"Got it."
The technician suddenly shouted, almost slipping off the ladder in his excitement.
"Signal strength is good. Speed test in progress... Oh my god."
He looked down and exclaimed in surprise.
"Wow, 150Mbps. You're really lucky to get this speed in this godforsaken place. There just happens to be a satellite orbiting right above you."
It's done.
Su Wei took a deep breath and took out his phone.
Search for WiFi networks and enter the password.
The letter indicating a weak signal in the upper right corner of the screen finally disappeared.
Instead, a full grid of fan-shaped icons has been created.
Open the webpage.
The page, which originally took half a minute to load, loaded instantly.
That sense of stagnation disappeared, and the loneliness of being isolated from the civilized world was also lessened.
Su Wei exhaled a long breath of stale air mixed with white mist.
Although we still need to continue earning money for the manor, and although the road ahead is still long.
But at least now, he is no longer fighting alone on the icy plains. The world is within reach.
After seeing off the satisfied technician, Su Wei returned inside. The room was still warm, having not lost its temperature despite her earlier busyness.
He took out his newly purchased Shimano equipment, sat on the sofa, and, under the warm light, began making final preparations.
He skillfully tied an FG knot, connecting the high-strength PE wire and the wear-resistant lead wire together.
He pulled each knot tight and applied lubricant to ensure it wouldn't come undone under immense tension.
By the time all this was done, it was completely dark.
Instead of cooking, he quickly browsed the latest birch syrup prices using the new internet connection.
Just as he expected.
The price of premium organic birch syrup continues to rise steadily.
This is good news.
That seemingly desolate forest was one of his trump cards for his future comeback.
Just then, my phone vibrated.
It's a multimedia message (MMS).
It was sent by Aruk.
The photo shows an aluminum fishing boat moored in the afterglow of the setting sun, its edges coated with a golden light.
The boat's hull gleamed with a cold, hard metallic sheen, and brand-new crab traps were piled up beside it.
The text is simple, just one sentence, yet it carries a powerful persuasive force.
"Tomorrow at five in the morning, my buddies, the sea is calling us. Ready for a big battle?"
Su Wei looked at the photo, his fingers gently stroking the priceless fishing reel arm in his hand.
The cool touch of the metal sent a jolt through his fingertips, making his blood boil.
Now that most things have been resolved, after so many busy days...
So, what's next?
It's time to give yourself a proper vacation.
Su Wei replied with a short and powerful word:
"Receive."
Chapter 143 Two poles firing simultaneously: Bering Sea's stunning response
At four in the morning, Kodiak Island was still asleep.
The light from the phone screen went out in the darkness, and Su Wei rolled out of bed.
The electric heater in the room kept the temperature at a constant 20 degrees Celsius, and the air was dry and warm.
Through the window covered in frost, one could see the wind whipping up snowflakes and slamming against the wooden wall in the pitch-black night.
Su Wei put on the thick Helly Hansen polar cold-weather suit, zipped it all the way up, and tightly wrapped his chin and neck.
In the corner of the wooden bed, Cotton Candy was fast asleep, sprawled out on her back with her belly exposed, only her wet, black nose visible, trembling rhythmically with her breathing.
Su Wei moved quietly, so as not to disturb the little guy.
He skillfully filled the food bowl with high-protein pet food and chopped raw beef, then poured out the water from the original water bowl, rinsed it, and poured in clean water.
After doing all this, he picked up the equipment bag in the entryway.
The bag was heavy; it contained the fishing gear I bought yesterday at the tackle shop.
Push open the door.
"Hoo €€€€"
The cold air hit my face, and the icy chill rushed into my lungs, filling my nostrils with a biting wind.
Su Wei squinted and strode quickly against the wind to the garage, to the Ford Raptor pickup truck.
He carefully placed the Loomis boat rod set, protected by a hard-shell rod case, and the waterproof case containing the Stella reel into the back seat and secured it with the seatbelt.
This treatment is even better than it is for myself.
"Boom!"
The 6.7-liter diesel engine roared, sounding particularly aggressive on the silent snowfield.
The headlights pierced the darkness, two pale beams of light leaping across the snow as the car body warmed up.
Su Wei stepped on the gas, the pickup truck's off-road tires crunching through the frozen snow with a crisp, cracking sound, as it sped towards the St. Paul Harbor in Kodiak Town.
St. Paul Harbor, Terminal C.
Industrial halogen lamps illuminated the dock as if it were daytime, and the air was filled with the smells of diesel, fish, and cold seawater.
Su Wei skillfully parked the car next to the designated parking space.
"Hey. Look here. Look here."
A loud, grating voice pierced through the engine noise.
Aruk stood on the bow of a silver-gray aluminum alloy ship, wildly waving a dirty, oil-stained woolen hat.
He was wearing an orange rubber vest that even had a patina, making him look like a brown bear that had just crawled out of an oil drum.
Su Wei carried the heavy equipment onto the pier.
This is a 24-foot-long second-hand aluminum alloy fishing boat, the Wavebreaker".
The hull wasn't new, with several scratches on the aluminum alloy panels. But the deck was clean, and the brand-new Yamaha 250-horsepower four-stroke outboard motor at the stern gleamed with an expensive sheen under the lights.
(refer to)
"Prudent as a damn Switzerland watch."
Aruk jumped onto the pier, took the box from Su Wei's hand, and his face, which was purplish-red from years of sea breeze, was full of excitement.
For a typical Alutiiq man, fishing and hunting are the norm.
Despite Aruk's constant clamor about going hunting, he is actually a seasoned fisherman with many years of experience.
Aruk excitedly pulled Su Wei over, and his big mouth immediately began to speak, clearly having been holding it in for a long time.
"Come see my new baby. This Yamaha cost me half a year's savings; my mom almost kicked me out of the house, but it's fucking worth it. Listen to the idle sound; it's as quiet as a nun compared to my old two-stroke."
Su Wei stepped over the gunwale, his shoes making a solid sound as they landed on the non-slip aluminum plate.
The boat swayed slightly with his weight, then quickly stabilized; the buoyancy was excellent.
"Great ship, very spirited."
Su Wei gave a positive assessment, his gaze sweeping over the thirty crab traps neatly stacked on the deck.
Each cage was already stuffed with frozen herring chunks and chopped squid as bait, emitting a fishy smell that was a deadly temptation for the crabs.
"Of course. This guy can lead us to riches."
Aruk chuckled, his gaze gleaming as he looked at the waterproof box Su Wei had brought.
"Come on, let me see. Let me see what kind of divine weapon that you were going to buy yesterday really is."
Before Su Wei could even make a move, Aruk had already opened the box's latches on his own.
Nestled within a black, high-density, rigid sponge, lay a silver Shimanos Stellar SW14000XG reel, its body gleaming with metallic luster, the gold decorative ring reflecting a halo of light. Beside it sat a disassembled Loomis IMX-Pro blue heavy-duty boat rod.
Aruk stretched out his rough, large hand, then abruptly pulled it back, rubbed it hard on his rubber vest a couple of times, and then carefully picked it up.