the departing car and muttering to himself.
"A madman with a madman... Black, you've delivered a fine seed this time. This kid's hands are steadyer than yours, and his cooking is better."
Chapter 137 A New Map at Sea, Aruk's Crab-Fishing Invitation (Please Subscribe)
The high beams of the Raptor pickup truck pierced the thick darkness along the Pilan Creek, and the wheels crunched over the already frozen snow, making a teeth-grinding sound.
Su Wei did not immediately turn off the engine.
He leaned back in the leather driver's seat, feeling his muscles ache as if they had been soaked in vinegar, especially his arms, a lingering effect of being shaken by the high-speed meat slicer all afternoon.
As soon as the car came to a stop, the motion-sensor light at the entrance of the wooden house snapped on.
A small, white, fuzzy head peeked out from under the door.
Cotton Candy.
The little guy had obviously been waiting for the door, and probably heard the engine. He was so anxious that he scratched behind the door and made whimpering noises.
Su Wei pulled out the car key, pushed open the door, and got out of the car.
The cold wind, carrying snowflakes, crept in through the collar, feeling like a handful of ice shards stuffed inside the clothes.
He shrank back and quickly walked up the steps.
As soon as I opened the door, a warm, white ball of fluff landed squarely in my arms.
"Okay, okay, I'm back."
Su Wei smiled and ruffled Cotton Candy's head. Its thick winter fur felt wonderful to the touch, like a piece of top-quality velvet with built-in heat.
He put the half-bag of minced beef he was carrying on the ground.
Those were scraps "borrowed" from Old Hope's refrigerator.
It wouldn't be edible if left any longer, so I decided to bring it back.
The Cotton Candy sniffed the bag, then excitedly circled around it, its tail wagging like a propeller.
Skinning, deboning, and slicing flesh, all while enduring the eccentric old man's sharp tongue.
Su Wei slumped onto the sofa, feeling like she didn't even have the strength to lift a finger.
But he was in a good mood.
Although he was tired, the fact that the old man who only knew how to curse asked him to go again tomorrow meant that he recognized his skills.
As long as the brown bear king's pelt and crown antlers can be perfectly preserved, this little bit of hardship is nothing.
My phone suddenly vibrated in my pocket.
Who could it be so late?
Su Wei took out his phone, and an unfamiliar number was flashing on the screen.
"Hello, this is Su Wei."
"Good evening, Mr. Su Wei. I'm the project manager for Polar Strong Shield. You can call me Matt."
A rough yet shrewd voice came through the receiver, carrying a distinctive Alaska accent.
"Mr. Black told me that your whole-house rebuild project is a big order."
It turns out to be the construction team we mentioned before.
Su Wei sat up straight, and some of her previous fatigue dissipated.
"Hi, Matt Black said you guys are very professional."
"Of course, in Alaska, nobody knows better than us how to build houses on permafrost."
Matt laughed heartily.
"Well, our construction team just finished a job nearby. If it's convenient, we'd like to come over at nine o'clock tomorrow morning to do a preliminary survey and take some foundation measurements."
Tomorrow morning at nine o'clock?
Su Wei glanced subconsciously at the wall clock.
At that time, he was probably standing in Old Hope's factory, which reeked of corpses, struggling with a pile of skeletons.
"Tomorrow probably won't work."
Su Wei was somewhat embarrassed.
"I have something urgent to do. I have to leave at five in the morning and probably won't be back until the afternoon or even evening."
There was a pause on the other end of the phone, clearly indicating that the client hadn't expected them to be so busy.
"Oh, I see... then we'll have to reschedule. But our schedule is pretty full, so if we miss tomorrow, we might have to wait until next Wednesday."
Next Wednesday?
It's been too long.