"First, the fireplace base. I want you to add an extra layer of two-way steel mesh under the gravel layer. That fireplace will use a lot of raw stone, weighing over five tons. I don't want to see the chimney cracking due to foundation settlement three years from now."
Matt leaned closer for a look and raised an eyebrow.
"Two-way steel mesh? That's no easy standard. Fine, you're the boss, as long as you're willing to pay for the steel."
"Second."
Su Wei's finger slid to the center of the drawing, where the living room was located.
"The floor outlet wiring here must use thickened Schedule 40 PVC pipe, and the joints must be double-sealed with waterproof sealant. The groundwater level is high here; if you don't want my living room to become a conductive fishpond, you'd better keep a close eye on that electrician."
Matt's nonchalant expression gradually disappeared.
He looked at the dense markings on the blueprints, which even showed the bending radius of the pipelines.
"Just a little bit more."
Su Wei straightened up, his gaze passing over Matt's shoulder and looking towards the U-shaped mountain pass in the distance.
"The pre-drilled hole for the chimney must be precisely positioned according to the central axis, which is rotated 15 degrees west. The error cannot exceed half an inch. If it's off-center, the setting sun won't shine on the fireplace, and all the money I spent building this house would be for nothing."
Su Wei shoved the blueprints into Matt's oil-stained hands.
"If I come back and find that something doesn't match up..."
Su Wei's voice was soft, but the calmness in his tone still made Matt realize that he was not someone to be trifled with.
"I'll make you tear up all the poured concrete and redo it. You'll have to pay for it yourself."
Matt stared blankly at the blueprints.
Damn it.
Matt folded the drawing, carefully put it into his breast pocket, and then grinned.
"The way you talk is even scarier than my wife who works as an auditor in Seattle."
He took out a lighter from his pocket and relit the cigar.
"Don't worry. Since you've put it this way, I'll sleep on the construction site for the next few days. If that chimney is even a millimeter off, I'll stick my head in and plug it myself."
Matt took a drag of his cigarette, the pale blue smoke dissipating in the cool air.
He suddenly revealed a teasing smile unique to men, and looked Su Wei up and down.
"But speaking of which, Su Wei, why are you in such a hurry to leave, abandoning such a multi-million dollar project...? Are you going to see some blonde girl at a bar?"
Matt winked, giving him a knowing look.
"If it's a date, remember to change out of that rain jacket. It's covered in mud and smells like wild animals. Women don't like that."
"I'm going to see an old man who's a hundred times more difficult than a woman."
Su Wei left Matt with a cryptic remark, then turned and climbed up to the edge of the pit.
The next morning.
The sky over Alaska remained overcast.
Thick clouds hung over the summit of Pillar Mountain, indicating that the weather would not be very good in the next few days.
Su Wei poured a large bowl of canned meat into the Cotton Candy's food bowl and rubbed the little fox's head.
"Keep an eye on the house. Don't let Matt's people in."
The Cotton Candy made a "gulp" sound from its throat, lowered its head and ate it voraciously, its tail casually brushing against Su Wei's hand.
Su Wei picked up his toolbox and went out the door.
The Ford Raptor's engine let out a low growl in the cold wind.
He didn't go back to the construction site to take another look. Since he had entrusted Matt with these tasks, he had to give him basic trust.
The wheels rolled over the not-yet-fully-laid gravel roadbed, bumping and jolting as they made their way toward the main road.
Two hours later.
The red-brick factory building by the sea came into view at the edge of the horizon.
The surrounding area was overgrown with waist-high weeds, and the abandoned chimney stood alone, like the tombstone of a dead giant.
The air was filled with that familiar, nauseating mixture of smells.
It was formaldehyde, rancid grease, and some indescribable, stale smell of blood.
For ordinary people, this is a nightmarish haunted house.
But for Su Wei, this was a library full of treasures.
The only difference is that the pages are made of skin, and the ink is blood.
Su Wei parked the car in front of the large, rusty iron gate.
The moment the iron gate was pushed open, the familiar smell of formaldehyde mixed with the stench of decay hit us.
Su Wei didn't frown; he turned around and closed the door, shutting out the cold wind from outside.
In the center of the factory, the huge stainless steel heating tank was still emitting white steam.
Old Hope, wearing a leather apron that looked like a butcher's, was using a long-handled net to scoop something out of a boiling solution.
Lock the door.
Old Hope didn't turn his head; his voice, carried through the steam, sounded somewhat distorted.
Su Wei locked the door as instructed and went to the control panel to change into his own equipment.
The bearskin still lay submerged in the cold acid vat in the corner, its surface weighed down by several heavy granite blocks, undergoing a long process of acid softening.
That's something that can't be rushed.
That's not the main focus today.
"Whoosh!"
With the sound of water, a huge white object was lifted out of the heating tank by Old Hope and slammed heavily onto the drain rack.
It's that crown and antlers.
After three days and three nights of high-temperature degreasing and hydrogen peroxide bleaching, the residual flesh, fascia, and grease attached to the skull have been completely removed.
At this moment, the skull has an ivory-white color with excellent texture, clean and dry, exuding a deathly beauty.
Only the pair of enormous antlers, protected by plastic wrap and tin foil, retained their original dark brown patina.
"The fat removal was very successful."
Old Hope took off his gloves and threw them on the table.
"The osteoporosis level is just right, and the residual fat content is less than 0.5%. Now, it's the perfect canvas."
He walked to the wall of tools, took down a dusty metal box, and tossed it to Su Wei.
The box was opened, revealing a complete set of dental polishing tools.
High-speed mobile phones, low-speed mobile phones, diamond grinding heads, and dozens of polishing discs with different grit sizes.
"Remove the protective layer and clean any excess adhesive from the junction of the corner and skull."
Old Hope pointed to the base of the antlers.
"Then I used 2000-grit sandpaper to give the skull a final polish. I wanted it to be as smooth as a woman's thigh."
Su Wei picked up the tools.
Tearing open the aluminum foil and plastic wrap, the unique oily smell of male deer wafted out.
This flavor is proof of wildness.
Su Wei replaced the grinding head with a fine conical one and stepped on the pedal.
"Zi€€€€"
The screeching sound of the drill bit spinning at high speed echoed in the empty factory.
At the junction of the horn root and the white skull, there is a ring of naturally formed bony protrusions, which is the easiest place for dirt to accumulate and the most difficult to clean.
Su Wei's hand was very steady.
The passive ability of the [ Life Module - Nimble Hands ] allows him to control the force precisely down to the gram.
The grinding head swept gently, and the hardened resin and residual skin flakes turned into powder and scattered, without damaging the bone surface.
Old Hope stood to the side, holding that coffee cup that could never be cleaned, watching coldly.
Ten minutes later.
Su Wei stopped what he was doing and used an air gun to blow away the surface dust.
"It's all done."
Old Hope didn't say anything, put down his cup, took out a high-powered flashlight from his pocket, and switched it to spotlight mode.
The beam of light, like a scalpel, sliced across the thick, antler-like main beam.
Instead of looking at the skull, he focused the light on the base of a forked antler on the right side.