"That expression, is it because you're terrified by that male bear you've never even met, or was that phone call from some blonde woman telling you you're going to be a dad?"
Su Wei looked away, took out his car keys from his pocket, and twirled them between his fingers.
"I have urgent business to attend to; I need to see Black."
Old Hope paused in his hand-wiping motion. The rag hung suspended in mid-air.
A few seconds later, he threw the rag on the table.
" Black."
Old Hope repeated the name, his voice hoarser than usual.
He turned around, rummaged through the messy pile of tools on the workbench and found a pack of cigarettes. Without even asking Su Wei if he wanted one, he lit one for himself.
Pale blue smoke rose and disappeared into the smell of chemicals.
"That old madman isn't dead on the ice plains yet?"
Old Hope exhaled a puff of smoke, his eyes fixed on a point in the void.
"He actually went out of his way to find someone. Looks like you're in big trouble? Is he really planning to have you take over his job? Special training, huh? That's just like him all along."
Su Wei did not answer the question about succession, but simply stated the facts calmly.
He asked me to meet him at four o'clock tomorrow morning. Before that, I need to go back and prepare.
Old Hope let out a short, nasal sound, it was impossible to tell whether it was mockery or a sigh.
Four o'clock in the morning.
Old Hope flicked his cigarette ash.
"If he really has prepared special training for you, then be prepared to suffer. I can already imagine what you'll look like tomorrow. Good luck, and I'll consider giving you a discount once you return safely."
This stingy old man actually offered to give a discount.
"These antlers."
Old Hope abruptly changed the subject, tapping the enormous crown-shaped antlers on the table with his fingers, which were still holding a cigarette.
"The bone gaps have been filled, and the strength is no less than before. Next comes polishing and waxing."
He walked to the antlers and patted the thick main beam with his palm.
After degreasing and polishing, the entire set of antlers presents a perfect appearance, clean and tidy.
"I originally planned to make you a black walnut wood base to hang on the wall. That's the classic way."
Old Hope looked at Su Wei.
"But judging from how distracted you've been these past few days, I guess you're not really interested in art appreciation. So, tell me, what do you want to do?"
Su Wei took out the drawing he had shown Matt before from his pocket and spread it out on the table.
No base required.
Su Wei's finger pointed above the huge fireplace on the drawing.
"I want to embed it."
Old Hope leaned closer and squinted at the sketch.
On the drawings, a huge stone fireplace occupies the entire wall.
The rough glacial pebbles formed the original base, while the crown-shaped antlers were designed as decorative beams above the fireplace mantle.
It doesn't hang there; it looks like it grew out of the stone.
The base of the antlers disappeared into the crevice of the rock, with huge forks spreading outwards.
It is full of primal and wild beauty.
"You're going to... use it as building material?"
Old Hope raised his head, the wrinkles between his eyebrows squeezed into the character "Chuan".
It's not just decoration.
Su Wei's finger traced the lines on the drawing.
"This horn spans 1.6 meters. In this position, it forms an angle with the flame. On the winter solstice, the setting sun shines in, and the light passes through these branches, casting shadows on the opposite floor."
I want that sense of pressure.
Su Wei retracted his fingers.
"Sitting before the fireplace is like sitting beneath the carcass of that stag."
The factory was quiet for a moment.
The only sound was the distant hum of an exhaust fan.
Old Hope had a cigarette dangling from his lips, and ash fell onto the blueprints.
He ignored it and stared at the design drawing for a long time.
"Interesting."
Old Hope suddenly spoke, letting out a soft chuckle.
"That's a pretty good idea."
"And..."
He reached out and pushed the blueprints back to Su Wei, a strange smile on his face.
"This savage quality actually suits the character quite well."
He turned around, picked up the wool polishing wheel, and remounted it on the machine.
"I'll finish the polishing. As for how to fit it into the stone, that's your job and the bricklayer's. Don't expect me to go to the site and hand you a hammer."
"Clear."
Su Wei folded the blueprints and put them back in his pocket.
"That bear."
Old Hope gestured with his chin towards the large vat in the corner, weighed down by heavy granite.
"It still needs to soak in acid for three days. The leather is as hard as sheet metal these days; it won't soften in less than three to five days. After that, it needs to be shaved evenly, tanned, and drum-dried... There are so many processes involved."
The hum of the machine starting up sounded again.
"Get lost."
Old Hope had his back to Su Wei, his voice mingling with the noise.
"Come back when you need to make the frame for the bear skin. By then, if you haven't been trained to death by Black, or eaten by the brown bears in the mountains."
Su Wei looked at the hunched back and nodded.
Thank you.
He picked up his toolbox, turned, and walked towards the door.
Click.
The iron gate was locked again.
The wind and snow outside seemed to be even fiercer than before.
The sky had completely darkened, and the dim yellow glow of the streetlights seemed precarious in the snow and fog.
Su Wei opened the car door; the Raptor pickup truck's cargo area still retained a little warmth.
My phone vibrated.
Su Wei took it out and glanced at it; it was a text message from Matt.
[ Matt: The roadbed has been dug. We've driven stakes into the ground and put up warning lines on both sides. We've left a 2.5-meter-wide lane for your pickup truck, on the left side. Don't drive too fast, it's muddy. Also, if the snow is too heavy tomorrow and the concrete trucks can't get in, we might have to stop work. I'm letting you know in advance.]
A photo is attached below.
In the darkness, two rows of reflective cones, illuminated by car headlights, resembled a narrow path.
Su Wei tossed his phone back into the passenger seat.
Start the engine.
The roar of engines echoed through the empty industrial area.
The pickup truck turned around, its tires crushing the thin ice on the ground, and sped off towards the edge of town.
The car turned off the main road and onto the dirt road leading to the foot of Pillar Mountain.
The jolt came instantly.
The originally compacted frozen soil road surface has been completely destroyed by heavy machinery.
The trees on both sides rushed past in the darkness.
A reflective surface appeared ahead.
It's a road sign left by Matt.
Two rows of wooden stakes with fluorescent stripes were driven deep into the soil, leaving only a narrow passage in the middle, just wide enough for Raptor to pass through.