"Just say it."
Su Wei held the steering wheel with one hand, and the car drove onto the main road leading to the city.
"The numbers are a bit unusual."
Matt paused for a moment, seemingly organizing his thoughts.
"If you insist on a high standard of security, plus a constant temperature and humidity system, and that 500-square-meter double-layer structure, making a total of 1,000 square meters."
"We're facing the permafrost of Kodiak, and the foundation needs to be driven down to below the bedrock. And the museum-quality exhibition hall you're request—just the transportation costs for the special bulletproof glass and load-bearing columns alone will be enormous."
Su Wei did not interrupt him.
Yesterday, while I was brainstorming ideas in the car, some of them were indeed quite far-fetched.
But he knew very well that the exhibition hall was more than just a place to put things.
That's where the specimens produced by the Crafting Module reside.
If you throw a crown-grade deer antler or a future bear king's hide into a drafty wooden house, forget about triggering the Blessing effect; it will probably get moldy and hairy in less than two years.
"How many?"
Su Wei's words were concise and to the point.
"Just the main building and interior decoration alone, conservatively speaking..."
Matt lowered his voice.
Two million US dollars.
A brief silence fell over the carriage.
Two million!?
In the Alaska wilderness, that number is enough to build a small fort.
A typical hunter's cabin usually costs between $50,000 and $100,000.
This doesn't even include interior decoration and subsequent maintenance.
Matt, not hearing a response, began to explain at a faster pace.
"The main problem is the high cost of labor. Mr. Su, it's winter now, and to work on frozen ground, we need to use large heating equipment to soften the soil. The workers' wages are also 1.5 times higher than in the summer."
Su Wei's fingers tapped rhythmically on the leather-wrapped steering wheel.
He was making plans.
There was three million US dollars in compensation lying in the account.
After deducting the 400,000 for the land purchase, there is still 2.6 million in cash flow on hand.
Two million, nearly half of his net worth.
If this were the old Su Wei, the corporate slave burdened with a mortgage and struggling for a few hundred yuan in attendance bonus, she might have thrown her phone away on the spot upon hearing this number.
But now, he glanced at the few pages of Old Hope's notes on the passenger seat.
Money in a bank is just numbers; it only becomes real when it becomes something tangible.
However, two million is indeed too expensive.
He needs to think further ahead.
"There's also bad news."
Matt reluctantly dropped the second bombshell.
"The road leading to your territory... or rather, that muddy path. It's fine for ordinary pickup trucks, but transporting large quantities of building materials and heavy machinery will be a nightmare."
"Yesterday, our survey vehicle almost got stuck in the mud. If we're going to start work, the first thing we need to do is build roads."
"We need to lay a gravel base at least 50 centimeters thick, and also build drainage ditches. Considering the distance from the main road to your chosen lakeside location is nearly two kilometers..."
"This item will require at least an additional $300,000."
Two million plus three hundred thousand.
Two million three hundred thousand US dollars.
Almost all of the assets were used to build a museum.
Su Wei has begun to seriously consider this matter.
They were so vocal back then, and now they're just as distressed.
"Mr. Su, actually I have a more reasonable suggestion."
Matt's tone became more sincere as he tried to salvage the deal that might fall through.
"That 1,000-square-meter plan was incredibly advanced. And all the materials and facilities were top-notch; it meets the standards of a top-tier museum."
"For you alone, it's completely unnecessary. Even if you do need a museum to display your hunted prey."
"We can reduce the area to 300 square meters, making it a 600-square-meter showroom across two floors. We'll replace the security level and materials with equivalent ones, ensuring that the price decreases while maintaining the same effect in the showroom."
"Furthermore, you have many more construction projects planned. Building a small estate would cost at least tens of millions of dollars. If everything is built to the standards of the initial showroom, the price would likely be beyond imagination, at least thirty million dollars or more."
Su Wei stepped on the gas, Raptor smoothly overtook the car on a bend.
Thirty million US dollars?!
Even though Su Wei had expected it, hearing this exact figure from the mouth of a professional construction company executive still gave him a jolt.
After receiving compensation from his parents and successfully hunting the brown bear.
Su Wei had to admit that he was briefly stunned by the three million US dollars in his bank account.
In addition, hunting brown bears can easily net tens of thousands of US dollars; the money comes too quickly.
For a moment, he forgot the pressure of having just arrived in this world and still struggling to carry out the 160,000 load.
His mindset changed, and he even became arrogant for a time.
Buy land, rebuild the cabin, build your own hunter's museum, workshop, garage...
Too many, far too many.
He really wanted to build his own manor.
But he forgot that three million dollars was not enough to achieve his goal.
Matt's voice continued playing on the phone.
"Therefore, for your future plans, I think your exhibition hall doesn't need to be too high-end; practicality is sufficient. This will meet your needs while keeping the budget under one million US dollars."
"Furthermore, a 300-square-meter house doesn't require a deep foundation, which saves on most of the costs."
"The extra funds can be invested in interior design. Frankly speaking, in most of the museums I've worked on, the most crucial aspects are the interior design and how the specimens are arranged to create an impressive atmosphere."
"If you want a hall to showcase your hunt, this is for the best."
Su Wei fell silent; he knew Matt was telling the truth.
He needs to think about this carefully.
"Mr. Su?"
Matt asked tentatively.
"What do you think of this reduction plan...?"
" Matt."
Su Wei's voice was calm and even, without any fluctuation.
Matt's heart skipped a beat on the other end of the phone. He was just about to try again, perhaps by lowering the price to a makeshift housing option for $200,000.
"Just do it the original plan."
Matt was stunned.
He suspected it was a bad signal and he misheard.
"Excuse me? You mean... the downsizing plan?"
"No."
Su Wei's hands were steady on the steering wheel, just as steady as when he held a hunting rifle.
"One thousand square meters, two floors. But we can forgo the highest-grade materials and top-notch internal ventilation. I think we can discuss this in detail. For example, whether there are any materials available within my territory."
"In addition, the road also needs to be repaired, and not only repaired, but also repaired to the standard that allows heavy-duty oil tankers to travel on it."
"I hope the size of my showroom can remain the same, but the prices and ideas can be changed slightly."
Su Wei glanced at the receding snow scene in the rearview mirror, his tone firm.
The exhibition hall must be built, and it must be this big.
He didn't want his future hunts to have nowhere to be displayed.
Su Wei knew very well that he himself was actually a collector.
Now that I'm here, and have become a hunter...
Therefore, the exhibition hall dedicated to his hunter's honor should ideally display various collectibles.