On both sides were piles of freshly turned soil, forming two low walls. The air was filled with the raw, pungent smell of the frozen earth being turned over.
The construction site was deserted.
Excavators and bulldozers were parked on an open space some distance away, covered with thick tarpaulins.
Only the solar-powered mining lamp hanging on the makeshift utility pole swayed in the wind, casting a pale, bleak glow.
Su Wei slowed down and carefully drove the wheels into the pre-made rut.
The beam of the car headlights cleaved through the darkness, illuminating the lone wooden house ahead.
Above the main entrance, the familiar motion-sensor light cast a yellow glow.
Su Wei loosened his grip on the steering wheel slightly.
The tires rolled over the last stretch of gravel, making a soft, crunching sound.
Su Wei stepped on the brakes.
The Raptor came to a stop in the garage.
He turned off the engine, and the car lights suddenly went out.
Darkness descended instantly. Su Wei remained seated in the driver's seat, not getting out of the car immediately.
He looked through the windshield at the snow-covered path and the tightly closed wooden door at its end.
The wind howled.
Su Wei reached out and pushed open the car door, a chill rushing towards him.
He closed the garage door and walked straight to the cabin door.
I took out my phone; it was already 7 PM.
Su Wei rubbed his stomach; it was just the right time to have dinner.
Tomorrow, I don't know if it will be good or bad.
He pushed open the door and entered, Cotton Candy jumped into his arms.
Chapter 153 The Test Begins, Keeping the Appointment at the Last Minute
Su Wei pushed open the door and entered, Cotton Candy jumped into his arms.
The little fox's paws hooked onto the hem of his windbreaker, its head rubbing against his chest repeatedly, making soft chirping sounds.
Su Wei unloaded the toolbox and then casually put his arm around it.
The Cotton Candy's warmth emanated through her clothes, relieving the chill brought in from outside.
Su Wei locked the door behind him, keeping the wind and snow outside out of the thick wooden planks.
The embers in the fireplace had died down, and the temperature in the room had dropped considerably.
Su Wei didn't rush to start a fire, but went to the kitchen first.
He was very hungry after a long day.
He took out a bag of fresh venison that Martha had given him yesterday from the refrigerator.
Venison is a healthy deep red color with clear marbling.
Su Wei drew the chef's knife; the blade cut through the fibers, feeling remarkably smooth.
With his modding skills, he knew how to prepare this piece of meat.
He sliced the venison into evenly thin slices and marinated it simply with a small amount of rock salt and freshly ground sea salt.
A frying pan is placed on the fire, and a small piece of butter melts, producing fine bubbles.
Su Wei spread the venison evenly at the bottom of the pot, and with a sizzling sound, a rich aroma of meat instantly burst forth.
He precisely controlled the heat, creating a brownish-red Maillard reaction layer on the surface of the meat slices, and then turned down the heat.
The aroma of the meat in the pot became even richer and more mellow.
The Cotton Candy stopped its fuss and obediently squatted on the edge of the counter, its tail wagging rhythmically, its eyes fixed on the pot.
Su Wei poured in a little bourbon whiskey, and the flames briefly rose in the pot, carrying away the excess oily smell and leaving only a slight sweetness from the evaporating alcohol.
He scooped out the sliced meat and then quickly blanched a portion of cabbage.
Su Wei sat at the dining table and gave Cotton Candy a few pieces of unseasoned cooked meat.
He chewed on the juicy venison, but his brain was racing.
Black was scheduled for 4 a. m., which meant he had to get up at 3 a. m., leaving him with less than eight hours of rest in between.
After finishing the last bite of meat, Su Wei wiped his mouth.
Instead of lying down on the sofa, he pushed open the door to the storage room next to the fireplace.
This place used to be a dumping ground for miscellaneous items, but he cleared it out and turned it into a temporary equipment room.
Su Wei laid out a huge military-green moisture-proof mat in the center of the living room. He took all his hunting equipment out of the gun cabinet and storage cabinet and arranged them neatly on the mat.
This is a habit I learned from Black: before venturing into the wilderness, you must check every piece of equipment that could save your life.
First, there's the Browning rifle.
Su Wei disassembled the bolt and used a cleaning rod soaked in metal odor remover to push it in from the rear of the barrel.
The white cotton cloth went in clean, but came out carrying some gunpowder residue.
He repeated this process three times until the cotton cloth was as clean as new.
He picked up a bottle of specially made deodorizing lubricant.
This oil doesn't have the pungent chemical smell of regular gun oil, which helps it avoid detection by predators with a keen sense of smell.
Su Wei dripped lubricant onto the guide rail and key stress points, and repeatedly pushed and pulled the bolt to ensure smooth operation.
Next is the scope.
He mounted the Zeiss Conquest V4 scope on the gun mount.
Su Wei took out a laser calibration pen and inserted it into the muzzle of the gun.
The red laser dot hit the wall thirty meters away, aligning with the crosshairs in the center of the reticle.
He made a slight adjustment to the height handwheel, the click sounding particularly clear in the quiet room.
Su Wei shifted his gaze from the eyepiece to the neatly arranged row of bullets.
.300 Winchester Magnum,.220 Graing Nosler Partition Bullet.
This bullet has an extremely deep all-copper base and a lead core at the front, and is specifically designed to deal with large animals.
Su Wei picked up a bullet and examined it carefully under the desk lamp.
He ran his fingers along the edge of the fire pit to make sure there were no signs of dampness or deformation.
Then, he loaded the bullet into the magazine and then ejected it.
There are ten in total, and each one has undergone the same process.
He kept the Ruger Super Redhawk revolver in the most easily accessible spot within his reach.
This was his last line of defense.
Su Wei checked the locking mechanism of the reel, confirming that the .44 Magnum bullet monster was ready to fire at any moment.
Next comes organizing personal equipment.
He carefully wiped the lenses of the Nikon Monarch 5 telescope clean with suede.
Two KA-BAR Hunting Knife, one for bleeding and skinning, and the other for heavy chopping.
Su Wei picked up the ruby oilstone and gave the small hunting knife a few final blows.
The blade sliced through the hair, cleanly severing it.
He put two bottles of polar-specific deodorizing spray into the side pocket of his backpack.
This medicine can neutralize the ammonia smell produced by human sweat.
The snow camouflage suit is specially made using a silent fabric that does not produce static friction noise.
Su Wei inspected each zipper to make sure it didn't make a sharp metallic clanging sound when pulled.
The backpack contained a box of high-calorie compressed biscuits, two beef energy bars, and an aluminum survival whistle.
Su Wei squatted in front of the moisture-proof mat, looking at the cold metal and synthetic fibers on the ground.
He envisioned two action plans.
Option A: Long-range sniping. Utilize the snow-covered slope to establish an ambush point and end the battle from 200 meters away. This requires extremely high environmental observation skills and shooting accuracy.
Option B: Encounter. If visibility is too low and you are forced into bushes or woodlands, all the advantages of long guns will be reduced. What you need then is quick reaction and decisive pistol shooting.
He mentally rehearsed how to quickly take up a gun while under load, and how to maintain steady breathing in the thick snow.
Cotton Candy lay quietly on the edge of the mat. Its little ears twitched occasionally, as if sensing the unusual tension emanating from its owner.
It didn't come over to cause trouble as usual, but simply watched Su Wei's every move quietly with its blue eyes.
After finishing with the last spare parachute rope, Su Wei glanced at his watch.